I Built A Friend (Shigadabi)

Holidays

Tenko's p.o.v

      Weeks had gone by and I still feel strange. Like I was visiting a friends house for a while. After weeks of sorting out paper work and files and court dates, I was finally considered a member of the Todoroki household, with what would be my adoptive mother, father, and best friend. I don't say brother because I really didn't see him that way. I saw him as my best friend, someone I could go to school with and hang out and laugh around. Someone I could tell my deepest secrets too and trust. We were never the wealthiest family but we never had to worry about something like money. We always had enough to be fed and clothed and pay bills. I never considered myself part of the family since I looked so much different from them so it took me a while to warm up. I think the first time was on Christmas.

   I was still saying in Touya's room on an air mattress that had been set up for me. A part of me felt bad that I was taking up so much room but he never gave me a hard time about it so I didn't think it bothered him too badly. We both woke up at six in the morning, jumping up and down exclaiming "SANTA! SANTA!" Over and over to each other. We ran to Rei and Enji's shared bedroom and jumped on their bed, waking them up while chanting "IT'S CHRISTMAS! IT'S CHRISTMAS!" They both shared a smile, getting out of bed slowly and attacking us in hugs. It was something Enji often did, hugging both me and Touya in each of his arms and sling us on his shoulders, sometimes tickling us. We both loved it and laughed when he did and Rei would watch and giggle herself. We were a happy family. We walked down stairs, ecstatic about the abundance of presents under the tree. It was never this big of a celebration, it was usually one gift and some hot cocoa with my mom. My old mom. It was a sensitive subject, they all knew so they tried not to mention it. Get together with family often made me start crying but Touya always stayed in his room with me and played and I was able to go to Rei and Enji about how I was feeling. Of course, I didn't have to say much, they already knew. I didn't talk much about my home life to them and they seemed to respect that. So they thought Christmas would be no different.

   I sat down on the couch while Touya picked through the presents, shaking the ones with his name on them. He was trying his best to guess what each box or bag held, the gift only hidden by a thin sheet of wrapping or tissue paper. I watched from the couch as Enji made coffee and hot cocoa while Rei was wrapped around him. I thought it was cute. I could feel the tears start to well up in my eyes so I ran up to Touya and wrapped around him like they did. "Oh, it's alright red." He soothed me gently and rubbed my back. The nickname came from us calling each other by our eye colors. So, his nick name was blue. He wasn't any older than me yet he seemed older. Like that cool sibling you look up to for just about everything. He was like that to me. But almost more. He let me cry and sat with me while Rei came up and handed us mugs of cocoa. She let us sip on our chocolaty drinks and made sure I was happy before we went on with the day. Me and Touya sat on the carpet while Rei and Enji sat on the couch watching us. "Do you want to start with stockings or presents?" Enji asked the both of us. Our eyes lit up as we stared at each other before exclaiming "STOCKINGS!" in awe.

We both pulled off the stockings from their little hooks by the fireplace. They were filled with the typical socks, candy, trinkets and small toys that were too small to be their own gifts under the tree. After revealing all the stuff in our stockings and squealing happily at each and every gift, we moved on to presents. Touya excitedly ripped open the wrapping paper getting a few LEGO sets, action figures from a show he had liked at the time, some clothes, and a Nintendo switch that he had begged to get for about three months at this point. Opening up my gifts was fun since I had never gotten so many and I loved every second. I got a few clothes like he did, a few science type kits like growing crystals and making small experiments, a few drawing things like sketchbooks and a few other things I forget now. The presents were over after a few hours and there wasn't much left to do I thought. "We have a surprise for you Tenko." Rei said gently. She was always a gentle, quiet spoken woman. Enji was more social and loud and had that happy dad energy most of the time.

   I stood up from the couch and placed my half empty mug on the coffee table while Rei and Touya grabbed my hand. He smiled real wide and started rushing me upstairs towards his room I thought at the time. We stopped in front of a door to a room I never went into. I really hadn't seen anyone go in there so I was confused. I looked up to all of them while Enji opened the door. "Welcome to your new room!" Touya said excitedly, grabbing my hand and rushing me inside. He showed me all the things around like my new bed and dresser, closet, toy chest and bookshelf with bedtime stories on it. There was a desk and big soft chair and it was painted and decorated amazingly. I couldn't help but smile the widest I'd ever done in my life, tearing up at the gesture. They didn't have to do this for a random kid but they did. That's when it clicked that I wasn't a random kid to them. I was their son just as much as Touya was. I was their kid. It didn't matter if it was biological or adoptive these were my real parents. I ran back over to the both of them who were standing in my doorway and I hugged them the tightest ever. "Merry Christmas!" They both whispered at the same time. Touya joined in on the hug, his arms wrapped around me mostly, hands resting on his parents. "Merry Christmas!" I mumbled right back.

"Thank you Momma and Daddy."