A/N: I'm back. Please enjoy a dose of sassy Shouto.
"And who invited you?"
Even now as his father towers over him, flames furiously thrashing about his herculean frame and eyes glaring at him with an angry glint in his eyes, Shouto looks absolutely done with Enji's shit. He doesn't seem the slightest bit concerned and---if we're being honest---he looks outright bored with his father's behavior, dull expression plastered out on his face. Enji's nostrils flare.
"Don't look so smug with me, boy! You've a lot of nerve, pulling something like this! Is this how far you're willing to go to spite me?!"
Shouto's head rolls around on his, eyes following suit as soon as he's sure his father is looking him in the eyes. Honestly, he should have figured that this wouldn't go as smoothly as he had hoped for and that Enji would find out somehow but he'd hoped it would be much later in the future when Shouto had grown the capacity to deal with his incredibly irritable temper tamtrums.
But alas.
"Firstly, no one is doing anything to spite you. You would understand that if you weren't such a fucking narc. Secondly," Shouto holds his hand above his head, bumping it down twice. "You're at a ten and I need you at a two. Expeditiously."
Enji looks like he's about to right burst a blood vessel.
Shouto would be lying if he said he wasn't enjoying it.
"You mean to tell me that you're marrying some lost boy that I've never heard hair or whisper of until today because you want to and not to spite your father who's been trying to get you to do the exact thing with several lovely young women with purebred quirks? Spare me your shit, Shouto, and call off this charade at once!"
The way Shouto's face morphs at the mention of Katsuki alarms Izuku that there's a very likely possibility that a fight is about to break out and it doubles the moment he sees Mitsuki Bakugou jab her finger up into Enji's chest.
"I don't give a shit about you being number one; you watch your mouth about my boy!"
"Don't tell me how to discipline my son, you harlot---"
"Bitch, you are out of fuckin' pocket talking to my mom like that; I'll fucking knock your cranium loose! Try me!"
"I don't want to hear anything from you! You, loud and obnoxious and undeserving of the title of a hero with your villainous attitude---some gold digger seeking to sleep his way into my fortune by bedding my son!"
"Okay, dad, that's out of line!" Fuyumi steps in.
"Just punch him in his shit, Shouto." Natsuo encourages.
Mitsuki is literally having to be held back by Masaru but it does nothing to stop Katsuki from sparking off at him and the next thing Izuku knows, the entire party is crowding them and fussing over some thing or another---mostly tearing Enji a new asshole for talking bad about their resident firecracker.
"H-Hey, guys..."
They can hardly hear him over their commotion. He tries again.
"Guys, seriously!"
Not even a half of a second of silence. Green lightning crackles around him and Eijirou steps back with a sigh.
"FOR THE LOVE OF ALL MIGHT, WOULD EVERYONE JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP FOR TEN GODDAMN SECONDS?!"
A black tentacle lashes out and whips against the floor, nearly snapping the gift table in half with the force of it. It startles almost everyone (because Eijirou definitely saw this coming) into silence, wide eyes turned on him. Eijirou thinks he might actually see literal steam coming from his ears, he's so fed in the face. He takes a deep breath, willing his quirk back into control after receiving an eye of warning from All Might. He sighs, glaring Enji right through his core.
"You know, Enji, this has been a long time coming and something has to be said. I know your kids won't say it because they enjoy watching you make an absolute ass out of yourself and the rest of the world is too busy being afraid of you or kissing your ass but the rest of us has had just about enough." He begins, and Enji flares again only for Shouto freeze him up to his chin in three layers of his thickest ice.
It won't hold long. But he'll have no other choice but to sit still and listen until he melts his way out.
"You insolent fucking brat---"
"I don't know why you are the way that you are but you've got no right to walk this earth punishing the people you encounter for the horrible decisions you've made in your life---specifically your wife and children---"
"You don't know what the hell you're talking about---"
"And making them suffer just because you hate yourself! These children needed a father, not a tyrant, and you even went so far as to ruin your first son without a shred of remorse, going about every day and pretending he didn't even exist. Have you listened to the sound of their suffering even once?!"
"Shut your bloody goddamn mouth!"
"Of course not. You're so obsessed with yourself---so obsessed with winning that you can't see that you'd already won years ago! A wife that loves you, a stable career, and wonderful children who try hard and admire their father but you wanted so terribly to tear down a man who has done nothing but love and protect humanity---even seeing you as a friend regardless of how shitty you treated him! How fucking dare you sit there and call Kacchan, the hardest working and most dedicated hero of my generation a fucking villain?! What's your purpose?! Can you at least tell me that?!!"
Enji's flames have subsided, body going rigid as a mortified look plasters itself on his face. It's hard to tell what sort of emotions he's feeling. Anger? Sure. Embarrassment? Maybe. It'd be a blessing to finally get some fucking shame or remorse out of him for once in his life.
"Babe. Deep breath, okay?" Eijirou says quietly at his side, thumb rubbing soothing circles along Izuku's lower back. It's only then that Izuku realizes that he's shaking and steels himself into stillness with a deep, reflective exhale.
It would seem that Enji doesn't have much to say for himself.
"Even now, on a day with such a happy occasion, you come here to spread misery. I almost feel sorry for you because God knows you must be in pain to feel so inclined to be so fucking horrible. Shouto is living a happy life with someone he loves more than anything---someone who motivates him and makes him stronger. He's finally winning---like you trained him to---and you want to take that away and claim it for yourself as well. You're disgusting. You don't deserve the amazing family that had been gifted to you. And you're not welcome here in this occassion, so please leave or the authorities will be involved. Shouto isn't your prisoner anymore."
Katsuki releases his shit-eating grin, tongue hanging out in obvious mockery as he flashes the ring on his finger.
"Cause I'm his shackle and chain now, asshat!"
Mina screams "PERIOD!" at the top of her lungs from across the room and then immediately gasps as Enji flexes and shatters the ice around him. No one dares say anything---his own children particularly affected by Izuku's speech. Fuyumi's hands are clapped over her mouth, fear etched into every single one of her features. Natsuo is quite pleasantly amused and Shouto, at a glance seems to be torn between triumph and pleasant surprise. He settles for a blank stare, keeping his arm wrapped tightly around Katsuki's middle.
Enji glares down his nose at them both.
"You can't even speak for yourself, Shouto, you are a joke. If you want to be free so bad, then fine. You're free. You are no longer tied to my last name or this family. I'll be changing my accounts and you can figure out what it's like to be normal for once without my wallet feeding your habits."
Shouto scoffs. "I've opened my own savings account two years ago and it's grown exponentially since. Unlike you, I've no need or reason to flex my money or make any unnecessary or fruitless investments.
"It's sad, because I knew already that sooner or later you'd do this to try and force me to feel like I have to submit to you and God, it's so fucking heartbreaking to know that after all these years you'd still rather be a sociopathic, narcissistic asswad than just try to be a normal family. You need help, dad. I hope you find it someday. But I don't feel sorry for this. And I'll never regret choosing Katsuki."
Shouto pulls Katsuki in closer, hand caressing his cheek and brushing lips against his forehead with a smile.
"So, in the words of my illustrious lover: Eat a fat dick and fuck off."
Cheers rang out and Enji plows his way out of the front entrance with nothing more to say and Katsuki jumps into Shouto's arms to kiss him full on the lips.
"God, I'm so turned on right now. I'm proud of you, icyhot."
Shouto snorts. "Only difference is that he won't feel bothered to constantly tell me how to live my life. He'll get over it one day. After all, he's still my father. But we need this break from each other. And there's no way in hell I'm going to allow anyone to get between me and pretty kitty."
Mitsuki smacks him on the back for a job well done and he doesn't say it out loud but Jesus, Mary, and Joseph she's fucking heavy handed, wow.
"Don't pay that old bastard any mind. You'll always be a part of our family, kiddo. You're our son now, right babe?"
Masaru nods and smiles.
"Welcome on holidays, too."
Shouto smiles back.
"Thank you, that sounds lovely."
He checks over with his siblings only to see that Fuyumi was gone---probably to run after their father like she always does because even after all this time she's still a daddy's girl. Natsuo just shrugs with a tired smile and raises his cups to Shouto who offers his brother an equally exhausted turn of his lips and a nod. Things would be more tense than ever between the rest of the Todoroki household but it had to be done and maybe...
Maybe they can finally convince Enji to get mental help.
Eventually they float their way over to Izuku who welcomes Shouto with an overly tight embrace but the taller boy doesn't shy away from it like he'd do once upon a time ago and for the first time ever, he's come to realize his own growth.
It feels...nice.
He feels...powerful.
"Thank you, Izuku, for standing up for me and for...shit, for doing all that you've done since we've met. I wouldn't be who I am now without you and Katsuki and I'm forever in your debt for that---"
"I don't wanna hear that. All I did was give you the right kick in the ass. You're a hero, Shouto. You'd have come around eventually. But you're my best friend and I'd do just about anything for you, you know that." Izuku says with a proud grin. He reaches out the grab Katsuki's left hand with both of his own. "I'm so happy for you! You guys deserve to be happy, I can't wait to see what an amazing life you build together in the future!" He says, trying his best not to become emotional again.
"Sorry about your dad, though, dude. It didn't occur to me that posting this to our Instagram would make it spread so fast. Definitely didn't expect him to stop in the middle of working to come chew you out."
Shouto raises a dismissive hand and shakes his head. "It's fine. As strange as it may seem, I'm not all too torn apart about not being called by the name Todoroki. Now I can just be Shouto."
Katsuki, uncharacteristically quiet, finally speaks up.
"Does this mean you're taking my last name instead? I was kind of looking forward to taking yours just to piss off your dad."
Shouto chuckles. "Whatever you'd like, love."
Blushing, Katsuki finally snatches his hand away.
"Okay, stop being gross and let's go open some of those gifts."
"They're all from me. Courtesy of my dad's credit card. One last 'fuck you' for the road."
Katsuki's grin widens.
"These better be fuckin' good then, halfie!"
He can hardly keep up as Katsuki bolts for the gift table, watching with radiating adoration as he tears through the wrapping paper on the box. Mashirao scolds him for trashing his hard work but encourages him to open another first---one that he picked out. It's almost as if Shouto is walking on air and, as of today, his life has really just begun.
"And I'd give it all one thousand times over if only just to live out my days with you."