The Story Of Us (Todobaku)

Promises

"Are you mad at me, Mommy?"

Rei stroked her thumb along Shouto's cheek once she finished settling him into his car seat. "Of course not, baby. I'm disappointed you got into a fight on your first day of school, but I'm not mad at you."

"But Katsuki started it," he whined. "He was being mean to Izuku and he pushed me first."

"And I believe you. But next time if someone puts their hands on you, tell your teacher and let her handle it. It's not nice to hit people, no matter who started it. Understand?"

Shouto eyes enlarged like a puppy's as his mother's words etched into his skin. She hadn't said anything too harsh, Shouto was just a sensitive child. His little heart ached knowing that he made his mommy sad.

"Okay," he mumbled.

Rei, noticing his sorrow, peppered kisses into Shouto's cheek until he giggled. It took several attempts, but once the tiniest laugh escaped his lips, she maneuvered around his car seat straps and tickled his sides, not letting up until her son was howling for real. When he gave the reaction she wanted, she closed the door and climbed into the driver's seat.

Shouto smiled the entire ride home, singing to himself the new songs he learned at kindergarten today.

When they arrived home, two of Shouto's siblings were already there. They sat at the dining room table, twelve year old Fuyumi flipping through a teen magazine and nine year old Natsuo wolfing down a plate of deli meat.

Shouto dropped his mom's hand and rushed over to his sister. He offered a closed mouth smile that made his chubby cheeks appear even chubbier. "Hi Fuyumi."

"Hey Shouto." Fuyumi set her magazine down, pushed her chair out and pulled Shouto into her lap. "How was your first day?"

He rested his hand on Fuyumi's. "Good."

"Don't I get a hello?" Natsuo asked from the opposite end of the table.

Shouto glared at him. "No. I'm not talking to you."

Natsuo let out a noise that landed somewhere between a gasp and a chuckle. "Why not?"

"You lied to me about the aliens."

"Aliens?" Rei said.

Fuyumi lightly bounced Shouto on her leg. "Natsu told Shouto that aliens were going to abduct him on his first day of kindergarten."

Rei's jaw dropped. "Natsuo!"

Natsuo failed to suppress a grin. "What? What's the point of having a little brother if I'm not allowed to mess with him?"

"You're a meanie," Shouto whined before leaning his head on Fuyumi's shoulder. His sister was always kind to him. He wasn't as close to her as he was with Touya, but Fuyumi was still the coolest big sister ever. She also gave the best hugs, but he'd never tell Touya that.

The three siblings settled into the main living room. The Todoroki abode was so massive that it had a second living room, though that one was strictly reserved for Shouto's father. When Shouto was three, he got lost in his own house playing hide and seek with Touya and accidentally stumbled upon it while his dad was in there. His dad proceeded to yell at Touya for playing hide and seek in the house, Rei for not keeping a better eye on Shouto, and Natsuo for just being in the kitchen with the other two as they got yelled at.

Shouto never made that mistake again.

He snuggled Fuyumi on the couch as she read him a Dr. Seuss story. Shouto didn't know how to read yet, but he'd probably choose to have Fuyumi read to him even if he did. Fuyumi was a great storyteller. She went at just the right pace for Shouto to follow along, and always pulled funny voices and dramatic gestures when reading as different characters. It cracked Shouto up so much that he usually just looked at his sister instead of the illustrations on the pages.