You're Alive

four

Enji hadn't wanted his first interaction with his son to turn into an argument, but it seemed as though it was inevitable. He had seen the look in Touya's eyes. It was so similar to the look Natsuo always gave him, and he had to admit that it hurt him. But, Enji understood that he had done terrible acts to his children in the past, and he was slowly trying to heal his relationship with them, he was unsure how difficult it would be now that his eldest was found to be alive and breathing.

Enji sat in silence at the side of the room as the nurse changed Touya's bandages, leaving the pro hero to think about everything.

He was confused about how his son had survived. They had found a piece of his jaw after the fire was put out, the only piece left of his eldest child. If Touya had survived that fire, whose jaw bone had that been? Was it really his? How did he get out of the fire?

Where did he go after the fire?

Why is it that only now he has found his son again?

Enji was snapped out of his thoughts when the nurse left the room, the door swinging shut behind her. He let his eyes trail back towards Touya, blue meeting blue.

"I'm surprised you're still here." Touya said, looking away.

"How could I leave?" Enji questioned. "You've been gone for ten years."

A silence washed over them in that moment. Touya wanted to leave, get out of the presence of his father and go back to his life with the League. But if he did that, then his identity would be revealed. Touya did not want that right now. It wasn't how he planned for things to go.

"I haven't told your siblings that you're alive." Enji spoke, voice quiet but audible in the silence of the room.

Touya's mind wandered to Fuyumi and Natsuo. How would they react to him being alive? How would Shoto react to him being alive? He and Shoto never talked much. They had an eleven year age difference, and Endeavor had always been adamant on them being separate from eachother after Shoto gained the 'perfect' quirk. Touya remembered feeling a sort of resentment towards his youngest brother when he was born. Touya had known Shoto was exactly what their father had wanted, and he hated it. Enji had told him he'd make a great hero, only to push him to the side when it became clear Touya was incapable of it.

"When will you tell them?" Touya asked.

"Soon. I'll have to before the public manages to find out." Enji said.

Touya's brow furrowed as he thought about the media. They'd have a field day with the news of him being alive. They'd be after him nonstop. He was used to seeing his name in the news. He was a part of the League of Villains after all, but this would be different - much different.

"They miss you." Enji's voice pulled him back out of his thoughts. "Especially Natsuo."

Touya stayed silent, only glancing towards his father before looking out the window. His mind trailed to his mother. He wanted to know how she was, but the last time he had seen her she had been too afraid to look at him. Touya was aware that out of all his siblings he looked the most like their father. He was glad his hair had turned white over the years, it was the only thing apart from his intolerance to fire that made him like his mother, but at some point he had grown to resent her too. That was one of the reasons why he had dyed his hair.

---

Enji had returned home later that afternoon, knowing he had to tell his children about the return of their brother. He had asked Fuyumi and Shoto to get Natsuo to come home as Natsuo had blocked him, leaving him unable to contact his son.

Enji understood why Natsuo resented him, why all his children resented him, but he couldn't ignore how much it pained him. He was trying to atone for all he had done, but Natsuo was stubborn and adamant that Enji could never redeem himself.