Frigid Flame

Chapter 9

"I almost didn't recognize you Shi-Shi."

Shimo froze in shock from the nickname. Nobody called her that except Touya. Words left her mouth before she could stop herself.

"To-To?"

The ice around the burned man faded away, allowing him to step closer. He reached out his hand to grab her bandaged arm. He nodded with a smirk, his teal eyes twinkling mischievously.

"Who else could it be? You barely spoke to any of our siblings other than me and Shoto."

He looked her up and down, taking in how much she had changed since they had last seen each other. Nodding his head at her, he continued while she remained speechless.

"You really changed! You look nothing like either our mom or Him. Gotta say you really did get the looks between the two of us." He chuckled out cynically.

"N-No... That's impossible... You being here is impossible. All that was left was a jaw bone! Y-You can't be Touya!"

Unfamiliar anxiety gripped her chest, as the area around the two of them slowly warped from her quirk. A crazed gleam came to his eyes while he kept a laid back smirk on his face. Lifting one of his hands to her cheek, he used his other to take off the bandages on her arm.

"I would have been if it wasn't for my brilliant twin sister." Her bandages fell to the ground, his hand prodding the scarred skin.

"You managed to save me Shimo. Now, I'll get the chance to bring Him down."

Her voice cracked when she began to speak and brought her hand up to grip his. Shimo's eyes were becoming glassy from unshed tears as she looked at her brother's marred face.

"T-Touya... If you were alive all these years why didn't you tell me? It almost killed me thinking you were dead!"

"So I could get away from him and figure out how to save you and expose him. Have to say though, I'm surprised you didn't become a hero for that deadbeat. I almost gave up hope of you being alive when you dropped off the face of the map all those years ago."

Touya lifted her left arm up between them, looking closer at the damage that had been done all those years ago. His turquoise eyes flickered up to meet hers, and she nearly let a shiver run down her spine at the strange look in them. There was something off about her brother, something dark.

"How did you manage to find me then?"

He simply shrugged and looked over his shoulder with a casual air and scanned the outside of the alley. He wasn't here alone.

"To be honest, I was on my way to meet a... friend, when I saw you. As soon as I saw your hair," He held the lock of white hair after dropping her arm, "I knew it had to be you. You always were a little behind me when it came to physical changes."

He let go of the hair and tilted his head slightly, signaling her to follow him. The two of them exited the alley, walking aimlessly in one direction. It was quiet between them, though for entirely different reasons. For her brother he was content, for Shimo, however, she was a little apprehensive. Where was he leading her, and who was this friend he was originally going to meet?

There are too many unknown variables, I need to get out of this situation.

"I was able to run away with some help. I haven't been back, nor have I seen any of our family since then."

She spoke while her eyes casually looked around them as they walked, they were heading deeper into a much more dangerous part of the town. The further they got from her original destination the antsier she became. Shimo didn't like this at all, her brother was doing something illegal, she could feel it.

"T-"

"Dabi. I go by Dabi right now."

His words had changed from their earlier playfulness and into something much colder. Turning, he looked at her with those same eyes that once gave her comfort as children, only now they were cold.

"Dabi. I really need to get home, I have to get dinner ready."

A pout filled his face, his sudden coldness melting away from his eyes. The two shared a moment of silence between one another for he shrugged his shoulders in defeat.

"Fine, just gimme your number so I can at least speak to you, it's been too long, we should catch up."

He spoke mockingly at the end, reaching out his phone to her to put her number in. She gave him a questioning look, but shrugged it off and took the device and typed her number into it.

"Text me when you get the chance, T-Dabi."

Shimo's words were clipped at the end when a greasy looking man passed by the two of them. She didn't want to be here any longer, she just wanted to go home and wait for Keigo. Seeing her brother alive and quite obviously unbalanced, just made her head swirl in a mix of emotions and thoughts. These thoughts continued as she made her way back home.

__________

Once Shimo had gotten home, she set to making dinner in an almost mechanical way. Her movements were automatic, while her mind was elsewhere. The woman had been so distracted she didn't hear her partner burst through their door with a loud shout.

"Icy Wifey, I'm home!! And I bring amazing news!~"

There was no answer to greet Keigo as he walked into their apartment's small threshold, which was very uncharacteristic. He furrowed his brows in worry, hearing Shimo working in the kitchen. He quickly made his way to her only to stop in shock at what he saw.

Tears were falling largely down her face, while her hands were red and blistered. Her body shuddered violently from sobs, as she peeled potatoes under scalding hot water. He immediately jumped into action, quickly taking the peeler out of her hands and switching the water temperature to cold.

"Shimo, what happened!"

His exclamation along with the shock of the cold water on her hands snapped her out of her head. It wasn't until that moment she realized that she had been crying.

"Keigo... I-I..." she was quiet, trying to think of a way to tell him what was going on. She didn't understand how to deal with the emotions she was having. He quickly pulled her to himself, embracing her tightly.

"It's okay, I'm here.. Shh... you don't need to speak you can just cry if you need to."

His words caused more tears to fall from her eyes. Shimo buried her face in the crook of his neck and sobbed loudly. He held onto her tightly, rocking them back and forth and rubbing her back soothingly as she clutched his shirt. He decided when she was done she would tell just what had happened.

"Don't worry, I've got you."