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Touya was eating his soba in peace when Natsuo barged into the kitchen, looking positively constipated. The latter sat down and stared at him, not saying anything even though it was obvious from his face that he wanted to say something.
Whatever. Touya didn't mind the silence, especially in the morning. He went back to his soba, quietly giving Natsuo the time he needed to say whatever he wanted to say. The probability that it would be something idiotic was very high, but Touya promised himself, his mom, and his therapist that he would try to be more open.
"So…" Natsuo cleared his throat after a moment. Touya lifted his head from his bowl and raised an eyebrow at his brother. "Your ex boss… Is he single?"
Touya blinked. He stared at his brother for some long seconds before the question actually registered in his brain and he choked on the remaining soba he was eating.
He coughed. Natsuo at least had the decency to look alarmed and was ready to get up and assist before Touya made a hand gesture to stop him.
"Come again?"
"Can I hit?"
Touya would very much like to die.
"Your type is… old men? Like, a-foot-in-the-grave-already men?"
Natsuo snorted, as if what Touya said was a joke. "What are—"
"And how the hell do you even know he's my ex boss? He only fired me yesterday."
Touya was sure he didn't let anything show when he came back home the day before. He even got up early this morning to pretend he'd still go to work.
Natsuo blinked. "You got fired?"
"Wha–" Touya sat back down, straightened up, and cleared his throat. "No."
Natsuo huffed. "Bro. How did you manage that in under three weeks?"
Touya shrugged. "Old man was pissed 'cause I'm scaring his customers away. It's whatever. I think he felt bad when he told me to not come back."
He didn't miss the way Natsuo's frown deepened the more he talked. That's precisely why Touya didn't say anything yesterday. He doesn't want his family's pity.
"Tou–"
He shook his head. "Leave it, Natsu."
"You know your boyfriend could find you a job in no time, right?"
Touya frowned in turn. "No. I don't care about scaring away the customers of a random konbini but I don't want to ruin Keigo's company's image."
"You know he would never think that."
"It doesn't matter." Touya states rather rudely, hoping it will be enough for his brother to stop the conversation. He didn't leave him any choice in the matter when he reopened his mouth.
"Let's circle back to you, actually. What the hell do you mean you want to… hit the old man? My God I'll have nightmares about this." He groaned as his body shuddered. "Plus, aren't you into chicks anyway?"
Natsuo groaned loudly. "First of all, I didn't mean this ex boss, since I thought he was still your current boss. And please don't say chicks to talk about women."
Touya rolled his eyes. "Who are you trying to impress, here?"
"Shut up!" He gritted out. Touya snorted a laugh. "I like both. Women and men."
Touya hummed and his mouth merged into a softer smile. Before this turned into some sappy shit, he redirected the conversation. "What ex boss then? This job was my first one since they cleared me to work."
"Erm." Natsuo chuckled awkwardly, his cheeks visibly turning a bit pink. It's an unusual sight for him. Touya didn't know what to make of it. "Shigaraki?"
Touya blinked once, twice, three times. The way Natsuo's face winced self-consciously as he said the name should have been funny. Touya would have laughed if he hadn't been completely rendered speechless by the admission itself.
His mouth opened and closed a few times before he blurted out, "Tenko?! You want to fuck Shigaraki Tomura?!" He screeched, trying his best to not yell in the house while his mom was still asleep.
"Oh my God." Natsuo's face is bright red now. Touya is enjoying this a lot. "I should've never come to you," Natsuo mumbled.
Touya couldn't help the way he laughed. "Oh yeah, 'cause saying you want to hit Shigaraki to anyone else would have earned you a better response."
Natsuo groaned loudly. "Can you drop the hit mention. I should've used a better word. I don't want to just fuck him."
Touya was still chuckling but he calmed down a bit at the admission. "No?"
Natsuo frowned. "No."
Touya hummed. He watched his brother for a few silent moments, the latter was biting his bottom lip as if he wanted to say something but was still weighing the pros and cons of saying it. Touya gave him the time he needed. To be perfectly honest, he didn't know what to think of all that.
After some time, Natsuo reopened his mouth. There was a small, secretive smile at the corner of his lips that Touya didn't think he'd ever seen before. It suited him, he thought. His brother deserved to smile.
"When we… um. When we visited you at the hospital?"
Touya hummed, letting him know he was listening.
"Shigaraki was a couple rooms away from yours in the guarded ward and um," He chuckled awkwardly, that pinkness back on his cheeks. "I went to see him a few times. He didn't have any visitors and he looked lonely so, I dunno. I thought maybe he could use some company. He wasn't happy at first."
Touya couldn't help the small snort he let out at that. He would pay to see Tenko's face at that moment. His brother could be pretty fucking persistent when he was set on something though, Touya knew that better than anyone.
Natsuo smiled in turn. Although as opposed to Touya's slightly mocking smile, his was fond. "But I got through him little by little. I mean I think so. We started talking a bit, mostly about video games. But there were some things he would let slip from time to time, about your time together in the LOV. He doesn't let a lot about himself slip out, but I got to know you a bit more through those conversations so I'm still grateful."
Touya hummed, feeling a bit out of place and uncomfortable at the revelations. He wasn't used to talking about feelings so out in the open. His therapist was making him work on that but it wasn't easy.
"Don't– Don't force him." Touya cleared his throat. "Whatever you want to know about him that he isn't telling you, don't force it out of him."
Natsuo blinked, feeling almost… offended. "I wouldn't."
Touya eyed him for a moment, studying him. Then, he simply hummed and mumbled a small "Sorry."
Even Touya himself wasn't aware of everything about Tenko. They met at a low point in their respective lives and, without needing to voice anything, they clicked. They both knew that the other was carrying a heavy baggage and that they weren't keen on sharing the details of it. It was fine for both of them. Tenko never tried to pry, never tried to guess Touya's real identity behind Dabi ; and Dabi did the same. He only got to know Tenko's real name after he revealed his own on national television.
"I know this is my family. But the LOV… they were my family too."
He wasn't looking at Natsuo, he couldn't. He didn't know what face his brother was making and that was somewhat terrifying. Touya knew he was supposed to be better and to not revert back to his former villain lifestyle. And he didn't want to.
To everyone else, the LOV was simply a villain alliance. Something bad, evil. But not to Touya. Touya knew for a fact that he wouldn't have survived without them. No matter how emotionally constipated all of them were, they had a silent agreement that the LOV was their family. He didn't feel like explaining, because then that would mean thinking of everything he had lost and he wasn't ready for that. That was a topic he didn't even breach with his therapist.
"I know," Natsuo replied, his tone gentle. Touya raised his head slowly and his eyes widened upon the small smile on his brother's face. "I'm really glad you found yourself a family when you weren't with us. And I know this is your clumsy way of looking after Tenko. I'm not mad at you for that."
Touya groaned and redirected his eyes to his empty bowl. "It's just— You need to be patient with him. But he deserves to be happy, and you do too. If you think you can make him happy, then go for it."
"Look at you turning your big brother mode on."
Touya scoffed. He was sure his cheeks would be red if that was visible through the burned skin, but thankfully it wasn't.
"Nah, more seriously, Tou. Are you okay with it?"
Despite the obvious apprehension on his brother's face, Natsuo's tone was firm. Touya blinked, genuinely surprised to be even asked that. This didn't concern him, this wasn't about him. He wasn't sure why Natsuo was even asking for…what exactly? His permission. That sounded even dumber in his mind.
Touya chuckled. "You don't need my permission, Natsu. Like I said, Tenko deserves someone nice. Someone here to show him everything he's missed, and everything he can still experience. You're the perfect person for that."
Natsuo hummed, looking genuinely touched by Touya's words. Touya wanted to disappear. "In the event you are projecting—"
"Nats–"
"—You deserve all of that too."
Touya closed his mouth and gulped. Touya would need way more therapy sessions before believing something like that. Thankfully, Natsuo seemed to notice how out of place and slightly uncomfortable he felt and didn't push the topic more. Touya was grateful for him. He really missed his brother.
"Call Keigo. Tell him about the job."
Touya groaned. "Don't even start giving me relationship advice."
Natsuo cackled and Touya couldn't help the smile from taking place on his face. "I definitely have more dating experience than you, you could benefit from my knowledge greatly."
Touya stared him down for a moment before raising a suspicious eyebrow at him. "Have any of those relationships been successful?"
Natsuo scoffed, "That's beside the point."
Touya snorted a laugh and shook his head amusedly. All the remaining anxiety fell off his shoulders, and he didn't miss Natsuo's smile at the way he visibly relaxed. Both men opted to not mention it and, once again, Touya was grateful.
"What relationship experience do you have anyway? Apart from Hawks?"
Touya raised an eyebrow, feeling his face heat up. "I never claimed to have any."
Natsuo blinked. "Wait. Is Hawks your first love?! Awwww."
Touya choked on his saliva, ending up in a coughing fit. "I hate you," he breathed out. "I hope Tenko leaves you grovelling for at least another six months."
Natsuo only burst out laughing some more, all while he tapped Touya's back gently.
"Ugh. Why are you guys so loud in the morning?"
Both Touya and Natsuo jumped at their sister's voice. They glanced at each other before looking back at her. "He started it," they said in unison, pointing at each other in the way they used to when they were kids.
Fuyumi blinked at them in surprise before she snorted a laugh. The three of them sat back down at the table and exchanged a few stories from their childhood before it all went down, and most of all catching up on their years apart. It was comfortable, Touya missed this.
He had more years difference with Shouto and the latter lived in the school's dorm, but he hoped they could do that again with their younger brother some time too.
"So," Fuyumi started, looking at Natsuo. "Did you tell him about your crush?"
Touya snorted. "He sure did."
"Great," she replied, looking back at Touya. "We need to gather evidence to embarrass him when he'll bring Shigaraki home."
Touya smirked mischievously. Before Natsuo got the chance to interrupt, he nodded all too happily, "Count me in."