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The scar was an accident. Rei had been turning to dump boiling water into the sink when Shouto came up behind her and spooked her. That, and the icing which made the scar more prominent, was a complete, honest, accident, but she wouldn’t hear it. She sat by Shouto’s hospital bed sobbing, apologising, and calling herself a bad mother. Enji’s hand patted her shoulder weakly while the children, except the missing Touya, looked on frightened, unable to comfort her.
“Please, Mom, it’s okay,” Fuyumi, teary-eyed, pleaded. She wrapped an arm around her mother’s waist. “It wasn’t your fault! You shouldn’t feel so bad about yourself! Right guys?” She looked around the room.
“Yeah, Mom, it was an accident,” Natsuo offered from beside Shouto’s bed. He scratched behind his ear awkwardly. Their mom only continued to weep.
“Will the scar be really bad?” Shouto whispered. He had just woken up from the medication a few minutes ago, and everyone’s excitement had worn off quickly when Rei began sobbing. He gingerly touched his bandaged eye.
“Careful, Shouto,” Fuyumi warned, still attempting to comfort their mom.
He only whispered again, still holding his eye. “Will I look weird?” He was dangerously starting to tear up. Enji grimaced.
“Of course not, son -”
“I think you’ll look like a badass.”
Everyone in the room turned to Touya with a paper bag walking through the doorway. He was still in his school uniform, having rushed to the hospital from his internship. “Scars are fucking awesome. Shows you’re a real tough dude,” he continued. “Move over, Sho.” He sat next to his brother and placed the bag on the bedside table. “Does it hurt?”
Shouto shook his head. “Not anymore. But I don’t think I’ll look like a badass. I’ll look weird,” he said. Rei whimpered, but Touya only laughed.
“Sho, there are people with literal spray bottle spouts for heads. I highly doubt you’ll be the weirdest looking person anywhere. And if you are, it’s a boring room. Lean forward a bit.” Shouto did as asked and Touya gave him a half-hug. “Consider it your first hero scar.”
“But I wasn’t doing hero work,” Shouto countered, though he looked a little more lively.
“I don’t know man,” Touya said, “it sounds to me like you were doing some stealth practice. Sneaking up behind people without them noticing. Very useful for hero work.” He stroked his chin in a pseudo-thoughtful pose. “I would call your first mission a success.”
“Touyaaa!” Shouto started laughing. Everyone in the room smiled except Rei, though she stopped crying. She stood up and reached for Shouto’s hand.
“I’m so sorry baby,” she apologised. “I’m so, so sorry.”
“Don’t worry mom,” Shouto assured her, reaching for her hand. “It was my fault. I shouldn’t have been practicing renaissance while you were cooking.” He reached up for a hug which was swiftly granted. Rei chuckled softly and squeezed him tightly.
“Wait a minute - renaissance?” Natsuo asked.
“It’s the hero word for stealth practice!” Shouto piped up from his mother’s arms. “Right, Dad?”
“Reconnaissance, Shouto,” Enji corrected. He was smiling too. “And yes, you need to be more careful while your mother’s cooking.”
Fuyumi looked up from her phone, answering a message she had ignored to help her mother. “Shouto, Rumi can’t come, but she says, quote, ‘Touya is correct for once in his damn life’ and that you’ll look really cool with your new scar.”
“What the fuck? I”m always right,” Touya complained.
“Language,” Enji deadpanned. Everyone laughed, knowing full well that Enji only said that to poke fun at his children these days. The whole room felt brighter.
“Oh yeah, this is for you, Mr. Reconnaissance.” Touya reached for the bag he’d set aside. Shouto threw the tissue paper aside and gasped.
“A Present Mic action figure? Cool!” He pulled the little hooped string on the toy’s back and let it snap. The doll screeched. “This is fucking AWESOME! Thanks, Nii-san!” He pulled the string again and again, not letting it fully retract.
“Touya,” Enji started to complain. He looked a little grey in the face. His oldest son only smirked.
“Sorry I’m late.” Keigo entered as Touya had, bag included. “How’s the youngest Todoroki doing?”
“I’m a renaissance expert,” Shouto proclaimed. “Ooh, do you have a gift for me too?” He reached out from his mother’s arms to grab for it.
“Renaissance? And yes.” Keigo handed the bag over. “This was all I could get after my internship. Sorry if it’s kind of lame.”
“He means reconnaissance.” Touya left Shouto with his mother and stood to hug his boyfriend. He missed the little ‘Oh my’ his mother mumbled. “You didn’t have to come, but thank you,” he whispered.
“Always,” Keigo whispered back. Natsuo and Shouto started hollering.
“Keigo, you loser!”
Keigo squawked. “Excuse me?!”
“That’s not very nice, Shouto,” Rei reprimanded.
“I’m just kidding, Mom. Thank you for my present!” Shouto glanced down at his new t-shirt, a little shy. “Can I give you a hug?”
The entire room melted, Keigo most of all. “Of course,” he confirmed. He broke away from Touya and leant down to give Shouto a big hug. “I hope it's not too big.”
“I can use it as a pajama shirt if it is,” Shouto said. “It’s really funny!”
“Show Dad and ‘Yumi!” Natuso giggled.
Shouto held up the shirt for the others to see, at which the room promptly started cackling so loudly a nurse came in to check on them. Printed across the grey shirt was a cartoon clothing iron saying, “Oooh, you just got burned.”