Hidden Bonds

Siblings Bonding

The first time Touya sat in the same room as Shoto during a lecture, the silence was suffocating. He sat in the back, always. His scarred hands rested on the desk, unmoving. A few students from 2A spared glances but didn't stare—not anymore. He was just part of the strange rhythm now. A new student. A recovering villain. A quiet, older brother.

Shoto sat two rows ahead. He didn't look back.

But Dabi—Touya—knew he was listening.

The class went on about Quirk law revisions and hero duty reform. The words buzzed over Touya's head. He didn't care much about law. He just knew how many people died when the law failed.

After class, everyone slowly filtered out. Midoriya and Iida lingered near the board. Mina dragged Kaminari toward the cafeteria. Only Shoto remained, staring at his notebook, flipping the same page back and forth like he wasn't really seeing it.

"You always were quiet," Touya said.

Shoto didn't look at him, but didn't ignore him either. "You weren't."

"Still not."

Silence.

Then, Shoto finally turned. "You okay?"

It was such a stupid question. But so painfully honest.

Touya huffed. "My legs feel like tree trunks, my physical therapist is terrifying, and I think My Birdie is going to propose marriage every time I complete ten steps in a row."

A pause.

Then—to Touya's shock—Shoto smiled. A tiny one. Barely there.

"That's... good to hear."

They stood in the empty classroom, and for the first time, Touya didn't feel like a ghost.

He felt like someone's brother.

---

Slowly Healing From The Past

It became routine.

Shoto would wait after class. Not obviously. Just linger. Read over his notes. Dabi would walk slower than anyone else but end up by his side anyway.

They didn't talk about the past.

Not yet.

But sometimes they sat together in the common room in silence, drinking tea Todoroki made (Touya still didn't understand how the kid made it taste so decent), watching everyone else interact like a distant, shared fever dream.

"I don't know how to talk to you," Touya said once, eyes glued to the steam from his cup.

"I don't either," Shoto replied. "But... I want to try."

It was enough.

---

THEY ARE WHAT!?

Meanwhile, something weird was happening in Class 2A:

Bakugo and Midoriya were hanging out.

Not like best friends hanging out. But like... actual, civil conversations. Kirishima nearly cried.

It started with patrol review homework.

"You missed a form on your analysis," Bakugo said, pointing over Midoriya's shoulder.

Midoriya blinked. "You—what?"

"I said you missed a form. Fix it before Aizawa rips your ass in half."

"Oh. Uh... thanks?"

"...Whatever."

A few days later, they were spotted talking again—no yelling, no explosions.

Mina gasped when she saw them walking back from lunch, side by side.

"They're speaking. Like humans," she whispered.

Sero, holding his water bottle, added: "Okay, what is this arc development?"

"I call it enemies to 'I guess we can tolerate each other,'" Kaminari said with mock drama.

---

Visible Confusion

In truth, Bakugo didn't know what was happening either.

It just... happened.

He still found Deku annoying as hell. But there was something softer now, buried under the years of resentment. They had both nearly died too many times. Maybe that scraped the edge off the blade.

And Deku wasn't as damn scared of him anymore.

"You actually have a good combat sense," Bakugo said during one of their conversations.

Midoriya blinked. "Is that... a compliment?"

"Don't make it weird."

"I won't," Midoriya replied with a tiny grin.

They sat under the trees in the courtyard after that.

And talked.

No yelling.

Just two former rivals trying to grow up.

---

Just Sibilings

Back in the dorms, Dabi shuffled slowly down the hallway, still getting used to walking without assistance. The scars didn't ache as much. The fresh skin was no longer angry-red. Just pink, fragile, and alive.

He knocked on Shoto's door one evening.

"Yeah?" came the quiet voice.

Touya stepped in. "Wanna... get some air?"

Shoto blinked. "Okay."

They walked together in silence toward the school garden.

"I remember when you were born," Touya said suddenly.

Shoto glanced sideways.

"You were red and loud and looked like a potato. I asked Endeavour if we could return you."

Shoto's lips twitched. "That tracks."

There was a long pause. Then Touya said, "I missed a lot. I blamed you for a while."

"I know."

"But I'm proud of you. You turned out better than any of us."

Shoto looked at his brother.

"...Thank you."

They sat on a bench and watched the wind bend through the flowers. It wasn't perfect. It would take time.

But it was family.

And that meant they'd try.

---

THEY ARE WHAT!?(2)

Meanwhile, in the common room:

Midoriya and Bakugo were laughing. Laughing.

Kirishima dropped his juice box.

Mina screamed.

Toga whispered to Uraraka, "Is this an alternate universe?"

"No," Uraraka said. "I think... it's just healing."

---

Bird Spy

Elsewhere, Hawks peeked through the dorm windows, watching Dabi and Shoto sit under the stars.

He didn't interrupt.

Didn't speak.

Just smiled and flew away, the wind at his back, knowing—finally—that Touya was home.