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Touya had been feeling dizzy the whole day since he woke up. He wasn't Dabi, that was clear, but his body still didn't feel like his own.. Dissociation. It was so confusing sometimes. Touya didn't understand what was wrong though. All he knew was that he felt heavy. His shoes were heavy on his feet, feeling wrong and weighted. Walking felt wrong, his hands felt wrong...everything felt wrong.
He didn't want to talk about it to anyone, but that was partly due to the fact that many were home. Rei, Fuyumi and Enji were out, Natsuo had moved away, and Shouto was currently in his room studying for something. Even after he finished school, his younger brother never stopped reading up on knowledge.
He was sitting currently on the engawa, the shade from the house shading him from the sunlight. Though, he briefly wished it was there, on him. He wasn't totally sure why, but he knew that he wanted it. Touya didn't like the idea of walking right now however, it felt strange. He groaned, lifting his hands in his hair. The sound of metal from his prosthetic scratching against eachother as Touya grabbed his strands, was heard.
Touya sniffled after a second, feeling confused. He didn't know what was going on but he didn't like it. He wished Dabi would come to get him, or tell him what was going on. Touya searched and searched, gripping his hair roughly like he used to do when Enji was around because he was scared and overwhelmed and just wanted his attention. But Dabi was no where to found, no where, not in the basement, not in the small cabin. Not near the lake.
He grit his teeth, annoyed.
That's when he heard someone step on the wood. Touya lifted up his head, whimpering a little at the thought of being yelled at, or reprimanded. Enji's tone with him never fully softened, even after all these years. Even if it was Touya and not Dabi.
He blinked a few times, before he looked up to see who it was.
Shouto.
The young man had a drink in his hand, a box of strawberry milk.
"Hey," He hummed, before he sat down at the edge of the engawa next to his older brother. "You okay?" His tone was flat, but held a certain level of concern. Touya just groaned, before he slowly lowered his hands from his hair. He was obviously distressed, if the tears at the corner of his eyes had any indication, but Touya wasn't sure why.
"Uhm.." He breathed, "Dunno." He said quietly and Shouto pointed a finger to him, soft. It was not a point that indicated any accusation. "Touya, right?" He guessed, looking at him before he sipped some more of his milk. Touya watched his lips and throat move, before he looked up, and nodded. His youngest brother had gotten good at determining who's who. Not that Touya tried to mask anymore (usually), but still.
Shouto hummed, and Touya whimpered at his stare, looking away. The eye contact too much. The other looked away as well, understanding his older brother for that. Eye contact was difficult. The two were a bit similar, in that regard.
After a moment of silence, he finally broke. All the confusing emotions and feeling lost overwhelmed him, small tears started to fall from his eyes. He had been alone, and now someone was here so that he could talk about it - Shouto was here. "M' don't understand." He sniffled, turquoise eyes looking at the gravel. "M' don't - I don't understand what's wrong. I've felt icky the whole day!" Touya explained.
"What type of icky?" Shouto asked softly, and Touya whimpered. "Uhm - wearing shoes is weird. Walking is weird. I..I feel heavy. Too up. I don't - I don't like talkin’ I just. I can't find Dabi and I'm so confused why m' feel like this!" A sob escaped him, and his shoulders started to shake from the emotions.
He stopped gripping his hair, and he brought his flesh hand to his mouth. Touya barely registered what he was doing as he started to gently gnaw at it, biting and sucking at the back of his palm, it felt soothing.
Shouto stayed silent for a moment longer, like he was waiting on him to continue. Or like he was thinking, it wasn't clear. Regardless, it scared Touya and his other hand fisted in his lap. Nervous.
He was about to burst into a sob again, biting his hand a little too hard, when, the other spoke, finally.
"Touya," He put his box of strawberry milk down. "I think you're a kitten right now," He explained, and Touya looked up at him. He blinked a few times, sniffling before he let the thought sink in. Was he a kitty right now? He wasn't sure - Touya didn't know what he was right now, but being a kitten felt a step on the right direction. No, it felt like the answer, but part of that was because it was the only explanation.
Touya nodded apprehensively.
"It's okay," Shouto looked at him then, smiling softly. "You can be a kitten right now, I'll take care of you." He brought a hand up to Touya's hair and gently started to run his hands through it. Touya stiffened at the touch, before his body relaxed and a small hum escaped his lips. Built up tension from the day slowly being released at the realization what was happening. At knowing that Shouto was here to take care of him. He could relax, he could become even smaller than he usually was, and be a small kitten. His body slumped lazily.
Shouto then used his other hand to gently guide the hand in his mouth away, tutting softly. “None of that.” The younger man hummed. A bit authoritative but nothing crude. “Your paws aren’t for biting.”
The older let him guide it away, saliva having built up on it. Touya winced when he saw the irritated skin and bite mark.
The other continued to run his hands through his hair, before he stopped after a minute or so. Touya looked up at him when he did, a small pout, and the other just smiled. "Do you want me to take off your shoes, Touya?" He asked softly, and the other blinked at him for a second. Then he looked down at his shoes, and nodded. They felt weird, heavy, not right. Not right at all. His paws didn't like them.
"Alright," His brother slowly slipped off the engawa and came to crouch in front of him. Touya watched as he slowly untied his sneakers that he usually wore when Touya, because Dabi's shoes were so heavy and made him tall. And Touya wasn't that tall.
Shouto was soft and gentle as he slipped them and his socks off, before putting them on the ground. Touya couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief and as Shouto stood back up, a hand came to hair again. "Good boy," He smiled, and trailed the hand from his hair to his cheek, and then slowly under his chin, giving it a soft scratch. Touya let out a small purr, happy for the contact, for the understanding. Shouto chuckled, happy to see his brother calm and not freaking out or hurting himself. He doesn't deserve that.
After a second, he stopped the pets and sighed, "Come on Touya, let's get you something to eat," He grabbed the now empty strawberry milk box and started to walk back inside. Touya followed, crawling after him before he decided to sit on Shouto's feet as he grabbed out something from the cabinets. Shouto gave a soft laugh, looking down at him with a look of admiration. "Is that how it is today?" He asked him and Touya let out the softest meow and then a cute purr.
He pawed at his legs as he made the food, like an actual cat. Shouto giggling at him, having to shoo him off a foot so he could move at least somewhat.
He made Touya some cereal, because that's really all the kitten regressor ate when like that. They didn't know why, there was no rhyme or reason to it. Nothing that Fuyumi or Natsuo or Mom or Dad could distinguish. It was just how it was. It was okay though, Touya was really adorable when like this, and Shouto didn't mind taking care of him. It made him feel needed in this house that well, still held tension. Even after all these years.
He put the bowl down then, trying not to spill due to the weight on his feet. The other looking up curiously, and when it hit the floor Touya gave a quiet mew. His turquoise eyes met Shouto’s grey and teal ones. That's when the older got off his feet, and went over to it to start eating.
It wasn't long until he was done, and when he was, Shouto then pulled him into a soft hug by the waist. "Good boy," He then picked up the bowl, and placed it in the sink. "Do you want to go outside again, or would you rather nap?"
Touya thought for a second, before he gave a soft meow and strutted back onto the engawa. If he had a tail, it would definitely be pointed fully upwards by now.
Shouto grabbed another strawberry milk box from the fridge, having finished the other box. The young man then sat down next to where Touya was, and immediately the older man claimed his lap. He at first, kneaded it a few times, then sprawled his top half over it. Purring. Touya was happy to be able to finally relax, and have company as he did so.
His chest vibrated as he kept on purring, and it got louder once Shouto decided to ruffle his hair and travel that hand down his back. He did that a few times. Touya meowed, flipping on his side after the fifth, and he caught Shouto's hand with his paws, stopping him from petting him.
He was just a tad bit overstimulated, and decided to show it by gently nipping at the other’s hand. Maybe a bit too hard, cause Shouto grunted in pain. Touya immediately regretted it, and gave it a soft lick in apology. Looking up at his brother nervously. He didn’t mean to hurt him. Shouto gave a soft apologetic laugh, and he nodded, “It’s okay. I’m, sorry,” He apologized, and Touya hummed in approval before he rubbed his cheek on the back of the palm.
He kept his paws tightly on his hand though, and instead of biting, he gently started to mouth at the skin. The salty taste grounding him.
The other let it happen, knowing that Touya - like an actual cat - liked to play with hands. And it was a way for them to get close without Touya getting too overwhelmed.
The sun ending up reaching up at the edges, and so Touya got to sun bathe like he wanted. He gently bit at Shouto’s hand, to keep it close as he sat up to reposition. Luckily, he didn’t pull away, and let his older brother guide him.
The kitten regressor found a new position, instead of being sprawled, he put his two paws on the other’s lap, before he loafed. Or well, loafed the best he could, curling his fingers inward as he touched knuckle to knuckle. He sat there, waiting to see if there was any distress for both him and his younger brother, before he dropped the palm. His purr never faltered.
Shouto didn’t seem to mind, and he knew better than to move the hand. Instead, he opened up the strawberry milk box with his free one, and he offered it to the kitten. Touya chirped when he looked at it, before he took the straw in his mouth and gently sucked a few sips.
The older appreciated it, and after a second, he meowed up at Shouto with a big smile. The other smiling back.
Today wasn’t a bad day after all.