🖤💙𝕊𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕞𝕖 𝕗𝕣𝕠𝕞 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕧𝕠𝕚𝕔𝕖 𝕚𝕟 𝕞𝕪 𝕙𝕖𝕒𝕕💙🖤

The Real Deal

POV TOMURA

"Dadzawa, is your friend Tomura okay?" I hear Eri ask on the opposite side of the door. Eraser probably didn't expect to run into his daughter awake this late while smuggling us snacks from the kitchen. I can hear how he tries to hide how startled he is when he speaks.

"Eri, what are you doing up? You should be asleep," Eraser says.

"I was asleep!" Eri cries. "I swear I was! But... I think your friend is in trouble."

"I promise Tomura is just fine," Eraser says. "There's no need for you to worry. Now c'mon, let's go tuck you back in."

The sound of their footsteps subside, and silence creeps over me in the darkness of Eraser's room. I think I'm alone at first. But then I feel it. Like hot breath on the back of my neck, and a possessive hand on my shoulder. Him.

Tomura, All For One growls. Would you like to explain to me what's happening?

I just close my eyes and pretend it's my imagination. Eraser will be back any second, and he always makes the bad thoughts go away. I just need to hold out for a little while longer.

My dear Tomura, All For One continues. I took you in as my very own. I raised you into the man you are today. Why are you betraying me this way?

The evilness of AFO rears it's head in the form of a snarl at the end of his words, punctuating the sentence like a snapping turtle at its prey. How long does it take to tuck in a child?

You know me better than anyone else on the planet, Tomura, AFO says. You know I have the ability to strip you of your free will. I've been kind as of late, letting you run around and live this silly fantasy of yours.

"You're locked up," I mutter into the air. "Y-You can't do shit."

I jerk forward, gasping as the air in my lungs escapes me. It's like a vacuum was clamped over my mouth and nose, and I bet I look like a fool trying to pull the imaginary thing off my face. After thirty seconds of suffocating, thrashing around on the bed, AFO lets me breathe. I gulp down oxygen, slowly letting the colour come back to my face.

Leave this place immediately, All For One demands. Or I'll make you kill him.

Eraser enters the room, eyes wide with panic as he sees me. I'm sobbing, uncontrollably so, like a toddler who hurt themself. Eraser drops the snacks on his dresser and climbs in bed beside me, holding me close to his chest. Slowly, I stop trembling, and instead completely collapse onto him.

Eraser asks what's wrong. I pretend I didn't hear the question.

Leave, All For One snaps. Or you will regret it!

I pretend not to hear him, too.

POV DABI

When Himiko shows up at the base, I nearly kill her. "What the fuck?! You brought a hero student?!" I scream at her. Himiko flinches a bit at my loud tone, and I immediately drop it to a frustrated grumble. "Do none of you know who our enemies are? You could've been hurt, blondie."

Himiko wraps her arms around my torso, nuzzling into my chest. "You should worry less about me and more about taking a shower, nugget," she teases. "Where have you been the last two years? A dumpster?"

I roll my eyes and playfully push her off of me. I ruffle her bangs a bit, and she giggles. "Seriously, though, what's up with your tag along over here? She your girlfriend or some shit?"

"I'm not gay," the hero girl blurts, a disgusted look written across her face. She fidgets with her fingers and scans the place, crinkling her nose.

I glance at Keigo, who was already looking at me, eyebrows raised. That confirms my suspicions: this girl is suffering from a bad case of internalized homophobia.