Resurrected Reaper

Functioning Machine

He still sometimes heard the humming from the hospital when he slept. Still heard the crazed laughter from the doctor whenever his experiments went well, regardless of the pain that racked through the chosen subjects body. He also sometimes heard the screams, too...

Zero had stopped screaming after the doctor had played around with the reanimated nerve endings under his skin for what easily could have been a whole day. He had learned very quickly that nothing he could ever go through physically would ever compare to that torture.

Also learned how to speak properly pretty quickly after that, too.

Despite the nightly memories, and the echoing of sounds that had plagued him before he had been brought here by Dabi, he never woke up startled.
Sometimes he wondered if his body was alive but his brain and heart were still dead, despite all the doctor's experiments.

And just like always since bringing Star back home to Dabi like ordered, he sits up from his mattress on the floor, and checks on Star.
Still asleep. Not having nightmares, and not distressed.
He lays back down on the floor, staring at the ceiling with a soft smile on his face.

Awake and warm underneath the blanket. He always tried to appreciate the small comforts while he had them, there is always a part of him that expected someone within the building to turn from friendly to unfriendly, just like the doctor had when he'd first been brought in.

He'd spent too many nights on the cold, hard floor of the laboratory, surrounded by water in the holding tubes, or not sleeping at all while the doctor messed around with his dead, but functioning body to not appreciate the feeling of comfort when all he'd known was discomfort and pain since being killed and brought back to life again.

Star stirs, and Zero sits up, his body reacting before his brain can again.
He watches her carefully, trying to gauge whether she would need comforting or gentle easing into the real world again. Her emotions seem settled, nothing's flagging up as a concern yet, so Zero remains quiet as she grumbles and yawns.

At least there isn't any yelling this morning to start her day. Shigaraki hadn't returned from wherever he went, so Zero was on the floor in their room tonight while Star clung to Dabi like she was scared of being taken again, even in her sleep.

Just a guard dog.

Zero blinks, and the thought is gone just in time for Star to raise her head groggily, looking around the room like she always did in the morning now.

"Good morning, Star." He greets quietly, aware of Dabi's temper if awoken too soon.

"Morning, Uncle Zero." She greets back, and then yawns.

"Did you rest well?" He asks quietly.

His eyes follow her as she sleepily slips out of bed, dropping onto the floor with him and tucking herself into his side, wrapping her arms around him.

Their morning hug.

He hadn't been too keen on physical affection at first, too used to physical contact becoming uncomfortable or painful, but between Toga and Star... he'd learned it didn't have to be that way. He treasured it now. Another comfort he'd never had before. Not this time around, anyway.

"Mhm. Dabi's toasty." She murmurs against his side.

"I'm glad." Zero replies, leaning his chin on her head. "Are you ready to start the day?"

That meant getting her out of bed, dressed, making sure that she had brushed her teeth and at least tried to sort her bed head out. And then came the trickier task of seeing if he could coax her into eating a little more.
She nods, peeling herself away from him and rubbing her eyes groggily, letting him lead the way out of Dabi and Shigaraki's room quietly.