Inseparable

8. Backstory

(Before you start reading this chapter it contains spoilers from the manga in the first paragraph about Toga's backstory so just be warned)

After a while of the TV mindlessly playing Toga said something, "Izuku can I tell you something?"
"Sure Himiko, what do you want to tell me?"
"I-I want to tell you how I became a villain."
"Oh ok," Izuku looked at her curiously. She continued to stare forward as she began.
"As you know I was born with a quirk that wasn't exactly conventional to modern society. When I was a little girl I instantly had a fascination that later turned into an obsession for blood. I would often find and kill birds or small animals to observe their blood. One time I even brought a bloodied up bird to my parents. I found it beautiful looking and the taste somehow fulfilling, but my parents thought I was a monster and something was wrong with their oldest daughter. I was put into quirk consoling after that I was taught to suppress my desires and to become the ideal young school girl expected of society. So I became what we call normal up until middle school graduation. That is when I lost control. There was a boy I had a crush on ever since I saw him get beat up in a fight and lose blood. So I approached him after graduation with a box cutter to see him bleed. It was so pretty, his blood pouring out of his body. My old tendencies caught up to me and pretty quick I was caught drinking his blood out of a straw. I had messed up badly, but I was happy because I was allowed to be myself for once. However I knew society would never accept me so I ran away. I've been on run ever since, getting involved in several killings in the process,"
"You drained your victims of their blood, because you—"
"Because I wanted TO BE them, I had admiration for all my victims, each one being able to live a normal happy life and not be criticized just because they were simply born that way. The only way I'll be accepted is if I become another person," she was looking at Izuku in the eyes now with tears beginning to pour down her face.
Izuku understood her fascination with Stain and reforming heroes. She wanted to live in a place where she isn't criticized for liking blood. She also doesn't seem to be able to express her feelings in any other way than wanting to become that person and in this society she won't be accepted like that.
Not knowing how to answer he grabbed her and pulled her into his chest. She didn't resist but continued to grab onto his shirt, soaking it was tears. He slowly patted her hair, trying to reassure her that he was there. He wanted to be her hero. He didn't know how but he wanted, no he NEEDED to help her. That's when he decided.
"I won't leave you Himiko, I don't want you to run away or feel unaccepted anymore. But I also won't let you kill anyone, but I'll make sure you never feel like you want to ever again."
Toga felt guilty as she lay there remembering the people she enjoyed murdering. Her mind always felt so twisted as she existed in a society where people despised her. Here she felt different. She still had an inner craving for blood, but not to see Izuku bleed. He was different somehow. She wanted to believe that he would accept her since she arrived and now hearing him say it she tried to push away all the doubt and just let herself sink into his arms. She wanted to not have to be hiding under a mask. Not become a perfectly normal girl, but not become a killer like Stain. She simply wanted to be herself.
    The world became still as Izuku and Himiko stayed there for what seemed like hours. Toga's face was pressed on Izuku's chest where he felt her hot tears melt through his shirt. Izuku's body was slightly leaned back into the sofa as he gently held onto her head and upper back. He felt her shallow breathing become normal again and the tears became mere stains. After a while, Izuku felt his eyes starting to close and set his cheek on top of Himiko's head to rest his head. Her hair was soft and smelled like home, or most notably his own bed.
                        ...

    "Mmmhh," Himiko mumbled as she lifted her head up against the weight that she felt pressing on her temple.
    "Wha–?" Izuku mumbled as he felt his head now forced to support itself. He looked down directly into the cat-like eyes of Toga. She was yawning deeply while pressing her good arm against his chest to prop herself up on his lap. "Wait when did she get there?"
    Suddenly the sound of rattling keys was heard from outside the front door to the apartment. The lock began to jiggle and started to turn. In unison, Himiko and Izuku looked quickly from the door to each other.
"This does not look good!" Izuku internally screamed. He had a girl his mother didn't know kneeling on his lap the day his mom told him she wasn't going to be there for the whole day.
"Sorry about this" Izuku whispered loudly to Himiko. Izuku then grabbed Himiko tightly and threw himself to the ground off the sofa. He landed on his back in order to not crush the still injured girl. Just then the door creaked open and Inko Midoriya walked through the door still focusing on the keys she was stuffing back into her purse. This gave Izuku the time he needed. He lightly pushed Toga off of him and threw a blanket over her. The whole time she was looking at him with eyes that seemed to say "Seriously?".
"Izuku are you here, I'm hom–!" she began just as the boy jumped out from in front of the coach (she can only see the back).
"Mom what brings you home so soon. I missed you so much!" he jumped over the couch and gave her a big hug.
"Izuku I missed you too, but it hasn't even been a day, at least let me put down my bag before you give me a hug," she said, surprised.
"Oh of course Mom!" he laughed nervously. He hoped that she didn't notice how he was purposely directing her away from the sofa.
"So what brings you home so soon, weren't you supposed to come back tomorrow?" he asked hoping his voice didn't sound so suspicious.
Mrs. Midoriya placed down her bag, "Well my business trip was set back so I don't have to leave this weekend, but now it will be longer next time. It will actually last for a week or so unfortunately." She went into the kitchen and looked at the time. "I guess we can eat dinner a little earlier than usual–wow there are more dishes than I thought. Since when did you start using two dishes for lunch,"
"Oh, um, I was just feeling hungry... yeah, that's it, I just got hungry a little while ago and ate again, haha!" Izuku spurted out nervously.
"Okay... so then you don't want dinner now?" his mother asked, getting more confused by the second.
"YEAH!" he exclaimed. "Sorry, um, yeah I'm fine for now. How 'bout you start making it in 30 minutes and leave the living room for a bit. I mean like take a shower or something, yeah! Get comfortable first because you must be exhausted from today!"
"Okay, Izuku if you say so," she responded skeptically as she was practically pushed out of the room by her son.
After he closed his mother's bedroom door and waited for what seemed like hours until the sound of running water came from her bathroom, Izuku let out a deep breath.
"That was close," he walked over to the fumbling lump laying under the blanket. "Again sorry about that," he whispered, lifting the blanket off of the girl and helping her to her feet.
"Well I can't blame you I suppose, but wow you put up quite the show!" she giggled. "I wonder how your mom even believed that; I could see right through your stuttering,"
Izuku frowned, "Well I don't like to lie very often, so I shouldn't be very good at it. But she bought it probably because I stutter a lot when I'm nervous. But I'm usually nervous around most situations," They wrapped their arms around each other's shoulders as they began to hobble back to Izuku's room.
"Hmm," thought Himiko. "That's not how you acted when we first met, however. Instead, you were quick thinking and able to dodge my attacks despite my surprise advantage. It seemed so natural for you."
"Well I do act a little different in danger; somehow my mind feels clearer because I can let all the stress drift away and focus on the task at hand and the people I'm trying to save," Izuku opened his door and closed it tightly, locking the door behind him. He then sat her down on his bed and gave her the next set of pills.
"Here these are the new set of pills that came in. They are a higher dosage than the first ones so you'll feel more drained at first until your body adapts to them,"
"Well, I guess that's worth it considering I can't do much right now anyway," she stated glumly as she lied back down. Almost immediately after the pill hit her stomach she began to feel extremely tired.
Noticing this Izuku said, "Well you seem to be pretty beat, so I'll give you some more sleep and bring you dinner when it is done."
"Yeah, yeah," she responded as her eyelids drifted close for one last time.
Izuku watched her for a bit and figured to let her sleep the best he'd go study in the living room, but for some reason, he was glued to her peaceful face. He couldn't stop thinking about her backstory and what she'd gone through. She was simply born that way and no one was there to help her. Izuku realized how similar they were, he was born powerless and if he never had met All Might where would he be. But maybe this was the start of Himiko Toga's story. Maybe he was supposed to be the one to help her. Izuku then got up and walked out the door, hopeful for the future.