❧
Why is he crying?
Out of the both of you, it would only make sense if you were the one crying, but for some reason, the kidnapper is the one with tears on his cheeks.
For goodness sake, you didn't punch him that hard.
Despite the situation, you still feel a ping in your heart at the sight of Midoriya's tears. Even if he's different, he's still the Deku you once thought you knew.
"H-hey," you stutter, cursing yourself for caring, "why are you crying?"
Midoriya looks at the ground, in that same dream-like daze he was in earlier. "I'm sorry All Might," he whispers to himself, "I'm sorry I couldn't save you."
You shudder remembering All Might's death. It's even worse when you realize that Deku was there as one of the captives.
He saw it firsthand, no more than six feet away from the murder.
You stand up, wincing at the pressure on your ankle, and walk over to the crying hero.
"Hey," you speak softly, "it's okay. You couldn't have done anything."
Midoriya crumbles to the ground, falling at your feet. He looks up at you, his head jerking around the room.
"Wh—?" He stutters, his eyes full of fear. He scrambles backwards, staring at you. "Where am I? Who are you?"
You tilt your head.
What the hell?
You reach out your hand, patting the boy on the head. His soft, curly hair is unbrushed and tangled. Deku backs away from you.
"Get me out of here," he whispers, "get me out of here."
His voice is . . . crushed. Broken. Trapped.
What happened? Why the drastic change?
"Midoriya?" You say, kneeling down so you're eye-to-eye with the hero.
His body shakes, and he mutters to himself. At the sound of his name, though, his head snaps up to yours.
"Don't call me that!" He screams. "Don't! That's not my name!"
"Okay, okay," you whisper, confused but concerned, "Deku. It's safe. You're safe."
You hug him, surprised he's letting you. His body is trembling, and he doesn't react to your touch. He just mutters to himself, clenching his eyes shut.
"I'm sorry . . . don't do this . . . not to him. . . just . . . "
Suddenly, Deku jerks his head up, and screams; his voice is angry, sharp, demanding.
"Choose me instead!"
His stops shaking and his body goes limp in your arms. You push him off of you, looking at his face.
His eyes are closed and his face is relaxed. You push him off of you and shove him onto the bed, huffing from the effort.
What the hell just happened?
Does he have D.I.D.? Or is this some sort of sick joke?
You collapse on the bed beside the sleeping hero, shaking from the encounter. Only when you feel the cushion of the mattress beneath you do you realize how tired your body is.
You glance at the open trapdoor. You could try to climb it, but with your ankle as it is, it would only make the situation worse.
You rub the red skin on your wrists, healing them with your quirk, which only takes more energy and makes you more tired.
You curl up beside Deku's sleeping figure, feeling the warmth of his body against yours. You're too tired to shift away from him.
You let sleep envelope you, your sight over taken by darkness and body sinking into the blankets.
❧
The silence wakes you up.
The sound of Deku's heartbeat and soft breathing is gone, and so is the warmth he provided. you sit up, blinking your eyes slowly.
Midoriya is sitting on the floor, his chin resting on the edge of the bed. He's watching you.
"Oh, look at that," he mutters, "you're still alive."
You grin. "Don't sound so disappointed. I might start to think you don't like me."
Midoriya laughs; a genuine, pure laugh that makes his cheeks pink. You find yourself blushing.
"How's your ankle?" He ask, lifting his eyebrows.
You stand up, surprised you don't feel scared around the hero anymore. There's something about him . . .
but still, you don't want to be here.
"When can I leave?" You snap, gesturing to the ladder leading to the outside world. It's been a whole day since you came down here, and honestly, it's starting to stink.
Midoriya perks up at the statement. "Oh, of course! I'm sorry, I didn't realize."
You feel like he's lying, but he helps you up, picking you up and giving you a piggy-back-ride.
What's with this guy? Why does he change his mind constantly?
He carries you up the ladder, and once your out of the basement-like place, you breathe in the fresh abandoned-convenience-store-smell.
Ah, Doritos and cobwebs.
You limp to the exit.
You can leave. Midoriya isn't stopping you.
Don't turn back, you tell yourself, don't look at him.
Your mind tells you to get the hell out, but your heart longs to know more about the hero. How did he survive? What's making him act so strange?
Don't turn back.
Don't turn back.
You put your hand on the door. Just a push, and you can go back.
Don't turn back.
You turn around, looking at the smiling hero. Your brows furrow and your heart stings.
"What . . . " You start, not sure what to say, "What happened to you?"
Midoriya only cocks his head, looking at you quizzically.
"Are you okay?" You say again. Maybe he's under some villain's control.
Something changes in his demeanor, and Midoriya smiles, crooked and shattered.
"Sometimes memories," he mutters, "are the worst form of torture."
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