"How's your mom?"
Katsuki asked the question colloquially. Like it was just a piece of small talk to be exchanged over a meal you two were sharing on the roof.
Your head perked up, the heavy frown you were serving your plate full of vegetables turned to a caught-off-guard expression.
"Hm?"
Katsuki chewed slowly as he met your gaze, his skin and hair golden in the light of the setting sun.
You two'd both had a long day. First work-study appointment for you- bunch of extra class work for him. Having to talk was a bit of a chore, so you both didn't say much as he cooked up something disgustingly healthy.
Didn't say a word when you both made your way to the flat roof of the dorm, set your plates down, watched the auburn glow of autumn set over the landscape.
"Your mom," Katsuki clarified, eyeing the fact that you were eating around your green beans and carrots. "You went to see her Saturday, didn't you?"
"Oh, yeah, she's good," you answered, not really used to anyone calling her your mom yet. The fact that he did brought a little smile to your face as your fork avoidantly clanked back and forth against the plate. "She was happy to see me,"
"Mm," Bakugo sounded in approval like it was a given that she should've been.
He'd been a bit grouchy because of all his extra work, even grouchier that he was falling behind at school and didn't get to go to work studies like everyone else. But when it was just the two of you, he relaxed, his pissed expression reduced to a neutral one.
Around you, now that everything was more out in the open- well he could just let his guard down completely.
"She was wearing the necklace I got her," you said, tapping at the space between your collarbones, your tongue excitedly creeping past your teeth as you couldn't help but smile a bit harder at the memory. "Remember?"
Katsuki looked up from his plate, still chewing slowly as he nodded. But for some reason, his eyes became slightly hooded, his expression more uneasy at your words.
"You okay?"
"Mhm," he hummed, grabbing his water, trying to look away for a moment as he recollected himself. "Just don't like thinkin about it,"
You cocked your head to the side in question, hair framing your face.
"The necklace?"
Katsuki scoffed, shaking his head no.
"That day. At the mall," He clarified, "Your ears got all messed up," His voice got a tad quieter, more reserved. "Cause of that villain,"
In sudden realization, your eyebrows rose.
You both had your own traumatic experience involving the kidnapping. But something that Katsuki never really brought up was how much it fucked with his mind; that his entire life he'd been told that villains are bad and heroes are good and suddenly that line'd become blurred.
"You care about him, still?" He asked, flashes of Shigaraki from your dream the other night flashing through your mind.
His tears, his blood, his tone soft and familiar.
You didn't want to lie to Katsuki. And telling him you didn't care about someone you knew you'd killed for was doing just that.
Your nod didn't come as a surprise to him. Even if he'd never experienced anything but pain and fear whenever Shigaraki was around, he wasn't closed-minded. He could bend to the idea. That Shigaraki'd been the one to numb that pain and fear when it would've destroyed you in the past.
Still, you couldn't help but scratch at the back of your head, feel badly considering everything he'd been through and how you could still care about Tomura, so-
"I know you hate villains, but-"
"It's fine," Katsuki interrupted, his tone relaxed, undisturbed. Like he meant it. "I don't like what he is or what he stands for. And I still blame him for a lot of what happened back at Camino, but Atomic wanted to protect him for a reason," The boy put his plate down, clenched his jaw back and forth as he looked to the side, out into the distance where he thought he could still feel that powers' existence. "He saved you."
Funny. That no one in the world but him could admit that. Him who'd felt and experienced the worst associated with villains.
Yet he was the one mature enough to not let the clarity of his judgment be clouded by prejudice.
"I could see it in his eyes," He went on, leaning back on his palms, "That'd he save you again if he had to,"
A heavy sigh left your chest along with a weight you didn't know you were holding. You should've talked about this earlier. But at least you were both ready to talk about it without hiding anything anymore.
Creeping closer to him, you started to toy with the hem of his shirt between your fingers. It was an anxious little habit now whenever you had trouble saying something or making eye contact.
Katsuki looked back at you with attentive eyes.
"I told you what he said to me," you whispered, remembering the cries that left Shigaraki's throat as he told you the true history of your parents and their death. "But ever since Atomic chose to go to him, I've started to remember more. I-I mean I was five so everything is really blurry and I know I can't trust it, but..." you wanted to continue, but felt doubt creeping in your mind. Cause maybe you were wrong again, maybe you were remembering wrong again.
A gentle reminder soon interrupted that uncertainty. When you looked up at Katsuki's tired gaze, you noticed one of his hands reached for yours, course back and forth over your fingers till you let go of his shirt and interlaced them with his instead.
You blew out another heavy breath, comforted by the feel of his presence, just said what you had to say, "I have a feeling Tenko might know where my siblings are. Or at the very least something about them- something we don't."
"You trust him?"
"He risked his life for me," you whispered, "I trust him more than I trust most heroes,"
Back then, the old Bakugo would've thrown you off him for such a comment, told you to get lost, that you were being an idiot doubting the system.
A part of you expected that.
But instead, the boy just blinked at you, kept quiet just in case you had more to say. And when he knew you were done, he just nodded, turned back to the scenery.
"Okay," he said, like it was just... another part of a normal conversation.
"Are you upset with me?" you asked, eyes flickering all over to search for any minute signals he might be holding in any anger, any resentment.
You couldn't find anything. As such, Katsuki just shook his head, kept looking out at the treetops, the city in the background starting to come alive with the evening air.
"No," He said, genuinely. "If you trust him, then I don't got a reason not to,"
You always expected him to have grown after what happened at Ground Beta- his fight with Midoriya, his breakdown, everything...
But you never realized just how much faith he'd had in you from the beginning. From the first moment you ever fought together in that little exercise that felt years old at the same training grounds. When you knocked him out of the way to protect him from your brother's ice and he felt the ceiling crumble onto his back to protect you.
Made you a bit nostalgic to think about that. About how long it'd been and how much he'd matured and so had you.
Katsuki turned back to look at you when he noticed you were just staring at his face. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of your plate still full of all the vegetables he'd put too much effort in for them to just go to waste.
"Eat before it gets cold, would ya? I spent a lot of time on that," he complained, grabbing your plate and fork both, stabbing a few pieces of green beans and stuffing them into your mouth.
You laughed with a closed mouth, your cheeks puffing out as you chewed the grossness and nearly swallowed it whole.
Feeling the desire to take care of you, Bakugo frowned, coursed your hair back so it wouldn't crowd your face as you ate, straightened out your wrinkly shirt since you never folded anything, urgh-
"And be careful at your work study." Katsuki grumbled, annoyed yet comforted by your shaky laughter as he fussed over the tiniest things, "Deku said you were wandering and gettin distracted and shit-"
"Now, now," you said, getting all high and mighty thinking of you and Sir Nighteye's glorious conversations. "Don't get all wound up just because I get to work for All Might's old sidekick and you don't, darling,"
"You won't be workin there long if ya keep mouthin off to the guy," He kidded, lowkey enjoying when you used teasing, nicknames like that.
"Actually, he sort of enjoys it," You laughed, facing him as he faced the edge of the roof. "For once, he has a formidable opponent to make his little jokes at. And I think he actually really believes in me."
Katsuki tsked, grabbed your fork again and stuffed your smug mouth some more.
"You're too full of yourself," He muttered, trying to stop thinking how cute it was when your cheeks looked like a chipmunk.
"Why shwouldn't I bwe?"
"Shut your mouth when you chew, idiot,"
Katsuki couldn't help the fleeting smile that crossed his face.
You were just so happy. Even as he forced vegetables down your throat. The scent of fall and your shampoo complemented each other some home, the tenderness of your occasional touch and amusing yet relaxed conversations just making life- so much easier.
And he was so happy too. So accepting it made your heart ache. Whether you had good or bad or tough or lazy or amazing or terrible days, he was always there to come home to now. It felt like you were an old married couple who found solace in your humorous, petty arguments and jokes and cuddles and kisses and late dinners on rooftops.
"Hey," you whispered, getting closer, using your fingers to tap at his cheeks for attention.
Katsuki's face crinkled up ugligly.
"What? Stop poking my face-"
"Wanna go out with me?" you asked, a cute, excited sort of tone as your feet shuffled when you crept closer to his side.
"Heh?"
"Like on a date."
"A date?"
"A date."
"We're not dating!" Katsuki yelled, an exasperated inhale followed by a colossal eye roll crossing your face.
"Fine." You said, "Then once your extra classes ease up and all, can we go on a non date date?"
The boy squinted his eyes, suspicious of the idea. He really was like an old man. If he had to go out, it had to have a purpose, otherwise, why would you leave home. He had to train and work all day, after all, it was stupid to go out when he could just spend his limited amount of free time sitting around with you- that was your favorite thing to do anyway, nothing.
"Where'd you wanna go?" he asked, like he was annoyed by the idea.
"I don't know," you mumbled, hunching your shoulders."I just miss when you'd bring me to all the places you used to go as a kid and just talk to me about all that stuff,"
Looking to the side like he was thinking it over, Katsuki hunched his shoulders once, drew one of his knees up as he got back into his i'm-staring-at-the-sunset-like-a-badass-and-not-at-all-because-i-think-the-trees-are-pretty position.
"Alright," he muttered.
"Awesome!" You spoke excitedly, planting your chin on his shoulder. "Where are we going?"
"We'll go see your mom next week,"
"Grea- wait, what?"
Your entire body drew backward, eyes gone wide and blinking quickly in confusion.
"You said you wanted to go out, didn't you!?" He yelled, frowning at your sudden change of heart.
"I-I- uh, but- wait- I-"
"Urgh- you idiot," Katsuki groaned, like it was so obvious why he wanted to go see Rei, the woman you had only seen once in the past ten years. "We've been together a few months now. I gotta meet your mom , it's the proper thing to do."
"B-but," you stuttered, lifting a finger and putting it down, suddenly imagining Rei confused as to why you were bringing an angry pomeranian with you on your visit, "You haven't really met Enji- that doesn't bother you,"
"Cause he's not your dad." Katsuki frowned even harder at the sound of Endeavor's name.
It made sense. The way he classified family was how you acted, not by blood or legality. And if that guy was anything like what he'd heard and seen around you, he had no business calling himself your father.
"I seen the way he treats Todoroki when he came to one of our classes." He went on, looking down at the ground as he remembered how rude and superior he acted, trying to force Shoto to outclass everyone just for his personal gain. Making his 'tch' sound, Katsuki wiped the image out of his mind like an ugly, sour thing as he mumbled, "I don't need that jerk's approval."
Still a bit confused, you cocked your head to the side.
"You want Rei's approval?" Your tone was so soft, so hopeful- like you were surprised he'd want something so old-fashioned and traditional.
"No! I wanna meet her so she knows ya got someone in your life other than that stupid half and half moron!" He yelled, a giddy smile slowly curving your lips. "For god's sake, it's been years, she's probably worried about you, and if icy hot's been tellin her about me I gotta make sure she gets whatever image he painted out her head as soon as possible!"
Thinking of that woman, Katsuki calmed. She'd probably been through hell. And forced to live away from your children for so long, that must've messed her up too.
From what Icy Hot said, she even sort of looked like you. Her hair was lighter, naturally white, her eyes grey, but it was more than just physical attributes. He said you both gave off the air of people who liked to take care of others, someone who could be both weak and strong emotionally.
"And honestly, she sounds like a good person," Katsuki went on, staring at the inherent kindness of your features. "She took care of you when no one else would... Gotta thank her for sort of raising you right at least,"
If he knew how much you loved him in that moment.
Your lower lip trembled from his words, a sudden urge to hold and kiss him forever overtaking you. At the same time, you just wanted him, wanted him to know you wanted him, wanted to thank him for who he was, and be with him, and connect to him, and-
"Oi, what are you-"
"Shut up," you spoke, grabbing his face in your hands, kissing him over and over breathlessly, starting to push him back onto the concrete of the rooftop.
Katsuki rolled his eyes, let his body fall beneath your weight, felt you straddle him, your tongue enter his mouth. He put his hands at your hips, made a little protesting hum before chuckling at your eagerness.
"Ya know, you can't just get horny every time I'm a decent human being," he said, a moan leaving his lips as he felt your hands creep beneath his clothes.
"Watch me,"
***
Turns out this work-study was actually more fun than you expected. First day, you got to fuck around and be a dick to Sir Nighteye which was great. Second day was the same. Third day, you and Deku would actually get an opportunity to get out of the office.
Thank god, because any longer sitting in that chair doing paperwork and you would've gotten fired from the number of times you tried to escape.
That second night, you and Deku didn't even get to go back to the dorms since you had so much work. Nighteye just told you to spend the night at his agency. It was fine. You were both so tired you fell asleep on the spot anyways.
Third day was here. You were rested, full of life, ready to once again take on the world and the many challenges associated with pissing off any adult insight.
Course when Sir Nighteye told you to put your hero costume on and follow Mirio and Deku out on patrol, you were less than ecstatic, because. Well. Moving was a thing, unfortunately.
So, there you were, walking through the city following a broccoli-wannabe and a semipermeable oddly designed character through the streets.
Get some field experience to familiarize yourself with hero work, Sir Nighteye said. It'll be educational and fun, he said.
"So, y/n!" Mirio called, glad to be on patrol on such a sunny day with his two new internship-mates, "Tell me about yourself,"
Togata was a friendly upperclassman. Though you'd never interacted with him or met him before this work-study, he was actually very welcoming. Although his constant cheeriness didn't distract you from his rather strange-looking face.
"Oh, I'm not really all that interesting," you said, brushing him off, strolling without care unlike the two heroes in training beside you who looked ready for anything.
Your costume was tight to the skin, made you feel more vulnerable than normal clothes did now that Atomic wasn't attached. The breathability sort of felt like a hindrance now. Although, when you and Deku walked out of Nighteye's agency and a group of teenage boys tried to make their move, Izuku made it very clear you were taken.
Hell, you didn't even get a chance to politely decline before his loyalty to Kachann made him pounce. Suddenly, you sort of understood why Bakugo was so okay with Deku being around you so much.
Still. The costume sucked. And it made you miss Atomic and made you feel all heroic and that made you even crabbier.
"Ah, not much of a talker are ya?" Mirio asked, not noticing that you were squinting up at him, as if looking for something in the features of his face, "That's fine! Midoriya told me you were a sweet gal,"
"Thank you- Has anyone ever told you, you look like Tin tin from those french comic books?" you asked, not entirely listening to what the boy was saying.
"No! But thanks!" He cheered with a big smile, your earpiece suddenly going off with a beep as the three of you turned a corner on the block.
"Y/n," Sir Nighteye spoke, like a commander calling one of his troop members to pay attention.
"Yes, sir!" you said with fake respect, saluting at nothing but air.
"Are you doing as I instructed?"
"Absolutely! What were your instructions again?"
Nighteye sighed on the other line.
"To observe," He said. "Patrol as if you were someone who needed to write a paper. Analyze and try to understand the different aspects of hero work."
"M'kay," you answered, shrugging your shoulders.
Midoriya and Togata walked ahead of you, staring out at the city around them, taking in the busy noises of honking cars and people congregating, and birds in the trees. Best Jeanist taught you and Bakugo in the past that patrolling served a greater purpose than intercepting bad guys.
It was a method of asserting a sense of safety among people. Felt a little bit like bullshit to someone like you. You didn't trust any heroes you didn't know, barely trusted the ones you knew.
But Nighteye saw your potential. Aside from your quirk, there was a bevy of weapons in your arsenal:
Your skill in hand-to-hand combat, in defense, was unmatched. Your ability to analyze opponents, situations, counter-argue, come from a position of strength intellectually? Well it was uncanny in his opinion. It's what made you such a formidable adversary when shit-talking.
But you knew all that. You weren't insecure, you didn't doubt your abilities. So why didn't you want to be a hero even if you were so capable without a quirk to begin with?
Nighteye wasn't sure about that one. But the looks of it? From what would come to happen? He'd realize you were just as passionate about saving others as Izuku and Mirio.
You yawned as this patrol seemed to last forever. Honestly your legs were just tired and all you wanted to do was go home, eat, talk to Katsuki who hadn't texted you back in two days, the big meany. Todo confirmed they were together and that he was just cranky about his classes, seemed a little preoccupied too, so you weren't too worried.
The other night came to mind as you thought about him, zoned out completely; the night you had that dream about Shigaraki and Katsuki calmed you down.
It was hard not to think about nowadays. With a costume that reminded you of atomic. On patrol like a hero you swore to yourself you wouldn't be.
Made you think of Shigaraki crying again, blood all over his hands. The soul of a little boy left in the rubble reaching to be saved by heroes that let him slip through the cracks.
Sometimes, you thought about those blurry memories back at the hideout All for One locked the two of you in. The darkness only illuminated by the fear almost constantly brimming his eyes, red, and hopeless.
You inhaled heavily then, opened your eyes wide, tried to push away the image as you pushed your hair away from your face.
Mirio and Deku were ahead by a few strides now. Quickening your steps, you went to catch up, but then, without warning, something from the alleyway you were passing emerged.
It hit you right in the legs like a little battering ram, tripped you up in surprise, your body falling to the side at the impact.
When you hit the concrete, your back seized up for a second. A little wincing sound as you sat up escaped your lips- but the pain in your body was quickly replaced with worry as you realized what knocked into you was actually a person.
"Crap- I'm so sorry, are you alri-"
Your voice halted the moment you set eyes on her. Not a single cohesive thought could be formulated by your mind as it took in the sight of the child fallen to the ground.
It was just a little girl.
A silver hue coursed through her hair, her dress a similar shade torn at the hems. Her arms and legs were wrapped in poorly applied bandages too, her body a frail and tiny thing.
And her face...
Her eyes...
They were only illuminated by fear. Constantly brimming. Red and hopeless.
You just stared at her for a moment, unable to speak as she shook, looked on the verge of tears. Because for a second you swore you saw a version of yourself long forgotten. For a second you swore you saw Tenko in her fright...
When the noises of the city and the feeling of reality came back into play, you broke out of your trance, shook your head, and got up and on your knees to be at her level.
"I'm sorry," you whispered, your voice barely audible as you leaned forward.
The girl's gaze fixated on the concrete in a paralytic way, like she thought she was in trouble, like if she looked up at you she would be scolded. And the way she trembled. You must've really shaken her up.
"Are you hurt?" She didn't answer, but still your tone was unsure, at the same time so concerned, so outreaching. Like the only thing you wanted was for her to know- "I'm so sorry, it's not your fault,"
The girls' shaking halted, if for a second. Then, finally, cautiously, she lifted her head- her eyes meeting yours at those words she hadn't heard her entire life.
Her breathing audibly changed when she saw your face. Because as you looked down at her with such care, such... kindness, the terror and paralysis scaring her stiff was cast aside.
"I didn't mean to startle you," you whispered, unable to describe the feeling that arose when the girl's jaw dropped as she blinked up at you with wonder. "It's alright, you don't have to be scared,"
She was obviously terrified, perhaps just a shy kid, but for some reason you had a feeling it was something more. That she needed to be comforted, be told it was okay- a proof of presence.
The moment your touch stroked the girl's hair, in the most gentle yet reassuring way it could, tears started to well in her pretty eyes still glued to your face as her lower lip began to shake again.
"Oh, hello there,"
Deku's voice surprised you as him and Mirio started to walk back, wondering why you weren't behind them all of a sudden.
Noticing the child sitting across from you, Deku gave a friendly smile, crouched down to her level. "Are you lost?"
The girl flinched the second he was within a foot of her, reflexively made a little noise of surprise. Her tiny hands grabbed at one of yours- the hand that was still tenderly coursing through her hair. For a flashing second, you swore you felt Katsuki's hold on your arm that night he broke down, just... begging you to stay.
"It's okay," you whispered again, letting your other palm sit on her shoulder, give her another sense of safety. You nodded your head at Deku, "He's my friend, you can trust him,"
"Do you have a name?" Deku asked, his sweet gaze finding hers as she hesitantly began to see that kindness in you could also exist in someone else.
But just as the girl opened her mouth to answer, the sound of footsteps coming from the alleyway interrupted her.
"Now, now," An ominous sort of voice followed as a man slowly emerged from the shadows of the alleyway. "You can't go around causing trouble for these heroes, Eri. They're very busy, after all,"
The mask mimicking that of a bird's beak outfitted a man with golden eyes full of something indescribable. And as if his presence alone could strike fear in her heart the girl a mere few inches away whimpered and threw herself into your arms.
You stilled, the feeling of her little fists grabbing at your costume as she hid herself, buried her face in the crook of your shoulder, flooding you with the want to protect her.
Eri. That was her name.
The little girl shut her eyes so tight it must've hurt, shook until she felt your hand snake around the back of her head, another around her back as you held her tight against you.
Looking up at the masked man suspiciously, you waited for Deku to do or say something, but he could only stare. Stare like he'd seen him somewhere before.
Then it dawned on you that Nighteye explained he was investigating a few villains related to the Hassaikai, some underground gang. A few villains he'd shown to Deku that wore masks as emblems like that of animals'.
Your hold on Eri tightened. The man looked down at you with his hands in his pockets, his coat lined with odd purple material shifting on his shoulders as he gave you the fakest smile you'd ever seen beneath its shadow.
"I'm sorry about my daughter, hero-"
"I'm not a hero."
Your tone was so definitive, but it also held a hint of bluntness. A hint of cut the bullshit before you even open your mouth in the aftermath.
"Well," The man said, cocking his head to the side and turning his attention to Deku who was still speechless, "Excuse me anyhow-"
"Your daughter's pretty injured," you said, feeling Eri nestle into you further. "Have you had a doctor look at her yet?"
"You know how kids are," The man laughed, "Always trying to play around and getting themselves into trouble-"
"Trouble, my ass-"
"Hi, there!" Mirio interrupted you before you could say anything more, your upperclassmen seemingly coming out of nowhere. "Op, make sure your mask is on there, bud."
Something was amiss. You caught on when Mirio tugged Deku's mask over his head. When he gave you a side-eye and pointed to his mouth, you knew what he was ordering you to do. Your costume still had a mask attached.
"So," The man scratched the back of his head, gave another little chuckle, like he was comfortable, "What agency do you kids belong to?"
"We're just students!" Mirio announced, "Since we're still new it would be presumptuous to identify with any one agency,"
He wasn't trying to keep up appearances. He was trying to protect your identities. The identities of two already well known hero students. Because if this man really was some kind of gang leader, the man Nighteye was after, then it was essential to stay as anonymous as possible.
Eri made another little noise, a shaky breath maybe. It was only when you felt her cheek with the back of your fingers that you noticed how cold she felt.
"Hey," you whispered again, leaning your head down as the girl fell into your warmth, held onto it like there was nothing left in the world to hold. "I got you, I'm here,"
"Don't go," she finally spoke, her voice so tiny, frail like her body, just... in need.
Breaking at the sound, you nodded at her, forgot any bullshit idea of protecting your identity or letting her go for the sake of Nighteye and any hero's agenda.
"I'm not going anywhere," you whispered and finally you felt Eri's tears stain the shirt of your costume.
"Ah, well- we should be on our way," The man said, perhaps noticing how possessive your hold was getting to his daughter. His hand reached down then, the white glove, the way he reached for Eri's arm like All for One used to reach for yours sending a chill up your spine. "Wouldn't want to hold up heroes in training after all,"
But he didn't get a chance to grab her. As soon as he tried, you turned away, changed the way you held onto the girl so you could stand, pick her up, take a few steps back.
And to your surprise, Deku had the same thought.
His body moved in front of yours without hesitation.
"Your daughter seems scared," he said, his judgment already pretty clear.
Mirio stood at your side and there was no doubt in your mind that if this guy tried anything he'd protect you. Deku put his hand out slightly as if to shield you.
Noticing his little ploy of playing this off wasn't working, the man scratched his forehead, pinched the bridge of his nose with an annoyed sigh.
"She falls a lot," He explained, looking down at his daughter with the same exasperated sort of stare. "She's a clumsy kid."
"I used to fall a lot as a kid too," You said, looking at him over Deku's shoulder with hooded eyes.
The man met your gaze. It was pretty clear what you meant. The blurry memories returned again, only this time they were of being slammed into walls and thrown outside and forced to fight till you couldn't breathe.
"So you know, it's not that hard for me," You said, scoffing out a smile before turning serious again as you clenched your jaw. "To notice when other children are... clumsy."
The tension rose with every word that left your mouth.
Mirio's anxiety flurried through his body, his fingers tapping at his side making you aware of that. He was scared of your cover being blown, but more so, he was afraid of Nighteye's hard work going to waste.
It takes weeks to get a lead. It takes a villain less than a day to change his entire identity and create a new one from scratch.
"People are watching," The man said, only now starting to get anxious too, "Why don't you come this way?"
Mirio and Deku nodded hesitantly, starting to go after the man in the darkness of the alleway.
"Y/n," Mirio whispered, tapping your shoulder. "Why don't you let her walk next to you instea-"
"No."
Even Deku knew. When you took on that tone. There was no convincing you of anything.
You held onto Eri so tight, like she was your child. He noticed your hand caressing her hair still, stroking through the strands, heard the gentle whispers you gave against her forehead as she finally started to calm in your arms.
"Children are hard to understand," The man said, his gate relaxed, like he wasn't even slightly afraid of you or those heroes. Just annoyed. "They believe that they can and will become someone- someone like a hero. But they forget,"
He started to laugh as he stopped near the end of the alley, at the corner. The man even looked back over his shoulder, looked straight into Eri's eyes with the most menacing of even stares, "Even heroes can get hurt all because they're trying to save even just one person."
Panic struk Eri from the threat of his words. She began to tremble again, her hold on your costume loosening as she remembered the kindness you offered her but a few moments ago. How gentle your touch against her hair felt...
Tears once again stung the girl's eyes.
Because no one...
Not even her mother or father before her had ever given that kind of affection...
That kind of trust...
Parents who fear their own children rarely do.
Wanting to protect you and the boy at your side, Eri hugged you one more time before pushing herself off and running off to the masked man.
Your breath hitched as she did, your eyes gone wide, your jaw falling as she so suddenly left. Mirio grabbed your arm as he felt you about to take an instinctive step forward to go after her.
"She's always like this," The man laughed, his daughter taking his hand, hers shaking. "Sorry you had to listen to her little issues," He added, grasping her tight as he started to walk away, as you and the heroes let him walk away. "Well, do your best at work, kids!"
"Nighteye?" Mirio whispered into his earpiece, wanting to know how to proceed.
But you didn't even hear his response.
All you heard was the world starting to fade out again. The background noise of cars and bustles and the city became nothing. Midoriya, Mirio, they didn't feel like they existed.
All you saw was a dimly hit hallway where that alley should've lied. You saw a little girl with clothes torn at the edges and skin cold as ice. You heard her little footsteps as she followed someone who only meant her harm without knowing what it meant.
"Wait," you whispered, Eri and the masked man turning the corner and out of sight.
You heard a door, heavy and ominous open up to a room that felt like it could swallow you whole. You watched as the little girl was led in by a man without a true face.
"Wait!" You yelled, shaking Mirio off, starting to go after them before Midoriya grabbed you around the waist, held you back. "Wait, b-but she needs us, she's hurt, we-"
You saw yourself get locked into a room, into a life there was no coming back from. You heard Tenko's cries, saw the blood on his hands.
"We can't just leave her behind," You said, trying to push your friend off of you as he was telling you things you couldn't here. "Just let me go- Eri!"
There was no response. She was already too far.
"No, no, we can't just leave her," you said. "She was all cold, she was just starting to get warm again, she needs someone- no,"
A tear fell down your face, but you couldn't feel it.
All you felt was the same loss and guilt you'd once been condemned to live in. Because you always promised you'd never let what happened to you happen to someone else. And just like a hero, you already did.
***
Patreon has up to 67
Caught a bunch of ppl in 4k asking for Patreon usernames and I got sc so those ppl will be blocked, no warning <3
Please when someone sees Y/n as an OC, do not make them feel less valid. I see many instances of people saying "but that's you" or "you're simping for yourself, that's weird."
Some people don't feel comfortable inserting themselves into a story and see Y/n as an OC. I put so much work into her that I and the majority of people who read this story do too. Those people don't invalidate how you imagine the story, don't invalidate them either.
Oki bye bye, have nice night <3