TW: Violence and a bit of smut
Blood. That was the first thing he saw. Puddles of it, all leaking from an unknown source across the room from him. The cement was stained red, the smell of iron burning his nose. He didn't know what was going on, really. He was in his hero suit, which was tattered and torn, surrounded by a burning city, without any identifiable source of the chaos. Smoke and flames were erupting from skyscraper windows as the world around him burned. It was unnaturally quiet. Had there been a villain attack? A natural disaster? What was going on? Where was he?
He tried to right his brain as he walked around. The disorientation was especially unnerving. This wasn't normal for him. Usually he was always on top of things, why was this any different? The first and only thing he was able to focus on was the trail of blood. It was thick and fresh, leading him down the cement sidewalk. The stream got wider and wider as he traveled down it a few feet until he could finally see the source, a small body off in the distance.
He immediately ran for it, wanting to help whoever it was if it wasn't too late. Why weren't there medics on the scene? Why weren't there other heroes nearby? What exactly was this unnamed threat? As he ran closer and closer he started to panic, every step he took forward felt like he was making five steps backward. The body was getting farther and farther away. His panic grew, who was the figure? He had to get there immediately to help.
With a frantic jump he finally closed the gap to the body laying in front of him. Yellow gloves were the first thing he recognized, followed by a white cape and a blue jumpsuit. Her black hair and signature bun were crusted with blood, leaking from a superficial wound on her forehead. The true source of the trail of blood was her stomach, which was ripped and torn open, its contents spilling onto the ground in a bloody pile. The sight gagged him.
"M-Master!" He screamed, falling onto his knees next to her. He pulled her up into his young arms, trying his best to force her insides back where they belonged. Blood coated his hero suit as tended to her, his hands now stained a sickening red. Tears streamed freely down the young heroes face.
"T-Toshinori?" She asked, clouded eyes gazing tiredly up at him. "What are you doing here?"
"Master, I need to get you help. Please! Someone help!" He screamed, his voice desperate.
"Toshinori," She sound strained, weak, "You need to get out of here."
He felt so confused. Why was he there anyways? His master had died years ago, he'd escaped before she was defeated by All for One. But she was there, in front of him, dying before his eyes. Was this a dream?
"I can't just leave you," He stressed, rocking anxiously back and forth with her in his young arms.
"You must! He'll kill you!! I-" She was suddenly cut off by the collapse of a building nearby.
As if the torment of watching his teacher die before his eyes wasn't enough, the dream suddenly shifted, his focus moving to the figure coming out of the rubble. A tall, suited man made his way forward out of the demolished building. Panic filled Toshinori's body. He had to get Nana out of there, had to get her to help and into safety, but he was trapped.
"All Might..." The man growled in disdain as power swirled around him. The rubble began to disintegrate into dust beneath his feet, flames flickering furiously behind him. The man took a few steps forward and smiled smugly. He knew he'd won. Toshinori was there, his for the taking, Nana was near death, and his victory was at hand. Toshinori's stomach lurched.
The dream shifted again.
He was suddenly on his feet, standing in horror at the full view of All for One's power. The villain stood atop horrific, green, appendage-like creations as a purple inferno roared around him. The entire area was decimated, nothing but rubble and dust left in All for One's wake. Black and red lightning zipped around All for One as he charged his next attack, aimed at the figure poised below him.
He knew what would happen next. He could feel Gran Torino's arms snatch him away from the scene. The old man buried his face in Toshinori's body, a pained grimace on his face. He screamed for her, not wanting to leave her to her doom. He knew the next thing she would do was turn to him to bid him goodbye, to shoot him a confident smile, but when she turned he was absolutely floored.
It wasn't his master, like he was expecting, instead you stood in her place. You didn't have a confident smile like she had, instead a scared and unsure grimace. His heart ripped in half.
"(Y/N)!" He howled, now even more anguished and ravenous. He tried to struggle out of the arms holding him, but he wasn't strong enough. Tears streamed down his face"(Y/N)! NO!"
"All Might!" You said, turning to cast him a final glance before you returned your attention to All for One, your voice quivered the slightest bit,"I'm counting on you!"
He couldn't hold back the guttural scream that erupted from his throat. He needed to go back to you, to save you. Why was he so useless? So immobile? First his master, now you? What kind of hero was he going to be if he couldn't save those he cared about?
"Thank you for such wonderful comedy." All for One smirked as he charge another attack. Toshinori was blinded suddenly by an explosive light. He closed his eyes and wept as he was carried away- you were gone. Just as she was.
He was suddenly standing in the middle of a club, bright lights pulsing around him. He could feel the beat of the music in his chest as he waded through a crowd of dancing people. He was unsure of why or how he had gotten there, but nothing seemed to be amiss. Drunk women giggled and clung to his arms, trying to earn his attention. He shook them off without a second thought. He could see Saffron and you in the middle of the dance floor, holding each other's hips and dancing to the music. Camilla watched nearby and sipped her drink, laughing at something Saffron directed at her. The three of you were absolutely plastered, but you looked like you were having fun. He smiled at the sight.
You turned to look at him from across the club, giving him the sweetest smile as you left Saffron to make your way over to him. He felt the blood rush to his face as he watched you saunter toward him, singing along with the song playing in the club as you met him and slung your arms around him.
"All I know is that to me
You look like you're lots of fun
Open up your lovin' arms
I want some, want some"
He eagerly obeyed, opening his arms and inviting you in. His hands slipped down to your waist and he held you, just as Saffron had, and the two of you danced together. He let you lead as you ground your hips up against him. He just watched in amusement as your hands trailed over his pecs and down his abs. He could feel the electricity flow through you to him as you touched the exposed skin of his arms. You were having the time of your life, and he was glad to be there with you. Feeling a little bold, he bent down to you and pressed a lingering kiss to your neck. To his surprise you wrapped your arms up around his neck as you captured his lips into a deep kiss. It was everything he'd dreamed of and more. Your lips were soft and gentle, dancing against his in perfect harmony. His soul left his body in that moment, but before he could properly reciprocate you swiftly left his embrace and were being pulled away by another man who wasted no time in pulling you to him for a dance.
As you were pulled away from him, the other women returned and wouldn't give up their relentless assault of his arms. The tugged and pulled at him, trying to get him to dance and pay attention to them. He couldn't pay too much mind, he was too busy processing what had just happened. They continued beckoning to him, pestering him until he finally cracked the smallest smile and looked at them.
"Ladies, please! I'm not interested!" He chuckled half-heartedly, trying to shake off their touch.
"Come on, All Might! Just one song!" One particularly aggressive girl cooed.
He sighed. He had no reason not to since you were gone. You were dancing with someone else, why couldn't he? What could one dance hurt? "Alright. Just one!"
She smiled in delight and took him by the hand, leading him deeper onto the dancefloor and pulling his hands to her hips. She swayed up against him and he smiled at her halfheartedly. He tried his best to pay attention to her in order to be polite, but he really couldn't stop staring at you in all of your beauty across the club. He was fascinated with you, the way your hair swung as you danced, how it's pearly whiteness reflected the colored lights. He loved they carefree look on your face, the bright smile that stretched from cheek to cheek. He was utterly enthralled.
"Hey! Whatcha lookin' at?" The girl asked him, reaching up to turn his chin back to her.
"Oh... sorry!" he said. He looked back to her. Compared to you, she was nothing. He tried to give her his enthusiastic attention, but it was hard to focus. He continued dancing with her for a few moments before movement in your direction caught his eye.
You had progressed from just dancing with the man to full on kissing him. You were looking up at him with your beautiful eyes, gifting him a sultry smile he didn't deserve. A pang of jealousy hit Toshinori's heart. The man's hands were all over you, groping and stroking, it disgusted him. You didn't seem to mind, though, which made Toshinori feel that much worse. He saw the way you leaned into the man as he attacked your lips with a hungry kiss. You were loving every moment of this. Toshinori felt sick. A few moments later the man whispered something into your ear, causing you to blush. You shook your head and Toshi could see the word 'no' spill out of your mouth.
Thank god. He was probably asking you to go home with him. Toshi felt better now that you were rejecting that scumbag. He expected the two of you to part, or at least continue dancing for a little longer and then part, but instead the man suddenly grabbed you by the arm and started pulling you through the crowd and out the door. You struggled against him, but were obviously in no state to put up a fight. The man waded through the crowd with you in tow, making his way toward the exit of the club and farther away from Toshinori. He felt something twist in his stomach, you were in trouble. Nothing good could come from this.
As soon as the man started dragging you away Toshinori was on the move, trying to get to you before you were out of sight. The girl he was dancing with, however, didn't seem too pleased with that.
"Where are you going?" She grabbed his arm again and tried to pull him back toward her. In the split second it took for him to look back at her and apologize you were gone, out the door and out of sight. He cursed quietly to himself and pushed her hands aside, shoving his way through the crowd of people with total disregard in an attempt to get to the door. He could hear something happening outside, a man yelling, a woman's protesting screams. Whatever it was wasn't good.
Toshinori suddenly felt something blocking him from leaving, as dozens of hands pulled him backwards, farther into the club and away from his goal. Their grip on him was unbreakable as the club patrons pulled him back farther and farther from the door, disrupting his progress.
"Come on, All Might! Don't go! Stay with us! Dance with us!" They collectively pleaded with him, their hands groping and pulling at him. He saw dozens of faces, all surrounding him and pulling him to the ground. He was swamped in a sea of people, all pushing him down in order to keep him from moving. Their faces were plastered with cheesy smiles, all murmuring things about how he was the symbol of peace and needed to stay with them. They were his biggest fans, after all.
He tried with all his strength to break free, but it was useless. Their hands were like heavy cement on him, rendering him unmovable. He grew frantic. He had to get to you, who knows what was happening to you, what that man was doing to you. He growled in frustration. Why were these damn people here?
"Let me go!" He yelled. The weight of the people pinning him to the ground was suffocating him, his frantic breaths coming in short and labored gasps. It looked bleak for both himself and you. There was no way he'd escape. It was useless. His mind clouded and he felt his strength wain. The people began laughing, watching their hero give up as they held him down. It infuriated him, but his muscles were jello. There was nothing he could do.
Suddenly, just as he felt his consciousness dim, he heard a loud and anguished scream from outside. This was followed by another, then another, and another, until it was just one long and anguished wail: A cry for help.
With a definitive roar and a final burst of strength, All Might threw the people holding him away with a definitive thrust. Disregarding their cries of displeasure, he sprinted towards you and out the door. He burst out the exit with all the force he could muster, throwing the door across the street. His head whipped frantically from side to side, looking for you.
You were still there, to his relief, lying on the sidewalk- but something was wrong. He knew it as soon as he saw you lying there.
"(Y/N)..." He whispered as he crouched down in front of you. Your clothes were tattered and shredded, your eyes lifeless and unblinking. A knife was buried deep into your chest, a trail of blood dripping steadily from the wound. He was too late. He let out a garbled sob, quickly pulling you against him. He sobbed uncontrollably, rocking back and forth on his heels as he held your limp body. He had let down someone he loved again. He was a failure.
The club was no longer there, neither was the street or the rest of the city. Everything dissolved until you and Toshi were alone in an expanse of total blackness. After hours had passed he released his death grip on you, pulling you back enough so he could place a tender kiss on your head. His heart was shattered, he had nothing left. He felt he'd never be whole again.
In the next instance he was in his bedroom, his sweaty, naked body hovering over someone else's. His hands felt the softness of their skin, the curvature of their body. His lips latched against their neck as he reveled in the soft sounds they made. He tasted their skin, smelled their perfume, enjoyed every sensation they had to offer him. He was in ecstasy, with his body joined together with another. What made it all the better was that you were the one lying beneath him .
He pulled back just enough to look into your half-lidded eyes. You were gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous. You smiled back up at him, your hand reaching up to cup his cheek. He peppered your lips with kisses and smiled back at you, his hand stroking through your hair. "(Y/N), I- I haven't been able to get you out of my mind lately. You feel so good..."
"I can't stop thinking about you either, Toshi. God... I- I'm so happy," You whimpered as he ground against you again. He buried his face into your neck, chasing his bliss as his hips snapped against yours. He continued the unrelenting pace as you cried in ecstasy. He felt your nails dig into his back as you moaned, wrapping your legs around his waist and pulling yourself tighter against him. You were driving him absolutely crazy.
"(Y/N)- I- I'm so close," He announced as he picked up his pace. A deep growl formed in his throat, and just as he felt he was going to reach his peak his vision shifted and suddenly he was in the ocean late at night.
He looked around frantically to survey the scene. This was getting a little exhausting. He was near a harbor, that much was for sure. A large, armored yacht was tipped over on its side nearby, slowly sinking into the brackish water. There was the remains of a warehouse up on the shore, smothered in fire and smoke. Something catastrophic had happened here.
He could feel something in his arms, something just barely clinging on to life as the water lapped at the two of them. Your slender frame was floating limply against him, your white hair sprawled out against the water. For the millionth time that night, his heart ache and he cried out to you. You didn't respond.
He pulled you closer up against him, out of the water and towards dry land. He was frantic, calling for you and checking for a pulse. You'd taken a lot of damage during whatever happened, and you were losing vast amounts of blood because of it. He placed one of his large hands over the wound in an attempt to stop the bleeding, but it appeared that you'd lost so much already.
"T-Toshi..." You whimpered, looking up to him with pained eyes. "A-am I going to die?"
"No! No, (Y/N). It's fine, I am here. I won't let you die!" His voice quivered. He was lying. It looked absolutely bleak for you, but he'd be damned if he didn't try his absolute hardest to save you. He had to be fast, had to get you to the hospital before it was too late.
As he waded on to the beach the source of the damage became apparent.
"All Might," All for One called, looking down at him, completely unscathed. Raw energy swirled around the man, ready to strike. "First your master, now I'll take your partner. I told you, Number one Hero, you are nothing. The time has come for you to die."
Before Toshinori had time to react, All for One struck, blasting a hole in his side and knocking him over onto the ground. Toshi screamed in pain, unable to move anymore. You tumbled onto the ground next to him, your wound gushing blood. He ignored his own pain and tried to reach out to you, to pull you to him so he could help you, but there was nothing he could do again. He saw All for One pad over to you, a look of disgust on his face. He looked at the state of both of you, nudging you with his foot.
"DON'T" Toshinori rasped, coughing up blood as he did. His fist clenched at the sand below him, trying in vain to pull himself across the ground and toward you.
All for One looked at his pitiful attempts and smirked. "I told you All Might, I'll destroy everything you cherish and then you."
With a final step forward, All for One looked at you one last time. Toshinori roared in fury and anguish, trying to pull himself up to fight the man, but he couldn't. He heard you whimper as you looked in fear at the villain standing over you. Without another word All for One lifted up his black shoe and brought it down swiftly onto your skull with a sickening crunch.
"NO!" Toshinori screamed, sitting up suddenly. He was disoriented again, unsure of where he was in the dark. He recognized the walls of his house, the view of the windows from his city, the couch beneath him. He must've been at home. Toshi turned to the light next to him and turned it on. He looked around the room and let out a sigh of relief. He was safe. All of those things had just been a dream. The clock read 4:00, he'd only been asleep for three hours and somehow managed to experience all of that. It was surreal and terrifying. He buried his face in his hands and rubbed his face. His breathing was quick and erratic, his heart hammering audibly in his chest.
It had been a long time since he'd had nightmares like that and he'd never had any about you. It was usually a reflection on a particularly gruesome villain encounter, or of his Master, but these dreams he just had felt almost worse when they involved you. None of them had ever been so bad as what he'd just experienced, and they certainly had never come three at a time. Thinking and reflecting on what had happened, he felt sick to his stomach. The anxiety in his body was crippling, and he felt on the verge of panicking.
He remembered the exercises his therapist had given him for when he felt like this. He took a deep breath in and a deep breath out, counting in increments of five as he went. He clenched and unclenched his fists, trying to refrain from hitting something or crushing the arm of the couch he had been holding. He reassured himself that he was okay, you were okay, everyone was okay. All for One wasn't there, you were still alive.
As soon as his breathing steadied Toshinori shakily got to his feet. He knew logically that you were okay, even if you were sleeping off an insane amount of alcohol, but he needed to check just for his own peace of mind. He got up off of the couch and padded over to your door in search of you.
To his surprise, you were out of bed and standing in your doorway, still half asleep and very drunk. "T-Toshi?" You murmured, sleepily rubbing your eyes. Somehow you'd managed to get into your pajamas on your own, but they were backwards and you were still wobbling back and forth where you stood.
"I'm here, sweetheart. Do you need something?" He tried to keep his voice steady and calm. You didn't need to know about his nightmares.
"Are you okay? I heard you yell..." You looked up at him with your big doe eyes. He bit his lip and looked at the floor. It was so hard to lie to you, but you didn't need to know about what he was going through.
"I'm fine... just a bad dream..." He told the half truth. A bad dream was putting it too lightly.
"D-Do you wanna talk about it?" You whispered, taking an unsteady step closer to him.
"No." He stated bluntly. You nodded and looked at him for a moment. He doubted you would even remember this in the morning, but he still didn't want to burden you with his problems in the off chance you did remember. Before he could tell you to go back to bed you closed the distance between the two of you. You embraced him in tight hug, sighing against his chest as you slipped your arms around his waist. His first instinct was to wrap his arms back around you and bury his face in your hair. He breathed in deeply, the anxiety quickly flowing out of his body as you rubbed his back. It was replaced with a calm contentment. You always made him feel better. Your touch was like medicine for him. It was grounding, stress relieving.
"Can I sleep with you?" You mumbled into his chest, catching him by surprise.
The corners of his lips turned upward slightly. "Are you sure? Wouldn't your bed be more comfortable?"
"I'm sure. My bed is cold. And I don't think I can walk back." You whispered. He could hear how tired you were, your voice was barely audible at that point. Your hug loosened and you let out a big yawn. He chuckled.
"You really are something when you're drunk," He whispered, scooping you up into his arms. Without thinking he turned his head to the side as if to give you a kiss on the forehead, but as soon he realized what he was doing he quickly turned away from you. He cursed himself for not having more control. He walked you to the couch without a word and placed you there. He wrapped you up in your favorite fuzzy blanket as he sat down beside you. You hummed in contentment as he pulled you into his arms and onto his lap, hugging you tightly against his chest.
He knew he shouldn't, he knew that you'd be incredibly embarrassed if you saw the way you were snuggling together, but he couldn't help himself. He needed you just as much as you needed him in that moment, and it's not like you didn't end up like this every night anyways. Today you'd just decided to ask for it instead of letting sleep guide the way. You murmured something quietly into his chest as you snuggled against him. His heart fluttered.
While you laid there in his lap, already back asleep, he debated whether he wanted to chase sleep again and risk more nightmares, or if he'd rather stay awake and take care of you. He sat there for a while, determined to keep himself awake, but the heat from your body made it so hard to stay conscious. Eventually, after a few hours had passed, his head slumped against the back of the couch and he fell into a deep, dreamless sleep, his nightmares completely replaced with happy thoughts of you.
Not super pleased with this chapter, but also can't justify lumping it in with another one. Enjoy!
Also someone please teach me to stop using so many commas.