I'm doing yours next, Havoc_And_Weird, don't worry! I swear I didn't forget (like I normally do hahhdhs)
Also, there was someone else I was going to do a one shot for. It's been a while and it's slipped my mind completely, but I can't for the life of my remember who you are. I know it was about Endeavor... he was being bashed or something and uh... I've forgotten, but I was really excited to write it. If it's you, please lord message me hahdhkadh I didn't mean to forget I swear!
Not edited. Deadass wrote half on my phone in a moving car. It's tea y'all
Third person pov
News that Lillian had risen from the dead spread through the dorm like a wildfire. It was only a matter of time before they were all crowding around her door, disbelieving yet eager all the same. Momo and Jiro all insisted they'd seen her, and Todoroki was silent and in a daze, which seemed to be proof enough. Mr. Aizawa and Mr. Mic also seemed to be in high spirits. The kids hadn't seen either of their teachers smile in weeks, so it was enough to send them all into a frenzy.
For the first time in almost a week, Hitoshi and Neito made an appearance. Holed up in the purple-haired boy's room, Todoroki was often times the one to bring them food and water. The bathroom and showers were just down the hall from the tired teen's room, so people could only assume they did their business at ungodly hours. That or they had Todoroki run interference. Either way, they'd seen neither hide nor hair of the grieving teens.
"Move." Neito barked in a tone that left no room for argument. The small crowd parted like the red sea, letting Neito strut past them with a strong facade. His face was set in stone, but Hitoshi's wasn't. His head was hung low, his eyes puffy from crying and his lips quivering as he tried not to break all over again. It had been particularly hard on Hitoshi. Lillian had been his first friend. His best friend. He'd gotten her into memes and watched her grow and flourish, transforming easily from the girl that had been so anxious at the entrance exams to someone who could confidently step up to the enemy.
Apparently Bakugo was inside as well, from what people were saying. The champagne blonde had been tailing her before and had slipped in the room after her before he could be stopped. Not that anyone would try to halt him in his pursuit. Everyone had seen what Lillian's death had done to Bakugo. Though they really didn't know what his relationship with her was, or why he was so worked up over someone he really didn't have much contact with, it was clear to everyone that he was deep in grieving.
Neito tried his best not to hope. Hope was dangerous in matters of death. What had happened to him had been a matter of chance. Maybe even luck. He'd survived something nobody should have, and he was still paying the price to this day. His heart was without a beat and his body felt cold. At times, he felt undeniably alone, no matter who was with him or where he was. He didn't want that for Lillian. He didn't think it was even possible for the girl.
So no, he didn't hope. He told himself that it probably wasn't her, and if it was, it was some form of an illusion. Because people didn't simply rise from the dead, no matter what he'd gone through. It wasn't plausible. It wasn't something that really happened. He staved off the flame building in his chest and the tears threatening to break free as the crowd backed for him and Hitoshi.
Neito was trying to be strong for Hitoshi. He couldn't be strong for the entirety of 1-A, but for Shoto and Hitoshi, he could stand tall. He missed Lillian. He adored her, and loved her, and he wished she was here. But she wasn't, so he was forced to adapt. Hitoshi was barely functioning, and Shoto didn't do much other than stare at a wall. So Neito put the half-and-half boy in charge of getting food and water for Hitoshi, who straight up refused to move. It got the Todoroki out of the room, at least. Out and about.
Hitoshi didn't believe Lillian was back, but he didn't not-believe it. He couldn't bring himself to think it was true. Anytime he did, it brought back the crushing feeling he'd felt when he saw her body lying limp in Bakugo's arms. The haunted look on the champagne blonde's face as he held her like she was made of glass. Seeing the expression of someone who'd lost someone they loved dearly, and knowing he was mirroring it. It was devastating.
Lillian had been someone who, even on her darkest days, still managed to seem somewhat lively. Whether it be her tone of voice or her expressions. Her body-language and the way she'd inhale sharply when she found something funny but didn't want to laugh. There was always something, a spark. To see that all sucked away and knowing she was alone when it happened had broken him completely.
Neito of course had a key to Lillian's room, and he whipped it out. He was glad, suddenly, that he hadn't thrown it away. Grabbing Shoto by his sleeve, he twisted the key in the lock and cracked the door open almost as though testing to see if anything would happen. He could practically sense everyone holding their breath behind him as he nudged the door open, the sound of laughter leaking out from inside. It made almost everyone stiffen.
Clenching his teeth and steeling himself, he grabbed Hitoshi by his arm as well and pushed his way into the room, kicking the door shut before anyone else could swarm in or try to peek and see what was happening. Though everyone had seen Hitoshi break down, Neito was sure the exhausted teen would appreciate it if they didn't witness it again. He was vulnerable, but there was a difference between being depressed and tired and full on hyperventilating.
"Oh, h-hey guys!" Lillian chirped as Bakugo finished tying her shoe, looking brighter than anyone had seen him. Neito felt the air leave his lungs, his eyes going wide as he openly gaped at her. His arms fell slack at his sides, his grip on the stunned Hitoshi and Shoto dropping as he stared at the sight before him. The girl looked a little flushed, just as she always was. Her hair was in disarray, but not in a way that was unusual. The bags under her eyes were there, but not all that visible. She was... just her. Sitting there in shorts and a sweatshirt.
"L...Lillian?" Neito choked out, sounding strangled. Lillian's smile dropped completely as though realizing what this situation entailed. Like maybe she hadn't known she'd died, and thought this was a normal day. Bakugo stood up abruptly and suddenly, and though his grin had vanished, he was still undeniably happy. An odd word to associate with Bakugo, but without a doubt true. Neito wasn't focused on that, though.
Lillian wasn't sure what to do when her best friends burst into the room. Them barging in wasn't all that odd of a thing. Though boys were forbidden to enter the girl's dorms, and vise-versa, that had never stopped them, and she'd always appreciated it. But seeing their despondent and devastated expressions had been a slap in the face. The reality of the situation once again settled. Letting the fact that she'd died really didn't seem like an easy thing to forget, but she really just... didn't feel any different. She didn't recall dying. She just woke up in her bed feeling ill and... that was that.
"G-Guys..." She trailed off, standing up and taking a small step forward. Bakugo almost put a hand on her shoulder, but he stopped himself. Boundaries. She was okay now. Lillian was here, and she was fine. And he was in love with her. Sure, it took her dying for him to come to terms with that, but he'd realized it nonetheless, and now he was latching on and was never going to let go. He couldn't lose her again. It just couldn't happen. It wouldn't happen. Not with him around.
"How are you here?" Shoto breathed out so quietly Lillian barely heard. The freckled girl couldn't help but smile, and Hitoshi flinched as though he'd been struck. Bakugo understood that. He'd been the same way, but he didn't want to waste his damn time in disbelief. Lillian dying was a wake up call. One he really hadn't wanted, but got anyway. He wasn't going to waste anymore time. Humans were damn fragile. He could die any day. Lillian could. Anyone in his life could. He wasn't about discount that.
"I-I just... I woke up in my bed with a sore throat. I felt really nauseous too, but yeet that. It's all tea. A-Anyway, I just got up to go get some heated leaf juice to sip when Bakugo found me and snatched my wig. I-It was pretty weird. Even Papzawa was sister shook, which is saying something considering how out James Charles i-is these days. I just checked my phone. Tati dragged him and I-I'm like-" Lillian knew she rambled when she got nervous, but she couldn't help it. Hitoshi was surprisingly the one to cut her off.
"You're alive." He all but wept, throwing himself forward and wrapping her up in a hug. Lillian almost squeaked in surprise but instead wrapped her arms around him. Neito burst into tears and joined the hug, and Shoto just draped himself over them. Bakugo sort of wanted to join, but didn't want to accidentally touch anyone other than Lillian. He settled for watching instead as Hitoshi blubbered over her. Nobody was about to judge. Lillian was actually kind of flattered.
Lillian was back and alive. Somehow. Against all odds, she'd defied death and come right on back. It hadn't been dramatic. She hadn't crawled from her grave and pulled herself to UA's gates. It hadn't been like Neito, where she gasped awake in terror. She'd simply woken up in her bed. She'd gotten up and gone to the kitchen like she may any other night, and she'd run into Bakugo. The rest was history.
Elsewhere, Chad found himself standing in a rather dimly lit room, weary and tired.
"Is it done?" The man asked. His voice was raspy and dry. Though he was exhausted, he didn't slouch. He stood tall and kept his shoulders squared. His fists remained clenched, and his jaw tense and locked. His bobbing Adam's apple gave away his nerves, but nobody could much blame him for acting such a way. Anyone in his position would. He wasn't doing exceptionally better than most.
"It is." The man replied easily, not a hint of anxiousness or stress in his tone. "Are you sure this is what you want?"
"I'm sure." Chad's voice was firm and sure. There was no hesitation, and it made the man smile. It was not often anyone came seeking him and his gift. The price to pay was far too steep for most, but Chad was a bit different in the sense that he didn't care. Nothing was too much for him so much as his goal was achieved.
"Very well, then." The man sighed, and held out his hand. Chad looked him in the eyes as he took it, knowing this would seal it. That it would solidify what was done. Though he had no proof other than this man's word, he was willing to risk it. He couldn't go on knowing that he'd failed someone he cared for. He was quirkless, essentially useless in the eyes of the public. There were many things he couldn't accomplish. But this? This he could do.
The deal was sealed, and Chad closed his eyes and deeply inhaled as his heartbeat slowed. The man continued to clutch his hand as he drifted down to his knees, throat constricting and preventing him from breathing. The blonde let it happen, willing his panic away and allowing his body to shut down.
"A fair trade." The man said, giving a smile that was almost sad as darkness crept into his vision. His pulse came to a crawl as he slumped over like a lifeless doll, his shoulders slouching and head falling. No tears fell from his golden eyes as his life ended. Pins and needles crawled across him and offered stabbing pain, but it was worth it. He felt his brain begin to shut down, nerve endings firing off rapidly in distress, but he made no sound. It was worth it. It would always be worth it.
Lillian dying simply was not an option. There was something he could do to save her, and so he would. He loved her dearly, and that's the only reason he was able to do this now. His care for her fueled the mysterious man's quirk. He had enough adoration. There wasn't much he held in his body. He held contempt for the Yakuza, and fondness for Eri. He favored his job, and he enjoyed Vlad and his amusing ways. But if there was one thing he had an endless supply of, it was love. He would do anything for the people he adored. Anything.
Dabi would take care of Eri. He had to. The scarred man cared for Vlad and the little girl, and he knew of Chad's intentions. Though against it, he hadn't tried to stop his quirkless companion. Chad was glad. It wouldn't have done anything. No matter what, he would have ended up here. In any scenario, no matter what anyone said or did, this was where he'd be. Lillian deserved that much. She deserved a chance. She was young and full of potential. She had people who loved her- who needed her. Chad would gladly give his life in exchange for hers.
Yes, the blonde was sure, while his life faded away, leaving his body nothing more than a mere corpse as Lillian prospered and returned to her healthy and usual state. A fair trade indeed.
If anyone were to ask who Chad was, they would not be able to tell you.
If you were to question Dabi, and inquire how he knew Vlad and Eri, he'd be unable to recall.
If you tried to ask Lillian, or any of her friends, where they'd learned to be so devious and mischievous, they'd ponder for a long while before coming up dry.
If you asked Eri who had saved her from the Yakuza, she wouldn't be able to say.
Chad was okay with losing his life. He was okay with being erased. For once in his life, he was okay with not being there. He was okay with Hawks forgetting he had a brother, and he was okay with Dabi forgetting they were in love. He was okay with his memesters forgetting he was someone to count on, and he was fine with the memory of himself fleeing Eri's mind. Losing his job with Uber Eats was fine, as was losing his family. It was all okay, because Lillian was back. That's all he needed.
Though, perhaps one day, if you asked Vlad where he'd come from, and who'd brought him there to live with Eri and Dabi, he'd let out a sad little cry. And his wings would flap in distress, and he'd duck his head in a mourning sort of way. And maybe, he would croak out a name similar to his own, and remind himself not to break the doors on the car, and not to eat the remote, and not to knock down the fridge or eat the neighbor's cat.
Maybe Vlad would try and try to convey what he knew. Maybe, one day he'd be able to tell them all about the wisp of a man who once was.
Maybe he'd be able to tell them about Chad, and his fair trade.