12: Too Many Lives To Live. None Truly Mine
AYO??? 5k+ reads?? That was fast!
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She rocked excitedly as the UA Sports Festival replayed on the TV again. "Mom! Dad!" She jumped up to grab her parents from the kitchen. Never could she look too long at their faces, resulting in poor memory regarding what they really looked like, but she held hope that now, just this once, things might change for the better. The show was only just beginning; with every passing second, it was getting closer and closer to the part where (Y/n) gets up on stage!! The little blond one grabbed her mother's hand and tugged her toward the living room. "Come see what (Y/n) has to say about my quirk!" The girl bounced and giggled. Though, her parents did not share that same excitement. Through a thick, shadowy haze.. she even saw their looks of disgust.
The girl dropped her mother's hand almost immediately, cowering back into the living room on her own. The light from her eyes went dim as she sat on the floor by herself. She grabbed her nearby teddy and held it in her lap, cuddling and nibbling the toy as her calm eyes watched the screen.
(Y/n) appeared on stage. The girl knew everything she was going to say, having memorized the speech by heart already. The teenager on stage had soft, kind, confident..yet also nervous eyes. Her face was so full of life and hope, an aura of wonder simply inexplainable to the child. The blond hugged her teddy tighter as she heard those precious words again.
"And for the kids who grew up just like me... Thinking you were all alone and that the whole world hated you because of the way you were born.." Tears were brought to the young girl's eyes, even though she had seen this rerun three times over by this point. "...You are perfect just the way you are.. and you can be whatever you want to be." That light was brought back to her yellow eyes. The gleam of hope and joy.
She wanted to meet this (Y/n). No, she needed to meet this (Y/n)... Lest her heart burst from crippling heartbreak. The stresses of her daily life overwhelming her until she finally cracked. No, she needed someone like (Y/n) in her life right now to prevent that!... So why not go to the source?
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If you take a step back and squint just right, your daily life would actually look pretty normal!
After all, all you really do is wake up, go to school, hang out with friends, invest an hour into volunteer work and goofing around with kids, homework and extra curricular 'manners courses,' and physical training, which doubles as your job. And none of what I listed really sounds that crazy!
-----
"...What?" Eraserhead stuck his head through the door, so utterly weirded out by his students that he almost slipped back out. A couple different rows students all locked arms, kicking out their feet in synchronization. You were the header of this bunch. It took them a little while, but eventually the class noticed their teacher. "..What are you guys doing now?"
"Um..." Tenko pulled out of the line, the others following his and your lead. You all stood around awkwardly now. "..(Y/n) was teaching us...the Charleston?" He glanced back at you.
You nodded. "Yeah, that's how it's pronounced." Tenko grinned sheepishly back at his sensei. You weren't embarrassed like the others. Actually, you were pretty chill.
Error 404 Eraserhead not responding. "......Sure, whatever. Everyone just sit down."
"Yes sir!"
"Yes sir!"
"Yes sir!"
It was on that same day that everyone in your class found out you were already fluent in English, which led to a lot of tutoring requests.
You sadly had to turn them all down, though.. You were too busy...
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BOOM!
"YEAHH!"
"YEAHHH!"
"Do it again!"
Izuku launched another rubber ball lined with Katsuki's sweat into the air over the ocean, using a large slingshot made from scraps. You launched a flaming feather out to touch the ball as it soared. When the two forces met mid-air,
BOOM!
"YEAHHH!"
"That one was even bigger!"
---
Cupping your hands around your mouth, "Right, now you just jump backwards off the fridge and use explosives to propel yourself further! Easy!"
Izuku tugged on your shirt. "Um, (Y/n), isn't this a little dangerous?"
You met eyes with the greenette. "Oh I'm sure he'll be alright. I've seen other kids with similar quirks doing the same!"
Meanwhile, in the background, Katsuki jumped off of the fridge, activated his quirk mid air, which thanks to the angle accidentally forced his body into the ground even faster than gravity could have. He landed on his back, "ought!" breath knocked out of him for a bit.
---
Tenko called your phone while you were still at the beach. ""Hey, I still have half an hour before work. Where you at?!"" Currently munching on some kind of burrito.
"The beach, bruthah!" Smirking while watching Katsuki chase Izuku through the shallow water with a dead crab he found. "I have to leave pretty soon too, but you're free to stop by if you want."
---
"Hey, look, it's the high schooler who won the Sports Festival last week!" Katsuki pointed in the direction of the suburbs from which Tenko emerged. The teen picked up speed as he waved to you and the children. Izuku recognized Tenko at once, running in to greet him. He no longer had a boot or anything on. Just had to be careful. The running boys met about halfway and hugged.
"Who's this?" When Tenko skipped up to you, Izuku was riding on his back. He pointed at Katsuki standing beside you. The blond was torn between wanting to look cool, calm, and collected, and freaking out over how powerful Tenko was.
"This is Katsuki Bakugo, Izuku's best friend!" You gestured to the spiky one.
Smiling down at the blond, "Ooo! Nice! Aren't childhood friends the coolest??"
Katsuki crossed his arms and diverted his eyes. "Tsh.. nooo." The blond side eyed the two, taken a back by the teary eyes of his greenette friend. Backtracking a little, "..They're alright."
Tenko laughed. "Aww, you guys are so cute!"
"Tenchan, come look at the slingshot I made!" Izuku pointed out over the darker haired one's shoulder. "I used trash from the beach to make it!"
"Really? Does it work?"
"Yeah! We were firing canon balls from it earlier!"
"Well now I gotta see this!" Tenko scampered off with Izuku still on his back. You watched from afar as Izuku deployed from the other to give Tenko a personal tour of the scrap contraption he made. It was simple, cute, and effective. Izuku even explained where he found all the parts.
Kurogiri appeared suddenly beside you, shocking Katsuki but not you. "It's time for you to leave, (Y/n)."
Your smile dropped and your back slouched. "Oh come onnn! Just five more minutes, please!?"
Staring at you sternly, "...Very well." You smiled again. The fear of being late was easily beaten out by the joy of the moment. Everyone was just having so much fun.
'...This is it... This is why I'm alive...' It was beyond rewarding to see you had actually made a difference. With just a little kindness, you changed the world.
Whether it was for better or worse.. guess that was still yet to be decided.
Tenko trotted up beside you after Izuku had finished his babbling fit and smiled through your shades. "You've been wearing those a lot, haven't you?"
"The sunglasses?" Touching them subconsciously. You then chuckled. "Yeah.. guess I have." Even in class, you wore them. A great cover for your nearly dozing off moments. And you got to use the quirk excuse to keep em!
Tenko watched Izuku and Katsuki running back to the ocean together, shoes still off. The clearing on the beach was larger now, slowly opening up to the big open blue. Tenko sighed happily, watching with his arms crossed. You watched proudly, hands on your hips. "...They seem to know you have more than one quirk."
"Yep.. I told them."
"Wuh! Really??"
"Yeh!.. They won't tell nobody."
"Heh.. and I guess they're both helping you out here with cleaning."
"Yeah.. they're pretty cute." Watching them play and splash around in the water, occasionally pushing each other into the waves. You smirked as you watched. Tenko caught you idly itching at the skin above your cheek. He caught a side view of your eyes past the sunglasses. How utterly destroyed the skin was behind them.
"...Do you need help with your eyes, (Y/n)? --Oh! Remember? When we were really little?? You gave me that cream for my skin! Do you remember the brand?!"
"Hmhmhm... No.. I don't think that'll work here..." You smiled softly, though continued to stare straight ahead. Tenko tilted his head, wondering why you wouldn't care to fix something you so easily could--
"--(Y/n)...?"
"Yeah?"
"Your eyes... They look a lot like mine did when I was younger."
"Yep."
"And..the itch around specifically them and your neck. The-the dryness and.. I dunno, the suddenness of it all!"
"Yeah?"
"Did you... Was.. Was that once my quirk?"
"..."
"I- I won't be angry, I promise! I just want to know why-?? Why did you steal my quirk!?" He said he wouldn't be angry, but you already picked up on a hint of anger in his tone. Your apprehension was close enough to an answer for him. Tenko turned his whole body, leaning so you were forced to look at him. "I get that it's a cool quirk, but why did you have to steal it and hide it from me for years?"
"I didn't want to watch you suffer." You answered plainly, staring ahead, past your friend. "You were clearly in pain... The moment I found out it had to do with your quirk, I knew what I had to do."
Tenko's arms and chin dropped for the floor. He stared at the sand, ashamed of his own outburst. "...I'm sorry.. I should have known it was to help... But..." Looking up at you now, empathetic pain apparent, "I don't want you to suffer either. Now I just feel bad."
"Teh.. Don't be. I'm the one who chose to use your quirk to become a hero... I..probably should have thought about this side effect beforehand."
"Why is your skin only itching now??"
You shrugged. "Probably because I haven't used it until now." Wait, but that wasn't the truth. You used to use this quirk a lot in the ring. And while your face always got a little itchy, it was never this bad!
Maybe it moreso has to do with the fuel...? It was a weird theory. You didn't even know where to go from there. Is there some kind of emotion you are missing out on? Some kind of strategy?.. Or maybe it was that you just needed to use the quirk a little less? Yeah.. probably that.
After all, this itch worked like any other rash. The more you scratch, the worse it gets. The more you use it...the harder it is to control. Who knows..? You never really thought about it before, but maybe if you used this quirk too much, it may just take over you instead.
Now that...was concerning.
----------
"Your posture is doing a lot better, (Y/n)." Ms. Yamashi sat stiffly across from you on her knees, you mirroring her. Wait, she complimented you!?
You bowed your head to the woman. "Thank you..." You then eyed the wrapped cloth beside her. She must have noticed, even though you had sunglasses on, that you were staring.
"This is a kimono specially made for you. I was hoping you might look more proper of a lady wearing it."
Your eyes widened a little bit, a little smile etching through your lips. "..I've never worn a kimono before." Chuckling bashfully, "My mother used to dress me up all the time, but that was in more Western dresses and clothes."
"Will you need help putting it on, then?"
"Oh, no-no!. I've got it." The woman handed you the neatly folded, beautiful white, blue and gold cloth. So detailed, the golden threads formed the shapes of delicate plant-life, the streaks of blue far more prominent, acting more as lining along the boarders around every fold. It all came together to look very pretty, and that was just one meager side of it too.
"The makers of this outfit are working on a similar one for the winter season, and of course if you find yourself liking the kimono so much, I can bring you into contact with the makers so you can collaborate with them to design and create even more." You traced your hand over the cloth. It was so soft too! Score!
"Th...thank you!" You smiled big and bright. So genuine Ms. Yamashi simply had to join.
Arriving from the hall, passing the living space here in Kai's branch home, a short haired blond strode on through, his uniform on, mask presently tucked under one arm. The man and his mother locked in an awkward moment of eye contact for a moment, Ms. Yamashi's smile switching to a disappointed scowl faster than an ice cube melts in a bonfire. The young man nodded his head. "..Mother."
She nodded back, "Son." After he vanished into the next hall, the woman sighed and turned back to you, slouching for once. "Hhh, I may need to change up my schedule a bit. Seeing that boy every other day gives me headaches."
"Iiiiiiiii wouldn't mind the extra free time." Your hands clasped together, pinning the folded clothes to your lap. The woman gave you a very sarcastic, 'really?' look, then sighed again.
"I suppose... As long as you continue to improve as fast as you are, I should only have to visit twice a week. Tuesdays and Thursdays perhaps?
You nodded. "Sounds good."
"However, this does not mean I want you slacking off in you newfound free time. I will be taking you with me in a couple weeks to a very high-class wedding I have been invited to. That will be your first official test." Crap there were gunna be tests!? You nodded stiffly to fill the space where she paused. "Fail to practice and you will risk embarrassment of the highest degree. So don't take this lightly."
"Y-yes, ma'am!"
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"Soooo, you're not fighting tonight?" Iguchi entered a room in the back of the Underground Masquerade with you. Wearing a tank-top, shorts, and mask pulled down around his neck. It was just the two of you anyway, so he didn't have to worry so much about privacy... Not like he was the best at it. You'd been giving him a few tips here and there these past couple weeks.
"No, I have a couple mini scuffles tonight. Nothing big, though." The floor and three walls were all padded, the fourth covered entirely in mirrors. Random punching bags and dummies stood or hung around, some more beaten and worn down than others. The residual scent of sweat and cleaning supplies was ever-present.
"Ah." Iguchi grabbed a hanging pair of boxing gloves and strode to the nearest standing dummy. "What's this one's name?"
You glanced over your shoulder at the dummy, then returned your attention to the bowl of powder you were currently coating your hands in. "Jeffery."
"Tch... Well then.. Jeffery~"
BANG!
With only one punch, Iguchi knocked the hefty dummy off its tripod feet and into the distant wall. You spun around and smirked at the sight. "Not bad~"
"Hhh, yeah... But it's not nearly enough to catch up to you and Tenko... Speaking of which, mind giving me a quirk? I dunno. Something that boosts my strength a bit."
You froze. Shoulders tenser, you grabbed the wrappings at your right and started to tie them tightly around your knuckles and wrists. "...What gave you the impression that I have more than one quirk?" It was low and serious, not hiding that you knew what he was on about.
"Tenko was a bit of an emotional wreck the other night and crashed in my room, spilling everything on his mind like he was drunk or something!"
"Was he drunk?"
"Just stress I think. He's not a lowlife like you."
"Ow."
"Sorry..." Iguchi sighed and moved onto the next dummy. This time he was softer with his punches, merely tapping the cylinder with his gloves, trading out power for speed. "Hgh.. he tell you his dad tried to commit suicide last week?"
Again, you flinched. "...No, he didn't even mention it."
"Hhh, thought so. He's still scared of loading us with all his problems."
"That stupid...pencil breaker. -Did you know that brat used to break all my pencils?? For years I had to use the two halves separately!"
"Heheh, he broke mine just the other day."
"He also used to stab his erasers until they broke apart into too small of pieces for him to use, then ask me for mine."
"Really??"
"I'm...getting off topic.. Ghh... Yeah, I've noticed. Just.. don't really know what we can do."
"I've started doing some of the chores he forgets to do."
"And I finally have some more free time..so I guess I can help him with his English. How's he doing in his other subjects?"
"Better than you, I bet."
"Heh, yeah you're probably right." Your hands finally bandaged nice and tight, you grabbed a couple gloves especially fitted just for you and walked over to a bag near Iguchi to start warming up. Iguchi stared at you curiously.
"...Why do you respond to insults like that?"
"Like what?"
"You either agree or laugh it off! It's weird."
"Heh, I never really noticed... Guess I just got used to it." From there, you started punching the bag. Short ranged jabs meant to feel like a sharp stabbing more than a punch.
"..Were you bullied in Middle School or something?"
"Ts! Nah. Just the people at home all talk to me like that. Musta gotten used to it without realizing."
"Oh.." Iguchi's punches slowed until they stopped completely. "...Guess I'm not helping, then. I'll stop."
"Huh? Insulting me? Why?" You stopped punching your bag too.
"Because.." Leaning his elbow on the bag next to him, "it isn't very heroic of me I guess to bully my own rival.. And I know better than anyone how much damage simple words can do."
"Then.. why were you being rude in the first place? I never really complained, but.."
"Because Tenko loves you a lot... Like, a lot a lot...." Rubbing the back of his neck, Iguchi turned away. "Guess I was just being jealous.. He's really the only friend I've had."
You blinked confusedly. "Well.. that's very mature of you to admit. And... What do you mean he loves me?"
"Well since he told me your secret I thought it was only fair to tell you his. He's had a crush on you for ages. Before he and I even became friends. So.. there. Do with that what you want."
"Oh.... Oh." Now so many little things were starting to make more sense! "I'm not really...allowed to date anyone.. but thanks for telling me. And don't tell him you told me please? I don't want him to expect a response."
"Can't date anyone?!"
"It's...complicated." More like hard to explain without admitting you were involved with a Yakuza, but close enough. "Yeah, just tell him I'm gay or something if he asks too much. I dunno.."
"M.. Alright then." Iguchi silently rejoiced inside. Looks like he wasn't turning into a useless third wheel after all! "There's...another reason I may have been a little rude to you."
"Oh yeah?" You laid an arm on the punching dummy's shoulder nearest you.
"Yeah.. Listen.. when I saw you for the first time, I wasn't even sure you were the same person! You were so different!. I might have gotten a little worried you'd change Tenko too. Make him, I dunno, worse."
"Oh."
Quickly shrugging and turning away to the punching object again, "But you didn't and I'm happy about that. In fact, you made him even happier than before."
"Awe.." That was so sweet.
----------
"Hey." Kai emerged from the dark pit of a hallway in the house as you entered through the sliding door.
"Oh!" You startled, not expecting anyone to be awake at this hour.
"Go back to the courtyard. I need to talk to you about something." You nodded and slid backwards through the door you'd just entered.
...
Standing outside now, continuing to speak in low voices, Kai started. "You're still doing that fighting thing?"
"Yeah, just a little bit.. Is there a problem?"
"Hardly. I finally have a mission for you." Kai then pulled out a folded piece of paper from inside his jacket, continuing as he unfolded it carefully. "Your mother's maiden name was Wilson, correct?"
Dang, was that an old name to some rusty ears! "Um, yes!.. Yes. Why do you ask?"
He handed you the piece of paper. Both sides were covered head to toe in little blurbs of information, but the side facing up bore the most important thing of all: a picture. Or, at least a drawing of her. A recreation of your mother sat elegantly, cradling a small, glowing baby, many other helpless babies and children of varying deformities and abilities sitting patiently beside her. The whole thing was so...so... magical.
"Turns out your mother was pretty ancient too."
"Heh, I knew that already."
"'Loving Mother.' She unintentionally became the figurehead of several cults or cult-like organizations around the globe." Your eyes widened. "One of those, the most prominent group, has worldwide influence and is working on something big. Their mission also aligns with mine."
"To destroy quirks?? Why would my mom be a figurehead for that?!"
"She's just a symbol for them. I'm sure there are a plethora of reasons, but I don't really care.. I was shocked to find out she was your mom, though."
"Yeah... No doubt most people would be." You chuckled. You traced the small image of the woman with your hand. In the past years, you had nearly forgotten her loving side. All that caring nature she instilled into your life. She sure was a special person.. That was for sure.
"Point is. The group I am interested in has grown to a point that they see any Yakuza as beneath them already, making any attempt to form an alliance useless... But.. if you can infiltrate their ranks, using your heritage as Loving Mother's daughter to your advantage.. there is no doubt in my mind that we would have a better chance. You may even be able to weasel your way into a leadership position, possibly."
"That...sounds like a lot of work.."
"It is..." Sliding his hands into his jacket pockets. "And it will be. But it's finally a mission only you can do. You're the only one I can entrust this to, so don't mess it up."
"Um, sure.. Y-yes sir." Your eyes, through all of that, never left that picture for more than a minute! Your mom? Chloe?? A figurehead for cults all around the world??? It was a pretty creepy thought.
...These people were truly lost.
----------
You slid the food dish over the gravel, closer to Machia, who was excitedly leaning forward. Eating must have had something to do with the guy's unnatural growth, because in the time between first meeting him and now, he went from about your height to almost your father's height!
"You came, little master?" He called you little master just because he didn't know what else to call you exactly. Friend or family bonds were too alien to him. He called your dad master as well, but he did not hold the same reverence and respect he held for his own father still. Just like your dad said, it would likely take years of persistence before he came to truly see you or your father as his master.
...And to think he was now a part of your master plan to take down your dad.. Hopefully, he wouldn't get swept up in the fight and end up injured or dead. Maybe you could use Kurogiri's quirk to teleport him somewhere safe before it all goes down.
You huffed, relaxing finally as you sat down on the gravel and crossed your legs, watching Machia bordely as he ate up all the food you'd brought.
Knowing he would have nothing to add or no reason to interject, you started going over how your day went, all you did, every person you talked to, and even the little fights and training exercises you won. "Hah, no wonder I'm so tired..." You finally stopped rambling. Machia just finished anyway. You rubbed your swollen, crusty eyes. Flakes of skin fell off when scratched, it was that bad. "It'd be great if I could give this quirk to someone else just for a little bit..so I can finally get a break! Ugh... I hardly get the minimum hours of sleep as is, and now I keep waking up in the middle of the night with all this to deal with too!" Your hands were terribly dry too. Not quite as itchy though.
And to think of all the reasons you were so busy.. All the things you had to cram into only one day. The quirks you had to juggle, personalities to act out, and people to bother. It was like you were living the lives of multiple people all at once... "Teh... And to think living two separate lives was a lot for me back then.." you laid on your back, hands folding behind your head. "At least then... One of my 'lives' literally just involved me lounging around as a cat!" You missed that. Nearly falling asleep there on the ground, you sat up suddenly and laughed. "Oops! That wouldn't be good!.. Nice seeing ya, buddy. I'll be back tomorrow." You waved at Machia as you took his dish. He studied the gesture closely before copying it. You smiled, which was hard to see out here in the dark, where only the occasional bent up streetlight stood.
You called on Kurogiri and a portal appeared. After you entered your home, the race for bed began. You showered, dressed into soft PJs, moisturized your face, neck, and hands, brushed your teeth, and finally put on some fluffy gloves Kurogiri recommended to help reduce quirk activations in the night.
And finally, you plopped onto bed and curled up in the blankets. A wave of sweet sweet relaxation and relief washed over your body from head to toe. Finally...sleep.
Tc...tc...creee
You groaned and rolled over to squint at your window. They flew open as none other than a child crawled through! Immediately, you sprung up and flipped the switch on. Cornergiri was already standing at the ready to defend you if he had to, but you flew an arm out in front of him after confirming the trespasser was a child. For a moment you just panted, worked up into a frenzy all of a sudden.
The child stood up, having jumped down from the window, and smiled up at you with the biggest, bright yellow eyes. Her grin was wide, took up a large portion of her face, and showed off two sharp fangs. You blinked a couple times at this blond, messy haired little girl... Wait a minute.. This was Toga!
The girl bounced happily your way. "Sorry for waking you up, (Y/n), I couldn't wait to meet you! I ran away from home and came here because I just know you will love me! My quirk is just like you said on TV! Everyone calls me a monster but I'm not one; I'm not one, am I?!" You stood there for a moment, taking it all in.
"...How did.. how did you get in here?? And how did you know where I was??"
The girl giggled cutely. "I asked people, silly! Then I snuck in!"
"That's...impressive." Or, a major security flaw. You'd have to question all that in detail later. For now, you had a runaway child in your room needing to be taken care of. A child who, if left unchanged, would become a psychopathic killer. You knelt down and placed a gloved hand on her messy hair. "Well, now why would people be calling someone cute as you a monster for?" You smiled, watching with wonder as her eyes positively shined.
"You really think I'm cute??"
"M'hm!"
^▽^ "Promise you won't think I'm a monster if I tell you!?"
"I promise."
She still closed up a little, a stony, pale-ish face on display as she fidgeted while staring at the ground. "I, um.. I want to drink the blood of the ones I love.."
"Oh? Do you know why?"
"No..."
"I'll tell you, then."
"Huh???"
Smiling softly, you sat on the ground with your legs crossed and removed your gloves. "...In all my years of having this quirk, I have learned one special thing about them." Toga dropped onto her knees, staring at you with big, listening eyes. She was pretty cute, actually. "..Quirks are more apart of us than any other physical traits. We can change our hair color. We can change our clothes.. Depending on how much sun we get, we can even change our skin tones! But quirks go a little deeper than that. They are a part of our souls as well.
:o "Ooo.. how do you know this much?? Did UA teach you?!"
Chuckling, "No, that honor goes to my dad and lived experiences... You see.." You pointed to the indent in your palm. "My quirk is a lot like yours in a way."
"You know what my quirk is?!"
"Shhh.. just a second, okay?" Though you were tired as all heck, you pulled together enough patience and compassion to explain things to this girl like you usually would to little Eri. "My quirk lets me take, give, and use other people's quirks. The ultimate distributer of power." The little girl gaped. "When I take people's quirks, I feel much closer to that person. I love getting to carry a part of them around with me. Using their quirk also makes me feel closer to them. Likewise, I naturally hate giving up a quirk, since it feels like I am having to let go of that person for good... Your quirk is pretty similar in a way. You crave the blood of the ones you love because it is in your quirk's nature to become them. You're able to become whoever you drink the blood of. And you want to become them, because you want to feel close to them."
"..Woa."
"So, no. What you are feeling doesn't make you a monster. What it does do, however, is require a lot of self restraint out of you. As a kid, I had to bite my own tongue or pinch myself every time I wanted to take a classmate's quirk. I ended up distancing myself from most other kids to lessen the temptation, sticking closest to a quirkless friend of mine instead. Even now, I have to remind myself of the many reasons not to steal the quirks of the people around me. But, by this point, those reminders come instinctually so that I don't have to think about it all that often... Similarly, it'll be important for you to remember that your way of showing affection is unlike anyone else's. You'll have to practice things like asking for others' consent, telling yourself no, and forming bonds with the right people."
"Hmmm.." The girl's head dropped. "Doesn't sound very fun..."
"And it's not supposed to be. But in the grand scheme of things, you'll have a long, happy life."
"Do you think I could ever have some of your blood?"
Your eyes lingered on the ceiling for a second while you thought about it. "I...guess. Sure. I'm immortal, so it won't hurt me any." The girl gasped, eyes gleaming so bright. You chuckled tiredly, then sighed. The most important part out of the way now, you finally addressed her tattered clothes and dirty, messy hair. Pointing at the girl, "How long have you been on the run, by the way?"
"Four days!" She answered so quickly, not a hint of regret in her face. You chuckled and sighed tiredly again. Sending her back wasn't really an option, was it? Her parents would only fail her. This girl's best course of living was with you; someone who already knew what cues to watch for and how to properly address them.
Stealing her quirk was also an option, but.. you didn't really want blood lust on your list of quirk problems to have to worry about. But maybe you would have to resort to such a thing if she showed no signs of veering from canon. Toga was a sweet girl, though, so you held hope that you could actually change this one for the better.
It would just take a lot of time, patience, and.. yawn... being awake.
You yawned loud and clear. Toga adorably echoed, her head tipping back, canines out in the open as she yawned so big. When her mouth closed, she smacked her lips.
"It is... What?" You squinted at the clock. "Two thirty AM??" You rubbed your eyes. "Ugh. I have to be awake again in five hours."
"Sorry.."
"No... It's alright." You pushed yourself up to stand, then held your fluffy gloved hand out to the girl. "Come on. You need a shower and some clean clothes. Mine are a bit big, but I'm sure they'll work for tonight."
Toga gasped again, taking your hand excitedly. "Okay!!!"
As she took a shower, you grabbed the spare futon and rolled it out on the floor in your room. You weren't entirely sure how this would work out long term, but for now treating this as just having a guest over for the night was all you needed to function. After the girl was finished showering and dressing into some of your pajamas, you helped her tie the outfit up so it actually clung to her body, then helped her blowdry and brush her hair out since it was still such a mess. As much as you enjoyed this -- oddly enough, since you hated dealing with your own hair -- you kept dozing off, almost falling asleep while in the middle of these simple tasks. Toga noticed and urged you to hurry up and go to bed. It was almost four AM by the time you turned off the light to your bedroom again and crawled under the blankets.
You groaned. "Uhuhhh.. May as well just stay awake at this point..." You huffed loudly, knowing that would be impossible in the state you were in. You, even tired, took interest in the little girl's silence. You rolled onto your side, squinting in the darkness at her half moonlit body, her attention souly on you. She sat on her knees on the futon, staring up at you like a begging pup. "What?"
"Can I... Can I sleep with you tonight?" The girl then stared bashfully down. You thought about it for a moment. Definitely wasn't the most professional move, but this girl had likely suffered a lot on her quest to find you. As easily as you could deny her... Let's be honest. She'd probably crawl in bed with you the moment you fell asleep anyway.
Groggily, "Sure." You pulled the side of the blanket up, opening your pocket of warmth to the colder bedroom and little girl out there in it. She crawled onto your mattress quickly and rolled right into the bed with you. Pressing her back against your chest, she got comfy quickly after wiggling around a bit and rolling the corner of the blanket into something of a pillow for herself. You draped an arm over the child, exhaling long and loud, already half asleep about now.
You were only seconds from total sleep when suddenly a sharp pain shot through your arm. Your whole body flinched, finding your forearm presently being nibbled on. Toga had cut through your skin, delighted by the taste of your blood but a little disappointed by how quickly the wound closed back up. You growled. "Can't you sleep??"
"I- I'm sorry!" The little girl trembled, curling up some more. You hummed softly and pet the girl's now super soft hair.
"I'm just tired is all... Think you can go to sleep now?"
"I'm trying to, but! I'm too excited!"
"Hmmh.. I get it... Here." The hand stroking through her hair dropped again onto the mattress before her in attempt to pacify her. "Munch all you want... I'm actually pretty used to pain.. just got startled is all."
Toga took your arm carefully, turning her head to look up at your chin. Your eyes were already closed again. "Really??"
"Yeah, just... Don't wake me up..." Didn't exactly know how that would work with her eating your arm, but I guess now's a great time to try. You were too tired to deal with her any other way.
As expected, it was hard to fall asleep with someone nibbling on your arm. She loved every second of it, though. You just kind of endured, wondering how long until your brain got used to the biting, licking, and scraping of teeth to allow you some sleep. But of course, this attachment wasn't just a one sided thing. You began to realize yourself getting pretty attached as well.
The last person you ever shared a bed with was your mother about three to four years ago. You remembered fondly how she used to snuggle you so tightly. Make you feel so safe and loved... You never really got that kind of affection like that.
...Until now... In her own way, the little girl you took in on a whim was showing just how much she cared. Her warmth against yours... It was really nice.
You slowly curled more around little Toga, eventually wrapping her up in a full body hug. The little girl, much like you when you were first reborn as a baby, was so overwhelmed by all this love and affection she felt she may burst! You were so big, warm, and strong. She never considered fearing you, but you could so easily crush her if you wanted. Your legs locking hers in place, other arm wrapped around her torso in a tight squeeze. She was just so.. so starved for this kind of affection she could hardly bear it!
"I love you, (Y/n)~" The little girl whispered, finally relenting from her gnawing on your arm to lay her head down instead. You hummed tiredly, mumbling something nonsensical back. You missed this kind of warmth too. Love...as the little one so amply called it. Your other arm wrapped around Toga as well, pulling her even closer. Sure. This could be called love. The two of you drifted off to sleep around the same time, slow, calm breaths falling into sync. Warmth... The thing you'd forgotten you so desperately needed.
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