He was in a hospital… again.
Izuku sighed. His leg and arm were both wrapped in casts. Across from him, Himiko lay in her bed, peacefully sleeping.
It had taken a lot of shouting on the girl's part and a word from Gran Torino, but she had been put in the same room as him. A big reason as to why she was allowed to be put in the same room was because she was constantly thrashing around, not letting any of the doctors stitch her wound when he wasn't around her.
Thankfully, the wounds hadn't been very deep, but if she had continued moving, they might have torn open even further, so they'd just caved into her demands and put them together.
Iida had been put in his own room. His arm had sustained minor nerve damage from a pair of knives that Stain had thrown toward Todoroki and that Iida had intercepted.
Todoroki, on the other hand, was completely fine, aside from a scratch to the face.
All in all, they had gotten off relatively lightly when he considered just how dangerous the Hero Killer was.
Speaking of the man, Stain had been treated in the hospital they were currently staying at, but sometime in the middle of the night, he had been transferred to Tartarus, the maximum-security prison for the country's most dangerous villains.
After a few days of recovery time, Izuku and Himiko had gotten better enough to start moving around. A big part of that was that a doctor in Hosu had an ability similar to Recovery Girl's that let them heal faster than usual. The healing hadn't been perfect, so he was still forced to wear his casts. He had been assured he wouldn't need them when they left the hospital, so Izuku was looking forward to it.
Thankfully, today was the day they were slated to be released, but before the doctor allowed them to be discharged, Gran Torino had shown up with Manual, Iida, Todoroki, and another man whom Izuku didn't know. Strangely enough, he had the head of a dog.
"Ah, so you're awake, then, are you? Good. It was high time I gave the both of you a good chewing out, and," Gran Torino hooked a thumb back at the dog-headed man. This is Mr. Kenji Tsuragamae, Hosu's Chief of Police. He has some words for all of you as well."
Izuku blanched, "t-the Chief of Police?!"
He stood to his feet as quickly as he could with one of his legs in a cast and realized Himiko hadn't even stirred a bit at all the noise. He half whispered, half shouted at the girl, "H-Himiko! Get up!"
Gran Torino went over to Himiko and gave her what was, to him, a light tap on the head with his cane. To Izuku, it looked and sounded like a very painful hit.
"Ow! What's the big idea, old guy?!" Himiko sat up, rubbing her head and looking at the five new people in the room. Her eyes lit up at the man with a dog head, "Doggy! Can I pet him?!"
She looked at Izuku as if he were the authority on the matter, but he just shook his head and tried to avoid eye contact with the Chief of Police.
He wobbled over to her as quickly as his stiff leg would let him, "No! That's the Chief of Police for Hosu! He is not a dog, and you cannot pet him!"
The other two boys came over to stand with Izuku at Himiko's bedside. Iida looked like the very picture of a chastised student, and Todoroki just glared at the Chief of Police like he was a delinquent about to shake someone down for money.
The Chief cleared his throat and gestured at Izuku, "Please, young man, stay seated. You are still hurt, I'm sure. Woof."
Izuku stared at the man blankly, 'woof?!'
Mr. Tsuragamae gazed at all of them intently. "So you're the U.A. students who put a stop to the Hero Killer? Woof."
'He did it again!' Izuku was speechless. Was that some kind of tick the man had, or was he just screwing with them?
"As you all know, the Hero Killer was being treated here for a number of wounds, including a concussion, broken bones, both minor and major lacerations, and severe burns all over his body, woof." He walked over to gaze at all of them closer, his eyes moving between each of them as he did, "At the dawn of this extraordinary era, the police moved to prioritize leadership and maintain the status quo… so they decided not to use quirks as weapons. The profession of 'hero' rose as one that would fill that void, woof. Authorizing the use of such might… of these powers that could so easily kill… was a heavily criticized decision at first, but it quickly garnered public support. All because your predecessors acted morally and complied with the law,woof."
The Chief grabbed a nearby chair, sat down, and steepled his fingers, "But those without permission… those who inflicted harm without explicit instruction from the police and powers that be… even if they were to face someone like the Hero Killer… such action would represent a stunning breach of the law. You four, as well as your pro hero mentors: Endeavor, Manual, and Gran Torino. The seven of you must be dealt with strictly and impartially, woof."
"Hold on a minute," Todoroki stepped up to the man, his fists clenched, "if Iida hadn't acted, then Native would've been killed. And if Midoriya and Toga hadn't shown up, both of them would have died. No one knew the Hero Killer was in Hosu. Should we have let them die, all in the name of your 'law'?"
Todoroki was fuming now, and he looked seconds away from throwing a punch at the man. Izuku barely managed to get between them to stop Todoroki, but that didn't stop him from shouting, "Everything turned out fine, so just forget about the law this time! Isn't it a hero's job to save people?"
Mr. Tsuragamae sighed, and his voice was dripping with sarcasm. "Clearly, you've much to learn. Some education you're getting, woof. From U.A. and Endeavor."
Todoroki pushed Izuku to the side, "you damn mutt—"
Iida grabbed the boy by the arm, "Stop, this is serious!"
Gran Torino stepped up with a hound out, "Wait… just listen to what the Chief's got to say."
Just as Mr. Tsuragamae was about to speak, Izuku felt a tug on his hospital pants. He looked over and saw Himiko looking up at him with watery eyes, "a-are we going to jail? I-I can't be away from you. I don't know what I'd do. I-I—"
Izuku knelt down beside her as she trailed off into silent sobs that racked her body. He drew her into his arms and squeezed with as much force as he dared, "I-I don't know, Himiko, but…"
He trailed off, his own arms shaking at the thought of her being taken from him. She had become the most important thing in his life, maybe even more than his dream to become a hero, and the thought that she could be taken away so easily scared him.
But what scared him more was the urge his body had at the threat. He could feel One for All wanting to well up inside of him. Whether or not that urge was to run or fight, he didn't know.
He ran a comforting hand through her hair, more to calm his own nerves than hers, and he rested his head against hers, closing his eyes. "I-I won't leave you by yourself. I won't make you live that way, not again."
She trembled beneath him, but a lot of her shaking subsided at his touch, and his sweetly whispered words. She leaned into him fully and let him envelop her in his arms.
"T-Thank you, Izu."
Gran Torino observed the exchange and rolled his eyes, "Oh please! There's no need to be so dramatic, you two. Just listen to what the Chief has to say."
Mr. Tsuragamae coughed into his hand, "Yes, well, all of what I've said is what I'm obligated to tell you as Chief of Police. But… the real issue is whether or not to deal with this issue publicly, woof."
Izuku looked up to the man hopefully, his arms still wrapped around himiko protectively.
"If we let the story out, you'll all be lauded by the public but won't be able to avoid punishment. But if we keep all this nasty business to ourselves… the Hero Killer's burns will support the story that Endeavor was a key operative. You won't receive any of the glory for capturing him; you can all return to your lives as normal, and we can leave this whole nasty business behind us and move on. So, what do you say?"
Izuku's nerves shattered; he buried his face in Himiko's lap and cried like a fountain. He wouldn't need to worry about them being pulled apart.
After that huge speech and all of their collective worry, they had all settled on just giving the achievement over to Endeavor.
Honestly, it wasn't much of an option. They would all prefer to go back to their normal lives rather than receive the public's praise from behind bars.
And Izuku would give up anything to keep Himiko by his side; losing a little recognition was nothing when weighed against her.
Manual chastised Iida thoroughly, and Gran Torino gave Izuku and Himiko a severe tongue-lashing. It was almost impressive how many curse words he could string together in one sentence to describe how stupid he thought we both were.
Eventually, after Gran Torino had his fill of yelling at them, they were discharged from the hospital and returned to his care.
They couldn't go out on patrols like Gran Torino had wanted the day Izuku and Himiko had gotten mixed up with the Hero Killer, and now they were bared from patrols altogether. The day after they had been discharged, he had settled for beating the crap out of them back at his home/office and calling it training.
Izuku tumbled to the ground, panting for breath. Himiko threw a flurry of practice knives at Gran Torino as he bounced from wall to wall. After catching his breath for a second, Izuku ran back in, intending to stall Gran Torino long enough for her to land a decisive blow.
"You've both gotten better and after only a single real fight, I'm impressed! Your teamwork is leagues better than it was, but—"
Gran Torino grabbed Izuku by the hood of his hero costume and slung him in front of a practice knife that had meant to hit the old hero in the side, "you're both a little too in sync. I can read your moves just by looking at the other one. It's not something most people would pick up on, but try having a little independence in your attacks."
He spun in midair, using the jets on the soles of his feet to spin faster and faster before throwing Izuku bonelessly into Himiko.
They tumbled to the ground. Izuku winced, propping himself up so that his weight wasn't on Himiko anymore, "S-Sorry, Himiko."
She groaned, low and painfully, "It's fine."
Gran Torino looked down at them and sighed, "I guess I'm done beating the shit out of you brats."
He waved dismissively at them and shooed them away, "Go out on a date or shake people down for money or whatever you two delinquents do in your free time."
They both sighed in relief as Gran Torino walked away. Izuku slammed down onto the ground beside Himiko and held his side in pain, "that… was a good throw earlier, Himi-chan."
She winced and rubbed his side, "Sorry, Izu. I'd already thrown the knife when he used you as a shield."
He stared up at the ceiling, chuckled, and then groaned when his side hurt. "It's fine; I should've reacted sooner."
Himiko sat up with a grunt and looked down at him with a weary grin, "wanna go on a date or go shake someone down for money?"
He laughed again, gripping his side in pain, "Ugh, don't make me laugh, but… sure. That sounds nice. We haven't been on a real date since…"
Izuku trailed off, not remembering when their last date had been, but thankfully, Himiko chimed in, "Back before I had to start going to U.A."
Izuku frowned, "has it really been that long?"
Himiko nodded, "We've had to do a lot of stuff since then: all of that training leading up to the Sports Festival, the Sports Festival itself, and now all of the stuff that happened just this week."
Izuku brought a knee up close to his chest and rested his cheek against it, "what should we do? Our last date was when we'd watched movies back at your apartment, and before that was the movies when we found Eri."
Himiko drew closer, leaning her weary body against his, and ran a hand along the back of his head. "I have no idea, but hopefully, we don't end up adopting another kid like our last date when we went out."
He laughed, clutching his side. "Yeah, I think Mom already has her hands full putting up with us and Eri, too."
Himiko stood to her feet in a fluid motion and reached out to him, saying, "Well, let's just try having a regular date for once."
Izuku smiled and let her hoist him to his feet, "are you hungry? We can get some food."
She held a finger to her chin, tapping it lightly, "Mmm, I could eat."
Gran Torino watched Toshinori's brat of a successor, and his girlfriend leave his office as he called the very man in question. The phone rang once and then twice before the line was picked up.
"H-Hello?"
Gran Torino grinned to himself. No matter how famous Toshinori got or how much of a big shot people saw him as, the man always sounded frightened when the old hero called him.
"Izuku Midoriya and Himiko Toga, those damn brats, got my teaching license revoked for six months. Got a significant pay cut, too." He sighed and ran a hand through his white, thinning hair, "can't blame them, though; they didn't have much of a choice. That's just the way it goes. That boy acts before he thinks, just like you, Toshinori! Why did you have to choose such a blockhead of a successor like you?!"
The other end of the line was dead silent except for a slight noise that Gran Torino could tell was Toshinori shaking, "I-I'm so sorry. I didn't teach him well enough."
The old hero sighed, "It's not like I really care about the license all that much. You know why I really called, right? The Hero Killer."
He stared down hard at the floor of his office and shifted in his chair, "I was only around the guy for a few minutes, but it was more than enough time to scare the crap out of me. I don't know how those kids fought him for so long without just giving up. He had a tenacity and drive that I would say rivaled your own. Don't get me wrong, I'm not praising the guy, but he's got, for lack of a better word, charisma. The police will continue investigating, but his ideals and opinions will get out there. On the net, in papers, in magazines, and on TV. This society is all about suppression; that girl your student is so fond of is proof of that. Mark my words, once the Hero Killer's ideals get out there, people are going to be influenced by them."
All Might sighed on the other end of the line, "Himiko Toga. She is a big influence on young Midoriya, but that isn't all bad. He's changed a lot since I first met him. He's outgoing, confident, and more skilled than I think he otherwise would have been. People might follow in Stain's footsteps, but so long as people like Izuku are around, they'll be dealt with just like now."
Gran Torino swiveled his chair and glared out the window and out into the city, "I don't know if it will all be that simple; there's another variable, The League of Villains. The media's already making the connection, so this league is gonna go from the gang that attacked U.A. and got beaten at their own game to an organization with something to say. They'll become a magnet for all the zealots and followers of Stain. The evil of individual thugs isn't worth much, but when a single will unites it… it'll become a hundred times more dangerous."
Gran Torino pinched the bridge of his nose, "If they intended for that to happen, then the enemy's leader is no fool. All of these signs: the steady rise in crime all over the country, the League of Villains, and now this situation; it all stinks of him."
All Might sighed on the other end of the line and let out a bare whisper, "All for One."
Gran Torino nodded, "I don't know if you've told the kid about him yet, but if not, you better let him know before it's too late. Whether you like it or not, the minute you have him, One for All, this became his business."
All Might was silent for a moment, and then he spoke, "he knows about All for One. I told him after the Sports Festival. He saw remnants of the former users of One for All during a match, and he wanted to know if I knew anything."
The old hero sighed and leaned forward, his weathered face was turned down in a weary frown, "I truly wish that boy didn't have to inherit all of this misery. It should have died with All for One five years ago, but that bastard is as tenacious as a cockroach. I just hope he'll have a while longer to just be a kid before shit hits the fan."
Their internship passed in a blur, and before Izuku knew it, he and Himiko were smiling up at the old hero with their costume cases in hand.
"Thanks so much for everything, sir!" Izuku bowed deeply to Gran Torino.
Himiko didn't have quite as much politeness as Izuku, but she gave him a huge toothy grin, "Yeah, thanks a lot, old guy! I'll remember all the beatings fondly."
Gran Torino's eye twitched, and he snarled more than grinned down at them, "Are you serious, you little punk?! After all those beatings I gave you, and you still haven't learned your lesson like Greenie over there, crazy girl? Well, whatever, at least one of you has manners. Now, both of you get going, and don't get into any more trouble, or I'll have Toshi— All Might send you back here so I can set you straight."
Izuku shot up from his bow and shouted after him, "U-Um, sir! I have a question if you don't mind. I've been meaning to ask, but I just never found the right time. I hope it doesn't come off as rude."
Gran Torino turned around irritably, "Jeez, kid! Just ask your question already! I've got taiyaki that needs eating!"
"It's just… you're so strong. But… you aren't famous at all. I was wondering, is there a reason for that?"
The old hero just blew an annoyed breath out, "Oh, that? I never cared about being a hero. There was a time when I needed to use my quirk freely and legally. That's the only reason I got my license. If you wanna know any more, go ask All Might. We're done here; both of you go and look out for each other! Be strong."
Izuku and Himiko smiled at him, and for once, they bowed in unison. "Yes, sir!"
They rose from their grateful bow and smiled at one another. Izuku turned with her and started to walk toward the train station. "Let's ask Recovery Girl if she can help heal us the rest of the way; my leg's still a little stiff."
"Hey!" Izuku and Himiko looked back at the old hero curiously, "who're you two, again?"
Himiko groaned, and Izuku nearly fell over at the man's oblivious smile, "I told you, I'm Izuku Mi—"
"That's not what I mean."
Izuku stared up at the man confusedly for a second, and then he realized what he meant. He wanted their hero names.
Izuku grinned, feeling a bit sheepish but also happy to use the name he had settled on, "I'm One for All!"
Himiko held up a peace sign and grinned big, "And I'm Carmilla!"
Gran Torino glanced between them blankly for a moment before he burst into laughter. He slapped his knee and looked at Izuku. "You picked a pretty lofty name to live up to, and you," he looked at Himiko. "I wouldn't expect anything less from you, crazy girl! I'll see you both around, One for All, Carmilla."
He waved back at them and walked back into his office.
"Now that I hear our names back to back, it doesn't have a very good ring to it," Himiko slipped forward. Despite how she acted toward Gran Torino, it seemed that she liked the old hero.
Izuku sighed, "It's not like I could choose another horror novel character or movie monster like you and Ashido. I think Midnight would've strangled me, and besides, I don't really think it would suit me very well."
Himiko sidled up next to him and gave him a huge grin, "I don't know, you were pretty scary when you told the Hero Killer to get away from me. You were all silent and menacing, and when Todoroki showed up, you were all like, 'Just fry,' it was so cool! It made me tingle all over."
He stared worriedly down at the ground. Izuku knew she wasn't trying to make him feel bad, but his actions had scared even him. He had fully intended to continue the fight until either he or the Hero Killer was dead, and when Todoroki showed up, Izuku was so relieved. But in the instant between Izuku seeing Todoroki and watching Stain bathed in fire, he had been… happy.
He was happy that the man was set alight, and he would have liked nothing more than to watch him burn to death if he could. Then he remembered the way he had felt relief and even satisfaction when he thought he was about to kill Shigaraki after he had threatened Himiko, the way he had threatened to break the man's hand and slam him against the ground like Nomu had done to Izuku if he tried to touch her.
It seemed like he had a deadly and violent streak where the girl was concerned… and he didn't hate it. God help him; he knew he would kill anyone who threatened her, and that scared him.
Izuku felt his stomach lurch, and suddenly, he was on the ground, vomiting. Himiko was at his side in an instant, but he didn't find comfort in her calming touch, just revulsion at himself.
'Was Shigaraki right? Am I really just pretending to be a hero?'
Himiko watched Izu worriedly. He hadn't been the same since they'd left the old codger's place. It had happened after he had been sick, and ever since, he had been unusually quiet.
He talked to her, played with Eri whenever she wanted, and spoke to their classmates like usual. But it was all… subdued, somehow. Like he was going through the motions and trying to keep himself at arm's length.
"Are you coming, Himi-chan?" Izu smiled hollowly at her, and she could feel her guts twisting at the look.
She smiled weakly, "No, I've got to go to Recovery Girl for counseling. I've been putting it off way too long, and the old ladies are getting angry."
Izu aimed that awful smile away from her, and she sighed in relief, "All right, I'll wait for you. All Might wanted to talk with me about something, and he said it might take a while."
Himiko nodded and watched him leave with a wave.
"You are an attachment that boy doesn't need. If you are near him, either he will succumb to the taint you are spreading to his soul, or Shigaraki will take you both and corrupt him by using you."
She let her hand fall and, along with it, her smile. Was the Hero Killer right? Were his words weighing on Izu? Was that why he seemed so troubled?
Himiko turned and walked slowly toward the nurse's office, 'would he have been better off if I'd just run back when he found out about my past?'
At this point, the nurse's office door was a familiar sight to her. She had been here so many times during the Sports Festival, and here she was again. But her problem wasn't physical.
Himiko knocked on the door and waited patiently until Recovery Girl called from inside, "Come on!"
She slid the door open and looked inside. Recovery Girl was sitting at her desk. She had swiveled her chair to get a look at whoever had knocked. "Ah, hello, Miss Toga. Finally, come to see me for some therapy, eh?"
Himiko bit her bottom lip lightly and nodded subduedly, "It's… not exactly about me. I'm worried about Izu. He's been… different since we came back from our internship."
The old heroine frowned but scooted forward, gesturing over at one of the infirmary's beds for her to sit on.
"Why don't you tell me what happened, dear?"
Himiko took a deep a deep breath in and looked at the old woman, "I know that everyone knows Izu and I were in Hosu when the Hero Killer was too, but… we were more involved than everyone knows. We helped capture him, Stain, I mean. He was… intense, driven, even. But he said some things, and he almost killed me. Izu hasn't been the same since we got back, and I'm scared it's because what Stain said was right."
The nurse didn't seem very surprised at Himiko's admission. In fact, she looked like she had already been told, "With how accident—and danger-prone you and that boy are, I'm not surprised you ran into trouble down there. What exactly did he say to make you so worried?"
Himiko averted her gaze shamefully, "he said I was just a parasite holding onto Izuku and changing him for the worse. He said if I stayed with Izu, I would taint him or that Shigaraki, the leader of the League of Villains, would use me to corrupt him."
A hand found its way to Himiko's, and she looked up at the nurse's aggrieved expression, "That man was a madman and a dogmatic lunatic. No matter your past or what you've done, if you are willing to change for the better, you are not tainted and are certainly not a parasite. Do you honestly think that boy would ever turn his back on you because of a few words from a man like the Hero Killer?"
"No. But something must have happened! He hasn't been the same; it's like he's… going through the motions, keeping people nearby but not letting them in… not letting me in." A tear spilled over Himiko's cheek. She buried her face in her hands, "and here I am, talking to you about it, too scared to ask Izu because I'm afraid it's all because of me."
Recovery Girl's hand patted Himiko's back comfortingly, and she shushed the girl's sobs as her shoulders shook. "What were you two talking about when his demeanor changed? Does anything stick out in your memory?"
Himiko thought back to when he had changed; it had been just after they'd left Gran Torino's after he had gotten sick. After she had said… how menacing and scary he was, how she had thought it was cool the way he had told the Hero Killer to fry.
"I-I think it might be my fault after all."
Recovery Girl frowned, "what do you mean, dear? Did you remember something?"
"When the Hero Killer wounded me, he had me on the ground under his boot, Izu threatened him. He told him to let me go, and when he didn't, he attacked him. Izu would've kept fighting even with a broken leg to save me, but he'd messaged our class about our location, and Todoroki had shown up. He told the Hero Killer to fry just before Todoroki blasted him with a big wave of flames." Himiko pressed the palms of her hands into her eyes, "I told him I thought he was cool when he did all that. A few seconds later, he threw up and started acting that way."
The old nurse hummed thoughtfully, "Toga, I think you're starting to understand what happened. Midoriya isn't like you regarding certain sensibilities; he's a kind boy at heart, but he's fiercely protective of you. I'm sure he would do anything to keep you safe, but that doesn't mean he can do it without feeling remorse. He threatened a man's life and was most likely bracing himself to either die or kill him to save you and when Todoroki showed up, he was still in that mindset. But days later, he has an objective view of the situation, and while I'm sure he doesn't regret protecting you, he must be appalled at his own action. Perhaps he isn't keeping you and everyone at arm's length because he blames you, but because he is scared he might hurt the people around him."
Himiko looked up at the woman, her eyes misting at the woman's words. How could she have been so stupid? Did she know better than anyone how kind Izu was? How could she think he would ever be alright after so many horrible things had happened and after he had been forced to go against his very own nature?
She had been foolish to think everything that had happened hadn't affected him, all because of the same foolish belief about him being infallible.
Hadn't she learned her lesson after U.S.J.?
Himiko smiled up at the woman, "T-Thank you."
Recovery Girl smiled and patted Himiko's shaking hand, "No need to thank me, dear. I said I was here to help you, and I'm just keeping my promise."
"Young Midoriya, I promised myself that I would protect you as your mentor and guide you down the path to what it means to be a hero."
All Might leaned forward, his head bowed and his hulking muscular shoulder hunched.
"But I have failed you, not once, but twice. First, my foolish overuse of One for All left me unable to be at U.S.J. when it mattered, and now, this situation with the Hero Killer. I truly am a fool."
Izuku had been staring at the man, his body numb and his head buzzing as it had for the past few days, but at the number one hero's words, at All Might's words, he jolted.
"N-No, All Might! It isn't your fault! Himiko and I went out to find Iida on our own initiative, and that note Himiko had gotten before U.S.J. had been so vague! How could you have possibly known where and when they precisely would have struck?!"
All Might looked up at Izuku, his deep blue eyes glowing in their sunken sockets, "that's another thing. Just because—"
A fountain of blood spewed from All Might's mouth, startling Izuku into motion as he scrabbled to give him a handkerchief.
"Ah, thank you, my boy." He wiped the blood away from his thin, cracked lips and grimaced, "Just because the letter was so vague, it doesn't mean it's a viable excuse to have missed such an important detail. We had foolishly assumed they would target the faculty or one of the upper classes to strike fear into the public; even Nezu believed that so long as I was with your class, the League would never foolishly attack you while under my protection. We never could have imagined that I was their target all along."
Izuku stared at the man, his skeletal form weak and trembling.
The past few days had been… hard. Izuku had grappled with the thought that maybe he wasn't as cut out for being a hero as Shigaraki had said. And this— All Might owning up to the fact that they had gambled on his class' safety, Himiko's safety, on just his presence alone— confirmed his worries.
He could feel it, that profound, unknowable thing welling up in his chest. It always came to the surface whenever Himiko was involved, whenever she was in danger. His guts twisted, his heart hammered, and he gripped the arm of the sofa beneath him so hard he could hear his knuckles popping.
'I hate this. I hate this feeling,' Izuku gripped his chest; he could feel his heart thundering against his ribcage, feel it beating as if it wanted nothing more than to explode outward and beat away at the man in front of him.
He hung his head and gripped it with both hands. "I don't know what you want me to say, All Might."
The man sighed, his thin, emaciated chest rising and falling in strained agony, "Is it too much to hope that you might forgive me, my boy? Am I too foolish to ask for that?"
Izuku couldn't answer; maybe a few months ago, he could have done it without hesitation, but he just couldn't bring himself to say it. He had looked up to All Might his entire life, and today was the first time he had been truly disappointed in the man.
'If someone like All Might can make these kinds of mistakes, then what chance do I have?'
Izuku stood from the sofa, his shoulders hunched and shaking, "I'm… sorry."
He walked away, opened the faculty lounge door, and walked out. He stepped heavily away from the room, every step seeming harder and harder than the last. With every last step, he felt as if he were growing further and further away from everything and everyone.
"Izu!"
Himiko slammed into him, her arms wrapping around his neck, and her hands cradled his head. She pressed him into her chest, her warmth spread into him, driving away a creeping chill that had welled up from deep within.
He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. The sweet tang of pomegranates filled his nostrils, and he greedily inhaled her scent. His arms came up, surrounding her and pulling her so close that he felt like they would fuse together and never be apart again.
How could he have ever distanced himself from her? How could he feel like she wouldn't understand his pain m? Hadn't she felt this urge before? The urge to end threats against everything that mattered most to you in the world?
"I-I'm so s-sorry!" He sobbed long and deep into her chest, his heart beating louder and harder than ever. The noise filled his ears and drowned out everything in the world but her soft whispers.
"Shhh," Himiko ran her fingers through his hair, her fingertips ghosting against his scalp, and her words were honey in his ears, "I should be apologizing; I said such a thoughtless thing to you. I acted like you were just like me like you were just as twisted and broken. But you aren't; you're brave, caring, and protective. When you hurt others, it hurts you, and when I'm hurt, it hurts you just as much. Maybe I will ruin you in the end."
They held each other, both of them devolving into racking sobs. The world wasn't near them; it was far away and long forgotten. He buried his fingers into the hair on the back of her head, "No, you make me better than I ever could have been. I never want to lose you; I would give up everything and anything for you. I'm not brave; I'm scared of losing you; I'm not kind because I enjoy the feeling of hurting people who try hurting you, and how protective can I possibly be if you keep getting hurt when you're right in front of me?"
Himiko's hands came down and balled into the fabric of the back of his shirt; he could feel her breath on his shoulder, tickling the scarred indent of the spot she so often loved to sink her teeth into.
He shuddered at the thought and gripped her tighter. He had never wished more than in that moment for her to sink her teeth down into him, drinking his blood and proving he was alive.
"Izu," Himiko mulled, her voice shaky but reassuring, "I feel exactly like you. I want to be with you forever, protect you, and hurt anyone who tries hurting you, but that isn't who you are. Not really. You want to save people; you risked yourself to help Todoroki during the Sports Festival, you faced down the Hero Killer to help Iida, and you've risked your life more times than I can count to protect me."
Izuku sobbed, wanting more than anything to just melt away and never have to worry about all of this ever again. He wished he didn't have to think about All Might's words or Shigaraki plotting something against him and Himiko. He also wanted to forget the satisfying sensation he'd had when battering the Hero Killer away from Himiko.
But for now, he could only hold onto her as the world spun and spun in a blur of fear.