Chapter Text
Routine developed after a few weeks of guarding or getting supplies. They harmonized well with each other.
Toga one day to the two boys: "We have to grow bigger at some point, boys. We can't constantly touch each other like we are right now." She jumped onto Dabi's lap with youthful recklessness and kicked Shiggy off the sofa. "Go!" [Watch your life, Toga. Really.] A scarred hand wrapped around her throat and lifted her up. She kicked and tried to escape but the other hand held both feet and let go of her neck. "AAAAH Dabi, please let go. Pleeeeease. Ow ow ow. Aaaah." He calmly carried her to Izuku's room, opened the door and literally threw her into his arms. Caught the key and locked them both in. "Quiet at last. Shall we continue?" Shigs just grinned and pulled him towards him. Toga's cries for help could be heard in the background and Kurogiri was visibly worried, but was silenced with Shig's look. They retreated to his room and eventually heard Toga and Izuku making out together. "How fast is he going to-" - "No, leave it, Dabi. It's good if she distracts him."
Izuku woke up in Tomura's room again and looked around. Apparently he was somewhere else again. His shackles were nowhere to be found and he was (presumably) wearing Tomura's clothes. Much too big... but whatever. Where was everyone? He stood up and looked, but didn't get very far. "You haven't eaten enough and have only been sleeping for days, I'd take it easy." Thin, grey arms wrapped around his actually quite exhausted body and held him upright while he began to stagger again from dizziness. Izuku started to shake and held on to Tomura's arms, who slowly went back to the bed and supported him. At least Tomura helped him, so Izuku could look at him too (not a good idea). What's the harm? He wants me as an ally but... what if I see it again? (Yes, exactly, Izuku. What if you see those expressionless eyes that saw Ochako and several of your friends die? Hands that didn't hesitate to kill people. Eyes that didn't change their expression. Look at them closely and panic again and crumble to dust.) Tomura's breath tickled the back of his neck. Why is he so close? I can't take it anymore. He's going to kill me.
Izuku was probably shaking, and not just because he got up so quickly; Tomura wasn't sure whether he should calm him down or leave him alone. "I'll get you something to eat later, OK?" Izuku looked at the floor and just nodded. "Very good."
That worked out well before. He just wasn't allowed to look. Not to look. Bad for his psyche. Bad for HIM. (... Do it already.) "Tomura?" (……..) Gray, cracked fingers wrapped around his chin and lifted it. His breathing became shallow when he saw her, the eyes of a killer who only had to crook his little finger to kill him, despite the expressionlessness and everything neutral in them, Izuku panicked. He acted instinctively and jerked back with his whole body, trying to put distance between himself and Tomura. Which was rather difficult, because after this action his body froze into a pillar of salt and no longer reacted at all. Tomura, on the other hand, came closer and took his hands. "Calm down. I'm not doing anything. What's wrong? Why are you asking about me?" Tomura tried to calm him down, thank God. Nobody is going to hurt me here. Hopefully. With his luck, they'd just wait until no one was talking about him anymore or report on the news and then kill him. "What's your plan for me? Do I have to-?" "Don't worry about it, Izuku. I'll make sure you don't miss anything and you can put your feet up and relax." He wanted to calm down but couldn't, wrapped his arms around Tomura's body and laid his head on his chest and started shaking uncontrollably. He had to stay calm. Why did Tomura smell so strongly of death? It was driving him crazy. He had to get away. Away from those murderous hands that were slowly making their way to his legs (oh no, please don't). Eyes that slid over his body with only one intention, which was unable to defend itself. He was trapped. He had nowhere to go. "No, please don't, I don't want to do this again. I'm in pain, Tomura. Please, I can't do this anymore." He started to grin. (Fuck) His body was lifted and Tomura lay down and put Izuku's body on top of his and let him wrap his arms and legs around his body. So warm. "Is that good?" - "Yes." Tears ran down his cheek onto Tomura's body and clothes. The deadly hands stroked his body carefully to calm him down. The hunger in his eyes had almost completely disappeared. Only pity and maybe a little confusion, but Izuku didn't care. Eventually he fell asleep, exhausted. (Finally)
While he was sleeping, Dabi came into the room and sat on the bed. "Do you think the fear will go away at some point or do we have to think of something?" Tomura looked at him contritely and shook his head. "I really don't know, Dabi. He's seen too much. He doesn't sleep through the night either. He doesn't sleep through the night." - "I have an idea, maybe. What if we take him with us on errands? He can see something other than your place and he can find food for himself and get something other than sweets." Shigs thought for a long time. "I'll let you know later." First they had to survive the night, then they could see what happened.
Izuku only saw red. And white hands that reached for him and threatened to dissolve him. His friends, his mother, he himself dissolved in a red haze. A silent scream played around her lips but he saw nothing but red and white and finally ebony so intense that he could hardly tell it from black.
It swallowed him up and yet he saw those white hands again, reaching for him and wrapping him up as if they wanted to protect him. From a distance he heard soothing words: "It's all good, just a dream. Go back to sleep, Izuku. I'm here." This voice was now so familiar that he no longer jumped up. It felt good. Tomu's voice was familiar. He knew it. Maybe he could get used to it at some point.
"Dabi. Hey Dabi." - "Hmm?" - "I'm tired. Can you relieve me? We'll go shopping with him at lunchtime. Wake us both up at 12, please." - "What time is it then?" You wanted to wake me up at night, Shigs." - "I don't need more than 5 hours of sleep. Please wake us up then." 7:30 was on his cell phone. He's probably been awake for over 24 hours by now. Does he even know what sleep is? Dabi thought. If Izuku wakes up, we'll definitely go to the bar. He needs to sleep longer. But if I wake him up later, I'll probably be dust.
Who's pulling on my body? Izuku thought and looked around. "Oh, sorry, I didn't want to wake you, Shigaraki just needs to sleep, so I pulled you away." Dabi took his arm away. "Should we go to the bar?" asked Izuku. "Yes, then he can sleep."
Izu got up slowly and quietly and went to the bar with Dabi, where Toga was already talking to the Warp Gate people. "Hey Kurogiri, can you send us to town with him around noon?" - "Of course. Good morning, both of you. Izuku, do you like coffee like Dabi or do you want tea?" Izuku didn't know how to react at first. "I drink all kinds of tea. Thanks. Good morning." - "Make him Earl Grey Kuro San. He looks like he's about to fall asleep again. Hahahaha. Good morning Izuku chan.", said Toga with a broad grin and blew into her coffee. Dabi picked him up and sat him on the bar stool. "Are you happy? Then you can choose what you want to eat yourself." Dabi said kindly. They didn't seem quite so malicious anymore but this was probably just a tactic to keep him. "Yeah. Although I don't think the food Shigaraki gives me is bad either." - "Sure. They're sweets after all." The rest of the morning was very relaxed. They listened to the radio but every time Izuku was mentioned they turned the sound off and spoke louder. At 11 they all heard an annoyed groaning coming from Shigaraki's room and a little later the man they were talking to appeared wearing only boxer shorts. "Dude, you wanted to wake me up at 12..." - "... it's 11 man" - "where's my t-shirt? Oh." Izuku shifted nervously on his chair and looked at the floor. "We really need to buy some clothes. Write that down on the list for now. I'm going to take a shower." Shigs said and probably disappeared into the bathroom. Toga put her arm around him and said, "Calm down Izuku, we'll get you some clothes of your own, then you won't be running around in things that are way too big anymore." He looked down at himself, his t-shirt was down to his knees. Oops.