I Must Ask...

writing fanfiction is the most fun awesome thing on earth. also terrible horrible awful one thousand agonies

god this is adorable

(kofi request) the scene we had all been anticipating 💙

Two of a Kind

by: fairystar111

Rating: Gen

Fandom: Boku no Hero Academia

Summary:

Everyone make mistakes

We all have our moments of weakness whether it be due to a bad headspace or loneliness

We try our best to rectify those misjudgment's

But some aren't as willing to forget

No some think that decisions are forever and aren't ever willing to let go

Lord help those stuck in their clutches...

Characters: Spinner | Suuichi Iguchi, Asui Tsuyu

CW/Tags: Kidnapping, Lima Syndrome, Dehumanization, Hurt no Comfort, Mutant Discrimination, Emotional Manipulation, Manipulative League of Villains, Brainwashing, Possessive Behavior.

Start/Previous/Next

All his life Shuichi Iguchi has never had someone truly understand him. He was born a heteromorph to two “normal” parents and was subsequently dropped off on the doorstep of an orphanage. They didn't even give him a chance when he was dropped off at a day old. The orphanage he spent his childhood in treated him sub-human because of his mutation. He was fed scraps off the floor like an animal while the other children were fed at dinner at the dining table with plates and silverware. While the other children were dolled up shown off to families looking to adopt he was hidden in the attic only allowed out once all the guests had left. 

He was lucky the orphanage was required to send him to school by law; he doubted they would have ever let him go if not. Though school wasn't any better, he had an endless supply of bullies just for being born different and teachers who turned a blind eye to the harassment. His teachers treated him like he was stupid often not listening to a word he said or answering any of his questions. He often had to be his own teacher throughout his schooling. He struggled a lot but managed to get good grades in hopes that after he aged out of the system he would be able to attend university and leave his past behind him. He probably would have been able to pass highschool and get into a good university if it wasn't for the incident.

One day after a long day at school he had walked into his bedroom ready to pass out only to find the headmistress of the orphanage there. She had thrown a button up shirt and pair of slacks at him and told him to get ready. He had initially gotten excited thinking that they had finally found a family of heterotrophs that wanted to adopt since those are quite rare due to the low percentage of heteromorphs in Japan. He had gotten ready quickly and followed her to the main office where interviews are held only to find himself completely horrified. 

The “couple” that wanted to adopt him weren't heteromorphs, they weren't even a couple and they didn't want him as their son. They were rich investors who wanted to put him in a new exotic animal exhibition they were creating. Apparently they have been all over the world collecting children for their exhibit. They wanted him to be part of the rainforest section. They explained to the headmistress, talking as if he wasn't there, that they find it easier to acclimate children into the exhibits rather than adults and would like him to be their gecko. The woman had found their idea delightful and had signed the papers without even asking his opinion. When he had spoken up and protested the decision all the people occupying the office acted like they couldn’t hear or understand him. After the pair left he was told to pack his belongings and that they would be here for him the following morning. That night he packed what little belongings he had and escaped through the third story window using his quirk to scale down the walls. He was done being treated like a pet. He was not going to grow up in a glass cage be cooed and awed at by rich elites in a foreign country. He abandoned the name Shuichi Iguchi and set out to start a new life as Spinner.

He spent a couple of years homeless resorting to small acts of petty crime to get by since no one wanted to hire a mutant and when he did actually want to buy anything at a store they would mark up the price once they saw his features. Once he was sixteen he heard of a group wanting to change the world for people like him and with nothing better to do he joined. It was the best decision he ever made. He helped win a war, changed society, and gained a family but sometimes he still got a little lonely looking at the others.

He never had a place to belong until the league and he doesn't want to sound ungrateful; he really does love them all. They're the first real family he’s ever had, it's just they don’t understand. And he's happy that they don't, really he is, he would never want them to be treated like he was. But they just don’t get what it's like to be treated like an actual animal as if they were a pet that could be bought or sold or they wouldn't be doing it to their kids. Hawks somewhat understands but the difference is he is pretty. He’s in the lucky percentage of heteromorphs that are pretty enough to be considered socially acceptable. He doesn’t understand what it's like for those like Spinner. That is why despite his better judgment he decided to take a child too. He saw the little frog girl and thought she would understand him in a way none of the others could. He never thought things would turn out this way. He was so sorry.

=====

When Asui awoke she found herself in a large plain room. She was in a large bed wearing the same clothes she was taken in. As she looked around the room she couldn't find anything particularly evil about it. The room was fairly unremarkable aside from the monitor on the wall. It wasn’t a concrete cell nor the lab of a mad scientist like she had been expecting; it was more like a plain guest bedroom. While that is good she can't help but wonder why she was brought here and what they were going to do to her. She decided to be rational rather than panic about what was to come and called out to her captor. Better to get things over quickly than stew in her anxiety.

“Hello? Is anyone there? Kero”

Soon after the door opened revealing the green gecko man that had taken her.

“Hi Asui, my name is Spinner. Um, I'm going to be taking care of you now.” The man spoke awkwardly, trailing off into silence and he fidgeted with his claws.

“If you don’t mind me asking: why me? Why are you doing this?” She asked. Her captor almost seemed nervous or uncomfortable in a way. It was strange.

“Well in your files I saw that you were also a heteromorph and thought we might get along. I’ve never had any siblings and wanted one so I picked you.” Spinner winced, when you say it out loud it sounds so bad. It sounds like he went shopping for a pet. It's not like that though he promises. It couldn't be. He would never do that. 

“Oh…” While it is sad the young man never had any siblings of his own she can't stay here she has a family to go back to. Who is going to watch over her little brother and sister while her parents are working? Who is going to help her little brother with his homework? Who is going to take her little sister to her ballet lessons? She needs to find a way back to them. 

“Anyway I left the room plain so you could decorate any way you want. I didn't know any of your preferences and didn't want to assume. We can order things together later if you'd like.” The man offered.

“Sure, kero.” The girl croaked moving her legs to rest under chin when she felt a strange tug. She lifted up the covers to see a padded cuff strapped to her ankle.

“Oh sorry about the leg. Shiggy and the others said it was mandatory to tie you guys down at first as a precaution.” 

When he had first brought up the idea of taking a kid himself. The others had been very skeptical of his ability to take care of a child since they still thought of him as one. They lectured him about all the work and training that goes into having a child. And gave him a lot of advice that he is secretly going to ignore. He’s never been a fan of dehumanizing and demeaning behavior and would never do it to another person let alone to Asui. But they were very strict stating that if he did not follow their rules he was not going to be allowed to train the girl himself. So he decided he would follow them but just barely enough that he wasn't technically breaking any rules but also not being terrible to Asui.

“It’s…alright. kero”  It's really not though. How is she going to escape with a chain constantly tying her down? She's not a powerhouse like Bakugo or Todoroki; she can't destroy the chain with her own power. She’ll just have to stay calm and wait for an opportunity to arise. Who knows how long that will take?

“I’ll take it off as soon as I can, I promise. I didn't want to restrain you in the first place but the others said it was necessary for me to do so or they would take over your training.” Spinner explained, emphasizing how much he did not want for that to happen.

The others tended to treat him kinda childishly and could be a bit overbearing. Probably because he joined when he was sixteen so they did help raise him a bit but they tended to treat him like a kid. If he was struggling with a task one of the others would always be happy to butt in and help him or do it for him. He did not want them touching his little sister. While he loves his family, their methods are harsh and borderline torturous. He does not want any of that near Asui.

“Can I be alone for a little bit? Please? Kero I’m still a bit tired from the sedative.” The girl lied, she just needed a moment to wrap her head around her current situation. 

“Of course,” the man said as he walked toward the door before muttering a small “Welcome home.”

Huh she hadn’t expected him to actually say yes. Her captor is very strange.

=====

Over the next couple of days they settle into a sort of routine. Her day starts with her alarm going off at roughly around nine thirty each morning, signaling it's time to get up. She then either takes a morning bath in the huge bathtub, seriously it was like a pool, or spends time in the sauna hydrating her skin after hours of sleep. Spinner had said he had gotten it all specially made for her amphibian traits, so whenever she feels her skin drying out she can pop in and out of the water at ease. Then she gets changed into whatever she’d like. Since Spinner made sure the temperature of her room is always very warm even though it is winter she can wear a t-shirt and shorts if she’d like.  

Then they have breakfast together and she does her online schooling. The man had told her that they have an actual school where all the kids they took will go once they are settled in. And that if it was up to him she would already be learning there but the others would be too suspicious of his training if he put her in school so soon. So for now she will be doing online learning until a believable amount of time has passed to convince the others she is fully trained. That was something she found quite odd about her captor. All her life she had assumed all villains were evil and found it easy to do evil things but Spinner doesn't seem to like to at all. In fact he’s very vocal about being against the behavior of the rest of his family. Despite kidnapping her and taking her away from her family he does not actually want to treat her badly. It hurt that she found it hard to hate the man. He wasn’t evil, he was just lonely and in search of companionship even if he went the wrong way about getting it.

After school she is allowed to do whatever she wants and if Spinner is not busy he’ll come over to hang out with her. They usually play video games together or bake something together. In the evening he lets her help make dinner most days since the young man is kind of a mess in the kitchen. He gave her lots of things to entertain herself with: a computer, tv, game consoles, a phone though it couldn't call anyone except the man himself. Despite having anything she could ever want she found herself longing for her real family more than anything. 

The more time that went on with no chances to escape appearing the harder she found it to indulge in the man's whims. She wanted to get along with the man she really did. She honestly felt a little bad for him; the only reason he took her was because he was lacking connection with other heteromorphs. Which she could relate to up until UA she had been the only heteromorph in both her elementary and middle school. 

She wanted to help him because at heart she is a kind person but it was hard to play and laugh along with someone who is holding you against your will. She wouldn't say she hated the man, he reminded her of her relationship with her little siblings except she’s the younger one this time. He was a nice caring older brother, it's just they aren't really family. This isn’t her home. He abducted her. He took her away from her siblings and parents. She just wanted to go home.

=====

As the weeks turned to months Spinner watched as his tadpole became more and more subdued. Whenever they spoke she sounded so sad and whenever he would check on her through the monitor when he was away she was always crying. He thought if he waited it out maybe it would get better but the longer she stayed here the more depressed she got. He thought she might be feeling a bit homesick, maybe UA had had better facilities that suited her amphibian needs he could copy. He decided to look into her past to see if there was anything he could do to maybe make her feel more at home. 

Now he’ll admit his decision to adopt the girl was a spur of the moment kinda deal. He had been feeling lonely and saw her picture in the list of students and decided to pick her without researching her past. He had assumed she was just like him and that she probably came from a foster home like he did. He was so wrong, he thought as he stared horrified at the file.

He had made a mistake. 

She’s not like him. She has a wonderful family with two mutant parents and two little siblings. He took her from them. His eyes filled with tears as he realized he was no better than the people that tried to buy him as a kid. He should have listened. He was not ready for a kid. 

He had to make things right. He had to send her back even if it meant he would be alone again. Even if he loved his little sister. He had to let her go. 

=====

Spinner paced around the room as he tried to hype himself up to talk to his family. He just knows they are never going to let him live this down. He’s going to be getting told I told you so by everyone for the rest of his foreseeable future. He honestly already knows how they are going to react to his request but he’s hoping for the best. His family are very serious when it comes to those they consider part of the family. Once you are in you aren't ever allowed to leave. But she hasn't been here for very long so maybe they won’t be too possessive.

Earlier he had asked Shiggy to call for a meeting so everyone could come listen to what he was going to announce. He didn't want any of them to assume Asui had escaped and have them drag her back to the mansion when he lets her go.

He felt like his nerves were connected to a live wire as he watched each member of his family walk through the door before seating themselves in the large sofas in the living room.

“So Spinner, what did you want to talk to us about?” Shigaraki asked, as the heir, all requests regarding his family have to go through him before they are finalized. A family is built upon order and it is his job to bring rules and structure to their home. 

“Do you need help with Tsu-chan?!” Toga squealed hoping she could get a peak at the only other little girl in their family besides her and Ochaco of course. “Ooh pick me! Pick me!”

“Not quite. I wanted to ask if I could send Asui back to her family. I made a mistake bringing her here. She’s not happy and I don’t want to keep her somewhere she is miserable.” Spinner mumbled eyes falling to the ground not wanting to see the looks of disappointment he knew would be on their faces.

“You don't have to give her up just because she unhappy, dummy!” Toga giggled.

“Yeah we know an amazing doctor that can help with that if you’d like! He’ll make her brand spankin’ new, better than ever!” Twice added.

“Spinner dear, are you sure about this? We can always find a way to make her happy here.” Magne asked gently, concerned for both the young man and the girl. 

“No thanks, I'd rather not keep her away from her loving family.”  Spinner grimaced, he knew they would suggest something like that. Asui is not a pet, she will not be trained and conditioned to like something she does not. He won’t allow it. 

“We are her family now” Keigo argued, mostly because he wanted to keep as many playmates as he could for his chicks. The more kids around the happier his babies will be.

“You can't just take our niece away from us. Give her away for all I care!” Twice shouted.

“We haven't even gotten to meet her yet!” Toga pouted.

“We could always just train her for you and give you the finished product. If you don’t want to see all the rough parts of training.” Dabi offered. 

“Yeah I have time,” Hawks chirped.

“I’m always happy to help!” Mr Compress added.

“No! That's not what I want at all! You’re not listening!” Spinner shouted tears of frustration starting to accumulate in his red eyes. This meeting was not going at all how he planned. 

“Alright settle down!” Tomura barked at the other member before continuing. “You guys know that Spinner has always been a bit softer than the rest of us. If this is what he wants then so be it.” 

“Thank you Tomu,” Spinner answered, only mildly offended. He didn't think it was soft to not want to be a horrible person but whatever… 

“How can I say no to my first little brother. I will allow this on the condition that she is monitored to make sure she won’t start up any trouble and sent through the rehabilitation program. She can complete it in her family home but she must do it like the rest of her classmates.” Tomura answered though he doubts she will be able to finish any of it before she is right back in their arms. 

“That's fine I can send my guard to watch over her.” He should probably save the I don’t want to keep my guard conversation for next time considering how bad this went. For now he can send the red head away and pretend he doesn’t also belong to him.

“Anything else?” the pale haired man asked.

“No, that's all. Thanks again Tomura.” With that said the reptilian fled the room rushing back to his floor to make the preparations for Asui’s departure not hearing the conversation he left in his wake.

“Are we seriously just going to let him do this?” Dabi questioned his brother. In all his time staying with All for One and Tomura they have never just let anyone they consider family leave just like that. 

“That girl is part of our family. We can't just let her go.” Mr.Compress argued.

“I don't want Tsu-chan to leave,” Toga whined.

“Spinner loves her like she’s his own. She can’t leave, he'll be heartbroken.” Magne added.

“He hasn't even put any real effort into training her.” Keigo pointed out.

“I know I've been watching him. He hasn't been listening to the rules we gave him. This whole situation is the result of that. This will be a lesson in itself. Once he lets the girl go she'll never come back willingly. He’ll have to resort to our methods and learn to listen properly to what we say to get her back.” Tomura explained. Family is forever you can never leave once you are a part of it. The girl will be back whether she and Spinner like it or not. 

=====

Over the next couple of days the man dwelled on how to tell the girl the news without breaking down. He didn't want her to go but it's for the best. She actually has a family that loves her and must want her back. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves before he opened the door and walked to her room. He looked around the room for the girl only to spot a lump underneath a pile of blankets, gently moving up and down releasing a sniffle or hushed sob every few moments. 

“Asui can you come out for a moment? We need to talk.” The girl remained a stubborn lump underneath the blankets.

“Come on tadpole, please?” he said resting his hand on the girl, “Alright you can stay where you are just listen.”

“I know you're sad, you're hurt, you hate it here and it's all my fault. If i hadn't selfishly decided to live out my fantasy of having a sibling this would have never happened. I’m so sorry Asui, I never meant to hurt you. I was reckless and stupid and didn't realize I was taking you away from your family.” 

“Then why did you do it? Kero” The girl croaked, voice strained from her sobbing.

“I just wanted someone to understand me. I wanted to be close to someone else who knew what it was like to be treated like an animal. I didn't realize by taking you away against your will I was treating you like that.” 

“Just leave me alone. I don't want your empty apologies.” The girl snapped; she was sick of this; she just wanted to go home. 

“You can leave. I promise I won't stop you.”

“Just if you ever find it in your heart to forgive me. Which you don't have to forgive me. I know I was terrible to you. Just if you ever do please visit. I promise I won't try to keep you. We don’t have to be siblings. We can just be friends. Just…don't forget me please.” Spinner cried, despite his mistakes he really did come to love the girl like she was his own blood.. 

There was a long pause before the girl mumbled “Alright kero”.

And with that conversation over they started the process of moving her out and then in less than a day's time she was gone. He was alone again.

=====

Spinner hasn’t left his room in two months. The others come over every so often to try and cheer him up or offer solutions to his “problem” but he just ignores them. He deserves to be in pain, this is how Asui felt when she was here. Why should he get to be happy when he made her miserable?

He knows the others are going to start to get restless with him ignoring them but he doesn’t care. He doesn't want to see them or interact with their brainwashed pets. He doesn't care anymore, he just wants to be alone though he doubts his suffocating family will allow him. 

He’s allowed one more month to mope before his family gets fed up and forces him out of his floor. He’s been forced to move into Magne’s floor so someone can watch over him and make sure he doesn't spiral. He continues to rot away in his new room despite his family's pestering. 

Until one day Magne knocked on his door announcing that he had a visitor. He had initially been annoyed until he realized Magne would never refer to their family as a visitor and his family usually just barged into his space with no forewarning it had to be Asui. He ran out the door only to find a sickening imposter in her place.

“Hi Spinner-nii! I'm back to stay with you! I didn't like life on the outside and decided to come back home.” The girl spoke vibrantly but her eyes were foggy and glazed over like she wasn't quite all there. She had a couple of suitcases with her and a visibly uncomfortable Kirishima. 

“What are you doing here?” He asked bewildered. The girl's tone and speech were completely different to what she used to sound like. It was off and almost robotic. This was not the tadpole he remembered.

“I couldn't stand being away from you. I hate the place you sent me to and the people that lived there. I wanted to come home with nii-san so here I am!” Asui pouted up at the man like she was taught.

He knows that's not true. The girl loved her family, especially her younger siblings. She would have never willingly left them behind like this. This has his family's “help” written all over it. For now he'll just swallow his pride and keep her until he can find a way to get her out. God this is all his fault if he had never put his mark on her she would have been able to live a happy normal life.

“I'm glad you're home,” The gecko man replied through gritted teeth and a tight smile.

I wish I never took you. I'm so sorry. I'll make this right, I promise. I’ll find a way to get you home…all of you.

Start/Previous/Next

Afterlife

Guys, guys, guys! I have to share this stunning piece of art with you!

Once again, it was created by the incredibly talented @explosion-island, inspired by a small idea of mine. This artwork is part of my way of coping with Touya’s confirmed fate (though he will forever live in my heart and soul). I couldn’t help but wonder how things would be if he reunited with Shiggy and Toga.

Please consider following and supporting this amazing artist — her talent and kindness truly know no limits!

Lowkey hate the fall/winter season with a passion. I miss the sun, I hate looking outside and it already being dark by 5:30. Really fucks with me mentally ngl.

Meant to be Yours

By:fairystar111

Rating: Gen

Fandom: Boku no Hero Academia

Summary:

He did it. He got away, but at what cost Why is it so difficult to be away from his kidnappers? Can he even call them that anymore? Katsuki thought life would be better once he escaped the League. But why is everything so different from what he remembered? Has his life always been this bad? Why can’t he stop wishing for the home he left behind?

Characters: Bakugo Katsuki, Tomura Shigaraki/Dabi | Touya Todoroki, Spinner | Suuichi Iguchi, Kurogiri, Magne | Kenji Hikiishi, Mr.Compress | Sako Atsuhiro, Himiko Toga, Twice | Jin Bubaigawara, Hawks | Keigo Takami, Eraserhead | Aizawa Shouta, All Might | Yagi Toshiniri, Nezu, Class 1-A.

Tags: Stalking, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Obsessive Behavior, Possessive Behavior, Platonic Yandere,Emotional Manipulation, Yandere Shigaraki Tomura | Shimura Tenko, Yandere Dabi | Todoroki Touya, Parental Dabi | Todoroki Touya, Parental Shigaraki Tomura | Shimura Tenko, parental yandere, Stockholm Syndrome, Claiming Bites, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Subtle EraserMight, Morally Grey Nezu (My Hero Academia), Corrupt Hero Public Safety Commission.

Start/Previous/Next

“Daddy, let go! I want to go play with Himiko!” Bakugo whined, trapped in between his parents in their nest. Dabi was lazily playing with his hair while Shigaraki had a firm grip around his waist. 

Shigaraki squinted down at the pup locked in his arms. “Do you think you deserve to leave the nest today?” 

The boy puffs out his cheeks, huffing, “Yes! I’ve been very good; I've been listening to you and Papa, and I haven’t been naughty lately.” He could feel Himiko across the pack bond, urging him to come play with her, getting more impatient the longer she had to wait. 

“Hmm, so it wasn’t you that ate the snacks I had stashed in my nightstand?” Tomura chuckled when he felt the pup’s shock, then guilt buzz through the bond. 

“Okay, maybe a little naughty, but Daddy, please, I’m bored.” Bakugo would have never thought to whine like this to his biological parents, but things were different with the League. Despite being kidnapped by them, he's never felt more safe to express his desires. Whatever they may be.

“Come on, just let him go; we need to meet up with that recruit I’ve been telling you about and will be gone anyways. There’s no point in leaving him here alone.” Dabi said aloud, before whispering, “Plus a bored Katsuki is a naughty Katsuki. If we let him tire himself out playing, he'll be all sleepy and sweet by the time we get home, and we won't have to struggle putting him down for bed.” into the Alpha’s ear. 

Several beats of silence pass, then, “...Fine. I won’t punish you for stealing this time, though in the future I'd prefer if you'd ask for permission first. You know we’d give the world if you wanted it, puppy. All you have to do is be a good boy and ask.” Tomura said sternly.

“I'm sorry, Daddy. I promise I'll ask from now on…Can I go now?” Bakugo answered, not sounding all that apologetic and more impatient than anything.

An exaggerated sigh of exasperation “Yes,” Tomura responded, a deadpan expression on his face.

“Okay, bye Papa! Bye Daddy!” Katsuki kissed Dabi on the forehead and nuzzled his cheek, leaving his scent on him, attempting to leave the nest only to be caught by his scruff and turned right around. 

“And where’s my goodbye kiss?” Tomura grumbled, narrowing his eyes at the pup.

“Do you deserve a goodbye kiss?” The boy shot back cheekily. Feeling warm as his Papa snorted and looked away, snickering into his palm.

The Alpha let out a playful growl before pouncing on the pup. “You little brat! You know I was going to let you get away with it, but maybe you do need a punishment.” 

“Whatever, I can take it.” Katskui scoffed, crossing his arms and playfully glaring up at the Alpha with a petulant pout. 

Shigaraki teased, “Oh, you think you're tough? We’ll see about that.” He clawed up his hands and dug them into the unsuspecting pup's stomach, tickling him mercilessly. 

“Haha–No-ahah-wait–hehe, stop! He yelled out through his laughs, though it did nothing to slow down Shigaraki. 

“Oh? What happened to Mr. I can take it? Is this too much for you?” Tomura mocked the rapidly flushing boy, speeding up and pulling even more cute giggles out of him. 

“Papa, help!-Haha-Stop him!” Bakugo turned to Dabi pleading.

Only for the scarred man to say, “You dug your own grave, baby; now you can lay in it.” and start tickling his neck too. 

“Okay! Okay! I–haha-get–ah-it! I’m–haha-sorry! You d-deserve–hehe–k-kisses–ahaha–t-too!”

“Damn right I do. Well? I'm waiting.” The Alpha taunted, looking down at the still-giggling pup with adoring eyes. His baby, who had been pumping out nothing but contentment and happiness through the bond ever since he’s taken his claim. Who is looking up at him like Tomura himself raised the sun and moon just for him. It makes his chest so tight with an emotion he never thought someone like him could have, love. He feels so much love for this feisty little pup, it feels like his chest could burst. He sends the flood of emotions through the bond and watches as the boy's eyes glaze over and cheeks flush, purrs slipping out of him loud enough to rattle his chest. Tomura releasing his own raspy purrs when he feels the boys love flooding the bond in return.

Katsuki dropped a feather-like kiss onto the man's cheek, nuzzling his nose, leaving behind his sweet caramel scent and taking the Alpha’s scent of dust and morning dew with him. He nuzzled his Papa’s cheek one last time, relishing in the comforting smokey scent of campfire and roasted marshmallow. He almost gets lost in the haze of pheromones and emotions, content to lay in the nest soaking in his parents' love and affection. It's only when he’s tapped on the nose and Papa says, “Don’t you have somewhere to be?” that he remembers what he was supposed to be doing.

He slowly makes his way to the edge of the nest, looking back at his parents for their approval before he finally makes his way out. He gets their permission in the form of an affirming chuff and a, “Alright baby, have fun; we'll see you later.” 

As he makes his way down the halls towards Toga’s room. He can’t help but think about how crazy his life used to be. He used to spend his days so angry and repressed, always focused on the next violent action that could help take his mind off the pain. Training his quirk until sundown and studying late into the night, often forgetting to eat and sleep, all to become the world's next greatest hero. Now all he does is laze around like a spoiled pet, getting steady affection from everyone around him and being loved. He hardly needs an escort anymore and is free to roam around as he pleases so long as he gets permission first. He's even going back to school! Online, of course, but he finds it so much easier to focus on his studies when he doesn’t have to worry about keeping his classification hidden. He hasn't mentioned hero studies to his parents, and he probably won't. He doesn't want to poke that bear when things are so good right now. 

Aside from schoolwork, he keeps busy by trying to play video games with Daddy and Spinner. Key word: trying, because Tomura wipes the floor with them every time. He’s not even trying half the time! And he doesn't even have the decency to be smug about it, only ever feeling amused by Katsuki’s pouting or endeared by his competitiveness. 

He plays daily with Himiko and Jin. She’s always excited to show him a new gift she brought home for him, usually a toy they can play with together or a snack they can share. Jin has forgiven him for his past misdeed and gone back to being his same old self. Though he does scruff him preemptively if he knows they will be alone together, which Katsuki can't blame him for.

He has access to the kitchen now and can cook and practice baking with Papa and Kurogiri. He can cook for his family again, and this time it doesn’t feel so degrading like it did in his old life. Now it feels like an act of love to present a new recipe he helped cook to the pack. It never fails to make him feel warm when he sees his family enjoying his food. 

He still gets teased by Atsuhiro and spoiled by Magne. Though less than before since he told his daddy to make them stop doing it so much. He doesn’t know what Tomura did, but they toned it down immediately after. Now Magne does things like watch movies and do makeovers with him instead, which he likes better than being dazed and stuck in her nest. Sako is still insufferable but in a more bearable way. He helps him with his studies and dutifully tutors him on anything he is stuck on and spoils him with gifts he ‘finds’ on missions. 

The only thing he really missed from his old life was his training regime. He missed feeling the soreness in his muscles after a good workout and being able to get out all his caged-up energy through training. He tried to ask his parents to let him start training with them exactly one time. His Papa had frozen up with such a horrified expression on his face when he mentioned being trained by them. Then his scent had gone so thick with anguish it had sent them both reeling into a drop so bad it took them three days to come out of it. When he finally came to, Daddy had forbidden him from doing any type of physical training or mentioning it again in front of Papa. He had accepted the consequence, immediately feeling bad for upsetting Dabi, though he didn’t understand why the question had upset him so much. 

He’s pulled from his thoughts when he reaches Himiko’s room, knocking and waiting for the girl to answer. The door slams open, and he is quickly pulled into the room. He spends the rest of the evening with her and falls asleep in her room; he only notices his parents have arrived home when he is pulled from the cuddle pile and carried out of the room by his Daddy. He’s brought back to their nest and into his Papa’s waiting arms. He falls back to sleep instantly with his parents' comforting scents surrounding him.

===

He was woken up in the early morning by the tightening in his bladder. He tried his best to wiggle his way out of his parents arms without waking them, but unfortunately his daddy is a very light sleeper.

“What do you need?” Shigaraki murmured sleepily, tightening his arms around the boy's waist.

“Bathroom,” Kasuki whined, squirming uncomfortably. 

“Hurry back,” he said, nuzzling the back of his head one last time before loosening his grip and allowing the boy out. 

He hurried out of the darkened hall into the bathroom. He finished up quickly but felt thirsty. He was making his way to the kitchen to grab a glass of milk when he heard a sound. It was a strange sound like a bird ruffling its feathers. The living room was too dark to locate the noise, so he turned to find the light switch when he was suddenly grabbed from behind and hoisted onto someone's shoulder. 

At first he thought it was a prank; maybe one of his packmates was playing a joke on him, but when he felt into the bond, everyone was asleep; only his Daddy was half-awake waiting for him to come back. He went to scream, but something soft dug its way into his mouth, gagging him. Instead he sent his panic and fear through the bond, alerting the rest of the pack of the danger and begging them to come save him. He didn’t want to be kidnapped again, especially not by an unknown intruder who may have a vendetta against the League.

The person made their way to the cracked third-story window and jumped out; just then they heard the loudest, most aggressive snarl Katsuki’s ever heard in his life. Daddy was awake, and he was angry. No, anger wasn’t enough to describe it; it felt like a raging pool of fire was racing through the bond, overpowering everyone. Only rivaled by his Papa, who felt so terrified, then so overwhelmingly sad, mourning the loss of their pup. Katsuki’s cries couldn’t reach them, but he hopes they can know he didn’t leave intentionally.

Katsuki squeezed his eyes shut, expecting them to plummet to their deaths, but nothing happened. The fluttering noise was back, though this time it sounded like wings flapping. He opened his eyes but could only see a blur; they were moving so fast he could hardly see the city below. He turned his head towards his kidnapper only to realize he wasn’t being kidnapped by some villain; it was the Number Three Pro-Hero and Alpha: Hawks. 

“Hawks?” Bakugo called out, confused, as Keigo landed onto the pavement.

“Sorry about the rushed escape, kiddo. They were starting to catch on to me, and this was my last chance to rescue you. I couldn’t waste time explaining myself before grabbing you; hope I didn't startle you too much!” Hawks explained, though it was far from the truth. 

Shigaraki and Dabi had tried to kill him when he met up with them earlier that day. During the fight he had smelled a sweet scent of Omega on both Alphas, different from anyone else in the League. Keigo had theorized it was from an Omega partner or member, the pair kept strictly at base. He had planted feathers on both men before making his escape.

Once night fell, he had followed the feathers and found the location of their base. He was going to kidnap recover the Omega and use them as leverage save them from the League. Though his plan fell through when he infiltrated the base and couldn’t find the origin of the scent anywhere. At least not until Bakugo Katsuki stumbled out into the hall. The Alpha pup had been drenched in the scent, so much that Keigo assumed the captured Omega must have also been kidnapped and held where the boy had been. He was going to ask the boy the location of the Omega and save them both, but the feather he planted picked up the rustling of someone waking up. He had to make the split decision to save one or none. He decided to run with the boy, grabbing him and escaping through the window. Thankful he ran when he did because soon after he heard a feral snarl so dangerous it made even his Alpha want to cower. 

“You actually came to save me? But why? It's been so long." It’s been months; everyone had given up and deemed him a lost cause after the first couple months in captivity.

“I couldn’t give up; it's not what heroes do.” The commission, on the other hand, did give up, after the one-month mark, deeming the case cold and labeling Bakugo as nonviable for heroics if ever recovered. 

“But everyone gave up... It's been three months.” A fresh wave of sadness seeped out of him, momentarily freezing him. In the chaos of the rescue he had momentarily forgotten he no longer had his scent patches; his status as an Omega was on full display. The scent of terror began to roll out of him in a thick fog. He tried his best to try to stop it, but it was too late.

“It's not that they gave up; it's—wait, why do you smell like that?” A sharp inhale from the Alpha then. “No… There's no way y-you can't be. Every report, every file, every witness stated you were an Alpha. So why? Why do you smell like an Omega, Bakugo?”

“I-i-” There's no use trying to lie to an Alpha, especially one of this caliber. It’s over; his cover has been blown, and now everyone will know he’s an Omega.

“And what is this?” A taloned hand gripped his chin, forcing his jaw up, revealing the bite his pajamas had been partially covering. “Who did you accept this from?” 

“...” He can't say it; he just can’t. If the heroes find out Shigaraki was his sire, they would never trust him again. If they knew he was compromised and belonged to a villain, they would never allow him to be a hero. 

“Answer me now, Omega!” The Alpha’s command shot through Bakugo, urging him to speak against his will. Using someone’s biology against them is a cheap trick for a hero, but Bakugo can’t put it against Hawks when he did the same to Jin. The sharp scent of pine and cedarwood spread in the air, urging him to obey the Alpha.

Click! A camera flash from above breaks the Alpha’s focus and saves him from answering. Then another and another until all Katsuki could hear was Click! Click! Click! They were surrounded by a sea of flashing white lights.

Hawk’s hand shot out to his neck, covering the bite, and smiled, saying, “I’d really love to stick around and chat, but I’ve got a family to reunite! See ya around!” 

He took off into flight muttering, “Fuck Fuck FUCK!” This changes everything. What is he supposed to do with a villain-claimed Omega pup? This wasn’t something he was supposed to bring in; this isn't a rescue story that is going to sell and appeal to the masses. The commission isn't going to be happy with this.

He has no choice; he has to report to the commission first before he can bring the boy anywhere else. But what will they do to him if he does? If they see that bite, they are going to torture the Omega, exploiting his bond with the League, and use him as bait to draw them out of hiding. He doesn't want to see the boy hurt, but his hands are tied; he belongs to the HPSC the same way Bakugo belongs to the League. Maybe he can fudge the story a bit, not so much that he is directly lying but enough to save the pup from a life tied to the Commission as well as the League.

They made it to the Hero Commission’s headquarters after a few tense minutes of silence. Hawks landed onto the roof of the building, setting Bakugo down onto his feet. He pulls out a roll of bandage from his utility belt and begins to wrap it around the boy's neck. 

“Keep this wrapped around your neck; don't let anyone take it off of you.” Keigo ordered not giving the boy a chance to misbehave. “Keep your head down, be quiet, and follow me.” 

Katsuki is taken through a white, sterile building with long, winding halls. It's like a maze; they go up, right, left, and down over and over again in what seems like a random sequence. Katsuki is left confused by the time they make it to a door to an office. He has no sense of where he is; all he knows is it’s cold, unwelcoming, and he wants to go home. 

Hawks raps his knuckles on the door; they wait what seems to be an eternity before they are let in.

He’s brought into a large conference room. There was a long table in the center of the room with multiple men in suits seated around it with a woman sitting at the head of the table. Hawks said his greetings, then took him aside to sit in the corner facing the wall. He took off his soundproof headphones and placed them on Bakugo, poignantly instructing him to behave before he left to report to his superiors. 

Bakugo finds it weird that he’s being left out of the debriefing when he’s the direct victim in all of this.He knows they're talking about him. About how he was rescued, how he was Omega, not an Alpha, it shouldn't bother him, but it does. This is his story! Why is he stuck in a corner while someone else speaks for him? He tries to sit quietly, but as more time goes on, the more impatient he becomes. He knows he shouldn’t, but he subtly dislodges the headphones from one of his ears, just barely enough to filter in sound but not look off. The conversation he hears rattles him to his core.

“A strong quirk like that and an Omega?” A man let out a long whistle. “He’ll be helping make the next generation of heroes stronger than ever.” 

“Yes, perhaps in a few years we can mate him with Hawks. Hawks is a suitable Alpha and obedient to the commission. He won’t mind having to share. He understands our cause and what it means to be a hero. 

“Yes, ma’am.” Hawk's voice answered robotically. 

“Explosion and Fierce Wings will make a dangerously effective combination.”

“Do we still have Nagant’s DNA in storage?”

“I'd imagine the mixture of her Rifle and his Explosion would be quite powerful as well.”

“The possibilities are endless; the sooner we get him started, the better.”

“Quiet down!”

“Hawks, do you believe the League would risk their own safety to get him back?”

“No, I don't believe they would. He was a bargaining chip at most and a failed recruit at least. I don’t think they would waste any effort or supplies in recovering him.”

“And did anyone see you rescue him?”

“Yes ma'am, soon after I escaped the base with the target, we were ambushed by paparazzi.” 

“Damn it, Hawks! You just lost us a valuable asset.”

“We’ll have to send him back to UA. The public will start to question where he is if he is not returned to his parents after being seen with you.”

“The school can handle taking his statement along with his medical examination and reunification.”

“We’ll send someone over to edit his statement once it is complete.”

“What a shame to lose prime breeding stock like that.”

“Pretty face, light-haired, fair-skinned, and lacked any heteromorphic genes in him. He would—"

Katsuki fumbled to put the headphones back into place, feeling sick to his stomach. 

How could these people speak like this? They were speaking like quirk traffickers! Were they really not going to return him if they hadn't been photographed? Did they seriously plan to breed him like an animal against his will? Not even the League had done that! 

How are these the people that govern heroes? How could these people make the rules that shape society? When they are corrupt! It doesn’t make any sense! It’s fine; they said they’re taking him back to UA. When he gets there, he’ll report what he heard and get these fuckers fired. He flinches when he’s tapped on the shoulder. The headphones are lifted off his head, and Hawks says, “Come on, we're heading out now.”

“They don’t want my statement?” Bakugo asks, pretending not to have heard anything. Who knows what they'll do to him if they did?

“No, a detective will be meeting us at UA to take your statement there, as well as your parents. They’re calling them right now; they should be there by the time you arrive.”

“Oh,” right, his parents… He had forgotten he would have to go back to them after escaping. It's not that he’s not happy to see them; it's just…there was really nothing to miss. Their bond had died ages ago, and he had hardly even seen them before he got kidnapped; they spent most of their time out of the house working. And the little time he did spend with them was always filled with patronizing lectures and reminders to keep his unruly behavior in check and his classification hidden. He doesn’t even want to know what hate they’ll spew this time, because not only was he kidnapped, but he was claimed, and his status as an omega was exposed to both heroes and villains alike. I guess I have that to look forward to, he thinks to himself sarcastically.

He’s silently ushered out of the building and into a nondescript black car with dark-tinted windows and no license plate. It's sketchy; he doesn’t want to get in, but he sits himself next to the window, clicking his seatbelt into place, and ponders the rest of the drive.

He really made it out. It’s strange to think that for a while there he had lost any hope of ever seeing the outside world again. He thinks he should feel happy, but for some reason his eyes keep flooding with tears at the thought of never seeing the League again. He knows he should hate them; he does, but after living with them for so long, he knows he could never feel that way. They gave him something he hadn't had in a long time: a real pack. He will always remember and cherish that feeling. He just hopes whatever path they choose to go on, they’ll be okay without him. 

=== 

The car comes to a stop; someone opens his door for him, and as he steps out, three things happen in rapid succession. He hears the familiar voices of his classmates screaming his name; he is quickly pulled into the group of crying, smiling pups, then passed from one to another to be hugged and told how much they've missed him. All until someone notices the bandages and gasps that he’s hurt and he is being handed over to Aizawa. 

The scruffy omega hugs him so tightly he swears he could feel his bones creaking. His teacher croaks out a watery, “It’s good to see you, kid.”

All Might clasps a hand onto his shoulder, “Indeed, young Bakugo, we have missed your explosive presence dearly. The class wouldn't be the same without you, my boy.” 

“Alright, alright, don't get too sappy, Senseis; I'm glad to see you all too.” Katsuki smiled. 

There was a pregnant pause as his stunned classmates stared at him in disbelief. 

“Ahem–I believe it would be most imperative that we make our way inside. Our dear student is in need of medical attention and some much-needed rest.” Principal Nezu said, breaking the silence as he popped out of Aizawa’s capture weapon. 

He’s hit with an odd sort of nostalgia when he walks through the gates. Seeing the familiar faces of his teachers and classmates brought tears to his eyes. He never thought he’d see any of them again. The school gates creak to a close with a sharp thud. Something about the doors shutting just makes his walls break down and realize he’s finally back home, safe and sound with his heroes. He’s safe, and no one can take him away anymore.

He falls to his knees with a wail, breaking down into inconsolable sobs. He feels both sadness and despair at the loss of his newfound pack but also so much happiness and relief. His emotions were a twisted swirl of contradictions spilling out of him uncontrollably. He’s sad, he's angry, he's devastated, he's happy; nothing feels stable inside of him.

Bakugo could feel himself spiraling into a drop. He could faintly hear the voices of concern around him begging him to breathe. But he could hardly listen over his desperate cries for his pack. One part of him wanted so desperately to project into the bond: Why haven’t you come for me yet? Where are you? While the other knew it was stupid to even dare open the bond lest he lose himself to his conflicting desires. So he remains in a state of disarray, dropping further and further into despair. 

“H-he's an–?” Aizawa asked, shocked. 

“Omega, yes! A most intriguing turn of events, isn’t it!” Nezu answered cheerfully, though his eyes were sharp and calculating. 

“You knew? Why wasn’t I made aware of this sooner?” Shouta growled, angry at Nezu but more angry with himself. How had he not caught it before? The aggressive attitude, the lack of connections with other pups, and the ever-lacking scent. The signs were all in front of him, practically flashing red. Yet somehow had he missed them? He was a complete and utter failure of a teacher.

“I had my suspicions, though none of them could be officially confirmed without the consent of his guardians. Who would have likely never approved or confirmed any questioning. Given the lengths they went to to hide his classification. I-” 

“Who cares about that? We have to help him!” Kirishima yelled, interrupting the white-haired mammal. The Alpha pup thoroughly disapproved of his teachers wasting time speaking when they could be helping his friend. He doesn’t care if Bakugo is an Omega; he's still the manliest bro he’s ever known, and nothing can change that! 

“I'm afraid young Bakugo’s situation is more complicated than that Kirishima. He needs to be handled delicately, or he may enter a feral state and begin attacking everyone around him indiscriminately.” All Might said, releasing calming Alpha pheromones to the surrounding area to help soothe the pups. 

“Yeah, if he really is an Omega, who knows what could have happened to him in captivity? We shouldn’t risk getting in the way of people who can actually help him, bro.” Sero spoke up while Kaminari and Mina nodded along, eyeing Kirishima sympathetically.

“I agree this is a task best left up to the teachers!” Iida said, grabbing Kirishima’s arm and holding him back when it seemed he would not listen.

“I'm glad we're all on the same page. Now everyone back away. I fear he may lash out violently if he senses you all crowded around him. He is not in his right mind and won’t recognize anyone he hasn’t bonded with. We’ll need a more secure method of subduing him.” Nezu gestured towards the eighteen-plus hero. “Midnight, if you would.” 

“Of course,” The woman silently made her way to the omega pup, keeping her steps as light as possible. The pup growled, glazed eyes focusing on her as he tore a piece of her costume with a loud ripping noise. The boy snarled, sharp fangs flashing on display as he pounced at her just as a puff of purple smoke enveloped him, effectively putting his attack on hold. Katsuki let out a weak growl before falling forward and passing out in the woman's arms.

Nemuri handed off the slumped sleeping boy to All Might to be carried back to the med bay. All Might, Aizawa, and Nedzu make their way to Recovery Girl while she and the rest of the staff help usher the students back to their dorms to get ready for class. The group of pups let out loud complaints and promises to visit as soon as classes were over. 

The group quickly makes it there, leaving an unconscious Bakugo to his examination while they wait behind the curtains. After a few minutes of tense silence, Recovery Girl walks out with a grim expression on her face. 

“The good news is he shows zero signs of any physical or sexual abuse, malnutrition, or stress to his body. The bad news is…well, you should see for yourself.” Chiyo pulls back the curtain and gestures to the boy's now unwrapped neck.

The room goes hot with thick, unfiltered rage coming from the Alpha and Omega pair. Nedzu remained seated, a calculating look dashing across his furry face.

“It’s a parental bond, you dimwits! Stop stinking up my office, or I'll have you both removed!” The old woman chided, waving her cane threateningly at the pair before continuing.

“While not great, there usually are ways to fade or lessen an unwanted parental bond, so that the child will be under less control of their pack parent and be able to live a life separate from them. The problem here is that this bite came from a pack Alpha and was placed on an Omega pup who willingly accepted it. This bond is strong and won’t fade unless Shigaraki explicitly allows it.”

“What treatment would you recommend, Chiyo?” Nedzu asked, giving the other two a moment to cool their heads.

“Well, there's not much we can do physically to wither the bond, so I’d recommend putting him in therapy and working on forming new packs with both pups and adults to make the backlash of the separation less harsh. Unfortunately he won’t be able to cover the mark since it is still fairly fresh. If he tries to hide or suppress it, he will get sick. So make sure he doesn’t try to do that. I’d also recommend a heavy scent neutralizer; the boy reeks of Shigaraki. Anyone who has ever been in contact with the man will be able to recognize the scent instantly and know he belongs to him.” 

“BAKUGO DOES NOT BELONG TO HIM!” Eraserhead snarled, despite usually being one of the most level-headed, logical heroes there is. Something about one of his students being referred to as Shigaraki’s just set him off.

Recovery Girl eyes the pair and sighs. “He does in the eyes of the law.”

“We can contest it! We cannot simply allow this to be!” All Might protested, jaw clenched and thoroughly irritated. 

“I’m going to be realistic with you both. If you try to bring this case into a court of law, the outcome you receive won't be one you like. The Association for Omega Welfare and Recovery will take one look at the boy before his stay with the League and then, after, and give full rights to Shigaraki. Heroes and villains don’t matter to them; only the care and health of Omega citizens, especially the pups, matter. Shigaraki took care of him well, seeing as he arrived in better condition than when he was in our care. Since Bakugo approved and accepted the claim himself, they will side with Shigaraki. If you want to keep the boy in UA’s custody. It would be in your best interest to handle this case privately.” The woman spoke gravely. 

“We understand. We will be having a staff meeting to fill everyone in and to discuss any plans moving forward. Thank you for the recommendations! We’ll do our absolute best to help the boy heal and move on!” Nezu chirped, then moved on to the other two in the room. “Now then, I have duties to attend to. You two wouldn’t mind watching over our dear student here, would you?”

“Of course, sir!”

“Like you could drag me away.”

===

Katsuki awoke feeling like he had been hit by a bus. He was irritable and groggy; the only thing helping was the familiar pheromones being produced by his teachers at his side. Having a suitable Alpha and Omega pair at his side helped a bit to soothe the heartache he was feeling from his separation with the League. But it wasn’t enough; he wanted Daddy, his sire, and Papa, his dam, so fucking badly it hurt. 

“How are you feeling, pup?” Shouta asked, sending a steady stream of calming scent towards his student. 

“Bad, I want to go home.” Bakugo grumbled, his usually fluffy pointed ears flopping downward.

“Your mother and father should be arriving soon.” The boy's scent goes sour in distress as soon as the sentence leaves All Might's mouth. 

“No, I don't want to see them! Please don't make me!” Bakugo whined. The last thing he wanted was to be lectured and screamed at by the pair. He doesn’t want to compare them to Shigaraki and Dabi and be disappointed.

“Calm down; it's okay; we can call off the reunification for now. Everything we do is going to be at your pace; we don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.” Aizawa said in a calm, soothing voice. 

“Do you feel up to eating? I can have food brought up to us, anything you’d like!” All Might asked. 

For a moment the boy just stares at them suspiciously like he doesn’t quite believe them. Then mumbles. “...Mapo Tofu...extra spicy.” 

The food arrives fairly quickly. Both Aizawa and All Might ordered meals as well to eat along with him. His meal is placed on a folding tray in front of him, and for a minute all he does is wait, then he realizes. Papa’s not here to feed me anymore. Tears began to well in his eyes as he looked down at the delicious-looking portion of food on his lap, completely untouched. 

“What's wrong, young Bakugo? Is the food not to your liking? I can replace it with something else if you'd like!” All Might fretted, fluttering around him anxiously but not physically touching him. The omega pup just shook his head and bit his lip in an attempt to keep his tears from falling. 

“Shh, shh, it’s alright. I know what's wrong.” Shouta had a suspicion now it was time to test it. He took the boy's chopsticks and picked up a soft cube of tofu, bringing it up to Katsuki’s mouth. 

“They took care of you like this, didn’t they?” The older omega briefly wavered as the boy showed no interest in eating from him. Dull, teary, red eyes stared straight at him, though it felt like the boy wasn’t truly seeing him. It's… okay, Aizawa thought. Feeding someone is a very intimate act usually done in closely bonded packs. It's okay if Bakugo doesn’t want to, though it hurts that the boy would accept the treatment from villains but not him.

“Go on, it's okay. We’ll take care of you now.” All Might murmured softly from his place beside Aizawa. “You don’t have to worry about a thing.”

The Alpha's words snapped Katsuki out of the trance; they were like the final piece of a puzzle being clicked into place. He was safe; it was okay. Maybe Daddy and Papa were gone, but it's okay because he has his senseis. He opened his mouth and allowed himself to be fed, all while silent tears shed down his face, mourning the loss of his Papa and hoping that with time he’ll be able to let it all go and move on. They spend the rest of the meal talking, filling him in on the past three months while alternating between feeding him and taking bites of their own meal, just like Papa and Daddy did. 

He learns that during the time he spent captive, the school had set up a dorm system. All students were now required to live on campus full time thanks to his kidnapping. He learns the rest of his grade have all already gone to the provisional hero licensing exams and have all moved on to real internships. Deku and Todoroki with Endeavor, Uraraka and Asui with Ryukyu, hell, Kirishima already made his official debut with Fatgum’s agency. He even missed the most coveted festival UA hosts, the UA Cultural Festival. Apparently this year everyone went all out to boost morale that had been dwindling since the training camp. Something about that just didn’t sit right with him.

They all moved on so quickly. Like he didn’t even matter. Did they even try to search for him? They were holding damn festivals but couldn’t afford to keep the search party going for a couple more months. Did the morale of the school matter more than the life of one student? 

“Are you alright, my boy?” The pup's scent had gone sour with intense irritation, and he hadn't eaten any of the bites offered to him since they began to talk about his classmates and the festival.

“I’m fine,” he said in a clipped tone.

“You–”a knock on the door interrupted the man. 

Chiyo peeked her head in and said, “The detectives are here; they’re asking if Bakugo is up for debriefing.” 

“I don’t think that would—”

“I’m fine! Let 'em in.” The pup snapped, harshly cutting Aizawa off.

And that's how he ended up here, arguing with two idiot detectives for the past hour and a half. 

“For the last goddamn time, no one ever hurt me! No, I’m not a villain, and no, they didn’t brainwash me to say that!” 

No matter what he said, the officers wouldn’t believe him. Obviously he didn’t go into full detail about what happened because that was none of their business! But the basics should have been enough. The League held him captive for three months. They didn’t hurt him; they didn’t seem to want anything in particular out of him, and he didn’t learn anything useful about their operations. That. is. all. that. happened. He doesn't know what they expect him to say, but he refuses to lie.

“Tch! Whatever! I’m done with this!” He stands up harshly, the chair behind him falling to the ground with a crash.

“Kid, you can’t just walk out of here!”

“Watch me.” He walks to the door, flipping the officers off behind his back as he makes his way out. He hears shouting and complaints coming from behind him but doesn’t pay them any mind.

He doesn’t even make it to the end of the hall before his teachers are flanking him again. He ignores their questions and makes his way out of the building, taking a right and going to the newly constructed dorms. Apparently called Heights Alliance, each building has its class number boldly displayed on the front. Which isn’t that just convenient for any villains looking to take a specific student. 

‘These people never learn…’ he thinks as his teachers show him to his dorm. The building is empty right now; the other students are busy with classes. So at least he doesn’t have to worry about dealing with them right now. His teachers give him a tour of the place, looking more and more concerned the less he reacts or speaks, but he can't be bothered to care.

He learns that the dorms are separated by both gender and classification. Betas are sorted through their gender, so they either go to the boys or girls side. Omegas are automatically sorted with the girls and Alphas with the boys. Katsuki is led to his room; it was a fairly decent-sized bedroom with only a bed, desk, chair, and his bag of recovered belongings from the training camp filling it. He learns that since he is a boy, he has his own personal bathroom in his room while the girls share a communal bathroom; the same goes for female Alphas on the boys side. At least he knows if he wants to lock himself away for long periods of time, he can. There’s a communal kitchen along with a row of washers and dryers to do their own laundry. Dinner and chore schedules are decided by the students. And curfew is 9 pm every weekday and 11 pm on the weekends. 

His teachers look at him hesitantly as they finish up the tour heading back up to his room. He snaps at them to spit out whatever bullshit they’re going to spew now.

“You’ll be starting therapy with Hound Dog on Mondays and Fridays starting next week.” All Might blurts out, earning a harsh glare from Aizawa for his forwardness.

“What! Why?” Katuki yelled. He doesn’t need someone to baby him and tell him how to feel. He’s fine; why should he have to go to therapy over this when no one else had to go after the USJ incident? 

“Bakugo, you went through something that would be extremely traumatic for an adult, let alone a child. Therapy isn’t a punishment; it is something to help you heal and wrap your head around what happened to you. You understand that, don’t you?” Aizawa said in a gentle coo. 

“Ugh, fine. Anything else?” He asked when the annoying hesitant look popped back up in their faces. 

“These are for you. Every day before you leave the dorms, spray some neutralizer onto your neck; it should help hide the scent of Shigaraki. The scent patches are optional but recommended if you want to keep your scent from being tracked and classification under wraps. Also, please remember you cannot cover or suppress the claim in any way, or you will get rejection sickness. If you need anyone to talk to, you can always come to us or Hound Dog.” Aizawa handed him a bag filled with scent neutralizer and scent patches. 

They want him to–what? Do they expect him to just cover up and act like nothing happened? Like he wasn’t gone for three months. Like he hadn’t bonded with a new pack, like he hadn’t found a family. 

“...get out.” Katsuki whispered.

“What?” All Might asked.

“I said get out!” The boy shouted. The duo hesitantly stepped back into the hallway. 

“We’ll see you to-” The door was slammed shut in their faces, and a click of the lock being turned was heard. 

Bakugo rips the sheets from the bed and methodically starts to form a nest. It's lumpy and misshapen. ‘Papa would have never made a nest this bad,’ he thinks, tearing up. He sinks into the nest and begins to cry thinking about the past couple of hours.

He didn’t mean to lash out at his teachers; they're only trying to help. It's just everything was happening so fast. Logically he knows that they’re right; he should be covering up Shigaraki’s scent, or he’d be placing a huge target on his back. But it felt like a betrayal, like they were asking him to cast aside his sire as if it was nothing. They were asking him to choose them instead. He knows he should; they're the heroes after all, but it felt like he was abandoning his pack. It's not fair. He doesn't want to choose...not yet.  

=== 

Back in the conference room, the teachers of UA gather around a large desk for an emergency meeting. The topic of the meeting being the successful rescue of UA student Bakugo Katsuki and his treatment plan for recovery.

“Three months ago our student was kidnapped by the League of Villains; today, at four o'clock in the morning, he was rescued by the hero Hawks while on a deep infiltration mission with the League. He was brought to the Hero Public Safety Commission headquarters for testing and debriefing before arriving here. While at the Commission, they made a very peculiar discovery. Young Bakugo is an Omega. The boy's records had been falsified sometime after his birth, and he has been living a lie for the past fifteen years.” Nezu paused, allowing the shocked teachers a moment to react.

“Sir, how could this have possibly gotten past you?” Midnight asked, shocked.

Mic turned to her upset, “Not just him, how did none of us see it! We're supposed to be his teachers, for God's sake; it's our job to notice things like this!” 

“What's the boy's condition? He’s an omega and was held captive for three months. There's no telling what could have happened to him.” Kan asked seriously. 

Nezu sighed. “That is the problem; I called you all here to discuss. The pup arrived in pristine condition; some would argue even better than before he was taken.” 

“What's that supposed to mean?”

“It would be better if you see it first in private rather than when the boy is back in class. Take a look at this photo and tell me what you see.” Nezu slid a stack of photos and watched as everyone took one, cataloging each teacher's reactions. 

“No–” Horror.

“That's–” Disgust.

“It can't be–” Shock.

“A bite!” Panic.

“It’s not just any bite; that's a claim from a pack Alpha.” Nezu declared, throwing the room further into disarray. Every teacher in the lounge stiffened, the scent of the room shifting rapidly to disgust and anger.

Aizawa cut through the gasps and shouts of disbelief. “Before things escalate, take a look at the area in which the bite was placed.” 

“Oh thank god it's not a mating claim!” Nemuri yelled, sighing in relief.

“W-wait, but that means someone in the League put a parental claim on him?” 

“Not just anyone; it was Shigaraki, the pack's leader.” Aizawa said calmly, rolling his eyes when the teachers began yelling over each other again like a bunch of rowdy pups.

“But it doesn't mean anything, right?”

“It could just be a superficial bite!” 

“Yeah! Bakugo would never accept a bond from a villain!” various murmurs of agreement were heard.

“I wouldn’t say that. You have to understand, young Bakugo was with the League for three whole months. Who knows what could have happened in that time to make him imprint? All Might augured. No one knows the horrors they could have put the boy through to make him vulnerable and pliant enough to accept. It’s not their job to judge, only help heal what has been done.

“We shall not cast judgment on the boy. When pups are in distress, it is only natural for them to cling to the one bringing them comfort, even if they are a villain. The boy has been claimed, and there is nothing we can do to change that; we can only move forward.” Nezu said.

“But Nezu, what will we do if Shigaraki comes to get him?” Dread.

“We cannot interfere with a pack leader taking custody of their pup.” Anxiety.

“We could lose our licenses for even trying!” Panic.

“For now we will barricade the school to the best of our ability and limit the boys' outside exposure. Since Shigaraki is an S-Tier villain, we can block him from stepping foot on UA’s property. So long as he does not make any physical contact with the boy, we should be able to undermine the bond and keep them from being reunited.” Nezu tapped his paw against his chin. 

“Judging by the bold placement of the bite, Shigaraki wants it to be known that the boy belongs to him. He’s daring us to interfere with the bond legally. If we do, full rights to the boy will go straight to him. The knowledge of the bond will have to be kept secret. We will fabricate the story of his rescue and time with the League. No one can know of this until Bakugo is strong enough to fight it off on his own. This conversation does not leave this room, am I understood?”

“Yes, sir.”

=== 

Bakugo thought he would be happy coming back to UA, that everything would go back to normal, and he could get back on track to becoming a hero, but he was wrong. The news of his rescue broke the same night he was brought back to UA. A vague story was put out about his time with the League and rescue by Hawks. Thankfully, there was no mention of the bond or his real classification.

But since then, news outlets have been clamoring for an interview or pictures of him. There were reporters stationed outside the school waiting to catch a glimpse of the kid who survived three months with the League of Villains. It was so bad, Nezu had to make an announcement that if any student was caught leaking pictures or information to the press, it would be grounds for an automatic expulsion. Which helped ease his worries a bit.

Though the principal couldn’t do much to help with the rumors going around. Since the story they put out was so vague, everyone had a theory on what happened to him. People online, on TV, and in person were all talking about him. He can't stand the constant whispering when he walks by, the pitying glances, and pointing at his neck. Everyone was dying to know what happened to him and what the bite on his neck meant. 

Even his classmates were walking on eggshells with him. He knew they all wanted to ask; he could see it in their faces; they wanted to know too. And that’s fine; it's normal to be curious; what he hates is all the fucking pity being directed at him. They were constantly hovering around him as if he’d be swept away as soon as they stopped watching him. They act like guards, redirecting people away from him and trying to fight for him as if he couldn't handle a few mean questions. Everyone was treating him like he was made of glass, like he’d instantly shatter if someone made a rude comment towards him.

Nothing was how he left it. It was like he came back to a new world, where nothing was how he remembered it. Suddenly he was not someone to be feared or an opponent to compete against; all he was was a victim who could do nothing but be pitied. He doesn’t know if it's because they know he is an omega now or because he was kidnapped—maybe a combination of the two, but no one was taking him seriously anymore.

One week after he was rescued, the side effects of the heavy quirk suppressors he was on began to wear off. He could use his quirk again, though not as effortlessly as he could before. He spent weeks training one on one with both Aizawa and All Might to reach the strength he was at before. When he had finally managed to form a couple ultimate moves, he was able to move back to the normal heroics class. 

Though when he went to change into his hero outfit and walk to the training ground with the rest of his classmates, they had all stiffened at the sight of him. Then, when the exercise began, no one would fight against him with full force. He screamed, yelled, and taunted, doing anything to get them angry enough to fight properly, but nothing worked. He thought it would wear off at first if he gave it time, but no matter what he’s doing, someone was always there trying to ‘help’ him.

Yoayarozu gently plucked the knife from his hands when he tried to cook, taking over without asking. Iida stays a constant presence at his side during his morning run when Katsuki knows he can run faster than him and usually finishes earlier. Kirishima follows him around no matter where he goes and growls at anyone who tries to interact with him negatively. Izuku constantly barges into his space, trying to scent him or cuddle without any care, as if they were friends now just because he found out they were both omegas. No amount of explosions or yelling would make any of them stop. 

It was starting to piss him off. Were they all looking down on him? Is it because he was so behind the rest of them in training? After classes, all his classmates go to their internships, while Katsuki is stuck waiting another semester until he can take the licensing exam as a second year. Do they think he’s weak? Like he’s some sort of pitiful omega that can’t even help himself. 

Even his teachers were acting strange with him. He was getting all sorts of special treatment to turn in assignments late or have extra time on tests as if he were stupid. He’s getting sick of the pitying words and actions and is beginning to resent those around him. He snapped and bit Midoriya the other day because the other pup just wouldn’t stop pestering him. His classmates started to give him a wider berth after the incident, though they still acted the same and just kept a distance. He didn’t want to resort back to that type of behavior, but it's the only thing that makes them leave him alone. Though he did get chewed out by Mr. Aizawa for it and sent to Hound Dog for the incident.

Speaking of Hound Dog, Bakugo doesn’t know where that man got his license from, but it should be revoked because clearly he doesn’t know what he is doing. He keeps messing with his mind and he hates it.

“Bakugo, you do understand that the act of kidnapping was wrong, correct?”

“I know that! I do; you guys are the ones you don’t understand. They didn’t do anything bad to me. I-I’m fine."

“I know they didn’t do anything harmful to you; your bond is proof of that, but I want you to acknowledge that the way they acquired you was wrong. You can agree with that, yes?”

"Yeah, the summer camp stuff was pretty messed up, I guess…”

“It’s okay to miss them, you know. It's understandable that they became like a family to you in your short stay, didn’t they?” 

“I don’t miss them! They're villains; I shouldn’t care about what happens to them.”

“But you do, don't you? You care for them and are worried for them, aren't you?”

“I-i don't know." 

He doesn’t know what he wants anymore. One part of him desperately wants to go back while the other wants to forget it all and stay in UA, even if it isn’t as great as he remembers. He doesn't want to feel this way, like he’s caught between two worlds, but he is. He misses the villains dearly, but he still wishes for his dream to be a hero to come true. The only way to do that is to stay; he has to stay no matter what. No matter how shitty his life feels at the moment, if he sticks it out, it will get better. It has to.

===

For the next few weeks, he tries his best to follow through with Hound Dog’s advice. He does his best to tolerate his classmates and answer any questions they have. He doesn’t bite or snap at them anymore and allows them to integrate him into their ‘pack’. He allows All Might and Aizawa to take Shigaraki and Dabi’s place in caring for him, and he tries his best to forget.

For a while things are okay; he doesn’t feel like he’s on the verge of a mental breakdown every day. But every now and again when he’s feeling down, he’ll feel it—a gentle prodding in his mind that reminds him that the bond is still just as strong as it was the day he was rescued. He tries his best to ignore it no matter how insistent it is, but it always makes him feel so empty, like a part of him is missing. 

The messages weren’t helping either. 

A couple hours after he had shooed his Senseis out of his dorm on his first day back to UA. He had gone through the bag of his belongings recovered from the summer camp. He found a couple changes of clothing, some hygiene products, his laptop, some school supplies, and most importantly, his phone. The same phone his daddies the villains had originally contacted him through. The authorities never went through it. It had been found unburnt or damaged in the forest by one of his classmates and had been waiting for him here untouched all this time.

The thought had crossed his mind to admit to Sensei that the phone was the first way the villains had begun contacting him. But even the thought of telling someone was mortifying, so he thought, Why bother? I mean, he was already rescued; it's not like it's a necessary detail for them to know now. So he kept it to himself. 

The first month back there was silence on both ends in the bond and his phone. But whenever he was ever feeling distressed or overwhelmed, he would feel a gentle prodding through the bond, then Ping! A message would pop on his phone. 

Unknown Number: Hi baby, I just wanted to let you know how much we miss you. If you ever need someone to cuddle or talk to, you know your papa can be there in an instant. If you ever need me, I'm just a call away.

Me: Read at 3:00pm.

Unknown Number: Bye Katsuki, I love you.

New number saved as “Papa” 

When he was attending a movie night with his classmates and would get overwhelmed by the sheer amount of pups trying to scent or groom him. Ping!

Unknown Number: Do you like my new coat Kats? [An image of Toga in a pink winter coat.]

Unknown Number: I miss you so much! I wish we could play together again! Are you having fun at school? I wish I could go with you! Say hi to Izuku and Ochaco for me!!! Love you, bye!

Me: Read at 8:30pm.

New number saved as “Himiko” 

He did his best to ignore them, but he couldn’t find it in himself to actually block any of their numbers. 

===

Everything came crashing down the day he met with Nezu. He had been trying to schedule a meeting with the man for weeks to discuss his time in the HPSC. One month after arriving, he got his meeting, and oh, how he wished he hadn't. He wished he had never opened his mouth and had gone back to being a naive little hero student. Nothing will ever be the same.

Bakugo had knocked on the large door, waiting for a response before opening the door.

Nezu sat at his large desk, looking through some files, as he gestured for him to sit in the small chair in front of the desk. It was almost funny; the desk was so tall that Bakugo had to crane his neck to look up to speak to him. But hey, he can’t judge; everyone has to compensate for something, right?

“So what did you want to speak to me about young Bakugo? I hope you are doing well, dear boy.”

“I-i…” He knows what he wants to say, but the words keep getting trapped in his throat.

“Yes?” Nezu replied; his tone had almost a teasing lilt to it.

“The HPSC tried to traffic me.” Bakugo blurted out, eyes glued to the floor. 

“What?” All the playfulness drained from the man's voice.

The boy continued on, “After I was rescued, I was brought back for debriefing; only they didn’t speak to me, just Hawks. He reported to them that I was an Omega, and they talked about keeping me and breeding me with other heroes to help make the next generation of heroes stronger. They spoke like I didn’t have a choice, and they've done it before. The only reason I was brought back to UA at all was because we were photographed by paparazzi, and they thought it would be too suspicious to cover up my disappearance. You have to do something! An organization so corrupt can’t be the ones ruling over heroes. I need your help!” He finished speaking and looked up, expecting to see a horrified or even angry expression on the man's face, but all there was was a blank, emotionless expression.

“Perhaps you misunderstood what they were saying, child.”

"No, I couldn't have; they called me breeding stock for fuck’s sake!” Katsuki yelled.

A deep sigh then, “Young Bakugo, you've taken history, haven't you? You should know by now that most governments are not run for the well-being of the people but to help those in power stay in power. It is an extremely difficult system to change once it is put into place.”

“But-”

“While I understand what they are doing is deplorable, I also understand that it is simply not feasible to start a war on the HPSC. To expose something like this would only cause heroes to take sides and begin fighting amongst each other. Humans are not creatures easily susceptible to change; this would only hurt regular citizens and give villains the opportunity to cause mayhem freely throughout the chaos.”

“Maybe-”

“Now I’m not saying this is something that will never change, but coups take years and years of careful planning and secrecy to be successful. I trust that you will keep your mouth shut and this information to yourself for the time being, yes.” 

“Yes sir.” Years...years of people being abused for something to change. They were willing to sacrifice how many people in the time being to make the process more convenient. Katsuki himself had come so close to becoming a sacrificial lamb. He was only saved by the press. If they hadn’t published evidence of his rescue, he would have never been found again. He would have spent years strapped to a breeding bench waiting for someone to save him. He can only imagine how many fellow Omegas are stuck in that position right now, waiting for something that will never come. How many souls will lose hope and die in the shadows? How many will it take to get people to care?

“I'm glad we came to an understanding. Your appointment with Hound Dog will be starting soon. You should leave now unless you want to be late.” Nezu tells him, pointing to the clock on the wall.

Oh right, he forgot today is Monday. He leaves the room without another word slamming the door behind him. He makes his way to Hound Dog’s office feeling more hopeless and crushed than he’s ever felt in his life. What difference can he even make as a hero? How will he ever be able to make a change when someone as powerful as Nezu isn’t even able to do anything with all the power he's gained? How will things ever change if everyone is staying silent? He can't-Ping!  

Unknown Number: You know I’d give you the world if only you asked for it. You need only say the word. 

Me: Katsuki is typing... 

Me: Read at 4:30pm.

Unknown Number: I love you, puppy; never forget that.

Me: Read at 4:31pm. 

New Number saved as “Daddy” 

He puts his phone away as he walks through the door feeling a bit calmer. The session goes as usual for the first half, then another bomb is dropped on him. 

“I think it's time we start moving forward with the reunification process. You've told me a bit about your parents and how you are not excited to see them, but they do have legal rights to see you. They have been demanding a meeting, and we've given you as much time as we can buy.”

“I-i don’t know.” 

“You won’t have to do it alone. I will be there along with Eraserhead and All Might. I want us to have an open dialogue with your parents about the past months.”

“When?” How long does he have until he has to meet the pair again?

“This Sunday. I know it's last minute, but this was the furthest I could push. They’re threatening to file a lawsuit against us if you aren't reunited soon.”

“I–o-kay. Sunday..yeah… I’ll be...there." A sense of doom washes over him.

===

He spends the rest of the week lost in a daze of hopelessness and crushing sense of anticipation. He ignores his classmates and spends most of his time in his dorm. He doesn’t bother trying his best during training and skips any extra training after class. There’s no point when the goal he’s been chasing all his life suddenly means nothing. When being a hero won’t actually let him save those who need help most. 

He’s dreading the weekend doing anything possible to take his mind off it, but it was hard knowing his side would have left him for dead if not for a couple photographs. He was stuck in a miserable, depressive haze, going through the motions mindlessly. He wakes up, goes to class, listens to his teacher’s lectures, and finishes his homework in class, then goes straight to his room. He spends his days in his nest with his face buried in the pajamas he was rescued in. They’re the last thing he has with his parents' scents on it. Every time he starts to feel himself beginning to drop, he breathes in their soothing scents and is calmed.

He narrowly avoids dropping every day but is reminded each time how dearly he misses his pack, especially with the reunification ceremony looming over his head. Katsuki missed his Papa’s soothing purrs and his Daddy’s amused chuffs and deep raspy rumbling purrs. He misses Papa’s cooking, playing Himiko and Jin; he misses being cuddled and spoiled; the very things he said he said he "hated." Hell, he even missed his Daddy’s stern lectures. He wanted to go home, but that's not possible. His wants are illogical; what would the heroes think if he willingly handed himself over to villains? No, he can't; no matter how much he wishes he could go back, he can't.

After a day of his relapse into anti-social behavior, his classmates alerted Aizawa of his condition. The man tried to talk to him, but Katsuki didn’t bother telling him what was wrong. He’d just say the same thing Nezu did—it wasn’t worth the trouble. Aizawa brings his meals to his room, and Yagi has to physically carry him if they want him to go somewhere because he simply will not move from his nest. He growls and snaps his teeth at anyone who tries to take the scent-soaked cloth away from him. His teachers have all but given up trying to make him go to class. They come in to watch over him in shifts instead, bring him his homework, and give him updates.

He doesn’t listen to them much, though he only lays in bed dreading each day until reunification. 

On Sunday morning, Aizawa and Yagi had come to his room one hour before the scheduled meeting time. He’s slumped under his covers, refusing to move while the pair try to get him out. 

“Come on, pup, it won’t be so bad. We’ll be with you the entire time.” All Might cooed while Aizawa warned him.

“You have until the count of three to get up and get ready yourself or else we're doing it.” a pause, then he began to count down. “3…2…1…Okay, you made us do this.” 

Katsuki whines as the blankets are torn off him. All Might’s hands snake under him, lifting him up into a sitting position and asking. "Alright, pup, one more chance; will you do this on your own?” 

Bakugo lets himself fall back into a lying position, closing his eyes and ignoring them. 

The pair take that as a resounding no, and Aizawa begins to strip his clothes off while Yagi rummages through the boys’ closet for something formal yet still casual and comfortable for the pup to wear. He settles on an oversized turtleneck knit sweater with black slacks and loafers. They wrestle the limp boy into the outfit and run a comb through his messy hair. Once he is looking much more presentable, Yagi sits Bakugo in his lap while Aizawa tries to feed him breakfast.

Katsuki moves his head to the side each time the spoon is brought up to his mouth. His stomach is coiling with anxiety; in less than thirty minutes, his parents will be arriving. He feels like he’s going to throw up; he can't eat even if he wanted to. 

“Come on, puppy, just one bite, please.” 

Katsuki stared down at the spoonful of oatmeal, trembling, feeling sick to his stomach. Tears of frustration build in his eyes, blurring his vision. He doesn't want to eat! He doesn't want to leave his nest! He doesn’t want to see his parents! Why can no one understand that? Why can’t they just listen? Why does no one here listen to him? 

Toshinori rubbed the pups back when he noticed him starting to tremble. “Shouta, he's shaking quite hard. The nerves may be too much for his stomach. Perhaps he can eat after the meeting?”

"Fine, but he’s having a large lunch.” The scruffy Omega groaned, checking his watch, “It’s about time we get going anyways.”

All Might stands up, repositioning Katsuki’s legs around his waist and arms around his neck. And follows his mate out of the room, closing the door behind him. 

===

Bakugo is brought to a large nesting room. The floors and walls were covered in soft padding; there were cabinets full of nesting materials and snacks; everything about the room was soft. It was the ideal environment for a peaceful reunification, or it would be if it weren’t for the people they were waiting to meet. 

There were two sofas in the room with a coffee table between them. On one sat Nezu, Hound Dog, Aizawa, and All Might, while Katsuki sat alone on the second, leaving space presumably for his parents.

“We still have some time before your mother and father arrive. Would you like to build a nest in preparation?” Hound asked, gesturing towards the cabinets.

“No, we won't be needing it.” Katsuki answered in a resigned tone, eyes glued to the floor, ears flopped downwards, and tail tucked between his legs. He didn’t notice his teachers all sharing a concerned glance with each other.

Five minutes later, there was a timid knock on the door, followed by a loud, brash knock. “Come in!” Nezu said in a painfully cheerful voice. “Please sit down!” he gestures towards the second sofa.

“Hello Katsuki.” Masuru said as he sat to the left of him. 

"Hi Dad.” The boy quietly answered back. His father wasn’t bad, per say; he was just too passive and willing to do anything his Alpha wants. It’s not his fault; that's probably all he’s known his entire life, but it hurt. It hurts to be ignored, to be neglected, to have their bond wither and die. It probably hurt him too. 

“Hey brat eyes up here!” Mitski barked.

Katsuki raised his gaze until his red eyes were staring into her matching set. “Hi Mom,” he grumbled. His mother was the problem. She always has been. An arrogant brash Alpha born into a wealthy, powerful family. The sole heir to her family's fashion company. A woman who has always gotten her way her entire life. It's no surprise their family is so dysfunctional. She runs their house with an iron fist; it's her way or no way.

The two eyed each other for a moment, both sizing up the other before the female Alpha huffed and turned to the other occupants in the room. “So how's the brat been? You know we've been trying to see him for quite some time.”

They get to talking, leaving Katsuki to dissociate. They talk about his rescue, his time with the League, and his behavior and generally well-being. When they dropped the news about his status being exposed and claim his mother exploded.

“So you became a villain’s bitch, huh? All that talk of being a big hero, and look how that ended!” 

The room froze as the words left his mother’s mouth; it was so silent you could hear a pin drop. 

“No I-i-” The words were caught in his throat. He tried to speak, but she interrupted anyway, like always.

“Pathetic. What do I have to sign to have him pulled out of this place? He’s done; he doesn't need to be here anymore.” Mitski turned to Nezu.

“No mom, please-” Katsuki cried. 

“Mitski perhaps-” Masuro tried to interject.

“Quite! I gave your nonsense a chance, and look what happened. Omegas serve no purpose being in the hero industry. You will finish your education at an Omega finishing school, like your father did, and that's final!” She growled out the Alpha command, effectively shutting the pair up.

Nezu clicked his tongue, “If I may, I would recommend leaving the boy in UA’s care. We have far superior security, resources, and faculty than any other school in Japan.” 

The woman scoffed, “The care that got him kidnapped in the first place? Ha, I don’t think he needs any more of that.”

“Ms.Bakugo I believe it would be in your pups’ best interest to stay in UA. He has friends here; he’s attending therapy; he’s healing. Taking him away and throwing him in a new environment would only set back his recovery.” Aizawa said in a cordial tone, though his eyes were burning with fury. As an Omega himself, he knows what happens in those finishing schools; he’d been threatened with them his whole childhood. There’s no way he’s letting his student go to one. The attendees are almost always sold married off to rich, powerful Alphas as soon as they graduate, willingly or not. Barely legal adults marrying and having children before they’ve even had the chance to live. It’s not a life any good parent would want for their child.

"Well, it doesn’t matter what you want; he's my son. I can do whatever I'd like with him.” She snapped, a smug smirk on her face.

“Is that so? If the Association for Omega Welfare and Recovery were to catch wind of what you did at his birth, not only would he be taken away from you, but you both would be given jail time. The boy stays here, and that’s final.” Nezu smirked in return. Forging the classification status of a pup at birth is highly illegal and automatically punishable by jail time, depending on how long the status was hidden. The boy was pretending to be an Alpha for fifteen years; his parents would each be punished severely. They wouldn’t get out for years, and by the time they did, Bakugo would be a legal adult. They would no longer hold any power over him.

The barely hidden threat causes her to pause before the screaming begins again. “How fucking dare you! You lowly fucking rat! What authority do you have to threaten me?” 

Nezu’s eyebrow twitched, but his face remained calm. “I am not threatening you, simply telling you what may happen if the association was notified. I never said I was going to call them.”

His mom let out a sigh that means she knows she’s lost before saying. “Why the fuck do you even want the brat anyway? It's not like there's anything so special about him that another kid wouldn’t be able to replace. Why him?”

“With his quirk and training, your son is set to become one of the most powerful heroes in the nation. A talent like that cannot go to waste in a finishing school. There is a war coming, Ms. Bakugo, and we’ll need all the help we can get.” Nezu spoke earnestly. Like all Bakugo, was was a tool to be used.

“Haven't you learned anything from this whole mess? Omegas can’t fight! Look at him; he’s pathetic. All it took was one villainous Alpha, and he folded like a wet tissue. How is he going to help the war effort? He’d be better off making strong babies for the war than actually fighting in it.” She argued.

“While that may also be beneficial, the boy is still too young. The war is rapidly approaching, and we need soldiers now–” 

There's a ringing in his ear as he hears them argue and negotiate over him. It feels like he was drenched in water how quickly the realization washes over him.

They don't love him; they don't care about him; no one here does. All he is is an expendable chess piece being moved by others. Maybe he has been his whole life. Well, if he is nothing but a pawn for others to move, then at least he knows who he wants to move for. He makes up his mind and runs.

He jumps out of his seat and uses an explosion to propel himself over the couch to the exit before anyone has the chance to stop him. He opens the door and slams it shut, using explosions to ruin the doorknob on the outside. Then he runs as fast as he could out of the building, ignoring the shouts for him to stop. He runs all the way towards one of the fake cities used for training and hides inside one of the buildings. This should buy him enough time and be secluded enough for his next step. He scrolls through his contacts before finding the one he is looking for. 

He clicks on it with no hesitation and anxiously waits for the contact to pick up. Within seconds of calling, his call is answered. 

"Daddy?"

“Hello puppy, is there something you needed?” Shigaraki answered casually.

All it took was the man's calm, soothing voice coming through the tiny speaker, and Katsuki shattered into pieces. He cried, “I-i'm sorry you were right about the heroes. I know I was bad, but I want to come home. I want to be with you and Papa. Please, Daddy, please bring me home! I can't stay here anymore!” His sobs shook his body as all the emotions he had been repressing since his arrival came out at once.

“You're not bad; you were just trying to follow your dreams. But that's all they are—dreams. The reality is that there are no heroes in this corrupt society. No room for good morals to grow when hero society crushes them before they can sprout. You understand that now, don’t you, pup?” His voice flowed through the phone effortlessly, calming the boy through tone alone.

“Y-yes,” Katsuki sniffled.

“I will come get you if you promise me something first.” Tomura offered, like dangling a carrot on a stick, it was almost too easy.

“Anything!” The boy cried. He just wanted to go home with the only people who have ever truly loved and cared about him.

“Promise me that you are mine, that you belong to me, to my pack, that you will devote yourself to the pack and will never try to leave us again.” 

The implications were clear. Choose us, leave the heroes behind, and come home. Katsuki doesn’t hesitate to answer. 

“I’m yours. I'll let go of everyone from the past. No one else matters. I only want Daddy and Papa. I only want the pack. I promise.” Katsuki opened the bond and sent through all his emotion; he hopes his Daddy can feel his sincerity. 

“Good boy. Go to the courtyard by yourself and make sure not to be seen. We'll be there soon.” The line goes dead. 

He follows the instructions and makes his way to the main courtyard in front of the school. It takes him a little bit more time since he was trying to avoid being seen. By the time he gets there, he can hear the panicked screams of students and see the surrounding tree line glowing with blue flames. Papa

He breaks out into a sprint, running toward the action, not caring who sees him. He noticed something odd. Daddy was in the center of the fight, battling most of the teachers himself; he was decimating his opponents with multiple quirks. There were also hundreds of villains he didn’t recognize filling the area. A lot has changed in the past months; he hopes they'll be willing to share their stories of their time without him. 

A large hand suddenly grabs him from behind. He recognizes the quirk; it’s from a ginger girl in 1-B. He screams, “Let me go!” but stops when she winks and whispers, "Quite, Kats, it’s almost time to go home.”

“Himiko!” He whispered, turning to hug the villain in disguise. She hugs him back just as fiercely, the smell of sour citrus candy surrounding him, putting him at ease.

“Hey little bro, I missed you too, but there’s no time to catch up! We need to get you to Shiggy; as long as you make physical contact with him, the heroes won’t be able to take you away!" She explained that it was a legal thing. As soon as Katsuki makes contact with Shigaraki, then technically it is a reunification instead of a kidnapping, and the heroes cannot interfere. 

The pair run along the outskirts of the battle, pretending to be escaping students. But stop when they hear a student shout, "Kendo, I need your help over here!”

“This is where we part ways. Remember, all you need to do is make it to Shiggy. Keep running; we're all here to help you. I’ll see you at home, okay?" With that, the girl turned to help her ‘classmates’.

He runs along the flaming tree line but is stopped once again, this time by a familiar scent. He follows the scent of cinnamon and gingerbread into the forest and yelps as he is picked up from behind. 

“Atsuhiro!” Katsuki exclaims at the man dressed in his full magician costume, complete with mask. 

The Alpha set him down. "Hello, my dear boy, I heard you need some assistance getting to our fearless leader.”

“Yes please.” Atsuhiro is a master of evasion; if anyone could get him to his Daddy without being noticed, it was him.

“Take my hand, and I’ll carry you there.” He is compressed into a blue marble as soon as their skin makes contact. Time was hard to tell in the marbles; all he can feel is the vague movement of Atsuhiro running and jumping. 

There was a sudden, harsh attack, then he was abruptly let out of the marble and sent tumbling out onto the ground. He turns to see Mr. Compress doubled on the floor like someone had kicked him in the stomach. He wants to cry out in concern, but the heroes can’t know he’s trying to escape.

A hand grabs him by the scruff of his neck, and a woman’s voice rings out, “I found him!” It was the rabbit hero Mirko. She throws him over her shoulder and begins sprinting; god knows where. Katsuki tries to wiggle his way out of her hold without looking suspicious, but her grip is too tight.

This is bad. At this point in the fight, heroes from all over were beginning to appear. It was not looking good for Katsuki. Are he and the League even going to be able to escape together?

“Don't worry, pup, I am here to help! No, I’m not!” An army of Twice doubles seems to appear out of nowhere. They surround them and begin to attack Mirko all at once. The mass of clones gets bigger and bigger, eventually dislodging him from her hold. He hears her curse, reaching out to grab him but is interrupted by a punch to the back of the head. With a growl, she returns to fighting off the clones. While Katsuki is passed through the sea of clones until he lands in the hands of one with the pink handkerchief wrapped around his head.

“Jin!” The boy cried out in joy; the unmistakable scent of strawberries and tobacco gave him away as the real Jin, along with the pink cloth smelling of Himiko.

“It’s me, baby; let's finish this and get you home.” The masked man takes off the handkerchief and ties it around Katsuki’s wrist. Then he begins to sprout hundreds of Bakugo clones; each Twice that wasn’t actively fighting took one and ran in a different direction. Each young clone screamed out for help. The surrounding heroes looked agitated and confused, not knowing where the real Bakugo was. It should buy them some time; they probably won't be too keen on hitting the boy's clones with enough force they melt. 

They get to the epicenter of the chaos. The fight is currently in the air away from the students and the rest of the heroes. It's All Might v. Shigaraki, along with Hawks running interference, fighting any villains trying to aid Tomura. There were helicopters in the air broadcasting the fight. It was a mess.

“I can’t follow you into the skies. Stay here and wait for the best moment to strike. All it takes is one touch, and an automatic ceasefire will begin. Good luck, pup, I’ll see you soon!” With a kiss to the forehead, Twice leaves him to go help the rest of the rest of their allies. 

He hides behind some rubble, watching the two exchange powerful blows in the air. Eventually Tomura gets the upper hand; he uses some sort of air cannon quirk along with a red lightning-like ability to land a blow so hard it knocks All Might back down to earth. The man's body creates a huge crater on the ground below; a large cloud of dust and white steam surrounds the area. 

Tomura hovered in the air for a moment before descending down toward the edge of the crater. 

When the steam cleared, gasps were heard all around; there stood a small skeletal All Might. 

“Is this your symbol of peace? The man meant to protect you all? Don’t make me laugh! You all believe your heroes are infallible, but look at the one you put your all trust in! Your so-called hero society is an embarrassment; look at him! You did this! No man is an island; one human is not meant to carry the weight of the world on their shoulders! Burdening one man alone with the safety of the country... You have all killed your symbol of peace. I pity the next one you'll prop up to take his place.” Shigaraki stared straight into the camera as he delivered his speech, knowing they were broadcasting live across the nation.

All Might's right arm puffed up as he ran towards Shigaraki, screaming, “United States of Sma-”

This was his moment. Bakugo launches himself out of his hiding spot, propelling himself towards the villain. All Might falters just as he thought he would, stopping his attack just as Katsuki covers Tomura’s body with his own. The man stumbled, falling hard onto the ground to avoid hitting the boy. 

His Daddy’s hands plops down onto his head, one hand gently carding through his hair while the other stroked his face. Shigaraki’s nose scrunched in disgust, his ears twitching in irritation when he noticed the offensive products tarnishing his son's neck. He peeled the scent patch off, throwing it onto the floor before leaning down to lick at the bite, his tongue cleaning off all the neutralizer off the giggling pup's neck. He spat the disgusting product out onto the ground once he was satisfied his pup smelled sufficiently of him. Smiling, “There you are, puppy. Ready to go home?” 

Everyone watched with bated breaths as the child fearlessly nuzzled into the deadly hands of Tomura Shigaraki. His loud purring and swift wagging of his tail made it clear what he was thinking. Of course!

“Bakugo! Get away from him!” He hears Kirishima scream from somewhere to his left. 

“Young Bakugo, please-” Toshinori took a step towards the boy on stopping when Shigaraki snarled at him, stating.

“Not a step closer, All Might. You know, as well as I do, that this is no longer a battle you can use fists to fight. Stand down and call off your men.” 

“Of course, though I expect the same in return, first.” The hero replied through clenched teeth. 

“Paranormal Liberation Army, stand down!” With just a sentence, all movement from the villain's side came to an end on the battlefield.

Shigaraki raised a brow at All Might, “Well?” 

Toshinori raised a hand to the comm in his ear, solemnly stating. “All heroes stand down.” 

The fighting slowed to a stop, and all eyes turned to them. Many of the disgruntled heroes came to stand beside All Might, releasing loud complaints but following his lead.

“Who are they, Daddy?” The boy asked, pointing toward the hundreds of unknown villains coming to line up behind them.

"Oh, just a few new allies; nothing you have to worry your pretty little head about.” The man wraps his arms around the boy, turning him around to face the heroes. “It would seem there are some people wanting to speak with you.” 

Katsuki stiffened as he watched the sea of heroes part. Nezu and Eraserhead, along with both his parents, came walking towards them, moving to stand with the fallen All Might.

“Give me back, my damn kid, you filthy fucking villain!” Mitski screamed, snarling viciously at the Alpha holding her son captive. The only thing holding her back from pouncing on the man was All Might’s grip on her wrist. 

“Yours, you say? How exactly does this pup belong to you?” Shigaraki gently tilted the boy's head back, exposing his neck for all to see. “This bite is mine. My claim is strong and alive within him, whereas yours died long ago. You may have created him, but I have more of a right to him than any of you do. He belongs to me. I’m taking him back, and there’s nothing you can do about it.” A smug, mocking smile graced the villain's face as he watched the shitty excuses for parents seethe. Only getting angrier as the pup began to purr louder, nuzzling into the villain, ignoring them and leaking out the sweet scent of joy and contentment into the air.

Shouts of disbelief rang up from the other heroes.

“There’s no way!”

“He can't be serious!”

“We can’t just let him take him away!”

A loud bang is heard, then Nezu’s voice rings out, “Quiet down, please! Shigaraki is correct; since the two have made contact, despite our best efforts, a ceasefire will now be put into place. Any hero who dares interfere with their reunification will be putting their license at risk of being revoked. Since he is the only parent who is actively bonded with the boy, he has full rights to do as he pleases.” 

With that threat in mind, most heroes either began walking off the battlefield since the fight was effectively over or stayed behind, looking apprehensive but not willing to interfere. 

Yagi, despite the warnings, stepped forward, couching down at eye level with the boy, and asked. “Young Bakugo, please, is this truly what you want?” 

"Yeah, bro, there's no way you actually want to leave, right?” Kirishima yelled only a few steps behind his teacher. 

“You understand that by doing this you are denouncing your right to stand as a hero and siding with the villains, correct? If you leave now, you may never return to the halls of UA again.” Aizawa said in a pleading tone, hoping the warning would change the boy's mind.

“What have heroes ever done for me? They abandoned me for months, then tried to traffic me when I was rescued. You're all nothing but a bunch of lying hypocrites. I want nothing to do with any of you.” Katsuki hissed, watching as his teacher's faces morphed into ones of shock. As if they didn’t know what he was talking about. Puh-lease, they're probably just acting for the cameras. 

“We understand. Shigaraki, take your allies and leave the premises. The next time we meet will be with you behind bars.” The rest of the faculty turned to Nezu in shock. Not expecting him to give in so quickly. 

“You can certainly wish~” The villain purrs, extending a hand using some sort of quirk Katsuki had never seen before. One by one members of the League appear in some sort of gray sludge. Kurogiri greets him before opening a large portal and ushering the large group of villains to follow. 

The boy's purring gets louder and louder with the arrival of each of his pack members. One by one, each member of the League greeted him with a hug and a kiss, then walked into the portal until the only one missing was.

"Papa!"

“I’m here, baby!” Masuro answered, but Katsuki wasn't looking at him. No, he was looking at the patchwork arsonist known as Dabi. 

The smile on his scarred face could only be described as terrifying, but to the boy it couldn't be any more comforting. The pup ran, jumping into the man's arms, nuzzling into his face and neck with fervor, the older Omega returning the action just as fiercely. 

The scarred man walked over to the portal, greeting the white-haired villain with a kiss on the lips. Shocked gasps were heard all around, but it didn’t bother the little family. Katsuki only groaned “Ewww!” and looked away. 

"Oh, are your Papa and Daddy just sooo gross?” Dabi asked jokingly, eyeing his mate with a look. Shigaraki seemed to get what he was implying instantly, saying, “You never seemed to mind when we did this!” 

The two began to attack the boy’s face with kisses, leaving no place without a kiss. As the pup squirmed and giggled, whining, “Stop it!” Though everyone looking could tell he didn’t mean it. 

It was only at that moment that the villains looked normal. They all looked so peaceful, as if they were in their own little world. As if the pup in their arms was their whole world. It was only then that some understood why the boy had done it. Why he had chosen them. They would never say it aloud, but he looked happy. Happier than they've ever seen. Even if it was with villains, they were happy for him. He no longer had to suffer.

A misty head peeking out of the portal broke up the moment. “Ahem-I need to close the portal soon. Are you ready, young master?”

The pair turned to look down at the boy expectantly. The boy eagerly replied, “Yes!” The parents look down at their boy and smile, nuzzling into his hair before walking into the portal.

A scream rang out, "Katsuki, wait! I'm sorry; I should have never listened to her. I can be better! I can be like him. Katsuki, please don’t leave me! I'm sorry, baby! I’m so sorry!” Masuro cried, running towards the portal. The boy didn’t even spare him a glance. The portal closed, leaving behind devastation and heavy hearts.

===

On the other side of the portal, Katsuki is brought to the unfamiliar halls of what seems to be a mansion. He tries to ask where they are, but his Daddy shakes his head, and his Papa gestures for him to be silent. They walk to a large open living room with a huge nest nestled in the center in front of the television with some furniture placed around it. The rest of the pack are seated inside the nest, looking comfy, changed out of their villain costumes, and ready to nap. The nest sounds like a litter of kittens; when they approach it, each pack member purring loudly, so happy to have their youngest pup back home. They place him in the center, the rest of the family laying around him. Then he’s told the story of their pack.

He’s told of a boy who was a boy who was abused because of a decision his grandmother made as a hero. A decision that ultimately led him to falling into the hands of a dangerous evil man who groomed and abused him until the boy found his plans and killed him. Tenko Shimura

A girl who just wanted to be accepted and was outcast because of the quirk she was born with. Looked at like she was a monster for instincts that came naturally to her. And abused until she snapped, then blamed for being born incorrectly. Himiko Toga

A hero student who wanted nothing more than to help people but was killed. Caught in the crossfire of centuries-old conflict that had nothing to do with him. Whose corpse was stolen and desecrated until he was brought back to life. Oboro Shirakumo

A boy who was treated like an animal and bullied his whole life because of a mutation quirk. Discriminated against and beaten for simply being born different. Iguchi Shuuichi

A boy who was ridiculed for simply questioning the wealth and morality of heroes. Who wanted to take wealth away from heroes and give back to the poor. Atsuhiro Sako

A girl trapped in the wrong body just trying her best to be accepted. Only to be rejected and made a social pariah at each turn. Until her best option for a normal life was becoming a villain. Kenji Hikiishi

And finally. The son of a hero, born from an illegal quirk marriage. Genetically bred to be the perfect cross between fire and ice. A child made to defeat All Might. Cast aside and left to die when he wasn’t born with the perfect quirk. His death was hidden, swept under the rug by the HPSC. His body stolen and experimented on with no one to fight for him, the boy resorted to villainy to survive; he had no other choice. Touya Todoroki

After they are each done, telling the stories of how they got to where they are. The rest of the pack turned to look at the boy in barely concealed excitement. He was trembling with restrained rage and muttering something so quietly and viciously, the others couldn’t quite comprehend what he was saying but they could feel what he was projecting into the bond; only Shigaraki seemed to be able to actually understand the boy. 

“They can’t hear you, puppy. Can you say that a little louder?”

“I want to tear it down. The system that hurt you, that hurt us, I want it gone. I want to find those responsible and punish them. I want to destroy them all.” The boy rambled almost hysterically, not noticing the wide smiles directed at him or the glances and looks the other were exchanging over his head.

“Then that's what we’ll do. You only had to ask.” 

And with that, the boy succumbed to villainy. The poor thing never stood a chance. He was going to learn to accept the truth, whether he liked it or not. This was all a lesson for his own good afterall, not that he’ll ever find out.

The League could have saved him the same day he was taken. Spiriting him away from the commission with a portal in seconds. But where was the lesson in that? Shigaraki knew the boy would always have interests in heroes; nothing he said would ever change that… Unless he let the heroes shatter the boys' dreams themselves. He’d give the boy up, just long enough for the heroes to show their true colors, then snatch him back.

Of course he couldn't just send his baby into the lion's den with no protection. He just so happened to have a contact who was very interested in spreading chaos through the media. And pictures of the number three hero rescuing the latest and greatest news story were just up their alley. They helped spread rumors and lies to make his pup’s life hell until the only ones he had to turn to were them. Their spy sent them intricate details of the boy’s day, letting them know when the pup was doing worst so they had a chance to get into his head with maximum efficiency.

It was no coincidence Tomura made the boy pick sides publicly. No matter what happens, even if he ever changes his mind, no one will ever trust him again. He’ll have no one to run to except for his pack. Their baby was truly all theirs now in mind, body, and soul. And they are never ever letting him go again.

Start/Previous/Next

Are you willing to write for other fandoms?

It depends on my knowledge of the fandom. Like I could confidently write fics for Demon Slayer or Welcome to Demon School Iruma-kun. I just haven't gotten around to it yet. I haven't gotten requests many for other fandoms so far.

Strawberry Daiquiri

By:fairystar111

Rating: Gen

Fandom: Boku no Hero Academia

Summary:

Homelessness wasn’t part of Shouto’s plan for the future Neither was finding refuge working in a less than legal host club but anything was better than living with his father He wasn’t expecting to get a creepy stalker out of it Or to be kidnapped by him and find out he was truly his brother who disappeared ten years ago after attempting to murder him. But hey, when has life ever been easy for him?

Characters: Dabi | Touya Todoroki, Shouto Todoroki,

Tags: Alternate Universe - No Quirks (My Hero Academia),Alternate Universe - Yakuza, Host Clubs, Kidnapping, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Physical Abuse, Conditioning, Mind Break, Crossdressing, Past Child Abuse, Obsessive Behavior, Possessive Behavior, Gang Violence, Moral Ambiguity, Yandere Dabi | Todoroki Touya, Mental Instability, Infantilism, Forced Infantilism, Platonic Yandere, Yandere, Dehumanization, Stockholm Syndrome

When Shouto ran away from home at fifteen, he had no idea what he was getting into. He had never realized what privilege of a life he lived until he tried to make it out on his own. Despite the abuse he knew comforts most normal people never know in their entire lives. 

He was the heir to the multi-million dollar corporation, Endeavor Industries. He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and raised in a mansion. He didn’t know how to be homeless, let alone find a job.

But anything was better than going back home. He couldn't stand another day in the hell he was raised in. He couldn’t be his father’s perfect masterpiece and his mother’s rape baby any longer.

You see, his parents were not wed out of love but by a contract between companies. His mother was traded off to his father for shares in Endeavor Industries. The Hirmuras were given a percentage of the company in exchange for their most beautiful and intelligent daughter, Rei. His mother would produce three possible heirs for his father and then be free to do whatever she pleased so long as she stayed legally married to Enji.

Only that never happened.

His mother hadn't known the monster she had been married off to. She didn’t know the abuse she and her children would have to endure. She didn’t know how angry his father would get taking out all his frustrations on her. Or how broken she would become seeing each child born be rejected and discarded as worthless. Nor did she imagine she would be forced to carry another.

His mother hadn’t wanted any more children after Natsuo. Their contract had only ever included three, but his father had forced himself onto her after hearing the boy speak for the first time. She spent the entire pregnancy tied to a bed, force-fed, and sedated. His father had been worried she would try to find a way to kill the baby if he hadn't. He was right.

Shouto was the fourth and final child his mother birthed before she stabbed herself in the lower abdomen, rendering her uterus fruitless, and was institutionalized. Before him were the three so-called “failures.” Natsuo was born with a speech impediment that deemed him useless. Fuyumi, while incredibly intelligent, was a woman and could never be an heir. Touya, the firstborn and rightful heir, was born with multiple learning disabilities, including dyslexia and dyscalculia, and deemed unfit.

Shouto was separated from his siblings at age four when he began to show signs of being a prodigy. He was trained from dusk until dawn. All his time was spent studying with private tutors and working alongside his father. He wasn’t allowed to go to school like his siblings; he was different. His father believed he was the solution to finally surpassing All Might Incorporated. 

Touya was furious, naturally; he believed it was his birthright as the firstborn to become his father’s successor. He began to rebel. He would ditch classes, miss curfew, and set fires in the woods behind their house. His father was at his wits end with his behavior. No amount of screaming or beatings would dissuade him from his goal.

It all came to a boiling point when Shouto was five years old.

The day Touya tried to kill him.

Their mornings were usually painfully dull. They would eat breakfast, his tutor would arrive, then his father would leave for work, and his siblings would go to school. But that day his tutor was running late, and his father didn’t have time to call someone in, so he left him alone.

Or he was supposed to be alone.

But ten minutes after his siblings left for school, Touya came back. He said he was going to watch over him just until his tutor came. They waited around for a bit while Shouto did his class work, but one hour later the man still hadn’t arrived. He had suggested they call their father to see what was wrong, but his brother had adamantly refused.

Touya suggested he stop working and have fun. He let him watch television, and he let him play with some of Natsuo’s toys; they even played a game together! Shouto hadn’t gotten to act like a kid in so long. It was the most fun he had in years. Then when he was tired out, he took him to his room to take a nap. He had fallen asleep peacefully, not knowing he would wake to a burning home and his brother nowhere to be found. 

He was awoken by the smell of smoke and the dry ache in his lungs. His head pounded as he struggled to push the blankets off himself. He staggered to the door only to hiss when the metal doorknob burned his hand.

The fire was already outside his room. The whole mansion was likely up in flames. His bedroom was on the third floor. He had no way out.

The five-year-old began to panic. His room was filling up with black smoke, and it was getting harder and harder to breathe. He made his way to his window and opened it up, sticking his head out, trying to breathe clean air. 

“Help! Help!” He screamed out, but their home was unfortunately very isolated. They didn’t have any neighbors for miles. Tears filled his eyes as he realized no one was coming to help. 

He was going to die.

In a last-ditch attempt to save his life, he called out to the only caregiver he’s had his whole life. He sucked in all the air he could into his lungs and yelled.

“Father!"

“Help!” His throat burned, and his vision was starting to go spotty. He wobbled toward the door crying, “Daddy! Please!”

Then he heard it. 

“Shouto!” 

His father’s deep yell pierced through the air.

“Where are you! Shouto!” 

“In here!” He rasped out as he collapsed to the floor. His lungs rattled in his chest as he coughed out smoke. 

Seconds later the door to his room was kicked down, and his father rushed in, picking him up and throwing him over his shoulder as he dashed through the halls. Making his way out and avoiding the collapsing parts of the house.

As they crossed the living room, they heard a weak voice call out, “Father!”

Touya! 

Shout had forgotten his brother didn’t go to school today. He needed help too. 

“Daddy, help Touya!” He pointed a shaky finger in the direction of the living room. His head hurt, and he wanted nothing more than to sleep, but his brother needed help. He couldn’t let go. Not yet.

Only his father didn’t stop. He ignored the cries of his firstborn and ran out of the house. His father had saved him but left Touya behind to burn. He’ll never forget being carried over his father’s shoulder and seeing Touya stuck underneath the flaming rubble, screaming out for help. Then he blacked out.

He remembers the rest in flashes. Being placed on the lawn outside their home. His father doing chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth. The distant sirens coming closer and closer. The deafening sound of a house collapsing. Then silence.

He awoke three days later in the hospital as his father’s third child. All records of Touya’s existence had been wiped. Shouto’s existence had never been announced to the world. All people know is that Enji has two sons and one daughter. And that's all they’ll ever know.

Shouto hadn’t understood why his father tried so hard to keep Touya a secret.

It wasn’t until years later that he found out the reason why. During the investigation into the cause of the fire, they find out Touya had sent a message to his tutor from his father’s phone to take the day off prior to breakfast. Then they found a small worn trail leading to a shed in the backyard and a backpack belonging to Touya filled with burn cream, matches, gasoline, and other flammables. All signs pointed to Touya being the cause. He had organized and staged the fire himself. For what? Revenge? Attention? Notoriety? No one will ever know. 

He took that secret with him to the grave. 

After the fire, life became even more suffocating. His father bought a much smaller, more discreet house even more isolated than before. His father hired around-the-clock security to patrol both the inside and outside of the house at all times. He sent Natsuo and Fuyumi away to a private boarding school in fear they would too become like Touya and try to kill his masterpiece. 

Shouto wasn’t allowed outside. He didn’t even have a tutor anymore. He learned from a program online. For years all he did was stay inside and study. He had no choice. He was surrounded around the clock by guards paid to keep him trapped inside. 

It was terribly lonely. 

He had no one to talk to aside from his father, who was dreadful company. The man only listened to what he wanted to hear. He expected perfection and absolute obedience. If he were anything less so, he would be belted until he couldn’t walk. He even implemented maintenance spankings so he never forgot to be good. His behavior could be perfect, and he would still be beaten to discourage even the thought of misbehavior in the future. It was a barbaric way of parenting.

The small size of the house meant there was nowhere to hide when his father went on a rampage. If stocks in All Might incorporated went up or Shouto’s grades dipped even by just 1%, he would tear through the house, breaking everything he could in a violent rage. He would regularly destroy Shouto’s room in a fit of rage.

It would all be replaced the following day, of course, but it always left Shouto feeling so empty and scared each time it happened. Eventually he learned to never allow himself to get attached to anything. There was no point if his father could tear it all away from him in an instant. He got rid of everything he didn’t need, only keeping the bare minimum in plain colors that showed no personality and could be easily replaced. His life consisted of plain, monotone grey in every aspect. His father enjoyed it, said it was very utilitarian and mature of him to live so efficiently.

He hated it.

He hated him.

He spent years in that hell until the summer of Natsuo’s eighteenth birthday arrived. His brother was finally a legal adult; he was set to go to university with a full-ride scholarship separate from their father’s finances. He was safe from their father’s influence. He could go on to live a carefree life free from their past. The same goes for Fuyumi, though she stays tethered to their father by her dream of having a happy family. 

Once he knew they were safe. He left. 

He ran away exactly one month after his brother’s birthday. He didn’t want Natsuo to be blamed for his disappearance. He left one night and never looked back. It was quite easy. He knew the guards' schedules by heart. He waited until it was time for the guards to switch for the night shift. Usually there is about a five-minute lull where no one is watching him while they make the switch. He could have left years ago, but he didn’t want Natsuo to be forced to take his place.

While he had sympathy for his mother. He never met the woman, and he thinks it's unlikely that his father would take her out of the hospital just to create another heir. It would be too suspicious and would make people look into their family and the mysterious disappearances of the Todoroki heirs. 

Now that he's free, he’ll make sure his father will never find him again.

===

The first few months were rough. He had no idea how to survive in the real world without his father. He had no idea where he could safely sleep and take showers or how to get a job and make money. The times he did go into a shop to ask for work, he was sent out once they heard his age. Even if they did hear him out without his legal documents or parental permission, no one would hire him. He resorted to eating out of dumpsters and sleeping in filthy alleyways.

It didn’t help that he had to keep moving constantly. He couldn't settle down anywhere. His father has men crawling all over the city looking for him. While his father didn’t release the information of his disappearance to the general public, he knows he told people in the underworld of a reward for his capture. He heard some thugs talking about it once while he hid behind a dumpster, terrified at the news. 

It wasn’t until he was caught outside Club UA that he was able to find work. The place was a cafe during the day and a bar at night with both hostesses and hosts on duty around the clock.

Shouto hadn't even known what a host was, let alone that host bars existed. He was introduced to the life by a seasoned female hostess he had met one night while wandering the streets looking for food. She had come on to him, flirting playfully, trying to get him into the bar to spend money with her. Shouto tried to refuse, but the woman was very pushy. She teasingly tipped his hat off his head when he began to walk away, calling him too serious. But her voice went quiet and her eyes widened when she saw the distinct red and white hair that had been hidden beneath his hat. Shouto Todoroki, she said, like she had won the jackpot. Maybe she had; Shouto doesn’t know the amount of money promised for his return, but he knows it must be high.

He tried to flee, but a strong grip on his arm stopped him. A blond man with bright green eyes and a weird hairstyle dragged him into the club along with the purple-haired woman. They sat him at a table, and then for the first time in years. He burst into tears.

“Please!” he cried. “I can't go back; I just can't!” 

He sobbed, begging them not to report him. He spilled his guts, telling them of the abuse he had to endure every day under his father’s care. The looks he was receiving got more concerned as he went on. The pair had been under the impression that he was just a spoiled brat rebelling against their rich daddy for no reason, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. They whispered conspiratorially to each other for a moment before introducing themselves as Midnight and Present Mic.

Then they brought him to a room in the back of the bar leading up to the top floor of the establishment. Which seemed to be offices of some kind? There were lots of doors lining the walls in a maze-like pattern. Each door was decorated in a strange, unique sort of way.

They stopped at a plain black door, knocking and waiting patiently. A grouchy voice answered, grunting, “Come in,” and then he was sat in an armchair sitting opposite a man with long black hair and an eye patch covering one eye.

“Another stray?” He rolled his eye, sighing, “You can’t keep doing this, Mic.”

“Oh, come on! It wasn’t even me this time!”

“Mmph.” 

“Tell him Nem!” The women began speaking, telling the man of his identity and what they learned of his past. Then she told him he should offer him a contract.

“A contract? Him? Seriously?”

“Yes, Shou! You know what will happen if we don't!” 

Aizawa unfortunately does know what happens to most runaways. The homeless-to-sex-worker pipeline is very easy to fall into when you are young and desperate to survive. If Aizawa can help, he will. He'd rather they work at the cafe safely than be out in the streets unregulated and unprotected. 

“Alright kid, you in?”

Shouto hadn’t understood what he was agreeing to when he signed the contract, but the promise of a roof over his head, running water, and regular meals was just too good to pass up.

He was brought to an empty room and given a key, saying it was his now. They offered to have someone escort him back to where he was staying to retrieve his things, but he declined, stating he had nothing to bring. They handed him a tablet, telling him to order everything he needed with a pitying glance. Murmuring to each that his contract was going to start out high.

To become a host at the high-class Club UA, you must sign a contract, indebting yourself to them. The contract covers outfits, room and board, food, makeup, training, etc. Essentially everything to become a top-class host. The host or hostess must make back all the money spent on them each month before they can start earning money for themselves. The less they start out with, the higher their contract will be. If a person signs the contract, the club legally owns them until they pay it all back. They cannot quit or leave if their contract is not paid in full. If they try to escape, they will be dragged back by members of the gang One for All, who own the establishment. If a host cannot pay, their contract can be bought out by a client. But what they do with the host afterwards is up to them. As their debt will be transferred off to their client instead of the club, the host will be indebted to them instead.

It's quite predatory.

They take in pretty people who come from bad situations and put them in debt to work as hosts at their establishment. If they can’t pay up by the end of the month for everything the club spent on them, their contract will go into the negative, and they will dig themselves further into debt. It wasn’t great, and it wouldn’t be Shouto’s first choice if he had any options, but there wasn’t any abuse, and it was better than being homeless, so he stayed and learned the life of a host.

The job of a host is primarily to entertain and flatter guests. To giggle at clients' jokes, bat your eyelashes, flirt, and boost their egos. The goal is to make each client spend as much money as you possibly can and make sure they keep coming back for more. Hosts make clients feel like they're on top of the world, the handsomest man alive, or the prettiest girl in the world so long as they keep spending money. 

Most people that come into the host club are categorized into two types. Type A’s were wealthy, usually businessmen or yakuza that came into the club after work to discuss business deals with clients while hosts and hostesses entertained them.

Then there were Type B’s. They were usually poor, unattractive, socially awkward if not downright antisocial, overweight, or simply lonely. They came in for human connection and companionship. And they were quick to fall head over heels for a pretty host giving them attention.

Now Shouto doesn’t like essentially tricking people into loving him, but work is work. As shady as it is, it was the only job willing to ignore his age and help him hide his identity, and he desperately needed the money. So he dyed his hair black and bought turquoise contacts for his gray eye, hiding his most identifiable features, and began to work.

It was difficult at first given his lack of socialization but became easier the longer he did it. He got training from the older hosts and was eventually able to enter the ranks. 

Club UA had an intricate ranking system based on popularity, customer feedback, number of regulars, and quality of service. The higher the rank a host has, the more money they can make. Every host's goal is to make it to the top of the ranks.

Shouto was quite popular from the start. Despite his lack of social skills, most clients were willing to overlook that for his beauty.

He is beautiful; that is a fact.

His mother was chosen specifically for her beauty and intelligence, and his father, despite being an abusive bastard, is a handsome man and was even more so in his youth.

Shouto is a perfect mix of both. 

He learned quickly to use both of his traits given to him by his parents to his advantage. 

When he has male clients, he plays into the softness of his face. He applies rosy blush to the apples of his cheeks, curls his lashes and applies mascara to give him an innocent wide-eye look, and applies pretty pink lip tint and lip gloss to give his lips a pouty appearance. The clothes he wears are typically more feminine and cutesy but change depending on the client. 

For female clients, he usually goes for a more handsome, princely type of look. He contours his face, sharpening his cheeks and jawline, uses eyeliner to darken his eyes and make them appear sharper, and uses red lip tint to make his lips look like they'd been bitten or kissed. The clothes, while frilly, are still masculine and give him a sort of otherworldly, ethereal look.

It all depends on the person. Each client may want something different. Before each shift, he’s given a picture of each client that booked him in advance and a list of their likes and dislikes before their first meeting. Some may want him to look more goth, emo, cute, sexy, etc. So it's up to him to find a way to make their fantasy come true. He even changes his personality depending on the type of character he is going to play. 

He doesn't know how convincing he is, but most of his clients were willing to overlook his short stature and baby fat still clinging to his cheeks. A clear sign of youth. It was disgusting, but as long as they kept their distance, it was tolerable.

Thankfully, there is no touching of any kind allowed inside the club. That doesn’t completely stop customers from trying, though. Thankfully the club has good security, and the overseer, Nedzu, keeps a close eye on the place through the security cameras. 

During the day, the establishment is a cute host cafe. They open at nine am and serve coffee and other sweet drinks and desserts and offer a variety of hosts and hostesses. During the day they keep it PG; they dress more modestly and have more innocent interactions with their clients. The cafe advertises them as lunch dates. They do things like feeding each other cake, giggling and flirting, and drinking tea with clients. This time of day is mostly full of type B clients since the day services are much cheaper than at night. Then the cafe closes at five pm. They are given a five-hour break to do as they please, then the club opens up at ten pm and closes at three am.

At night they switch to more risqué outfits. They show more skin and are more provocative. During the night shift, they dance and pour drinks for wealthy Type A clients and their guests. It is customary for clients to buy their host a drink for each drink they order. So the night is filled with drinking faux alcoholic beverages, flirtatious dancing, and endless flattery as they pretend to be drunk. No hostess is ever actually served alcohol while working; it's just another way to get their clients to spend money. 

If a client is especially rich, they can buy a private dinner date with the host of their choice. This option is usually only used by type A’s, but sometimes a type B will scrounge up enough money or put themselves in debt for one. They are often incredibly uncomfortable for the host, but thankfully Club UA always has a bouncer escort them on their “dates” so nothing truly bad ever happens.

After a year of working at the cafe, Shouto became the first-ranked male host. Second was a blond named Kacchan, and third was a green-haired boy named Deku. He goes by Firefly, a nickname given to him by his first client ever. No one ever discloses their real names to customers at the bar. Lest someone find out their true identities and their real ages. He is cordial with the other hosts; some would even call them friends, but that doesn’t quell the competitive nature of their job. It's a cutthroat industry, and everyone is aiming for the top. The rankings often fluctuate, but Shouto is almost always in the top five. He’s one of the bar's highest earners now.

He’s made back the amount of his contract tenfold and is just waiting until he is eighteen so he can finally start university. He’s been saving all the money he’s earned to use for college; he already graduated high school early years ago in his father’s care and has multiple college credits from a program he was completing before he ran away. Shouto knows he can achieve his dream of being a child welfare lawyer. He wants to save children from abusive households like the one he was raised in. He wants to save others the way he was never saved. It’s his dream. He’ll even keep working at the host bar past eighteen if that's what it takes to make it come true.

===

One Friday afternoon. He had just finished up a short two-hour day shift that consisted of four thirty-minute bookings with a couple of regulars and one new client. He was on his break eating the tasty soba their chef Lunch Rush had prepared for him when his grouchy manager decided to interrupt him. Aizawa dropped off a file with his latest booking onto the table. 

Shouto picked up the paper, skimming through its contents, raising a brow when he saw something peculiar. “The whole night?” 

So that was why his shift had been so short. Someone had bought out all his time slots for tonight. Shouto knows how expensive it is to book him nowadays, especially during club hours. To book him for the entire night would be at least a couple of thousand dollars, and that’s not even including the drinks and added purchases they’ll have to make throughout the night. Just how rich is this guy?

“Yup, better make sure to leave a good impression and leave him craving for more. Who knows? If you charm him enough, you may get yourself a rich sugar daddy who’ll buy you out of this place.” The man joked.

“Pfft, as if.” The boy scoffed, rolling his eyes as Aizawa chuckled, walking away towards the bar to start setting up for the night. 

That life may be something most of his peers desire, especially the less popular ones who are thousands of dollars in debt, but not him. He would never judge his peers for choosing to do so, especially if they managed to find happiness or even love on the job. Like one of his older friends, Denki was bought out by a rich girl with popular music producers for parents. What was her name again? Koka? Jira? Something like that. From what he's heard, they're doing really well, and he is quite happy being a spoiled little boy toy. 

Life is hard, and they're all just trying to survive, but even so, it's just not something Shouto would ever consider for himself. He wants to be free to live his life as he pleases. He never wants to rely on someone else's riches ever again. It reminds him too much of life with his father.

“I’ll do my best.” He calls out to the man, receiving a half-hearted thumbs-up in return.

He stared down at the file, thinking, ‘Well, I might as well see who’s owning me for the night.’

Name: Dabi 

[Image]: A photo of a dark-haired man with vibrant turquoise eyes. He looked to be in his mid-twenties with intricate black snakeskin tattoos covering textured burnt skin. The bottom half of his jaw resembled the unhinged jaw of a snake, and his tongue was split in two like one as well. His face and ears were covered in shiny silver piercings. 

Type: A

Likes: 

Feminine clothing

Cute makeup

Shy or sweet personality

Dislikes: 

Male Clothing

Bold makeup

Loud and aggressive personalities

So a delinquent pervert with a fetish for cute boys. Great…

The man is definitely some sort of criminal. Yakuza maybe? Definitely bad news. Well…nothing he could do about that. The most he can do is bat his eyelashes and pretend he knows nothing about it, especially if the police come knocking again.

He heads upstairs to take a nap before he has to get ready for his next shift. He’ll need all the rest he can get. It’s going to be a long night.

Shouto wakes up around eight. He takes a shower and blow-dries his hair. He took notice of the red and white roots growing out. He would need to re-dye it again soon. He fluffed his hair out to make them less noticeable and began to apply his makeup. He did his usual look for male clients with an added bit of sparkly highlighter on his eyelids and cheeks along with a glittery pink lip gloss to make his features shine in the club's low lights. 

His outfit was simple since the man wanted something more shy and sweet yet feminine. He went for a white pleated miniskirt, an oversized pink sweatshirt, white thigh-high socks, and tennis shoes. He hates wearing this sort of getup, but it's what sells, so he can’t refuse. At least he can use the shy request on the client’s file as an excuse for why he’s not showing much skin. He hates the skimpy outfits the club usually gives them to wear. But hey, at least it's not a theme night this time.

Once a month the club has a night where all the hosts and hostesses wear the same outfit and roleplay a theme. Last month he almost had a heart attack when he saw just how tiny the maid outfits they had bought everyone were. He pretended to be sick that evening so he didn’t have to participate, much to Aizawa’s ire.

By the time he was finished getting ready, it was already nine forty-five. Time to head down to the bar. 

He sat at the secluded booth that his client had reserved. It was near the back of the club towards an exit, far away from the bar and other tables. It was one of their best tables for one-on-one interaction away from prying eyes and listening ears. It cost five hundred dollars alone to reserve. How much has he already spent on him?

Shouto was doing the math in his head when he noticed someone walking towards him. 

Oh, it was him.

Dabi, right?

He looked the same as his picture, though he was much taller than he was expecting. He was wearing a black leather jacket with staples decorating it, a t-shirt with some band’s logo on it, matching leather pants, a thick grommet belt, and black combat boots.

Shouto got up when he neared the table, bowing lightly and taking his hand. 

“Hello sir, my name is Firefly, and I’ll be your company for the evening. I hope we can have a good time together.” He said, looking up at him with big doe eyes and a small shy smile. Though he momentarily froze when he saw the look he got in return. His heart stuttered in panic. Did he get the theme wrong? He thought he followed the man’s interests to a T. Why is he staring at him with such thinly veiled contempt? Shit, if he loses this client, he’ll never hear the end of it. 

The man snapped out of it in seconds; the look on his face was unreadable. He grunted, “The name's Dabi. Don't forget it. I don’t like to repeat myself.”

Kind of rude, but okay. Shouto’s dealt with worse.

“Yes, sir.” 

“So how long have you been working here, Firefly?” 

For some reason he sounded like he was mocking him when he said his alias. Shouto chose to ignore it, responding cheerfully.

“About a year and a half. What about you, sir? What would you do for work?”

“Nothing you have to worry your pretty little head about.”

Well, that just about confirms what he thought. They're interrupted by a waitress coming up to their table.

“What would you like to drink, sir?”

“I’ll take a bottle of whiskey and for him—” Dabi paused, his eyes flickering to Shouto for a moment before he leaned over to whisper into the woman’s ear. The waitress blushed, leaving quickly to give their orders to the bartender.

“What did you get for me?” Shouto asked curiously. 

“It's a surprise, firefly.” 

“Oh.” The boy feigned sadness, looking down with a cute pout.

An ominous grin. “Don’t pout, baby, I’m sure you’ll like it. It was made especially for you.” 

“Well, I’m sure anything you pick will be delicious, sir!” He said softly, biting his lip. 

A look of disgust briefly crossed the man’s face, leaving Shouto to wonder what he was doing wrong. Usually the cute submissive act works well for male clients, but for some reason the scarred man doesn’t seem to be enjoying it. 

“So how old are you, Firefly?”

He kept his face perfectly even. “I’m nineteen!”

The bottle of whiskey arrived, the waiter leaving behind a small bucket of ice and a short round glass.

The man gave him a look. “You seriously expect me to believe that?” 

Shouto grabbed the bottle, carefully ignoring the man's question, instead asking. “Would you like your whiskey neat or on the rocks, sir?”

“Call me Dabi. And I’ll have it on the rocks.”

“Yes, Dabi.” 

Shouto picked up the small scoop from the bucket, filling the glass about halfway with ice, before opening the bottle and pouring the whiskey. The drink’s smell was strong and burned the inside of his nose. He tried to keep the displeasure off his face, but somehow the man spotted it. 

Letting out a raspy sort of snicker, “Not a fan of whiskey?” he asked.

“No, I can’t say I am.” He wrinkled his nose cutely. “I’d love to have a drink with you, but it’s much too strong for me.” 

He placed the drink in front of the man. 

A pause. Silence filled the air until the man decided to break it.

“So are you going to keep ignoring my question?”

“Hmm?”

“Your age? The real one?”

“There’s nothing more for me to say, Dabi. I am nineteen.” Shouto leaned closer to the man, whispering into his ear. “Please stop asking. It could cause trouble for not only the club but also you if rumors circulated that some of the hosts are underage. I know I look young, but please just accept what I say as true.” 

“Trouble for me? Well, aren't you a considerate little one.” The man let out a rough laugh. Shouto had a feeling he had no idea why the man was laughing, but he just giggled along into his palm.

“I suppose we'll just have to agree to disagree then.” 

The rest of the night felt more like an interrogation than a date. The man walked him into questions he didn’t ask or tried to trick him into answering truthfully. Dabi had a sharp mind and a quick tongue despite his outside appearance. It was like he was talking circles around him. Shouto felt like he was being analyzed and mocked the entire time.

He was left feeling especially unnerved when his drink arrived. The beverage was a strawberry daiquiri with an added layer of vanilla cream. The drink was perfectly layered, white on top of red. Half and half, just like his hair beneath its dye. The words Dabi had said earlier fluttered to the forefront of his mind. 

It was made especially for you.

He had frozen in place, staring down at the drink. 

There's no way. How could he have known? No. It’s just a coincidence, right? It has to be.

“Something wrong?” Dabi purred, raising a brow.

The boy looked up to see the man watching him with an intense look in his eye, like he knew something he shouldn’t.

Shouto chuckled nervously, a cold sweat dripping from the back of his neck. “Oh, nothing, it's just strawberries, my favorite. How'd you know?” 

“I know a lot of things about you, baby.” Dabi responded with a wink.

A loaded statement, considering this is their first time meeting.

He took a sip of the sickeningly sweet drink; it felt heavy in his stomach.

===

Shouto honestly didn’t want to service the man ever again. If he had a choice, he wouldn’t, but that’s just not how things worked at the club. He had tried asking Aizawa if he could ban the man from booking him but was told a resounding no. He was booted from the office with a warning to behave, considering he was already booked for the next Saturday night too.

Turns out Dabi spent around twenty thousand dollars at the club that night for both him and his associates. So they're not allowed to turn down a single booking that man makes. They’re to welcome him with open arms and serve him to the best of their abilities.

Eventually Saturday comes to be known as his night, and they would reserve it for him in advance. He constantly switches up the styles he wants to see Shouto in and picks him apart like it's his favorite thing to do. He always offers to buy out his contract at the end of the night. Shouto rejects him each time he asks, thinking there would be nothing worse than being in debt to that man. Dabi had been very offended the first time he said no.

“No?” A laugh of disbelief, “You’re saying no to me?” 

“Yes. It's very kind of you to offer such a gesture, but I could never accept.”

“I could set you free. You’d never have to work again, and you’re saying no?”

“I’m sorry, but my answer won't change.” 

The man just shrugged, “Fine, have it your way. But know this: you will be mine one way or another.”

After the first visit, weird things began happening around Shouto. His higher-paying clients stopped coming in one by one. It was strange because he knew people were booking him. He's seen new clients come in and book him, but five minutes after leaving, they’d always come rushing back in to cancel. He’s tried to follow them out to see what scared them so much, but each time he did, he was met with nothing but thin air. 

Slowly he began to fall down the ranks, his price dropped, and he was making less money per booking. Shouto was somewhat fine with it; the more time he had off, the better. It's not like he liked doing the job, but he’d rather not start dipping into his savings so soon. As long as he keeps making enough to cover his room and meals, he should be fine. 

The problem was the eyes. Shouto could never tell where they were coming from, but he could always feel them on him. Whenever he was down at the club, out running errands, or even in his bedroom. He could feel someone watching him.

If he happened to say he really wanted something he couldn’t afford, or couldn’t find a particular snack in store, it would appear on his doorstep the next day. It was creepy. While it's not uncommon for hosts to be given gifts by clients, they are usually not so personal unless they are being stalked. Which Shouto suspects he is being, by the only recurring customer he's had in weeks. So despite Aizawa’s warning, he confronts Dabi the next time he comes in.

“Where’s the outfit I got you?” Dabi asked gruffly, raising a brow and pointing to the casual loungewear he was wearing instead. The boy hadn’t bothered getting ready that day knowing he wasn’t going to be working.

“I didn’t wear it, and I'm not going to wear anything for you ever again. I’m firing you as a client. You're welcome to pick a new host for your current stay; just remember to book someone else for any future bookings.” He turned around to head back up to his room, but a strong grip around his wrist stopped him. 

“Don’t fucking walk away from me, Sh-Firefly.” Dabi growled, tugging the struggling boy onto his lap. “I already paid for the night, remember.”

“And I told you I refuse! Let go of me, you creep! Security!” Shouto screamed, trying to squirm free from the man's arms.

“Shut up, brat! You’re making a scene. I just want to ask you something!”

“No! I don't want your stupid offer! I won’t ever accept it! I don’t care if you chase away my other clients. I’m never going to go with you! Just leave me alone!” He grabbed the man's drink, spilling it down his shirt. The man momentarily lost his grip in shock, and with that opening, Shouto escaped, running away as security came to escort the man from the bar.

“You’ll regret that Firefly! Just you wait!” He heard the man yell as he made his way up the stairs, carefully ignoring him. 

Shouto’s heart hadn’t stopped hammering in his chest until he got to his dorm, firmly locking the door behind him. In the safety of his own room, he broke down into tears. He cried over his job, his family, and his life, just the unfairness of it all. Why did he have to sell himself to make money? Why did he have to deal with creeps all day? Why couldn’t he just have a normal family and live life like a normal teenager? It wasn’t fair!

It's been one month since the incident, and there have been no signs of Dabi. Shouto’s regulars have begun to come back; he’s been climbing back up the ranks, and he couldn’t feel the eyes anymore. So he guessed the man had finally given up.

Things have finally gone back to normal in the bar for the most part. They were all getting ready to celebrate Mina’s birthday. Mina, known as Pinky, was one of the most popular female hosts, known for her bubbly personality, eccentric dancing, pretty pink hair, and expressive golden eyes. She was finally turning eighteen, so the club was going to have a huge party themed around her, though they are advertising it as her twenty-first birthday. 

They had closed the cafe early and were all helping decorate. They were blowing up balloons, hanging streamers, putting up banners, and setting up tables. Shouto apparently had been doing a bad job because Bakugo yelled at him to go pick up the cake instead of making a mess. He gave him the address to the bakery and told him to fuck off. The bakery was about a thirty-minute walk away, so he had to leave early to make it back in time for his first shift. 

He grabbed his coat and slipped on his outside shoes before leaving. He put on his earphones and made his way downtown to the bakery. He decided to walk instead of being driven by the club's chauffeur; he liked walking, given how many years he spent trapped indoors. He liked to run around the bustling city, people-watching, petting stray cats, and listening to music. 

If he hadn’t been wearing his headphones that day, maybe things could have been different.

He kept walking unaware of the men following him or the van waiting to speed away with him inside. He turned the corner just a few blocks away from his destination when he was pulled into an alleyway by two men. The force made his headphones fall off his head, clattering onto the ground. A hand slammed over his mouth as he made to scream. He was quickly tied up, gagged, and blindfolded before being thrown into the back of the van. The doors slammed shut, a rough slap to the doors likely a signal, and they were speeding off. 

Shouto could feel the ground beneath him moving. He tried bucking his body into a sitting position but was met with a sharp kick to the ribs. A whimper escaped his mouth without permission. It had been so long since he’d last been hurt; it seems he lost all his tolerance.

His panic increased as he tried his best to figure out where they were going. He tried counting how many stops and turns they've taken but lost count quickly since each time they hit a bump, his head would slam into the ground, making it hard to keep track. His tears were now soaking through the blindfold, the only sound in the car being the hitching of his breath as he struggled to catch his breath. He doesn’t know how long it’s been, but eventually the car slows to a stop.

The doors open, and he is hauled out by his feet. He kicks and screams as much as he can, but his efforts are futile. His body is roughly hauled over a shoulder. The air is knocked out of him when he lands on his stomach. He’s wheezing as he’s carried through somewhere; he can hear the opening and closing of doors and voices that don’t quite make sense. Shouto’s thrown onto a bed, the mattress bouncing beneath him with the force of the fall; he hears the sound of a door being shut and locked, then silence.

The gravity of the situation weighed on him. He was alone. Trapped god knows where. With no rescue in sight. 

Oh god, he's screwed. 

There was no Aizawa or Father to save him this time. He forced himself to calm down; nothing good would come from panicking. He assessed the situation. His legs were tied together at the ankle while his arms were tied at the wrist behind his back; his hands were still able to move. All he had to do was get his feet to his hands and untie the rope. Simple. 

He did his best to roll off his side and onto his stomach. Then he bent his legs backward towards his wrists. It took a couple of tries, but eventually his hands grazed the rope; he grabbed on tight and blindly felt around for the knot. He clumsily grabbed onto it, untying the mass of knots holding his legs together. Once undone, he pushed himself upright and carefully pulled his legs off the edge of the bed, dipping his feet until he found solid ground. He got up and began to explore the room, searching the floor with his feet for any sharp objects to cut himself free and feeling around the walls for anything he could use to pull the rope against to create slack.

A muffled chuckle sent ice shooting through his veins.

Shouto whipped his head around, looking for the source. He couldn’t see how close they had gotten with the blindfold or block the hit coming straight at him. He cries out as a fist connects to his temple, sending starbursts shooting behind his eyes. He falls back on the bed when another fist connects to his stomach. He wheezed, struggling to catch his breath after the air was punched out of him.

“I knew the first thing you’d do is try to escape. You’ve always been such a smart boy, haven’t you, Shouto?”

He didn’t have time to panic over his name. A prick to his wrist sent drowsiness flooding through his veins. His limbs feel impossibly heavy as he is rearranged on the bed to his captor’s liking. He falls asleep to the raspy humming of an unknown man.

===

Shouto wakes up hours later without his bindings. He sits up, still feeling drowsy, and looks around. He was in some sort of concrete prison cell. The bed is wiry metal with an old-looking mattress and a small stained blanket on top. In the corner there is a metal toilet and sink, and then next to it a shower head pokes straight out of the wall. There are no windows, only a flickering bulb hanging from the ceiling to light the space. He stood up to take a look at the door and was startled by a rattling noise. Connected to his ankle was a thick metal chain connected to a cuff. The chain was only long enough to reach the toilet and the bed but not the door. 

He was trapped. 

The room looked like it was for long-term stays. He was probably going to be held for ransom and then sent back to his father. He knows the reward for his capture is up in the millions at this point. They were probably going to try to drain as much money as they could out of his father before sending him back. 

His breathing picked up as he imagined a life back with his father. There’s no telling how bad he would punish him for running away or the new restrictions he’d put on him. Shouto wouldn’t be surprised if he had a cell like this waiting for him back at his house. His head was spinning. Each breath he took in felt shorter and shorter; his lungs couldn’t catch up to his mind.

The creaking of the cell door only drove him deeper into a spiral. In a panic he dove underneath the bed, crawling beneath the frame as far as he could go. He knows realistically his captors will immediately find him, but his frazzled brain can’t handle the door opening and facing reality.

He squeezed his eyes shut as he heard footsteps enter the room.

“Shouto. Oh, Shouto. Where are youuu?” A raspy voice called out in a mocking sort of sing-song tone as if he were playing hide and seek with a child. 

“Found you.” 

The chain rattles as the man tugs it. Shouto’s shirt rides up as he is dragged across the concrete floor with no regard. The delicate skin of his belly and chin getting scraped in the process. He kicks and struggles as much as he can, but the man takes hold of his ankles and pulls him out the rest of the way before throwing him atop the bed.

Shouto opened his eyes, looking up to see, “Dabi?” 

“That's not my name, Shou.”

“What? What are you talking about? Where am I? Why-” A hard slap sends his head careening to the left. 

“Say my name, Shouto.”

“What? I-” The man’s hand raised again as if to strike again. “Dabi!” the boy blurted out, flinching.

“Wrong.” Another hit. “Guess I’ll have to jog your memory. You have until I’m done fixing you to say my name or you’ll be punished.” 

Fixing? What did he mean by—“Ah! Stop! What are you doing?!” he screamed. The man took his coat and tore off the button-up shirt he was wearing in one swift move. Shouto shuddered as the cold air touched his skin. He panicked as the man reached for his pants and used all his strength to kick the man in the chest. It hardly moved him and only served to enrage him further.

Dabi grabbed his throat and tightened his grip, choking him. Shouto’s vision blurred, and his struggles all but stopped as the oxygen failed to reach his brain. Once weakened, the man finished taking off the rest of his clothes, leaving him bare. Next he grabbed the boy’s jaw and pulled the left eyelid upward, digging his finger into his eye none too gently and removing the false blue contact. Then he pulled out a bottle of clear liquid and heavily doused a rag in it. He pushed up the boy’s bangs and began scrubbing off Shouto's makeup. 

“There, you finally look human, not like a painted doll.”

By the time he was finished, some of the boy's energy had returned, and he was beginning to struggle anew. Dabi grabbed a fistful of Shouto’s hair and dragged him to the shower area. He threw the disoriented boy onto the concrete floor and turned on the shower. The water was freezing as it ran down his body. Shouto shuddered and tried to move from the stream but was kicked back into place. 

“Close your eyes.” He was warned as the man took out a new bottle and poured some into his hair. The harsh chemical scent burned his nose. The man would harshly scrub at his hair, rinse, then repeat, over and over again. Shouto didn’t know what result he wanted, but he washed his hair over ten times until he was satisfied.

Shouto opened his eyes and saw the man staring at him with an odd expression. There was almost something familiar in those cruel turquoise eyes. Maybe the mistreatment is making him see things, but Dabi sort of reminds him of his father.

The thought left his mind as he was forced to stand, and Dabi began to wash his body. Shouto trembled, terrified at the man's intentions, but Dabi kept his cleaning strictly clinical. The soapy cloth was dragged harshly over his skin, leaving it pink and irritated. He was scrubbing so hard it felt like he was trying to scrub his skin off. 

Shouto had tried to beg him to stop but was met with a cold expression and even colder words. “It’s necessary, Shouto. Who knows what type of filth you've been exposed to working in a place like that? You’re disgusting and need to be purified.” The process was repeated multiple times until he was in tears and his skin was left red and raw. 

The man rubbed him dry just as aggressively as he had bathed him. The old towel's scratchy texture burned against his sensitive skin. Shouto felt like a stray animal being washed and dried before being given to a new owner. Why was this happening to him? He didn’t want this. Was he even going to be sent back to his father? Was the man planning to keep him? Why-

Dabi flicked his forehead to catch his attention before asking one last time. “Do you know my name?”

“I-I don’t!” Shouto said, squeezing his eyes shut and bracing for a hit.

“Hmm. Well, guess you won’t be getting any clothes or food tonight then.” The man walked towards the door, turning his head to the side and saying, “Oh, and I hope for your sake, you behave better tomorrow. The consequences won’t be this light again if you don’t.” 

The door locked shut with a deafening thud. For a moment the boy just stared at the wall in shock. D-did that really just happen? The creepy client from the club really kidnapped him, and now…now he was standing in the middle of a concrete cell, freezing cold, with nothing to wear. 

He crawled into bed, pulling the blanket over himself. It didn’t help much; it was too short to cover most of his body lying straight down, so he curled himself up as tightly as he could beneath the blanket. It could only help so much, though, with his hair still damp and his feet poking out into the cold air. 

Why did this happen to him? How long had Dabi known his identity? Was he planning this all along? Just who is Dabi? He wondered as shivers racked his body. 

He hardly slept the first night. In the morning his teeth ached from chattering all night long. He was ‘awoken’ by Dabi ripping off his blanket and pricking him with another needle. Only this time he didn’t lose consciousness. All the muscles in his body were forced to relax. All he could do was lay limp as the man changed him into a thin white hospital gown. It does nothing to stop the chills racking his form. He was blindfolded once more and unchained before being carried out of the room. 

He felt the man's heavy footsteps, and though he couldn’t see, he did his best to map out the building he was currently being held captive in. But as much as he tried, he just couldn’t figure out the layout of the place. Seriously, at some points it felt like they were walking through a maze. Just how big is this place?

Eventually the man comes to a stop; he hears a door open and is set onto a cold metal table. He shivers as his exposed skin makes contact with the metal; the gown hardly covered anything, and the room was freezing. Another set of footsteps entered the room soon after.

“Oh hello, what can I do for you today?” A new voice spoke. They sounded friendly.

Shouto tried to speak out for help. He wanted to tell them he was kidnapped and was here against his will, but it all came out a jumbled mess of sounds. It seems even the muscles in his tongue were forced to relax.

“Hey Doc. I need you to do a full examination on the kid. Test him for everything you can. I want to know if he’s harboring any diseases from his time in that filthy line of work.” 

“My, my, Dabi, I thought you said the boy was a simple host, not a streetwalker.” A man said in an overly fake jovial tone. 

Oh. He’s not going to help him. The doctor is like Dabi. He was in on the kidnapping and knew he was coming.

“Well, you never know with those One for All types. The club advertises itself as a decent establishment, but our men have found evidence that many of the lower-class hosts have been partaking in prostitution outside of work. The club knows of the issue and turns a blind eye so long as it doesn’t happen within their walls. I need you to check to see if he was whoring himself out or not.” 

What? What is he talking about? No clients are ever allowed to touch the hosts; it was the most important rule. But now that he thought about it, the less popular hosts did spend a lot more time outside of the club. And there were a lot of hosts that were very hostile toward Shouto when he first arrived and started quickly making his way up the ranks despite a lack of experience and training. Oh. Maybe Dabi is right, but he never did anything like that! He would never!

“So crude,” he muttered under his breath before replying, “As you wish.”

“I’ll be back for him in two hours; make sure to be done by then.”

“Of course! That’s more than enough time!” Shouto could hear the grin in his voice and an underlying hint of darkness.

“And doctor? No experimental treatments or unnecessary prodding on this one.” The door slammed shut. 

“Well, he’s no fun, is he?” The doctor cooed. “Poor thing, looks like he already put you through the ringer, didn’t he?” Shouto flinches as a hand grazes his temple; he doesn’t need a mirror to know his face is bruised along with most of his body.

“Well, we best get started lest he come back in a fiery mood.”

Shouto spent the next two hours being poked and prodded. His blood was drawn, and every inch of him was thoroughly examined. His eyes, ears, and mouth were all checked. Then he was stripped again and checked physically. Each touch was torture; he could never tell when it was coming or what was going to happen with the blindfold covering his eyes. He could tell the sadistic doctor was finding amusement in his fear too. Making himself as silent as possible before prodding him with a needle or pressing down on a sore bruise, then softly chuckling at each flinch and cooing sweet words he truly doesn’t mean. By the end of the appointment, he was left trembling and in tears, waiting anxiously in anticipation for the next violating touch. Relief floods his body when he hears the door slam back open. Dabi was back. 

Shouto heard the man's footsteps coming towards him. He flinched as a large hand gently carded through his hair. He cried out, begging to go, but he was hardly understandable. It seems Dabi got the message, though, seeing as he growled angrily at the other man.

“I thought I said no experiments, Doc.”

“Of course not, young Dabi! The little one is just being a bit sensitive; I'm sure he can attest to that as soon as the relaxer wears off.” 

“He fucking better.” Dabi said gruffly. “So how is he?”

“He is still intact and in perfect physical health aside from the damage you've done. There are no signs of disease on his body, though the results for his internal test will take a few days to process, but I believe they will all return negative. He shows no signs of sexual history or abuse.” 

“Hmm, we’ll see about that. Send me the results as soon as they're done.” Dabi picked the boy up and began walking towards the door. 

“You should really take care of him better. He’ll get sick at this rate.”  The doctor said in a knowing tone in his voice.

“He’ll be fine,” Dabi responded dismissively. 

The door swung shut. The only sounds in the halls were Dabi’s heavy footfalls and Shouto’s sniffling. He didn’t like the way relief flooded his body when Dabi came back. He was the one who left him there in the first place, but he couldn't help but feel safe in the man's arms. 

Everything around him is unknown; he doesn’t know what is happening or what's going to happen in the future, but at least he knows Dabi. He’s the only familiar thing in this place, and that brings him a tiny bit of comfort, though it probably shouldn’t. There is just something about him that is so nostalgic. He’s starting to think he may have known him from before he was a host. But from where?

He can’t remember.

They arrive back at his cell; his ankle is cuffed, and Dabi pricks him again with a needle. He hears the door close and assumes the man left. After about twenty minutes the relaxer wore off; he stretched his aching limbs and reached up to take off the blindfold. He was startled when he noticed Dabi sitting at the foot of his bed. 

“Do you know my name?”

Shouto hesitated. The last time he failed to answer correctly, he was beaten and had his clothes taken away, but silence would only anger the man more. He lowered his eyes and braced himself before replying, “No.”

Surprisingly he wasn’t punished, at least physically, this time. The man just threw a water bottle onto his lap and left, stating. “That's all you're getting today then.” 

He chugged half the water immediately and decided to save the rest for later. His stomach grumbled, aching for food. He hadn’t eaten since the day before he was kidnapped; the day of, he had skipped breakfast, assuming he would fill up with snacks at Mina’s birthday party.

He was starting to feel lightheaded; every time he stood up, black spots would cloud his vision. The water in his belly emphasized just how empty it was. With nothing to do and no viable plans of escape, he decided to go to sleep. If only to take away the hunger pain. Luckily he was able to keep the gown; it didn’t cover much, but it was better than nothing. At least it gave him another layer to protect him from the bitter cold that haunted the cell.

The lights are off when he awakes. He didn't know how much time had passed; it was impossible to tell without windows. He woke up with a splitting headache and a hot, feverish body. Everything hurt, his nose was runny, his throat was sore, and he could hear an uncomfortable rattling in his lungs when he breathed. Tears spilled down his cheeks as he sobbed alone in the darkness.

He doesn’t know how long he spends like that, but eventually the light flickers on, and Dabi comes back. He looks down at him in concern? That's weird; maybe his fever is making him see things. The man placed the back of his hand on his forehead. 

“Shit.” He cursed quickly, uncuffing the boy's foot and sitting him up. “Come on, Shou, we’re going back to the doctor, okay?”

“No!” The boy shouted. The only word he heard in his feverish state was doctor, and he refused to go back there.

“The Doc’s not that bad. He’ll help you feel better. Come on.” Dabi picked the crying boy up bridal style.

Shouto struggled against the man as if he was being sent off to his death. Kicking and bucking in his hold, all while tears blurred his vision and sobs left his throat. “Please no!” 

“Shouto! Calm down-” The boy was making his fever worse, getting so worked up. He needed to calm down.

The loud yelling. Turquoise blue eyes. It was all so similar. His fever-riddled mind couldn’t tell the difference.

“Father, no! Please don’t make me go!” 

“What did you say?” 

“Father?” He cracked his bleary eyes open, and oh. He had forgotten where he was. He’s not home with Father or back at the host club. He’s with Dabi, and boy, does he look terrifying.

“No. You’re wrong. You're still fucking wrong.” 

“Look at me, Shouto.” Dabi grabbed the boy's jaw forcefully, moving his gaze upwards, gripping the boy’s face so hard his knuckles turned white. He ignored the boy's crying, shouting. “Fucking look at me! Think, Shouto, who do I remind you of? Who do I look like? Who am I?”

Shouto paused his struggles, opening his eyes and looking directly at the man. Once he looked past the piercings, tattoos, and burns. He saw his mother's delicate face shape and slender figure. He saw his father’s vibrant turquoise eyes and the volatile anger that came with them. He saw Natsuo’s long white lashes and Fuyumi’s eye shape and smile. He saw his family.

He saw.

“Touya-nii?” 

“Finally! I know it’s been a while, but I had hoped you wouldn’t have forgotten your dear older brother so easily.” A teasing smile crossed the man’s face, so similar to Natsuo it hurt.

For a moment he just stared in shock. It couldn’t be. There's no way his deceased older brother was alive. All this time he spent blaming himself for his death just for him to be here in the flesh. Just for him to kidnap him and treat him the same as their father.

Why? Just…why? How could he do this?

Then what the man said caught up to his mind. He scrambled to explain himself through stuttered sobs.

“I didn’t! I w-wouldn’t! I-I saw you burn, the house i-it collapsed…Father left you behind…Y-you died. It was m-my fault…father didn’t s-save you because of m-me. B-but how? H-how are you alive?” 

Touya wiped away the tears from the boy's eyes. Looking down in satisfaction at the mess he had created. “Shh-shh, it's okay, baby. None of that matters right now. All that matters is getting you healthy again. We can talk about all that other stuff later.” 

“No doctor?” The boy whimpered. Looking up at his brother? with pleading eyes. He was so tired, everything hurt, and he just wanted to go to sleep. His body felt like it was on fire, and his head felt like it was stuffed with fluff. Everything was hazy and blurry; he felt like he was on the verge of fainting.

“No Shouto, no doctor.” He leaned his head down, placing a kiss on the boy’s forehead. “Shit, I need to get you in the bath quick; you're burning up.” 

His brother carried him through the halls, not bothering with the blindfold. From what he can tell from the long hallways and tall ceilings, they were in a wealthy estate similar to the one they grew up in. The crown molding, expensive wallpaper, and art hanging from the walls were dead giveaways to the wealth and power that resided in these halls. Whatever his brother’s been up to these past years, he’s clearly been successful at it.

They stopped at a large wooden door. They entered a large, luxurious bedroom. His brother left him resting on the king-sized bed in the center of the room while he entered another room. He heard the sound of running water as he laid there, teary eyes squeezed shut in pain. 

After a couple of minutes, Touya came back. He stripped him of the medical gown he was wearing and carried him off to the bathroom. The boy gasped, eyes snapping open as his legs were dipped into the freezing cold bath. He whined, tightening his grasp around Touya’s neck, not wanting to let go and be fully submerged in the icy water.

“Let go, Shou. It’s for your own good.” The boy refused, squeezing his eyes shut and holding on tighter. “Come on now. You don't want to be punished this early, do you?”

The thought of being hit in his current state was enough to have him quickly releasing his hold. He didn’t want to risk the man getting angry and beating him again, especially not when he felt so weak. He shivered as he slipped the rest of the way down into the bath. The tub was huge; the water was chest level.

His body shook as his brother cupped his hands in the water and brought it up to his head, wetting his hair and face. He let him soak in the frigid water until it was lukewarm, then checked his temperature and drained the bath, refilling it with new cold water. He repeated the process five times until the boy's high fever began to lower. Once his temperature was back to being at a safe level, the man began to clean the sweat and grime that had accumulated on the boy’s body.

Shouto braced himself when he saw his brother grab a pink bottle and squeeze some shampoo into his hand. He shut his eyes hard, expecting the rough hair pulling and harsh scrubbing to start, but it never did. His brother gently ran his fingers through his hair, massaging the shampoo in, and gently raking his fingers against his scalp. His head was tilted back as Touya poured water through his hair, rinsing it free of soap suds.

The gentle scent of strawberry wafted through the room. His brother’s eyes were soft as he took care of him, nothing like he was before. It was hard to believe that this Touya and Dabi were the same person.

Touya lifted him to stand on his knees and then began to wash his skin. He moved the loofah in slow circles, softly washing away the sticky sweat that had left an uncomfortable itch beneath his clothes all night. Then rinsed away the soap before draining the bath and taking him out. 

His brother dried him off with a fluffy white towel, tenderly dabbing away all the water from his skin and hair. He wrapped him up in a new dry towel and picked him up, bringing him back to the bedroom. He lays him down on the bed and disappears into another room, presumably a closet. 

Shouto’s head feels a bit better; it still hurts, but at least he doesn’t feel as unbearably hot anymore, though now he’s freezing. He curls up using the towel as a blanket while he waits for his brother to come back. The thought of escape briefly crosses his mind. He was unchained and unsupervised; he could try if he wanted to…but he doesn’t know anymore. Everything was so confusing, and he still felt so sick. He doubts he’d even get very far, and it would only anger his brother, who for once seemed to be in a good mood. He debated with himself for a while before deciding to save those thoughts for another day. He'll definitely escape…eventually…just not today.

Touya came back with a stack of clothing in his hands. He lifted the towel off of him and pulled his legs straight, moving the boy to lay on his back. He moved each of the boy's feet into the leg hole of the boxer briefs, lifting them up his legs and lightly slapping the boy's thigh and telling him, “Up,” when he reached his upper thighs. Shouto whined; he could dress himself, but his brother wouldn’t listen.

The man had just scoffed, “I know that, but why would you when I’m here? Now lift your hips. I won’t ask again.” a bit of irritation leaking into his voice. The boy was quick to obey in fear of being punished. He lifted his hips and his legs, sat up, and raised his arms, doing whatever the man ordered of him. When Touya was finished, Shouto was left in a warm set of pajamas. A baby blue hoodie with matching sweatpants and white fluffy socks. 

Touya moved him to lay beneath the covers, resting his head on the soft, silky pillows. He rummaged through the nightstand beside him, pulling two bottles. He opened the first one and offered him a pill. Well, more like ordered, he put it up to his lips and grunted, "Open,” like it wasn't even an option to say no. 

“Don’t swallow it yet.” 

Shouto held the pill on his tongue; he had assumed the man was going to give him water to wash it down, but he just opened the second bottle. He poured red viscous liquid into the clear cap and held it up to his mouth, waiting for him to open it. The boy could smell the unappetizing bitter scent of cherry cough medicine, though he ignored it dutifully, opening his mouth and allowing the man to pour it in.

“Swallow”

Shouto obeyed the order, choking down the thick mix of medicine. Grimacing at the awful artificial cherry and medicinal taste stuck on his tongue. While his brother chuckled, ruffling his hair and calling him a ‘good boy’ as if it were a compliment.

“Good little boys who listen to their big brothers deserve rewards, don’t they, Shouto?” Touya purred, teasingly waving a water bottle he seemingly pulled out of nowhere in the boys’ face.

“Yes, please.” Shouto doesn’t care anymore; he just wants the gross taste out and to go to sleep.

He allows his brother to tilt his chin up and feed him sips of water all while cooing and saying, “See, baby, life could be good here. All you have to do is behave. Just like this.” 

The boy didn’t know how to respond to that, so he simply gulped down another mouthful of water and ignored it, drinking until the bottle was empty. After he was done, his brother tucked him under the covers and finally allowed him to go to rest. 

He wakes up some time later to his brother lying next to him absentmindedly petting his hair while scrolling on his phone. 

“How are you feeling, baby?”

“Better,” He groaned, yawning and stretching out his limbs. His stomach lets out a loud grumble. He is starving. He hadn’t eaten in days; his stomach felt like it was eating him alive.

There's this mocking smile on his Touya's face when he asks. “Hungry?” As if he didn’t know the answer to his own question. As if he weren't the reason Shouto was starving.

Shouto takes a breath, quelling his rising anger, and looks up at his brother with doe eyes and answers pitifully, “Yes. Can I please have something to eat?” 

“Of course all you had to do was ask.”

Yeah right, when could he have asked when all the man did was rough him up since he got here. He only started acting nice today, and Shouto can’t even figure out why. It was bizarre.

A couple of minutes later, there's a knock at the door. His brother goes to answer and comes back with a tray of food. Shouto sits up expecting his brother to put the tray on his lap, but of course he doesn’t do that. Instead he takes a seat beside the boy and begins to blow on a spoonful of soup. He brings it up to Shouto's mouth with an expectant look on his face.

Shouto doesn’t hesitate, opening his mouth and accepting the food. It was just plain chicken rice porridge, but it tasted so delicious to the starving boy. He swallowed it quickly and opened his mouth for more.

Touya snickered as he watched the boy. His little brother looked so pathetic, like a baby bird waiting to be fed by its mother. It was adorable.

Shouto’s face flushed in embarrassment, the irritation from earlier rising once more. He forced himself to calm down. He can’t risk setting the man off and having his food taken away.

He allows him to continue feeding him, giving him occasional sips of tea, until all the soup is gone. The only thing left on the tray is a small cup of diced fruit jelly. Shouto grabs it without thinking, taking the small plastic spoon off the top and going to peel it open when his brother growls.

“Did I say you could do that?”

“N-no, I’m sorry.” 

“Put it back and give me your hand.”

Shouto followed the command, putting the jelly back onto the tray and putting his trembling hand into his brother’s. Touya struck his hand five times in quick succession, slapping the skin hard until it was pink.

“Bad boys who don’t listen don’t deserve dessert,” he said sternly. 

Shouto doesn’t know why something so simple, a childish punishment really, was his last straw, but it was. All his emotions just came crashing down at once. Everything he had to endure because of him floated to the forefront of his mind. The man invading his workplace. The stalking. The harassment. Dabi revealing himself as Touya. His deceased brother coming back to life and kidnapping him. The beatings. The doctor. Everything just accumulated and came out in the form of heart-wrenching sobs. Sounds he didn’t even know he could make were slipping from his mouth, expressing his despair to anyone that could hear them.

“Oh baby, are you seriously that upset over a little thing like this? You really ar-”

He couldn’t handle the patronizing cooing anymore. He threw aside his better judgment and screamed.

“S-shut up! Just shut up! What is wrong with you! Why can't you just leave me alone! Why are you even doing this!? What did I ever do to you-” A hard strike to his cheek sends him falling back onto the mattress. He tries to throw a punch of his own, but the man caught his arms, pinning them to the bed. 

“Don’t sit there and act so fucking innocent! You took everything from me! I should have been the Todoroki heir! I should have been his father’s favorite! Instead, it was you, and all you did was throw it away like it was nothing. An ungrateful little brat like you should have never even been born! Your whole existence is proof that I was never enough for Father!” 

“I never asked to be born! I didn't want to be his heir! I didn't want any of this!” Tears flowed freely from the boy’s eyes, his head was pulsing in pain, and all he could think was why? Why is he always blamed for actions he had no part in? It seems in every universe Shouto is the catalyst to his family's suffering.

“Oh please, because the life of a prissy little masterpiece is just sooo hard. You threw it all away to be a cheap whore at some host club! I wonder how Father would feel knowing just how pathetic his golden child really is.” The mocking tone and smug look on his face were enough to send the boy's blood boiling.

“If you hate me so much, why bother bringing me here? Why spend all this effort toying with me if you despise my existence so much! Why not just take advantage of my disappearance and go back to Father? Tell him you're alive and take my spot! Why are you bothering with me at all!” 

A long pause. His brother stared down at him silently with an unreadable look. 

“Answer me! Why am I here, Dabi!” 

“It’s too late for any of that. I'm going to right our father’s wrongs and make you what you should've been all this time.” His brother's eyes darkened; for a moment, Shouto really thought he would finish what he started all those years ago.

“Are you going to kill me? 

“No…no..you’ll see.” 

The answer did nothing to calm the boy.

===

Dabi may not have been the heir to the Todoroki conglomerate, but the second in command to a massive criminal organization with ties in the police force, politics, and million-dollar corporations is not so bad. Though his journey up the chain had been a difficult one. 

After his failed murder attempt in which he barely fled with his life. He was found unconscious on the forest floor miles from his home by a pair of hikers. He was rushed to the hospital, where he stayed in a coma for a year. The burns left him unable to be identified, with no ID or missing persons report; he was treated as a Jane Doe. The doctors had removed all the burnt flesh, replacing it with skin grafts that, despite healing correctly and closing up any open wounds, left behind a marred, scaly texture to his skin.

After he woke up, he was subjected to a year of both physical and speech therapy to heal the damage not only externally but also internally. Over a year in a hospital bed had left his body and stamina extremely weak. Thankfully the nurses watching over him in his comatose state were very attentive, and none of his muscles had atrophied. But his lungs had been damaged from the smoke inhalation along with his vocal cords. 

He had to relearn how to talk with his new voice and walk more than a couple of steps without being winded. It was a long process during which he faked amnesia. When he had first awoken, he had been unable to speak, therefore unable to answer any of the doctors pressing questions. Once he moved forward in his physical therapy and was able to speak again, he decided against telling them his true identity. If his father hadn’t found him yet, then surely it was for good reason he had assumed.

Once he had regained most of his strength and mobility, he ran away. He had overheard the head nurse in charge of him mention foster care and their plans for his future and wanted no part in it. He had snuck out in nothing but the hospital gown he was given. 

He had tried to go back to the only home he's ever known but found only ruins in its place. He walked and walked until he found a public library. He went in ignoring the wary and horrified looks. He had honestly been confused; ever since he left the hospital, people on the street would avoid him like the plague, their eyes almost bulging out of their skulls as they stared at him. He knows the thin gown he was wearing was a bit bizarre outside of a medical setting, but it can’t be that bad, right? 

He took a seat in the computer section and began his search for his father, only to be left gutted at what he found. In a recent interview, his father had mentioned how he had three children, two boys and a girl. The interviewer joked, “Are you and the missus ever going to make things equal with a fourth?” His father had replied, “No, I am content with my children as they are.”

His existence had been erased. 

All the grace he had given his father crumbled away as he faced reality.

During his recovery he had deluded himself into thinking that his father had not saved him because he trusted he could get out of the burning house on his own. That he knew in his heart, he was better than Shouto and didn’t need someone to rescue him. But no, he left him for dead on purpose. He was comfortable with him burning. He was content with his death.

The hospital he had been staying at was only thirty minutes from their home and the closest one in the area. If anyone had bothered to look, they would have found him immediately, but no one ever did.

He ran to the restroom feeling nauseous. He slammed the door open to an empty stall and proceeded to empty his stomach. There wasn’t much to begin with, only some soup and water he had been given in the homeless shelter he briefly stayed in. His hands gripped the sides of the toilet as bile burned his throat on its way out. He slumped over when he was finished and began to cry. Sobbing quietly with his fist in his mouth to muffle the sound.

When he got up, what felt like hours later, he felt empty, like there was no place for him in this world. He robotically made his way to the sink, washing his hands and rinsing his mouth. His eyes caught his reflection in the mirror, and his heart stopped. He looked like a monster. Red swaths of textured burns covered his body. The bottom of his face and neck were marred. The stress from his home life had been giving him white hairs even before the fire, but now his whole head was white, not a strand of red left. All of this combined with his voice, it was no wonder everyone was staring at him. The hospital never allowed him to look in the mirror; they believed it would send him into a state of shock. 

They were right. 

When he looked at his reflection, all he saw was a stranger. He thought to himself, ‘That couldn't possibly be me. That can’t be Touya Todoroki, the firstborn son and rightful heir to Endeavor Industries… No..Touya died in the fire.’

He was now something entirely new.

He was homeless for a long time, spending his days doing whatever was necessary to earn money. He didn’t like to think about all the time he spent in dark alleys on his knees or pressed up against walls. When he was sixteen, he was kidnapped by one of his regulars, a drug dealer who took alternative forms of payment for the pills Touya couldn't afford that he needed to soothe the ache in his skin from the fresh scars. He didn’t notice the signs of obsession forming in his dealer’s eyes before it was too late. He was imprisoned and used as the sick man’s *** toy for months. It wasn't until members of a gang the man owed money to showed up and freed him. They had murdered the man and each of his grunts in cold blood. The only reason he had survived was because one of the killers realized he wasn’t there by choice. He took mercy on him and offered him an ultimatum. 

Leave with them or die here alone. 

He joined the gang All for One and began work as a grunt in one of Japan's largest crime syndicates. Since he was so young and inexperienced, he spent a lot of time training his body, learning to use weapons, and doing anything to be useful. He didn’t want to disappear like the others who tried to run. For the first two years, he was essentially an illegal errand boy, lookout, getaway driver, or really anything they asked of him. He spent any free time he had honing his skills and getting stronger. 

Once he showed them how capable he was, he was moved up. He started to be put on larger missions, and the better he did, the bigger a name he made for himself. Eventually he found himself stationed as Tomura Shigaraki’s bodyguard. It was during this time that the other man took notice of his abilities. He took notice of the success rate of missions he went on, the clever strategies he would employ, and the ease with which he used weapons. 

He was quite skilled with a gun; he had a deadly accurate aim and sharp intuition on when to use it. Of course he was still quite partial to arson, though flamethrowers were too bulky for most jobs, but bombs and other explosives weren’t. That’s not to say he wasn’t good at the subtler modes of fighting; he excelled at hand-to-hand as well as knife and stealth training. If not for his distinct scarred skin, he would've been an excellent spy.

Before he knew it, the successor of the All for One mafia began to include him in confidential strategy meetings along with asking directly for his input on new recruits and his opinions on his plans. He even met all of his most trusted confidants. He was doing all the work of a higher-up, but he was still being kept at a distance for some reason. It wasn't until he went on a mission with them all that he found out why. It had been a test, though he hadn’t known at the time.

They were ‘meeting’ with a rival gang who wanted to join forces. Dabi was going to act as a bodyguard for Shigaraki. The first half of the meeting had gone well, then a fight had broken out. A sniper hidden somewhere in the room had taken out the entirety of their associates in the blink of an eye. Touya moved to stand in front of Tomura, reaching for his gun, but it was one against ten. Ten guns pointed at him as the opposing leader barked at him to keep his hands where he could see them.

“If you leave him behind, we’ll let you walk out of here alive.” The man offered, gesturing to Shigaraki.

Dabi had done the only thing he could. He pushed Shigaraki to the ground, screaming at him to run as he fired as many rounds as he could before he was knocked down by the rain of bullets hitting his body. He had laid there in pain waiting to die, but after a minute he realized he wasn’t bleeding. He sat up confused, groaning in pain, and saw the rest of the League sitting there with Shigaraki, no sign of the 'rival gang' anywhere, as if nothing had happened. 

Turns out they had been firing rubber bullets. It had been a test to see where his loyalties lay. Since he was a part of the gang by force, taken as compensation for his dealer's mistakes. They wanted to see if he’d take the opportunity to run or protect the boss if given the chance. He had passed.

After that he was the boss's second in command. He took on the identity Dabi and tattooed over the scars of his past. He left his old life in the past, never looking back. At least he thought he did; it wasn’t until rumors of Shouto’s disappearance began to circulate the underworld. At first he had thought ‘good riddance’ and left it at that, thinking nothing more of it.

It wasn’t long until he found out the brat ran away on purpose. The ungrateful little shit took Dabi’s birthright and spat it out right in his face. He was going to find him and make him regret ever being born.

He used every contact he had and set off his search for Shouto. He was unsuccessful. For an entire year, the boy managed to evade him. It wasn’t until he was on a mission to infiltrate a club rumored to be owned by their rival gang One for All that he found him. 

It had been a complete accident; he was flipping through the options on the host menu while booking his ‘date’. He was going to pick one randomly just to get it over with when his brother’s picture caught his eye. He stared at it in disbelief. Shouto’s hair was dyed black and his grey eye was covered, but he couldn’t fool him; that was his brother through and through.

Rage like he’d never felt before filled his veins, infecting every part of his being. 

How dare he? 

How fucking dare he!

He had the life Touya dreamed of, and he threw it away willingly to sell himself off like a whore. Something Touya was forced to do to survive.

Fine!

If Shouto wants to know what life is like outside their father’s protection so badly. He’ll show him exactly what happens when you leave the nest.

He’ll discard him and make him feel worthless as he did when Enji left him to die in that burning building. 

Then he’ll remake him into something new just as he had become.

He’ll make him into something useless. Something that holds no purpose other than to please. 

The dumb, adoring little brother he should have been. 

The kind of brother who would've looked up to him with stars in his eyes instead of looking down upon him. 

It was something he realized during the fire. He liked seeing his little brother weak and reaching out for him. He liked seeing him broken and screaming out for help.

It felt right.

He would make it that way again.

Even if he had to break Shouto over and over again to make it happen.

===

Figuring out how to survive living with his brother was a nightmare. 

The first thing he learned was that Touya is very mentally unstable. The smallest things can set him off and end in punishment for Shouto. It was terrifying and left him trembling each time it happened. The man could change at the drop of a hat. Suddenly he’ll be aggressive, verbally tearing him apart or lashing out physically, and he’ll have no idea why, or he’ll be so sweet it’ll give him whiplash.

He was given a new room next to his brother's connected by a door. It was a medium-sized bedroom lacking any windows but filled to the brim with soft pastel colors and cute childish items. The walls were a pale eggshell blue plastered with decals of soft clouds and pale yellow stars. He had shelves lined with children's storybooks and soft plush animals and toys littering almost every surface. His bed, if you can even call it that, was a mix of a baby's crib and a dog's kennel. There were wooden bars surrounding the entire bed, and it opened and locked on the top. Though as restricting as it was, it was very comfortable; the mattress and pillows were plush, and the blankets were so very soft.

He was given an extensive new wardrobe that rivaled the one he had back at the club. Inside were all sorts of clothes, both female and male, some that looked more like costumes than outfits. His brother liked to use him as his own personal dress-up doll and loved to humiliate him. If he dressed him in his kitty onesie, he was expected to 'play pretend' and act like his personal pet cat. If he tried to refuse his 'games,' he would be punished. 

His brother expected absolute obedience; anything else was unacceptable. It was something he was forced to learn very early on.

“You will never be your own person.”

“You're my piece to use. Mine to own. Mine to have.”

“If I say walk. You walk. If I say jump. You jump. You listen to me no matter what!”

“No one will ever love you if you can’t even follow such simple directions, Shouto.”

Eventually, Shouto noticed the pattern and learned. Touya only likes him when he’s acting weak and dumb. When he feels like he’s in his proper place, beneath him. He believes as the last-born son he should have been the one deemed useless and pushed aside by Enji.

The thing about his brother is that he hates Shouto for who he truly is. He hates that he is naturally smart, that he can pick up new skills as quickly as he starts them, and hates that he was their father’s favorite. He says he loves him, and maybe he does in his own weird way, but it's only when he's acting “correctly” that he gets to feel that love. 

There’s always this unhinged glint in his eyes wherever he slips up. He’ll be all too happy to throw him in isolation, stripping away all his nice things and spanking him until he conforms. Sometimes it feels as if he’s baiting him to misbehave just so he can punish him.

He had been dozing off during his ‘school time’–A time where Touya pretends to be his teacher and punishes him for every right answer.—He hadn’t slept much the night before and was struggling to stay in character. Touya had asked him a question, and he answered instantly without thinking.

“What is 8 x 12?”

“96.”

Dabi slapped him across the face. Just because an answer is correct doesn’t mean it’s right with his brother. He’s learned that the hard way.

“What’s 8 x 12?”

“I-i don't know n-nii-chan!” He cried out despite knowing the right answer. 

“That's right, baby, you don’t know. That kind of work is too hard for a little boy like you to understand.”

The worst day of his life takes place a few months into his forced stay.

The day he learned he could never escape. 

Shouto’s natural instinct had always been to fawn. He's never been much of a fighter. It's always been easier for him to become what his abuser wants until he can safely get away. So when his door was accidentally left unlocked by a servant at feeding time, he took the chance to escape. His brother had been busy working and hadn’t visited him all day. He thought it would be safe to leave.

He made his way down the long, winding hall searching for a staircase to make his way to the ground floor. He looked out one of the windows for the first time and was horrified at what he saw. Miles and miles of uninterrupted treeline; there was no sight of civilization aside from a long dirt road. He put it out of his mind and kept going. He was going to try to escape no matter what!

Eventually he ran into a flustered young man turning a hall; he was dressed in black tactical gear and had a gun holstered to his belt. The man’s eyes had widened almost comically at the sight of him. 

Shouto didn’t hesitate; he ran in the opposite direction as fast as he could, ignoring the guards' terrified pleas.

“W-wait please, you don’t understand! He’ll kill me if he finds out!”

Shouto ran faster, finding a staircase and jumping down three steps at a time. 

He didn’t listen. He should have listened. It was all his fault.

He made it to the next floor and made his way through identical-looking halls as multiple sets of footsteps pounded behind him. He only turned to look behind him for one second when he felt his body slam into someone.

“Shouto?”

The blood drained from the boy’s face as he looked up to see his brother staring down at him incredulously before anger flooded his face. "What the fuck are you doing down here?"

“Where is his assigned guard?” Dabi barked at the group of guards standing a foot away from them, staring anxiously.

A young man shakily stepped forward. 

“Look at him, Shouto. Look at what happens when you disobey me.” His brother grabbed his jaw forcefully, moving his head to stare forward.

It happened in slow motion. Shouto watched in horror as Dabi drew his gun and fired five shots. Four in the man's chest and abdomen and one in his neck. The guard fell to the floor, lying in a puddle of his own blood; his throat made an odd gurgling sound like his lungs were expelling the last of his breath, then silence.

He was dead.

Someone died because of him.

There was a high-pitched ringing in his ears. He thinks Dabi was saying something else, but he couldn’t hear him over the ringing and the burning in his lungs as he hyperventilated. He vaguely remembered being thrown back in his cell, but it was honestly all a blur. 

The subsequent punishment for escape paled in comparison to the realization that Touya has killed before. He did it with the practiced ease of an experienced killer. 

Just what did he do for work? What really happened to him in those years he disappeared?

It was all he could think about in his confinement.

He could hardly sleep. All he could see was the man's dead body lying there whenever he closed his eyes. It was terrifying. The uncertainty was killing him. Touya already tried to kill Shouto once; who's to say he won’t try again? If he steps one toe out of line, will he be next?

His head felt like it was filled with static. Something was changing, and he knew nothing would ever be the same again.

1 year later 

In an attempt to protect itself, the boy’s mind began to change his perception of reality. As his living conditions worsened, Shouto’s mind began to degrade. He unconsciously began to separate his brother into two separate entities as a coping mechanism to help deal with the stress and trauma in his life. 

There was the mean stranger from the club, Dabi, who comes to punish him and his big brother Touya, who loves him and saves him from Dabi. So long as he behaves, he doesn’t have to see Dabi anymore.

An unexpected result from the conditioning, but Touya can’t say he doesn’t like it. It was euphoric to see his little brother come crying to him, telling him “Dabi” was being mean and he needed Touya-nii to make it better. To have him cuddling up to him without care or begging for his affection like it was something sacred. It was like staring into a mirror of his past, though unlike Enji, he gave his baby brother all of his attention. 

It felt like a part of himself that had been aching since childhood could finally rest.

As he stared down at his little brother, playing with a puzzle meant for young children, he finally acknowledged it.

“I love you, Shouto.” 

His baby brother looked up, giving him a smile so pure and undeserving of someone like him, and replied, “I love you too, Touya-nii!” 

It felt right.

Exactly!!! Most fanfic is done for free unless its commissioned. I'm not going to push myself to write more than I can mentally handle for free. If your going to rudely demand for more, then pay me bitch! As long as the story as passion and creativity that should be all that matters!

Fanfic tiktok is wild... I see so many people saying shit like "I could never read anything below 60k!!", or "What story can you even tell in under 5k words?" or "A oneshot below 10k isn't even a story!" or "I always filter completed fics by 100k< only!"

And I'm like...

A) which fandoms are you reading fics for where you have this kind of offerings on the regular?

B) have you heard of short stories? If you truly think every story NEEDS to be longform to connect with people, I sincerely feel sorry for you.

C) Average novel length is between 50k to 100k. I'm sorry, but CONSISTENTLY demanding fic writers to push out fics of that length is insane. Just think about it: YOU DEMAND AUTHORS TO PUT OUT FICS THAT COMPARE TO COMMERCIAL NOVELS IN LENGTH (AND QUALITY) AS A BASELINE.

Yall are wilding.

Alright guys new fic out now! <3