Chapter Text
The fateful day when Izuku is set to encounter All Might is drawing closer. You know that plenty of things have already changed, but Izuku obtaining One For All is something you desperately wish to keep the same.
You’re a third-year middle schooler now, and if memory serves correctly, the day of the Slime Villain incident happens to coincide with the day your teacher distributes career aspiration forms—when the vast majority of your classmates will, of course, declare that they want to become heroes. So far, that hasn’t happened yet, and you haven’t heard any mention of the Slime Villain either, so for now, you’re safe. Probably.
But soon, it’ll happen. There’s no doubt in your mind.
You’re happy, of course, but you can’t deny that there’s a restless ache in your chest. You’ve already made peace with the fact that not everything will unfold the way it did in the original story. This isn’t a series of scripted events anymore; it’s a real, unpredictable world, one that has already shifted and bent around your presence. You don’t see people like Katsuki or Izuku as characters in someone else’s plot anymore. They’re people you hold close to your heart. People you treasure.
Still, even though you try not to stress over the timeline too much, the thought of Izuku not obtaining his Quirk after you’ve promised him over and over that he will… that possibility terrifies you. You need to make sure his meeting with All Might still happens, no matter what.
And so, those thoughts fill your days. You don’t dare miss a single day of school—not even if you’re sick—out of fear that it might be the one. You keep your eyes open for signs, hints, anything that might signal the event is near.
Somewhere in the midst of that quiet tension, however, you make another decision.
You decide you’re going to take the next step with Tomura.
“How’s school?” Tomura asks, taking a bite of his crepe as you sit together on a sunlit bench. He chews, swallows, then glances your way with mild curiosity. “You’re graduating later this year, aren’t you? Have your classes gotten more difficult?”
“Not really,” you admit.
And it’s true. You’ve always been seen as exceptionally smart, thanks to the knowledge that carried over from your previous life. Even though you focus mainly on chemistry to refine your Quirk, you’ve never neglected your other studies. You’ve always stayed far, far ahead of your class. School feels simple compared to everything else.
Your thoughts are filled with far heavier matters. Like Tomura, for example.
You’ve continued meeting up with him throughout the years. You play games together at the arcade, you visit pastry stores, and you’ve even gone shopping on a few instances. Tomura didn’t seem to care for it much. Well, shopping for clothes, at least. He enjoyed himself a lot more when you went to pick out things that actually interest him, like video game merch.
Right now, you’re sitting together in the park. The breeze carries the smell of grass, flowers, and the sweet scent of Tomura’s crepe. You find yourself watching him in quiet amusement as he takes another bite. Tomura really does have a sweet tooth. He’ll eat nearly every dessert you offer him. Sometimes you worry you’re giving him too much sugar—his diet’s probably awful to begin with—but when you see him look so happy, you can’t bring yourself to stop.
Yeah. He’s happy around you. You doubt he’s happy that often, probably not even most of the time, but at least when he’s with you, he can actually experience some sort of joy.
That’s what makes what you’re about to do so terrifying.
You’re hesitant to speak. Your palms are clammy, and your pulse quickens. But if you don’t say what’s on your mind, then nothing will ever change. How can you expect Tomura to open up to you—to trust you completely—if you can’t do the same?
You inhale, trying to steady yourself. You have to take a leap of faith. As daunting as it feels, as much as it makes your stomach twist into knots, you just have to.
“Tomura,” you start, mouth dry. When you reach out and grab his arm, your fingers tremble faintly. “Um. There’s something… I want to tell you.”
Tomura arches a brow, finishing the last of his crepe. He wipes his hands, tosses the napkin into the nearby trash can, then turns back to you, eyes focused and calm.
“Okay,” he says with a small nod. “What is it?”
...ugh. I feel like I’m gonna puke.
The nausea outright triples in intensity, your heartbeat hammering in your ears. The air feels thinner now, your surroundings spinning slightly. You’re not afraid that Tomura will hurt you—not even now, with what you’re about to admit. You know better than that. He most likely cares too much for you to ever consider harming you, and besides, you’re in public, surrounded by the soft noise of people passing by. Surrounded by far too many witnesses for him to risk being apprehended this early on.
No, what scares you is the possibility of failing.
Failing to reach him. Failing to protect what you’ve built together. The fear of ruining something precious—of watching him slip away from you completely—is almost unbearable.
Still, you don’t have a choice.
If you keep things as they are, if you never push past this fragile balance, then the future will remain exactly as it was. Tomura will stay a villain. He’ll remain under All For One’s influence, never free to act on his own will, trapped in his hatred until the very end.
The thought makes your chest ache. It’s fills you with a sadness so overwhelming it’s practically unbearable.
So, you bite the bullet.
You tell him the truth.
“I want to become a hero,” you blurt out.
As expected, Tomura’s eyes widen. Still, you keep your hand on his arm, fingers trembling but firm, unwilling to let go. He glances briefly at your hand, noticing the shake, but doesn’t move away. He just looks at you—quiet, thoughtful.
Finally, he nods.
“Yeah. I know,” he says. “I had a feeling that’s what you wanted.”
You blink a few times, surprised that tears haven’t formed in your eyes. “Y-You did?”
“It was obvious,” he shrugs. “You’re so nice. And you worry about other people so much, even when they don’t deserve it. Plenty of people like to claim they’re heroes even when they’re not, but you’re different. You’re not the type to pretend. When you say you care about someone, you actually mean it.”
Your heartbeat quickens, and a gentle warmth spreads through your chest. Just like that, the fear that had you paralyzed moments ago melts away. You feel completely at ease again. And much lighter than before.
Before you can stop yourself, you throw your arms around him, hugging him tightly. Relief floods through you, as forceful as a tidal wave.
Tomura chuckles, returning the hug loosely. “What’s wrong? Why did you look so nervous about telling me that?”
“I just… I know you don’t like heroes very much,” you mumble quietly.
Obviously, that’s the understatement of the century. Tomura has expressed his unfavorable opinion of heroes on multiple occasions, but even then, you could tell he was downplaying his actual thoughts on the matter. He’s never let his true hatred of them show, not entirely.
You’re glad he seems to be taking it so well, though. He’s reacting way better than you could possibly have imagined—despite the fact that you know his hands are already stained, thanks to All For One. Society will be quick to label Tomura as a villain, not realizing how much of his existence has been cultivated and conditioned as someone else sees fit.
You thought Tomura would immediately scorn you once you announced that you wanted to be a hero, but much to your amazement, that hasn’t happened. Surely, this is a good sign.
Right?
“Tomura,” you say, still embracing him but now meeting his gaze directly. “Let’s promise not to keep secrets from each other, okay? You can tell me anything. No matter what, I’ll do my best to help you. Remember?”
A slow smile tugs at his lips. “I know. Why do you always bring it up, though? Do you think I’m keeping secrets from you or something?”
“N-No,” you stammer quickly. “I just want to make sure you don’t forget. So that you don’t hesitate to tell me whatever’s on your mind.”
“Whatever’s on my mind…?”
Tomura’s voice softens. He doesn’t sound irritated or dismissive—more so thoughtful. You feel a spark of hope, a small flame flickering to life inside you. Maybe he’s about to open up. Maybe he’ll finally let you in, show you the parts of himself he’s kept hidden for so long.
You can almost feel it. You can feel that fragile, trembling moment right before he decides to let everything run bare. Right before he decides to open to you wholeheartedly.
And you suppose, to some degree, he does.
Just not at all in the way you expected.
“You’re right,” Tomura finally says. “I do have something on my mind.”
You don’t respond. You just smile and nod encouragingly, waiting for him to tell you his story in his own words. Actually, though… is this the best time and place for something like this? Maybe you should go somewhere a bit more private? Then again, it should be fine, as long as he doesn’t speak too loudly. It’s not like anyone’s close enough to overhear—
Huh? Why’s he getting so close?
At first, you think that maybe he’s leaning in to whisper in your ear, to confess all the dark, upsetting things that can’t be so readily voiced aloud. Naturally, you don’t back away. You have no reason to. You just sit there, dutifully waiting, even as Tomura cups your cheek with a few of his fingers, mindful as always not to activate his Quirk.
But he doesn’t say anything. Not for a while, at least.
He simply stares at you, and you stare back, your breath catching quietly between you. The world around you seems to fade—soft chatter from passing civilians dulling into a distant hum. For a moment, it’s as though the two of you exist in a bubble of suspended time, every second more and more drawn out.
Then, after what feels like an eternity, he starts moving even closer.
And his lips… seem to be heading straight for yours.
Obviously, you could push him away if you really wanted to. He’s giving you ample time to reject him. He’s giving you the choice. He’s showing you a moment of vulnerability that you could easily trample upon if you truly intended to do so.
But of course, you’re not going to do that. You don’t want to do that.
And so, you let him kiss you.
It’s not technically your first kiss—not after the truth or dare incident with Katsuki—but you decide right then and there that you’re going to count this as your official first kiss regardless. It’s just… so much more intimate than when Katsuki kissed you. It feels so much more genuine. And it makes your face explode in various shades of crimson.
The kiss is brief—much briefer than you would’ve preferred, to be honest—and then Tomura pulls away, staring back at you with a face every bit as flushed as your own.
“There,” he says, voice audibly trembling. “You asked if I had something on my mind… and I did. You didn’t pull away from me. That means you feel the same way, right?”
“Y-Yes,” you splutter.
Your entire body feels like it’s been lit on fire. You didn’t even realize it was possible for your heart to beat this fast from excitement.
Shigaraki Tomura just kissed you.
He cares about you so much—more than just as a friend. And it’s not just the fact that you desperately want to save him. Your ideology is one thing, but somewhere along the line, you genuinely started caring for him on a personal level. He means more to you than you ever imagined he could.
You like him. You like him the same way he likes you.
A wobbly, almost impossibly adorable grin spreads across Tomura’s lips. “Wow. We actually kissed. And you like me? Because I like you. You do like me, don’t you?”
“I do,” you reassure.
And you didn’t think it was possible for Tomura to look any happier than he already does, but somehow, his expression just keeps brightening up. His red eyes, once so cold and hollow, now shimmer with a kind of joy you’ve never seen before. It’s so pure it almost makes your chest ache.
He wraps his arms around you again, with ten times more energy and enthusiasm than before. He’s holding you so tight that for a few seconds, you feel like you can’t quite breathe, but then he relaxes his grip on you a bit, and you sink back into his embrace, exhaling in contentment.
“I like you,” Tomura repeats, pressing his forehead against yours. “I like you, [Name]. You’re my girlfriend now. Got it?”
You chuckle softly. The way he flat-out tells you you’re his girlfriend isn’t exactly the most romantic thing you’ve ever heard, but then again, you suppose it makes sense for him. His honesty is clumsy but real. Raw in a way that feels completely unfiltered.
Besides, it’s fine. You’ve already affirmed your feelings for him, after all, and now you’re closer than ever before. In that closeness, you can feel it—something fragile but radiant blooming between you.
You’re going to make sure that he has a happy, hopeful future ahead of him. You care about him far too much to ever accept any other outcome.
“Yes. I’m your girlfriend, Tomura,” you say, making sure to utter the words of affirmation he was probably waiting for.
Tomura smiles again, so bright and innocent—so different from the cruel, sadistic smiles he would show in canon—that it makes you feel even more confident that your decision just now was the right one.
No, Tomura still hasn’t told you about All For One, about all the horrible things he’s had to do, but you’re certain it won’t be much longer now. He’ll continue to reveal more and more about himself, now that your relationship has reached a new peak.
And, again… you like him. You really, truly do.
Even if he’s done bad things. Even if he’s been deliberately taught to resent the whole world. You still like him.
And you have faith that your feelings for one another will allow for a happy ending. Otherwise, wouldn’t that be too unfair? This new life is supposed to be a blessing. A chance to experience all the things you missed out on before. That’s how you know everything’s going to be okay.
You just know.
“Can I kiss you again?” Tomura asks with audible excitement. His red eyes sparkling so intensely, they may as well be rubies.
You know there are people nearby that might see—that have probably already seen, to be honest. But you don’t care. You don’t even feel the slightest twinge of embarrassment.
You’re simply too immersed in this newfound happiness to see anything but Tomura.
“Okay,” you smile, and he grins one last time before capturing your lips anew.