Fragmented | Shigaraki Tomura x Reader

13; the way it hurts

You hadn't been saved.

Though you had come to accept it, the fact that you'd been so close made it that much more painful. Shigaraki had pulled you back, and shortly thereafter, you'd all been thrown into the warp gate by All For One, taken to your current location.

By now, it was all over the news. All Might's true form, and the heroic stand he'd taken against the villain. All For One had been captured by the end of the fight, but the Number One Hero had essentially fought for the last time. He was weakened, retired. The Symbol of Peace was no more.

You thought Shigaraki might be happy, but it was just the opposite.

Kurogiri's portal had brought you to some old, abandoned building. You had no idea where you were, of course, and it wasn't as if you were allowed out of the villains' sight. Everyone was still reeling from their losses, intent on trying to figure out what their next big move was. Shigaraki, however, hadn't moved an inch since arriving. He was still sitting in the same spot as earlier, staring at the dirty ground. His eyes were glassy and vacant. Everyone had the good sense to stay far away from him.

Honestly, it pissed you off. You were the one who was a prisoner here, who'd come so close to salvation only to have it torn out your grasp, so where did he get off, acting as if he was the one suffering? So, his super evil mentor had been emancipated. Big deal. That guy was a villain, he'd killed more people than you could possibly even imagine. He belonged in prison.

Yet here he was, looking like some puppy who'd been abandoned on the side of the road. To make matters even worse, the longer you stared at him, the more you could feel your chest aching. It was a dull, stabbing sensation. Ridiculous. Your own body was betraying you and choosing to feel sympathy for this horrid man.

It doesn't matter what he's been through. That won't excuse the things he's done.

Toga frowned as she braided your hair. "What's wrong, [Name]-chan? You look sad."

Under ordinary circumstances, Shigaraki would have probably gone crazy if he saw anyone touching you, but he was so out of it that he didn't have a clue what was going on around him. Given the choice, you'd rather have Toga play with your hair than Shigaraki be anywhere near you. She had a bloody, violent streak, but she knew not to hurt you. After how you'd tried to escape again, you couldn't say the same for Shigaraki.

Really, you were just waiting out your punishment.

"I'm fine," you brushed off. What else could you say? Of course you were sad. You were fucking devastated. That had been your best chance of getting out of this nightmare. Now it was gone.

"You look so much prettier when you smile," the girl hummed. "Turn that frowny-face upside down! Maybe you'll feel better if you try talking to Tomura-kun a bit."

You swallowed the urge to slap her outright, instead straining your lips to form a smile. "Yeah. Maybe later, though. He seems like he wants some time to himself."

"That's probably true."

It had been hours since you'd gotten here, but nothing had happened. There was no food, no water, and you were already feeling weak from earlier events. Kurogiri could probably send some people out to look for provisions and bring them back without being spotted, but he refused to act without Shigaraki's orders. All you could do was cluster together in this frigid, dusty space. Like rats.

"I'm hungry," Toga whined, thankfully voicing your complaints for you.

Spinner flashed her a glare. "Bear with it. Everyone's looking all over for us right now. We can't risk being seen."