𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐍 𝐈𝐒 𝐏𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑 - ʙɴʜᴀ

When I Was Younger 06

               Backstory - Age Seven

Over the past two years, I had grown far stronger than I could have ever imagined.

All For One had made me... unstoppable in a way, and for that I was thankful. He and Ujiko had moulded me into their perfect idea of destruction...

Regardless, I didn't only grow stronger, but somewhat smarter as well. Not in the way where I could read a book coherently, nor write a simple sentence. I was sure that the early days of training with my quirk had permanently stunted my ability to withhold anything academic in my brain at all.

But perhaps I'd put it as tactical, sneaky, almost. I knew how to get what I wanted, I knew how to mould my image in other people's mind. I knew everything, without knowing anything at all... I guess.

And because of this, I soon gained some idea of the goal All For One held. I became more cautious around him and his goons. I would refuse to help them 'plan' anything under the excuse that I was exhausted from training.

All For One was more lenient towards me than he was to Tomura as he envisioned that I would be the one to defeat All Might.

This... I didn't know yet.

Surely, that's what people mean when they say ignorance is bliss.

Along with pushing my body to it's limits with training, every Sunday I would still meet with my blue-eyed fireball. A lot of things changed though. His red hair which was once so bright and prominent had developed into ghostly shades of white, no doubt due to stress.

He looked almost unrecognisable... that crimson tint that I familiarised him with was almost entirely gone. And now, all that remained was a reminder of everything he put himself through to make his father proud.

I suppose... another thing that changed was the way I felt about him. I always knew I liked Touya, it would be impossible for anyone to dislike him. I just didn't realise that what I felt was love, at the time.

But then I did. I understood pretty soon...

We were play fighting and I wanted to use my quirk against him. He always used his to keep me away from him; so I only thought it fair. I felt my fingers tingle as they usually would, my mind was focused, my heart was beating...

Yet, nothing happened. And a horrible strain pulled at my heart, one so violent that I thought I was going to die. He ended up tackling me and winning the play fight. I'd never been so embarrassed, but as a seven year old, I thought that nothing worse could ever happen than confessing your feelings to a boy.

"Hey, pretty." Touya smirked to himself as he greeted me. The same place as always, the park. We'd never been anywhere else together. I halted my nails from picking at my skin anymore, lifting myself up from the ground as I go to hug him.

Although, when I glanced up at him, I couldn't help but notice the white of his hair was now even more prominent. It felt as though it was more clear than his red hair had ever been. That red hair I'd grown to love, my smile faltered.

Peering up to his grinning face, I realised there are more burn scars littered on his cheeks than when last we met. I frowned and gestured for him to come towards me, which he gladly complied.

Oh Touya, when are you going to stop pushing yourself...?

As he stood before me, I reached my palm up to his face, due to his taller stature, and cupped his cheek. He grinned.

"You gonna fix me up, Ama?"

I closed my eyes regretfully and lowered my head. He sighed, seeing that I was in a sympathetic mood. He hated that almost as much as he hated my angry mood. Touya rolled his eyes, gently placing his hand over mine.