Morally Dark

11

Izuku POV

It was suspiciously warm when I woke.

I groggily looked up at the clock on the bedside table. My eyes widened, all lingering sleep vanishing in an instant. I tried to get up but two sturdy arms caged me within.

I turned around with a sense of urgency. "UA. I'm late."

Dabi simply grunted in response. When I continued to squirm out of his embrace he firmly held on and said, "I'm sure shouta will cover for you. Now, cuddles."

I sighed and stopped struggling against this big baby. He grinned, eyes still closed, and threw his leg over mine and pulled me closer. He hummed, content.

Soft, slow circles on my skin soothed my nervous energy. We stayed like that for a bit, silence interrupted only by the sound of some fighting street cats outside the window.

"You slept well," he finally spoke.

"The sleep paralysis demon decided to take leave today."

"Hm. Bet he didn't want to mess with the handsome and strong person next to you."

I snorted and nuzzled into his chest, pretending to go back to sleep.

"I dreamt of the first time we met," I said after a while.

"Can't escape me in your dreams even?" he laughed softly.

He lifted my chin to look at me. "You've come a pretty long way since then." His hand reached out and twisted a lock of my hair aimlessly.

I gestured at our naked, intertwined bodies and smiled, "I'd like to think so"

"Pervert," he laughed, his voice still gruff from last night.

Wow. I really struck gold with this one.

"Breakfast?" he asked. I nodded.

Despite my best interest to keep him in bed with me all day, I wanted to wash up and eat something other than dorm mac-n-cheese.

He gracefully untangled himself from my aching limbs. He did a little curtesy and spun on his heels out of the room. I got up as well and headed to the small attached bathroom.

A few moments later I heard scuffling near the door and dabi scream-conversing with somebody. I only caught drifts of the conversation through the bathroom door.

"So early—Naked—" more undecipherable screaming. And dabi laughing.

Maybe this wasn't so bad. Waking up with him in my arms, working small-time jobs with the shigs, toga, and the others.

The cold water knocked me out of my warm delirium. In the reflection I saw the map of scars adorning my arms, my legs, my torso. They were a constant reminder of the sacrifice I made when I ate that deranged old fool's hair. I didn't have the leisure to think of the what-ifs. The wheels were already in motion.

But still, some instinct within me held onto the belief that once this was all over, things would be peaceful and not so complicated.

I opened the medicine cabinet. The base wooden board lifted to reveal three books, water-soaked and decrepit.

"Perfect Future" Tacky name, sure. But the content written by young Midoriya Izuku still rung true with the present one.

Underneath the books was a tiny opaque vial. I picked it up and kept it in an All Might bag that I was forced to buy. I swallowed the sour taste lingering in my mouth. Just a little longer, I thought to myself.