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46. Family Matters

"Mom, you came?"

"You sound surprised. Did you really think I wouldn't?" She seemed to know the answer to her own question and the silence between you was enough to confirm it. "I suppose you have plenty of reasons to believe that."

"I sure as hell do."

"Let's not fight today, okay?" She stopped you before you could say another word. It wasn't a demand, it was a request.

You blinked slowly before nodding, deciding a fight would only make the tension heavier in the air.

As Aizawa spoke with the nearby guard, you took a moment to observe your mother's appearance.

She looked more disheveled than usual, her lavender hair in a messy knot and her face devoid of any makeup. But even after 40 years and two children, she still looked as beautiful as ever.

In another world, maybe you could have had a better relationship with your mother. Maybe

... all of the suffering and pain you had endured the past few years could have been avoided.

"He's ready." Aizawa's gruff voice broke your thoughts. You turned to see if your mother would want to go in first, but her pale face said otherwise.

"I'll talk to him first."

__________

Please, don't be true...

You pleaded in your mind. How ever much you wanted him back, nothing was more terrifying than how he had ended up like this.

The man you had known as Kurogiri cocked his head in polite confusion as you sat down in front of him.

"Miss Y/N? Why are you here? Did they capture Shigaraki?!"

"No, no! I'm... I'm in protective custody. They caught me." You felt bad with twisting the truth, Kurogiri didn't deserve it. Aizawa and the police didn't care, and wanted to make sure Kurogiri kept his trust in you in order to receive any information they could.

"And Shigaraki?" The poor man's voice carried the stress he was feeling. He was the boys protector after all, and he could only sit here and listen to whatever had transpired in his absence.

"Shigaraki is...safe. They didn't get him, and I told him to stay away for his own protection." Moreso for mine.

"Good... Good."

There was a beat of silence as you tried to determine how to broach the reason for your visit. You felt like you were going to puke as you reached into your coat pocket.

"Um...Kurogiri... Do you remember the day when the league was staying at my apartment after your safe house was compromised?"

Kurogiri nodded along with you, unsure of why you were bringing it up in this setting.

"Do you remember our conversation outside? About my uncle?"

You watched in shock as the smoke surrounding the villain started to shift. "Y/N... I don't..."

"I didn't understand why you reacted the way you did when I showed you this photo...but now I do. It's you...Uncle Oboro."

The effect was almost instantaneous. He groaned in pain, while the mist around him swirled. "I can't.." he said in a higher voice.

"YOU CAN!" Your mother made you jump as she slammed her hand against the glass divider. "Give me back my brother!"

She slammed her hand again. Aizawa tried to lay a hand on her shoulder but she shook him off. "DAMMIT OBORO! Don't you see my daughter needs you!"

Your heart dropped into your stomach as you saw the dark mist blow back and for the first time in fourteen years, you saw your uncle's face. His blue hair was streaked with black mist. The right side of his face was completely visible, one wide azure eye staring right at you. His lips moved as if he was trying to speak with great difficulty. His one free eye pleading with you to hear him.

"It's getting weaker." He gasped out in the clear voice you recognized from your childhood. "Don't... give up... on me..."

"I won't! I swear." You sobbed.

Mist snapped back over his features and you were once again staring at the glowing eyes of Kurogiri.

You almost fell as you stumbled out of the room, everything felt like it was falling apart all over again. Between Aizawa's choked voice and your mother's wails, you felt like your head was going to explode as your surroundings spun out of control.

You ran into the cold hallway and stopped, slumping to the floor. Tears streamed down your face, refusing to stop for anything. You hoped that no one would come and find you like this but soon you heard footsteps falling down the hallway towards you.

"Go away, Aizawa!" You yelled into the air. "Can you just leave me alone for five minutes!"

You felt someone sit down next to you and a gentle hand rub circles on your back.

"We'll get him back." Your mother said quietly in a melancholy voice. "I know he means the world to you and he was more of a parent to you than I ever was."

You looked up at her. Your mother's long lavender hair fell perfectly around her face like it always seemed to. She tried to give you a comforting smile which barely reached her tear stained cheeks.

"I'm so sorry y/n, for everything I've done to you. I can't do much, but I'll do everything in my power to get him back."

__________

You visited the prison nearly every week to talk to your uncle, sometimes he was able to speak, sometimes he wasn't. However your mother went every day, the prison guards told you that she was constantly bringing old pictures to show him. She'd stay for hours, telling him stories from his life before all of this happened. It was slow, but it seemed to be working. Maybe someday, you'd have your uncle back.

Winter began making its way into the city with the scent of snow in the air. You began feeling somewhat confined and restless at UA so after getting the okay from Aizawa, who agreed that some time outside of the school would be good for your mental health, you were able to pick up a weekend job at a coffee shop. Eri was monopolized by Mirio on the weekends anyway. It felt good to get out and do some mind numbing work, plus having extra cash was nice.

The first snow quickly blanketed everything outside the cozy confines of the coffee shop. The smell of cinnamon, cocoa and coffee beans greeted all who entered. For you, life had settled somewhat. You wondered if everything would just stay this way, blissfully uneventful. No drama, no guys, just you and your new coworker friend making coffee for annoying customers. But that was before he appeared.

Snow was tracked in on his boots, he had no regard for how you'd have to mop that up later. The bell on the door jingled as it sealed off the warm coffee shop from the wintery air.

He didn't really know what to think when he saw you. It was unusual for him to feel instead of think, but here he was, experiencing an emotion he couldn't quite place. Maybe it was the way you darted around the shop. Or how you half smiled at a joke your coworker made. Or maybe it was the color of your eyes in the warm light of the little shop. Later he found it quite silly that he tried to find a reason for this feeling that sprang up inside of him... How silly of him... The reason was you, nothing more. 

Author's note:

OH, Oboro Shirakumo! He has my heart. Sighhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Also! Who could this mysterious person be I wonder??? Hmm I guess you all will have to find out next week. I'll give you a gold star if you can guess though hehe.

Thank you to my Editor, Without you I would not have been able to complete this in time. I got really sick this week and wasn't able to focus on writing for several days. I'm getting better now though, Thank goodness.

Thanks for votes, comments and follows! We are so close to 100K reads on this book, so exciting!