Cat Got Your Tongue?

He Ate Me???

...He ate me.

Tabeta, who had landed on her back, shakily got up and blindly looked around in a daze. Deku hiccuped suddenly and his stomach hitched around her, making her trip and stumble into the wall. It felt warm and slick beneath her paws.

Tabeta hissed and jumped away from the wall, only to stumble into another and slide down it onto her back. She yelped and scrambled against it, trying in vain to get up again.

Deku squeaked at the unnatural sensation. "G-gomen! Oh man, oh my goodness, I'm so sorry I - hic...T-Tabeta?! Are you o-o-okay? I can feel you m-moving in - hic - there-"

"I'm...fine, somehow... just don't you dare breathe a word of this to anyone else, you got it?"

"H-hai! B-but, Tabeta, how are we going to - hic - get you out of there? Do you think you can - hic - climb out or something? I don't know if I can-"

"Shh! I can't take you seriously with you hiccuping like that!" Tabeta growled as another hiccup sent her crashing into another wall. "First things first, where's Tākoizu?"

"H-he's knocked out...why?"

"Good. Get the hell outta here before he wakes up...please."

"Alright!" Deku left the sunflower field and walked back down the garden path. "...Hey, I stopped hiccuping!"

"Good for you..." Tabeta grumbled as she was jostled from side to side with every step that the hero took.

Deku looked down at his stomach and held his arm across his middle as if that could stop her from bouncing around.

Tabeta let herself fall flat on her face with a huff. "Where are you taking me?"

"Oh! Gomen! Where do you live, Tabeta? I can take you home!"

"God no, anywhere but that place." Tabeta rolled onto her back and braced herself in between the folds. "I live in an orphanage with Tākoizu and a lot of other idiots who love to tease me."

"I'm sorry, they shouldn't treat you like that... You seem very nice!"

"Tch, yeah, sure... Well, I've been trying to get outta that place for years but they always drag me back." Tabeta perked up. "Hey, maybe if they think you digested me, they won't go looking for me!" She suddenly laughed out loud. "That'd be great!"

"That w-wouldn't be good at all! I'm a hero, and I'm supposed to protect people! Not...e-eat them..."

"Eh, I suppose you're right... Wait, you're one of those student heroes who saved our island, right? Well, I did want to meet you guys and thank you, but I never imagined I'd be doing that from..." Tabeta shook her head in disbelief as she relaxed her grip on the folds behind her. "This is so strange...how the hell am I so calm right now?"

"I don't know, but I guess I'm calm, t-too... To be honest, I had a busy day and I really need to rest..."

"And eat something. Your stomach's growling so damn loud it hurts my ears."

"I-it is?! I'm sorry... Hey, I know! I'll take you back to our hero base! Is that okay?"

"Fine, just don't tell anyone that you ate me, okay?!"

"H-hai!"

-

When Deku arrived, almost everyone was there waiting for him when he opened the door. They all jumped on him at once.

"Midoriya!!! You must warn us next time you are running late!! After what happened, we all need to be here at our scheduled times!!"

"Gomen, Iida! I-"

"Deku! You're back! We were getting worried and we were just about to come looking for you!"

"Uraraka! I'm fine, really, I-"

"What happened?"

"Well I was on my way back but I had to stop to help someone, a girl who couldn't control her shrinking quirk! Some bully was hurting her, I had to take her away from there and I brought her with me!-" Deku gasped and clapped his hands over his mouth. He had said too much already!

"Really?? Where is she?"

"W-well I accidentally ate her!-"

"YOU WHAT????"

"Baka! I told you not to tell anyone!" Tabeta growled and kicked at the nearest wall with all her might.

"Hrrrk!" Deku doubled over, clutching his stomach. "Ow..."

"Oh, did that hurt? ...Good." Tabeta crossed her arms over her chest as her tail thrashed back and forth behind her. She could hear questions and exclamations from the gathered crowd as Deku frantically tried to explain himself.

"Well, you must get her out somehow!!!"

"Y-yeah, but I don't know how..."

"You have to try!"

"Maybe if we punch him in the stomach?"

Tabeta's fur stood on end at the thought. "What kind of crazy people are you friends with?! I'll take my chances in here!!"

"Nani?! You want to stay?! We need to get you out of there, what if..." Deku froze. "...What's that smell?!"

Tabeta clapped her paws over her ears as a particularly loud growl echoed beneath her.

"Some of the islanders just dropped off some more homemade meals as another thank you gift!" Uraraka beamed.

"I'm so hungry..." Deku sighed. "Maybe we should get you out of my tummy so I can eat something, Tabeta-"

"Just go and eat already! I'm fine here."

"....A-arigato!"

"Whatever, you're welcome... just don't drown me in soda or something like that!"

-

Everyone got washed up and changed into their casual wear before they sat down in different groups with plates laden with food.

In Deku's stomach, Tabeta sat down with her arms crossed over her chest and stared moodily into the darkness as she felt and heard food piling up around her. Her expression slowly relaxed and before she knew it, she was fighting to keep her eyes open. It wasn't so bad in his belly, not really... sure it was weird, but it was warm, and, most importantly, safe.  And what was more, this guy seemed to respect her...

-

"Oh wow I'm so full!" Deku leaned back in his seat. "A-are you doing okay in there, Tabeta? You've been awfully quiet.... T-Tabeta?"

"Mm?" Tabeta grunted as she dragged herself from the sleep she'd fallen into. She yawned and climbed to the top of the pile of food.

"Oh good, you had me worried for a second there! Are you doing okay?"

"Yeah, your stomach stopped growling so loud and let me sleep, for a second."

"Y-y-you were falling asleep in there?!"

"Yeah, I'm exhausted..."

In addition, the stomach growls had been replaced by soft sounds of digestion that were rather soothing, but she wasn't ready to admit something like that. "It's been a long day. Let me get a proper nap in and then I'll try to get out."

"A-are you sure it's safe?"

"Yeah. Wake me up in twenty minutes."

"If you're sure...s-sleep well!" Deku hugged his stomach protectively.

Tabeta snuggled back into the wall and soon fell into a proper sleep, lulled by the muffled sounds of Deku talking with his friends in addition to the gurgles below her and the heartbeat above her.