𝐇𝐎𝐖? ~ t.shigaraki

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄

   "$5 of coins for me, and $5 of coins for you. What game did you wanna play first?"

  Shigaraki shrugged. You pouted and pointed to two plastic motorcycles. "Let's race." You pulled him over to the faux vehicles and put 50 cents into your side.

  Reluctantly, Shigaraki placed his own coins into the game and climbed onto the motorcycle. You picked the map that the race would take place on and tightened your grip on the handles. You looked over and saw that Tomura's pinkies were stuck out like always.

  "Why don't you wear some gloves? The cool ones that are missing a few fingers- GOTTA TURN LEFT!"
 
  You leaned to your left at the same time Shigaraki leaned to his right. You bumped into each other and you heard him curse under his breath. You smiled to yourself, seeing him let go a little and enjoy something made you happy.

  The race only lasted another minute or so, Shigaraki winning. You hopped off your bike and held your hand up for a high-five.

  "It's okay." You said softly, still holding your hand in the air. You gave a sympathetic smile to him, but you saw his face fall.

  "I don't wanna risk it." Shigaraki replied, balling his hands in fists. Of course he had wanted to high-five you, he had never had friends that would have been able to receive one from him, but like he said, he didn't want to risk it.

  Even though he didn't want to admit it, he's grateful for your presence. Shigaraki, for the first time in his life, had met someone genuine. He had met someone who just wanted to live their life and not stand around and be worried about hero society all day.

  You were surprisingly bright, you shined greatly despite the hints of a darker past. Those nightmares, Shigaraki thought, were a peice into a bigger puzzle that was your story.
 
  "Hello? Earth to Shiggy." You waved your arm in front of Tomura's ruby eyes, he seemed to have gone into a trance. "Sorry." He apologized.

  "What did you wanna do next? We still have 15 coins each."

  Silently, Shigaraki pointed towards the claw machines. If he was going to be up this late, he might as well enjoy the time he's not plotting to take down the pro-heros, right?

  You pulled on his sleeve over to the plushie filled machines. "Which one? The one with the Pokemon plushies? Oh look! There's a Mario one! You play Mario Kart a lot don't you?"

  You rushed over to the claw machine holding stuffed versions of the various Mario characters. You knew that he mained Yoshi when he played Mario Kart, so you made it your goal to get a Yoshi doll.

  "I'm not very good at these," Shigaraki said, putting two coins into the Pokemon machine next to you. "but I like playing them."

  "Glad to see you not be so serious." You turned your attention to the Mario characters behind the glass. You bent down and put 50 cents into the coin slots.

  On your first try, you grabbed Luigi but the claw dropped him. That was ok, you had 13 quarters left. On your next attempt, you accidentally grabbed Princess Peach, but dropped her too.

  4 more attempts later and you were on your last 3 coins, and you only had 1 shot left to win a Yoshi. "Come on." You whispered. Putting the quarters into the machine, you took a breath in, and exhaled out. "I will get that Yoshi."

  You grabbed the joystick and maneuvered the claw above the green stuffed dinosaur. You shut one of your eyes and pushed the big, red button on the machine that made the claw drop and open up.

  The claw grabbed ahold of the plushie and you watched as it slowly lifted it up. Seconds felt like hours waiting for the metal hand to drop the Yoshi and when it finally did, you almost let out a scream of excitement.

  "Shiggy look! I won you a Yoshi!" You held the doll in your hand and waved it around excitedly. You looked to your left and saw a giant pile of dust.

  How did you not notice that he had completely destroyed a claw machine? "Shigaraki.. we gotta get out of here." You threw your hood over your head and he did the same.

  Grabbing ahold of his sleeve once again, you dashed for the entrance of the arcade. You laughed out widely, the adrenaline of possibility getting caught pumping through your veins.

  You heard Shigaraki laugh too, that scratchy laugh you've only heard once before. The two of you rushed passed the singular man behind the counter and out of the glass doors of the arcade.

  "We gotta get to the hideout quickly." You said, gripping both the stuffed Yoshi and Shigaraki tightly. As you ran, the wind picked up, pushing back both of your hoods.

  Shigaraki's arm was held out in front of him as you tugged on it and ran. He laughed again, feeling a freedom that he's never felt before. He shook his head as the cold, night air blew through his blue locks.

  The both of you pumped your legs to their breaking points, which were thankfully outside of the abandoned bar that was the LOV hideout.

  You let go of Tomura's hoodie sleeve to open the door. "We're safe." You said, breathing heavily. The two of you stood there for a few minutes, catching your breath.

  "Why did you do that back there?" You asked him, smirking slightly.

  "I wasn't winning anything and I got pissed off."

  "Well I got something, here." You handed Shigaraki the stuffed Yoshi. He tried hiding his smile as he wrapped 4 fingers around the plushie.

  "Did you have fun for once?" You asked, slipping your shoes off. You made your way towards the backroom the both of you slept in, opening the door. You winced as it made a loud creaking noise.

  You entered and flopped onto the stiff couch you've been sleeping on for the past week. The springs underneath the cushions cried out from the weight thrown onto them.

  Tomura walked into the small room and placed the doll down near his spot on the floor. "We can't do things like that anymore, we're villians."

  You noticed the faint smile he had disappeared from his face as the words left his mouth. He was right, you were a villian now. You couldn't just go out like you used to, only to work and the hideout.

  "Right.." You replied, turning onto your side. You shut your eyes, hoping for sleep to come to you.

  The weight of your decision to join the League was finally falling on to you.