(Toga POV)
I was walking around the back alleys of some city in a foul mood after drinking the blood from some random lady. Normally I'd be feeling pretty good, given how much I enjoy blood. But that lady's blood tasted nasty! Like, I didn't even know blood could taste bad!?
Sure, a person's personality affects how their blood tastes, but it never tastes outright bad! I've literally drunk the blood of rapists that have tasted better! The only conclusion I could come to was that her nasty blood was somehow related to her quirk.
But I wasn't finding anybody around in the alleys, and was considering just transforming into the lady and drinking from someone on the main streets. But that plan went out the window when some guy practically fell into my lap.
Literally.
His body made some kind of 'whomp' sound when he hit, and I heard several cracking noises come from him. His head cracked open, and I think I could see his brain, but I was distracted by something far more important.
The blood.
Since he landed right in front of me, I was covered in it! That's not even mentioning how much of it got splattered on the floor and the walls!
I looked down at it with wide eyes. I mean, it's not everyday that someone nearly lands on you when they kill themselves. But a flick of my tongue to catch some of the blood dripping down my face pushed all other thoughts from my mind.
IT TASTED LIKE CINNAMON ROLLS!!!!
`~`
"And that's why I took your body to the place I was staying. There's no way I was going to let such delicious blood go to waste! Though I did leave everything that had already splattered… I didn't want to get sick after all!"
As I finish my explanation as to why I took his body, the kid, Cinnamon Roll, taps his chin in thought. He's preeeetty weird~. Especially given how he just shrugged off how I held a knife to his throat back at the empty house I'm staying at.
'And he thinks my quirk is cool~.' It's the first time someone's said something positive about my quirk. Though, the people who know about it make up an admittedly short list. Really, it's only my parents and a few random gang leaders I've worked with before.
But that doesn't matter right now! Well, it's the entire reason I'm going with Cinnamon Roll, so it kind of does but not really. Anyways, what's important is that he invited me over to his house! My heart is beating super fast at the thought, but it's no big deal! Even if I am skipping my way there! Izuku started doing it not long after I started, so he shouldn't think it's strange!
But I have to say, his thinking face while he's skipping is totally cute~!
"Hey… Toga?"
I pout at him using my last name. I've drank his blood! He likes my quirk! He said I can drink his blood later! We're already the bestest of best friends!
"Call me Himiko!" He blinks at the wide smile on my face, but shrugs off my interruption.
"Ok. Himiko, do you ever feel bad about the people you kill? Like, they're just going about their lives, enjoying their day. And then you come in and… stab them to death."
I frown at him. "Do you hate that I kill people for their blood?"
If he does… then was he lying about how he thinks my quirk is cool? Is he actually trying to get me arrested? If he is…
Luckily for him, that's not the case. "No. I mean, I get that I should. But after dying myself, well. I just… I can't seem to bring myself to care? I mean, if they were someone I care about, then I'd be mad? Or sad?"
He shakes his head, his curly green hair bouncing with the motion. "I don't know. I've been feeling… off." His skipping slows down, starting to walk instead, and I follow suit as he looks into my eyes.
"But no, Himiko. I don't hate you for killing people. Your blood craving is a result of your quirk, so the government should have made blood accessible to you. Since they didn't, you need to get it yourself."
"Hmm~." That makes me happy! My new friend stays as my friend! Friends shouldn't lie to each other after all~!"
He stops and I follow his gaze up to the building we're standing in front of. It's a two story building with a big front yard that I can see through the front gate. Though the high walls surrounding it means that anyone trying to get more than a peak would be called out for their creepy behavior.
He sighs as he opens the gate. 'Weird. I thought that he was super excited to show off his quirk to his family?'
We walk through, but before we can reach the door it flies open and a tall woman with long green hair done up in a ponytail hurries out. Izuku immediately perks up, his shining smile making me thankful that it's not directed at me.
"Hi Mom! I-"
"Sorry, I have an emergency at work and probably won't be home until late. Just make something for yourself for dinner." Without so much as a glance at the two people standing in front of her, she rushes past, heading to the detached garage.
Cinnamon Roll just stands there, frozen while the woman drives away. I move in front of him and wave my hand in front of his face but get no reaction. And his smile is weird too! It's frozen, it looks like how it did when he smiled at the woman I'm guessing is his mom. But now it's not bright.
Instead it seems dark. Twisted Staring at it while he's frozen, I feel another feeling building up inside of me. I feel the urge to do something, and so I act upon it.
I lunge forward and dig my fangs into his neck, ignoring the small sound he makes in surprise. I've drunk blood from plenty of people before. Usually unwilling.
But the feeling behind my thirst… I've only felt this once before. When I first gave into my thirst and attacked that cute boy at school I felt something similar.
But that pain-filled, broken smile. One that hides something darker underneath.
'I want to see what's hiding below~.'
`~`
(Izuku POV)
I'm in shock.
I've been gone an entire day.
'I mean, I half expected something like this to happen. But to not even glance at me? Do they really just… not care? Do they even realize that I was gone? Do they even know I killed myself!? Do they even care!?'
And that's when it hits me. They don't. None of them have ever cared about me. But no, that's wrong. Izumi cared. She cared that I would be there for her and Kachan to take their frustrations out on. But Mom and Dad? No- Inko and Toshinori. They don't. They never did. I feel something break at that realization.
I'm pulled from my thoughts when To-Himiko bites down on my neck, a small 'eep' coming from my throat. I raise my hands to pull her off of me, but hesitate. It doesn't hurt, but the sensation of her sucking my blood is odd. Not bad, just odd.
Instead of pulling her off of me, I give into my instincts and simply wrap my arms around her. I can feel her tense at the action and internally sigh, deciding to pull them away and apologize. But she surprises me.
She moves her hands from my shoulders down to my arms. Then she moves them around me, and we're hugging. Even with her loud gulping of my blood, it feels reassuring being held like this. Like I'm not alone in the world. Shoko was never one for physical connections, so this is the first time I've been hugged since… Izumi started bullying me.
I tighten the hug, Himiko choking a bit on the hot liquid filling her mouth.
'If they really don't care about me. Even after driving me to kill myself, then why should I care about them!? Why should I care about anyone who doesn't care about me!? The only one who's cared before Shoko, so why should I treat them better than they treat me!?'
No… they don't care about me. I don't think they ever did. All of Toshinori's excuses on the rooftop were just that. Excuses! He probably just didn't want to have to go through the trouble of spending any time or money on me when he could be spending it on Izumi.
By the time Himiko pulls herself off of me, blood trailing from her lips, I've come to a decision. But that doesn't mean that I don't have business here.
I smile at the girl with a blood quirk, ostracized by society for something she couldn't control. Someone the world tried to push down, but who pushed back.
I want to be strong enough to do the same.
"Himiko," I say, with a determined voice. "Would you let me come with you?"
She looks at me with a blank look. "Huh? Where'm I going?"
That causes me to chuckle. I start pulling her into the house as I explain. "You tell me! I just know that I don't want to stay here. I can't stay here." I growl out.
She tilts her head in confusion before shrugging. "Sure! Why not? Just let me suck your blood every morning for breakfast! It's been so long since I've tasted cinnamon rolls!"
I laugh as we make our way through the empty house, nobody else being home. It cements my thought that nobody has even realized that I'm missing. 'Not even Shoko.'
I shake that thought away. 'Why would she know? She doesn't live with me. Sure, I always respond to any texts she sends me, but maybe she thinks I lost it or something?'
My phone was in my pocket when I jumped, and unlike me it didn't come back from the dead.
I open the door to my room, noting the dust that's always covering everything hasn't been disturbed. The only things not covered in it are my bed, desk, and the All Might posters hanging on the walls.
Looking at them used to pull me out of my darkest thoughts. Whenever I or the voices started encouraging me to hurt myself, seeing that reassuring smile made me feel safe. But now all I feel is irritation.
'Fake. If the number one hero is a fake, then how many of the others are the same?'
I don't hate heroes… not exactly. But I don't want to be one anymore. I'm not sure what else I'll do, but I do know that traveling with Himiko will help me figure it out. But I'm getting sidetracked again.
I make my way to my bed and lift up the mattress to reveal fifteen notebooks. And laid out next to them is the one thing I splurged on with the money I got from doing odd jobs. A jacket that's a darker green than my hair, with bunny ears that would reach my shoulder when the hood is pulled up. When I saw it in a store I was passing by one day, it just felt right for me to own it.
So I saved.
And saved.
And saved.
Until eventually I had enough to buy it. Of course, I almost never wear it. I wouldn't want Izumi or Kachan to destroy it. Or else I might have hurt them.
Now though? I'm not planning to stick around long enough for any of them to see me. I'm not going to be trying to get revenge on them either. At least not right now. 'Maybe I'll torment them a bit later~.'
I giggle at the thought. Just because I don't hate them doesn't mean that I've forgiven them. Well, most of them. Kachan is the one who told me to jump, and Izumi did look mad at him when he said it. So I hate him, but everyone else I just dislike.
Leaving the bed leaning against the wall for support, I dig under my bed for a moment before pulling out my old 'yellow' backpack. It's basically patchworked with the remains of my old clothes in an attempt to keep it together, but eventually I decided that I needed a new one. But now it makes its glorious return as my getaway bag!
I quickly stuff my twelve hero analysis notebooks inside before staring at the three for Shoko. There's no particular reason for it- maybe I just don't want her being in the room longer than she needs to- but I move them to the desk, stacked in the center before tossing on my jacket and putting the bed back down.
I turn to Himiko as I heft the bag onto my back. "Sorry for dragging you here. I'm ready to head out when you are."
She nods and we make our way back through the hall before she comes to an abrupt stop in the living room, her eyes locked on the kitchen. Seeing the mischievous look in her eyes, I roll my own.
"We aren't going to wreck the place. I'd rather they not know I was here." I shake my head. "Heck, I'm not sure even Inko knows we're here right now even though she passed us!"
She shakes her head. "Nah. I was just thinking…" She turns to me with a smirk. "Living on the run is hunger work. And since we're already here…"
She trails off leadingly and I can't help but laugh. "Ha! You know what, you're right! We might as well help ourselves. It can be their going away present for me!"
She giggles before doing something that catches me completely off guard.
She leans in and gives me a kiss on the cheek.
I'm frozen in shock and embarrassment while she rushes into the kitchen, opening every cupboard and drawer she can while looking for the food she wants.
She kissed me. My mind is stuck replaying the moment. She kissed me.
She.
Kissed.
Me.
"Come on! You don't want to regret not grabbing what you want!" Himiko yells, kickstarting my mind once again.
"Regret…" I mutter, thinking back on what the lady I met when I died said. My eyes glow with a mad glint. "Yeah, I won't regret anything anymore."