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The little boy covered his mouth to hide his giggles, pressing his back against the wall. He waited until his victim was turning the corner before he jumped out.
“Boo!”
They paused, more surprised to see him than frightened by his jump scare. The surprise didn’t last long. “What are you doing here? How many times have we told you not to play here?”
The boy giggled. “Did I scare you? Did I?” He bounced up and down, hopping from one foot to the other.
“What are you wearing?” They sighed.
The boy held his arms up, showing off the torn sheet that he had thrown over his head like a cloak. “I’m a ghost, like you!”
A heavier sigh. “You need to go home. This is no place for children… or humans for that matter.”
“But I like it here!” The boy shook his head, grabbing onto their leg. “I like you!”
“Your parents will be worried about you. Come on.” A boney hand was extended towards him.
The child pouted and turned away from the hand. “Daddy doesn’t play with me! All he does is work… but if I was a ghost I could stay here with you forever!”
“No, my boy, no, you don’t understand.” They groaned, crouching down in front of him. “You can’t become a ghost. You don’t belong here.”
“I wanna be like you!” His round green eyes shone with tears. “Can’t I stay here?”
“You’re supposed to be afraid of monsters, my boy.” He used the corner of the sheet to wipe the child’s eyes.
“You aren’t scary at all! I love monsters!” The boy took advantage of the man’s crouched figure and threw his arms around his neck. “I love you!”
“Jeez, kiddo…” The man sighed, patting his green curls. “You sure don’t make this easy.”
“Don’t make me go.” The boy sniffed.
“I’ll take you home.” He picked him up and started carrying him out of the house. “Your Daddy is going to be wondering where you are.”
“This is my home.” The boy whispered softly, snuggling into the man’s embrace. "You'll see."
***
“Boo!” The ghost popped out of his favorite hiding spot, holding his arms up to form little claws. He was wearing an old white sheet over his head as a cloak, his body fading more and more towards the ground.
“Deku, my boy, you scared me.” His tall, thin faced victim chuckled. “It’s a good thing I’m already dead or you may have given me a heart attack.”
Deku giggled, unable to control himself. "Does this mean that I'm a scarier ghost than you, Toshi?"
"You're getting there." Toshi placed a hand on the boy's head and smiled at him. “Did you do lots of haunting while I was gone?”
“Yup! I made the floorboards all squeaky and I made moaning sounds and I even made shadows all over the house!” Deku floated up to hug Toshi’s neck. “Welcome home! I missed you!”
“I missed you too, kiddo.” Toshi hugged him back.
“I wish I could go with you.” Deku pouted a little, drifting back to look into the older ghost’s eyes.
"I wish you could come with me too, kiddo." Toshi agreed, walking slowly so that Deku could float alongside him. "But your spirit is bound to the house and breaking that bond would be very dangerous for you."
"I know, I know." Deku sighed. "I don't really want to leave, I just don't like being alone. The house feels different without you here."
“Well I’m here now, so you don’t have to be lonely anymore. Should we play a game?”
“Hide and scare!” Deku bounced excitedly in the air.
“All right, you can practice your haunting more while we play.” Toshi laughed.
“Haunting is fun! But how come I have to practice so much?”
“In case any humans come to the house.” Toshi explained. “You need to be able to scare them off. If the humans find out that you’re bound here, they may send someone to try and get rid of you.”
“I don’t want to go!” Deku said quickly. “This is my home! I want to stay here with you forever! Besides, you’re trying to stop that mean exorcist, aren’t you?”
“Yes, I am trying to stop All for One. After he’s gone, then I can stay and play with you all day.”
“Yes! I hope you get him soon!” Deku spun around, flapping the ends of his sheet. “Now let’s play! I wanna be the ghost, I’ll go hide!”
“All right, my boy. Show me your scariest haunt.”
***
While Toshi was gone most days, Deku was left alone in the house. He wished that Toshi could stay with him, but he understood how important it was for him to stop All for One. It was scary to think about someone coming and taking his home away, and he didn’t want any other ghosts to have to go through that. Besides, he and Toshi were already dead and the exorcist was still alive. They had all the time in the world while he would have to die eventually. So Deku could be patient until then.
In the meantime, he rolled up his sleeves and tied his sheet back and set to work cleaning the house. Since he was bound to the house, Deku kept it spotlessly clean. Of course, the real house was falling apart, but since he was bound to it, Deku could alter the appearance as he liked. What Deku liked was a cozy and inviting home. It wasn’t an incredibly large house. The ground floor had a small sitting room, kitchen and dining area, and a closet. Upstairs there were two small bedrooms and a bathroom. Deku kept the wooden floors shining, the furniture clean, the windows clear. Taking care of the house was fun and relaxing because he felt as though he was taking care of himself.
Humming softly to himself, Deku retrieved the broom from the closet and started sweeping the hallway that led from the front door to the stairs in the back. He wondered how long Toshi was going to be gone. These days Toshi was out a bit later than usual, getting home close to dark. Deku didn’t mind, but it meant that they didn’t have much time to play together before bedtime.
A chill ran up Deku’s spine and he quickly turned towards the door. Someone was coming, someone who was not Toshi. Deku dropped the broom and rushed to the door, peeking out through the peephole. Outside he saw a tall man wearing a suit. The man was examining the door and even moved to peer back through the hole. Deku gasped and ducked. No one had come to the house in years! Toshi had been using his spiritual energy to hide the house and keep it from gaining much attention. Every now and then, someone managed to get in, but it had been a long time since anything like that had happened.
Both nervous and excited, Deku hurried and put the broom away. He was glad that Toshi had made him practice his haunting. In his mind, at least, he had gotten very good at it. He loved scaring people away, watching them turn pale and scream and run. He would laugh about it for weeks after that. He was looking forward to telling Toshi all about how he scared this intruder away for good.
Making himself invisible, Deku hid in the corner and dimmed the lights, making them flicker ever so slightly. The flickering lights were one of his favorite haunting tricks. Between the flickering lights, he could flicker the house’s appearance as well between the cozy, perfectly normal home and the old abandoned house.
The door opened at last. As usual, the intruder took a moment to stare into the house before entering. Deku covered his mouth to hide a giggle. He let the hinges of the door creak as it swayed. He wouldn’t close the door, he wanted to make sure the man had a clear exit when he decided to run.
Deku let the man get several steps into the hallway. He made the floorboards creak upstairs, sounding like footsteps. The man paused and looked up. As soon as he did, the footsteps stopped. Deku had to smother another giggle.
After waiting a moment longer, the man turned into the living room. Deku let him look around for a moment before the lights flickered. In the hallway the sound of a little boy giggling made the man turn. Deku liked using the giggle, one that had come with the house. He didn’t understand why people were so afraid of children. Sometimes the little voice would say things too like, “Come out Mr. Ghosty!” or “Let’s play!” and that always scared the intruders even more.
The man looked back to the hallway. He didn’t seem too scared yet, but some people took longer to frighten than others. The trick was to make them feel uneasy first, slowly building a sense of wrong before speeding things up and making them trip over themselves as they tried to get out. He had to be patient, he reminded himself over and over again.
The intruder walked back to the hallway and the giggles faded away. Sometimes people would call out and ask if anyone was there at this point, but the man simply looked around and then walked into the kitchen. Deku pressed forward with the haunt, adding more footsteps and shaking until the man came back out to the hallway again. Now it was time for his favorite part- the blood. The lights flickered and bloody footsteps appeared from where the man was standing. Handprints streaked the walls and the room flashed back and forth with the lights between cozy home and haunted house. Usually this was where people started to scream, or back away. The doors began to rattle, then open and slam themselves closed.
Deku couldn’t hold back his own giggles anymore. With his excitement, the haunting picked up. The house was shaking and wailing and making all kinds of spooky movements and noises. There were shadows, flickering lights, footsteps… everything.
Deku’s giggles faded away when the man didn’t seem bothered at all. He tried again and again, but the man calmly continued exploring the house. He was heading upstairs. Deku wanted him to leave. He didn’t like it when people went into his or Toshi’s room. That was much too private and personal. It was time to take matters into his own hands.
Deku moved back into the walls, waiting for the man to pause and look at his reflection in the mirror by the stairs. “Boo!” Deku jumped out of the mirror, arms up like a ghost. This would get him for sure!
The man didn’t scream. He only blinked once, then smiled. “There you are, little one. I’ve been looking for you.”
“You’re supposed to be scared!” Deku dropped his arms and stamped his foot. “Why aren’t you scared?”
“Scared? Of a little spirit like you?”
“I scare people all the time, you know!” Deku huffed, crossing his arms and floating up to look the tall man in the eyes. His eyes were red. Deku had never met anyone with red eyes. “You could at least pretend for me!”
“What are you wearing?” The man cocked his head, looking over Deku’s ghost costume.
“I’m a ghost!” Deku held the sheet up, offended he had to explain it. “Haven’t you ever seen a ghost before?”
“Why were you trying to scare me?”
“So you would leave, duh.” Deku couldn’t believe how stupid this man was. “This is my house, and I don’t like visitors!”
“You’re house? I didn’t mean to intrude.” The man watched Deku float around as he huffed and pouted “Do you live here by yourself?”
“Of course not! Toshi lives here with me too, but he’s busy doing important stuff right now!” Deku scolded him. “Why are you here? What do you want?”
“I’m just very interested in meeting and helping lost spirits.” The man answered.
“I’m not lost. I’m home right now. You’re the one who’s lost, mister.”
“Oh? So I can’t stay? What will you do after I leave?”
“I was cleaning.” Deku answered. “And waiting for Toshi to get home so we could play together.”
“How old are you, little one?”
Deku hesitated. “How old do I look?”
“I would say you’re fourteen… or that you were fourteen when you died. Am I close?”
Deku frowned and thought about it. He hadn’t ever thought about his age before. He was just a ghost. Younger than Toshi, still a child. He liked to play games with Toshi, maybe games that he was a little too old for. Toshi said it may have been because he couldn’t play games in his past life. Deku didn’t care much about that, he just wanted to play hide and scare and do other ghost things. “I’m a ghost, we don’t have ages.” He answered at last. “You ask silly questions.”
“You give silly answers.” The man smiled. “What’s your name, child?”
“I’m Deku. Who are you?”
“Hisashi Shigaraki.” The man offered him a hand. “Would you like to answer some more questions for me? I can play a game with you after.”
“What kind of questions?”
“I just want to get to know you better. You can ask me questions too, of course.”
Deku thought about it very hard. It would be nice to have someone to play with, at least until Toshi got back. Toshi could be much scarier than he was, so he could make him leave after that. “Okay, Mr. Shigaraki. As long as you promise to play hide and scare with me after.”
“Well, aren't you polite?” Mr. Shigaraki smiled. “Why don’t we sit down together?”
They sat in the living room with Mr. Shigaraki in one chair- not Toshi’s chair, Deku hadn’t let him sit there- and Deku on the couch. Mr. Shigaraki asked him about himself and the house, about Toshi, about his afterlife, all things Deku was happy to tell him about. He liked talking, and Mr. Shigaraki was almost as good a listener as Toshi was.
"What do you remember about becoming a ghost?" Mr. Shigaraki asked.
"You mean how I died?" Deku shrugged. "I don't know."
"No, tell me about when you first woke up after you died. Were you scared? Angry? Confused?"
"Hmmm…" Deku twisted his mouth as he thought about it. "I was a little scared at first, since I couldn't remember how I got here. But then Toshi came home and as soon as I met him everything was okay! For some reason it felt like I had been waiting for him. He looked so scared when he saw me though, like he'd seen a ghost." Deku laughed at the memory. "It was the best scare I've ever given him!"
Mr. Shigaraki hummed to himself, looking bothered. "Why do you think he was afraid to see you? Did you perhaps know each other before you died?"
Deku frowned, then immediately laughed and shook his head again. "Don't be silly! Toshi has been dead for a long, long time. I've only been dead for seven years!"
"I suppose you could be right." Mr. Shigaraki said. "What about before you became a ghost? Do you remember any of that?"
"Nope!" Deku answered cheerfully. "But I'm happy here, super extra happy! So I don't need to remember."
"Don't you think your family mourned for you? That they might like to see you again?"
"My family is right here." Deku gestured to the house. "Toshi is my family! We have so much fun together and I love him so much!"
"You've never gone looking for information about your past then?"
"That sounds boring. Besides, I can't leave this house. My spirit is bound to it."
"Do you know why a spirit can be bound to a place?" Mr. Shigaraki asked.
"I don't know. Maybe the house was important to me before I died?" Deku shrugged, already getting bored again. "You ask silly questions. Let's play hide and scare!"
"You like to scare people, don't you?" Mr. Shigaraki asked.
"That's what ghosts do!" Deku rolled around in the air. "And I love being a ghost!"
"I'll stay and play with you, as long as you promise to think about what I've said?"
"Sure!" Deku giggled to himself. He shouldn't trick Mr. Shigaraki like this. There was nothing to think about. He didn't care about who he used to be. He was happy here and he was glad that he would never have to leave.
***
"You've been in a good mood lately, Deku." Toshinori remarked as Deku popped out of the ceiling to scare him. "What have you been up to while we're gone?"
"I made a friend!" Deku explained. Mr. Shigaraki had come to visit him many times, asking him questions and then playing games with him. He still tried to scare him away every time, but that was all part of the fun.
"A friend?" Toshinori's smile instantly vanished. "Another ghost? Or a human?"
"Human, I think. He just likes to talk with me, and then we play hide and seek together." Deku spun around, flapping his sheet like little wings.
"He comes here to the house?"
"Yeah! He's kinda nice, but he asks me lots and lots of dumb questions." Deku said.
"What kind of questions?" Toshi grabbed Deku's shoulder to stop him.
Deku frowned, not sure why Toshi looked so worried. "Just stuff about how I died and what I remember. He's so funny. He thinks I'm not supposed to be here. Isn't that funny? Where else would I go? This is my home. Toshi?"
Toshi looked pale- for a ghost. "Deku, what does this human look like? Is he tall? Does he have red eyes?"
"Y-yeah, but that’s okay, isn’t it>" Deku pulled back a little. "Toshi, you're scaring me. What's wrong?"
"Deku, listen to me. That human is a very bad man. You need to scare him off if he ever comes here again, understand?"
"B-but he doesn't get scared. I tried really, really hard." Deku pouted. "But he just laughed at me. Then he started being my friend instead."
"Humans are dangerous."
"But he's a nice human." Deku whimpered.
"Promise me, Deku, promise you'll never let him inside the house again."
Deku whimpered again. "Toshi, why can't we be friends?"
"Bad things happen when humans and ghosts get together. Very bad things." Toshinori's eyes twisted with what appeared to be a painful memory. "Please, Deku. I don't want anything like that to happen to you."
Deku swallowed and nodded. "Okay, Toshi. I promise."
Toshi hugged him and sighed. "Thank you, Deku. I just want to keep you safe."
Deku returned the hug. Even though they were ghosts and he couldn't feel anything anymore, he felt warm. "I love you, Toshi. I'll keep our home safe."
"I trust you, kiddo."
***
Deku had his own room in the house, one with a soft bed and light green wallpaper with tiny bunnies patterned between the stripes. It was a cozy room, soft and comforting. But, most nights, Deku crawled into Toshi’s bed instead. He liked sleeping next to Toshi and listening to his stories. Toshi didn’t mind either and would hold the younger spirit all night long, answering any questions he rambled off.
"Toshi… were you ever friends with a human?" Deku asked softly one night as they were cuddled up together.
Toshi hugged Deku a little tighter. "I don't like to talk about it."
"Is that a yes?"
Toshi sighed. "Yes, I was. Bad things happened to them, and I still feel like it's my fault."
"What was their name? What happened?"
"I… can't tell you. We all promised never to talk about it."
"Was it really that bad?"
"It made me wish I could kill myself."
Deku tightened his grip. "D-do you still feel like that?"
"Not since you got here." Toshi promised. "I still hate myself for what I let happen, but I don't want to go away anymore. I could never leave you."
Deku smiled and relaxed a little. "Good. I don't want you to go away. Is that bad?"
"Not at all. Hearing you say that makes me very happy." Toshi smiled and snuggled down into bed.
"Toshi? Do you keep secrets from me? He said that you were all lying to me."
Toshi hesitated. "I do have secrets Deku, but I would never lie to you."
"What kind of secrets? Are they bad secrets? Does anyone else know your secrets?"
"Yes, there are other people who know. I wish you wouldn't ask so many questions about this. I really don't like talking about it, none of us do."
"Wait." Deku frowned. "Am I the only one who doesn't know your secret? That's not fair!"
"It's the kind of secret that hurts everyone who hears it. I don't want you to get hurt."
"I'm a ghost! I can't get hurt!"
"It's a different kind of hurt." Toshi explained.
"Oh. That kind of hurt." Deku shuddered. "I don't like that kind."
"Then you don't mind if I keep it a secret?" Toshi asked and Deku shook his head. "Alright, go to sleep then kiddo."
"I love you, Toshi."
"Love you too, kid."
***
Deku wasn’t sure how he felt when Mr. Shigaraki arrived at the house again.
“You aren’t supposed to be here.” Deku said, crossing his arms after his haunting had failed to scare the man away. “What do you want?”
“I just wanted to see my favorite little ghost again.” Mr. Shigaraki smiled. “Don’t you want to play with me?”
Deku did want someone to play with, but he was worried about what Toshi would say if he found out that he’d let a human in the house again. “No.” He pouted. “Leave me and my house alone.”
“Is something wrong, little one? You look upset. Did something happen between you and your friend? Did he get angry when you tried to talk to him?”
“How did you know?” Deku quickly shook his head. “I mean, no, he’s not angry. He just got worried, that’s all.”
Mr. Shigaraki sat down on the couch and Deku floated down beside him, still focused on his memories of Toshi. “I’m worried about you too, little one. Have you found out why you’re bound to this house yet?”
"Toshi runs away from me every time I say I have a question for him." Deku pouted. "I feel like… he’s avoiding me."
"He’s afraid you'll find out the truth." Mr. Shigaraki replied.
"Truth? What truth?" Deku leaned closer to him without realizing. "Do you know why?"
"I know a few reasons a spirit like you could be bound to a place." Mr. Shigaraki nodded. "Would you like me to tell you?"
"Are they bad?" Deku bit his fingernail nervously, leaning even closer to the man.
"There are lots of different reasons." Mr. Shigaraki shrugged. "Sometimes it's a lingering attachment from your life. Maybe an emotional connection, or perhaps regret. Or it could be because the spirit was imprisoned there by an exorcist with special seals. Or, the spirit could be stuck there because that is the place it died."
Deku sucked in a quick breath. "They get stuck in the place they died?"
"That's one of the more common reasons. Most of the time, they don't know where else to go."
"What do you mean?" Deku edged even closer, not noticing when the man's arm drifted around him.
"It's fairly common for a spirit to lose their memories if they've had a traumatic death." Mr. Shigaraki continued.
"That sounds awful." Deku shuddered. "I'm glad nothing like that happened to me! I'm just here because this is my home!"
"But you don't know how you died, Deku. Did you live here before you died? Why would you have an emotional attachment to somewhere you've never lived?"
"Because… because this is home." Deku frowned again. "Why? You don't think it's because of something else, do you?"
"I'm afraid I can only speculate. But it is strange that you lost your memory after you died, isn't it? Did any of your friends lose their memories?"
“I- I don’t know. I never asked.” Deku allowed himself to be pulled closer to the man’s side. “Why are you asking me all these questions?”
“I just want you to understand yourself better, little one. I’m worried about you. I don’t like that you’re imprisoned here.”
“It’s not a prison! I like it here!”
“But you can’t leave.” Mr. Shigaraki pointed out.
Deku looked away, biting his lip. “T-That has nothing to do with it. If I really wanted to leave, Toshi would help me find a way. He’s my family.”
“What about your real family? Do you think they would be okay knowing that you were trapped here?”
Deku pushed him away. “My family is here! You’re asking awful questions and I don’t want to answer anymore!”
“I’m just trying to help you, little one.”
“You’re being mean! I thought you wanted to play with me!” Deku shouted. “Go away, meanie! I don’t want to play with you!”
“I’ve hurt your feelings, haven’t I? I’m sorry.” Mr. Shigaraki did look upset. “Please don’t be angry with me.”
Deku turned away when he reached out for him again, not allowing the man to touch him when he tried to place a hand on his shoulder. Every time Mr. Shigaraki tried to get in his sight again, he turned away. “Go away. You’re not even supposed to be here. Toshi says bad things happen when ghosts and humans get together.”
Mr. Shigaraki gave a small laugh. “Well, he’s telling the truth about that at least. Let me guess, he won’t tell you what kind of bad things happen?”
“Go away!” Deku screamed. He didn’t wait to see if the man left the house and ran instead, vanishing through the floorboards. The windows rattled, walls creaked. At once, every door in the house slammed closed. The lights flickered and for a moment, in the dark, fresh blood stains appeared leading from the front door and down the hallway. Footsteps and splatters on the ground, smeared handprints on the wall. As soon as Deku crawled into Toshi’s bed, the house stilled and settled once more.
Alone at last, Deku pulled his ghost sheet down over his head and cried. He wasn’t sure why he was crying. Something felt wrong. He was scared and for the first time in his afterlife, he wasn’t sure who to trust. Who to believe. It should be Toshi, shouldn’t it? But why did everything that Mr. Shigaraki had said make him feel as though he wasn’t supposed to do that. He didn’t like that feeling. He prayed for Toshi to get home soon so he could just ask him. But even that was scary. What if Toshi really was lying to him?
The light faded as the sun began to set. Deku felt a hand softly rest on his back. “Deku? What’s wrong, my boy?”
Deku sat up, still sniffling. “Toshi, I’m so glad you’re home!” He cried, reaching out to the older ghost. Toshi pulled Deku into his lap, looking concerned.
“Did something happen?” He asked, helping Deku dry his eyes with his ghost sheet.
“Toshi, I broke my promise! I let that man come in and you were right! Bad things do happen! I’m so confused, Toshi!”
“Shhh, it’s all right.” Toshi brushed his hair out of his face to calm him. “You’re still safe here. Tell me what’s wrong?”
“He asked me all those silly questions again but then I got really scared!” Deku cried. “He said I can’t trust you and that you w-weren’t my real family! We’re family, aren’t we Toshi?”
“Of course we, kiddo.” Toshi promised without hesitating. “You belong here, Deku.”
“Do I? That man said I didn’t. He said my spirit was supposed to go somewhere else. He said it was a mistake that I was trapped here. He said that I was being locked up. Toshi, I’m so confused. This is home, isn’t it? If it’s not, then where am I supposed to be? Where would I have gone?”
“Calm down, calm down. Just breathe, Deku.” Toshi gave him a squeeze. “He said all those things to you? My boy, why would you believe such awful lies like that?”
“B-Because I don’t know how I died. I don’t know why I’m here.”
“I know why you’re here.” Toshi said after a small pause. Deku perked up, grabbing onto him and leaning in to hear his answer. Toshi took a moment to dry his eyes again and make sure he had calmed down enough to listen. “You’re here because after you died, this is where you wanted to be. Just like I chose to come here, your perfect little spirit did the same. You came here because you wanted to be at home.”
“Then why can’t I leave?”
“There’s something keeping you here.” Toshi said. “There are two ways a spirit can be bound to a specific place or object.”
“The man said there were lots of reasons!” Deku interrupted.
“Lots of reasons, yes, but only two ways to do it.” Toshi clarified. He waited for Deku to nod before he continued. “The first is someone else to bind the spirit. Another spirit, sometimes, but more often a human with spiritual powers. The second way is if a spirit is so attached to the place that they tie themselves down to it.”
“So either someone told me to stay here, or I told myself?” Deku asked. “Do you know which it was?”
“I think it was the second for you, my boy. You love your home so much that when you finally got back after you died, you made it so you would never be able to leave again. What do you think? Do you feel like someone is forcing you to stay here against your will?”
“N-No.” Deku sniffed, wiping his eyes. “I just was really scared that it was all a big trick, like he said.”
“No tricks, Deku. If you ever do want to leave, I’ll help you find a way. Do you want to go outside? Should we find a way to break your binding?”
Deku quickly shook his head. “No! I want to stay! I don’t ever want to leave!”
Toshi smiled. “I think that settles it. You chose to bind yourself because this is your home.”
Deku nodded and leaned into Toshi. He felt warm again, at peace. He wasn’t sure why Mr. Shigaraki had done all those things to upset him, but it was over now. Toshi had settled everything down. He was right where he belonged, in his house and with his family.
You don't know how you died, Deku. Did you live here before you died? Why would you have an emotional attachment to somewhere you've never lived?
Mr. Shigaraki had said that too, though Deku wasn’t sure why it had popped back into his head. It was just another stupid question. He didn’t want it to bother him anymore.
“Toshi, did I live here before I died? Is that why I wanted to come back?” Deku asked around a large yawn.
Toshi stiffened. “Why do you ask?”
“Just wondering.” Deku frowned when he looked up. Toshi looked anxious. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, Deku. And no, I don’t think you lived here.”
“Hm.” Deku buried his head in Toshi’s chest again. “What about you, did you live here?”
“No, I just ended up here by chance. It was an abandoned house, so no one bothered me and I liked that. So I kept coming back.”
“Is that why you can’t haunt the house like I can?”
“No, you’re able to haunt the house because of your binding. Only one ghost can be bound to a place at a time.”
Deku nodded. That made sense. But there were some things that Toshi had said that didn’t make sense. “But if you lived here and no one else did… then how come I wanted to come here?”
Toshi stayed quiet, petting Deku’s hair and keeping him close to his chest. He hummed softly, letting Deku ramble to himself.
“That doesn’t make sense, Toshi.” Deku yawned again. “If this was my home, but I never lived here, and you never lived here… but did I even know you? You were already a ghost. Did we know each other, Toshi? You said ghosts and humans can’t get along.”
Deku’s words faded off into a mumble as he fell asleep in Toshi’s arms. Toshi let out the breath he’d been holding for nearly ten minutes. He rested his head on top of Deku’s and took several shaking breaths. After composing himself again, he tucked Deku into bed and lay down beside him.
“You should really start sleeping in your own bed.” He said softly, pulling the covers over both of them. But he didn’t take him there. He hugged Deku close and closed his eyes, allowing his mind to rest as well.
***
Toshi jerked awake in the middle of the night to the house shaking and quaking. Deku wasn’t in bed beside him any longer. Toshi felt a surge of panic. Why was Deku haunting the house in the middle of the night? Were there intruders? Was he in danger? He called out for Deku, dropping through floors and racing through walls to look for him.
“Deku? Deku, where are you! What’s wrong?”
The lights in the hallway flickered. Toshi spun around the corner and froze. Deku was standing at the far end, his hand resting against the wall. Fresh blood stains were clearly visible on the floor, footprints leading to where the boy stood. Bloody handprints smeared along the wall, dripping down the wallpaper in the flickering lights. Hearing his voice, Deku turned his head towards him. His green eyes were vacant, his expression slack.
Toshi swallowed and took a step closer to him. “Deku.”
Deku blinked once, then several times as the color returned to his face. The lights stopped flickering, but the blood stayed. He looked around, confused. Toshi watched as his eyes caught sight of the blood, following it’s path to where he stood. His breath hitched, seeing how his small feet fit perfectly in the footprints. He jerked his hand away from the wall where the fingerprints fit exactly with his own. Deku stumbled back, screaming, and trying to wipe his hand.
The house shook violently again and Toshi rushed forward. He scooped Deku into his arms. “It’s okay, Deku! It’s okay! You’re okay, none of this is real. You were having a nightmare, it’s all over. You’re safe, you’re safe. See? No blood. You’re okay.”
Deku stopped screaming, but only because he was hyperventilating too much to maintain the screams. He was staring at his hands which were shaking but bore no blood. The lights flickered a few more times and the house returned to normal.
“Shhh…” Toshi turned Deku into him, rocking him side to side and making soothing sounds. “Just a dream, my boy. Just a dream.”
Deku started to sob, grabbing Toshi’s shirt with shaking hands “Toshi I’m scared! That was scary!”
“It’s over now.” Toshi lifted him into his arms and slowly walked back to his room. “You were sleepwalking is all.”
“No, it was something else.” Deku shook his head. “Toshi, what was that? Where did all that blood come from?”
“It wasn’t real, Deku. That stuff appears every time you haunt the house. You just did it while you were asleep this time. See? You really are a scary ghost.” He tried to laugh, but Deku was still shaking his head.
“Toshi there was blood! Why was there so much blood? And those footprints- those were my footprints!”
“It was all made up.” Toshi sat on the bed and grabbed a blanket to wrap Deku in. “Just a scary thing that happens when you’re haunting. You sure scared me this time!”
Deku sobbed and shook his head. “Toshi, that was so scary! I don’t ever want to haunt again if that happens!”
“It’s not going to happen again.”
Deku continued to shake in his arms. Without warning, he looked up and met Toshi’s eyes. He looked absolutely terrified, tears frozen on his cheeks, anxiety etched into every line on his face. “Toshi, how did I die?”
Toshi blinked, unintentionally holding Izuku tighter. “What?”
“How did I die?” Deku repeated. “Did I die like that? With all that blood a-and everything? Was it scary like that?”
“I- I-.” Toshi swallowed. Deku tightened his grip, looking more desperate than before. “No, Deku. You died in your sleep. In the hospital. You were sick.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.”
Toshi watched the tension drain away. Deku leaned into him again, letting out a shuddering sigh. “I’m so glad.” He started to cry again, sounding more relieved now. “Toshi, I’m glad I don’t ever have to die again. If I had to die like that… I would be so scared. Was I alone when I died?”
“No. Your family was there with you.”
Deku nodded again. “What about you? Were you there? Did I follow you home?”
“Yes, Deku. That’s exactly what happened.” Toshi kissed the top of his head. “Do you feel better now? Want to go back to bed?”
“Don’t let me go this time.” Deku whispered, wrapping his arms around him.
“I won’t, I promise.” Toshi gave him a squeeze. “I’ll never let you go.”
***
In the weeks that followed, Deku found himself drawn to the end of the hallway. Without knowing why, he would retrace the bloody footprints, run his hand along the wall. He would always reach a certain point, right where Toshi had found him that night, and then stop. He couldn't ever continue, and he wasn’t sure why. It frightened him. Even more frightening was the urge to keep it a secret. Like he was doing something he shouldn’t. Sometimes he found himself standing there with no memory of how he came to be there.
Deku started harassing Toshi with more and more questions every night. What kind of sickness did he have? How long was he in the hospital for? Why was Toshi there? Why had he decided to follow Toshi home? Was the hospital far away? Had he been in pain while he was in the hospital? Had he been bedridden? He was even ready to ask about his old family, but right when he got enough courage, Toshi insisted that he start sleeping in his own bed again.
It felt like a punishment. Deku didn’t like being alone. He was afraid he might start haunting in his sleep again and end up seeing blood and other scary things. Toshi insisted that it was nothing, but Deku was still afraid. He trusted Toshi, but it felt as though there was something sneaking up on him.
Deku started seeing things. Shadows, out of the corner of his eye. Blood that vanished as soon as he turned to look at it. Sometimes the doors had massive locks on them and he was afraid to try to open them in case the locks were somehow real. He was becoming paranoid, clinging to Toshi every moment he was in the house and begging him not to leave each morning.
“Toshi, I’m scared!” Deku clung to his arm. “Something is wrong with me! Why do I keep seeing all that stuff?”
“I don’t know, kiddo.” Toshi placed a hand on his shoulder. “I’m trying to find out how to stop it. Can you hang in a little bit longer?”
“Can’t I come with you?” Deku begged.
Toshi’s face twisted. “Deku, you can’t leave the house.”
“Then I want to break the binding!” Deku screamed. “I’m scared, I’m so scared! I want to stay with you!”
“What are you afraid of?”
“Th-That you’ll go away! That I’ll go away! What if I disappear when the binding is broken? What if I remember things I don’t want to remember? What if I remember something that makes me want to leave? I don’t want that!”
“Shh… I know you’re scared, my boy. Do you really want to break the binding?”
“No! I just want all the scary stuff to stop!” Deku sobbed. “Don’t go, Toshi, don’t go!”
“All right, I’ll stay here today.” Toshi relented. “I’m not going to leave you.”
Deku cried with relief, floating up to wrap his arms around Toshi’s neck. “Promise? You promise?”
“I promise. We can play a game if you want? Or read a book, or draw. You can take a nap if you need one.”
“Will you tell me a story? One about someone brave.”
Toshi drifted over to the couch, letting Deku settle in his lap. He pulled Deku’s hood down and dried his eyes. “Someone brave? I knew someone very brave once. A little boy who wasn’t afraid of ghosts. He used to come to a haunted house with a little flashlight and camera and search every room to try and find me. He would call out for Mr. Ghosty to come out and play with him. He was very lonely, so lonely that he would gladly meet with a ghost if he could have someone to talk with.”
“Did he find any ghosts?” Deku asked, sounding worried.
“Yes, he did. They tried to scare him away, but he came back day after day. He would bring toys and presents. He would sit by the ghost and talk for hours and hours, telling him all kinds of stories that he made up. He was a very smart little boy.” Toshi paused, eyes turning distant in a way that Deku had seen him do from time to time.
“What happened? Did they become friends? I thought humans and ghosts weren’t supposed to be friends?”
“They did become friends, until the boy’s father found out. You see, the boy’s father was a ghost hunter and exorcist. He was very angry when he found out that the boy and the ghost had become friends. He locked the little boy in his room and went out to hunt for the ghost.”
“No!” Deku gasped. “That’s not fair! They weren’t doing anything wrong!”
“That’s not how the father saw it. He wanted to get rid of all ghosts, good and bad. So he found the ghost that had become his son’s friend.”
“Did he kill them?” Deku shuddered. “Toshi, I don’t like this story.”
“No, Deku. The ghost was much too strong for him to kill. He got away, but the father made the boy promise to never talk to a ghost again. After that, the brave little boy never came looking for his friend again.”
“That’s a sad story.” Deku snuggled into Toshi.
“That’s why humans and ghosts are better off staying away from each other. Imagine how awful the brave little boy would have felt if his friend had been killed by his father? They would never have been able to see each other again.”
“I don’t like this story. Tell me one about superheroes instead.” Deku requested and Toshi chuckled.
“All right, kiddo. We can talk about superheroes instead.”
***
Deku was standing at the end of the hall, staring at the spot where the blood always appeared. Something felt wrong with the house, but he couldn't figure out what it was. He lifted a hand and ran it over the wallpaper. It was starting to crack and peel, slowly revealing old, dark stains. Mr. Shigaraki had said that, since the house was his vessel, its appearance was tied to his mental image of it. He was afraid of what seeing it like this meant about him.
Toshi disagreed, saying that there was something more wrong. He was carefully searching the house for something that might have weakened Deku's connection to it. Deku did feel a little sick, though if that was from worry or something else, he wasn't sure. He twisted his hands nervously and watched as more color faded from the wall. Familiar handprints were becoming visible, smeared along the wall. They were old but unmistakably made with blood.
"Starting to remember, perhaps?"
Deku spun to the door. An intruder! No, it was just Mr. Shigaraki. "G-Go away!"
"You sound frightened, little one. What are you afraid of?" His eyes drifted to the bloodstains. "Are you scared of the truth?"
"Wh-what truth?" Deku took a step back, hand leaving the wall.
"About how you died, and how you ended up here." Mr. Shigaraki came towards him slowly. "This isn't where you belong, little one. I'm here to take you home, if you're ready."
"I am home!" Deku stuttered. "You're the one who doesn't belong here!"
"I'm trying to help you, my child. You need to listen to me."
"Get out!" Deku screamed, making the house shake and flicker.
"It's all right now, no need to be scared." Mr. Shigaraki moved slowly at first, then his hand darted out.
Deku tried to let his hand pass through him, but to his surprise, it latched onto his wrist. Deku screamed, surprised by the fuzzy sensation of electricity being zapped through him. "Let go!" He cried, his panic making the house react violently.
"Deku!" Toshi appeared, pushing Mr. Shigaraki back and pulling the boy away. "Get away from him!"
Deku tried to go through the wall, but smacked his head instead. "What did you do to me?" He cried, staring at his hands.
"He used his spiritual power to make you tangible." Toshi growled.
"But he's human. I didn't know they could do that."
"He's a ghost hunter, an exorcist. One who kills ghosts and takes their power for himself. He's the one I've been trying to stop, but it looks like he still found you."
“You’re All for One?” Deku gasped, horrified.
"How could I possibly kill something that is already dead?" All for One smirked. "Besides, you're just as guilty of abusing your power as I am." His red eyes drifted back to Deku.
Deku whimpered and hid behind Toshi. "Wh-what is he talking about?"
"You're strong enough to bind a spirit, aren't you Toshi? To tie them down to a place as large as this, erase their memories perhaps?"
Deku shuddered. "What is he saying? Toshi, what is he talking about?"
"Of course, it's easier to bind a spirit to the place where they died." All for One went on before Toshi could answer. "Especially if you were there, watching."
"You're a liar!" Deku shouted, still safely hidden behind Toshi. "I died in the hospital, Toshi told me already!"
All for One laughed. "Is that what he told you? I could have come up with a better story than that."
"No, Toshi doesn't lie to me!" Deku grabbed the back of Toshi's coat. "Go away!"
The house trembled again, turning dark, but All for One only laughed again. "You're not a malevolent spirit, little one. You can't hurt me. Are you afraid that your precious Toshi has been lying to you? Keeping the truth of your death from you? Your past? Even your own name?"
"Toshi, make him stop!" Deku cried. "Tell him the truth!"
"His name is Deku." Toshi's hand rested on Deku's shoulder. "That's what he told me to call him, so that's his name."
"See?" Deku hugged Toshi. "My name is Deku and this is my home!"
The tall human tsked, pulling a stack of papers out of his sleeve. "Stubborn spirit… It looks like I'll have to get my hands dirty after all."
"Deku, run!" Toshi pushed him back, but the exorcist moved faster. He threw one of the papers and it flashed, making Deku see spots.
"Toshi!" Deku cried, rubbing his eyes. "What happened? Where are you?"
A hand grabbed his wrist again and dragged him. Deku screamed as he was thrown to the ground. He blinked the stars away at last and looked around. All for One had pushed him into the spot at the end of the hallway where the bloody footsteps ended. Toshi was restrained against the wall by the papers, all with glowing writing on them.
"Toshi!" Deku got up and tried to run to him. He hit an invisible wall, smacking his face hard and knocking him to the ground again. On the ground, he noticed the glowing circle drawn around him, strange words swirling at his feet.
"Are you hurt?" All for One asked, crouching over Deku and reaching out to touch him.
Deku screamed and scrambled away, pushing his back against the wall. "Get away, let me go!"
"Calm down, little one. I'm just trying to help."
"No you're not! You're ruining everything!" Deku choked, his fear turning his screams into sobs. "Let me go! Let Toshi go! We weren't doing anything wrong!"
"No, love, you weren't doing anything wrong. But that has been lying to you and I need you to understand where you really belong. Not here, not in this awful place where you died."
"I didn't die here!" Deku screamed again. "Toshi, tell him the truth!"
"He's lying to you!" All for One shouted, grabbing Deku's shoulders.
Deku screamed and pulled his sheet down over his face. "Don't hurt me!" He sobbed. "Let us go, please! Toshi, I'm scared!"
All for One growled, squeezing Deku's shoulders. "Fine, I'll prove it to you." He released Deku's shoulders and pulled another seal from his coat. "Look at this, little one. Do you know what this is? It's a truth seal. It makes it so that a spirit can't tell a lie."
Deku whimpered and pulled away, wrapping his sheet tightly around himself. "Go away." He cried. "Leave us alone."
All for One stood and turned to Toshi. "Unfortunately, it's painless. I would love to make you suffer."
Toshi glared as the seal was laid over his throat. It began to glow, sinking down into his skin.
All for One returned to Deku and pulled him to his feet, wrapping his arms around him from behind. "Now, little one, ask him to tell you how you died. Go ahead."
Deku shook his head. "No! I don't need to! Toshi already told me!"
"Deku." Toshi interrupted him. Heis face was strained. "Listen to me, my boy. I did lie to you. I was afraid of what would happen if you knew, I didn't want you to have to suffer through it again."
Deku whimpered. He felt cold. The house quaked, frost crackling up the windows and walls. "Toshi, what are you talking about?"
"Two weeks after you died, you showed up here, right in that spot. You were so angry and hurt and confused. You bound yourself to the house, begged me to stay with you. You were in so much pain. Then, one morning, you had forgotten everything. You were happy again. So I promised myself I would never tell you about your past." Toshi started coughing. "I didn't mean to hurt you like this."
Deku strained against All for One, reaching for Toshi. "You're hurting him! Make it stop!"
"It will only hurt him if he resists." All for One pulled Deku back. "Ask him to tell you how you died." When Deku shook his head, the man threatened, "I'll tear him apart if you don't. Now ask."
Deku was sobbing too hard to speak. He was scared. The house was covered in moving shadows, creaking floorboards. He could hear a little boy giggling somewhere far away. The sounds of "Boo!" and more laughter bounced down the hallway. "Did I scare you?"
"M-make it stop!" Deku cried. "Toshi, make it stop!"
"Ask him." All for One growled, grabbing a fistful of his hair.
Deku choked on his scream. "T-Toshi, how did I die?" He stammered through his sobs.
Toshi strained against his seals, trying to break free. "You came here. I don't know what happened. You were bleeding, you wouldn't tell me who had hurt you. I tried to help, but you had already lost so much blood."
"You wanted him to die!" All for One shouted. "You wanted him to stay with you, you wanted him to die!"
"No!" Toshi shouted. "No, Deku, I tried to save you!"
The house howled, doors opened and slammed, the sound of glass shattering mixed with children's laughter and now distant screaming.
"Wake up, please! Don't die, kiddo, don't die!"
"Boo! Did I scare you this time?"
"Please, you have to live."
"I wanna stay here with you, Mr. Ghosty!"
Deku screamed and covered his ears. "Stop, stop! Make it stop!"
"Tell him his name!" All for One demanded.
"Deku!" Toshi shouted over the noise. "Your name is Deku! That's the name you chose!"
"HIS REAL NAME!" All for One screamed.
"Stop, stop!" Deku wailed.
When Toshi didn't reply, All for One turned Deku around and cupped his face in his hands. "Izuku. Your name is Izuku Shigaraki. That's your real name."
"No!" Deku screamed, still covering his ears. "Liar, liar, liar!"
"Listen to me, Izuku. You don't belong here. I'm going to save you, I'm going to take you home. Izuku. Trust me, Izuku. It's going to be okay."
"Go away! I don't want you here!" Deku screamed.
"Izuku, don't you remember me?"
Deku frantically shook his head, trying to pry himself free. All for One's eyes grew dark.
"As I expected, you won't come back to me until your bond is broken." He let Deku go and the boy collapsed to the ground. He felt sick, looking at the bloodstains on the floorboards. This was where he died, right in this exact spot seven years ago.
"You can't break the bond!" Toshi shouted. "You might kill him!"
"Quiet!" All for One snapped at him. He focused his attention on Deku, dropping his voice to a lower, sweeter tone. "I need you to listen to me very carefully, little one. If you resist, it might hurt. I'll give you a new vessel to bind yourself too and then you'll be free."
"Who are you?" Deku sobbed, dragging himself back to the wall again. "What do you want?"
"I just want you to come home." All for One pulled out another seal from his coat, along with a pocket watch. "Give me your hand, love."
"No!" Deku pulled back, but the man grabbed his arm. "Stop. What are you doing?"
"Hold still now." All for One forced the watch into Deku's hand and covered it with the seal. Deku immediately jerked his hand and tried to drop the watch, but the seal held fast. "Good, good. Now we start with your name." All for One placed his second hand on Deku's face. He was smiling, cooing. "Say your name, love."
"D-Deku." The boy sobbed.
"You're real name." All for One twitched, but maintained his composure.
"That is my real name!" Deku screamed, pulling his face away.
All for One dropped the smile and reached for another seal from his coat. "Do you know what this does, Izuku? This is what I use to get rid of old, useless spirits." He turned to look at Toshi. "You've used up your usefulness, haven't you?"
"No!" Deku shrieked. "No, you can't hurt him! Don't, don't please!"
"Your name. Say your name, sweetheart."
Deku looked over at Toshi, who was shaking his head. All for One lifted the seal higher, aiming it towards the older ghost. "I-Izuku." Deku stuttered the name from earlier. It felt heavy on his tongue, like a forbidden curse. Speaking it felt wrong, dirty. "Izuku Shigaraki."
"Good, good!" All for One gushed. "I'll finish the spell now."
Deku sobbed through the strange words the man intoned. The house was shrieking louder and louder around them, echoing old voices up and down the hallway.
"Izuku, please. Stay with me! You can't die!"
"Mr. Ghosty, play a game with me! Please!"
"How many times have I told you not to play here?"
"Toshi, I'm scared. I don't want to die! I don't want to leave you!"
"Stay with me, kid. You aren't going to die!"
"You're supposed to be afraid of ghosts, my boy."
"Look! I'm a ghost, like you! Can I stay, please?"
The more the voices echoed, the more familiar they became. His voice. Toshi's voice. Happy, together. He had always belonged here. Of course he would want to die here. Of course he would want to come back here. Back to home. Back to where Toshi was. Back to the only place he felt safe.
"Did I scare you? Did I?"
“You need to go home. This is no place for children."
"Toshi, I want to stay! Please, please let me stay with you! I don't care if I die! I just want to be home!"
"Don't make me go, Mr. Ghost."
"Please, let me stay."
"This is my home!"
"Don't go, Toshi!"
"Let me stay, Mr. Ghosty!"
All for One finished speaking and the house stilled. The shadows vanished, the color faded. Cobwebs and dust gathered, the smell of rotting wood. The blood stains remained, old and faded. Deku was left gasping and sobbing in the awful silence. He felt cold and empty. His connection to the house was gone. He wasn’t home anymore.
"There." All for One smiled wide. The seal fell away and Deku pulled his hand back. "It's finished, little one. You're free."
"I didn't want to be-!" Deku shrieked when he tried to speak. "No, no, it's wrong! It feels bad! Make it stop! It's wrong, it's wrong, it's wrong! I want to go back! It hurts!"
"Hush, hush, it's just temporary." All for One pulled Deku closer. "I have a new vessel for you at home."
"Who are you?" Deku screamed. "What do you want from us? Make it stop, I hate it! Toshi, I'm scared!"
"It's all right now." All for One picked Deku up, hugging him tightly. "You're safe now."
"Leave him alone!" Toshi strained against the seals, making a few of them crackle as if they were about to break.
"I nearly forgot about you." All for One scowled, turning back towards him. He dropped Deku again, a smirk growing on his face. "Look how weak you've become. Did using your powers to hide this house exhaust you that much? It took me so long to find it… but now you can't hold me back any longer."
"Stop, stop!" Deku sobbed behind him. "Don't hurt Toshi!"
"Are you really going to do this in front of him?" Toshi asked, not flinching at all as All for One came closer to him.
"Oh, you think I'm going to kill you?" All for One laughed. "No, I won't be doing that. Not until you've suffered being alone for seven years, the same way I had to suffer because of you. Fortunately I have the perfect vessel that has just become available. "
"No, please!" Deku grabbed All for One's suit jacket and tried to pull him back with all his strength. “Whatever you’re doing, stop!”
“Not right now, Izuku. I need to take care of this before we can go home.” All for One turned back to him, pulling out the pocket watch. “Go to sleep for me, little one.”
“No!” Deku screamed, reaching for Toshi. Without warning, everything went dark. After he stopped screaming, he could hear a loud ticking. Was he inside the watch? Deku tried to find the walls so he could break himself out. They were much too close. He didn’t like being inside the watch. He wanted to be in the house again, back where everything was warm and safe.
After screaming some more and desperately trying to escape, Deku hugged himself and cried. He was cold and alone and afraid. Afraid that he would never see home again. Afraid that Toshi was gone forever. The same feelings he’d experienced as he was dying. For now, it was all that he could remember. Toshi had been there. Toshi wasn’t here now. He wanted to go home to Toshi.
When All for One finally let him back out of the watch, they were in a large room full of glowing seals and other objects that radiated spiritual energy. The unnatural way they mixed together made Deku feel squeamish. Like pieces of too many bodies that had been strung together to form something new. He was still numb with shock when All for One set him down on a table and kissed his forehead.
“Almost done, love. Just hold on for me a bit longer.”
“Toshi…” Deku mumbled. He wanted Toshi.
“Shh, shh, it’s okay.” All for One hushed him softly. “Let’s get you into your new vessel. What do you think, love?”
Deku looked up a little to see what All for One was pointing at. Held up by strings was a large puppet that was just his size. He couldn’t tell what it was made of. It reminded him of a doll, with ball joints and smooth surfaces. Without knowing why, he hated it. It frightened him. He looked around for Toshi to comfort him, but Toshi wasn’t there.
“I tried so many different things.” All for One was explaining as he began setting up new seals and binding circles. “At first I tried to use your body, of course, but it took me so long to find your spirit. There were more problems with the preservation than I expected, and I didn’t have enough power. But everything worked out in the end.”
Deku whimpered, wishing that Toshi would show up to rescue him. “What are you doing?” He asked, pulling his ghost sheet tight around himself. “Why are you ruining everything?”
“I’m fixing everything, Izuku.”
“I’m Deku.” Deku replied numbly. “Please don’t make me go in that thing. I’m scared. I want to go home.”
“Everything will feel better soon.” All for One promised, brushing Deku’s hair back and giving him a small kiss. “Now, tell me your name again, just like we did before.”
“I… I don’t remember. I just remember Deku.”
“Izuku.” All for One tipped his head up with both hands to try and catch his eyes. He repeated the name slowly. “You’re Izuku. Haven’t you remembered yet? Izuku Shigaraki.”
“I-zuku?” Deku repeated. He wasn’t even sure what he was saying anymore. He was too frightened.
“Good, good boy.” All for One smiled. “This will only take a few minutes.”
Deku zoned him out again after that. The numbness was hard to shake away. This was worse than dying. At least after dying he’d been able to go back home. After this… he didn’t know what was going to happen after this. He couldn’t understand why All for One was doing this to him. What did he want? He hated ghosts, all ghosts. Why would he want a weak spirit like Deku?
Deku felt another jarring shift as his spirit was pulled out of the watch and thrust into the doll. It was an even worse fit than the watch. He screamed and writhed for nearly an hour until the numbness took over again, leaving him crying and staring up at the ceiling. All for One was hovering over him, stroking his hair and giving him a tender smile.
“It’s a perfect fit. It’s like nothing ever happened.” He kissed Deku’s forehead. “Welcome back, Izuku.”
Deku let out another loud sob. “Hurts.” Was all he could manage.
“Come here, let’s get you back to your room.” All for One picked him up, rocking him as he walked. “I missed you so much, baby. I’ve spent every moment for the last seven years trying to find a way to bring you back to me. Here we are, right where you belong.”
Deku looked around the room for something to comfort himself with. Something familiar, something that had a sense of home about it. “Toshi?”
“Shhh… it’s okay. You’re safe here.” All for One lay him down on a bed and sat beside him. “You’ll be able to move soon, as soon as you finish adjusting.”
“Scared.” Deku cried. “Toshi? Toshi!”
“Hush, love, hush. You can forget all of those bad things now. It’s over. You’re back.”
“You hurt me.”
“It was an accident.” All for One promised, lifting Deku to hug him. “I didn’t mean for it to happen like that! Why did you run away? Why didn’t you just listen to me?”
“What are you-?” Deku began to ask, then he remembered. “Let me go. Put me down.”
“You should have come home to me.” All for One hugged him tighter instead. “Izuku, the day I lost you was the worst day of my life. And then when I found you and you didn’t even remember me? Promise me you’ll never leave me like that again. How could you do that to me?”
“Me?” Deku started shaking. “You- you stabbed me! Of course I ran away! Of course I wanted to forget you!”
“It was an accident, Izuku.”
“You’re a liar!” Deku screamed. “You killed me! I hate you, I’ve always hated you! You’re a monster! I was free as a ghost! I was happy! Why did you have to take that away from me when you already took the rest of my life away?”
“You’re back now, everything is okay. You aren’t a ghost anymore. You’re here with me, right where you belong.”
“I am still a ghost!” Deku shouted over him.
All for One released him at last, but only to grip him firmly by the shoulders and angrily stare him down. “You aren’t a ghost, Izuku. There are no more ghosts. You’re my son, and you’re home now.”
Deku whimpered. “Y-You’re crazy.”
“You’ll remember everything soon. Go to sleep now, baby, I’ll make you your favorite food for dinner and then we can play together.”
“Ghosts don’t eat.” Deku tried to tell him, but an angry look crossed All for One’s face that made him cower back.
“No more ghosts, Izuku. I’m tired of telling you. I’ll have to punish you if you keep acting out like this.”
Deku felt more afraid than he ever had before. His fears of All for One, the ghost hunter, the exorcist, the man who had uprooted his perfect afterlife, were now mixing with the nightmares of his past life. A father who neglected him, who didn't listen to him, who was always trying to shape him into his perfect mold. He wanted home and Toshi. No, they were one in the same. Home was wherever Toshi was, and Toshi wasn’t here right now. He was weak and defenseless, and he didn’t know what else to do except what he had done all his life up until he had died. Bend to the monster’s will. Death had been his escape in his last life, but it was what had trapped him in this life.
“Yes, Daddy.” Deku cried.
All for One softened, smiling at him again. “That’s my baby.” He tucked Deku in and kissed him goodnight. “Welcome back home, son.”