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All For One’s hand pulled away from the back of his neck. For the first few seconds, Izuku didn’t even notice.
He was too busy screaming.
His nerves were on fire, sparks flying across synapses and setting his entire body aflame. It was like being burnt alive, but worse.
If he really was being burnt alive, at least there would be an end in sight. The edges of his nerves would eventually be singed beyond recovery, even if All For One kept healing his burns. There would be a point where Izuku wouldn’t be able to feel anything at all, no matter how much the flames licked at his skin. He’d be nothing more than a charred piece of meat, and nothing All For One did to him would matter anymore. Bacteria from this hot, damp prison would seep through his wounds, until even All For One would give up on forcing antibiotics into this useless husk of a body. Izuku would get sick from an infection, and death would finally be able to claim him.
Unfortunately, Izuku wasn’t being burnt alive.
“Here, drink.”
Izuku gasped, his throat burning, as a final scream left his lungs. His vision blurred, before refocusing.
There was a cup of water in front of him.
Izuku scowled at the man holding the cup of water. It was an old plastic cup, as it had been since that time Izuku smashed the glass cup on the ground and tried to slit his throat with the shards. A shame that All For One had that teleportation quirk, or no one would’ve gotten into the cell before Izuku succeeded.
All For One sighed when Izuku made no move to accept the water. As if it was Izuku’s fault he could barely raise his head, let alone move his arms.
The monster sat down next to Izuku, tilting his body until the boy was leaning against him. Izuku’s skin crawled, but part of him wanted—
Now that All For One wasn’t using that quirk, his touch was soft, and cool. It felt so good—
All For One tilted Izuku’s head back, and held the cup of water to Izuku’s lips. Izuku opened his mouth on instinct, and allowed the soothing liquid to trickle down his raw throat.
The water was lukewarm and stale, but it was the best thing Izuku ever tasted.
“You’re pathetic, Ninth.” All For One chuckled as the last drop of water went down Izuku’s throat. Setting the cup onto the floor, All For One moved his hand to Izuku’s forehead, brushing Izuku’s hair away from his sweat-slicked skin.
“I hate you.” Izuku murmured, but he was too exhausted to pull away.
He hated how gentle All For One hands were. He hated that his body leant into the man’s touch, All For One’s cool skin soothing Izuku’s burning nerves. He hated that he was so desperate that he’d take comfort in his tormentor’s touch.
Izuku really was pathetic.
“They’ve forgotten you, you know.” All For One repeated again, almost conversationally. His hand brushed against Izuku’s neck again, but this time, there was no accompanying pain. Just a cool, soothing, poisonous touch.
It wasn’t the first time All For One had said that. “Your friends at UA. Iida Tenya, Uraraka Ochako, Asui Tsuyu, Todoroki Shoto, and…Shinsou Hitoshi, was it? You’re not the centre of their world; they have more friends than just you, Ninth. Don’t you think they’ve moved on already? No one who comes to me ever returns in one piece. They must have given up already.”
“…shut up.” Izuku bit out, but couldn’t stop himself from leaning into that man’s touch. If he closed his eyes, he could almost imagine—
“And All Might, that buffoon,” All For One continued, as if he couldn’t hear Izuku’s words. “Do you remember the way he looked at Togata Mirio? He would’ve chosen that boy to be his successor for sure, if he hadn’t already promised to give you One For All. He’s probably training Togata right now, seeing that you are otherwise incapacitated—”
“I said,” Izuku gritted his teeth, “shut up.”
All For One sighed, as if deeply disappointed by this reaction. “You know how long you’ve been here for. If they cared about you, they would’ve rescued you a long time ago, Ninth.”
To be honest, Izuku wasn’t sure how long he had been trapped here. Days? Weeks? Months?
Time had no meaning in this hell of metal and concrete. Only pain.
Pain, and his presence.
“You know how to end this, Izuku.” All For One murmured, his hands carding through Izuku’s sweat-drenched hair.
Izuku shuddered at the way he said his name—tenderly, almost fatherly, as if he actually cared about what Izuku was being put through. He’d much rather All For One call him Ninth.
“You don’t have to be so stubborn. Just give me One For All, and this would all be over. You can rule by my side in my empire, or retire to the countryside with your friends. I already told you I’d spare them if you give me One For All, remember? You’d never have to suffer again.”
Izuku scowled. They both knew what he thought of that bastard’s offer.
He’d rather die than give up One For All.
All For One sighed, disturbingly tender. “If you say so, Izuku.”
He carded his hand through Izuku’s hair one last time before dropping it down to his neck. Izuku tensed, and then—
He screamed.
Izuku wished he could move, talk, anything.
Anything except sit there passively, as that bastard carded his hand through Izuku’s hair again and again, like Izuku was some treasured pet or beloved toy.
He tried to think of something else—anything else—instead of the feeling of ants crawling under his skin. Once, he would’ve used this opportunity to plan for an escape, but he had tried everything to escape this hell already. Not even death was his ally in this twisted cage.
There was a game All For One liked to play. He’d brush Izuku’s hair and make Izuku as relaxed as possible. Then, when Izuku was as comfortable as he could get, that quirk would strike again, fast as a viper, and Izuku would once again burn.
Being aware of it never made the experience better.
A distraction. What he wanted was a distraction.
He thought about how much he missed his family. Mum, and Toshinori, and all his friends. When he got out of here, he’d hug them and never let go. Well, he’d have to let go, eventually, but the thought of being touched by someone who wasn’t that monster was just too nice. They’d go to that cat café, the one that Hitoshi loves so much, where Shoto discovered his love for all things feline. He’d fall asleep on Ochako’s shoulder, covered in kittens, and he’d wish he could stay in that moment forever.
All For One’s hand landed on his abdomen again, rough and scalding like a branding iron, and then—
Thoughts weren’t a privilege Izuku was privy to anymore.