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Tomura doesn’t want to talk about it. He just really doesn’t. But the way Twice kept sending him concerned glances made him want to disintegrate himself.
“What?” He finally snapped, staring at his (minion? Pawn? Ally?) through the fingers on his face.
“Oh uh sorry! Watch who you’re talkin’ to buddy! I was just wondering, what’s up with the sprained ankle? I don’t care. I thought you didn’t go into the field today?” The actual concern in his voice made Tomura’s skin crawl. Who was Twice to be questioning his leader? He was perfectly capable of taking care of himself. Was the man looking for a weakness? (He’s just trying to help.)
“None of your business!” Tomura hissed, standing up from the bar and stalking down the hall way to his room.
“Geez what crawled up his butt and died?” Was the last thing he heard before he promptly fell through the floor.
-
Falling through the icy cold abyss only to crash into hard concrete is not a pleasant experience. Shigaraki glared up at the portal before it disappeared a second after spitting him out. At this point, just let him die.
Loud honks and the sound of screeching tires filled the air, but Tomura didn’t even glance at the approaching car. His sensei may be mad about him dying prematurely, but man did he do his best.
Unfortunately the car stopped before it smashed him, tires a hair away from crushing his skull. Well, not everything went his way, hmm?
Groaning, Tomura pushed himself to his feet, flipping off the driver who had the audacity to gawk at him like he’d been the one to just mysteriously materialize in the middle of the road (heh) and starting his way back to the bar.
This was going to be a long day.
-
After a stupidly long walk (seriously what road had that portal dumped him on?), Shigaraki reappeared at the entrance of his hideout, huffing as he shoved open the door. Immediately, confused eyes locked onto him.
“Wait…but I thought you went to your room like 30 minutes ago, how did you get around to the front door?” Ignoring Twice’s sputtering, Tomura crossed to the bar to get himself a drink. Man was he going to need it.
“Heyyy Tomura~! Any plans for today?” Toga chirped, sipping from a juice box because Kurogiri (that stupid saint) refused to give her alcohol. Tomura poured himself a glass of straight vodka, knocking it back before he spoke. Gross, but he definitely didn’t want to be sober if he was going to keep falling through portals.
“No,” he grunted out. In all honesty, he wasn’t quite sure what to do after the absolute failure that was the summer camp mission and the loss of his master. He kinda just wanted to go on a revengeful rampage but the others would call that a “temper tantrum” and that he needs to get a hold of his “emotions”. Ugh.
Despite the absolute honor it was to be the new leader of the LOV, he really missed when his master just told him what to do next. Simpler days.
“Do you even know what we’re supposed to be doing next? Perhaps we need a change in management.” Dabi drawled as he walked in the room. Tomura’s eye twitched but he knew his stupid lackey was just saying it to get a rise out of him. Still, he lobbed his glass at the man, watching as Dabi ducked and let it shatter against the wall.
“Okay but seriously how’d you get to the front door? Did you leave through the back? We don’t have a back door.” No one reacted of course. They were all quite use to Tomura and Dabi’s fights by now. Even the staplefaced fuck just smirked.
“Doesn’t matter. And yes I do know what we’re doing, first we need to start recruiting more members.” He started. Yeah sure that made sense. “Then we start the next phase.” What was this next phase? Tomura had no idea. Fake it till ya make it and all that.
“Whatever you say, creep.” Dabi shrugged, tugging on a jacket and heading towards the doors. Shigaraki watched him go before turning back to the others.
“So anyone know where Kurogiri is?”
-
Finding his favorite mist man wasn’t very hard. Ever since they moved their headquarters to a different bar, they’d all gotten their own room. It wasn’t much, but Tomura appreciated it.
“Hey.” He greeted as he walked into Kurogiri’s room, shutting the door behind him. The bartender lay dejectedly on his bed, mist pooling and wisping around the room.
“Mornin’ Tomura.” His friend’s voice was strained.
“So I’m only going to ask once, but what the actual fuck is going on with your portals?” He crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall, mindful to avoid the smoke. Kurogiri’s eyes narrowed before he started coughing, causing all his mist to spasm and a random portal to appear above Tomura’s head.
“I’m uh sick.” He admitted somewhat sheepishly.
“No shit.” Shigaraki narrowed his eyes in turn.
“Sometimes when I get sick random portals start opening and I can’t really control where they go. It’s never really been a problem before but-,”
“Oh yeah completely no problem, just that it dumped me in the middle of a busy street almost crushing all my little bones, but who needs those hmm?”
“Tomura you sound like that Midoriya kid-,”
“Shut up!” The man shrieked before pressing his fingers to his temples. “So your portals are targeting me? Earlier this morning I crashed through a wall and fell, spraining my ankle, then I almost died.” He sneered. “Is this going to be a reoccurring problem? Are you trying to kill me?”
“Not on purpose, if that’s any conciliation.” His friend shrugged.
“Heartwarming.”
-
It happened twice more that day, both relatively harmless. The first time he randomly ended up in a grocery store, so he just waved at the very disturbed and confused cashiers before grabbing a box of pocky and leaving. The other time he leaned into a portal while playing a game in his room and ended up in the cramped supply closet in the back of the bar. At least he didn’t have to walk back that time.
But now the day had come to an end and he was really looking forward to some sleep. Kurogiri had confirmed that when he was asleep, there was a lesser chance of any portals showing up. Tomura was going to take his word for it.
It wasn’t that the day had been particularly exciting or anything, but Tomura fell asleep quickly, tired.
He slept peacefully for about two hours.
Ripped from his sleep the second the portal opened on his bed, Tomura only had enough time to curse as he was plunged into the cold abyss. He wondered where it would dump him this time. Either way it definitely didn’t warrant interrupting his sleep.
Finally he was deposited into the air and fell down on something with a thud.
“Fuck...” He grumbled, blinking unsteadily.
“Ow what the-?”
Um. Why was the thing he landed on talking?
Pushing himself up on his arms, he realized he didn’t land on a thing, but a person.
And that person happened to be a very shirtless Dabi.
Oh god.
Nope.
Ignoring how his cheeks burned, Tomura rolled off the bed from where he was lying on his… whatever they were.
Only to fall through another portal on the ground.
“Shi-!”
-
Tomura was going to smack Kurogiri after this. If he could figure out a way to actually hit the guy. He kinda had to wonder if he was actually doing this on purpose and was lying about the whole sick thing, but Tomura decided his friend wasn’t that cruel.
Finally the portal spat him out and oh god.
He couldn’t breathe.
Maybe Kurogiri really was this cruel.
Tomura couldn’t see anything, even as he forced his eyes open, but he immediately recognized the substance trapping him as water.
He was in the ocean.
He was in the ocean.
And dangerously low on oxygen.
Thrashing and trying to find which way was up, Tomura desperately swam towards the surface.
Or at least what he hoped was the surface.
He was actually going to die here, wasn’t he?
Suffocating in cold dark salt water.
What would the league do without him-?
What would his master say-?
HE DIDN’T WANT TO DIE YET.
His hoodie weighed him down but there was no time. He didn’t even know how far away from the surface he was.
Was it all futile?
Not yet please not yet
He hadn’t fixed the world
He hadn’t done ANYTHING
He wasn’t ready to join his family
There!
Lungs aching and about to burst, Tomura pushed himself towards the glimmer of light above and splashed into the cold air of the night.
He sucked in the sweet air, chest heaving as he shuddered head to toe.
He could’ve died from something so simple as a misplaced portal.
Pathetic.
Swimming to the shore, Shigaraki walked out of the death trap, absolutely soaked.
Yeah he was definitely going to smack Kurogiri after this.
-
No more portals appeared on his walk back to the bar. Tomura was miserable, barefoot and completely soaked in his hoodie and shorts. Cool air chilled him to the core and had his teeth chattering as he shivered violently. The taste of salt water coated his tongue.
Eventually he reached the headquarters again, staring up at the sign with tired eyes. How many times had he walked back to this place today? Too many that’s for sure.
Glaring at the door for a moment, he finally pushed it open, the promise of warmth overpowering his slight fear of being caught in another portal by Kurogiri. Bitch couldn’t dump him in another ocean could he? What’s next? A fucking dumpster fire?
Tomura trailed puddles as he walked in sopping wet, not really caring if he was being quiet as he slammed the door.
“There you are- what the fuck?” He glanced up, teeth still chattering as he shuddered, to find Dabi sitting on one of the couches in the bar. The burnt man’s brow immediately furrowed and a frown tugged at his lips.
“Went for a little midnight swim,” Tomura stuttered, freezing despite the warm room.
“Obviously. I think the burning question here is why?”
Shigaraki opened his mouth to respond but shivered so violently, he had to shut it to avoid biting his own tongue off.
“Geez dude you’re turning blue. Come here before you die of hypothermia or something.” Dabi gestured to the couch and Tomura was too tired and in pain to disagree. He sat down, trying to get his hands to stop shaking. Suddenly there were arms being wrapped around him and pulling him to the other’s chest. He immediately tensed.
“Relax, handman, just trying to keep you from dying.” Soon warmth flared from all around him and- huh that made sense didn’t it? Fire quirk and all that. Tomura basically melted back against Dabi as his bones defrosted. He heard the other’s breathing hitch but didn’t pay any attention as he focused on the warmth.
“So uh-,” Dabi cleared his throat, “gonna explain what happened or not?”
Oh right.
“Kurogiri’s portals have been going haywire all day. Sprained my ankle this morning…,” Tomura mumbled, suddenly very sleepy.
“What?!”
“Then almost got run over…,”
“What?!”
“Ended up in a grocery store then a supply closet. Then almost died in the ocean. It’s been a real fun day…” Dabi’s arms tightened around him but he was too tired to care. It was…kind of nice actually. His chill was completely gone at this point and instead he found sleep taking hold and dragging him down. He drifted off without a second thought.
-
Of course that led to a really embarrassing morning when Toga found the two of them sleeping and cuddled on the couch, but Dabi seemed pretty nonplussed about the whole thing.
Smug prick.
If they seemed on better terms from that day forward, well then that’s their little secret.
(And yes Tomura did get to punch Kurogiri in his stupid armored throat)