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Himiko was tired, she was sick, and she was thirsty. It had been two weeks since she had managed to source any blood, 3 months ago she made a promise to Ochako that she wouldn't kill anyone else. Now, on the verge of full hematologic shock she couldn’t remember why. A year ago, hell 6 months ago she would have solved the issue no problem, even without having to kill. Now it was a lot more difficult. None of her allies in the league relished in giving her blood, but they all would to prevent her cravings. She didn’t have a lot of options. No blood bank would give a villain a pint of blood regardless of quirk, It was long apparent that her own blood or animal’s wouldn’t suffice, She didn’t even have enough blood left in her system to try and find a particularly kinky one night stand.
She felt like turning herself in, at the very least if she did and explained the situation she would get some precious blood at least. She couldn’t do that though, the whole point of her stopping killing was to avoid that, to avoid Tartarus, she was supposed to have a plan for that. She kicked a rock as she walked down the street. Part of her was hoping she’d find a corpse, or at least someone passed out so she could replenish herself long enough to find a new plan, but luck was never going to be on her side. She thought about the promise, Uraraka didn’t know what she was asking of Himiko when she asked her not to kill, part of Himiko wonders if she’d have asked at all if she had known the truth.
Uraraka, the one person she felt like she could trust now, in this cold leagueless world. It was beyond Himiko’s understanding why Uraraka had taken pity on her, if that’s what it was. Maybe it was just her nature, she couldn’t help everyone but she could help Himiko.
This wasn’t any help at all. This was slowly killing her, and Uraraka didn’t even know it, didn't offer any sort of solace or assistance. She didn’t offer her anything.
Her phone number. Uraraka had given her her phone number. It must have been for situations like this right? She didn’t have much money but she managed to scrape a dollar from her bag and found a pay phone, even in this state she didn’t want to burden her darling with a collect call.
The phone rang, and rang, and rang. Himiko was on the verge of giving up when across the wire.
“Hello, Uravity speaking.”
The voice on the other end sounded professional and exhausted at the same time, it was clear Himiko had woken Uraraka up.
“Uraraka, I need help.”
The desperation in her voice was nearly overwhelming, and Uraraka’s tone shifts from business to comforting in a moment.
“T-toga? It’s 4 am, are you okay?”
She wasn’t okay. She was as far from okay as she felt she could be, even when the rest of the league collapsed she wasn’t as desperate as she was right now.
“Not really,, blood,,”
There wasn’t a lot of point to being discrete. Himiko didn’t have the patience for it at the best of times, and this wasn’t that.
“What about it Toga? Are you bleeding?”
The concern in her voice was overwhelming now, matching the tiredness.
“Withdrawal,, two weeks.”
Uraraka didn’t understand, how were these related exactly??
“Withdrawal from what?”
“Blood, need blood.”
It started to click in her mind. Uraraka had gone through extensive first aid training and in one niche section of a book, it mentioned quirk cravings. Usually people had to consume the craving daily to function. Toga had gone two weeks? Her voice slipped once again, this time from concern, to herodom.
“Oh my god, you need to get to a hospital ASAP.”
“No, no hospital, police. Need blood.”
“Where are you Toga?”
“Payphone.”
“I’m going to need more than that, ok?”
“Old bar.”
Toga was clearly losing basic functions, if she meant the old league bar, that was only 5 minutes from Ochako’s apartment on foot. Could she make it though?
“Can you walk?”
“Little bit,, I have been.”
Ochako exhaled sharply. Bringing a villain, even one who’s trying to reform into her apartment was probably a bad idea. Lots of things she did regarding Toga were bad ideas.
“Stay there, I’m on the way, will you be ok until I get there?”
Toga's response was shaky, even more pain3: than it had been during the rest of the call.
“I think so.”
Toga hung up and Ochako started to panic. She didn’t know how she was supposed to help Toga, and inviting her to her home was certainly not a smart idea
Her judgement was always cloudy when it came to Toga, she didn’t know why, be it the golden eyes, the manic smile, or the fact they were the same age, but Ochako had feelings for her that a hero should not have for a villain. That’s why she made her promise she’d stop killing, but if the only reason Toga was killing was because of this craving,, this was all Ochako’s fault.
She pulled on a hoodie and sweatpants before grabbing her first aid kit and bursting out the door. She thought about taking her bike but under the circumstances she didn’t think Himiko could keep balance enough to ride it.
All she could think about was what she going to do to help Himiko. She needed blood. Ochako had some but giving it to a villain who could use it to impersonate her. Either way, it wasn’t like her first aid kit had the necessary equipment for a blood transfusion. In the moment she wished she had a better first aid kit, hers was cheap, almost laughably so for a hero, the one at the commission was like a field hospital kit, surely they’d have blood on site. Bringing Toga to the HPSC was one of the stupider things she could do in this situation. Toga was trusting her to help out in a situation she created, and she was sure that incarceration wasn’t the outcome she was hoping for.
She was lighting fast trying to make it to the Toga,
“Uraraka,,”
Toga looked like a mess, from everything Ochako knew about withdrawals, she looked the part to a tee. Unsure of what to do next, Ochako does the only thing she can think of. She bares her neck to Toga.
“You, are you sure?”
Ochako nods, this was the only choice she had that wouldn’t end up looking incredibly suspicious. The bite marks could be covered up later, right now was about making sure that Toga was okay. She pulls Toga towards herself, putting her head in the crook of her neck and once again baring her neck. Giving Toga her blood wasn’t a good idea, but it was all she could do, and it was nothing she hadn’t done before.
Toga bites down causing Ochako to groan lightly at the pain. No amount of hero training or gunhead martial arts could make up for that. She feels Toga start to suckle, filling her mind with a range of thoughts, none of which befit a hero in the top 25.
She couldn’t help but feel peaceful, serene even, despite the circumstances. She knew she had feelings for Toga, feelings she shouldn’t have, and having her latched onto her shoulder drinking from it didn’t do anything to help them. She starts gently petting Toga’s hair, cooing gently as she does.
“Good girl, drink up.”
She spoke without thinking, and was immediately so glad that Toga’s face was firmly planted into her shoulder so she couldn’t notice the blush that had appeared on her face. The purr-like sound coming from Toga didn’t make her feel any better about saying it though.
Truly Ochako was well in over her head and had no idea what to do. She knew what her training would dictate in this situation, she knew what her feelings were telling her, and she had no idea of how to meld the two. Once she felt the teeth leave her skin her thoughts only muddied further, why did she want them back? Ache for them? She was relieved that Toga didn’t let go completely, savouring the closeness no matter how twisted it would appear.
Toga finished drinking before gently running her tongue over the bite marks, causing Ochako to shudder in response. Deep inside her she knew she wanted to keep feeling Himiko, her skin against her own, and her teeth inside her. Before she’s pulled into her fantasy fully though, Himiko speaks up.
“T-thank you Uraraka”
She looked better immediately, colour returning to her complexion before Ochako’s eyes. The only thing that betrayed her true state was the wavering of her voice.
“You need a rest Toga, when was the last time you had a warm bed?”
“8 months.”
“Jesus Toga, we’ve gotta get you back to my apartment, will you be ok with spending the night there.”
A little nod is all she gets from Toga, and there’s no resistance as Toga is pulled into Ochako’s arms, just a quiet purr from being held. She can still taste her blood on her tongue and it was heavenly. If she died at that moment, Himiko would have no regrets.
The entire walk back is tense for Ochako, having Himiko in her arms, completely blissed out and purring wasn’t doing anything for her already conflicted view of Himiko. The fact was that Himiko was a villain, and Ochako a hero. Really she should be taking the opportunity to turn the other girl in, but right now all Ochako could think about was how nice this moment is.
She made it back to her house, and she had a decision to make. She decided it would be best if she left it up to Himiko though, that was the least she could do really.
“I’ll take the couch ok? You can sleep in my bed, unless you want the opposite.”
Himiko was sleepy now, all the worry and pain she’d been suffering through was gone and her voice reflected it.
“Bed please.”
With that, she was carried the final 30 feet into the bedroom, Ochako tucking her in and trying to make her as comfy as possible. Of course it works, Ochako’s bed is almost unnaturally comfortable, even on a hero’s salary she was still absurdly thrifty, but this was one of her only exceptions. It was truly breathtaking. Only one thing could make Himiko's night better, and as Ochako turns to leave she tries to get it.
“‘Chako,, please,, stay.”
Ochako turns back around at the request, once again split between her instincts and feelings. The allure of Himiko was too much to resist though and she gives in, both to her desires and to Himiko’s request.
The feeling of another human in her bed was incredibly welcome, and the fact that it was Himiko. As much as Ochako tried to deny it, she’d wanted this for a long time.
It didn’t take long for Himiko to fall asleep, and Ochako couldn’t help but take in just how peaceful she looked. She should’ve been doing more for Himiko all this time, her only hope was that going forward she’d be able to right that wrong.
Ochako drifted to sleep right alongside her, it might’ve seemed weird, letting her defences down in such a way, exposing herself to a girl who had nearly killed her on more than one occasion, falling asleep with her beside you. In this moment though, Ochako knew she was safe, she felt it in her bones.
In the middle of the night, Himiko wrapped herself around Ochako, and when Ochako awoke, she was delighted by it. She had fully expected Himiko to slip out in the middle of the night but instead she was still right next to her, and more awake than expected given the lack of distance between them.
“Toga?”
“We’ve slept together now, I think we’re on a first name basis by now.”
That gets a little giggle from Ochako.
“Well Himiko. What are you still doing here? I figured you’d be gone by now.”
“I need to stay. I, I can’t keep going. I can’t keep being a villian. I need help! I need you.”
Ochako smiled at her.
“I’ll help,, I should’ve, I should’ve helped sooner, I’ll start now! Talk to me, what do you need?”
Himiko thought through it, she’d been thinking about the future for a long time now. How could she break away from the path of villainy? Now. With Ochako in her arms, even if she didn’t have a real plan, she knew she was ready.
“I, I want to turn myself in. I want you to turn me in. I want to start over. The league is dead, I can’t change the world by myself Ochako. I don’t wanna run for the rest of my life, I want to be free, eventually, so I’m going to do my time.”
Ochako wouldn’t have imagined that last night, but she was so unbelievably happy to hear it now.
“Really? I mean, are you sure?”
“I am. Ocha, can you be the one to arrest me? I know it'll look good on your record.”
That got another little laugh out of Ochako.
“Of course, although if you turned yourself in, I’d probably have a better argument to get you taken into my custody. Maybe we’ll be able to keep you out of jail at least.”
Himiko’s eyes went wide at the prospect of getting house arrest under Ochako’s supervision, even if the optimism didn't last long when she realised what she had to do now.
“In that case I’ll go, hopefully I’ll see you soon, ok Ochako-chan?”
She’s teary eyed, at least a little, but she gives a hopeful smile before turning to leave the bedroom and apartment.
“Himiko?”
She turns back to face Ochako while standing in the doorframe.
“Yeah?
“I love you.”