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Moving into the dorms turned out to be a good thing for Class 1A. They were becoming closer than ever, and learning things about each other that they likely never would have learned otherwise. Everyone was mostly getting along as well. Sure there were the occasional fights, but that was to be expected. After all, they are just teenagers. No one expected them to be perfect little angels all the time. The teachers actually expected the place to come crumbling down in the very first week since all of the troublemakers of the hero course were living under the same roof. The class was exceeding expectations just by keeping the dorms standing.
They've all been living together for over a month now. Some of the students have started sharing stories with everyone about personal things. Weird habits, fears, and even some trauma they have. Its started out as one of them telling a story about their family, and then it snowballed from there. Even Bakugou has shared how he was legitimately scared when he got kidnapped.
All of these stories followed by the rest of the students being supportive and accepting made Shouji, one of the quieter students want to open up a bit. He didn't know where or how to start though. Not to mention how the moment he thought maybe I should open up to them his anxiety immediately shut it down.
They have lived at the dorms for over a month. Everyone was, at this point, comfortable being themselves at the dorms. Everyone except him. He had yet to take off the mask he always wore. The only time it was removed was in his room when he had the door locked.
The night the thought of revealing his biggest insecurities had crossed his mind, he had returned to his room feeling defeated. He hadn't told them anything. It's not like they don't know he's a heteromorph, and it's not like he's the only one in the class. They clearly don't mind heteromorphs. But the other students who have mutant type quirks don't look like him. Their abilities, in a word, look clean. But Shouji is jagged.
After entering and started to get ready for bed. Removing his shirt is always a hassle with his arms. He always has to fold his arms up in uncomfortable ways just to slip them through the holes. They don't make any shirts that are really accessible for his quirk.
After changing into some night pants he goes to the adjoined bathroom to brush his teeth. In his bathroom he has the mirror covered. Why?
I can't even look at myself in the mirror? How can I have even thought they would accept me?
Shouji thought to himself as he removed his mask. He runs a hand over where he knew one of his scars were. The pain was still there years later. He knew it was only a figment of his imagination, but it felt real.
He shakes away the memories and grabs his toothbrush so he can finish getting ready for bed. It didn't take long after brushing his teeth to finish getting ready for bed. He lays down and wraps his arms around himself before falling asleep.
-
Once again the common room was full of life. Pretty much everyone was down there, each doing their own things. Laughing with each other, watching whatever show was on the tv, or even playing a very violent game of Uno.
Shouji sat down to join them in watching the show. Tsuyu and Mina immediately sit beside him. They had gotten into the habit of having him wrap his arms around them for extra warmth since the air was getting colder for fall. He didn't mind. It was actually one of the few things that made him happy to have his quirk.
The girls continue their conversation now that they were curled up in their arm blankets, and Shouji somewhat listened to them while watching the show. They seemed to be having a conversation about a friend of Mina's that recently went on a date.
When a commercial came on Uraraka turned to Shouji. She called his name to get his attention, which he gave.
"Why do you never take off your mask? It must get stuffy under there." She says.
"Yeah. Come on man. It can't be comfortable." Kirishima says.
He tries to find the words to say he's not quite comfortable with removing it, but he couldn't. Especially since more people joined in in saying he should remove his mask.
"Take off the mask Shouji."
"Don't be scared Shouji."
"We want to see what's underneath."
The words kept repeating over and over, telling him to remove the mask. The grew louder, making it hard to focus. He looked around and all eyes were on him. Everyone was focused on him and what could be under his mask.
He felt the rouh cloth of his mask disappeared from around his mouth, and all those looks changed. They went from curiosity to disgust and fear. Mina and Tsuyu were no longer with him, instead with the crowd of other classmates as the voices changed.
"What is wrong with you?"
"Why would UA let a disgusting monster into the hero course?"
"Freaks like you don't belong here."
People who weren't students joined in the crowd. People from his village. Each joining in in calling him a monstrous freak. He could feel their hands on him, and he looked side to side. There were the people who held him down when he was a kid. Rocks and pipes in hand, prepared to beat him again.
Nothing's new. Nothing's different. They all just hate me the same. I should have kept the mask on and spared what little dignity I had.
-
Shouji awoke with a jolt. The feeling of hands still were there. They weren't going away. Shouji sat up quickly, and then he saw it. A figure in the darkness of his room.
"Calm down. I'm not going to hurt you."
He knew that voice. What was Bakugou doing in his room in the middle of the night? And why was he touching him?
"I never thought you'd be the noisy neighbor, but you were fucking panicking over something in your sleep. I'm surprised Shitty Hair slept through that." Bakugou said.
Bakugou was two rooms down. He was panicking that loudly? That was embarrassing to even think about.
"Come on big guy. Get something warm in your system so you can go back to sleep without panicking over stupid shit." Bakugou says, pulling him out of bed.
"Wait! My mask." Shouji says, covering his mouth with one arm and looking around for the cloth he uses to cover it normally.
"I'm not going to fucking judge you over whatever you look like, but if it makes you go get tea or whatever." Bakugou says. He reaches over to the dresser beside him and grabs the mask for Shouji. "And for the record, I doubt anyone else in our class will either. Over half of hero society is built up of heteromorphs. If we lable every one of them a freak then we would all fall apart."
After saying that, Bakugou pulls the now masked Shouji out of his room. As Shouji passes the door he notices it was splintered a bit. Did Bakugou seriously bust his door open to stop his nightmare and give him a pep talk?
Don't listen to him. He's just tr-
For once Shouji was able to silence the voice. He may not be able to show himself yet, but maybe someday he'll be able to stop telling himself that nothing's new.