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It had been two weeks. Two weeks!
Izuku sighed and leaned back, glaring at the ceiling, as he contemplated how badly he just wanted to go to the other man. But Tenko had told him to wait, Nedzu had told him to wait and fucking All Might had told him that it would get better.
Would it though?
Izuku moved his head when he heard a click, said issue was serving him tea. Kurogiri seemed content to be a butler, but Izuku hated it. He wanted Shouta back, he wanted lazy Sundays and Coffee dates back and it had been two weeks.
“Kurogiri?” he called, watching the shadow man stop and turn at his name, “You really don’t remember anything?” Izuku asked, leaning on his palm
“Am I supposed to?” the man answered and Izuku groaned, before turning away. He had tried to order the man to remember, tried to get him to forget all orders but his own, had even tried ignoring him! But nothing! Izuku was frustrated and tired and…and…sad.
Sad was really putting it lightly. Izuku felt lifeless. The longer it went with no contact, the longer it hurt. Had he done this? Had he been the cause? Was it so hard to look at him because of his…no, he wasn’t going down that rabbit hole.
“Kurogiri, would you like to meet someone?” he asked, feeling that overwhelming numbness return. “Someone new,” Izuku leaned back again to stare at the ceiling.
“I am not sure, sir,” came the monotone reply. Izuku gave a sad laugh, before sighing again. Why couldn’t things just…work out? Why did he have to wait? Why was he waiting?
“I am sorry, Oboro,” came a soft huff and Kurogiri watched his master wipe his eyes angrily before focusing on the computers in front of him. His young master had always been too kind for this life. Had been too focused and too keen to fix things. Which is why the shadow man worried, something had happened that had taken away the young master’s happiness.
Kurogiri moved silently and left the master to his research, what was it that the master was missing? Kurogiri stopped by the master’s bedroom and saw a photo on the desk. It had been placed facedown like it hurt to look at. Walking over, Kurogiri lifted it and frowned more.
20 or so children, three adults (one looked more like a skeleton) all laughing and dripping wet. But that wasn’t what made the teleporter frown, it was the soft smile and joy in the young master’s face while looking at another man.
A man with shaggy black hair and black eyes, who looked equally happy if not tired.
Was this what the master was missing? This man? Kurogiri remembered who this was. Eraserhead. Underground hero. Father to Tenko, someone who was supposed to be his charge, if not for the young master’s plan. Oh. Oh! Eraserhead was closer to master than he originally thought.
Putting it back, Kurogiri teleported to the last place he recalled the man had been. U.A.
Walking to the gate, he waited for someone to come to him. Was he lucky or unlucky that the man he was looking for was the one he found?
“I remember you, Kurogiri correct?” Eraserhead asked, Kurogiri noted this hero looked worse for wear. Bags under his eyes, which were bloodshot and a deep tiredness that seemed to bleed out of his body. He was weighted by something heavy, how curious.
“Correct,” Kurogiri nodded and watched how the hero sighed,
“I thought Hizashi told Anomaly to give me some space?” Eraserhead asked, not looking at him now, but around to see if there was anyone else.
“Master does not know I am here,” Kurogiri admitted, he was breaking a rule after all. Old Master had been adamant to teach him the rules to always obey, even if the Young Master was trying to break them.
“What?” Eraserhead was looking at him oddly now, like he never expected the mist man to arrive alone.
“I came on my own accord to search for the reason why young master is breaking,” Kurogiri stated and tilted his head at how tortured this man looked. “He is trying to reverse the Old master’s work, but is overworking himself. If he is trying so hard to help me, it is my duty to help him,” Kurogiri nodded and looked towards U.A. “He was happiest here, so I have come to see why and to find if I can make him happy again,”
“What do you mean he is trying to help you?” Eraserhead looked lost, confused even and pained.
“I forget that you haven’t seen the labs,” Kurogiri sighed and looked back towards the hero. “Most of the us, the early Nomu, were still sentient but what master called brainwashed. He is trying to fix that. I am one of three that have yet to be helped,” Kurogiri hummed and thought more on what to do. If U.A was a bust, then maybe the Bakugo’s would help?
“Do…do you know what your name was before Kurogiri?” Eraserhead asked, though it sounded pained even more now.
“Master said my previous name was Shirakumo Oboro, though I do not remember and I am comfortable in my new life and duties. The others are all living freely, I was the only one who wished to stay with master. Someone had too,” Kurogiri looked back at Eraserhead.
Eraserhead was crying, why was he crying? Why did so many people he spoke to start crying on him? Was it a side effect? Somehow, he didn’t want to really know.
“Are you alright?” Kurogiri asked, and then felt a buzz in his pocket, “oh, one second,” pulling his phone out he answered it.
“Kuro, where did you go?” Ah, it was master!
“I am sorry, master, I just had to go out to collect something,” Kurogiri replied in his usual, monotone voice.
“Oh? I’m glad you are thinking for yourself, will you pick up some more notebooks? I think I misplaced my notes,” Oh, that was unusual. Those notes never left the man’s sight when he was using them…unless he was hungry and had wandered off looking for food.
“Did you check the computer desk, sir? I shall collect more as well, but remember to eat something,” Kurogiri admonished and felt himself smile (though no one else could see).
“I know, I know, I can’t go three days without eating again. I am sorry Kuro, make sure you don’t rush, I….I’ll be fine, okay?” Kurogiri frowned at that, he was anything but fine.
“I shall bring some K-” Kurogiri blinked as Eraserhead took the phone and took a deep breath and put it to his ear. Oh?
“Hello, Izuku,” Eraserhead sounded tender, if not hurt. What was master saying? Why did Eraser look so bittersweet? “No, no, he came to UA. Mmm, I…” the wince was curious. What was happening? Was it the man Izuku needed and not an object?
“I’m sorry,” Kurogiri blinked at the tears the man had running down his face, how could he sound so clear and sure while crying? “I shouldn’t have made you leave, I should have listened to you. I know, but it’s not your fault. It was never your fault. Do you understand?” he whispered softly into the phone call.
Now, Kurogiri was stuck listening to one side, but somehow this felt right. Had Kurogiri done right by coming? Had he h̸͈͓̺͗̅́ę̴̢͔̠̓ľ̴͓͐͠p̸̢͍̾̓e̸̬̒d̷̩̺̃?
How odd. What was that?
H̵̢̋̈́ḛ̶̡͘ ̶̺͘ͅh̴͓͠ã̶̹͆d̶̤͠ ̷̟̯̓h̸͍͑̓ȩ̸͈̎l̴͍̆p̸̱͚͠ê̸͔̺̎d̶̻͐͝ ̸̮͍͛̕S̷̯̃h̵̤̓̾o̸̱͝u̵̥̒̕ẗ̶̖̤́ȧ̵̰.
Who was this voice in his head? Why did it sound so happy? Who was Shouta?
S̸͇̀̀h̴̙̆o̴̯͉͊u̶̞̳͑t̸̝̽͋á̴̟ ̷̳͘f̵̢̞́͌i̴̙̚n̵͍̒a̸͈̻͒̈́l̵̙͎̾l̴̨̰͒͗y̵͇̒ ̷̢͍̈f̸̼̉ǫ̸̓ͅu̶͕̽͂n̴͓͖̾͘d̵̤̹͊̾ ̸͈͌l̵̗̘̚ơ̶͔̈́v̶̍̕͜ͅe̶̮͒!̴̢͐̇
Love? Glancing back towards the black-haired man he agreed. This was a man in love, a man who was hurting because he was in love. Was he in love with master?
M̴̰͂́a̴̹͇͂͊s̴͆͆ͅt̸̠̫̋̕ę̷̪͆r̵̝̘̈́͆?̴̧̯̍͘ ̶͖̉̂Ỵ̷̿o̶̳̻̓ű̸̳͔̓ ̸͙͊͐ͅm̶̜̏͜͝e̴̢̛̕á̵͈͕͠n̸̢͌̇ ̴̼̇̕I̵͕͖̎ž̴̪̱u̴͖̖͊̏k̵̙͒ů̸̱.̷̪͉̒
Izuku. Master’s name, so this voice was him? Or was it? Something felt like it was cracking, falling and slipping into place. Oh. Ohhhhh. This voice was Oboro, it was him. Both?
T̸̤͆̍h̶͔͚͠a̸̝̻͂ṫ̶͓̗̑ ̷̟͔̾͌s̶̬̝̈́ŏ̵͔̔u̸̬̎̊ṉ̸͔̆̈́d̴̫̓̀s̶̲͙̍ ̴̱̅́c̷̯̬̚o̵̜͛͊n̵̨̅f̸̪͕͐u̷͉̠͊͒ś̸̲i̷͇̔͜n̸͔̏͠g̶̭̅.̷̢̥̀.̵̢̺̔.̶͕̹̽͌
That was true, very confusing. Hm, oh Eraserhead was looking at us. Looking at those eyes made him want to hug him. This was weird.
“Thank you, he wants to talk to you,” Oboro Kurogiri took the phone and put it to his ear and blinked slightly.
“Kuro?” Master. Master was good, he could help, right?
“Yes, master?” Kurogiri replied, feeling the giddiness bloom at finally breaking free. This would make master happy.
“You never said what you were looking for was to make me happy,” Master sounded wistful, was that good?
“You have been suffering, you needed something and I will find it,” Kurogiri nodded to himself, “Eraser is the thing you are missing, right?” he asked, unaware he had shortened the name willingly.
“Era- Kuro, are you alright?” the man who controlled so much asked, sounding slightly more alarmed now.
“I am optimal, however, I keep thinking something that doesn’t seem normal,” Kurogiri mused and turned from the hero. “Do you know what Loud cloud means, sir?” he asked, not hearing the slight gasp from behind him.
“Mm, no, but will you bring Sho back with you? Oh, I mean Eraserhead. He…wants to see me in person, so,” Kurogiri nodded and said goodbye before hanging up and turning back to the hero.
“Are you ready to go, Eraser?” he asked, not seeing the wide eyes or gulp before the man nodded. Kurogiri opened the portal and motioned him inside before following. Back at the labs, Kurogiri went straight to make some tea!
Izuku stood awkwardly at the desk as Shouta walked in, the two looked at each other with strained smiles and embarrassed glances.
“I’m Sorry, I should…should have waited and told you in a less shocking way, I just didn’t want to keep it from you and I love you and you deserved to know,” Izuku started, slowly spiralling into rambles over how guilty he was and he was sorry, and and and.
Shouta let a small laugh escape his lips, why had he been so sure that time apart would help? Why had he been so clear on not letting any of their friends, because Hizashi told him everyday he should find Izuku and apologise too, help. He had relived the moment in that kitchen over and over.
Izuku had been devastated. He remembered that all too well. Had obeyed and left, had bowed his head and held back tears even when Shouta felt nothing but rage. It took two days for Shouta to realise he wasn’t angry at Izuku. He was hurt, sure, but not because of the greenette. Not because of what Izuku had done or said.
But he had still taken it out on the other.
With that clarity came the memories of whimpers, of tears and stutters.
Since when did Izuku stutter? Shouta didn’t know a preteen Izuku who had stuttered all the time.
Since when did Izuku obey other people without a fight? Shouta didn’t know how deeply Izuku cared for him until that moment.
Since when did Izuku flinch when near him? And that hurt more than the lack of green. Izuku had recoiled from words alone. His words.
“Izuku,” Shouta said softly as he made his way across the room and brushed his hand across the other’s cheek. “I am sorry for being angry at you for something you had no control over,” Izuku gave a half laugh, half sob as he crumpled into Shouta’s arms.
This was getting slightly repetitive.
That was how Kurogiri Oboro found the two. Holding each other with smiles, soft words and tears. Yes, they had done well. Maybe it was alright to wait to tell them about the new voice in his head, yes, maybe after food?
Kurogiri waited a full 12 hours, and told them the following day about the new voice. Oboro wasn’t lost, and was starting to break free. It was going to take more time, but there was hope. And together, Izuku and Shouta had the idea that maybe introducing Hizashi and then Nemuri would rejig some other memories.
When Nemuri walked into the room, Obogiri? or Kuroro? burst into tears. It seemed that seeing his old friends all together was enough to break the last of the brainwashing. And while he was back, technically, he was still different from the blue-haired boy they knew. But they didn’t seem to mind.
Izuku even let him stay on as his caretaker/butler. And Kurogiri/Oboro enjoyed making sure the greenette was taking care of himself, even if Shouta took over now and again with sighs and shakes of his head. Yes, it was good to hope.