Izuku awoke in a state of confusion. First, he was warm. Second, he was laying on something soft and comfortable. Finally, he could smell coffee and other breakfast scents. That hadn't happened in the five weeks since he became homeless. It took a moment for his fuzzy brain to recall the previous night. Once it did he sat up with a thrum of alarm.

The soft surface turned out to be the couch. How he wound up on it, he didn't know. He didn't take up much room, curled up on a single cushion, but he hoped it didn't annoy Shigaraki too much. Scrambling to his feet, he became aware of his parched throat, empty stomach, and full bladder.

Shyness warred briefly with necessity as he loitered by the couch. The decision was made for him when a yellow-eyed shadowy face peered at him from the kitchen. Kurogiri regarded him for a moment before striding out fully.

"Izuku-san, breakfast is ready. Please come sit."

The greenette shuffled in place as he hesitantly spoke up, voice hoarse from disuse. "Um… may I use the bathroom first?"

The misty man tilted his head, puzzled. "You do not have to ask. It is the first door on the left." He pointed towards a short hallway.

Izuku bowed in thanks before rushing to complete his morning rituals. While washing his hands afterwards he caught his reflection in the mirror and grimaced. After P.E. at school he could use the showers in the locker room, but sleeping on the ground attracted grime fast. It had been a couple days since he attended classes and it showed. He sent a longing look at the shower but shook his head. All of his clothes were equally dirty so it wouldn't help. His hair at least wasn't any worse than normal, if a bit long.

After exiting the bathroom he padded silently towards the kitchen. Kurogiri had invited him in but he still hovered near the door, anxiety building in his stomach once again. Both men were sitting at the table. Kurogiri was scrolling on his phone while Shigaraki ate what looked like a traditional breakfast of rice, miso soup, and fish. Izuku's stomach gave away his presence with a loud growl.

A blush stained his cheeks when their attention snapped to him. He ducked his head and shuffled in, taking an open seat between the two. An awkward minute passed, Izuku unsure if he was allowed any of the food. His nervous fidgeting eventually made Shigaraki huff and shove the extra dishes at him. Izuku flinched at the abrupt movement.

"Eat, shrimp." The man went back to his own food with a scowl.

The greenette didn't need further prompting. "Thank you for the food."

It took all of his willpower to eat at a polite pace, aching belly wanting him to scarf it down. At some point Kurogiri stood to fetch him a cup of tea, which he sipped with a grateful smile. Though he was ravenously hungry he only managed to get down half the meal before he started to feel nauseous.

Kurogiri noticed him slowing down. "You can save the rest for a snack later, Izuku-san. You are also welcome to anything in the kitchen."

The words brought tears to Izuku's eyes, to his embarrassment. He ducked his head to try to hide them. "T-thank you, Kurogiri-san."

The man's eyes crinkled like he was smiling, it was hard to see his mouth against the shifting void of his face. "Just call me Kurogiri."

As Izuku struggled to get a hold of his emotions, he also waited for Shigaraki to finish his food. He didn't want to leave the table first, it would be rude. Eventually he busied himself with combining his leftovers into one bowl for easier storage. Once he was done, he felt dismayed when Kurogiri stood to put it away for him and clear away the dirty dishes.

Soon after, Shigaraki finished his own meal. The man sat back and speared Izuku with an inscrutable look. It made him fidget anxiously with his hands and avert his gaze.

"Tell me why you were going to jump. All of it."

How the man knew that his note omitted things was beyond Izuku. He really didn't want to get into most of it, especially not with strangers. But he did owe them an explanation. The tone demanded no avoidance, anyway.

Taking a deep breath, Izuku decided to start at the beginning. "W-well… I'm quirkless. I was diagnosed at age four. I've got the extra toe joint and everything… My d-dad didn't like that. At first he b-blamed mom, accused her of cheating on him. T-they worked it out, but he was still mad. He t-took it out on me when she wasn't home."

He paused to repress more tears and take a sip of his now tepid tea. This was the most talking he'd done in months and his throat didn't appreciate it. "At the same t-time, my friend Kacchan found out I was quirkless and started bullying me. He used his quirk to attack me. T-the teachers didn't do anything. Some even e-encouraged it. D-dad saw the burn marks Kacchan left and s-started adding his own. H-he can breathe fire…"

A shudder worked its way down his spine, some of his scars burning with phantom pain. "When I was eight h-he took a job in the USA. K-kids and t-teachers at school still hurt me, but it was better. B-but he got laid off last year and came back… I-it was worse than before. I-I finally t-told mom about him. She d-didn't believe me. S-said I was just acting out…"

Some fear reflected in his gaze as he darted a glance at the two adults. His shoulders hunched down in preparation for their reactions to the next part. "A c-couple weeks ago they… found out I was g-gay and k-kicked me out."

The expected pain at the confession never came. Instead, like the previous night, a warm hand ruffled his curls. "Their loss. Continue."

"Um… s-six days ago Kacchan outright t-told me to kill myself. T-to jump off a roof. Usually it's j-just implied with spider lilies on my desk... I-I met All-Might afterwards. A villain made of sludge attacked me. H-he forced himself down my throat and nose t-trying to take over my body. I-I passed out but woke up to All-Might. He saved me. I'd always wanted to ask him, so I did… Can a quirkless person become a hero? It's all I've ever wanted. But he s-said no. T-that it was impossible and I was being unrealistic. S-so I decided to take Kacchan's advice."

There was silence for several moments before Shigaraki chuckled. Izuku flinched. Would they tell him to do the same now? They'd offered him revenge, but now they knew the extent of his uselessness. At least the man had promised to kill him.

Shigaraki continued to laugh for a few seconds before aiming a grin at Izuku. "All-Might has a record of crushing dreams. For me, it was when he failed to save me from my own father. Then he almost killed Sensei, who rescued me instead. I hate him, I plan to kill him. What do you think about that?"

A jolt of surprise went through Izuku. Kill All-Might? The thought of killing anyone made his stomach churn, let alone his former idol. And yet… anger bubbled up in his chest. The number one hero had hurt him, and apparently other people as well.

Thinking objectively and without rose-tinted goggles, All-Might was so powerful that his collateral damage was higher than even Endeavor's. How many deaths were blamed on the villains he captured, but were actually caused by him collapsing a building or catching people in air pressure attacks? Yet because of his status everyone turned a blind eye. Endeavor at least acted like the asshole he was, but All-Might hid behind a righteous smile.

His head was nodding even before he reached a conscious decision. "I think I'm ok with that, Shigaraki-san."

The man chuckled, reaching out to pet his hair again. It was strange, Izuku wasn't used to being touched in a nice way. It felt good though. He leaned into the warm weight, wanting it to continue.

Shigaraki gave a small, genuine smile. "Friends get to call me Tomura."