Another day, another dollar. At least that was what Shigaraki kept telling himself at work. The morning shift wasn't as bad as he thought it would be, but things took a turn for the worst an hour before his shift ended. Uraraka sent him a text, but unlike her usual, silly ones that made him want to simultaneously roll his eyes and almost maybe smile, it was an actual serious one that made him frown.

I'm so sorry but I can't come over on Thursday! the text read. He could hear the grief in her voice, begging him to know she meant it. Uraraka was such an earnest person, a lot like Midoriya. Although it was annoying, it did make her easy to read. There was a massive earthquake in China. Multiple heroes were called to help, including me. You know I would never do this unless it was serious. Please don't think I'm blowing you or Yukiko off.

Shigaraki sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Uraraka's visit wasn't even to make sure he could make an appointment. It was just the best time for her to come over. She was over two days ago too. His therapist had been forced to cancel for a family emergency, but Uraraka since was already there, they went to the park together. Weird but...not bad. She made him push her and Yukiko on the swings. Again, it wasn't bad.

Maybe Touya was right about him getting too soft.

Maybe her not coming over was a good thing.

It's fine.

Omg you're mad. I know this was last minute.

I'm not mad. It's an earthquake ffs. Your quirk is naturally suited to help people in that situation.

Thank you for understanding. I'm already on the plane. It's been chaos since I was alerted, but I wanted to let you know before I went dark. I would never bail on you unless it was serious.

He could sense the panic in her voice through the text alone. It wasn't just Yukiko that she was worried about; it was him too. She was genuinely worried about him being mad at her over one small thing. Was she used to walking on eggshells? Granted, if her last boyfriend was Ground Zero, he could see that.

Wait. Did that mean she thought he had the same temperament or temper as Bakugou?

I'll let you know when I get back.

Ok that's fine

Wait. Maybe I shouldn't. These situations tend to mess me up emotionally. I don't want to put that on you.

Just let me know. Come over. Idc

You're so comforting.

It was weird - seeing the way he normally ended a conversation thrown at him. Shigaraki somehow knew it was the end of the conversation, so he shoved his phone back into his pocket. Uraraka must have waited until the very last minute to text him to make sure he wasn't busy. This was around the time he got off work and picked up Yukiko from daycare so he still had time to respond to texts. She was too considerate. She needed to learn how to be selfish once in a while.

After picking a very sleepy Yukiko up from daycare, he walked to the train station and hopped on one right before it departed. A part of him wanted to wake up Yukiko so she would sleep tonight, but she looked genuinely zonked out. They did say she was struggling to take naps at daycare. She must've been exhausted. She'd fallen asleep within minutes of being in his arms. Normally he walked to work, but he'd opted for the train today since he had to run a few errands before picking her up.

Walking around his neighborhood at night had never bothered him before, but Shigaraki found it a little disconcerting with Yukiko in his arms. He wouldn't be able to protect her properly. Even though it made things difficult, he didn't wear his gloves when he walked the few minutes to his apartment. He could hold her with three or four fingers touching her. In case something did happen or someone thought to take advantage of him having a kid in his arms, he wanted to be prepared to fight back. Tugging off his gloves would be pointless. He'd be stabbed and dead by then.

However, as usual, nothing happened. He made it to his apartment just fine. Yukiko would have a red mark on her cheek by the time she woke up. The side of her face was pressed against his shoulder, her mouth wide open. Maybe he'd go ahead and lay her down when they got inside. Maybe he'd lay down too. It was early as fuck, but if she woke up at three am, he wouldn't be as regretful about staying up.

Moving her to one arm, Shigaraki fished his keys out of his pocket and unlocked his door. He kind of wanted to put her to bed and turn on the tv. He didn't watch the news, but a part of him wanted to see if there was anything on there about the earthquake Uraraka had mentioned. Not that he didn't believe her - she wouldn't lie about something so serious just to get out of watching Yukiko or hanging out - but he was...curious. An event large enough to warrant heroes from other countries was a big deal.

He would know.

He flipped the light switch, already stepping in the direction of the bedroom.

Only to nearly jump out of his shoes when he heard someone cheerfully greet, "Good evening, Tomura!"

Shigaraki's heart damn near burst out of his chest as he swore and pressed his palm against the wall, keeping his pinky raised. "What the fuck, Sako! Do you know how to fucking knock? Call first? Wait to be let inside? Were you just hiding in the dark waiting for me to come home? Fucking goddamn."

Atsuhiro Sako, formerly (currently?) known as Mr. Compress, pulled one of his signature masks off to reveal a smile. He wasn't wearing a balaclava similar to the one he'd donned as a villain. A mask under a mask. Shigaraki could never decide whether it was stupid or cool. It was hard to say. They'd worked together for three years and he still didn't know much about him. Compress - no, it was Sako; his therapist impressed upon him the habit of using their real names now - had vanished as quickly as he had appeared when the authorities finally closed in on them. Shigaraki hadn't even been mad about it. At least someone was able to get out of there...well, mostly intact. Sako had lost an arm in the process.

"I apologize for the fright," Sako said, not sounding apologetic one bit. The guy was kind of arrogant. Of course, he had a right to be so: he was one of the most intelligent people Shigaraki had met, proven by the fact that he was the only member of the League to have never been caught. Technically, he was still wanted and at large, although no one had seen him in years.

"Yeah, yeah, sure you do." Shigaraki kicked his door shut and winced when it hit louder than he anticipated. The sound startled Yukiko awake. She jerked her head upright and looked around blearily in an attempt to find the source of the noise. Shit, of course. "What are you doing here?"

"Just checking up on you," Sako insisted innocently. "Touya told me you had a child. It was something I had to see for myself to believe."

Shigaraki stilled in the middle of slipping the backpack off and stared Sako down. "You talked to Touya?" And the bastard hadn't said anything to him? What the fuck? "When?"

That was exactly the type of thing he should have told him. This could get them both into deep shit. Why hadn't Touya said anything? It was suspicious as fuck and the type of secret that would drive the wedge between them. Mr. Compress had never paid for the crimes he committed while affiliated with the League. He escaped while everyone else had been handcuffed and locked away in various places, be them jail or mental institutions. Sure, he shouldered more blame than anyone anticipated, which helped lighten Touya's sentencing, but he hadn't gone to jail for any of it.

Realistically, Shigaraki should call the cops right now, but he knew it wouldn't do any good. Sako would only escape again. Besides, he'd called in one villain in the past few months. That met his quota. No one knew a villain was in his apartment and no one would ever know. And, to be honest, he didn't feel like turning Sako in. Arrogant as he was, Shigaraki didn't hold a grudge against him for slipping away. He rather preferred it. On their good days in prison, he and Touya would try to figure out where Compress had gone or even come from.

"Not too long ago," Sako answered. "You didn't receive his message?"

Shigaraki pulled his phone out to reveal a handful of missed text messages (the one that showed on the screen was a pleasant, Answer your fucking phone you stupid dipshit ) and a call from Touya. Oh, shit, he'd accidentally put it on silent when he shoved it into his pocket. No wonder he didn't get them. Any other person would have felt guilty for immediately jumping to conclusions about Touya possibly slipping into problematic behavior, but Shigaraki was not that person. Touya would've done the exact same had their situations been switched.

"To be honest, I heard a rumor you had a child, but I didn't think it was true," Sako explained.

"A rumor," Shigaraki murmured thoughtfully. He set his phone down on his shitty table and dropped the backpack on the floor next to it. He didn't like the sound of that. If other more active villains found out he had a kid, there was no telling what would happen. Retaliation had been an often occurrence while in prison. So far, on the outside, the only villain he'd come face-to-face with was Himura - and, well, now Mr. Compress. He had a feeling Himura was a little more aggressive.

Sako held out a hand. "You're still well-known in those circles."

"Run in them often, do you?"

"Not particularly," Sako admitted. "You could say I'm retired - the old man's version of reformed - but it doesn't hurt to keep an ear to the ground, just in case. Staying well-informed about any unusual or interesting events from old friends and foes alike usually means staying alive, which I would prefer."

He wasn't wrong. As much as he literally did not give a shit about hero events anymore (there was no telling if Uraraka would be on the news for that earthquake or not), Shigaraki didn't like being out of the loop when it came to the opposite side. He truly wasn't interested in being a villain again, but not knowing anything made him feel exposed. He had a blind spot now. If an old enemy decided they wanted to settle a score with him, he likely wouldn't know until it was too late.

After eyeing Sako carefully, Shigaraki propped Yukiko up on the couch against a pillow. She liked sitting like that. Maybe it made her feel grown or something. "Keeping tabs on me then?"

Sako twirled his signature cane between his fingers. "Just checking in here and there. I'm happy to see you're doing well. I'll admit I was…concerned about how you and Touya would adjust to civilian life."

Shigaraki snorted as he wandered into the kitchen to get a drink. It was weird as hell and extremely boring. Sometimes it was awful. Sometimes he even missed the lack of responsibility that had come with being a villain. Sure, he'd been the leader of a criminal organization, which meant a shit ton of responsibility, but at least he didn't have to worry about taxes or utility bills.

Another smile pulled at Sako's lips. He waved a hand at Yukiko trying to maul a toy to death with her gums. "It seems like you're fitting in fine. Parenthood is a huge step."

"It wasn't a planned one," Shigaraki muttered before downing half a glass of water.

"May I?" Sako asked, pulling his gaze from Yukiko to Shigaraki.

He considered it for a moment before nodding his head. It wasn't like he didn't trust him, but it wasn't like he did either. They had a lot of history between them. He might even stretch it and say it was mutual respect. Despite the fact that Shigaraki had gone to prison and "reformed", Sako did not seem to bear a grudge against him for doing a one-eighty. He hadn't seen Twice or Toga since their trials. Technically, he hadn't seen Spinner either, but they talked online when gaming together in the middle of the night.

Sako was different. He'd not attempted to reintegrate into society. He could easily be disgusted by Shigaraki's change and, even though he was better now, he wouldn't be mad at him for it.

After setting his mask and cane aside, Sako walked over to Yukiko and crouched down in front of the couch. He carefully tugged off the glove of his good hand. "She has your eyes."

"Red, I know, yeah."

"No, wary ," Sako corrected. He held out his hand. Yukiko looked at it before deciding he was okay and taking one of his fingers. She tightened her grip on her toy, biting down on it harder, like she was worried he might try to take it from her. Fuyumi said a tooth was coming in, which might have accounted for her being even grumpier than usual. "You've been through a lot in your young age, haven't you?"

Shigaraki leaned back against the counter. "How much did Touya tell you?"

"Enough." Sako frowned at him. "Did neither Kurogiri nor All for One give you the Talk?"

"They-" Shigaraki slapped a hand against his face. "I thought I used protection. I think I did. I...can't remember." When Sako gave him a knowing look, he dragged his hand down his face. "I had a lot to drink and I hadn't drank in a long time. It's not like they offer you alcohol when you're in prison and I didn't have a lot of time to build up a tolerance when I was operating as the leader of the League."

"Well, clearly, even if you did use it, you didn't use it properly or it broke," Sako pointed out, as if he needed it. At the end of the day, it didn't matter what he had or hadn't done. Evidence of his misjudged actions that night were sitting propped up on his couch. "How are you handling things?"

Shigaraki snorted. "Marvelously."

"And civilian life?"

"I just love working a retail job, paying taxes and bills, and getting shit on by idiots who used to piss their pants when they heard my name." Shigaraki flexed fingers. They got stiff occasionally, so he often found himself wiggling, flexing, or stretching them when he wasn't thinking - or when he was thinking too much. It might've had to do with his quirk and lack of using it. If Touya didn't use his quirk every so often, it ate right through him. "It's whatever. It's life. I either play this role or I fall back into old, familiar habits and risk going back to prison and I-" He watched his daughter stare almost suspiciously at Sako. "I don't want to do that. She deserves more."

Sako's shoulders dropped, more in relief than disappointment. "You really have grown, Tomura."

"I'm nearly thirty," Shigaraki griped. "I better have."

"You were hindered in a lot of ways," Sako said.

Scraping the side of his glass with the nail of his pointer finger, Shigaraki asked, "Did you and Kurogiri chat about that behind my back? Pass on stories of when I was the little, traumatized brat All for One pulled out of a ditch?"

"No," Sako said honestly, "but I figured it out on my own before the truth came to light."

It wasn't like him to be so forward. He liked the theatrics of things. He liked people knowing he was smarter than them. Before, he might have gloated about figuring out All for One had been using Shigaraki all along. Hell, he had probably known Touya was a goddamn Todoroki before everyone else; he didn't act nearly as surprised as he should've been. Sako was a man who knew he was intelligent and enjoyed lording it over everyone, even when it made him look like a bastard. He didn't care. He didn't need to care.

"What are you going to do about her?" Sako asked.

"Raise her," Shigaraki answered bluntly. "What the hell does it look like?"

"On your own?" Sako pressed, sounding unimpressed.

Shigaraki tensed. "I've got help."

Sako smiled. "Touya doesn't count. He's got a lot of his own issues and you know that."

"Other than Touya," Shigaraki shot back mockingly, "who I wasn't counting anyways." He'd been counting Fuyumi. No way in hell was he going to count the guy who gave him a glove filled with warm milk for his three-month-old baby. Idiot. "What? Worried I can't hack this parenting thing either?"

"I didn't say that," Sako said.

"But you're thinking it," Shigaraki accused. "Don't worry; you're not the first and you won't be the last. No one's believed in me."

That...wasn't exactly true. Uraraka helped him that first night, but she had, in her own way, trusted him to work this out. Touya didn't think him capable of it at first, going so far as to suggest him safe dropping Yukiko, but he hadn't argued with him since. Fuyumi hadn't told him outright that she didn't think he could handle it. Even… All Might merely said that Shigaraki would need help. Shigaraki could feel their judgment; he could sense that they sort of thought he'd try this being a dad thing for a few months and then pass her off when he couldn't take it any longer. Maybe they didn't think that anymore, but it was there in the beginning.

At least he thought it was there. It was getting harder to tell these days.

Taking a deep breath, Sako returned his attention to Yukiko, who still held his finger in a death grip. When she removed the toy from her mouth in favor of chewing on his finger, he gently pulled his hand back before she could chomp down. Smart thinking. It wasn't all that pleasant when part of a tooth jammed into your skin. Shigaraki found that out the hard way when he wasn't paying attention and Yukiko decided his pinky finger was the perfect chew toy.

"There will be days when it's easy and days when it's the hardest thing you will ever do," Sako lectured. Just great. Like he needed another old man telling him how to raise his kid. All Might might have Midoriya now, but he'd never raised a kid from infancy. What did Sako know? "Your case is unique since you took her in. You didn't have to do that, but you did. That took a lot of strength." Did it? He hadn't really thought it through, if he was being honest. She had simply been placed in his arms and he hadn't wanted to let go. "But it's not something you should do alone."

"I can," Shigaraki insisted.

"I'd rather you not." Sako stood.. He didn't pick up Yukiko, but he still considered her closely. It was almost like he was afraid of holding her, which was absurd. Besides marbles held in his mouth apparently, Sako had the most careful grip of anyone Shigaraki knew, even with his prosthetic arm. "Being a parent is both wonderful and awful at the same time. No one tells you that, but it's true. For those that want children, you'll never feel quite as high when your child does something - and you'll never feel so low and pathetic either at other times."

Shigaraki set his glass down on the counter behind him. "Oh yeah?"

"Or so I've heard," Sako added, putting his mask back on. It was just like him to be so mysterious for no goddamn reason. "Yukiko is her name, yes?" Shigaraki nodded. "A beautiful name. I'm surprised you were able to pick it out on your own." He hadn't. Uraraka had been there with him. If not for her, he probably would've picked out something not nearly as good. "Touya was rather vague on some details. He said someone has been helping you out, but he neglected to say who. Of course, I'm used to him being evasive."

"Does it matter?" Shigaraki questioned.

"It does if it's a villain," Sako said. "I don't want you to fall back into old habits. I truly think this is good for you."

After considering his options, Shigaraki replied, "It's not a villain."

"Open as ever," Sako chuckled. "I should've expected as much."

"So is that it?" Shigaraki demanded. "You just broke into my place to check up on me and see if I really had a kid?"

Sako placed a hand over his heart, ever the one for melodrama. "Of course not, Tomura. Did you honestly believe I would come after so many years to visit you and your child without a gift?" He was worse than Touya and that bastard had admitted to being a Todoroki in the middle of a massive fight with Endeavor and a group of other heroes. "This is a special occasion. It's not every day you become a father."

"Oh, goodie," Shigaraki muttered dryly.

Luckily - or perhaps unluckily - Sako wasn't offended. He very rarely had been, even in the League, perhaps because he was one of the few people that even Touya didn't insult repeatedly. "I asked Touya what you might need, but, as expected, he was mostly unhelpful. Fortunately, his brilliant twin sister was there."

"Oh my god," Shigaraki sighed, resisting the urge to rub the headache out of his forehead. "Tell me you did not break into their apartment while Fuyumi was there."

"She had a good idea of what you might still need," Sako continued, not responding to his statement. Somehow that made it even worse. He had probably broken into the apartment and scared the living shit out of Fuyumi. It was one thing for Touya to be hanging out with his old boss, a now reformed villain, but another for him to have villains who hadn't served time for their crimes appearing out of thin ice. That could get her in trouble too. Shigaraki didn't doubt no one had seen Sako enter, but it still made him want to disintegrate something.

Instead of trying to strangle Sako, Shigaraki asked, "And what did she say?"

"You don't have a proper place for her to sleep," Sako pointed out. "You need a crib."

"She'll barely sleep unless she's being held. Why would I need something that takes up room?"

"Because you should start sleep training when she's six months," Sako explained. "That's the best time. Also, you might think she'll only sleep when you're holding her, but there's a chance some space will actually help her. You like your space. She might have inherited that as well."

Shigaraki threw his hands in the air. "What? Did you read the same lame baby articles as me?"

"Are you letting her sleep in bed with you?"

A scoff tumbled out of Shigaraki's mouth before he could stop it. "No, I've got one of those sleep nest...things. I don't know what the fuck they are. That's what the box said. I mean, okay, yeah, I put it in my bed, but she's not in my bed with me. Every article I read acted like it was the worst thing in the world to do - a sin against parenting."

"It's not a bad thing," Sako insisted, holding up a hand. "People will tell you that co-sleeping will get them too used to sleeping in bed with you, but that's not the case. Some just need it in the beginning, to get used to sleeping through the night."

"Seriously, how would you know that?"

"I'm well-versed in life."

Shigaraki rolled his eyes. "I don't know why I asked." He pushed away from the counter and made his way over to the couch, plopping down on it in front of Sako. As soon as he did, Yukiko rolled over to him and he had to catch her so she didn't do a face plant on the couch cushion. The little shit was such a daredevil already. He already knew he was going to have a nightmare on his hands once she started walking. "You said you brought a gift for her. I'm going to assume it's a crib. It wasn't stolen, was it?"

"And risk you being caught with stolen property when you're on the straight and narrow?" Sako clung to the front of his shirt and gasped in mock horror. "I would never."

"So you bought Yukiko a crib."

"Plus a few toys," Sako added. He pulled a handful of marbles out of his pocket, swishing them around between this fingers like a magic trick. "Not to mention Touya said you've been relying on public transportation and walking. That's fine when it comes to saving money and going to places not too far away, but you might need a vehicle for emergencies at least or long trips."

The implication dawned on Shigaraki a second too late. "No, you didn't ."

Sako shrugged. "I did. Why not?"

"Because vehicles are expensive! Also, I don't have my driver's license!"

"Money isn't a problem for me anymore," Sako said. And if that wasn't a statement Shigaraki didn't want to unpack. It wasn't a problem for him? He could just casually buy a car and not even blink? Had he bought it? Stealing things was one of the easiest skills in the world for a villain like Mr. Compress. All he had to do was tap something and turn it into a marble. Not to mention he could easily slip in and out of an area with no one noticing as long as he didn't open his mouth. "Again, it's not stolen. Don't worry. You'll just have to get your license. It'll be good for you."

"And a car seat?" Shigaraki countered. Uraraka mentioned that in the very beginning. They hadn't bought one because he didn't own a vehicle or have a license. He knew how to drive, but it hadn't been necessary until now. That was annoying.

"I got one that will grow with her." Sako really had thought of everything.

Yukiko squirmed in his arms. As she got older, she wanted to see more things. He moved her from lying against his chest to sitting in his lap. It put both him and her directly against Sako. With his mask back on, it was impossible to tell how he was feeling or what he was thinking.

"What do you get out of it?" Shigaraki asked bluntly.

Sako tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

"What do you get out of giving me all these expensive things? Do you think I'll owe you or something?"

"No, Tomura, I don't think you'll owe me anything," Sako said in a gentle tone that bordered on condescending. Shigaraki looked back at him flatly. "You're a father in need - not exactly a gold mine to take advantage of, although desperate, poor people often make for easy marks."

Shigaraki dropped his head back against the couch. "You're truly a well of knowledge."

"I tried to instill some in you," Sako replied, amusement ringing in his voice. "Of course, if I had known you were going to be a father, I might have tried harder."

"I probably wouldn't have listened back then."

"And you would now?"

Shigaraki huffed. "I'm open to any advice on this from time-to-time."

Sako chuckled. "You know, Touya said something similar. I really am glad to see you two are both doing better."

His words weren't nearly as inspiring as Sako might've hoped, but then again, judging from the way he continued to chuckle at the face Shigaraki made, maybe his disgruntled reaction was what he wanted. He'd always enjoyed pushing the envelope for his own entertainment. Clearly, that hadn't changed. A crib, car, toys, car seat. What was next?

"Wait." Shigaraki sat up straight. "What kind of car did you get me?"

Even though Sako was wearing a mask, Shigaraki could hear the smile in his voice when he answered, "Why, the only type of car that a parent should have." He was going to regret letting this man in his life again, wasn't he?