Both men were so tense and grim that they did not even pay a shred of attention to the surrounding landscape nor to what Enji was sure was a biting cold. Oboro's face was clearly displeased, mouth turned down and lips strung tight. At least the three of them were so focused on the coming meeting that they completely disregarded the fact this was Hizashi' and Shouta's first time seeing Oboro - well, Shigaraki to them -after the war.
"So... shall we?" murmured Enji awkwardly and headed towards the cave. They followed him in complete silence. All this made Enji glad that they had arranged it so that Kurogiri would have some time to prepare himself mentally. Cause Enji was really worried about the outcome, and Oboro clearly shared his misgivings.
"Hey, Kurogiri, we're here," said Enji a little louder when they reached the cavern. The giant door was open; the acoustics should be good enough for Kurogiri to hear Enji in his kitchen.
"His name is Oboro," Hizashi murmured angrily. Enji could see Oboro crossing his arms but the boy said nothing, which was a mercy in this already strained atmosphere. Enji, earlier had had this thought to ask Oboro to leave them, maybe, but one look at the boy's face had told him Oboro would sooner kick all of them out than leave Kurogiri alone during what could become a heart-rending for his dad figure experience.
Kurogiri appeared at the door while they were crossing the bridge. His mist was so thick you could barely see the glint of his golden eyes through it and it was moving rapidly, reminding Enji of a black blazing fire. His hands he held together. Enji knew all these were signs of him being very distressed. Enji glanced worriedly at Oboro and, sure enough, the boy's eyes darkened and scowl deepened.
They approached each other in silence which was another sign things weren-
Then Kurogiri kneeled and bowed, his head touching the cold stones paving the courtyard.
"I know this changes nothing but I am so sorry for everything I have done," said Kurogiri, his voice choked, full of raw pain.
"It wasn't your fucking-" But before Oboro could end his sentence Shouta was already on his knees by Kurogiri, dragging him from the floor and taking him in his arms.
Kurogiri immediately froze.
"Shouta-" Enji started but Shouta was a seasoned hero who immediately recognised his mistake and pulled away.
"I'm sorry, Oboro, I should have asked. I let my emotions take the better of me. I'm sorry. Are you okay?"
Kurogiri was quiet, unmoving, his eyes on Shouta, for a dragging moment. "...You're asking me, if I'm okay?" he finally said quietly
"Of course. You've been through hell, haven't you? You don't need me being obtuse adding to that."
Kurogiri failed to answer for a moment as they both got up.
"I... am a villain and a murderer. I have attacked your school, attacked the pupils you were protecting with your very life. I would have watched you die and done nothing. ...and you are apologizing to me for hugging?" The last words were choked again.
"You were my friend," said Shouta firmly. "I would be happy if you become my friend again, if that's your wish. And you're not a villain. I have told you so before. You are nothing but All for One's victim-"
"Exactly," Oboro muttered just loud enough for everyone to hear him.
"-and I put no blame on you."
Enji did not think the mist could tremble more than before but it did.
"You should," said Kurogiri in a croaking voice. "You should. I was but a coward. I... I knew you had to be a person from my past, back then, during the attack. I had no memories from Yuuei but I knew you used to be someone I cared about, I could feel it. And I would let you die because I was terrified of All for One. I would kill you with my bare hands if he ordered me to. I would."
Enji shot a surreptitious glance at Hizashi. His face was twisted with the same anguish Enji had seen during their conversation. He probably took those words as the proof he was right all along.
"Would you do it if you felt you had any other choice?" Shouta asked gently.
The mist started to wave now rapidly. Enji never saw Kurogiri like that.
"It-!" He never heard him speaking with such emotions like that either. He was always so composed, so in control. "It changes nothing! A hero- You wouldn't do it! This is no excuse! ...I was a coward, that is all. Maybe I should have killed myself instead of letting All for One hurt people around me."
Oboro flinched, his face turning white as sheet in split of second. "Don't you ever say that," he said hoarsely.
"Exactly," agreed Shouta. "Would you killing yourself change anything? Would it stop All for One? Would your disobedience change anything?"
Silence answered.
"Initially, it was supposed to be Shouta," Hizashi said. They all flinched, surprised that he finally decided to speak up, and saying words like that, of all.
Kurogiri and Oboro looked at the man, clearly uncomprehending.
"It was supposed to be Shouta," repeated Hizashi. "They were after his Quirk. It was a pure accident... they killed you, not him. It could have been Shouta, in your place, right now. Would you blame him?"
A deaf silence fell, Kurogiri's mist frozen, taking in the words and their meaning.
"...So, for the first time in years I have more than one reason to be glad this happened to me," he said quietly.
"Don't you ever say that!" Shouta's voice was loud and strained, fists tightened. "Don't you ever say you are glad this happened to you, for any reason!" Enji heard Shouta sounding like that only once, when he had been crying in Enji's home, telling him about Oboro Shirakumo.
"...Wouldn't you say the same, if you were me?" asked Kurogiri quietly.
"It... it shouldn't have ever happened to anyone," whispered Shouta in a broken voice.
Another pause fell, and then Kurogiri slowly, hesitantly reached out for Shouta's face as if to stroke him.
"Don't cry for me," the man whispered as his mist trembled. Ah, so he wasn't stroking, he was wiping Shouta's tears. "I am fine now. It is over. Don't cry for me anymore. Don't let that man ever make anyone cry again."
The hand fell down and took Shouta's. They stood like that for some time. Enji saw tears falling down Hizashi's face.
"Sorry," said Kurogiri finally, withdrawing his hand. "My touch must not be pleasant. My skin is colder than... that of most people."
"Clearly, you have never touched Toshi's. I mean All Might's. You run fever comparing to him," replied Shouta, clearly striving for changing the atmosphere.
"True," admitted Enji. "He is a walking death, he is."
"Wasn't he healed though?" asked Oboro and started scratching his neck lightly as he suddenly was in the center of attention of two heroes he used to try to kill, once, and who were his parent's friends.
"Yes, he was," said Shouta. "Thank you for that."
"I didn't do it," murmured Oboro, scratching intensifying. "It just happened."
"Oboro," said Kurogiri in a worried tone. Hizashi and Shouta stared at the man now. Oboro's scratching became even quicker now.
"Tomura Shigaraki's name was given to him by All for One. He, naturally, did not want it anymore, neither he wanted to go back to Tenko, so... he made me beyond happy asking me if he could use my name instead."
Hizashi blinked at stared at Oboro. Shouta just smiled very lightly, obviously now seeing clearly the relation Kurogiri and Oboro had.
"Well, that must be most confusing," said Hizashi, laughing in a rather strained way.
Kurogiri's hands joined again. "I... prefer to be called Kurogiri now," he said quietly, his mist still trembling. "But I don't mind being called Oboro either."
Didn't he? Somehow Enji doubted it. How the people were calling these kinds of names? Ah, right, deadname. Enji knew nobody liked to be called the name they had dropped. He himself hated it when someone called him Todoroki, his mother's surname.
"But wasn't Kurogiri a name All for One gave you?" protested Hizashi, to Shouta's glare.
"No... it actually is a name Oboro gave me. I... am sorry but... I like it. I don't mind keeping my surname though, if I ever... go back."
"Hey," murmured Enji. "You were going to be my cook." He hoped Kurogiri would understand the message – there was a place for him back there, in their world. In Enji's home he wouldn't be considered villain.
Hizashi was silent but his fists were clenched. That he did not like Kurogiri's choice was obvious.
"Kurogiri Shirakumo. It has a nice ring to it," said Shouta. God bless him. And Oboro certainly would, considering the effort Shouta was making to show Kurogiri he not only wasn't blamed but was accepted for who he was now, too. "You should probably wear only black and white, though."
Kurogiri tilted his head in surprise and what Enji thought would be impossible today happened – they heard the lightest laughter. "Ah, I suppose you are right. Though... one of my friends stubbornly claims I would look good in purple."
"So, can you show us this place? Enji said you liked cooking."
"Ah, true. I have prepared some food though I'll understand... if you do not have appetite."
"I'm not leaving without trying it. Enji said it's better than his Fuyumi's and that is the greatest compliment I've ever heard from him about anyone's cooking skills."
Kurogiri again was quiet, simply gazing at Shouta. Then he finally quietly said, "How can you just... get over everything I have done? You could have died, back then. Killed by us."
"I will repeat it as many times as you need Kurogiri. You were my friend. And you are All for One's victim."
Kurogiri shook his head slowly. "...I am very lucky... to have friends like that." Enji could clearly hear him taking a deep breath. "Let us go to the kitchen then."
They entered the mansion, Shouta, now that Kurogiri's back was to him, looking sad, Hizashi pained, and Oboro angry for some reason.
"This is sort of a small universe created for entertainment, as far as I know."
"Yes, Enji told us."
"We have been put here, though right now only I am living in this very residence. It is luxurious, as you can tell, and very pleasant, if you overlook the lack of proper bathrooms," Kurogiri continued though Enji could clearly tell his heart obviously wasn't in it at all. "I can also warp you to places with most beautiful scenery if you are not fond of being confined to an underground building. If you, of course, would be willing to let me warp you," he added immediately.
"Maybe later," nodded Shouta.
"I..." The mist started trembling more violently again. "...I have asked Enji-san about your eating preferences. I... I am afraid I do not remember those." There was audible pain and clear worry about their reaction in his voice.
"I don't know what Enji told you but I am easy to please," said Shouta.
"So am I," murmured Hizashi rather dispiritedly.
"I made tonkatsu ramen and vegetables in tempura. What would you like to drink?"
They sat down around the table and Enji noticed Hizashi glancing at Oboro. Considering what he thought about the relation Kurogiri had with the boy, he probably wanted Oboro to be absent, so that he could speak freely with his childhood friend. But Enji knew there was no power that would budge Oboro now from Kurogiri's side.
The tea was served in silence and soon the ramen followed.
"This is delicious indeed," said Shouta after taking a piece of pork. "You are a lucky kid, Shimura."
Everyone flinched at that in surprise.
"You bet I am," murmured Oboro, idly pushing pieces of meat back and forward in his ramen, not eating a thing, even though Enji knew the boy adored this dish.
"Are you really going to be cooking for Enji here? Because I'm regularly there and would be looking forward to it," Shouta unwaveringly continued on his path to make Kurogiri feel more comfortable.
Kurogiri hesitated. "I am considering that. It would be nice... to have a... normal job."
"Being Enji's cook is not a normal job. This guy is made of money. Don't agree on anything less than 500 mans per year."
There was a small pause and Enji noticed the mist became a little thinner and calmer. "...I'll keep that in mind," Kurogiri responded in a softer voice.
"So, how are you, really?" Shouta finally asked again.
Another tiny pause as Kurogiri's eyes looked into Shouta's. "...Better than in many years. I... enjoy this peaceful life very much. I am happy... All for One is gone from our lives. I am happy I can just... do what I want to do."
"And you want to cook?" Hizashi finally joined the conversation again. "You are really talented at that."
You could tell Kurogiri's mist trembled stronger when addressed by his other childhood friend. He wasn't blind, anyone could see all of this was difficult to accept for Hizashi. "...Yes. This would be... an ideal life for me. I... I am sorry, but I do not want to be a hero anymore. I am sorry. And it is not like anyone would let me anyway."
There was a very quiet murmur from Oboro that sounded like 'youcandowhateveryouwant'.
Hizashi's fingers tightened on his spoon. "You should do whatever makes you happy," he replied but there was no conviction in it. "If I may ask... what about your memories?"
Kurogiri's head bowed a little. "I am trying to recover them, piece by piece. It is not easy. I was supposed not to remember anything from my past. When I... was remade, I remembered only childhood memories - parents, friends from the kindergarden, and not much of it either. When I... When we attacked Yuuei I had no memories of that part of my life but after... some started to come back, though very few. Your... visits in Tartarus helped with that. But I still don't remember much, I'm afraid. But... you still have helped me a lot. I... never thanked you for that," His voice was more tightened now. "I... I was just your high school friend. And you... you care for me so much. Others would... just treat me as a part of a long gone past. You... you visiting me meant so much to me."
"We thought... you were programmed not to talk to us," Hizashi finally touched on the subject that was bothering him.
"I am sorry," said Kurogiri quietly. "I... my mind was a mess... I saw you two, keeping coming to me, heroes who used to be my friends, coming to me, a villain... despite me taking part in the attack on Yuuei... and I felt so guilty... and memories... and... it's hard to sleep in Tartarus... and I was so terrified after I told you about the hospital... so terrified of the punishment All for One would prepare... and I was so worried about Oboro... my mind was a mess. I didn't know what could I tell you, I was afraid there were All for One's spies among the guards... and I thought it can't be possible that after all these years you would really care... You're heroes, and I... was a villain, a murderer, a Noumu... sometimes I was thinking if it wasn't just a game to make me talk and... ...and endanger Oboro... I couldn't... I couldn't... I already failed him..."
"Kurgiri," Oboro's voice was angry.
"I failed him and I couldn't help you... because I didn't want him dead, I didn't want him in Tartarus... and even if you truly were my friends... I still couldn't betray him. I am so sorry. I couldn't."
Hizashi's fists were clenched again and Enji could guess what he was thinking. But Shouta smiled softly. "Don't worry about it anymore. Shimura is your dear family to you, isn't he? Of course you couldn't risk his life. Don't think about it anymore."
"I'm sorry," Kurogiri repeated quietly.
"I am sorry you were kept there, in that horrible place, Kurogiri," said Shouta.
Silence fell as Kurogiri gazed at Shouta for a long time. Finally, it was broken by Oboro. "We can work on those memories..." he murmured, his hand reaching again to his neck. "You could have told me... I mean, I should have thought about it. I'm sorry, I should have thought about it."
"It's okay, Oboro." Enji could see Hizashi's face tense up whenever Kurogiri used that name for a man he knew as Tomura Shigaraki, the name of his childhood hero friend now worn by a man who was a murderer in his eyes. "We are in no rush. Besides it's... manipulating with the brain, right?" Kurogiri added, his voice clearly apprehensive.
"The Girl has experience! She wouldn't harm you in any way! But... you don't have to. I just- I can help, that's all."
Kurogiri nodded without a word.
"And what about the mist?" asked Hizashi.
"Ah, I rather like it."
It was just a split of a second but Enji saw Hizashi was revolted. "You... like it," the blond repeated.
Kurogiri looked like he regretted those words, curling a bit into himself, the said mist intensifying.
"It... doesn't look bad. And I feel... better covered by it."
"Is this another thing... Oboro did not think about?" There was a venom in Hizashi's voice now. Oboro paled. "That you keep seeing in the mirror the face of a dead teenager?"
"Hizashi!" snapped Shouta.
Oboro started scratching himself almost to blood, his hands shaking slightly. "I-! I-! I thought-!"
"There is no rush, Oboro," said Kurogiri, his voice suddenly ice-cold and calm. Hizashi was fucked, Enji realized. "Do you really believe I've been through horror and need help?" he asked Hizashi, something dangerous in his voice.
"Of course! That is exactly what I'm thinking! You need to-"
"And Oboro doesn't?"
"I'm alright, I should ha-" But Oboro did not finish as Kurogiri continued in a voice laced with anger.
"Wasn't he with me all the time, under All for One's boot? Wasn't he brainwashed as much as me?"
"I wasn't tortured like you," murmured Oboro. "I should have-"
"Am I a victim and he a villain?" hissed Kurogiri not hiding his fury anymore.
"I never said that!" replied Hizashi, pale.
"So why do you blame him for the fact that he, after all we've been through, did not think of a little thing that could wait?" Kurogiri's eyes were burning now, not a trace of his previous guilt and stress visible.
"You're just like Enji," said Shouta suddenly. They all stared at him, the tension breaking. "You'd rip to pieces anyone who touches your kid. As you should," he glared at Hizashi.
"I'm just... I'm just worried about O-Kurogiri, that's all," Hizashi murmured defensively.
"You're just emotional idiot, that's all," Shouta muttered back.
But, thankfully the unpleasant moment was gone, Kurogiri's mist calm now, his eyes on his tea.
"I'll- I'll change that," said Oboro quickly, his hand still scratching himself. Any moment now the blood would appear, and Enji would grasp that hand, witnesses around or not. "I will- I should have thought of this- I'm sorry."
Kurogiri reached out and Oboro reluctantly stopped scratching. Their hands met.
"It's okay. It's okay. I am happy now as I wasn't in years. There is no rush."
"I'm sorry," murmured Oboro again.
Enji saw Hizashi's eyes were on the boy, his face now unreadable, a rare occurrence when it came to this blond.
"Well, it does look cool," said Shouta. "Menacing." Kurogiri froze. What was Shouta- "You should be a teacher. You'd enter the classroom and the brats would be in their seats and be quiet in half a second. Do you know how hard I have to work to achieve that effect?" There was a smile on Shouta's face, assuring Kurogiri it was just a joke, and not one at his expense.
"Ah," said Kurogiri, relaxing. "Never thought about it that way. In my experience, it actually gets me... opportunities."
"Opportunities?" blinked Oboro.
"Ah, yes. I never shared since I am not really interested anyway, but you have no idea how many youngsters... wanted my phone number over the years."
Shouta beamed. That was indeed a success, to drag Kurogiri from his previous anger and concern for Oboro to this slight but visible amusement with which he shared that with them. Shouta was truly much better with people than Enji gave him credit for.
"You indeed never said," murmured Oboro. "I can't believe people were queueing to you and you never sent anyone my way. Mean."
Kurogiri actually laughed lightly. Enji never saw Shouta looking at anyone as softly as he watched Kurogiri laughing now.
"So, you are teachers now? It must be tough. I have only one kid in my care and I sometimes wonder if I'm not failing badly."
"You're not," murmured Oboro. Kurogiri's mist thinned at that and Enji'd swear he saw a soft smile.
"It's horrible," said Shouta. "And they live in dorms now. And as a homeroom teacher, I live in the same dorm, upstairs."
"Ah, so you're more of a parent to them right now than their parents?"
"I make sure they miss their parents," said Shouta in a sinister voice.
"I find it hard to believe," said Kurogiri softly. "But now I understand why you look so tired."
"Can't be helped."
"Yes, it can," said Enji and received a glare from Shouta. "You've always neglected your health."
Kurogiri straightened at that a little bit. "Is that true, Enji?"
"I'm fine," said Shouta warningly.
"You really don't look fine. You look as bad as Oboro."
"I look amazing," murmured Oboro.
"Exactly, I look amazing," repeated Shouta.
"You sleep in a sleeping bag at random hours-"
"Enji," hissed Shouta. Hizashi was watching Kurogiri carefully.
"-never get 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep-"
"-you try to get-"
"-only eating some soups and juices and nutrient drinks from poaches-"
"I'm a goddamn adult, Enji."
"You think you'll be young forever."
There was a pause.
"You do realize the time is stopped in our universe for us," said Kurogiri in a very kind voice.
"Yes, Enji explained that earlier."
"So you can come here any time and rest? And it doesn't have to be this mansion."
Another pause fell as the cogs were clearly whirling in Shouta's mind.
"Kurogiri would appreciate a friend's presence during this difficult time," Enji added a final touch, just in case.
"Well," muttered Shouta. "If the time is really stopped."
Enji smiled and to his surprise, for the first time during this conversation there was a shadow of a smile on Hizashi's face too.
"So, this is some sort of Westworld?" asked the blond.
The discussion went onto the lighter topic of how this Skyrim worked, then again onto a heavier subject which was their home planet.
"So, what exactly is your Quirk?" asked Hizashi at some point, keeping his face visibly neutral when turning to Oboro.
Oboro shrugged almost imperceptibly. "I can shape the reality however I want. There are limitations though... paradoxes, time loops, such things."
Hizashi frowned into his tea but did not continue this line of questioning. They spoke some more about how Japan was getting back to its old track and, finally, it seemed the topics dried out.
"We shall be going back," decided Shouta. "You both need your rest. Thank you for having us."
"I... prepared some more food if you wanted to take it back."
Something raw crossed Shouta's face like he wanted to cry, or hug Kurogiri, or simply kidnap him and tuck him in a safe place.
"We'd love that," he said.
When the food was packed Oboro nodded to them.
"Ah, you're doing it on your own?" asked Enji curiously.
"It actually isn't all that difficult."
"Kurogiri... do you want to see us again?" asked Shouta gently.
"If that is your wish... I would be happy."
Shouta smiled softly at that. Hizashi also smiled but sadly. "Get well, Kurogiri," he said. The shadow of pain when he said the name was barely audible but it was there.
"W- wait."
They looked at Kurogiri who again seemed distressed, almost like at the beginning of this meeting.
"I- I didn't want to tell you about it... because it would sound like... like just an excuse... but... and I did not want to make you feel... disturbed... but you should know..." Whatever he wanted to tell them, was clearly paining him. "You should know... I don't have many memories from how I was... prepared for my role but I have some... and especially one... ...once All for One brought me a child. Told me it was the daughter of a man who had disappointed him greatly... ordered me to kill her... I did not say no... but I just couldn't move. I wouldn't move. I couldn't do it. Not to a scared innocent child. You have no idea how kind was All for One in his fake sympathy for me, gently stroking my head, and explaining to me that he truly understands my... reservations... but that this is a necessary sacrifice for a better world. He seemed truly sad and gentle with his words and concerned for me... But in the end, he told me his decisions are final, that they are well thought-through and that I have to learn not to doubt him. ...He started torturing her in a way- I went and killed her in one hit. It- it was a merciful death-" He paused, his voice choked. "I never... never ever hesitated again when he ordered me to kill someone. I killed children before. You... you should know that." The mist was so black you couldn't even see Kurogiri's eyes now. Enji's fists were clenching so badly now he was sure they'd be bloodied. That fucking son of a bitch.
"So," said Shouta gently. "He taught you if you refused to do something evil, he'd do something much worse."
"He-" Kurogiri whispered. "I saw it many times. I saw many people trying to betray him, to say no to him, to fight against him. The revenge... he was beyond cruel. He did... things hard to even imagine."
"And you still think you are to blame?" asked Shouta quietly.
"...a hero would... a hero would still say no," said Kurogiri in a broken voice.
Shouta shook his head. "A hero would choose the path that would be least harmful. And... again, what choice did you have?" He hesitantly reached for Kurogiri's hand and, after a second or two, Kurogiri answered with the same. "Stop blaming yourself, Kurogiri. You think what you told us shows you're a murderer. It shows All for One is one."
"Enji said he is still alive," muttered Hizashi, looking furious. "Any chance-"
"Get in line first," Oboro murmured back.
"I will be back soon," said Shouta. "Please do try to heal here."
"Thank you," said Kurogiri quietly.
They said their goodbyes and darkness swallowed them. Seconds later they were back in Enji's kitchen.
"Thanks," said Enji. "Will you make sure I go back to the same point of time?" he added, his eyes stopping on the reddened neck where Oboro had been scratching himself. Enji was pretty sure what would happen back in Skyrim the moment Oboro went back there.
"Sure," Oboro shrugged, his thoughts obviously somewhere else.
"Okay, then. I'll see you in a moment?"
Oboro took a deep breath and turned to the other two men. "I apologize... for what I have done to you..." You could see the words did not come easily to him. "I will work... on reparation."
Hizashi nodded, his face again inscrutable, though Enji thought it was an improvement from how he had been looking at Oboro before.
"Sure, kid," said Shouta simply. "You get in touch if you need anything."
Oboro blinked.
"I... am really glad... you have survived... all our encounters," he said finally, clearly searching for proper words or maybe for words he wouldn't hate too much. "I mean... not because you are Kurogiri's friend, but... as a person." And they were saying Enji was bad at words in general and apologizing in particular.
"What he means, is he is your fanboy, Shouta," said Enji mercilessly.
Oboro, to Enji's surprise, got pink. "I'm no fanboy of any hero!" he spat immediately, all the apologies gone in an instant.
"Good," said Shouta. "I hate hero fanboys."
"I'm telling Izuku that," smirked Enji.
Shouta realized his mistake immediately. "Alright, with one exception."
"I'm leaving," growled Oboro, and he was gone.
The moment it happened Shouta immediately sat down on a chair.
"Shouta?" asked Enji in concern.
Shouta was pale now, his shaking hands rubbing his temples.
"'For the first time in years I have more than one reason to be glad this happened to me'" he repeated quietly. "A villain wouldn't say that, Hizashi, a programmed Noumu wouldn't say that! You know who would?!" Hizashi was quiet, looking guilty. "Our Oboro! He was always like that! And you saw how he immediately defended his kid! And how he immediately started to think about how to help me rest! Don't tell me you don't see it, Hizashi!"
"...yeah," murmured the blond. "Yeah, I think I see it. But it's just... in Tartarus it really looked like there was a programmed Noumu and something breaking through..."
"I think he already explained well enough what happened in Tartarus."
"But it was- as if he shut down..."
"Or he fainted of nerves and fatigue, Hizashi, it was Tartarus, that wasn't exactly a hotel!"
"True," murmured Hizashi. "I didn't think... it could be possible."
Right, because he thought Kurogiri to be a Noumu and these were supposed to be unhumanly tough. Shouta kept massaging his forehead.
"Hey," said Enji. "We're going to help him. We're going to make sure he has the life he deserves."
"We will," said Shouta quietly while Hizashi nodded.
888
When Enji came back to Skyrim he was welcomed by the sight he expected. Oboro was standing in front of Kurogiri, scratching his neck violently, the blood visible clearly on his skin.
"Oboro, please," Kurogiri said softly, gently reaching out for the boy's hands. But Oboro continued to mutilate his skin.
"I should have thought about it! I thought-! When you told me-! I misunderstood but I should have known better than that! I was just so used to how you were that I haven't-"
"Oboro, it is okay," repeated Kurogiri getting nearer, and delicately but firmly took Oboro's hands into his.
"It's not okay! I was chilling and resting and fucking wasn't paying the slightest attention to you! These two did a better job of caring about you than I did when-" he choked. Enji never saw this boy crying before. He was feeling like an intruder now.
"Oboro, can I hug you?"
"You don't have to," said the boy hoarsely, wiping his eyes violently. Enji could see Kurogiri's eyes followed hands with concern, certain where they would go next.
"I... want to. If I never do it, it's because... I'm not really good at it. But I would like to become better at it if you helped me."
"Why aren't you telling me things like that?!" Now the dam broke and the boy was sobbing. "You know me!"
Kurogiri took his child into his arms. Enji could clearly see how his movements were slow and hesitant, and deep inside he cheered for the man, cheered for the better future for those two broken puppets of All for One making tiny steps to normality. It hit him how small was Oboro against the other - as big as Enji -man. They truly looked like a parent and child.
"There was no rush, I told you," whispered Kurogiri. "I also was still... adjusting to this new reality. I just barely started to ask myself what I wanted. But first, I wanted us both to rest, my beloved child."
"Alright," came Oboro's broken voice and the two of them stayed like that, not paying attention to Enji, so he decided to let them be.
Notes:
This chapter was sponsored by my recent obsession with Kurogiri and his relations with everyone, especially Shouta, as you can see.