Manga Spoilers about Shigaraki's backstory (gonna be in S5 I think):
"Y/n!" Tenko yelled, laughter in his tone as he ran into the living room, his little feet thumping against the hardwood. "Y/n, come on! You said you were gonna play heroes with me,"
The boy's black hair crowded his face, the light from the windows casting pretty shadows as he searched every corner of the house for his little sister.
Since he was so young he could barely speak, Tenko adored heroes. He looked up to them, thought they were the coolest, most amazing people on the planet. For birthdays, he wanted dolls of his favorites. When he played outside, he pretended he could fly or had super strength or was beating up imaginary villains.
Thing is, Tenko's father wasn't all too fond of heroes. He made that clear to his wife, in-laws, and children too.
Kotaro Shimura was his name: the man who wanted nothing but a happy family.
His mother was Nana Shimura. And she left him when he was all too young. Because she had to go off and save other people rather than care for her son. The betrayal he felt from that experience was too much to bear.
So every-time Kotaro caught his son playing like that, a pain struck his heart he couldn't quite explain. That was his son, his family. Therefore, he couldn't idolize something as selfish as a "hero".
The thought alone made Kotaro boil with rage and sadness and too many emotions he couldn't handle. So whenever Tenko went against his father's wishes, he suffered the consequences.
Whether it was shoving him in a closet even though he was afraid of the dark. Or slapping him across the face. Or locking him outside till the night became so cold he had to hide in a little tool shed...
Kotaro Shimura wanted nothing but a happy family. So much so that he was willing to abuse his own child if only to protect his values.
But Tenko never learned his lesson. He still wanted to be a hero. He lived out those hard days never letting go of his dream.
His mom, his grandparents, his older sister even- they all made excuses for his father. Never stopped him. Never truly defended him aside from the occasional comment he was being 'too tough.
Life felt pretty lonely because of that. It's hard not to feel alienated when those who are meant to love and protect you ignore the fresh wounds inflicted both to body and mind.
On top of that, no one at school wanted to play with him since he was so odd looking. They called his allergies, his scratching disgusting or weird. They'd push him off the swings. Bully him for being smaller than the others.
Life was very lonely for the boy who wanted nothing but to be a hero.
That all changed though...
When he met you...
Tenko still remembered the day his mom and dad came home from the hospital with something in their arms. He jumped up and down, too curious for his own good, his mom kneeling to show him his new little sister.
He stared down with wide eyes, wondrous at the little baby wrapped up in a blanket making dreamy noises as she slept in her mom's arms.
She was so tiny and new to the world.
Hesitantly, Tenko reached out, felt the soft skin of her arm. The baby fussed slightly, scaring him but-
When she grabbed his thumb and woke up, her gaze reached his. And for the first time, she met her big brother, Tenko's eyes shinning with so much joy it even brought a smile to his father's face.
