Just Us (BNHA X Child OC)

25: I Swear

Um so this spoils a lot of Shigaraki Tomura's actual backstory, as well as Dabi's. Tho you guys probably don't care and just wanna read the fic, but I feel like I should give at least a little spoiler warning 😅

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"I'm sure at this point you're aware of my teacher." Tomura began. Ikoma deserved an explanation, no matter how much it hurt to admit any of what was going on. 

"Well, I realized early on my teacher could never come to know about Ichigo. It was too dangerous.". The man clenched his mouth shut for a moment, unaware of how deep he wanted to get into this.

Ikoma gave him an empathetic, nonjudgmental look and his heart ached. 

"All For One searches for children in dangerous situations with powerful quirks." He divulged, "They're housed all across the country, but mainly in Musutafu. I grew up in one of those facilities. I-I didn't always live there but my memories from before then are fuzzy. My first clear memories are of my teacher.". 

"You didn't want Ichigo ending up the same way." She realized. Tomura nodded. 

"You'd be hard-pressed to find a situation more dangerous than ours.". Tomura almost wished Ikoma had laughed at that instead of looking him in the eyes. It would have made it easier. 

"I wanted to protect them.". A delirious smile wormed its way onto his face. "Guess I failed in the end, huh?". He laughed dryly. 

"I always ascribed to the philosophy that its better the devil you know then the devil you don't. I didn't want to run away from my teacher and breaking ties with him for fear of who he'd send after me.". Tomura's fingers gripped the fabric of his pants so tightly his knuckles were white. He was trembling. "I knew I was pushing my luck, meeting people, putting Ichigo in that play group, going out, but I couldn't...I couldn't deny them a life!". 

"I don't think I'll ever understand why the world decided I was the right person to give Ichigo that life, but fuck, it was my job. I'm their father.". The trembling got worse and Tomura's smile morphed into despair. "I could have surrendered Ichigo, I could have given them to a normal family but...I just, I couldn't.". 

Tears were falling down his face now, hitting the table with a distinct drip. "That was my selfishness. Everything I've done has been for other people, for my teacher and his cause, except keeping Ichigo." He wiped the tears away from his eyes, looking younger to everyone watching then ever before. "And I see now that it was a mistake.". 

"No!" Ikoma  protested, her hand flying over to hold one of Tomura's back from scratching at his neck. "Don't you dare regret raising that angel!" She said firmly, "Wanting to raise your child isn't selfish.". 

"Komari its not that simple." Tomura shook his head, pulling away from the woman but she held on tight and kept him in place. 

"Tenko," She began, the name sending shivers up Tomura's spine. She still saw him as Tenko. "I'm not a parent, so I don't truly understand it, but I understand enough to say that I know how it feels when a child looks at you and you realize their life depends on you. That they trust you to keep them safe and happy and raise them well.". 

'Are you my mommy?' 

More tears welled up in Tomura's eyes. He attempted to wipe them away, but more just kept coming, blurring his vision. 

"How could it be selfish to do something so selfless as give a child a good life?".

The man sobbed, burying his head in the table, the pain in his chest reaching heart attack territory. Maybe this was how people died of broken hearts?