Mapa Dearest

Chapter 1

Possible TW's: public ignorance of a child who needs help, mentions of blood, self-blame, implied abuse of a child

You're walking down the street, it's the end of the week and you have a long weekend. You don't bother with a train or a bus, you live very close to the school.

You smile and wave to some of your students, who enthusiastically screamed goodbye to you from the gate.

Your attention, however, is caught by a little boy.

He looks terrified, and everyone on the street who is also walking are going out of their way to avoid the child.

His hands have dried blood on them and his hair and clothes are filthy. You felt something in you scream to go to him and help him, so you did.

He wasn't facing you when you approached him, but up close he was even worse than you could imagine.

His skin was cracking and dryer than a desert, and there were bloody scratches on his neck.

You gently tapped his shoulder to get his attention, and he immediately jumped and turned around, stepping back.

"Hi, I'm y/n. Are you alright?" You asked, for a moment forgetting how to interact with children his age.

He seemed stunned for a moment, and you looked the boy over. He must've been out here for at least a week, and he must be starving.

So, you dug around in your bag for your leftover lunch and pulled out half of a sandwich and an unopened bottle of water.

"Sorry, I don't have much right now, but you seem hungry." You said, holding it out for him to take.

He looked you up and down, waiting for you to snatch it back away like some sort of cruel child, but you didn't. So, he hesitantly reached out for the food offered and he took it from your hands, careful to keep one finger away from the food and water.

The food disappeared faster than any child should be eating anything, but it was to be expected considering he likely hadn't eaten anything in a little while. He then guzzled down the water you gave him and he offered a small, grateful smile before stopping when his cracking lips began to tear and bleed.

"What's your name, kid?" You asked, trying to seem laid-back and relaxed, but also trying to get him out of the streets quickly.

He seemed surprised you didn't decide to leave after feeding him, but he cleared his throat and responded in a raspy voice.

"I'm Shimura Tenko." He said, frowning immediately after saying his name. You took notice, and decided to test the waters a bit more.

"Well, Tenko, do you know where you are? Do you know where your family is?" You offered, and you saw his entire demeanor shift as he seemingly curled in on himself, hiding his body from you.

"I killed them, they're all dead." He murmured just loud enough for you to hear, though it seemed to be more to himself than anything else as he scratched at his already raw neck subconsciously.

"Okay, if you can't go home, do you want to come home with me?" You offered, not letting his first statement effect your opinion on him.

Around his age, kids get their quirks, and quirk accidents happen all the time. This is likely another one of them with an unfortunate outcome.

Tenko looked beyond surprised, as if the Holy spirit appeared in front of him. Something in him must've stopped malfunctioning, because he nodded.

Then, you offered your hand to him, so he could hold it as you walked home. He hesitated, but you gave him a reassuring smile, so he put his hand in yours.