Rough Hands - A T.ShigarakixReader Story

Red-Handed.

Two weeks.
Two weeks you were in Nezumi's house, while the others did god knows what. Tomura had been reported on the news releasing All For One from Tartarus, and then somehow managed to travel to America with only a few Nomu by his side instead of the League, but the others had all gone radio silent. Dabi didn't even answer when you rang. No-one did.
Within three days, Nezumi had lost her job. Looters and villains alike had destroyed all the stores in the area, and made it unsafe to even be around, never mind try to work.

You'd apologised, and she'd just snorted at you and told you it wasn't your fault. It kind of was, though, because it was all set off by Tomura and the others. And they were your people.
So you were in an enclosed space with someone you barely knew. And she was sweet, she really was. She always asked what your opinion was on even the most menial things, like what she was going to make for dinner, and made the most effort with Tomo than literally anyone else had.
She was more than eager to take care of him while you had some time to yourself, and actively encouraged it.

Whenever you'd find yourself getting paranoid about just how helpful she was being with him, and how eager she was to play nanny for however long you needed, she had just smiled softly and told you it was refreshing being around visual-only thoughts that were simple and basic. She had told you that having another adult in her house thinking so much at all times was beginning to give her headaches, and as respectfully as she could, told you she liked you having your own time for her own selfish reasons, too.

That was fine, you could live with that.

And, after a week, you'd both found a mutual friendship within one another. You were more guarded than she had been, but once you finally let yourself talk a little more openly with her, you realised she was really quite understanding, and more than willing to discuss your worries and try to come up with counter arguments, advice or helpful tips to try to make you feel better.
And the more relaxed you were, the more Tomo relaxed too.
He even started smiling.
And when he'd first done it, you hadn't quite believed your eyes.

You'd smiled softly at him when he yawned, finding his little scrunched up eyes and fists as he stretched out just... precious. And when he'd opened his eyes again and blinked a couple of times, he'd returned the smile, all gums and thin lips, lifting and lowering his arms enthusiastically and kicking his feet.
And when you'd started praising him for smiling, burying your wetting cheeks into his torso, ignoring his tiny fists pulling your hair, Nezumi had wandered in, towel drying her own hair, asking you what was up.
"He's smiling." You said, tearfully.
You weren't crying because of how cute it was, you were crying because Tomura had missed it, and you would have been destroyed if you'd missed his first smile.

And given how much Tomo loved Nezumi, there was probably a solid chance that could have happened.
But instead of mocking you, or making a fuss about it, she'd made Tomo smile again, and taken a picture of it on her phone, sending it to you with the caption 'so you can always remember.'
You kind of understood why Dabi would be so caught up on her after that point. Until that, you'd honestly thought she was just stupid and reckless, no matter how appreciative you were that she took you in.

But now you knew she was just thoughtful and kind to a fault.

After two weeks, you'd assumed the worst. With All For One free again, you couldn't put it past him to have gotten his claws into Tomura again, and beyond anything, you were scared he may come for Tomo.
And with no word from the others, you'd assumed they'd served their purpose and been dispatched. After all, the world outside was finally what Tomura had envisioned from what Nezumi told you when she came back from retrieving groceries, clothes for you and clothes for Tomo... She really was a life saver.
Too good for this.