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inazumass · 2 months

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Lost In The Fire || Part One

I just got out of surgery and realized I forgot to post this one on tumblr... priorities. No smut in this part, but be aware that its me and there will be smut later on... Minors do not follow me please, you will be blocked.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/57089236

WARNINGS: Canon typical violence, major character death, semi graphic descriptions of violence, blood, death, nightmares, Pro Hero Suneater Lemillion and Nejire Chan, angst, hurt/comfort, eventual smut, mutual pining, GN!Reader, No use of Y/N, freeform, Recommended for mature readers due to violence/blood

Word Count: 6.9k

Smoke rose high in the sky and he could hear the sound of sirens blaring outside, their urgent cries echoing off of the nearby buildings as he ran through the darkened hallways. Tamaki’s body felt heavy as he ran, almost as if he were running through quicksand. His heart was beating so fast it felt like it was about to come up through his throat. It wasn’t good, he was panicking and he knew it. There was no time to think, no time to slow down.

The screams of civilians rang out from all around him but there was no one here. He could hear the fight going on, but it seemed as if it was coming from all around him now. All alone in the hall, all he could do was run blindly toward the mayhem. Pain shot through his body as glass crunched beneath his bare feet. He didn’t care, only letting out a strained hiss as he rounded the outer corner inside the large office building. Following the sound of the chaos.

He couldn’t remember how the four of you had gotten so split up. Was it during the blast? He could have sworn you were just right beside him. That didn’t matter now, he needed to find someone. Anyone. The three of you were tough, he knew that. You, Mirio, and Nejire were all forces to be reckoned with in your own right. When it came down to a fight you weren’t just threats, you were a goddamn promise to bring any nearby enemies to their knees.

He knew you could handle it.

So what was with this feeling of unease in the pit of his stomach threatening to devour him from the inside out?

The villain– he hadn’t caught his name– was unlike any he’d ever seen before. That hulking form, those horrible blasts… Was this his quirk? Or did he have two somehow… he didn’t look like a Nomu when he’d seen the guy. Was he working with someone else?

Down the hallway a familiar voice broke through the chaos.

“Suneater, where are you?!”

It sounded broken, desperate, and so, so unlike you.

The hero raced to the end of the hallway, leaping over debris as he raced toward the voice, your voice. He was so close, even as his feet went numb from the pain of running through broken glass he didn’t stop. He still couldn’t tell where the fight was but he didn’t need to right now. The urgency in your voice was unmistakable, even in a few short words he could hear the wobble in it. It was all wrong, this was bad.

Tamaki all but skittered to a halt as he reached another bend in the hallway and saw you there, hunched over in the middle of the hall.

There was blood, so much blood.

“It’s gonna be okay, it’s gonna be okay, just stay with me.” You all but sobbed out. From your tone it wasn’t clear whether you were trying to convince yourself or the body beneath you. “I’ll get someone to get help.”

At first he couldn’t see who it was in front of you, their body obscured by your form, their clothes tattered and stained with the deep crimson of what he could only assume was their life force draining from them at an alarming rate. He didn’t even have time to panic.

His blood ran cold when he moved forward to see Mirio crumpled beneath you, his usually vibrant violet eyes glassy, barely open as he tried to focus on your face. Tamaki could practically see the colour draining from them as he stared down at him in horror.

He didn’t know what to do at first, and that split second of freezing would cost him, he was certain.

“I’ll be fine.” Mirio rasped out with a broken smile, coughing and sputtering up blood to punctuate his sentence as he looked up at the two of you.

Tamaki rushed to your side, attempting to assess the damage but he couldn’t see past all the blood. It was a mess. Your hands were braced against the blond’s sturdy body, your firm grip trying to slow the bleeding as best as you could, putting pressure on the worst of his wounds.

Mirio’s cape was wrapped around him tightly, ripped pieces of it tied against his arms and legs like makeshift tourniquets– no, not like, that’s exactly what they were. How bad was it? Could he have stopped it even if he had been here?

“I-I can’t move him. I have to put pressure on his wounds you need to-”

“I’ll get help.” Tamaki muttered, placing a reassuring hand on your shoulder before turning away.

His throat was dry, his mind was spinning. He’d get someone from support, he'd find someone, who could handle this- He had to keep a level head. Don’t succumb to panic. Be realistic about this; manifest wasn’t suited for healing, he knew that. He knew you were better suited to handle the situation. But he couldn’t help but feel useless running away from someone in need.

But you were usually so calm in crisis situations, and he couldn’t get the image of your tear stained face out of his mind, the tired look on Mirio's as he got closer and closer to losing consciousness. You knew more about first aid than he did, you were a better healer than he could ever be– but now wasn’t the time to compare.

The support team had to be outside by now, he could swear he’d seen paramedics from the windows earlier he just had to find a way to-

“LOOK OUT!”

That was Nejire, her pale hand outstretched as she rushed past him. But she wasn’t talking to him, no, she’d been looking past him. His neck turned so fast it nearly gave him whiplash as he watched her race toward you and Mirio. At that moment it felt like time slowed down. It was as if he could see things in slow motion, but he couldn’t move fast enough.

Three things happened next in quick succession.

First, the sound of shattering glass ripped through the air, the window exploding in a glittering sea of shards that rained down on the three people he cared most about. Glass tore across your cheeks as you squeezed your eyes shut and braced for impact, unable to take your hands off of the man in front of you in fear of losing him too.

Second, the section of the hallway you were in started to get darker. It was as if night had descended upon the three of you in an instant. Nejire tried to let out a blast but it wasn’t enough, it wasn’t fast enough. Even just from a quick glance at her it was clear that she’d nearly entirely exhausted her stamina in the fight. Mirio told you and Nejire to run but you wouldn’t move, you couldn’t leave him there. Cries of ‘just go, leave me’ and ‘you need to run’ followed by your voice breaking when you told him you couldn’t just leave him there to die.

Finally, the source of the darkness bit into the ceiling above the three of you. Something– one of the villains surely– had sent an ambulance hurtling straight through the outside wall of the hallway from the street below. Tamaki had already stretched out his tentacles to try and grab his friends but it was too late, he’d just barely gotten a grip on you and Nejire when the ceiling began to crumble.

He’d caught you both just in time to watch as the vehicle slammed into the wall, completely obliterating his outstretched appendages and pinning the pulverised remnants to the ground. His eyes went wide, his mouth opened in a scream he couldn’t hear as the rubble crashed into the three of you. He watched as Mirio closed his eyes and clasped your fists, his lips moved but Tamaki couldn’t hear him over the sound of crunching metal and crumbling concrete.

Nejire’s scream rang in his ears before she gurgled and went eerily silent. He couldn’t look, his eyes slammed shut as soon as he’d seen the piece of broken concrete headed in her direction. There had been no time to move, by the time he’d already stretched out his arm to save her it was already too close. He knew he didn’t want to see what came next. There was no time to drive, no time to let it sink in.

His left arm was ruined, but he could still save the two of you.

There was still time.

At least that’s what he thought. Your eyes found his, a resigned look on your face as you stared back at him with that gentle smile that always comforted him. The world slowed around him again, he’d hoped this time it was merciful. If he could just get a grip on you and Mirio he might be able to get the three of you outside and to the paramedics before he succumbed to blood loss. Your mouth opened to say something right before the shattered rebar went straight through your head and the ceiling rained down on you and Mirio.

Tamaki jerked awake in his bed shortly thereafter, his heart still pounding in his ears. His pulse was through the roof, tears were already streaming down his face as he sat up in the darkness. His breaths came out in ragged pants as he tried to calm himself down. He fought the urge to scream, grasping at his left arm as if he expected it not to be there.

It was just a dream… It was just a dream but it had all felt so real that he could swear he still felt the sting of the glass biting into the soles of his feet.

A shaking hand clamped over his mouth as the first sob of many wracked his body. Tamaki curled in on himself in bed, covers long abandoned during his tossing and turning in the night. His body shook with the force of his cries as he recalled the image of the three of you dead on the floor in front of him. His arm stung with the memory of being pinned beneath the gnarled shreds of metal. But it was still there, free of the blood and gore his mind had created just to torment him in the dead of night.

He tried hard not to close his eyes for too long, for if he did the image would come rushing back instantaneously. The way Mirio’s blood pooled and seeped into the carpet, the empty look in your eyes as you left your body, the death rattles of yours and Nejire’s last breaths– He gagged at the thought, nausea bubbling up in his stomach as he fought back the urge to vomit.

A hand clamped over his mouth in the darkness as soon as he felt the bile rising in his throat. A choked sob muffled out around his palm. He was shaking like a leaf already, trying to breathe to calm himself but unable to take in enough air through the sobs. A quick glance at the clock told him it was well past midnight.

Once his cries had calmed enough, he considered calling Mirio and Nejire. He picked up his phone, staring at the dim screen for a moment before deciding against it. What was he supposed to say? What would they think of him texting them this late? He couldn’t just say “Hey, I had a nightmare and I just really need you to wake up and text me back right now and tell me that you’re alive”.

No. Absolutely not. That would be ridiculous and so embarrassing.

Eventually he got up on wobbly legs, walking across the room to grab the water bottle off of his desk. He took a long drink to replace what he’d lost through his tear ducts. His head was pounding now, the tears still streaming freely down his face as he braced himself against the wooden surface for support.

If nothing else, the cool wood was grounding him here to reality. There were no villains here, he was in his room, the air was cool, the night was calm.

He moved to walk back to his bed so he could find a way to force himself to take his mind off of it before a sharp pain bit into the bottom of his foot and sent a shock through him with his last step. Glass. He thought briefly, his mind going right back to the rush of his heartbeat in his ears and the stench of iron in his nose.

When he jumped back, he realised that it was only a stray pin that had fallen off of his bag at some point. Its sharp point sticking up from the carpet and laying in wait for an unsuspecting victim. But the damage was done. That pain sent the images from the nightmare flashing behind his eyes once again, another shaky cry ripping from his throat. He couldn’t take it anymore, stewing in this alone. At this rate he’d never get back to sleep and he’d spend the rest of the night thinking about the image of your crumpled bodies on the hallway floor.

It wasn’t like Tamaki to invade your personal space, especially when it came to the late hours of the night. He was the type of roommate who was content to be a ghost in the apartment, often hiding away in his bedroom or leaving you to your own devices unless you happened to approach him first. In the months that you two had shared the space, he had never dared to so much as bother you after you’d gone to bed for the night.

But right now he couldn’t stop himself.

Even as his hands shook reaching for your bedroom door, he cursed himself internally for how pitiful he was right now. A shaking, crying mess all because of one stupid little nightmare. Still, he needed to make sure you were alright, he hoped you were awake. He couldn’t take this alone, as much as he didn’t want you to see him like this.

He wanted to run back now but he’d already called your name as he went and knocked on your door.

“A-are you awake?” A quiet little sniffle punctuated his question as the door pushed open from his light knocking.

The hinges squeaked quietly in the darkness, just barely disturbing your slumber as you slowly came to. Tamaki froze, suddenly feeling even more guilty for having woken you up as you whined at the intrusion, grumbling softly about how late it was before your eyes adjusted to the darkness.

"Mmh.... Tamaki?" You muttered, lightly rubbing sleep from your eyes as you looked up at him in your doorway.

Even through your sleepy haze and the dim lighting of the bedroom they could see the tears welled up in his eyes. In an instant you were completely awake, sitting up quickly without a second thought. The covers of your bed slipped down into your lap and you shoved them away.

"What’s wrong?" You asked softly, your mind already running through the possible worst case scenarios as you searched for some kind of hint in his eyes.

Even with the tears sliding down his cheeks you could see his shoulders relaxing as he laid eyes on you. Then he seemed to stiffen up a little as the dam broke again and he let out a muffled sob.

“I-I’m sorry,” He whimpered, feeling awful about having woken you up. This was so embarrassing, he should have simply dealt with it on his own, of course you were fine. It was just a stupid nightmare and here he was crawling into your room like an idiot and-

“Hey, hey…” You cooed, reaching out to grab his hand from where you sat on your bed before thinking better of it.

"Here, come here… Is it okay if I hold you right now?"

Despite the urge to run back to his room and bury himself in his covers he sniffled and nodded, allowing you to gently pull him down to sit next to you. You felt the bed shift beneath you as he joined, leaning into your one armed hug and hiding his face in your shoulder.

Your familiar touch was just enough to begin to lure him back into some sense of security and comfort once more. The light scent of the soap you used still clinging to your body replaced the stench of iron lingering in his mind, aiding in calming him down. He squeezed his eyes shut, only to be met with that horrible image from his nightmare once again.

It was as if it had never left his mind, just waiting behind his eyelids to torment him every time he closed them.

You wrapped your other arm around him then, feeling him shift uncomfortably at the memory. Reaching behind him, you grabbed your comforter, pulling it tight around the both of you for added security.

“It’s okay,” Your soft voice cooed as you rubbed his back.

It was both mortifying and absolute bliss being babied like this, but he didn’t have time to enjoy it right now. Too busy reliving those images from his nightmare over and over.

This had never happened before, you couldn’t think of a single time when you’d seen him cry so openly, much less a time when he’d come into your room announced or otherwise. It was unclear how the best way to handle it would be so you just kept rubbing gentle circles in his back, hoping that he might soon calm down enough to tell you what was going on.

“It’s alright, Tamaki.” You breathed, resting your cheek against the top of his head as you held onto him.

It was a few moments before his whimpers and sniffles calmed down enough for you to feel like you could ask; “Do you wanna talk about it?”

His voice was smaller than usual, almost fragile as he began to speak.

"I... I guess," his voice wobbled as he tried to think about how to explain it. He at least owed you that for disturbing your peace so late at night.

“It… it was awful,” Tamaki’s voice broke again, a hand clamping down over his mouth as he tried to stifle the sob that came out.

"It's okay, honey, take your time." You whispered, still rubbing his back in an attempt to soothe his cries. Of course, you wanted to know what possibly could have upset him enough that he would let you see him like this.

"I-I had a nightmare..." He confessed, as if having read your mind. The elf eared boy sniffled again between his words as he tried to explain. His voice was trembling slightly as snapshots of the dream played on loop in his mind, taunting him. He didn’t want you to know the full scope of it.

"I… I couldn't protect them..."

Ah, so that was it. You nodded gently, cheek moving to rest on your roommate’s shoulder as he cried.

He was grateful for that, your gaze obscured from his view thanks to his messy hair obscuring his pitiful expression before he buried his face in your shirt. You were kind enough to spare him the burden of being perceived in full right now, knowing that he might very well shrivel up and die right here if he had to look at you in the state he was in.

"It's okay," You breathed.

You were tired but glad that he trusted you enough to feel safe here in your arms. It broke your heart to see him so distressed.

Of course being a professional hero would come along with this sort of stress. It only made sense that these sorts of fears would creep in sooner or later but it didn't mean that it was something he needed to work through alone. Especially after all the four of you had been through together.

Even so, you didn't know what to say yet, unsure on how to comfort him best.

"I woke up feeling so guilty and scared..." He mumbled, his tears staining your night shirt as he spoke.

He had never felt such an intense fear before, and it was eating away at him from the inside out.

"I can't stop thinking about it…”

Your grip on your roommate tightened a little bit as he continued on, your throat tightening at the way his voice broke when he talked about it.

“It’s okay,” You repeated, mind blanking as you fought to find the right words to say to him in the moment. “I know how bad they can be… it was just a nightmare.” You said, giving him a tight squeeze as he began to cry harder.

You knew it wasn’t enough, that facts didn’t care about things surrounding the realm of feelings and fear. It wasn’t enough that it wasn’t real, but you couldn’t think of anything more to say as he sobbed into your chest.

Having graduated from the hero support program, you couldn’t imagine the sort of pressure he was under in his current position. Four years of training and the two of you were in completely different leagues, on different yet similar paths. You’d both fought countless villains, but you were never the one to face things head on unless you were completely out of options. It was a blessing that you’d gotten the quirk you had, but it lacked combat potential. Healing could be used for torture and restraint, but only if you desperately needed to.

“What do you need me to do for you right now?” You asked, not sure if it would be better to help him find some sort of distraction or to let him cry it out for a little bit longer.

"Just... stay here with me, please..." He mumbled, still shaking slightly. He’d feel awful about this moment tomorrow for sure, but for now in your arms and beneath your duvet it felt like he was being engulfed in a safe haven. “I…” Tamaki’s voice quivered.

As much as he wanted to hold it back he couldn’t help it when the words came rushing out. "I-I thought I lost you." He sobbed out, thinking back to the moment in his dream when he’d watched in horror as blood gurgled out of your throat

His voice was barely a whisper at the end, breaking in the middle of his confession. Quiet sobs wracked his body while he cried, his slender fingers gripping you even tighter as he buried his face in your neck now. He didn't want to go back to sleep yet, not wanting to risk seeing the images from that nightmare again. He couldn’t stand the thought of losing you, let alone having to watch his closest friends all dying in front of him because he wasn’t fast enough, wasn’t strong enough.

That simple sentence felt like a stab in the gut, momentarily rendering you immobile while you held him. You froze. Tamaki’s cries broke your heart and all you could do was squeeze him back as he cried in your arms.

"I'm right here, Tama', it's okay." You breathed, gently stroking his deep indigo hair while holding onto him tightly. Determined to banish the nightmare from his mind, you continued: "I'm not going anywhere, it's okay... I'm here.”

His hair was soft beneath your fingertips. It was a mess from tossing and turning in his sleep, but you didn’t mind.

"Y-you... promise?" He asked between sobs, gripping onto you as if his life depended on it.

It was obvious to you that the nightmare had shaken him to his core. You didn’t dare press for more information.

Perhaps he just needed to know that someone was there for him at that moment. That you were here, alive and well. Something about your warmth pressed in next to him was enough to push the memory away for now. The soft smell of your body wash lingered on your skin, something akin to the calming rush of lavender flooding his nose and easing his racing thoughts.

"Cross my heart." You replied, playing with his hair as you gently rocked him back and forth. You swayed slowly, the gentle motion slowing his sobs. "I'm sorry you had that nightmare, but it's okay. I'm alright, I'm safe."

For now, the memory of your blood staining the hallway in front of him was slowly replaced with this moment. The nightmare slowly faded to a dull, uneasy ache. Calloused hands gripped the thin fabric of your tearstained shirt, determined to keep you close regardless. Even if the panic was gone for now, he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to let you out of his sight for the foreseeable future.

"Mmm... th-thank you..." He murmured, his sobs slowly subsiding as he calmed down.

You offered him a gentle smile as you pulled back from the hug. The dim moonlight filtered in through the curtains in your bedroom, bathing it in a soft silvery glow. Slowly, you reached a hand up to brush away the tears from his pretty face. Your thumb swiped lightly across his cheek before you pulled your hand away from him.

The soft glow from outside cradled your head like a halo. Tamaki just blinked up at you, eyes bloodshot and sparkling with unshed tears as you treated him so delicately.

"Of course, what are friends for?" You replied.

You didn’t see the way he looked away from you then, that subtle ache rising in his chest at the rhetorical question. He understood the sentiment well enough, and he was thankful that he’d been lucky enough to be your roommate.

"Y-yeah..." He agreed softly, staring at you for a moment before letting out a deep breath.

He was never one to be all that optimistic or cheerful. This was especially true when it came to matters involving himself or his physical strength… or really anything that had to do with his own self image.

Even then he'd never let anyone see him this bad, but it had all felt so real in the moment. Too real, too possible. If he had allowed himself to stew in silence he’d still be able to hear the way your scream echoed, piercing the air sharply and ringing through his mind even after he’d woken up. His arm lingered around you, his grip on the fabric of your shirt slowly easing up as he convinced himself that everything was okay.

Even if it wasn’t real… the situation was all too plausible in your line of work. What if he couldn’t get to you in time? Heroes couldn’t save everyone, even before graduating UA he knew that. During the war it got drilled into his head to the point where he couldn’t forget it no matter how badly he wanted it to be a lie.

"I'm... sorry I woke you." He mumbled, though the apology was sincere.

"Don't be, I'm glad you did." You replied, gently reaching up to tuck a strand of hair back behind Tamaki's pointed ears. "You can stay in my room as long as you like."

"Really?" He asked, as if surprised by the offer. It took a second for it to settle in but he was grateful nonetheless. "T-th... thanks."

"Of course!" Honestly, a little part of you was grateful that you’d earned his trust enough for him to come and seek you out for comfort.

Tamaki wasn’t one to seek out help when it concerned his insecurities or anxiety. Though his timid nature was adorable, getting to know him had been like trying to earn the trust of a feral kitten. The process had been long and slow, but you thanked your lucky stars that you’d gotten to the point in your friendship that you did.

"Is there anything else I can do for you right now?" You asked, knowing that your roommate was still upset but not knowing what would be best for him right now... silent comfort, maybe a late night snack? A distraction? It was unlikely he’d want to divulge more about it while he was still coming down from the rush of fear and adrenaline. You weren't sure what he needed right now, and considering it was far past quiet time in your apartment building it was hard to say whether or not it would be a good idea to risk making a commotion in the kitchen and possibly waking up your downstairs neighbour.

"No, just... staying here with you is enough." He replied, still slowly relaxing into the warmth of your presence. He let out a soft sigh, his breath hitching slightly as he felt tears sting at the back of his eyes again.

Without thinking, you reached out and squeezed his hand softly, wanting to reassure him that he was safe here no matter what. Whatever he needed right now he would get, though you may not have wanted to admit it aloud, you'd always had a soft spot for Tamaki.

Something about his soft nature, his lack of self confidence despite the power he wielded both mentally and physically, it struck a chord with you. No matter what you promised yourself that you would always cheer him on. Something about your bashful roommate made your heart flutter no matter how much you tried to ignore it. He was just so sweet.

He squeezed your hand back gently, leaning back into the touch as a sense of comfort washed over him. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing thoughts and slow his heartbeat once more.

Unbeknownst to you, before you’d gotten closer you had always set him on edge. Though it was more prevalent in your relationship at the beginning.

Despite your best efforts he could never gather up the courage to start conversations with you. It had been so hard for him to talk to you, even after you’d been taken in by his group of friends. Even when Nejire and Mirio had conveniently left the two of you two your own devices on more than one occasion.

The elf eared boy would never admit it to you, much less to himself, but you sent his heart fluttering from day one.

The easy way you spoke with the others as if you’d been old friends, your kind hearted nature. He could never forget the first time you’d healed him after a training accident, the way your fingers pressed carefully against his heated skin. The sharp pain of the bones snapping back into place had been the last thing on his mind. Your gaze had been so soft as you reassured him that it was alright, how you had calmly listened to him when you’d dragged a story out of him to keep him talking and keep his mind off the injury while you worked.

Your movements pulled him back to reality as one arm moved to pull the covers up a little bit, making sure Tamaki was covered up as well before you moved to lay back down against your soft bedding. Your grip on his hand never faltered though, reassuring him that you’d be here as long as he needed. Your thumb ran softly against the back of his hand in slow soothing circles.

Exhaustion was already creeping back into your bones as the dip in your bed welcomed your body. Your head rested against your pillow, unconsciously making space in the bed for him while your eyes fell shut.

"I... I think I'll be okay now." He whispered, closing his eyes as he listened to your soft breathing beside him. He felt a warmth spreading through his chest at the contact. With Mirio and Nejire living on the opposite side of the neighbourhood, it was nice having someone closer in proximity to rely on when things got tough.

Tamaki would never have been confident enough, even in his darkest moments, to reach out for you at a time like this. If it weren’t for the fact that you shared all but a room he may have never gotten a moment alone with you like this.

You smiled at his whispered words, your soft lips curving up into a sweet smile that crinkled your eyes.

"I'm glad... I'm sorry about your nightmare though, that must have been awful." Had it been reversed, you might have done the same thing. Just seeing him so shaken up made your heart ache, you couldn't imagine what it would be like to lose him... dream or not.

At least now you were happy to hear that he was feeling at least a little better now.

With the fear gone now he could feel the warmth creeping back into his cheeks as embarrassment began to flood his senses again. It really was pathetic of him to creep in here while you were sleeping. He should have been able to deal with this on his own, after all it was just a stupid nightmare, right?

"I-it's just a dream... you know? No need to apologise." He stammered, his voice wavering as he tried to convince himself of the same sentiment.

He still couldn’t look at you or the spot where your hands lay connected on your bed. He was doing an awful job of persuading himself. Dream or not, he’d felt it all as if it were happening in real time. With the rise in organised crime and villainous behaviour across the nation still recent enough to be fresh in his memory it was safe to assume that there would be many more battles ahead of you both.

Even pro heroes had people they couldn’t save. He’d repeated to himself in his mind.

All Might himself couldn’t save every citizen during a disaster, so why would he be any exception?

"I know... but I wish you didn't have to worry like that, you know?" You smiled sadly up at the ceiling as you spoke, still not wanting to subject him to your gaze while he was feeling low.

A beat passed before you added on to what you’d been saying. "Plus, I'm super quick.” It was halfway between teasing and a joke, and he could practically hear the smile in your voice even without turning to look at you.

You weren’t wrong there, but everyone slips up sometimes. Attacks with a healing quirk had limitations, and as fast as you were there was always someone faster.

"And you're super strong, Tamaki!" You continued, “You’re an incredible hero.” He just needed a little more confidence in himself, and you knew Fatgum tried his best to help him in that area but that sort of thing didn’t just change overnight.

It was a learned behaviour, something that came from within. Slowly replacing negative thoughts with positive ones may have sounded easy enough, but it was even more than that. Though, you’d be lying if you said that his reserved, bashful nature didn’t send your heartrate through the roof whenever he’d look away with a deep blush in his cheeks. The way the tips of his ears tinged red with embarrassment at the slightest thing.

"You’re just saying that," He whimpered.

A part of him truly believed that you’d only say something like that to reassure him and feed his nonexistent ego. Still, he couldn’t help the way his eyes sparkled a little in the low light of the room at your praise.

Some small part of him cherished those kind words. It was no secret that he struggled with his self perception more often than not, but hearing it from someone he admired and trusted did feel good. Even when Mirio or Fatgum said nice things to him there was a small part that secretly took it to heart.

"Are you kidding? I mean it!” You shot back lightheartedly.

“I've seen the way you fight when we were all training… and the way you took on those three villains all by yourself during the Shie Hassaikai raid was so badass! Not to mention everything you did during the war…” your voice trailed off a little at the thought, glancing down at the scars on your arm from that time. You were lucky those were the only souvenirs you’d received.

“You're way cooler than you realise, Suneater." You smiled, heart fluttering a bit at that little flicker in his eyes. “Not only are you strong, but you’re a pretty good strategist too.. And you’re kind. It’s an honour to call you my friend.”

Sometimes it was frustrating trying to get through to him. Not only because you meant every word you said but because you knew the way his mind would twist it all too well. You knew exactly how it felt to feel like nothing but desperately need to be more. It felt hopeless, crushing… but it faded with time and effort. You knew better than anyone that you couldn’t compliment the problem away but he needed to hear it nonetheless.

You needed to say it, to have it out there in the open.

Tamaki felt his heart swell with warmth at your words. "R-really...?"

"Of course!" You beamed, unconsciously squeezing his hand a little tighter.

He whispered a soft “Thank you” in response, his cheeks turning a deeper shade of pink at your compliments and the squeeze of your hand on his. Even if he didn’t necessarily believe all of it, it felt good coming from you.

You just smiled in response before settling back into bed, still not bothering to let go of his hand. The warmth was comforting, the slightly roughened skin of his hands against yours and the connection you shared in that moment.

It was sweet. That, and you hadn’t thought to let go, you didn't want to and neither did he, the comfort of knowing you were still there by his side was more than enough.

A little sigh escaped him as he settled down again, mirroring your position as he laid back against the headboard of your bed. You couldn’t help the blush that swept across your skin at the pretty sound that pushed past his lips.

Eyes falling shut, you unconsciously moved the slightest bit closer to him in bed. Warmth and exhaustion clouded your mind now, the feeling of his weight beside you in the bed lulling you back to sleep. He found his own eyes fluttering shut as well as the rush of adrenaline wore off completely at last.

He hadn’t meant to fall asleep next to you, but the weight of your blankets overtop of him and the scent of you in bed next to him had him dizzy when his mind finally stopped racing.

There was nothing to replace the adrenaline in his system now, nostrils flooded with the gentle fragrances that filled your room, body relaxing into the warmth of your sheets. It wasn't long before the both of you drifted off to sleep, warmth spreading through your chest as you relaxed completely into the bed.

It was cute, really. If Mirio could see him now he’d be pumping his fist in the air in excitement. He’d spent far too long watching his friends not so subtly pining after each other. The way Tamaki would steal glances at you when you weren’t looking. How he’d turn away and cower from the faintest little smile from you in the beginning. It had taken the two of you long enough to finally start talking, he’d pulled just enough strings to get the two of you in closer proximity just hoping that one of you would finally have the guts to admit to yourselves that you had feelings for the other person.

Neither him nor Nejire had ever gone so far as to pressure you vocally, though they’d dropped a couple hints here and there when Tamaki wasn’t in earshot. No one had told her though, she’d simply ‘gotten a vibe’ and wanted to question you about it. Why not? She figured you two would be cute together and she knew she was right.

The two of you laid like that for a long while, bodies perfectly intertwined in the bed as if you’d been made to lay together this way. If he’d been awake it was certain that his heart wouldn’t be able to take such an intimate situation. Free and unencumbered by the anxiety that plagued him during his waking hours, it was easier for his body to give in to what he craved.

If you’d been awake, the way he squeezed you would have sent butterflies fluttering in your stomach. It was needy, almost protective in the way he curled around you, his body craving your touch.

Even in your sleep you felt it though, wrapped up in his arms and his scent, your mind wandered in your dreams. You could hear the slow, shallow breaths he took, the warmth of them fanning across the nape of your neck as he nuzzled into you in his sleep.

Tamaki’s breathing slowed down, his chest rising and falling gently against your back as he curled up around you. His sleep was a merciful one, his mind and body relaxing as he was enveloped by your covers. In your sleep you pressed back against him beneath the covers, his strong arms wrapping tightly around your waist.

Dreams danced behind your eyelids, no doubt affected by the close proximity to your friend. The heat of his chest slotted against your back like two connected puzzle pieces.

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