#togadeku

The three of them had been best friends since university, and while that hadn’t changed now that they’d all found their own careers, they weren’t able to see each other as much as they used to. Izuku missed the casual ease they used to have with each other, the way they could just meet for coffees and movies, instead of having to plan trips around days off.

“Me too, but I don’t want you to get hurt,” Ochaco said. “We can always meet later.” 

“Safety first,” Tenya agreed. “Are you sure your car won’t stall?”

“I know, I know,” Izuku sighed, unable to refute the point. His old car was rundown and broken, he had known that ever since he’d picked it up second-hand. Its only selling point was that it was cheap, and with the loans he had to pay off, that was the only thing that had mattered. “The heating isn’t working but I think it can make it till the inn.”

“The heating isn’t working?” Ochaco gasped. 

“Yeah—” The car drifted again and Izuku gripped the steering wheel. He couldn’t live in denial any longer. Tensely, he replied, “Sorry, but I really need to concentrate here. You’re right, I’ll go find a motel.”

“Good!” Ochaco agreed quickly. “I’m sure there’s gotta be one nearby.”

“And call us when you get there,” Tenya added. 

“Will do. Bye!” He quickly glanced at the phone and ended the call. What had he been thinking, trying to drive all night through this? It was a recipe for disaster, a—

-x-

A cold finger poked Izuku’s arm and he yelped, startled out of his memories. Self-restraint was the only reason Izuku didn’t jump out of the hard bed and onto the hardwood floor. 

Self-restraint and the fact that his legs were still a mangled mess from his accident.

“You’re cute,” Himiko giggled, leaning back into her chair as she watched him with bright, golden eyes. Her oversized sweater gave her an innocent air, one that was immediately countered by the pocketknife on her lap. “So, whatcha thinking of?”

Izuku flushed at the compliment even as it unnerved him. Everything about Himiko was suspicious, though nothing more than the way she expertly flicked her knife and started to peel an apple. There was an unnatural grace about it, and the detective in him couldn’t help but wonder just where she had picked up this skill. 

“N-nothing much,” he lied instinctively, his fingers gripping the white blankets that swaddled him. They felt as restraining as constraints. 

“Liar.” Himiko pouted, twirling the pocketknife around her fingers. It felt like she could flick it at him at any minute. 

“No, really.” Izuku forced a smile. “I was just thinking about the accident again.”

It wasn’t entirely a lie; the accident was all he could think of for the past few weeks. He had called his friends while driving in a storm, he had planned to go to a motel after he hung up, and then…and then…

And then he remembered wheels squealing, his fingers clenched around the steering wheel, his eyes wide in horror. A shadow on the road, unavoidable. His body in pain, flames licking his skin, a sharp smile as someone dragged him out of the car.

It was Himiko, she had told him such, that she had found him in the wreckage and saved his life. But she had said something as she saved him, garbled words that he knew were important. Every time he tried to remember, they slipped out of reach, the crackle of flames drowning out her voice. 

If he could just remember, he’d understand why he felt so uneasy in her presence. Though, it wasn’t like he needed an excuse at this point. It had been weeks since she’d saved him, and yet here he was, still stuck in her farmhouse in the middle of nowhere. At this point, he was starting to suspect a kidnapping. It didn’t help that the room was utterly empty aside from his bed and her chair. There wasn’t a clock to tell the time, a calendar to keep track of the date, or anything aside from a window to tell him how long he’d been in there.  

“Ohh, I like to think of it too. There was so much blood that day.” Her tongue flicked out, licking her lips and sending a shiver down his spine. “I almost thought I lost you.”

Even her wording was suspect, full of hidden meanings. Yet, he had the feeling that the moment he asked and peeled off her mask, there would be no going back. It was safer to play ignorant for now while he meticulously planned his escape. “Yeah, thanks for finding me on time.” He gripped his blankets tighter and asked as casually as he could manage. “I was wondering…maybe we should contact the hospital? The roads have to be cleared by now.”

“What, you don’t like my company anymore?” Himiko replied childishly, though her eyes were too sharp, like a hawk’s, watching his every movement. The apple peel fell to the ground in a single, unbroken chain. “I’m doing my best.”

“It’s not like that!” Izuku replied quickly, holding his hands up. He’d been lucky in the accident; his legs had gotten the worst of it. His arms only suffered a few light burns and cuts, nothing that could really hinder him. His legs though…he could only hope they were healing correctly and nothing was permanently damaged. “It’s just, I’m a little worried if I broke anything.”

“I told you, I’m a nurse! I’m as good as any doctor,” Himiko replied quickly, dropping the now cut up apple on his lap. She leaned forward and grinned. “I can wear the sexy nurse outfit, if you want.”

Despite himself, he flushed. The first few days he’d been here, she’d dressed up in something out of a costume store. “No, that’s fine, I believe you. But you can’t give me a CT scan or—”  

“You don’t need that, you’re fine.” She shook her head as she stretched her arms above her. Himiko spoke light-heartedly, as though the topic didn’t matter to her. “The roads are better but still kinda messy. They said it’d be better for you to stay here.”

Izuku very much doubted that. Gently, he pushed, “Maybe I can ask them—”

“My phone’s a landline,” Himiko interrupted as she leaned forward and tapped his nose with her finger. Even now, she felt ice cold. It reminded him of his grandmother’s tales of yuki onna freezing men to death. “Can’t reach this far.”

“What about my cell?” Izuku asked futilely. He was grasping at straws but it was all he had. “I might be able to fix it.”

“It’s too busted.” Himiko shrugged casually. “Don’t worry, the hospital will call your friends and mom.”

“I guess…” Izuku racked his brain for another argument but drew blank. Even if he could think of something, he was certain she’d counter it. He hadn’t bothered to memorize his friends’ numbers and now he regretted it. “I was wondering…have we met before?”

Himiko’s eyes widened and then she smirked. “Are you hitting on me? That’s such an old line!”

“N-no, just…” Izuku couldn’t really explain it. Something about her expression, her eyes, seemed familiar. Had they passed each other once? But he had never driven in this area before. “Nevermind.”

“Don’t worry, I love corny lines! Now, want some lunch?” Himiko changed the subject, ending the discussion. She grinned as she turned around. “I’m starving.”

His shoulders slumped as he gave in. “Sure. Is it soup again?”

“Bingo!” Himiko cackled as she skipped out the room. “Only thing I can cook!”

It was the only time he knew she was telling the truth. Every meal she’d given him was some kind of liquid and he had never craved fast food as much as he did now. With her absence, the room fell silent once more, leaving him along with his thoughts. 

Or rather, with just a single thought: Why hadn’t she mentioned his dad?

-x-

The room wasn’t a big one. It was about ten steps wide and twenty steps across, at least when Izuku hobbled across the room. The accident had done a number on his legs, but time was doing what Himiko refused to allow: healing. For now, Izuku could walk at a slow pace. 

It was better than nothing. 

It was also something he hid from Himiko’s watchful gaze. Only when it was night, when he was certain she was asleep, that he would slip out of bed and give his legs a quick exercise. His jailer refused to let any of her thoughts slip and while he had no idea what she was after, he knew it was better to keep his recovery hidden. 

There was something unsettling about the way she looked at him, the way her knife slid across the fruit she cut, the way her eyes slipped to his legs every now and then. Her expression brightened when she talked about the accident and she glowed when she talked about blood. 

For all he knew, she would murder him once he recovered. 

The worst part was that she was smart. When he’d asked for a newspaper, just to keep up with the current events, she had given him several from different towns. He couldn’t even pinpoint where they were, just that it had to be somewhere close to where he crashed. His cellphone was somewhere in her drawers and while she didn’t lock his door, it felt like she was hoping he’d cross the threshold and start something.

Not that he had anywhere to run. Izuku glanced out the window again, into the moonlit fields that stretched around the house endlessly. This place was as isolated as it got. There was nowhere to hide and he didn’t know which direction to take. The driveway led to a road, but where would he go from there? How long would it take to find help? Without a car or a destination, it was not a matter of if but when she would catch him. 

And yet, what choice did he have?

“There’s no other way,” he muttered as he leaned against the window, glancing down at the station wagon parked on the grass. 

He’d just have to wait till her next grocery run. His legs were strong enough and if he waited any longer, he’d risk discovery. 

Maybe if he was lucky, his friends were looking for him and he’d find a patrol on his escape.

-x-

The car door slammed. Izuku quietly counted. “One. Two. Three…”

The engine started. Gravel crunched as it rolled away and off. Izuku wanted to run to the window to check but he couldn’t tip Himiko off if she glanced at her rear-view mirror. 

“Thirty-five. Thirty-six.”

The house was quiet. It always was, when she left. When she was here, he could hear her singing and talking to herself through the walls. While initially he had feared an accomplice, he knew the truth by now: Himiko was as isolated as her house. 

“Ninety-nine. A hundred.” Izuku took a deep breath before pushing himself off the bed. Pain shot up his legs but it wasn’t as bad as it had been a week ago. And it was nothing compared to how he’d felt the first few days Himiko had nursed him, when every nerve had been aflame even with the morphine she’d fed him. 

He could handle this much. He had to. Izuku tottered unsteadily forward before slipping into a slow gait. After exploring the house carefully during Himiko’s other outings, he discovered that she had gotten rid of his old clothes and shoes. Her own were too small for him to wear, except for the slippers she kept in the closet. It wasn’t proper winter gear, but frostbite was nothing compared to this situation.

More importantly, he needed a jacket. Izuku tugged uncomfortably at his shirt. Himiko had stripped him of most of his clothing, leaving only a t-shirt and his bloodied jeans. His legs had been too mangled for her to take anything else off. He’d found a jacket in the hallway closet last time, he could take that—

Her room was open.

Izuku stared. Himiko’s room was open. Every other time he had explored, her room had always been closed and locked. It had been twenty minutes since she’d left and he needed to go. Yet, his phone could be there. Her phone could be there. Despite what she said, he knew she was a liar. Maybe his wallet was there too. 

Slowly, he walked toward it, as if in a trance. The floorboards creaked. Yellow wallpaper that covered the hallway was peeling and cracked in places. No photos adorned any of the rooms in this house, as though Himiko had scrubbed the place clean of any hints of her past. 

He hobbled forward, his legs aching as he forced them to bear his weight. They didn’t seem broken. He had broken his arms plenty of times before, and he knew just how much that hurt. This felt different. Maybe it was a fracture. If left too long, it wouldn’t heal right. How long was too long in the first place?

Himiko’s room was as pink as he expected. The walls were pink, the bed was pink, the sheets were pink. It was all cotton-candy sweet, down to the stuffed rabbits on the bed. Izuku almost laughed at how ridiculous it felt to look at it. “What was I expecting? Handcuffs and a confession note?”

He scanned the room—there was a bed, a set of drawers, a bedside table, and a closet. At least it would be a quick check. Izuku didn’t think he could get down on his knees so he ignored the space beneath the mattress and focused on the drawers. Sliding one open, he groaned when he saw an array of feathery pens and a diary. 

His fingers brushed the cover. If he had enough time, he’d read it, but as it was…he closed the drawer and opened the one below it. Now, instead, he found dozens of photos, of himself, of other people. He only recognized one of them, a young woman he’d met in university once. Cami? Carmi? They had never talked, but it had been impossible to miss her when she walked on the campus. The shots were all candid.

A chill ran down his spine. What if he wasn’t the first one Himiko had trapped in this place?

What if that accident hadn’t been an accident?

He dropped the photos as if they burned. Pivoting on his heel, he almost left when he glanced at the closet. Maybe he could get a proper jacket from there, one big enough to fit him comfortably. Or one of her oversized sweaters. Who knew how long he’d have to hide in the snowbanks during his escape?

Quickly, Izuku hobbled to the closet, almost ripping the door open in his haste. 

Rows of jars greeted him. Rows of jars filled with skulls, hands, and other body parts. A series of wigs was on the top row, wigs that he was certain were made of real human hair. The whole place smelled of disinfectant, overpowering the sickening sweet smell of candy that filled the rest of Himiko’s room.

She wasn’t kidnapping him; she was going to kill him.

Izuku screamed. 

“Shit. Shit. Shit.” It was all he could repeat as he all but ran to the door. Adrenaline made him forget the pain in his legs. He had to go. He had to get out. Who knew how long she was going to nurse him? How long had he been in the room? How much time did he have left?

He had to get out.

He had to leave. 

The curve of the staircase was the only thing that stopped him from rolling down it in his haste. Izuku swore as he stumbled on the bottom step but he regained his balance quickly and plowed forward. “Shit.”

“So you do swear!” Himiko chirped as she popped into the hallway, baseball bat in hand. “I thought you were too nice to do that, but I guess there’s still so much to learn about you.”

Another scream tore out of his throat. Instinctively, he raised his hands as she swung her bat, protecting his head. Her bat crashed down hard and if he hadn’t broken something before, he was certain he had now. His arms fell limply to his sides as she lifted her bat again.

“Don’t worry, I won’t hurt you too badly.” 

He turned to run but her legs swept his feet out from under him. The next crack he heard before he felt it, a shockwave running through his legs as his ankles snapped. 

And if anything else happened after, blissful darkness took him before he had to process it.

-x-

Himiko pushed the spoon into Izuku’s unresponsive mouth. The warm soup dribbled down his chin and stained his shirt. She sighed, pouting as she put the utensil back into the bowl. “Come on, if you don’t eat, you won’t get better.”

Izuku said nothing, just staring blankly ahead. 

“Did I hit you too hard?” Himiko asked as she cupped her chin and studied her latest love. He was like a doll these days and it was boring. She missed the clever ways he tried to get information out of her, the way he’d sneak around the house like a little mouse. 

He didn’t reply. 

Maybe she had broken him. Himiko glanced at his legs. She might have gone overboard crippling him. With the way she’d cut up his legs after he’d passed out, she wasn’t sure if he could ever walk again. Not that he needed to, all he had to do was just sit here and talk to her. Izuku didn’t even need his arms to do that, but she had left those alone. 

But he wasn’t grateful in the least. Even though his arms had recovered, he still stared vacantly at the wall.

Maybe the pain had broken him. She had run out of morphine long ago. Pain could ruin a person, she had read that somewhere. Sighing, Himiko leaned forward and curled a lock of his hair around her finger. Izuku didn’t so much as flinch. “You were so much cuter in school, you know.”

He used to smile so much back then. At his teachers, at his friends, at her—it had been almost more than she could bear. Enough that she had actually switched her love from someone else to him. No one else had ever made her do that, but Izuku…he was special.

Special enough that she wanted to keep him forever, not like the other dolls in her closet. 

But it wouldn’t do if he stayed silent like this.

It seemed she would have to go to her last resort. Leaving Izuku, she returned to her room and sat on her bed. Pulling out his phone from her pocket, she was glad she had changed the phone lock when she’d first found him. 

Texts from his friends filled the notifications. Ochaco, Tenya—Himiko hadn’t really paid attention to them before, but they had always been around Izuku. And he had always pushed himself when it was for someone else.

Just how much would he push himself if he found out his friends were coming?