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you hated the hero internships.
maybe you were just a hater. or maybe it was the pro-hero you were supposed to be working under that was nowhere to be found. you couldn't tell.
“‘toshi it’s dark!” you hissed, holding onto your boyfriend’s arm tightly, nails digging into the rough fabric of his hero outfit. if there was anything you hated more than the hero internships, it was the dark. and.. a lot of other things, but they were not relevant right now. “i wanna go home. aizawa-sensei wont know.”
hitoshi sighs softly, wrapping an arm around you and pulling you a bit closer. he knew that you were easily scared of the dark; you had been ever since you were small. he hated the dark, too, but he could manage it a lot better than you could. “calm down, you’re fine.”
he turns to look down at you, smiling fondly at your pouting glare. “sensei will know that we left. he has eyes everywhere.”
“that doesn't make me feel any better!”
that gets a good chuckle out of hitoshi, bringing a hand to brush through your hair with an affectionate smile. he leans down a bit, pressing a soft kiss to the top of your head. “you worry too much.”
he was already used to it, though. you were a worrier, always worrying about the little dumb things. you were cute, that way. not that everything about you wasn't cute to him, anyway.
sighing, he stops in the middle of the sidewalk and opens up his arms. “alright, come here.”
hitoshi pulls you closer, wrapping both arms around you and hugging you into his chest. He knew that holding you like this would calm you down a fair bit, but you were still going to be at least a little bit afraid.
he starts to rub small circles on your back, a comforting gesture that he knew usually helped you calm down a bit. it was hard for you to stay afraid when he held you like this.
“see? you’re alright.”
hitoshi murmurs against the top of your head, holding you to his chest a bit tighter. he could feel you relax just a little in his hold, even if you were still afraid. he’d take what he could get with you.
there was a moment of silence before he spoke up again, still rubbing your back in soothing circles.
“you know i wont let anything happen to you.”
“promise?”
before he could answer, he felt someone shove past him on where he stood on the sidewalk. thinking it was just another rude civilian, he presses a kiss to your forehead before opening his mouth to respond. and found nothing.
and it took a moment for him to realise that something was wrong .
he should’ve been able to talk now. he should’ve been able to answer you, or do anything but he couldn’t. his eyes widen faintly in realisation.
shit.
hitoshi was quiet for a moment, holding you tighter instead to try and soothe himself, before letting go of his tight grip around you to look around. was it the passerby? was it you? what the hell was happening?
behind him was someone he vaguely recalls seeing once. the person was uncannily tall, long, pin straight hair falling straight down and obscuring any defining features. he looked like he was glowing.
hitoshi felt a pit form in his stomach as he stared up at them. they looked.. oddly familiar, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. they didn't look quite right.
the hero was silent for a moment, his grip on you becoming just a slight bit more protective. he didn't know what exactly this person was, but something in his gut was telling him that something wasn't right here.
he tried to shout at the man, call him over and ask what the hell was his problem, but he found his voice failed him once more.
hitoshi cursed himself in his mind, narrowing his eyes. he tried to open his mouth again, but nothing came out, and he was left in another, uncomfortable silence, staring at the man as he got smaller and smaller.
he tried to activate his quirk, mustering out a question, but it was like the but a faint panic ran through him when he was unable to. it was like his whole body was stuck in place.
you could feel the way that hitoshi tensed up next to you, and you could also feel the way that he pulled you protectively behind him- and that made you concerned. it was very hard to get a reaction like this out of hitoshi, so whatever had gotten him like this had to be serious.
and whatever it was, it had rendered him mute. you knew damn well that he couldn’t have just forgotten how to speak, so.. what was going on?
"‘toshi?" you call out. there was no response from him, only making your heart lurch in worry.
you try again, waving a hand around in front of his face anxiously. ".. hitoshi? shinsou hitoshi? mindjack..?"
and there was no response. only the silence of the cold, dark night that stretched out for what felt like miles.
reaching out, you grabbed his hand and guided him into the closest alley for a moment of silence. you placed a hand on hitoshi’s forehead and closed your eyes. you didn't particularly like using your quirk, still torn between the moral implications of literally invading someone’s mind , but you found you didn't have a choice.
you felt him tense up for a moment, before relaxing under your touch. hitoshi was the only person you felt the most comfortable using your quirk on, yet you found you couldn't help but grimace at the sudden intrusion. his head felt fuzzy, like a static with no signal. it almost made you feel dizzy, with how all over the place his thoughts were.
‘ what is it, ‘toshi?’
and he wanted to answer you. he really did, but he found himself falter- there was a pit of panic forming inside of his stomach, and it was growing steadily stronger as you continued to intrude on his thoughts.
he tried to think of something coherent for you, tried to give a somewhat sensible answer, but he couldn’t. there was nothing but broken, incoherent words and half-formed sentences that got stuck in his brain.
‘ take your time.’
he swallowed thickly, taking a shaky breath as he tried to form a coherent thought for you. he knew that you were trying to reassure him, and you were going about it the best way possible- but he couldn’t help but feel like he was useless at the moment. useless, and vulnerable.
hitoshi’s grip on your hand tightened, like he was terrified that you would disappear the moment he let go.
‘i.. i don’t know what happened, honestly.’ hitoshi tried, brows furrowing as he concentrated 'the guy-- he bumped into me and i think.. i think he stole my voice.'
he finally managed to think out, the words slowly beginning to become more coherent in his mind. it was like he was slowly regaining control of his thoughts, which was making it easier for him to think in straight sentences.
hitoshi’s thought process was slowly becoming a bit more fluid, a bit less frenzied. now that he had some control over his thoughts- now that he could at least form a complete thought- he could process what happened more clearly.
'the one with the long hair. i saw him go left, into the grocery. we have to get that asshole.'
he sounded a lot more sure of himself now, a bit less anxious and more determined. it was a stark difference from how he was acting only a minute or so ago.
he glanced back at you, silently asking if you were ready to go after the guy. sure, he couldn’t use his quirk at the moment.. but there was no way in hell he was about to let some stranger just walk off after stealing away not only his voice, but also his ability to do anything.
“lets go .”
hitoshi’s grip on your hand tightened just a bit more- a somewhat silent way of telling you not to let go- before he was starting to head in the direction that the stranger had gone. he was on high alert right now–he didn’t like this at all. the fact that someone was able to render him unable to speak was.. terrifying, to say the least.
he kept close to you as they both made their way towards the grocery store. hitoshi’s grip on your hand was firm, protective- as if he was afraid something would jump out at both of you at any moment. he was tense, every muscle in his body taut as they continued to walk.
god, where was eraserhead at a time like this? you knew this was his method of teaching, letting his students figure things out on their own, but this is ridiculous. it was a bit ludicrous that you two’d been left alone to deal with all of this by yourselves, without backup and–
‘there !’
the grocery store’s fluorescent lights cast harsh shadows, the polished floor shining beneath you and hitoshi sprinting after the villain. the aisles were labyrinthe, an endless maze of twists and turns as you navigated the unfamiliar territory, filled with colourful produce, boxed goods, and unsuspecting shoppers. the villain, with his unnerving presence, moved swiftly, his long hair trailing like a dark veil.
you round the corner harshly just in time to see the man extend a hand towards a young woman, her mouth opening in a silent scream as her voice was taken. hitoshi’s eyes narrowed, and he pulled you behind a shelf of canned goods, gesturing you to stay low.
‘dont speak out loud. stay close, and dont let go.’
the villain turned, spotting you both while his hand wrapped around the womans mouth. his eyes gleamed with a malevolent light underneath his bangs and he raised a hand to his mouth, screaming the way the woman couldnt. “help! somebody– there’s two villains in here! and one of them has bright purple hair. ’
hitoshi eyes widened in bewilderment. of course the bastard would spin this around to make them look like the bad guys.
he couldn’t use his quirk, and the situation they were in now was absolutely horrible. it didn’t look like they were going to get out of this unscathed.
but, he wouldn’t let himself get scared right now. he had to stay calm and focused, and keep you safe. that was the priority right now.
he cursed under his breath, taking a steady breath to calm his racing heart. this situation was a shitshow, to say the least. pressing you close to him, he closed his eyes and let out a deep breath.
in, out. in, out. in–
“i found them!”
hitoshi let out another curse from between gritted teeth as he was practically surrounded. they were completely trapped.
the only thing he could do at the moment was keep you close and pray to whatever god was listening for a miracle.
he could hear the whispers from the small crowds of civilians that were surrounding him and you, but he couldn’t make out what they were saying over the beating of his own heart. he could feel the adrenaline pumping through his veins, but he tried not to show it- he didn’t need anyone else getting spooked.
the villain you were attempting to apprehend made his way through the crowd, looking down at the two of you as you cowered like kicked dogs. you were borderline trembling in hitoshi’s grasp, and nothing about this situation screamed ‘aspiring pro hero!’
“these two tried to take my voice!” he screamed, pointing a long, bony finger at you both, “they’re villains. ”
you heard a slew of swears cross hitoshi’s mind, his grip on you tightening a bit more as people started to move closer to the both of you. he tried to move himself in front of you a bit more, like he was trying to shield you from the angry eyes of the civillains surrounding them.
he wanted to jump at him, use his scarf and wrap it around his neck until he choked. pluck out his tongue and make him eat it.
it could very well be their only opening.
it was risky, though. and it could end up getting one or both of them hurt, but it was the only option they had right now.
so mindjack took his chances, and bet it all on purple.
for a moment it was like time came to a complete stand still as he lunged forward with his scarf. the villain looked a mixture of both bewildered and scared, like he couldn’t believe that he was actually going for it right now .
there was a moment of tense silence as the scarf encircled around his neck, before he was promptly yanked into the nearest aisle, slamming him against the shelves.
hitoshi silently hoped that this worked as he kept one hand on the guy to keep him pinned against the shelf, the other wrapped around his scarf
“ you think you can silence me, hero?” the man snarled, his voice a mix of stolen tones. he swung his free hand towards hitoshi, and n an instant, you were at his side, lunging out connecting your fist with his jaw, relishing in the loud crack! on impact.
“yes, actually i can. ”
if there was one thing hitoshi now, it was that he was 100% in love with you.
the villain was staring at you, clearly taken aback by your strength, wondering if this was the same person he had just seen no more than ten minutes ago.
hitoshi swore that his heart skipped a beat as he watched you man handle the villain, swearing at him and bashing his head into the shelves again, and again. the clear venom in your voice was a shocker to him, but at the same time, he’d be lying if he said that he didn't find it kind of attractive.
but now wasn’t the time to be thinking about your strength in a romantic light–they were kind of in the middle of a fight right now. but it was admittedly difficult to completely tear himself away from the image of you kicking ass right now–
“apologise.”
the villain stared at you for a long moment, as if silently debating whether or not he was going to listen. he was clearly unnerved by your suddenly boldness, and he seemed like he was trying to muster up the courage to refuse.
he glanced between you and hitoshi for a moment, before hesitantly opening his mouth. “…i’m.. sorry..” he mumbled out, his voice cracking a bit.
“cant hear you.”
the villain’s expression darkened, frustration filling his features, but he let out a slow breath. “i’m sorry…!” he snapped out, a bit louder this time.
you slammed his head back into the shelf again. “you wanna have a fuckin’ attitude with me right now, huh?”
his mouth snapped shut immediately, and he quickly shook his head. fear was starting to pool in his eyes now that he was seeing how angry you were. he clearly didn’t want to risk making you any angrier than you already were.
hitoshi couldn’t help but stifle a chuckle from behind you as he watched the villain start to fall apart, completely intimidated by you now. seeing you like this was definitely the hottest thing he’s ever seen in his life.
the villain was looking between the both of you now, his mouth opening and closing like he was silently debating whether or not he should try speaking back to you again. but after a moment of debating in his mind, he silently closed his mouth, deciding that it was probably for the best that he’d keep it shut tight for now.
“ didn’t i say to apologize?”
“im sorry, i really am, i–”
you watched as the villain’s previously fearful expression slackened into that of a blank one, turning into putty in your grasp. you knew what was happening, and you couldn’t help but laugh. looks like your boyfriend was back to normal.
a small smirk tugged at the corner of hitoshi’s lips as the familiar feeling of taking control of someone’s mind washed over him.
he silently stepped forward a bit, still using your voice with the voice changer to continue talking. “you’re going to surrender now and come peacefully. understood?” he asked, making sure the villain was under his control.
the villain, no longer in control of his own body, slowly nodded. “i.. i understand..” he mumbled out, the fight seemingly drained out of him now that he was powerless against the two of you.
hitoshi couldn’t help but relish in the feeling of victory. after everything that had happened, they were finally able to capture the villain safely.
he stepped closer to the villain, now using his own voice to speak now that he didn’t need the voice changer anymore. he kept his hand in yours as he stared down the other man. “good. now, let’s get you somewhere you won’t be causing any trouble.”
the villain silently nodded again, his movements stiff and unnatural as he was compelled to obey hitoshi’s commands.
hitoshi couldn’t help but feel a bit of pride as he led you and the villain out of the grocery store, wrapped up in his mentor’s capture weapon, and with your hand in his. all the civilians that were previously taunting you and him were now congratulating you two, asking for autographs, and for pictures, but the job wasn’t done.
stepping outside, you found yourself face to face with none other than your mentor himself, the erasure hero, eraserhead.
perfect timing, as always.
hitoshi couldn’t help but be amused as a small amused expression crossed his teacher’s face as soon as he took in the sight of the three of you.
he looked completely casual, like he wasn’t surprised whatsoever to find the three of you together, but there was a small hint of curiosity in his eyes as he looked you both over.
“i suppose you two have an explanation.”
aizawa’s voice was calm and steady, but there was a silent undertone of tiredness in his voice. he just knew that dealing with these two was going to be a headache.
hitoshi shifted his weight from one foot to the other, his grip on your hand tightening just a bit. he hadn’t been expecting to see aizawa like this, and he silently wondered how much he had saw.
he opened his mouth, silently debating on what to say for a moment before he finally spoke. “…we… got a little sidetracked.”
aizawa’s expression immediately darkened at his reply, and he let out a slow, tired sigh.
“you got sidetracked.” he repeated, a tinge of annoyance in his voice. he pinched the bridge of his nose, like he was trying to ward off an incoming headache. “please tell me you didn’t do anything stupid.”
“is–” you stifled a laugh, pressing your nose into hitoshi’s shoulder. “is getting your voice stolen stupid?
aizawa’s expression twisted with confusion for a moment, his eyes flickering between both of yours as he silently processed what you had said.
he paused for a moment, his hand moving up to his jaw to rub at his stubble. “…get your voice stolen?” he repeated, his voice dripping with scepticism
“your little prodigy here got his voice stolen.” you giggled, nudging hitoshi and doubling ovre when he glared at you.
eraserhead’s head whipped around to look at hitoshi, his brows furrowing as he quickly looked over him, as if waiting to see signs that he was somehow missing a voice.
his expression still looked sceptical, but he was clearly a bit more concerned now that he thought his student was seriously hurt. “the hell do you mean he got his voice stolen?”
“its–” hitoshi sighed, averting his eyes. “its back now.”
aizawa’s expression was practically glued to hitoshi now, his eyes glued to his face as if searching for the truth.
after a few moments, he slowly relaxed, letting out a slow breath now that he realised hitoshi still had his voice. “don’t make it sound like you were permanently maimed then.”
you grimaced a bit, feeling a bit embarrassed now that you realized the way you had worded it did kind of imply something more serious.
“it’s not like i worded it that way on purpose…” you mumbled out, his grip on hitoshi's hand tightening again, mildly embarrassed.
eraserhead’s eyes flickered between the two of you silently, watching the way you and shinsou were so close together.
there was a small spark of curiosity in his gaze now, clearly wondering about something. but, he didn’t say anything about it. instead, he just let out a tired sigh.
“give me the villain. i was looking for him all night.”
shinsou silently glanced back at the villain they had still in their grip, silently wondering how much trouble the three of you were going to be in.
he was tempted to mention the fact that you were the one that had put the villain in his place, but he wasn’t sure if mentioning that would be a good idea right now, so he just wordlessly handed him over to his homeroom teacher.
aizawa took the villain from the two of you, his grip tight and strong as he held onto him. he silently looked the man over, like he was making sure the three of you hadn’t done anything to him.
once he was sure everything was in order, his eyes flickered back up to land on the both of you. "you're dismissed.”
shinsou let out a sigh of relief as he was handed the dismissal, the relief clear in his entire being. he wasn’t a huge fan of being in trouble, and he was silently relieved that they were being granted a dismissal right now.
you silently leaned onto your boyfriend, thankful that the action was over. you hated hero internships, that was true. but it all worked out in the end. it always did. you pressed a kiss to hitoshi’s jaw as soon as you were free, squeezing his hand tightly.
“dinner?”
“dinner."