Butterfly Soup

- Hm-m. It seems we managed to shake off the tail, — Milante looked out from the roof of some high-rise building, checking the area for the absence of pursuit. They found themselves almost at the other end of the city. - Damn…the wind blew into my eyes, — Tomura exhaled heavily, plopping down on the fence. — What a cruel thing. Your speed is supersonic or what? You’re faster than that piece of shit Allmight, you know that? Now you will have a name “Flash drive”. - Flash drive? — Milante turned around and made a pug. — Sort of like that. Come up with something more pathetic and terrifying. - Whatever, — Shigaraki bared his teeth, spreading arms to the sides. — You’ll be Flash, ha-ha-ha! Cool, right? I made it up! -… The girl sighed heavily, moved away from the edge of the roof and approached him. - Well where go next? — she asked, putting her hands in the pockets of sweatshirt. - Have no idea, — Tomura shrugged, taking the candy out of his pocket. — Any ideas? - Nope, — Milante snatched the candy from his hands and popped it into her mouth, chuckling. Shigaraki gave her a picturesque look and took out a second one, quickly stuffing it into his mouth. - Full moon, — he mumbled suddenly, pointing his finger at the sky. — What does the horoscope say? Today Mars retrograde attacks the villains and they have no luck with the cops? - No. Today is the full moon in Taurus. This means that a period of peace and inner balance has begun, people are becoming more tolerant and attentive to each other. The desire to run somewhere, to change something disappears, things work out surprisingly easily, without any stress or fuss. Thoughts gain clarity, everything unnecessary goes away, giving way to something bright and pure. There is no need to sacrifice yourself for momentary gain, an understanding of true goals appears, even ordinary things bring pleasure and joy. Since the needs are minimal, money will not be a source of problems either, — Milante said quickly, raising her index finger up. — So here it is. -… Tomura’s candy fell out of his mouth because he opened it too wide, glaring at the girl. - Eh… that’s cool, — that’s all he could say with an unclear meaning on his face. — What are you, a walking horoscope? And what does your universal transmitter say about me? - Luck will fall on Aries today — there will be a lot of it. They will be lucky both in their careers and in their personal lives. The main thing is to take advantage of chances and not let them pass you by. But you should be more careful when turning, be aware of every action you take, and keep a plan for the day in your mind from the very morning. The negotiations will also go well — you can win even your competitors over to your side, — Milante said edifyingly, folding her arms over chest. - Oh, today is a good day! Nice, — Shigaraki chuckled contentedly, putting his foot on the fence and leaning on it. — Wait, what time is it? It’s already night, are you talking about yesterday or today? - It’s 01:33 am, so it’s definitely about today, — the girl chuckled, looking at the clock on her smartphone. - Okay then. So today I can talk someone into joining the League, right? — Tomura drawled. — Super. Just wish I could understand who. And I don’t care, it will decide on it’s own… He suddenly stared at Milante without blinking. - What? — noticing his gaze, the girl snorted. - So it’s you! — Shigaraki’s mouth broke into a grin. — And I’m sitting here, racking my brains! It was about you. Since luck is on my side today, you will definitely agree. Great, just great. Realizing this, the guy noticeably cheered up. Milante shrugged her shoulders and kicked the iron can under her feet — it, in a breeze, fell from the roof. - Ay!.. — someone’s drunken scream was immediately heard from below. — What the f*** did this?! Looking at each other, Milante and Tomura burst out laughing at the same time. - Okay, let’s go to the hookah and chill, — Milante chuckled and extended her hand to Shigaraki. — I’m paying, so be it. Tomura hesitated for a moment, took the girl’s hand and rose to feet. - I wanted to say that I could pay for it myself, but I remembered that I didn’t take it with me… — he began. Shigaraki suddenly interrupted and grabbed Milante by the collar of his sweatshirt, jumped away with her to the side. Then there was an explosion. BOOM!! - …We were attacked, — gritting teeth, Tomura pushed the girl aside. — Are these bombs? - Some kind of micro-bombs in the form of insects, — Milante squinted and pointed somewhere with her finger. — And over there is their owner. And you could have been more careful, huh? You need to be more gentle, Tomura, more gentle, — she grumbled, pulling down her sportsuit.r - Sorry for being rude, — Shigaraki chuckled, watching the man on the roof of a nearby building. — And this guy is clearly not going to come here. So, we’ll have to go. Went! With that, he dodged another bomb and ran towards the edge of the roof. But having already jumped, Tomura realized that he had not calculated the distance and flew down. - Damn it! — he hissed, trying to grab onto the balcony. But suddenly someone’s hand deftly grabbed him and returned him back to the roof. Shigaraki looked around himself and looked at Milante standing in front of his nose, looking at him with a poker face. - Um…thank you, — he calmly scratched the back of his head. — I miscalculated a little. - It happens, — the girl pulled him by the hand and another bomb exploded nearby. — Let’s calm this idiot down already, shall we? I want to go to a hookah. - With pleasure, — Tomura chuckled darkly. — But first we need to move to him. He looked around. Noticing some kind of beam in the distance connecting one roof to another, Shigaraki rushed there. Jumping onto a narrow beam, by some miracle, with incredible dexterity, he crossed it and found himself on the roof of a neighboring building. The bomber immediately aimed his bombs at the guy, which rushed at him in a swarm. Tomura, maneuvering between them, was almost close to the villain and touched him with his hand, but another bomb suddenly appeared in front of his face. Shigaraki quickly slowed down, resting his toes on the floor and crouched down: the bomb exploded right above his head, almost setting his hair on fire. Baring his teeth angrily, Tomura made a distracting lunge to the side and, when the demolition bomber fell for the trick, he quickly slipped under his arm and found himself behind him. — Die already! — Shigaraki exclaimed, touching the villain’s shoulder with his fingertips. But he unexpectedly sharply moved his hand back and the whole street was lit up by a bright flash. - Tomura! Milante landed on the roof and looked around: Shigaraki was nowhere to be seen, as well as the bomber. Everything was covered in thick acrid smoke. - Death Mode, — the girl said and a kind of translucent barrier appeared around her. Rushing forward, Milante finally noticed Tomura lying near the roof visor. - Hey, are you okay? — the girl sat down excitedly, shaking his shoulder. — I inhaled smoke, for sure. Idiot, why the hell would you attack him head-on? You’re a hand-to-hand fighter! - Kha!..- Shigaraki suddenly coughed. — Shit… he almost blew my face… My hands… Milante lowered her eyes and saw his burnt arms up to the elbows. - Fool, — she clenched her teeth, turning gloomy. — I’ll kill you as soon as we get back, I swear. - Huh… I’ll be wait, — Tomura winced and smiled crookedly. — In the meantime… Hey, be careful that freak is behind you! The Demoman had indeed already found himself behind Milante and raised his hand to attack. - Life Drain, — the girl said coldly, without even turning around. -!?.. The demolition worker suddenly froze in the air and collapsed onto the roof floor. He began to convulse and suffocate, and he began to experience asphyxia. After twitching for a few more seconds, he fell silent forever. His heart stopped. -… Shigaraki looked at Milante. - You saved me. Thank you, — he tiredly leaned back into her arms. — Ah… Kurogiri is boring me again with his questions. Never mind. We won’t go to the hookah today, sorry… I didn’t think this freak had a spare device. “- So cozy… She has soft hands.” Tomura sighed heavily and put his hand to his ear: his head was still ringing from the explosion, he was stunned. - It’s not scary. The main thing is that you stayed alive, — Milante gloomily helped him get up. Shigaraki swayed and grabbed the girl with both hands so as not to fall. Everything swam before his eyes and white dots flashed. - Ugh… that’s kind of crap… — he muttered. — Will you take me to the hideout? - I’ll deliver. Asshole, — Milante muttered too, taking him in her arms. — Let’s go, damn kamikaze. Tomura didn’t even say anything sarcastic in response. For some reason, he again felt a pang of conscience somewhere deep inside himself. Hugging the girl by the neck, Shigaraki closed his eyes, going limp in her arms. -… Milante jumped over the roof and rushed towards the League’s hideout.

***

- Aw!.. Damn, it’s baking… It’s like I’m burning alive! - You’ll be patient. There was no point in rushing headlong into the embrasure. - Tch… okay, don’t grumble. Just wrap it more carefully, okay? Shigaraki grimaced. The bandages were eating into the treated burns and he had the feeling that the skin was peeling off his hands alive. He, of course, received much more serious injuries, but this was even worse. Fortunately, Kurogiri got an anesthetic from somewhere and Milante injected it into Tomura, otherwise he would probably have died from painful shock. Whimpering in pain when the girl tied the bandages a little tighter, Shigaraki closed his eyes and sank teeth into the towel that was intended for precisely this purpose. When Milante finished, Tomura collapsed on the bed, exhausted. Having removed all the accessories, the girl frowned at the guy from top to bottom. - How are you? — she sat down next to him, putting her hand on his head. - …This sucks, — Shigaraki muttered, burying his face in the pillow. — Don’t go… When you’re here, it’s easier for me…stay. Milante sighed heavily, gently stroking his hair. -… Tomura fell silent for a while. Then he turned his head and looked at the girl with a strange look. - Why are you doing all this things? — his eyes went dark. — You continue to take care of me, although we are essentially nobody to each other. Why are you so…soft-hearted towards the villains, huh? Tell me, Milante. I honestly don’t understand your motives. You found out who my sensei is, you know that he is hunting you. Haven’t suspicions crept into your head that I too… Milante suddenly placed a finger on his dry lips, silencing him. - I do all this just because I want to. I follow my heart’s desires, — she said quietly. — It doesn’t matter what AFO told you about me, it doesn’t even matter that he’s your sensei. You yourself are important to me, Tomura. I’m not looking for any benefit by helping you, don’t think like that. I’m just…worried about you. Even if you’re not completely fine and don’t control yourself, even if you’re cruel and go over your head, it doesn’t matter to me. I just want to be with you and help. I want to show you a slightly different side of this world. He’s not as terrible as you used to think. Even if you are filled with anger and hatred towards him, I think I can still try to do this. Even if you hate me, I won’t hate you. Even if you still want to kill me or use me for your own purposes, I still won’t. I see you, Tomura. The real you. The one who sometimes breaks out and shows his best side. You’re not inherently bad. You are not terrible or evil in the flesh. You’re just confused, I get it. If you need my help, you can always contact me and I will help. I want you to understand that I… Now it was Tomura’s turn to cover her mouth with his hand. Standing up, he brought his face close to Milante’s and looked into her eyes. - …You’re a real chatterbox, beetle, — he laughed quietly and hoarsely. — I haven’t had anything against you for a long time. And I’m even glad that you sincerely want to help me with something. I’ll take this into account. I could really use someone like you around. I want to say thank you again. I am not some kind of cattle and I respect your wishes. You are free to do as you please. I’ll tell you even more — I like spending time with you and you’re a hell of a lot of fun. You understand me, and I think that in the future you and I will become a great team. Yes? OK? Now, stop looking at me with such pity, otherwise I’ll get angry. Milante looked at him for a couple of seconds with an incomprehensible look with mixed emotions. Then she smiled a little. - You’re still a fool, — she suddenly pinched his cheek sternly. — If you get into something like this again, I’ll kill you, understand? - Heh, okay-okay, mommy, — Shigaraki smiled from ear to ear. — Ugh, what an evil woman. Having chuckled contentedly, he sank back onto the pillow and looked intently at the girl. - Hm-m… I like it when you’re angry, — he suddenly said with a calm face. — I don’t know why. On the one hand, this is really scary, but on the other… He fell silent. “- On the other hand, your face is too sexy at such moments for me to think normally. Damn it. This is not good…I can even get aroused at the thought of it…” Tomura’s cheeks involuntarily turned red from such thoughts. He quickly turned away and lay on his side, with his back to Milante, out of harm’s way. - And on the other? — Milante chuckled, poking him in the back with a finger. -What were you thinking there, pervert? - Nothing, — Shigaraki muttered, shrinking. — Back off. I want to eat and sleep. When will Kurogiri finish dinner? - Never. I ordered delivery while I was dragging you here, — the girl responded calmly, covering him with a blanket. — Especially for the victim, the most delicious and harmful dishes. Hearing this, Tomura turned to face her with undisguised interest. - Well, that’s good, — he broke into a smile. — Thank you. - You’re welcome, — Milante smiled widely. There was silence. Tomura lowered his eyes, noticing that he was already carefully covered with a blanket. Sighing heavily, he suddenly took Milante’s hand. - You, beetle, are very strange after all, — he muttered, examining her thin wrist and neat fingers. — Why did I get you so hooked that you treat me this way? I’m shocked, to be honest. This is wild to me. To get so much attention at once, also from a girl… He raised his eyes, looking at the girl with some new look, in which one could read sincere misunderstanding and something like gratitude. -… Milante was about to say something, but Tomura suddenly grabbed her by the back of her head and pulled her towards himcausing the girl to blink in surprise. - Hm-m…let me take a closer look, — he squinted, peering into her eyes, as if looking for confirmation of his thoughts in them. — Wait, don’t twitch, sit like that. Milante froze. There was obvious misunderstanding in her gaze. -… Shigaraki looked at her eyes for a long time and intensely. Then he finally unclenched his hand and let the girl go. Milanthe scratched her forehead in confusion, not understanding what it was. - Your eyes. It all started with them, — Tomura said calmly. — Initially, they seemed disgusting to me, because they are very piercing and cold. But now I see something different in them. They have no contempt for me, which is good. Your gaze warmed. He hardly even annoys me anymore. - Oh my. I’m glad to hear that, — Milante let out a laugh, narrowing her eyes. — Just say that I have beautiful eyes and everything will immediately become clear. - What will become clear to you there, huh? — Shigaraki made a face and squeezed her cheeks together with one hand. — Here’s an ulcer, damn it, found. Stop sitting there and making eyes, I won’t buy it. - I haven’t making anything yet, — Milante smiled mysteriously, removing his hand and hovering over him. — If you think that I want to seduce you, then you are mistaken. Although, I don’t need to do anything special for this — you’ve already got it, guy. With these words, she suddenly pressed Tomura’s wrists tightly to the bed and moved very close to his face, touching his nose with her nose. The guy widened his eyes in confusion at what was happening and became speechless. He froze like a statue and even stopped breathing. Shigaraki was simply glued to Milante’s eyes, hypnotized, staring into them without blinking. That same excitement overwhelmed him again and he suddenly felt feverish. The pupils dilated and the heart began to beat wildly in the chest. -… Milante looked at him for a few more seconds with a strange, languid gaze, then suddenly rose a little higher and softly kissed Tomura on the forehead. The guy blinked in shock, his eyes bulging and cracked like that, that could simply burst at any second. - Ah… — was all Tomura could stammer with a stupid expression on his face, blinking his eyes. — Uh… The girl smiled slightly and moved away from him. Just in time. - Shigaraki, your delivery has arrived, — Kurogiri suddenly entered the room with a full bag of food. — Aragon-san said that it would be better for you, and I decided to follow her advice. He began to busily lay out the entire contents of the package on the nightstand. Milanthe rose to her feet and began to help him. While they were talking about something, Tomura was in complete prostration and just remained silent like a fish, watching Milante with square eyes. He clearly still hasn’t gotten over the shock. - Here, — a box of sushi appeared in front of his nose. Shigaraki lowered his eyes and took it in his hands, silently unpacking it. Glancing sideways at Milanta, he snatched Kurogiri’s chopsticks and attacked the sushi as greedily as if he hadn’t eaten for a week. - Glad your appetite is okay, — Kurogiri remarked, pouring soda into mugs. — How are you feeling? - Okay, — Tomura mumbled without looking up. — What else did you bring there? - French fries, sandwiches and chocolate cupcakes, — Kurogiri responded. — Bon appetit. If you need me, call me. Nodding to Milante, he went home. - Hey, leave it to me! — she turned to Shigaraki, seeing that the package was already half empty. — You can’t keep track of you, glutton. - Don’t click your beak, — Tomura bared his teeth. — Here, take it. There’s a lot more here. Milante rolled her eyes and climbed onto the bed with her legs, forcing the guy to move. She suddenly took the sushi directly with her hands and began to stuff it into her mouth. - Well, you’re a savage, — Shigaraki was amazed, washing down his food with soda. — Don’t rush, otherwise you’ll choke. And there will be two of us injured, Kurogiri clearly will not be happy about this. - If’t fokey, — Milante hummed, her cheeks full. — Daijoubu. - Pf-f-f! — Tomura involuntarily snorted loudly with laughter, so much rice flew out of his mouth. “- Damn… — he clicked displeasedlyshaking it off. — What a beetle! I have rice all over my bed now because of you! - It’s only your fault, — Milante finally chewed and swallowed the sushi, washing it down with soda. — Phew! What a thrill, — she squinted rather pleased. — I love sushi. Let me get some tuna. Sticking out her tongue, she was already in the heat of the moment reaching for the sushi, but Shigaraki suddenly bared his teeth and moved them away from her, at arm’s length. - Hey-hey, someone’s arms are a bit short, dwarf, — he chuckled sarcastically, watching Milante’s unsuccessful attempts to reach for food. — Come on, try again, you almost succeeded. - Gr-r-r, give them back, you shaggy ass! — the girl grumbled, climbing over him. — I’m hungry. This is your gratitude, right? A swinish pig, a stooped dog, that’s what you are, Shigaraki. - Hey, why are you calling me names right away? — Tomura suddenly became offended and returned the sushi to her. — To your sushi. I was just joking. Look how angry Cerberus is. He muttered something gloomily and took the French fries. Milante looked at him with a poker face and finished the sushi, leaving the rice untouched, eating only the fish on top. Reaching into the package of Shigaraki’s potatoes, she took the potato and popped it into her mouth, chewing like a hamster. Tomura looked at her indifferently and put the package between them so that it would be convenient for both of them. There was silence. All that could be heard was their friendly chomping. — Do you have a Nintendo Switch? — Tomura asked, leaning back on the bed and crossing his legs, having already forgotten about his sore hands (the anesthetic had done its job). — Bring it next time, we’ll play Big Brain Academy.* You probably love these kinds of games, right? Your brain is cooking, obviously. Otherwise there is no one else to offer. Kurogiri doesn’t play, and I don’t know the rest of the League members well, but I’m sure that their intelligence is several times lower than mine. *(competitions for 2-4 players in math, logic and analytical mini-games, where the one who thinks faster wins) - Yeah, I love it. Yes, and there is a console, of course,” Milante responded, lazily sipping soda from a mug. — And my powerful brain will give odds to any scientist, pheh. - Conceit is God’s level, — Tomura looked at her with a poker face. — Give it to me like a brother too. I’d be grateful. - Here, — the girl broke into a malicious grin and, taking his palm, slapped it. — Don’t thank me. Shigaraki raised his eyebrows, smiling indulgently at this foolishness. - You’re cool, — he said contentedly, putting his hand on her head. — So funny. I like you. - Ehe-he, I like you too, — Milanthe ruffled her feathers like a chicken and broke into a blissful smile. — You are cute. - What?.. Not at all, — Tomura muttered embarrassedly, scratching his cheek. — You’re talking nonsense. What was that? Suddenly. - No, this is the honest truth. Let’s have a hug, hm? — the girl spread her arms to the sides. — And you’ll get well right away. It’s healing. - No, I don’t want to, — Tomura cautiously moved away from her. — Let’s go without this, okay? - Why? — Milante tilted her head to the side questioningly. — Hugs promote the production of the joy hormone and improve your mood. This is a fact. - I’m not interested, — Shigaraki muttered, covering himself with a blanket from her just in case. — You’re a girl. I can’t make out with you. And in general…I don’t hug anyone. Forget it. - Well? We need to fix this urgently, — Milante chuckled and suddenly grabbed him in her arms. — Don’t hesitate already. You’ll like it, I guarantee it. -?! Tomura froze in surprise. - You… — he lowered his eyes in a daze, retreating from the girl. — Don’t touch me!.. - Quiet, — Milante sternly slapped him on the lips, pushing the guy towards her. — Shut up and hug me. -… Shigaraki didn’t understand why he was more shocked now: either from the fact that someone hugged him for the first time in so many years, or from the girl’s familiarity. He obediently hugged her, gently pressing her to him. There was silence. “ — Warm. It’s nice…not that bad to be honest.” Tomura scratched his neck in embarrassment, looking away to the side. Milante smiled contentedly, squeezing him.There was a crumpled blanket on the bed, empty food packaging, and half-empty mugs of soda on the nightstand. And two hearts beat quietly almost in unison with each other. It seems that this night (no matter how strange it may sound) became something special in the lives of these two.

***

Why is this world

More cruel than I thought?

Than I expected?

I was scared,

Because you are in this world.

How can you even believe in the future?

At a time when I can’t rewind everything,

Can I walk without getting lost?

What a hopeful tomorrow…

Even though I threw it away, saying it was trash,

I was attracted by your words, which were too positive.

I laughed a little,

But I was grateful deep in my heart.

I understood the feelings you wanted to convey,

So thank you. I feel like I can be honest with you,

But still can’t say it out loud.

It should be easy.

Surely this landscape,

It’s shine is brighter than I thought.

The existence of hope…?

Because you told me: “Hey listen, let’s meet again?”

I realized this feeling for the first time.

Even if the tears keep flowing when I’m sad,

I will say thank you, even if it is fleeting.

I will believe in tomorrow if you are there, Thank you very much,

I really think about to you.

The words that I want to convey fill my heart, I feel like I can say it now…

Next to you I don’t need anything if you are near.

I really thought a lot, I couldn’t say it for a long time, but I was spoiled.

And today I already feel awkward.

Don’t deceive me, I will thank you in my heart.

I understood the feelings that you wanted to convey,

Thank you, even if it is fleeting.

I can believe in tomorrow when you are here,

Thank you, dear to my heart.

I can swear an eternity with you,

Thank you, thank you…

Accepting the future, I will draw it with you,

I want to see that smile on your face more often because I like you.

Aways be by my side,

Because I like you…