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lorewriter · 1 month ago

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Hiiii!! Um idk how asks work but I wanna request a Izuku x Kaminari coffee shop au please!!

The Garden

Kaminari had had a long day, his radio show had gone overtime into the night which left him finally leaving work at 5:30am. His boss, Yamazawa, had asked him to do the night shift for the next few months and seeing how he only had a few classes at the local college during the day, he was happy to comply. Normally his shift was 3pm to 1am, but a call in had gotten long leaving him to finally end his show at 5:00am with a thirty minute shut down and close.

He’d barely had the energy to walk to the nearest train station, let alone commute the rest of the way to his apartment. He was just contemplating taking a nap on the sidewalk when the most delicious smell wafted his way. Looking around, he sniffed the air before finally finding the source. It was a small building with a glowing green sign, The Garden, it read, causing Kaminari to grow ever more curious. Plants hung from the overlap of the building, soft music could be heard coming from the shop and with no reason not to, Kaminari decided to go in.

Inside the small shop Kaminari was greeted with a calm atmosphere and an overwhelmingly delightful smell. It smelled of vanilla and coffee. More plants like the ones outside decorated the place, making the whole place look like an actual garden.

“Good morning, how may I help you today?” A soft but deep voice called, drawing Kaminari’s attention to the front where a man with forest green hair stood, waiting for his response.

“Oh uhm..” Kaminari frowned, looking behind the man at the menu overhead. Realizing this was a coffee shop, Kaminari quickly found something random and ordered it, not wanting to embarrass himself in front of the patiently waiting employee.

“I’ll have a medium iced matcha green tea with almond milk, please.” He rushed out, blushing a bit at the sight of the employee smiling, probably knowing he’d read the first item on the menu and gone with it.

“Alright, that’ll be 5.20$” The employee spoke, turning his screen to Kaminari so he could pay.

With a swipe of his card, he pushed the screen back into place before being told his order would be done soon.

Not wanting to look awkward by just standing around, Kaminari took a seat at the bar counter that sat just underneath a large window. He hadn’t a clue this place existed and decided to look the place up while he waited on his order. With a simple search, he learned that The Garden had only just opened recently, but already had amazing reviews about not only the coffee but the customer service too. A little more digging had told him that the shop was only open five days a week and was open from 5:30am to 1:00pm. He’d sighed at his luck before being startled slightly at the employee appearing behind him, his drink in hand with a small smile that made him feel warm.

He then thanked the employee, Midoriya, his name tag supplied, before turning back to his phone to check how long he had before he needed to go to his first class of the day. It was Friday, thankfully, which meant he only had two classes that day, one at 12am and the other at 1:30. It was 6am now which meant he had a bit of time before he’d need to go home to get what little sleep he could. Looking around once more, Kaminari found his eyes landing on Midoriya more often than not. He’d had to admit, the guy was attractive now that he was really looking. He had his hair up in a ponytail leaving his brilliant freckles on full display. He also had a few piercings, his lobes and eyebrow were pierced, with black jewelry. Noticing the man looking back at him, Kaminari quickly turned away with a blush at being caught staring.

Not wanting to further embarrass himself, Kaminari kept himself glued to his phone before the soft chiming of the door being opened piqued his interest. A blonde haired man walked in with slightly rushed steps, glancing up at the menu only for a brief moment before ordering a black tea to go. The man had then done the unexpected and walked behind the counter and into the back area, disappearing behind a door that led to where, Kaminari hadn’t a clue. Midoriya hadn’t seemed fazed at all and just went about his business preparing the other man’s order. He could hear shuffling as the blonde haired man appeared again, this time with a black backpack over his shoulder.

“Here, and there’s still a dent in the backdoor making it hard to close, so when you get the chance could you fix that too?” He heard Midoriya ask the blonde, sneaking glances at them as he eavesdropped.

“Yeah yeah, whatever nerd. I’ll be back around 10 to start working, but as of now, I’m late to my date.” The blonde man responded, taking his drink from the other.

Ah, so he was an employee. Kaminari thought, turning back to his phone to finally mind his own business.

Some time passed and he finished the last of his drink, disposing of the now empty cup into the recycling bin nearby. “Did you need anything else?” Midoriya asked, popping up out of nowhere causing Kaminari to flinch in surprise.

Steadying himself, he took in the emerald eyes staring at him with an expectant gleam.

“Ah, no, no thank you. I’m good. The drink was good. Everything is just.. good.” He’d stuttered out, screaming internally at his own awkwardness. Normally he was good with talking to people, even people he didn’t know, but everytime he was even slightly attracted to a person, his confidence all but vanished and he became a stuttering idiot with a goofy smile plastered onto his face.

“Well, thank you for coming in. Make sure to stop by again if you’d like.” Midoriya’s smooth voice broke through his haze, allowing him to collect himself and properly give a response.

“Sure, I'll do just that, uhm, have a nice day.” He replied a bit awkwardly, waving a bit before he forced himself to slowly leave the shop rather than just bolt out like he’d wanted to.

Finally arriving home, Kaminari flopped onto his bed, groaning as he ran through every small interaction he’d had with the coffee shop employee. He wanted to see him again, which was weird since normally he wouldn’t have been this interested in someone he’d only briefly talked to. But with beautiful emerald eyes dancing in his mind, he thought he’d very much like to see him again as he drifted off to sleep.

Over the next few weeks, Kaminari fell into a rhythm. His day would start at 11am, getting ready for his afternoon classes and then subsequently his job at the Present Mic’s Radio Show afterwards. From there he’d close up the station before heading home to clean up and eat dinner. Then he’d leave once more at 5am to arrive at The Garden by the time it opened. He then spent his time working on homework or whatever he’d had to do while watching Midoriya work. At 9am he’d leave again to catch what little sleep he could before having to repeat the whole thing all over again.

This routine repeated itself five days a week, leaving the weekend for him to crash and recover from the lack of sleep he got throughout the week.

It had all been worth it though as he slowly but surely got to know Midoriya. Finding out that the other wasn’t just an employee but the owner had been a surprise, his previous search said the owner was a man named Akatani, not Midoriya. When asked, Midoriya had shrugged and said that was his mothers maiden name and had been the name he used whenever he wanted to do things officially. It made sense, Kaminari guessed. Most people their age were in college and definitely didn’t own a business unless it was passed down in their family.

This just led Kaminari to be even more curious, but the last thing he wanted was to overstep his bounds.

The more Kaminari learned, the more he shared with Midoriya. The man was kind and lived with his roommate that also happened to be the spikey blonde he’d seen throughout his visits. He’d learned the man’s name was Bakugou and that both of them ran the shop while attending college. They both attended a university online while Kaminari attended the community college. He also found out that not only had Izuku already gotten his MBA or Masters of Business Administration, allowing him to fully run everything himself in his shop, but had also gone back to pursue a masters in horticulture as well. This had shocked Kaminari to his core, not only was this highly attractive man overly nice but he was also extremely intelligent as well. He was sure no matter what Midoriya set his mind to, he’d accomplish it.

He’d also shared what he was going to college for, he wanted to eventually open his own radio station, but had needed to gain several things first. He’d been slightly embarrassed telling Midoriya all of that knowing it wasn’t all that impressive but was immediately taken aback by the others' excitement.

“I knew I heard your voice from somewhere, you run the overnight show at Present Mic’s Radio Show, don’t you.” Midoriya had all but shouted, reeling himself in when he saw the shocked look on Kaminari’s face. “Sorry, I can be a bit too excitable.” Midoriya had shyly muttered, looking anywhere but at Kaminari. “No, don’t apologize, I’m just surprised you’d recognize me from that, but yeah I do, I hope the shows aren’t too boring to listen to.” He’d quickly responded, his face splitting into the biggest smile he’d ever made.

“Oh of course not, the show is never boring, actually it’s probably the only thing that gets me through my late night studies.” Midoriya had replied, letting more of his excitement seep through as he spoke.

“Well, if you’d like, I could show you around the station sometime. My boss doesn’t mind as long as I keep everything in order and close up when I’m done.” Kaminari blurted out, blushing fiercely as he did. “That’d be cool.” Midoriya had responded, a slight blush making his freckles stand out even more.

He’d left the shop that day more excited than he’d ever been in his entire life. He’d done it, he’d asked the man on a date and he’d said yes. Now all that was left was to anxiously wait for the scheduled date.

They’d both been free the following Saturday and had decided to meet at The Garden at 12pm so they could travel together to his workplace.

Kaminari had finished work a bit early with Yamazawa’s permission. He’d wanted to get home early so that he could start preparing everything for his date. He’d gotten Midoriya’s number the same day he’d offered to show him his workplace and had decided to be bold and ask the man out to lunch as well. The reply hadn’t come immediately leaving him to nervously check his phone repeatedly until he did. Midoriya had said yes and asked him to surprise him for where they’d be going. He’d immediately agreed. That had been Thursday and now that it was Friday night or well Saturday morning, Kaminari had finally gotten the chance to sit down and do some research on the restaurants near his workplace.

He’d finally chosen a restaurant with good reviews that just so happened to serve katsudon, which he totally didn’t pick because Midoriya had offhandedly mentioned that the dish was his favorite food. Glancing at the time, he cursed under his breath. It was already 6am, he hadn’t a clue time was passing that quickly and immediately flopped onto his bed to have a very short very restless nap before getting up to get ready for his date.

His alarm had him waking up at 10am, just enough time to shower, eat a very light breakfast and change three times before stumbling out the door.

He’d settled on a black shirt with a blue Jean jacket. His own ear piercings were switched from his normal silver ones to black ones. He then completed the look with a silver necklace with a lightning bolt pendant. He arrived at The Garden just minutes before Midoriya did, the man apologizing for being a bit late but was waved off by Kaminari, stating he’d only just arrived himself.

Midoriya was beautiful, he wore a dark green long sleeve shirt, with the sleeves being black in contrast. His hair was let loose to flow down to just above his shoulders and he wore dark green piercings instead of the black ones he’d seen before. Overall Kaminari was dumbfounded at the thought of such a beautiful man agreeing to go out with him.

They both stood there for a beat before Kaminari remembered he was supposed to lead the way and internally smacked himself for being so spacey.

The walk to the train station was spent getting to know each other even further than their small talks in the shop. Each new fact about Midoriya had him smiling so much his face started to ache.

“You know, I honestly was afraid you were gonna turn me down, I thought you and Bakugou were a thing but wasn’t sure.” Kaminari admitted when their conversation had lulled. The brightest laugh he’d ever heard came from beside him and he couldn’t help but stop in his tracks to take it all in. Midoriya really was beautiful when he laughed.

“Kacchan and I aren’t dating, he’s my best friend and he has a boyfriend.” Midoriya giggled. Calming a bit to smile at Kaminari sheepishly. “Actually, I’m glad you asked me out, I’ve kinda had a small crush on you since I noticed you checking me out the first day you came in.” Midoriya turned forward as he spoke, not letting Kaminari see the deep blush that colored his face.

Kaminari smiled even wider, learning that Midoriya had liked him from the beginning as well made everything so much better. He then vowed that if he was lucky enough to get a second date, he’d plan something even better than what he’d planned for today.

The date went beautifully and Midoriya had asked him to call him Izuku. He’d agreed as long as the man called him Denki. Hearing Izuku call him by his first name would always be one of Denki’s most treasured memories. Safe to say, Denki got that second date and as many as they both wanted onward.

~~~~~

Lore:

Alright, I hope you enjoyed the mini fic, honestly there was more I wanted to write but decided not to lest this turn into another long WIP. But, here it is. Thank you for requesting this.

Ps: if you saw the post of me going on Hiatus… no you didn’t. Also, I’m gonna cross post this to Ao3, gotta feed the wolves.

#writer #kamideku #denki kaminari #midoriya izuku #bnha #ao3 writer #writers on tumblr #anime #fanfic #mini fanfic #mini fic #ao3fic #lore’s crumbs #lorewriter

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lorewriter · 3 months ago

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One ShigaDabi Fantasy AU with a smattering of get to know you angst and a side jug of fluff to pour over as you so please. Thank you chef. ^^

As requested. And I’m so sorry this took so long. Honestly writing this almost took me tf out. But hopefully it’s slightly worth it. I edited to the best of my abilities, so please forgive me if there are any mistakes.

Anyways, without further ado,

Name: Orphic

Orphic Forest, the forest of no return. The trees glowed with blue and green lights. The fruit that grew on said trees was said to have the power of healing, causing many to try and attain one for themselves. But the forest also held a guardian. One that if you entered without its permission, would erase you from existence.

None knew of what the creature’s appearance was like but rumors and ghost tales always made their way around bored villages with too much time on their hands. And the village known as Renata was no exception. The lord of the land, Todoroki Enji sought this fruit for himself, hoping to monopolize on the fruit's miraculous abilities. So, he sent out flyers stating that anyone who could obtain the fruit would earn ten thousand silver coins and one large gold coin.

Many, ignoring the warnings of the forest, started their journey towards Orphic Forest. One such individual was a half elf. Black scars adorned his skin, leaving light blue lines where his scarred skin met healthy. Being descended from elves the man could also use magic, although it burned his skin due to his human lineage. He’d been passing through the village when he’d seen the flier. An idea formed as he read the details. If he could obtain the fruit first, maybe then he’d finally be acknowledged, and if he wasn’t, this still created the perfect opportunity to finally be rid of the man who sired him and drove his mother into her own death bed. This would finally be his chance to take revenge. Thus, Dabi set out, in an attempt to obtain the magical fruit or die trying.

***

Entering the forest wasn’t difficult necessarily, it was just the fact that no one came out alive that made Dabi hesitate. But he wasn’t called a stubborn bastard for nothing.

The forest was silent. Not a bird nor insect could be heard, it was as if the forest stood completely still, despite him feeling a slight breeze as he walked. A small pack rested on his back, supplies enough for one week, which was all he could manage to scrounge up. He could hear a stream flowing in the distance but wasn’t sure which direction it was coming from, not that he knew whether the water was safe to drink or not. As he walked, he scanned the trees for any signs of what could possibly be the fruit, but found nothing more than long thick winding branches. Hours passed and the forest grew darker, a sign that night was falling. He’d chosen a tree with a hollow base to make his camp. He knew it wasn’t safe for him to sleep, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t at least relax a little before dawn. Time seemed to pass differently inside the forest, hours felt like days, if it wasn’t for the fact that he had an enchanted watch, he probably wouldn’t even know how long he’d been in there.

Without even realizing it, Dabi had fallen asleep.

Waking to the sounds of the screaming, Dabi bolted to his feet. Scanning the area, he noticed the forest had filled with fog, creaking sounds could be heard all around him as he looked for what he assumed was the guardian of the forest. Soon everything became silent once more, leaving Dabi even more on alert than he’d just been. After a while, he concluded that whatever attacked the other men in the forest, had not noticed his existence. Checking his watch, he found it had only been two hours since he set up camp. Not wanting to invite the guardians attention, Dabi moved his camp further into the woods, opposite to where the screams had come from.

Morning arrived with even less sunlight than he’d had the day before. The forest was getting denser the further he traveled. Another two days passed in much the same manner as the first, looking for the fruit, not finding the fruit, setting up camp and waiting till morning arrived once more.

The water from the river flowing throughout the forest was safe, but there didn’t seem to be any life in it. He hadn’t seen a single creature roaming around, not even a bird. It was strange, how could a forest feel so full of life and yet have none. He knew this wasn’t normal, his mother had taught him to feel the life and death inside any forest, and this one was teaming with life, yet none were to be found. On the fifth night, Dabi finally encountered the guardian. He’d been following a dirt path he’d found the day before, having only been able to climb through dense grass and large roots before.

Following the path, it led him to the largest tree he’d ever seen in his life, the branches alone were the size of most of the trees he’d passed. Crimson red leaves cover each branch with their enormous size. This had to be it, he thought, getting closer to the base of the tree before stopping just a few feet away. No doubt the fruit was at the top of the tree, because nothing in his life was ever going to be easy.

All of a sudden, he heard it. The creaking and groaning sounds he’d heard just nights before. Suddenly, roots from various trees sprouted from the ground and attacked. Glowing blue roots wrapped around his body in a vice-like grip, barely leaving any room for him to even breathe as he was lifted into the sky. The forest spun around him as he swayed back and forth upside down. The ground looked less and less hazy as he came to a complete stop. Shaking the dizziness off, Dabi scans the area, trying to find the supposed guardian that had trapped him. Soft thumps caught his attention and immediately his eyes were fixed onto the tree line in front of him. From it, walked a creature with blue and green skin, much like the trees themselves. Pointed ears and markings were noticeable as the creature came ever closer.

Dabi couldn’t think straight, just what exactly was the creature now standing directly under him. Long white hair cascaded down the creature's face, but not even that could hide the crimson eyes staring up at him. “What are you? Why are you in my forest?” They asked, their voice coming out broken and raspy in a language that only Dabi would recognize. Dabi was confused. How exactly did this creature know elvish tongue? His mother had taught him growing up and with them being a part of the very last generation of elves, it wasn’t a common language anymore, in fact, Dabi had never heard his language come from anyone but his mother.

Snapping out of his thoughts, Dabi made the decision to question everything later, but only if he made it out alive. “My name is Dabi, I mean you and your forest no harm. I’m just looking for some fruit, if I can find it, I’ll be on my way.” Dabi tried to sound as appeasing as possible, but just ended up sounding like his usual dickish self in the end. The creature looked to be contemplating his words before finally seeming to have come to a resolution.

The creaking noise, which had previously stopped, now started up again as the roots moved him through the air, each root handing him off to another as the creature took him deeper into the forest. Dabi was scared. He’d hoped the creature would have mercy and just let him go, but the rumors of no one making it out alive were there for a reason, after all, there were other ways of sending out information than just by word of mouth.

Looking back, Dabi tried memorizing the path back to the tree as he was sure if he made it away from this creature alive, he’d still want to make a grab for the fruit he was sure was hanging from that tree.

The deeper they went the more the forest seemed to change, the trees which once grew with blue and green, now grew dark brown roots and white and yellow leaves. The path ahead cleared more and more as the creature walked, the ground around them changing as the once thick and overgrown grass turned into low cut thin grass. Flowers sprouted from the ground as sound that wasn’t there before suddenly encompassed the entire forest around them. Birds could be heard chirping in the background as squirrels climbed the trees. What once was a creepy enchanted forest, turned into a beautiful paradise with a large tree at its center. The tree had a mix of orange, yellow and white leaves, with a matching base to the crimson tree he’d seen before.

Just what was going on here? How could a seemingly sick and enchanted forest turn into such a beautiful paradise? It wasn’t just the forest though, the creature under him changed as well. His once blue and green skin faded to a light gray color, the clothes which he’d assumed were an animal's hide, turned into black trousers and no shirt. Deep black and red scars could be seen as the black hide or whatever it was, fell away. With one final creaking noise, Dabi had barely a second to scream as he was dropped and promptly caught by the creature. Crimson red eyes met his as the creature set him down at the base of the tree. Not knowing what else to do, Dabi froze, not wanting to make a single move in fear of being torn apart like he’d assumed the others in the forest had been.

“Don’t move, stay here.” The creature ordered, walking deeper into an opening in the tree's base that Dabi hadn’t noticed until now. Soon the creature all but vanished as it went further into the tree. Minutes passed with no sign of the creature, Dabi wondered just how deep the tree went, not really understanding how the forest around him worked. Spiraling thoughts filled his head as he went in circles trying to figure out the situation at hand. Soon, soft thumps could be heard as the creature made its way out of the tree and over to where he was laying. What looked to be a brown bowl of sorts was thrust into his hands with only a one word explanation as his guide. “Drink.” The creature ordered, looking at Dabi expectantly.

Dabi gave one small nod and prayed this wouldn’t kill him. The liquid was thick, tasting like a flower stew his mother had once made for him. Drinking it all, Dabi waited for whatever was supposed to happen. “Good. Now, I have questions.” The creature spoke, its voice becoming less raspy as they spoke more. With the way everything had gone thus far, Dabi couldn’t even be surprised at the creature having questions for him. After all, if elvish was all this creature could speak, that meant that he was most likely the first one to be able to talk to it. This could only mean that this creature had either been raised around an elf or someone who spoke the language. “What are you?” It asked, snapping Dabi out of his spiraling thoughts.

“I’m of mixed blood, half human, half elf.” Dabi responded as calmly as he could, not meeting the creature's eyes.

“You’re like me?”

Those few words immediately had Dabi on edge, if the creature was like him that meant that they were a mixed race as well, but it was anyone’s guess what exactly it had been mixed with. From the features Dabi could make out, he was sure the creature in front of him was at least half elf, it was the other half that made Dabi worried, he’d never heard of a race that markings that looked more black scars than anything else.

“I won’t hurt you, so calm down. My name is Tomura, and I am the last surviving forest guardian.” The creature he now knew as Tomura spoke, jewelry he’d previously not seen before hanging from not only their ears but their hair as well. He wasn’t sure if he was allowed to speak other than to give answers, but with the amount of questions flowing through his head, Dabi thought it was worth the risk.

“What’s a forest guardian?” Dabi asked, his voice as soft and calming as he could make it.

“You’ve never heard of us? That’s strange, but I guess times have changed since the last time elves walked this world freely. The guardians are a race of people with the abilities to protect all living things within the forest it’s born into. We’re the upkeeper, we look after the wildlife and keep the trees safe. Including the sprite fruit that you’re currently looking for.” Tomura responded, climbing on top of a nearby tree branch, settling there as if it were the most comfortable place in the world.

“So what’s with the forest? This place looks like an entirely different world than the one I entered.” Dabi remarked, looking around still in awe at the sheer amount of difference there was between the two forests.

“The darkness is just one half of Orphic, the other half is where we are now, the light side if you will. Here is where all wildlife live and where the plants grow healthily under my watch. I created the dark side. Well, at least a version of me did. Different races kept coming to Orphic to steal its fruit, they would kill my animals and tear down my trees. I couldn’t let that continue, so I let my power loose, I decayed half of the forest and rebuilt it to look sickly. Then, with the help of a few fae, I spread the rumors that no one who entered would come out alive. But, that’s false, anyone who enters my forest will be left outside a village one hundred miles east of here. I erase their memories of their time in my forest and leave them with an impression, ‘don’t come back.’ After a while, things seemed to die down. No one entered my forest and I was free to live peacefully. That was, until a week ago when a bunch of you out of nowhere decided to enter my forest.” Tomura explains, hand’s fidgeting with a loose vine hanging above him.

“Why are you telling me all of this? Shouldn’t you want me gone too?” Dabi asks, hoping Tomura was still in the mood to answer his questions.

A beat of silence passed as Tomura continued to fiddle with the vine, a small frown on his face that worried Dabi. “I don’t know. You’re the first to speak my language in a very long time. I was going to just leave you like the rest and be done with the lot of ya. But, I guess I’m curious. I’ve never met someone who could speak elvish, at least not this version of me. So in the end I guess I wanted to ask you some questions. I want to know how a descendant of the elves have managed to live this long among humans, especially when it was humans who drove us to extinction in the first place.” Tomura spoke, looking over at Dabi with a look that screamed ‘I have a million questions and you’re gonna answer them all.’

Honestly it could’ve been so much worse, all he had to do was answer some questions right? And then maybe Tomura will let him go, hopefully without the one hundred mile trip and memory wipe. And to be fair, Dabi was curious too. His mother had always said it was unlikely that there would be any more elves alive, he was curious to speak to another of his kind, even if it was just another mixed blood like he was. Well, how hard would answering a few questions be anyways. So, fuck it.

“What do you want to know?” He asked, moving to sit on the branch below Tomura.

Tomura seemed to contemplate for a bit before finally settling on, “Who taught you elvish? I assume you haven’t had much chance to use it considering you were raised around humans.” Tomura asked, shifting a bit so he could meet Dabi’s eyes.

“My mother, she taught me before she passed.” Dabi replied, an urge to light his finger with his magic washing over him.

“Oh, by the way, I wouldn’t use your magic here if I were you, my magic tends to act up when it feels other magic in use.” Tomura warned, an almost spider-like web forming on his hands before disappearing once more.

Dabi had of course already figured that out, a bone deep paranoia keeping him from using his flames in the forest until now.

“Are you an only child?” Tomura asked, refocusing on the vine he’d been winding around his fingers.

“No, I had three other siblings, two died in an accident when I was still a child. The other is human to my knowledge, our mothers genes didn’t seem to pass to him, well not enough to mean anything. She died when he was three. I haven’t seen him since.” Dabi answered, his head fogging with memories he’d thought he’d long since buried.

“I’m sorry to hear that. Sounds like you were close.” Tomura replied, his voice softening as he spoke.

“Doesn’t matter anymore, it’s been fifteen years, I’m sure any notion of my existence has already been erased from his life.”

…

“Yes Dabi, you can ask me questions, but not many, I do not trust those who carelessly enter my forest without an invitation.” Tomura spoke, seeming to read his mind before he could even process it himself.

“Who raised you? How do you know elvish?” Dabi questioned, wondering if there were any other elves left. “I learned from my caregiver, he was an elf. His name was Kurogiri, he died protecting me from humans, or at least a version of me.” Tomura replied, looking up at the sky, his hair falling a bit from his face allowing Dabi to see more markings than he’d previously seen before. All elves were born with at least two markings on their body, one wrapped around the neck and the other around one wrist. It was always this way with their kind, it symbolizes two bonds, one of family, or blood. And the other of a mate. More marks appeared as an elf matured, one for every five years that passed. Tomura, from what he could tell, had more than a lifetime's worth.

“How do you have so many marks? And what do you mean a ‘version’ of you?” Dabi questioned, wondering just how old Tomura really was.

“I regenerate, so to speak. I’m half guardian after all. Guardians are immortal, technically I am as well but due to my elvish blood I’m a bit different. Instead of instantly reviving like my kind is supposed to, it takes about three weeks for me to re-enter my body. Kurogiri had been scared shitless the first time I fell out of a tree and broke my neck. He’d always worry over me… anyways, since I know you’re wondering, I’m only 26 years old. I gain a new mark every time I die.” Tomura answered, hand moving to scratch at his neck, seemingly without him even noticing.

But no wonder he’d taken to Dabi so quickly, he must have been alone for a long time. And with him being effectively immortal, he probably wanted a companion, even if it was an intruder in his forest. Elves were known to live a long time, some lived for thousands of years, others only hundreds. His mother had told him that even with him only being a half blood, he’d still end up living long past everyone around him. She’d looked heartbroken over the fact but ultimately knew there wasn’t much either of them could do.

Dabi was snapped out of his thoughts to Tomura’s next question, the one question he’d hoped wouldn’t be brought up.

“Why do you want the Sprite Fruit?” Tomura asked, moving from his branch to a higher one.

“My.. my father. He put a bounty out for the fruit, I don’t know why. I figured if I got my hands on the fruit, I’d be close enough to him to get my revenge. He was the one who killed my mother and drove me out. I just wanted the chance to show him he couldn’t just get away with everything he’d done.” Dabi replied, following Tomura up the tree as the other motioned for him to.

“Why can’t you get close without the fruit?” Tomura asked, showing Dabi which branches to step on and which ones to use as a lever up.

“He’s using demon magic, he has many enemies so he’s covered everything with seals. I can’t get past them. The only time they’re down is when he invites people in. He also has a mage, one that can check for the fruit in case the person is lying. The seals are made specifically for him, he and his mage are the only ones who can enter and exit at will.” Dabi replies, finally reaching the last branch which Tomura is already settled on.

Looking out at the view, Dabi is shocked. He hadn’t really been paying attention much as they climbed and didn’t realize just how far they’d gotten up until now. He could see the blackish leaves covering the treetops he could see in the distance. He wondered just how far from the village they were, no one knew just how big the forest really was because every time someone left to circle around to find some sort of end, they never came back.

“If your father was no longer around, what would you choose to do?” Tomura asked, wind blowing his hair from side to side.

Dabi thought for a moment, he wasn’t sure. Yeah he’d taken on jobs as a mage here and there but he never really liked staying around humans. The customs his mother had taught him had always been precious to him and not something he wanted to do around humans. He longed for someone like him, someone who understood what it was like being the last of a nearly extinct race. Looking over at Tomura, Dabi wondered. If Tomura did end up letting him leave, what would happen to him? Would he stay here all alone in isolation to the end of time? That thought alone left a pit in his stomach.

“I don’t know. I never really thought that far ahead. What about you? Is there something you’d like to do outside of guarding this forest?” Dabi asked, confident enough to ask questions more freely as he knew Tomura would likely not hurt him.

“I’m bound to this forest, I cannot leave. But, if I could, there was this place Kurogiri spoke of. His birth village. He’d tell me stories about all of the elves that lived there. It sounded beautiful. But sadly it no longer exists. Kurogiri was the only survivor after humans found it.” Tomura spoke softly, a sense of longing Dabi knew all too well layered in his words and tone.

“If I let you go, Dabi, would you come back?” Tomura asked, his voice sounding even softer than it had before. “Yes.” Dabi answered without hesitation, taking both of them by surprise.

Silence fell between the two as the events of the past day washed over them. This had been the strangest thing Dabi had ever faced in his entire life. Never before had a person gone from being his enemy to possibly the only person he thought would understand him in a mere day.

“I can give you a Sprite Fruit. Although it won’t do you much good, once the fruit leaves this forest, its healing effects fade. The truth is, the fruit never had any miraculous power of its own. It just absorbed the magic leaking off of me. Once the fruit leaves my range of magic, it loses the power it once stored, until finally rotting away.” Tomura spoke, picking at some of the bark that sat in the space between them.

Dabi couldn’t say he was completely shocked, he could feel the magic of the forest, and at its center was Tomura. In layman's terms, Tomura was the tree and if the fruit is picked, it rots without its source of magic. Dabi really hadn’t been expecting to make it out of this forest alive, let alone make friends with its guardian. But, he didn’t hate this outcome, after all, he’d met one of his own. That was worth far more to him than anything else. He’d get his father one day, or at least, he’d die trying. But for now, he wanted something else, something he was almost terrified to ask for. “What if…. What if you didn’t let me go? What if I just stayed here for a while. I’d like the chance to get to know the last of my kind.” He hesitantly asked, looking anywhere but at Tomura.

“You really want to stay?” Tomura asked, voice so small Dabi almost couldn’t hear it even with his enhanced senses.

“Yeah. I mean, I just met you, but I feel like it’d really fucking hurt to be separated from you right now.” Dabi replied, chancing a glance at the guardian beside him.

“I feel the same. It’s weird, but I feel really close to you somehow.”

Silence fell between them as the wind brushed past them. The sun had set not long ago, allowing the stars and moons to shine brightly above them. Dabi didn’t know where this would lead to, he didn’t know Tomura all that well yet, but he knew he didn’t want to leave him. Not yet anyways, there was this pull he couldn’t quite explain, one that had followed him from the forest’s entrance to where he was now. That pull told him to stay, to learn. His father would get what’s coming for him, but for now, Dabi decided Orphic would be his home, for as long as Tomura would accept him.

******

Five years later.

In the beginning adjusting to life in Orphic had been a tad difficult. Tomura had many tasks throughout the day and had decided to show Dabi how to do some of them. From imbuing magic into the forest so that the animals and plants wouldn’t see him as a threat, to watching over the border between the forest and the village. More humans came, looking for the Sprite Fruit, but none made it back to the village. Dabi had learned new ways to wield his fire thanks to Tomura and had even fashioned a staff to help with the output so that he wouldn’t keep burning himself.

The first time Tomura had died in front of Dabi, he’d almost had a complete meltdown. He’d ended up diving into the river to prevent himself from burning himself and the forest to the ground. For those three weeks Dabi did nothing but drift aimlessly in the river, it was like he’d died alongside Tomura. Afterwards, Tomura pulled him out of the river and hadn’t let go of him until he returned to himself. They’d both been shocked. Kurogiri hadn’t even a fraction of the reaction Dabi had when Tomura died. So that left both of them confused and seeking answers. Luckily, Kurogiri had left behind scrolls. All of which held all the things Kurogiri knew of their kind. Tomura had said the older elf spent days writing everything down in an attempt to save what little knowledge of their kind they had left.

In it, held the answer neither of them expected.

Those who had matching marks were mates. With Tomura being half guardian and thus acquiring more marks as well as Dabi’s burns covering his, neither had realized. Their marks were identical. The black marks seemed to hum a purplish color when they were close, but when separated, they returned to their dormant dark state. Mates were apparently common for their kind, those who matched each other would be married under the village head and they’d live together after coming of age. If one did not want their companion, all they needed to do was cut a line through the mark and their bond would be severed, but it could only be done by the holder of the mark. When an elf’s mate died, the other would go into a sort of catatonic state, usually for centuries until they either die or find some way to continue on. But those who lost their mate typically didn’t live longer than a few months.

That had at least explained why they were so close to each other right off the bat. Dabi didn’t fully understand it and neither did Tomura. But with no one to explain, they left it be. Not wanting to drive themselves crazy over questions they’d likely never have answers for.

As time passed, Dabi and Tomura grew closer to each other. Dabi made several trips to villages beyond the forest, although he'd decided to stay away from his village for the time being. Each time Dabi returned, it was with something new for Tomura. After all, the man had spent his entire life in Orphic, he’d had almost no knowledge of the world outside. Sometimes it was hair clips, other times it was new clothes. While on these trips, Dabi took basic jobs so that he could always afford to get something for Tomura before returning.

But out of everything he’d gotten for Tomura, there was always one thing the guardian returned to. It was a wooden puzzle box, if you slid the pieces in the right direction, the box would open, but if you didn’t, you’d cause the box to lock more firmly. Dabi had never seen Tomura more happy than when he was first explaining how the puzzle worked.

Every spare moment Tomura had was spent on the box. So Dabi bought more things like it, eventually amassing a wide variety of puzzles for the other.

Dabi’s favorite moments were late at night beside the fire, Tomura would be figuring out a puzzle and Dabi would comb and braid his hair before sleeping. These moments were quiet, soft. The kind of softness Dabi had only ever felt around his mother. He knew then there was no leaving Tomura. He’d rather die. But he also knew he still wanted revenge, as for the how, he wasn’t sure. But he knew he needed to get rid of his father before he could have a happy life with Tomura.

It was a night like any other, Tomura was fiddling with the newest puzzle Dabi had gotten for him and Dabi was busy trying out a new braid he’d never done before. He thought he’d hidden his thoughts well but with five years spent together he shouldn’t have been surprised when Tomura spoke up about the issue at hand. “I know you’ve been thinking about your father. You mumble when you sleep. Listen, I’m all for killing off the son of a bitch but please don’t do this alone. I don’t want to lose you. If you want revenge, let me help you.” Tomura offered, his voice small yet firm.

Dabi was taken aback. He knew Tomura would support him in the end but he hadn’t expected the other to want to actually be there physically.

“You’ve never left the Orphic, I can’t ask you to leave this place unguarded for a selfish goal of mine.” Dabi replied, finishing up the last braid.

“You didn’t ask and I’m not looking for you to. I’m offering, if you’re hell bent on doing this alone I won’t stop you, but I know I can help and you don’t need to worry about Orphic. I’ve been working on something new for defenses. Just, let me help you Dabi.” Tomura pleaded, turning around to meet Dabi’s eyes.

Dabi held Tomura’s gaze, looking for what, he did not know. Finally he caved, looking away first while also telling Tomura he’d agreed, albeit reluctantly.

Tomura smiled, the rare smile Dabi only got to see on a few occasions. Leaning forward, Dabi wrapped his arms around Tomura, his head nestling between his shoulder and jaw. They’d both grown fond of physical touch. Something neither of them had gotten for the majority of their lives. Dabi knew he loved Tomura, they’d never had a confession or really any sort of talk other than the shocking revelation that they were mates. They both knew they cared for one another. But Dabi had wanted to confess properly, and if he survived offing his father, then he was going to do just that.

It took three weeks of planning, Tomura had never been outside of Orphic and Dabi had wanted to make sure that Tomura was familiar with the layout of not just the buildings around his old home but around the entire village as well. It took three days of walking around the village for Tomura to feel comfortable on where everything was. The first night they were going out, Tomura had shown him the tree gollums he’d made. They were large and thick, their eyes glowing red with Tomura’s magic. They were a good defense and Dabi was gonna have a lot of fun training with them later.

Enji was now practically alone in his house, having only his mage since Shoto left long ago. Dabi was proud of the kid for leaving but knew he’d most likely be dragged back for the old man’s funeral and to take over the town as the last surviving Todoroki.

Planning it all was difficult, Dabi hadn’t a clue which room his father would be in, not to mention the seals on said room, when broken, would just regenerate once more. Tomura’s job was to make an opening for him to get inside, once done, he was to reopen it so that they could both leave safely. That is, if he made it out alive.

Everything was planned to a tee, they’d chosen a night where Enji’s guards were out, having been sent to the neighboring village to collect some debt they owed. The only problem would be the mage. A man by the name of Takami. Although most called him Hawks for his magic. He had the ability to take on the characteristics of a hawk. He also had possession of a fire resistant coat, one that protected himself and his magic from Enji’s flames. Dabi only hoped that his magic would burn hot enough to destroy the magical item.

“Are you sure I can’t do any more?” Tomura asked, not really liking Dabi’s plan to take on both Hawks and Enji. “My magic will only work on the seals for a while, and what about you? Your magic burns you alive, I know you want revenge, but please, don’t let it be at the cost of your life.” Tomura all but begged, looking at Dabi with one of the most heart wrenching expressions Dabi had ever seen.

“Listen to me Tomura. I will come back to you. No matter what. But I can’t have you in the room with me, my flames are too hot, you wouldn’t survive direct contact with them. Please, for my sake, stay on the sidelines.” Dabi reassured, wrapping his arms around the other in an attempt to sooth him.

“Fine. But if anything goes wrong you run, got it? I mean it Dabi, I refuse to be alone again.” Tomura responded, his voice muffled as he buried himself deeper in Dabi’s embrace.

That night neither of them slept, both thinking of what was to come. Everything had been planned out, down to the last letter. But that didn’t really help the whirlwind of emotions swirling between them. But in the end, they both knew this was it, if they succeeded here. There’d be nothing left holding either of them back and they’d be free to live happily in Orphic.

The night that they’d planned for had finally come. It was well past the time where everyone in the village had turned in for the night. All that could be heard were a few insects and the wind rustling the trees. Enji’s home stood on the hill just above the rest of the village. Dabi knew Hawks stayed close to Enji and would be there the minute he felt something amiss. Breaking into the main portion of the house was too difficult, after all, the front door held no seals so that visitors could come and go without the required spell. It was all of the other rooms in the house that held the seal.

When Dabi had asked how Tomura expected to break demon magic, Tomura had just shrugged and said that when he was younger, Kurogiri had caught a few demons to show Tomura how his magic could override theirs. Apparently, guardians had the ability to fend off any race of creature. But mainly chose to keep to themselves, only fighting when it was their forest in danger.

If he remembered correctly, Enji’s room was on the second floor, his office being only a few doors down from it. He wasn’t sure which the man would be in, which was a slight hiccup in their plan but nonetheless something they’d deal with. He wasn’t sure which room hawks would be in, but he was sure he’d be close enough to get to them the minute he found out they were there.

Climbing the stairs, Dabi felt a nauseous sensation in the pit of his stomach, memories of being beaten and burned in this house flooding back into his mind. His mothers screams echoed in the back of his mind. The sound of a door opening froze both of them in their tracks, sweat beaded on Dabi’s temple as he waited to see what would happen. The sound of another door opening and closing had both of them sighing in relief. Moving up the last few stairs, Dabi peaked around the corner to see a light coming from a crack in one of the doors.

He wasn’t sure if that was Enji’s office, room, or if it was neither, but it was the only room with a light on. Dabi knew Enji’s schedule, he’d made sure to learn and relearn it every time the slightest bit changed.

So he was sure it had to be Enji awake in there. This was it, this was the moment he and Tomura had prepared for. Looking back, he met Tomura’s eyes in a silent conversation. Tomura nodded and moved past him, crouching low and moving to right beside the door. Soon a small red glow could be seen encompassing the now visible seals on the door. Black and white patterns turned to red as Tomura overrode the seals. With a small crack, the seals broke and Dabi made his move.

Knowing it wouldn’t matter if they made noise at that point, Dabi slammed the door open, coming face to face with Todoroki Enji, whose shocked face quickly flushed with rage. “Who the fuck are you?!” Enji growled, reddish orange fire immediately flaring around them. “Aww you don’t remember me? That almost hurts, Dad.” Dabi drawled, calling his own blue flames to the staff in his hand. For a moment Enji’s fire seemed to flick out before returning in full force. “So you were alive after all. I should’ve known, trash like you always seems to make its way back in the end.” Enji sneered, standing up from the desk he’d been sitting at.

The room grew hotter and hotter as the two fire wielders stood off against each other, both so focused on the other that neither of them were prepared for red feathers to dart in and go straight for Dabi’s head. It only took a moment for Dabi to react, burning the feathers and twisting around to face hawks in the doorway. Tomura was no longer there, having hidden himself in another room per Dabi’s request until it was time to reopen the seal.

As expected, Hawks had the ability to get past the seals as Enji’s right hand man. Moving quicker than Dabi could see, hawks was upon him, feathers swirling around the room as Enji tried to make his escape. Dabi, having noticed the other man’s retreat, immediately engulfed the room in blue flames, dropping his staff and allowing his fire to build all around his body, exiting not just his hands but his feet as well. Hawks screamed, his coat catching on fire as all of his feathers burned to ash. Enji had fallen against the wall next to the window, leaving Dabi in front of the door and Enji’s only escape. A laugh bubbled up from his chest, one he’d not heard since his mother had died.

“What’s the matter, Dad, not happy to see me?? Well, that’s too damn bad. I’m sure happy to see you, after you kicked me out and drove mom to the point of insanity. You deserve what you’ve got coming.” Dabi cackled, he could feel blood beading at the seams between his scars and healthy skin. He knew he didn’t have much time, with his current output, his body would burn before he even got one hit on the filth in front of him.

Hawks was groaning on the floor, his magic all but burned away as his flames took control of the room. Walking felt like agony, each step a reminder that he wasn’t safe from his flames either. Enji had moved to his knees, sweat poured down his face as he looked into the eyes of the boy he’d once called his son. “The past never dies.” Dabi spoke, laying a hand on Enji’s face, fingers spread wide enough so Enji could see the face of the man who would kill him. “I’ll join you in hell later.” He whispered, shoving the brunt of his fire into the other so fast he didn’t even have the chance to scream before he was just ash.

A ringing in his ears was all he could hear as blood dripped down his face, both from the seems along his cheeks and the seams under his eyes. He knew he was fading fast, at that point he couldn’t extinguish his flames. They burned and burned. Hawks from what he could tell had made his way to the door and escaped after he’d turned Enji to ash.

Now it was just him, he didn’t think it was so bad, he knew the risks, he’d just hoped he wouldn’t have to leave Tomura behind. But he guessed he never really was good at keeping his promises. Not to his mother who’d only wished he’d have a happy and fulfilling life and certainly not to his brother who had cried and begged him to come back for him. But most of all not to Tomura, who’d only ever asked him to stay.

Blackness took his vision and the sound of chimes filled his ears before fading away to nothing.

***

Birds chirping. A cool breeze on his skin. The sound of water trickling along rocks and wood.

Light filled his vision, a light so bright he thought he might go blind. Blinking a few times, Dabi awoke to the sounds of nature around him. His body stung in places but overall he didn’t feel like he was dying, which had been surprising considering the fact that he was sure he was already dead. Or at least he thought he was. Soft mosh cradled him as he realized his shirt was missing, moving had him groaning from the strain while also alerting him to the fact that he had bandages on.

“Tomura?” He calls quietly, his voice too hoarse to go above a whisper. Suddenly his vision was filled with a distressed Tomura, hiccups leaving him as tears poured down his face. “Fuck, oh fuck you’re alive.” Tomura spoke, wrapping him up in his arms, holding so tight Dabi feared he might break something. “Sorry.” He tried, Tomura only shaking his head in response.

“You were dead, I felt it. It hurt so bad.” Tomura sobbed into his chest, his words coming out in broken gasps and hiccups.

“Wha- no but I’m alive, how is that possible?” Dabi asked, confusion overwhelming him as more and more questions filled his head. “I gave you half of my core. All guardians have one. Just please, fuck. Don’t do this again, I can’t take this a second time.”

Tomura went silent after that, his gasps being the only thing Dabi heard while he cried. Soon, he could hear Tomura’s even breaths. He’d most likely worn himself out. Dabi had heard of the guardians core but hadn’t known it was something that could be split let alone given. Moving one hand to pet Tomura’s hair, Dabi made one final promise that he knew he wouldn’t ever break. He’d always come back to Tomura, no matter what.

As the sun set, Tomura finally awoke. Shifting off of Dabi as he did. “It wasn’t a dream?” Tomura asked, looking over at Dabi with red puffy eyes.

“It wasn’t.” He replied, sitting up despite his pain. Tomura looked like he didn’t want to be too far from Dabi so, he shifted himself towards Tomura, allowing the other to shift him into his lap and hold him. “Don’t leave me.” Tomura whispered, meeting Dabi’s gaze with a pleading look.

“Never.” He replied, taking Tomura by surprise when he leaned up, connecting their lips.

All the words they’d wanted to say to each other, all of the thoughts and feelings they’d hidden inside their hearts seemed to burst between them. Both knew that if it meant their mate’s happiness, they’d do anything.

This was finally it. The end and beginning of Dabi’s life. He’d left his past behind and joined Tomura in what he hoped to be a bright future. They may be the last of their kind, but he didn’t mind too much, after all, Tomura was all he needed. He was happy he’d chosen to enter Orphic all those years ago.

Somewhere deep in the forest of old, a baby cried. Not just any baby though, no, this one had long pointed ears, with deep green markings. This boy had a destiny, one that would lead him to a half guardian, and the black mage who’d destroy the world as they all knew it.

End

Let me know what you all think of the story.

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