#all that culminates is in me being a little snob and saying watching that felt like watching art dying right before my eyes

[attria9]

You know, i swore off of watching any more marvel movies for a few years, but I did watch DP 3 because well, i used to know what deadpool used to be, and it used to be GOOD. it used to be not just funny, but it had heart too.

But well, it was very silly to expect anything like that when all marvel seems to be doing now is treating characters not as characters, but as conduits for one liners and jokes. Its the death of sincerity. The death of art, really. And the writing laughs at you for expecting anything more. Its laughing at you for ever having connected to these characters... because theyre NOT characters anymore.

And I guess thats why ive fully lost my passion for this stuff as of late.

And I cant even take it as brainless slop, because this brainless slop tells you with no pretense that this is a souless cashgrab that you fell for. And an expectation for a film... well that was your own mistake. Fork over the cash, waste your time, and move on.

[imagine-this-fandom]

The Rescue: BNHA x Fem! Reader- Red Pitbull

the rescue intro: here

Inko led you through the store, only pausing to put Izuku back into his habitat. You followed her through the aisles of the shop, hearing the barking from the next room growing louder as you neared the door.

Inside was a wide variety of dogs. The shop was deceptively big considering its unassuming exterior. The Large room was a playroom of sorts. Almost a greeting room so people could meet the dogs in a fun and comfortable environment.

Your eyes tracked the movements of the dogs closest to you, searching for your potential new friend. There was a wide variety of dogs from young to old. Each had their own fun personality and you mused that you'd be happy taking any one of the furballs home. That is... Until you saw Enji.

You had never really been afraid of dogs, but this one... He was intimidating.

Pitbulls never really intimidated you. There were too many good ones out there for their reputation to bother you. This one however was scary looking. You didn't want to judge him right away, but he was every scary pitbull stereotype rolled into one. Rusty red fur covered the dog in patterns reminiscent of flames. White patches reinforced the flame look, snaking up his chest and up his paws like little fire boots. What caught your eyes the most was his eyes. Teal was not a color you had ever seen on a dog before, and on him, they were piercing, like the hottest center of a flame. There was an intelligence there that made you wary. Smart dogs were a handful and from the way he was looking at you and Inko, it seemed he had already made up his mind on you. His expression was pinched into as close to a scowl as his facial patterns would allow, white splotches on the ridges of his head forming eyebrows that gave the illusion of a glare.

You hoped against it, but as soon as you saw him, you knew he was the animal for you. Inko's leading grip on your wrist confirmed your suspicion, only loosening once you both stood before the muscular dog.

"(y/n), It's my pleasure to introduce you to Enji. Enji, this is (y/n). She's agreed to talk care of one of our residents here."

You watched the exchange, noting how his eyes fixed on her, his scowl deepening as she spoke. You couldn't help the giggle that slipped free, his expression was just so serious for a dog!

He whipped his head around to look at you, that ridiculous scowl still in place. He was trying his best to look intimidating and powerful, but the effect was ruined by the fact that he wasn't human. Had he been as he was before the quirk cursed him, Enji Todoroki would have been a fierce sight to behold. But now he simply looked like a pouting child throwing a tantrum, the scowl not translating right over the switch of species. His usual cold and intimidating demeanor were overshadowed by the fact that he was now just a little under two feet tall.

He watched you try to stifle your laughter, your form shaking with the effort as his expression got more and more exasperated. This was who he was expected to put up with for the rest of his time in this form? As the former number two hero, he was less than impressed. He gave a disgruntled bark, looking at Inko to ask if she was serious, but the look she gave him halted him in his tracks.

Endeavor had dealt with many villains over his hero career, but few held the kind of authority as a mother figure. She radiated sternness and he quickly understood that in this case, her word was law. She left the decision in your hands rather than his paws.

When he looked back at you, you had composed yourself again, a wide grin in the place of the wary expression you had carried upon seeing him for the first time.

"You really believe he's the one for me, Inko?" You tilted your head, examing the rather put-out-looking dog, surprising yourself with the hope that Inko would say yes. Sure he was intimidating, but that silly scowl made you smile. And pit bulls were hard to place, so it was a toss-up if he would ever get a chance like this again. You resonated with that more than you'd like to admit. Maybe it was your savior complex, but if you could help him, you wanted to. He deserved a chance.

The little fluttering hope in your chest flared happily when Inko nodded.

"I think you two will be good for each other. I trust you with him and think it's for the best."

with these words from Inko, Enji's scowl fell with a resigned huff. This would be a definite change, one he wasn't likely to enjoy. However, you were excited, and perhaps he could work with that.

You smiled softly and reached down to ruffle his ears. He was surprised by the touch but more so by the fact that it was a pleasant sensation. He quickly pulled out of your grip to grumpily sit with his back to you. He wasn't going to let you win him over so easily. He was originally the number two hero after all! His resolve was stronger than that, surely, he thought to himself.

He watched you move away to help Inko gather supplies, eyes following your every movement. You had seemed frightened at first, so he couldn't wrap his head around why you had accepted Inko's proposal. You were baffling to him, and he was determined to untangle the puzzle that was you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Enji was confusing. He was so grumpy and far too much of a snob for a dog. You figured he was a rescue at this point. He refused to eat regular dog food, refused to sleep anywhere but a proper bed, and was intent on getting his way at all times. It was exhausting. There was a point when you almost returned him the first week, but it was also the point where you realized you didn't want him to go.

You had been walking him when a criminal attack happened just across the street. You watched in mute horror as a villain used their quirk to ransack a storefront, likely after the money in the register. You quickly turned your back on the sound of breaking glass only after affirming that someone was calling authorities. This was no place for a civilian to interfere. Enji, did not think the same way. He was tugging ferociously against the walking harness.

"Enji! We need to go, stop this!"

You tried to reign him in, but he just pulled all the harder, the woven material of the leash digging into your hands as your white knuckle grip was tested against the dog. It was a miracle he didn't pull you off your feet.

You fought against his weight to pull him away from the scene all while he barked and fought against you. Finally, you were able to pull him around a corner and away from the violence. Enji was not pleased to say the least.

How dare she, he thought, glaring at you, with as much anger as he could muster. Who were you to keep him from hero work? He growled lowly in his throat at you. He knew that if he were in his human form, his flames would be flickering dangerously.

"Now you stop that right now. We are going home, Enji. Now." You glared back, annoyed and if you were honest, a bit shaken by the event.

He turned around as if to go back, but was stopped by a sharp tug on the lead.

"No, bad dog. Heel. We are going home. You need to listen to me."

You pressed your lips into a firm line, doing your best to be as authoritative as you could, hoping he would see this as a fight not worth having. Oh, how wrong you were. With each insistent tug on the leash, he grew more irritated. It all culminated in one moment where his temper got the best of him. He wasn't used to being ordered around and he lashed out in the only way he could in this form. He bit your hand, aiming to get you to drop the leash so he could go without you.

You yelped sharply in pain, pulling the limb to your chest protectively, the leash forgotten on the ground. Your eyes held him in place, eyes watery with unshed tears as you looked at him in hurt disbelief. He hadn't bitten hard enough to break skin, but that did not mean you were unscathed. Angry red welts were beginning to form where his teeth had dug and scraped.

Enji felt guilt forming in the pit of his stomach, something he was not used to. The look of betrayal you were giving him made him feel off-kilter. However, he wasn't going to dwell on it

You bit your lip to keep the tears at bay before grabbing the leash off the ground with your good hand, keeping your eyes on him the whole time, watching for any sign he would attack again. Your movements were slow, cautious, and untrusting. backing up, you held the leash so the most distance was between you.

"Enji, we are going home. Now." You tried to keep your voice stern, but you winced as you heard the small warble to it from pain. He locked his limbs as the leash went taut once more. Before you could react, he grabbed the leash in his teeth and yanked it out of your hands, and raced back towards the action.

You stumbled after him, his name dying on your tongue as he stopped right in front of the villain, powerful jaws locking around the criminal's leg. It's like the scene was in slow motion for you as Enji faced the villain alone.

He dug his teeth in, determined to defeat the criminal despite his lack of quirk or usual form. His arrogance knew no bounds, but as far as he was concerned, he was just doing his job. Oh, how out of his depth he was.

The villain in question was named deathstalker. Upon one glance it would be easy to guess his quirk. Extending from his back, a tan appendage loomed above him, curled to a dangerous spike. Venom tipped and massive, the scorpion tail was a sight to behold. And right now... it was poised to strike at your dog.

Before you even knew what you were doing, your feet were tearing across the pavement. Your lungs burned with each panicked breath you sucked in, watching as the villain flung Enji away with an angry roar. You changed course to intercept him, flinging yourself over the dazed mutt just as the point of the tail struck, stabbing into your shoulder with a sickening speed.

Deathstalker had the nerve to laugh then, watching as you skidded sideways on the street, shoulder bloody and arms scrapped from your landing, but dog safely clutched to your chest.

"What are you, some kind of idiot?"

Stalking forward, he nudged your shoulder with his foot, eliciting a cry of pain as your shoulder burned.

"Hope you're proud darling, you just died for an exceptionally stupid dog."

He sneered, watching as Enji tried to wiggle free and get at him.

"Looks like he still has a death wish. What do you say, dear, shall I end his life too so he can join his dear old master? After all, he seemed pretty determined in the first place. All you did was buy him time to watch you suffer too."

He smirked and crouched next to you, his golden irises standing out against black sclera as they scanned the wound on your shoulder and shredded sleeves.

"You know sweetheart, he was going to die anyway. The stupid mutt bit me. And here I was having such a good day."

You fought the dizziness as the venom worked its way through your body, the wound radiating uncomfortable heat. You managed to look him right in those unnerving eyes, making eye contact before you took a deep breath. He might have been preparing for you to beg or plead for your life, ask for some reassurance that you weren't going to die. Instead, you inhaled before spitting in his face, eyes narrowed in anger.

Before the Deathstalker could respond, he was suspended in a forcefield as heroes dropped onto the scene. He beat angrily against his new prison as the heroes gathered around and began helping civilians.

You finally released your death grip on Enji, all the adrenaline draining out of you as the villain was moved away. You closed your eyes, not having the energy to do much but lay there.

Enji was instantly in your face as soon as he was free, examining you as best he could as he swore under his breath. All you heard was grumbling and growling from him as you lazily offered him your hand.

"I'm okay, boy. It's okay now..." Your head was fuzzy, but you weren't too concerned about that.

Enji growled at your words, knowing that Deathstalker would not have lied about the deadliness of his quirk. You needed medical attention now! He pressed himself against your side and barked, alerting the heroes to your position. He was furious, both with you and with himself, but mostly at the villain. But the anger boiling up would have to wait. He growled lowly as one of the heroes tried to shoo him away, determined to stay by your side as you were tended to. He had already failed once today, he wanted to be sure you were cared for now. Each moment you weren't seen to was one more moment that you were in danger. A danger that you had been in because of him.

You were put on a stretcher and loaded into an ambulance, Enji right by your side. He didn't usually stay with civilians after a fight, but with you, he didn't want to let you out of his sight. You were a stupid girl, charging in after him. But you had saved his life. And that rattled him.

~~~~~

You groaned as you awoke, hands going to scrub at your eyes after you were blinded by the white of the hospital room. As you sat and got your bearings, the events of before rushed back to you. The villain, your shoulder, and...

"Enji!"

Your eyes widened and you frantically tried to get out of bed, the heart rate monitor going wild behind you. Luckily, a bark stopped you in your tracks. Enji had been resting to the side of your bed, not having left your side if he could help it.

Upon seeing your concern, he jumped up against the bed, front paws resting on the mattress as he scanned you to see if you were truly recovered.

Once you saw the familiar red furry head, you relaxed, a wide smile spreading across your face.

"Hey buddy, you doing okay?"

He snorted. This was coming from the girl in the hospital bed? He was fine. A little bruised from the landing, but no worse for the wear.

"You're alright? Good. Never do that again. I have half a mind to take you back to Inko for that stunt." You frowned at him for a moment before your face softened into fondness. You reached out and cupped the side of his face, thumb gently stroking the side of his head.

"You really scared me, you know? I was so worried I'd lose you."

He let himself lean into your touch, telling himself it was for your comfort, and not because he enjoyed the sensation. He watched your expression carefully, surprised by the concern and relief he found there. You truly did not regret throwing yourself into danger for him. For getting hurt for him.

"That was a stupid thing for you to do too," he said, the voice escaping him a soft bark and whine instead of the words he wished to convey.

"I'm okay Enji, really," You smiled and leaned forward, placing a kiss on his head. "My quirk protected me for the most part. Someone else's quirk can't kill me."

He tilted his head to the side, confused by your statement. The injury had seemed pretty serious to him.

"My quirk neutralizes anything deadly that comes in contact with me. Sharp objects? Those can hurt me. But the venom probably became relatively harmless after he got me. It made me dizzy and uncomfortable, but it wouldn't kill me." You sighed, scrunching your face in displeasure when you remembered the side effects of the venom.

"I'm just glad I was able to keep you safe until heroes got there."

You leaned forward and whispered to him in a conspiratorial voice.

"Ready to get out of here? Because there's no way I'm gonna stick around while doctors lecture me about being careless and compliment my stupid quirk."

You grinned as you pulled back and carefully climbed out of bed, ensuring that you weren't pulling on your IV before petting his head and leading him for the door.

~~~~

It had been a few days since the incident, and Enji was starting to worry you. He was originally very pushy and confident. Determined to get his way. Now though, he was quiet and contemplative around you, no longer pushing for his way all the time. You'd never entertained the thought before, but now desperate times called for desperate measures. You were having an intervention for your dog.

That day, you got home from work, the usual tiredness pushed away by determination. Enji could see the difference and was decidedly curious. What had gotten you so worked up? It can't have been any villains as you seemed no worse for the wear. He mused that perhaps you were finally going to get another job. The one you were working at was clearly taking advantage of your good nature and hard-working spirit. Or perhaps the neighbor had finally asked you out. He snorted at the thought, amused but also a bit annoyed. His thoughts were cut short when you dropped into a sitting position right in front of him.

"Enji, you're a smart boy. I want you to listen to me."

You focused on him intently, watching as he squared his shoulders and focused on you, face all hard lines and serious fire in his eyes.

"You've been different. Ever since the villain attack, you've been treating me like glass. You're quiet, accommodating. It's weird. "

You frowned slightly.

"I want my old Enji back. You were a pain, but you were my pain. You were arrogant, sure of yourself. "

He eyed you carefully, admitting to himself that he had grown cautious around you since the attack. He knew that quirks couldn't cause lasting damage, but he wasn't going to throw your sacrifice back in your face. He respected you now. Still, you were asking for friendship, not reverence.

He was used to power being the only way to get things. Yet here you were asking for something else from him. You didn't want him to submit to you, but rather be himself as your companion. A confusing proposition, but... not one he was opposed to. He had already seen how selfless and strong you were. Perhaps he could enjoy learning more about you without the formalities he was used to.

"Hey, space cadet. Did you hear me?" You narrowed your eyes at Enji as he focused back from his thoughts. "Man, what am I doing?" You rubbed your eyes with the heels of your palms, "I must be crazy at this point."

You brought the appendages down as you heard an amused huff escape from Enji.

"Are you laughing at me now?"

You could have sworn he smirked as he barked an affirmative.

"is that so, furball?" You grinned and lunged forward, raking your fingers through his fur.

The sensation startled him and he jumped away. Oh, so that's how you wanted to play... He could oblige.

Your eyes widened as he turned back and came at you. You quickly curled up to protect yourself, squeaking as his cold nose came in contact with your side. He growled playfully and pawed at you, trying to get past your defenses.

You giggled, squirming as you tried to evade him.

"Wait, stop!"

He grinned. "You started this! Don't make this easy for me now."

You launched a sneak attack, curling your body around his head, laughing as you wrestled him to the ground and attacked him with tickles.

"I got ya! I Win!"

He managed to wriggle free eventually and lay beside you, panting, but content.

"Fine, fine, you win. Little ember. And I'll remember your words. No need to treat you carefully from now on." He rested his head on his paws as you lay beside him, face flushed from laughter as you caught your breath.

Who knew Enji had a playful side to him. Perhaps Inko had been right. You were good for each other.

Now you had your pushy bad-tempered pit bull back, and you were going to enjoy it.

~~~~

Enji proved to be a bit of a jerk, but you had softened him up. He Was constantly pushing your buttons. He was in your space constantly, making sure you knew his opinions on everything. But you fought back. He knew better than to mess with you and knew you wouldn't take his bad behavior. You were determined not to let his bad behavior continue. You simply left the room if he lost his temper, and you didn't tolerate resorting to violence. He learned quickly if he wanted to get anywhere with you, he had to be calm.

He began to look forward to your company, the bickering one-sided on your end, but for him, it was exciting. You refused to back down from him and he realized he wouldn't have it any other way. Still, he did enjoy antagonizing you.

"Enji, move your fluffy butt! I have to go to work!" You struggled uselessly against him as he pinned you to the couch with his bulk. His response to your plea was to grumble and relax even further.

"You big galoot, I have to go make money, or would you rather I not feed you?" He huffed and stretched before leisurely climbing off the couch. You rolled your eyes and ruffled his ears and hopped up, brushing red fur off your uniform.

Despite the playful threat, the money issue was worrying you. Enji was a big dog, and you only wanted the best for him. That meant that he had plenty of toys, good quality food, and all the love and affection you could spare. However, money was starting to run tight. You had started to work extra hours as the weather started to get colder.

You bid Enji farewell and left for work, determined to keep up the cheerful appearance.

Enji was left to his own devices while you left. Something he was growing less and less content with. It was fun messing with you, and you didn't take any of his stubbornness. He patrolled the house, working through a training regimen he had perfected for this form. He missed his human form, but being with you made it easier. He was far too intimidating as a human. As a dog, you joked with him, teased him, coddled him, and weren't afraid to let him know when he messed up. He still cringed to think of those first weeks where he had acted like he was still the number two hero. A hero doesn't hurt innocent people, as you had shown him.

He paused by the window, noting the snowflakes coming down from the sky. It was times like these, he remembered Rei. He had been focused on the power he could gain from a union with her when he had married her. She had given him twins, but he knew that she would have moved on by now. He didn't blame her in the slightest. Still, he knew that if he ever came back to her, he'd be a different man. But he knew that he couldn't love her, not truly. The marriage was one of greed, and she would always resent him for that, and he wouldn't be able to blame her. Still, he regretted not being able to offer her his apologies in person.

Watching the snowflakes, he remembered with sharp discomfort that he had been in this form for almost a year now. How the media explained his absence was a mystery and he had tried not to focus on what he had lost. He shook himself out of his thoughts and continued his routine, making sure the apartment was in order before taking the latch of the window with his teeth and pulling it open.

He eased out the window with practiced ease and began a patrol of the area. While he admitted he couldn't be much help in this form, he still couldn't completely give up his hero work. Keeping the apartment complex safe wasn't much, but he had someone to protect here. He had memorized your schedule and noticed that you had been getting out later, so he knew he'd be able to make another circuit before he returned to greet you for the evening.

He stayed out for a couple of hours but was forced to return early as the weather worsened. The gently floating snowflakes from earlier had turned into a whirling blizzard, the icy wind biting into his small form as he made his way home. Pulling the window closed behind him, he was glad for the minimal warmth the apartment offered. One of the things he noticed in this form was the absence of heat his quirk had provided him. He quickly began to regret his foray into the winter weather as his paws ached with cold from the ice-packed into them from his dash home in the inclement weather. He closed the window as best as he could, frowning to himself as it didn't shut properly. Unfortunately, without thumbs, he couldn't fix it, so he resorted to huddling into your blankets, buried under sheets and your stupid allmight themed comforter. One that he had conveniently chewed the face off of.

In his blanket fortress, he found himself dozing, surrounded by the scent of your body wash and detergent. It was a comforting scent and he quickly fell asleep, unaware of whistling wind pushing the window open where the latch had failed to close when he returned.

~~~

Enji dreamed of being human again. He flexed his fingers experimentally, testing the sensation, one he hadn't felt in a long time. He examined his surroundings carefully, the change in perspective disorienting. It was your apartment, but it looked older, the carpet worn and more decorations faded. He picked up one of the dog toys on the floor, marveling at the difference from just earlier that day when you had encouraged him to play with it. Had that been today? It felt like a lifetime away, as dreams never do seem to keep the passage of time constant.

He set the toy down at the sound of the door, eyes widening as they caught on your form. You were shorter than him now. Considering he was 6'4" in this form, it shouldn't have surprised him. But still, it was strange looking down on you. You rolled your eyes with a playful smile and started to put your things away.

"Enji, darling, close your mouth. You'll catch flies like that." He could hear the laughter in your voice as you teased him. Darling? He hadn't heard you use that word for him before. He found he liked the way it sounded from you. Especially if it was reserved for him.

He cleared his throat and stepped forward, helping you remove your coat. His heart caught in his throat when you looked back at him with fondness. He was usually so sure of himself. But this change was strange and he found himself flustered.

"You're so quiet today, hothead." You raised an eyebrow and placed your hands on your hips eyeing him as if he was a puzzle you had most of the pieces of but were having trouble placing the last ones.

"What's wrong? Did you break something while I was out?" You gasped and pointed a finger at him accusingly. "Did you try to get rid of my Allmight stuff again? I swear Enji, I will kill you if you did."

This was too strange to be real, he told himself, watching you silently as you began muttering to yourself and throwing him confused looks. This scenario was too good to be true. He knew this deep down, but he desperately wanted it to be real. He knew he had begun to grow feelings for you, but to have them returned like this felt too alien. He instinctively knew that something was off, but he wanted to pretend, just for a little longer.

He caught your hand mid gesture and placed a gentle kiss to your fingers, a small smirk forming at your flustered silence.

"Quiet yourself little ember. I haven't done anything to your stupid merchandise."

You huffed and pulled your hand from his grip, cheeks red.

"Well then why were you so quiet, dummy?"

He tilted his head lightly, a smile forming on his lips as he stared at you, enjoying the way you refused to meet his eyes a slight pout turning your lips down.

"I missed you," he murmured, gently tilting your chin up so you were looking at him once more.

You melted against him, leaning into his touch, gently holding pressing his hand against your face with your own. He noticed with a start that your hands were cold against his. Your face too. He frowned as you shivered against his palm, eyes opening to reveal crystals forming on your lashes. The color began to drain from your face, lips going blue as you stepped away from him.

He reached towards you, but your skin stung like frost burn against his touch. He desperately tried to pull you close to him, to heat you with his quirk, but he was no longer warm himself. Your skin grew silver and icy as you tried to push him away. His vocal cords were frozen, a cold lump in his throat that refused to form your name. He was forced to watch in terror as you went see-through, body made of ice. And then you crumbled beneath his touch, ice forming cracks, and your eyes met his one last time before you shattered into glittering crystalline ice shards before him.

He woke with a start, paws flailing in panic as he was roused by a loud noise. But it wasn't ice cracking he heard, but the front door striking the wall. slipping out from the blankets, he made his way through the thin powder of snow on the floor from the open window, hurrying to the living room to meet you and make sure you were okay.

The sight that met his eyes was straight out of his dream turned nightmare. You were shivering with cold, clothes clinging to you with ice forming at the folds. Your eyelashes were dusted with snowflakes, and your face was flushed with cold.

Enji whimpered, rushing forward to examine you. You gently shooed him away, not having the energy to be more strict. The freak blizzard struck on your way home from work. As you journeyed through the snow, you had tripped. You had attempted to steady yourself against a tree, but that only caused an avalanche of the cold snow to our down on you from above, soaking you thoroughly. You had hoped to warm up when you came home, but it was just as cold inside as it was outside. The window Enji had failed to close causing the winter chill to follow you inside.

You cursed and desperately removed your soaked jacket, hanging it up before stumbling to the bathroom. A strangled sound of dispair escaped your lips as the faucets failed to work. It seems the pipes had frozen. To top it all off, the lightbulbs flicked before plunging the room into darkness. The power had been knocked out. You were out of options to warm up. You staggered out of the dark room and worked to close the window. Enji trailed behind you, his fear growing as began to look more and more like the icy girl within his dream.

Peeling your wet clothes from your body was a difficult task while you were shaking. While you struggled with the buttons, Enji rushed to your dresser, dragging out the warmest clothes he could find. He left them by your side before sitting against your legs, offering as much warmth as he could with his body, as there wasn't much else he could do. He could hear your teeth chattering now, the sharp sound deafening to him. You changed as quickly as your cold temperature allowed and crawled into your blankets.

"Enji! Up." You patted the bed urgently, holding the blanket up for him to join you.

He curled up against your side, resting his head against your chest, hoping to provide heat to your vital organs. He whimpered against your cold skin, eyes searching your face with concern. This wasn't good. He hadn't been able to save you in his nightmare, and now he was worried he was going to lose you in real life as well.

You closed your eyes and shushed him, holding him close.

"It'll be okay Enji. Just try to conserve your energy. We'll be okay."

You reassured him, but you weren't so certain. With no heating, freezing temperatures, and an already chilled body, you weren't too sure what would happen next. Still, you had Enji and that meant that you'd give him everything you could. What little body heat you had was his.

You tried to fight off sleep, knowing that you weren't supposed to rest when you were freezing. Or was that with concussions? You didn't remember. You were tired, your body shaking with cold. Enji's whimpers were a near-constant sound now. His distress worried you, but you couldn't do more than try to keep him warm at this point.

You were hovering on the edge of sleep when it happened. A quiet pop sound came from nearby and you were vaguely aware of heat beginning to surround you. The blankets were removed and a heavy weight settled around your waist, warming you with an almost uncomfortable heat. You settled into it, wondering if you were reaching hypothermia. They said that once you got really bad, your mind started tricking you into believing you were hot while you froze. Oh well, so long as Enji was warm too.

Enji Cradled you close to his chest. He hadn't been prepared for the switch from dog to human, but he was beyond grateful for it. He had quickly moved you from the bed so as not to set fire to the covers as he activated his quirk. He cradled you against his chest, tucking your head against his neck, resting his chin on the top of your head as he let his quirk dance across his body at a low level.

"Hold on, little ember, you're going to be okay. Just hold on." Enji stroked his thumb against your arm, holding you close as he carefully upped the temperature slowly. He stayed awake well into the night monitoring your condition. He mentally thanked UA for their first aid and rescue classes, knowing that without them, he might have hurt you more than help.

He gently cared for you well into the night, too concerned about you to enjoy the feeling of you in his arms.

~~~~

You woke to a beam of sunlight cascading from your bedroom window. You didn't open your eyes though, you were too comfortable. You felt warm and content. However, the gentle rise and fall of your bed was enough to stir confusion in your sleep-addled mind.

You blearily opened your eyes, the last remnants of sleep blurring your vision. You stared up at red fur before your brain made the correction for you. That wasn't fur. It was hair. A red beard in fact.

Adrenaline shot through your system. You weren't in bed. You were in the arms of a stranger. A very attractive built stranger, but a stranger nonetheless.

You kept your eyes on his face as you carefully tried to work yourself free, prying his fingers from your hip. You watched for any sign of wakefulness. You were almost free when you slipped up. His grip tightened as he began to rouse, eyes slowly opening to reveal the most striking shade of turquoise you'd ever seen.

Enji looked down at you through tired eyes, pleased to see that your color had returned in the night. However, the deer in the headlights look you wore didn't suit you.

"Are you feeling better?" He asked, voice rough with sleep.

You shuddered as you felt the deep sound against you.

"I feel alright, albeit confused," You spoke slowly and cautiously, eyeing the handsome stranger with apprehension.

"Who are you? Where's Enji? He wouldn't have let you in here."

Enji looked up in thought, considering his response carefully.

"Enji is not far at all, ember. He's safe. I want to assure you that you're safe too."

You couldn't help the incredulous noise that escaped you at that.

"I'm sorry, but this doesn't seem like a situation I would deem 'safe'." You mumbled.

He just smiled and shook his head in response. If he wasn't already holding you, you were concerned your knees would have given out at that smile.

"I'm here because of a quirk malfunction. One that turned me and my team into animals upon contact." He looked at you firmly, fixing you into place with his gaze, offering no chance for interruptions.

"My name is Enji Todoroki, hero name: Endeavor. And I was turned into a pit bull that was entrusted to a frankly obnoxious but kind woman. I shared her home and was quite the jerk if I'm being honest. And then, the woman saved my life after I foolishly went after a villain. She shielded me from what would have been a death blow." He looked ahead, not wanting to see her reaction to his explanation.

"She has my respect, and.... should she accept it, my heart."

He waited in silence for a few moments more before looking back at you. You blinked in shocked silence as you worked to process the information. When he opened his mouth to say more, you firmly held a finger to his lips as you worked through your thoughts.

Finally, you looked back at him and narrowed your eyes, removing your finger.

"Prove it. Prove that you're my Enji and not some creep with an insane story?"

His stomach fluttered when you referred to him as 'your' Enji. But he needed to focus.

"Well..." He shifted his hold, rubbing circles on your hip as he thought. "I bit you right before the scorpion villain fight. It was a mistake on my part, and I've wanted to apologize ever since. When you woke up in the hospital, you told me about your quirk. When you get upset, you brew your favorite hot drink and watch your favorite show, knees tucked underneath yourself on the couch. Sometimes you let me join you, leaning against your side. You always laughed when I grumbled at something the characters did, saying I was too much of a critic."

You stopped his babbling once more with a finger to the lips. He leaned forward and kissed the finger, watching as a blush spread across your face.

"So... you are telling the truth." You pulled the hand back to your chest, shoulders relaxed from their tensed state. You relaxed back against his chest before quickly leaning up and pressing a quick kiss to his lips.

"Thank you Enji, for saving me. I would have frozen." You watched as a self-satisfied smile spread over his face. he leaned down for another kiss before you stopped him with a giggle.

"Alright loverboy, that was all you're getting. First, you need clothes and then we're going to go out on a proper first date where you tell me about the human Enji."

"I'm looking forward to it." He grinned before kissing your forehead and standing, gently setting you on your feet.

The dynamic between you two was in for a change, but you looked forward to dealing with this new Enji and learning how to move forward with him in your life.