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starstruckkittensweets · 1 year

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“A Dance with the Devil” | Dabi x Reader

Fandom: My Hero Academia Pairing: Dabi x Reader Words: 6.2k

A/N: This is my very first attempt at writing for a non AoT character, and of course it had to be this guy! On my recent rewatch of MHA to prepare for Season 6 my crush on him was reignited (no pun intended I swear) and now with recent events in the anime and manga I’ve fallen into a hole I can’t seem to get out of. I started this as some basic angst/comfort, but it quickly morphed into something I couldn’t really stop writing. So here’s roughly 6k words of shameless self-indulgent comfort, fluff, flirting, suggestive talk, and awkward pining over some cigarettes and booze. The title’s partially inspired by that “dance with the devil in the pale moonlight” quote, honestly I had a really tough time coming up with a title for this because titles aren’t my thing! But I think it works for what it is. This is also my first time writing for him so I apologize if it’s a little choppy in some places; but I hope you guys enjoy! Oh and happy birthday Dabi you menace to society!

Warnings: mostly SFW, smoking, alcohol consumption, suggestive language, Reader can be very insecure at times, Dabi is an asshole but he tries his best to comfort Reader, this is just very self indulgent and I want to give him a hug and maybe a kiss or two

He’s waiting for you on the rooftop, in your usual spot at the edge. A lit cigarette hanging from his fingertips, flicking the ash down on the city streets below. At the scuffle of your shoes on the stone he shoots you his trademark smirk, motioning to the tiny cooler at his heels.

“About time you showed up.” You give him a shrug as he settles down on the edge with his legs dangling below, practically pulling you down to join him. “Worried you might skip out on me, doll.”

“I had…” Your throat runs dry beneath that burning blue gaze. “…Just had some shit to do.”

He reaches into the cooler and pulls out a beer for himself, before pressing a bottle of cider into your palms. He’s always teased you for your dislike of beer—the way your face scrunches up at the tiniest drop on your tongue, the way it seems to suck out every bit of moisture from your mouth. It took you guys a while to find a drink that didn’t make your insides squirm. Finally settling on a brand of hard cider that was too sweet for his taste, but gave you just the right amount of liquid courage to keep these little midnight trysts afloat.

The bottle opener hanging from your keys trembles against your fingers; you can barely fit the cap into the little slit before Dabi’s hands close over your own, snapping it off in one swift movement. You mumble a quick thanks before tipping back the bottle, hoping to drown out the low chuckle he gives in liquid fire. Or the sight of that damn cigarette barely hanging on between his lips.

“Thought my presence didn’t make you blush anymore,” he croons, and all you can think of is how to make the alcohol work any faster than it already does. “Nice to see it still works, though.”

“It doesn’t…”

But your voice dies in your throat as you nurse the bottle close to your chest, counting the lights of the city sprawled below. It used to be able to calm you down, sitting up here at night, with or without the company of someone else. But tonight it’s different, and no matter how many sips of cider slide down your throat, you can still feel that heavy weight against your chest.

Crushing you until you can barely breathe. Reminding you of just how tired you are, how much of a failure you can be—how much you already are—

“Doll.”

Your jaw tightens when you look over at him. His fingers are already tracing the fabric of your jacket, just above your shoulder.

“…Yeah?”

“You’re quiet tonight.”

“Oh… It’s okay, I’m—”

“Tell me what’s bothering you.”

Oh.

You clear your throat again before raising the bottle one more time. “Nothing’s bothering me, I’m fine. I promise!” It’s the same lie you tell yourself every other day, hoping that just this time, it’ll actually be true. “Nothing you have to worry about, I swear. I’m all—ah!”

His palm is suddenly pressed against the mouth of the bottle, your lips barely brushing over the skin of his knuckles. You yank yourself back as far as you can—with his arm still around you of course—as he plucks the drink from your hands and holds it up to his face. The glass glints against the moonlight, painting his face in a pretty amber shade.

“More than halfway done. You never drink this much this fast. So tell me,” his voice is deeper now, making you tremble all over again, “what’s bothering you?”

Fuck, he’s right! You’re not the fastest when it comes to drinking alcohol—you both know he comes in first in that regard. But from the looks of his beer on the slab of stone beside him, he’s probably had three or four sips tops. And here you are making a fool of yourself, knocking it back like you’re some idiotic girl who’s just gone through her first breakup.

“…I didn’t think you were that observant, Dabi,” you try to brush him off with a laugh, but it only makes him tighten his grip on your shoulder. And then your insides are twisting up again, your fingers itching to grab ahold of something.

Answer him already. He’s caught you, it’s too late to try to save this.

“…Just had a shit day at work… Well, a shit week, more like it.”

But how is that different from any other week at work? It’s always the same, every day rolling by as slowly as possible, little events and annoyances piling up on top of one another until the tears start spilling. Until the weight in your chest becomes too much to handle, and you end up shutting yourself away from the rest of the world to scream into your hands—or a pillow, whatever’s closest to you at the moment.

But it’s not just work—sometimes it’s the neighbors across the hall or next door, others it’s family members with their incessant poking and prodding, or maybe it’s just a random stranger on the street who’s too focused with their own problems to make room for anyone else’s.

Grin and bear it. Be as nice as you can be. Treat others the way you want to be treated. Everyone likes to see a smile, right? So smile until you can’t, until your face begins to ache.

Even if they don’t always smile back.

“I’m just…tired. And I know I shouldn’t be, but I guess I am.” Fuck, why are you even telling him all of this? It’s not like he cares, right?

He’s got more pressing matters to deal with. More important things to worry about, besides your sudden change of mood.

“Sorry, I know I’m being stupid…” Your tongue feels thick against your lips, nails biting into the skin of your palms.

“It’s not stupid if it’s makin’ you this upset.” He drags his thumb below your eye, catching a lone tear before it can fall down your cheek.

No, don’t cry, don’t you fucking start, not now, please not now!

“I…”

You swallow hard and reach for the bottle, whimpering as he holds it just out of arm’s length. You don’t want to feel like this anymore—like you’re a burden, a child, so fucking helpless you have to be coddled.

“One more—just one more sip—”

“Not if you’re gonna suck it all down one go.”

His voice is firm, almost enough to get you to stop reaching for the bottle. But he’s quick to place it down beside his beer, before catching your wrists in his hands. You can’t bear to look him in the eye, instead staring down at the line of staples holding his hands together. Your cheeks are flared up as he leans in close; you can practically taste the smoke on his breath from the cigarette he’s been nursing all night. The same one that’s currently burning on the rim of his beer can, lying forgotten as he brings you close to his chest.

“B-but I—”

“’S fine,” he mumbles, pressing his scarred cheek against your temple.

You snap your mouth shut. What is he doing? He’s never this tender, never one to initiate any kind of touch on his own, unless it’s inherently sexual. The closest you’ve ever gotten was holding hands when the nights got too cold—and he wouldn’t let you live it down as you sat there in your apartment shivering, at least three blankets already wrapped around your shoulders, practically begging for him to warm you up.

He’s never shown any physical interest in you like this, apart from the constant flirting and lighthearted smirks he’s thrown your way over the last year or so you’ve known each other. Never gripped your arms or kissed your cheek or even hugged you. Apart from tugging you down onto the couch and pressing his chest against your back. But you know better than to think there’s more to those touches. You know better than to expect that kind of affection from a man like Dabi.

So then…why now?

With a shaky breath, you squeeze your eyes shut and begin to speak. “I’m just…tired and pissed. Tired of being the only one around here who seems to give a damn. Tired of feeling like nothing I do is good enough—no matter how hard I try. It’s just so…fucking frustrating!”

Your eyes are no longer hot with tears; instead your nails are cutting into your palms, teeth bared against the chill of the night air.

“I try and try and smile as much as I can, but it never gets me anywhere, and I’m just so damn sick of it! And some people only make it worse—no, most people do! But if they don’t really care then why should I? Maybe that’s my fault though, for expecting too much from…”

Your voice dies in your throat when you feel a faint tremble against your fingers. You hadn’t realized that, in the midst of your ranting, you’d grabbed ahold of the lapels of Dabi’s jacket, and now the man was snickering against the top of your head as he cages you in against his chest.

…What the fuck?

“Fuckin’ hell, doll,” he breathes out in a gentle voice, “if I’d known you’d look as hot as you do when you’re pissed off I would’ve ramped it up ages ago.”

Is…is he serious? You roll your eyes and shove him away, nearly knocking over the pair of drinks resting at his side.

“Shut up! I’m practically pouring my heart out and all you can do is laugh, asshole!”

But you’re giggling alongside him, despite everything. It’s weak and pitiful, but at least you’re not crying anymore. And your chest does feel a bit lighter now…

You hold out your hands for the bottle of cider, putting on your best puppy dog pleading face…to no avail as he stubs out his forgotten cigarette and reaches into his coat pocket for a fresh one.

“Don’t know, doll. I don’t want you getting sick or passing out on me.”

“C’mon, just give it to me.” At least the air is less tense. The two of you are back to normal for now. “I won’t pass out, I’ll take it slow. Now give me the drink!”

“Mmm… Dunno.” He slips a second cigarette through his lips and lights it with the tiniest blue flame from the tip of his finger.

“You got it for me in the first place, it’s not like you’re gonna drink it yourself. Now give it to me!”

“You mean the drink or something else? ’Cause I can think of a couple other things to give you right now, dollface.”

“Stop it, you know that’s not what I mean!” You shove his shoulder as hard as you can, eliciting a smug laugh from his lips. “Come on now!”

But then he leans in close—so close you can spot the little rusting staples on the corners of his mouth. “Only if you say the magic word.”

“…You’re joking.”

“Not in the slightest.” And the little upward twitch of his eyebrow pushes you over the edge.

You groan and throw your hands up in defeat. “Such a pain in the ass, fine then! I’ll do it!” Acting like you’re fucking five years old again…

A deep breath fills your chest, as you shift your eyes to meet his own. He takes a drag of his cigarette, blowing a puff of smoke directly into your face.

“…Please? Pretty please?”

“Ooh, I love when you beg for me like that,” he says slyly, and just when you prepare to swat that stupid cigarette right out of his mouth, he’s hovering the bottle of cider over your outstretched palms. “Take it slow. No need to get yourself wasted for the wrong reasons, doll.”

You huff out a soft “thanks” before taking the smallest sip you can muster, well aware of those bright blue eyes on your body. When you’re done you let out a sigh, watching him as he takes another drag, a coil of smoke pooling past his mismatched lips.

“Although,” he continues with a smirk, “I like watching you speak your mind. Should do it more often; let everyone know what you really think of ’em.”

“Ah, I don’t know about that…” You clear your throat when some of the smoke slips past your nose. “I’m not…very good at that.”

“Seemed to be just fine a few minutes ago.”

“Yeah, well…I guess you’re the exception, then.” Unfortunately.

“Aww, I’m flattered.” He presses his hand to his chest, cigarette sealed between his fingers, and holds out his beer in the thin space between you. “So I’m just that special to ya, huh?”

“As if,” you murmur, clinking your drink against his own. “You just know how to push my buttons that much.”

Never mind the fact his face comes to mind practically every day of your life, even when you’re a handful of cities apart. Or the fact you keep the bathroom window unlocked every night just in case he decides to slip in for a quick visit. Or the rolls of gauze and bandages you have stuffed away under the bathroom sink, so you’re prepared if he ever comes in bleeding or burned beyond repair again.

The sly remarks, the taunting tone of voice—even the occasional dirty joke whispered against the shell of your ear. Every little bit of him just grinds your gears and makes your fingers curl. Sends a bolt of heat down your spine until you’re almost sure you’ll pass out…at least until he decides to shift that burning gaze onto something else instead.

“Anyway, how are the others?” Desperate to get his attention off you, despite the tiniest flutter in your chest. “The boss not running you too ragged, I hope?”

He shrugs his shoulders, stretching his arms above his head with a soft groan. The pit of your stomach flares up when the hem of his shirt rides up, showing a sliver of the scarred skin of his abdomen. “Not really, hasn’t been too demanding the last couple weeks.”

“That’s good to hear. At least you have some time to kill between jobs, too.”

“All the more reason to swing by here,” he adds, tapping his drink to yours before taking another sip.

You’re well aware of his less than favorable views of the world you live in, and the profession that comes along with them. It wasn’t hard to piece together; one too many refusals of going to the hospital rather than your tiny apartment when he needed some patching up led you to convince him to cough it up. Not that he shied away from villainous activities in your presence. Just spared you from the details of some of his more gruesome jobs. And at the end of the day, a small part of you is thankful for that, even after all this time.

The two of you slip into easy conversation between sips, a thin trail of smoke hovering over your heads. He keeps the names of his cohorts under wraps, as though they’re not blasted over the evening news every other day or so. You’ve only had the pleasure of meeting Toga, after she stubbornly—and not so stealthily—followed Dabi to one of your nightly meetups on this very rooftop. She’s not so bad, once you look past the sharpened blades strapped around her waist and thighs. A bit hyper and outgoing, but she can be a lot of fun to hang around with.

She’s always begging you to spend a girls’ night with her to talk about boys, but you know you’ll never hear the end of it from Dabi if you agreed—meeting up with a dangerous villain on your own, knowing full well they could kill you at any moment, and everything along those lines. He fails to see any irony in this; when you asked him about it one night, he simply slung his arm around your shoulders and pulled you in close.

“You said it yourself, doll, I’m the only exception around here.”

Still, once in a while you’ll get a text from an unknown number (probably one of those burner phones Dabi’s always using), and you’ll end up spending the rest of the night talking to Toga. She’s a great listener, too—and a master at keeping secrets. Even without the threat of a fiery demise, she’s promised not to spill to the rest of their little band about your relationship with Dabi.

If you can even call it that, at this point.

“Just so you know,” he breaks the silence with a grunt, “don’t look for me in the next week or so.” His voice is softer now, taking a longer drag from his cigarette than before. “Something’s come up, boss needs everyone this time.”

“Oh…okay.”

Your knuckles hurt from how hard you’re clutching the bottle. He never means it, whenever he gives a date like that. A few days could easily turn into a few months—a couple weeks at most, if you were lucky. Worst case scenario, this could very well be the last time you saw him.

Heroes did it all the time. How many sullen faces flashed over the news at night, sharing bittersweet memories of their loved ones lost to needless combat? You never saw yourself as a fan of heroes growing up, never even aspired to be one yourself. It wasn’t a lifestyle that appealed to you, with how isolated it seemed to be. And you were well aware of the risks that came with being one, or even caring for one.

It’s the same for any villain out there, maybe even more. Treat each day as though it’s your last. Otherwise you’ll end up cuffed and chained in a cell—or maybe even six feet underground. There’s no room for meaningless attachments or unwanted feelings. Squash those down now while you can, or you’ll regret it even more down the line.

This would be the sixth time Dabi’s left you. At least this time he’s given you a fair warning.

“…How long will you be gone?”

“Can’t say.” Another drag, just one more sip of his beer. The hollow sound it gives as he places it down makes you feel a bit better about your own drinking. At least I’m not the only one who’s almost finished. “No way of knowing how long this’ll take.”

“Oh.” Just drop it, you’ll only get yourself worked up. “…So no Toga either then, huh?”

He scoffs and rolls his eyes. “Sadly no—but she’s never gonna shut up about you until we get back. Little shit,” he adds under his breath.

“…Okay.”

This time he turns to look at you; you give him a smile, trying to ignore the swirling in the pit of your stomach.

“You don’t sound okay.”

“Hm? Nah, I’ll be fine. You got shit to do, I get it. I’ll just be waiting for you until you get back.”

If you come back.

It makes your stomach squirm, the thought of not having Dabi in your life anymore. He’s an asshole, no way around it. He’s the reason your couch constantly smells of burnt skin and smoke, the reason for all those bloody bandages clogging up the little trash can you have in the bathroom. He keeps you awake until the ungodly hours of early morning, has a habit of stealing snacks from the fridge whenever he pleases, and always has you on edge whenever you’re out in public. As though any random passerby will catch a whiff of smoke from your clothes and immediately trace it back to Dabi.

But he’s also the reason you’re not as scared walking home in the dark anymore. The reason you watch the sun go down with a smile, wondering if tonight he’ll stop by for a quick visit. The reason you’re not as lonely as you used to be. He might be a villain, but he’s a damn good security blanket. Not to mention a free heater whenever the nights get cold.

“You go do what you gotta do, and don’t worry about me, alright?”

You can’t help but grimace at the bottle in your hand—not a drop left inside. Wordlessly he plucks another from the cooler, flicks the cap off with ease and passes it towards you. The alcohol still burns down your throat, though not as strong as before.

Just don’t leave me out here all by myself.

The next few minutes crawl by in complete silence, save for the sounds of the city below. He presses his cigarette into the stone before lighting up a fresh one with the flame at his fingertip.

A sudden boldness grabs ahold of you, and you find yourself motioning to the little cancer stick between his lips, before tapping your finger against your mouth. He shakes his head with a soft laugh, taking another puff and plucking it from his lips.

“I’m startin’ to think I’m a bad influence on you, doll. Drinking, smoking… What happened to that good girl image of yours, huh?”

Your nose scrunches up at the smoke near your face. “You were the one who thought I had that image—I never claimed to have it myself.”

A quick inhale, a glowing speck of blue, and suddenly you’re coughing up a storm, pounding at your chest with your fist.

“You sure about that?” He’s outright laughing now, as he reaches in the cooler for another beer. “Still can’t handle a tiny bit of smoke, huh?”

“I can handle it just fine. I spend all my time with you, after all!”

The laughter dies down, the cigarette’s back in his hand…and your stomach twists when you start to feel that heavy weight settling back in your chest.

You’re going to miss these nights. Just being stupid with him over a couple of drinks, as though you’re the only two people in the world. That damn smirk, those cocksure blue eyes, the way he always seems to find his grip on your shoulder, your hips, your—

“Pass me your phone.”

You quirk an eyebrow but obey nevertheless. Not the smartest move, handing a well-known villain your phone, but you’ve done worse than that in his presence. You still remember the night you gave him your number, the second time he found himself in your apartment, bloodied and beaten and leaning on the edge of the kitchen counter. You had rolled your eyes, grabbed the nearest pen you could find, and scrawled the digits on the palm of his hand.

“In case you need a doctor again,” you sneered, and he only responded with a smirk. “Keep this up and I might start charging you for your visits.”

But he kept coming back, and you never did charge him.

It takes him a few moments to find whatever he’s looking for. Hell, he could be sifting through all your personal texts to your family and you would be none the wiser.

A cool breeze slips through the air; you bring my knees up to your chest and continue to stare at the city below. Listening to the furious clicking of keys, the soft hum when Dabi finally seems to find what he’s been looking for.

A soft tune fills the air around you. He places your phone on the little slab of stone between you, looking rather pleased with himself as he turns the volume up to the highest setting. And before you can blink he’s pushing himself to his feet, his cigarette forgotten beside his drink.

He snaps his fingers, taps his heel with each beat of the song. It’s an older one, a song you haven’t heard in quite a few years. Not something you would associate with the villain beside you. Then again he’s always been full of surprises, hasn’t he?

He spins on his heel—nearly knocking over his beer can—and flashes you a smirk. It’s hard to keep a straight face as you watch him swaying from side to side, the elated look on his face making your throat close up all over again.

“What are you doing?”

He doesn’t answer you, only twirls around once more in time with the music. But then he’s smirking again, stretching a hand out to you. You shake your head as fast as you can, and that fuzzy feeling in your chest only worsens as he slowly makes his way over to you.

“Ah, I…I don’t really dance.”

“Too bad.”

A startled yelp fills your ears, your shoes scraping against the rooftop as he pulls you into his chest. Fingers laced around your wrist, his other hand pressed against the small of your back. Too warm—your hand slips against his chest, in the dip of skin between his scars and the collar of his shirt.

“D-Dabi, I’m serious!” Another gasp as he tugs you in and spins around. It’s a miracle you manage not to step on his heavy boots. “I can’t dance!”

“If you think you can’t dance, you haven’t been doing it right, doll.”

It’s almost overwhelming, being this close to him, face to face like this. So close you can count each individual staple embedded in the skin of his face, holding him together. The ridges of scarred skin beneath his eyes, the glimmer of the triple piercings on the side of his nose—

Fuck, he’s staring—I’m staring—!

“Aww, what’s the matter?” You can barely hear the music anymore, with his voice so close to your ear. “Still scared of me? Thought you were braver than this.”

“I am! You’re just…” An insufferable piece of shit. A constant headache to deal with. A cocky villain who thinks he can sweet talk me into anything he wants to do. “…Just…you.”

“I’m flattered, doll. That’s probably the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.” He spins you both around one more time, keeping his hand firm against your back. “If I didn’t know any better, I would think you got a soft spot for me.”

“As if!” You hate to say it, but it’s getting a bit easier to move your feet, keeping rhythm with his own. “I don’t think I could ever have a soft spot for you.”

“No? Well, that’s a shame. I was kinda hopin’ for a different answer.”

Suddenly he’s pushing you away, keeping his hold on your wrist, snickering at the soft grunt that slips through your lips. He yanks you back in, twirling you beneath your clasped hands, before your back slams into his chest, and his arms coil around your waist.

“For someone who claims they can’t dance, you’re not half bad.” You can feel him smirk against your cheek as your blood freezes in your veins. So close, so fucking close. “You have no problem keeping up with me.”

“I don’t really have a choice,” you choke out as he readjusts his grip, shifting you around so your chest is against his own once more. “You’re throwing me from side to side. Is this what you call dancing, Dabi?”

He traces his lips with his tongue, and suddenly you can’t stop staring at the little silver piercing right on the tip. Wait, how long has he had that? And have I seriously just noticed that now?!

“It’s dancing as long as you’re having fun.” His voice is a low growl in his chest, sending a surge of heat right to your stomach. “And I’m having a blast right now, doll.”

You suck in a breath at the touch of his fingers against your back, slipping under your shirt to graze the skin beneath. He quirks an eyebrow, readjusting his grip on your wrist, before spinning you around one more time.

Fine. He wants to play like that then, huh?

Before you can think about it, you’re wrapping an arm around the back of his neck, pushing into his chest with all your might. He stumbles briefly before regaining his step—but you’re already leaning in close, lips pressed against the shell of his scarred ear.

“And what would you do if I said yes?” Suddenly you’re grateful for the alcohol coursing through your veins, giving you that extra leap of courage to pull this little act off. “If I told you I had a special spot for you, huh?”

But he doesn’t falter like you thought he would. Instead he jerks his body to the side, tugging you down until he’s dipping you towards the edge of the roof. The city sounds are little more than low hums; completely irrelevant with those bright blue eyes on your own.

“That depends. What would you want me to do?”

“Dunno.” The words spill out faster than you can stop them. “I’m down for anything you have in mind.”

“Is that so?”

It’s only when he pulls you back into his chest that you realize the mistake you’ve made. The hand around your wrist comes to rest against the column of your throat. The tiniest squeeze has you wincing, your face flushed with heat, your heart exploding in your chest. His fingers heat up ever so slightly, and a shiver drips down your spine.

His flames have never frightened you. They’ve killed plenty of people, reduced countless buildings to rubble and ash. They’ve left ragged scars along his body, a testament of just how dangerous they can be if left unchecked. He could easily kill you if he loses control—or simply if he feels like it.

But fear is the last thing you’re feeling right now. All you can see are those beautiful blue eyes, the same shade as the sparks emitting from his palm, the scent of smoke still strong in the air…

And the sudden rush of heat that’s pooling in your stomach at the mischievous glint in his eye.

“Be careful, doll, or else I might get the wrong idea.”

I can stop and leave right now if you want. Tell me what you want.

You should listen to him. You should shake your head and admit he’s right, that you’re way in over your head, so your night can continue underneath the stars. Before one or both of you has drunk too much and you stumble back down the fire escape and into your apartment. You should stop this before you do something you know you’ll regret in the morning. Before you end up ruining whatever dynamic you have, crushing any sparks of that forbidden something else you’ve been wondering about for the last few months.

But instead you curl your fingers around his own, pressing them deeper into the skin of your throat.

“Trust me,” your voice is barely a whisper, “I want this.”

In the few times you’ve imagined kissing Dabi—when you’re unable to fall asleep in the dead of night, or when you’ve had a few more drinks than usual—you always thought he would be rough. Quick and searing like his flames, leaving no room for you to breathe. You wondered if he would be demanding with his hands, tugging at your hair, nipping at your mouth, or slotting himself between your legs. He seems like the kind of guy to have priorities like that.

You suck in a breath as he leans in, mismatched lips pressing against your own. The first thing you notice is the slight tremble of his palm, the way his fingers quiver beneath your own. But he’s pulling away from your throat before you can blink, curling his hand around the back of your head.

His skin is burning against your own, but his mouth is startlingly soft. Even with his scars and piercings he’s still so gentle, cradling you into his body as though you might break. Soon your hands are in his hair, fingers tugging at black tendrils and pulling him in as close as you possibly can.

The song finally ends, a breath of silence before another one takes its place. It’s a slower beat, one meant for romantic dances or sensual dates between lovers. A part of you wonders if he chose these songs on purpose, just to try to win you over.

Your breaths are getting shorter with every traded kiss; your knees begin to buckle as he slides a hand down to rest at your waist. Every inch of you is blazing with heat, the alcohol making your head swim, your nails desperately scraping at the hem of his shirt, your chest tightening at the ragged patch of skin splayed across his stomach—

Your heel knocks into something on the roof, the sound of a splash filling your ears. The two of you jerk away from each other in time to see the bottle of cider tipped over, the alcohol dripping down the edge of the roof.

“Better watch yourself there,” he snickers against the shell of your ear. “Don’t want you getting hurt all the way up here.”

“I’m fine!” But your words are already starting to blend together, the faint pounding of your head matching the beat of your heart.

“Like hell you are—two drinks in and you’re already tipsy. Let’s call it a night, sweetheart.”

“I said I’m fine!” You can’t stop yourself from smiling as you swipe your palms over your eyes, watching as he leans down to grab the (now) empty bottles and cans. “You…you just made it worse, you know!”

Kissing me like that, how can I not act a little tipsy?

“Aww, you’re so sweet.” He throws the rest of the drinks into the cooler, flicks the remains of his final cigarette over the side of the roof. “C’mere, let’s get you to bed.”

“But you’re tipsy too, aren’t you?”

“Only a little,” he replies with a smirk, leading you down the fire escape as carefully as he can. “I know how to handle my alcohol, unlike a certain someone I know.”

“…Shut up or you’ll be dancing alone next time…”

“That’s a shame, I had a completely different dance in mind.” He licks his lips again, flashing that damn piercing on his tongue, as though you’re not already lightheaded enough. “But we’ll save that for next time, doll. When we can both remember it.”

“Huh, bold of you to think I’d want to remember it.”

His arm presses into the rung above your head, caging you against the steps of the fire escape, just outside your balcony door. It’s hard to stop the smile on your face as he leans in close, looking rather insulted at your little comment.

“You really don’t think I can make you feel good?”

“I don’t know—if you’re half as good as you are at annoying me…then I might have some pretty high expectations.”

He chuckles, his smoky breath warm against your cheeks. “Then I’ll just have to prove you wrong when I get back.”

His words are a kick in the gut, a grim reminder of the reality around you. He slips your phone back into your hand and slides the door open to let you both in. All the while your mind is racing, wondering if anything you say will get him to—

“Stay with me.”

“Already planned on it, doll.”

He sets the cooler down on the counter before flopping down in his usual spot on the couch. His long legs bend over the arm as he shuffles out of his coat, the scent of ash strong as you settle into his side.

But before he can kiss you again you grab his face with both hands, bringing his eyes up to meet your own.

“I mean it—stay with me. Not just for the night…” Your mouth goes dry, the words aren’t coming as easily as you want them to. “…You just…you better fuckin’ come back to me, alright? Or else I’m locking you out of my apartment for good!”

You expect him to roll his eyes, to laugh you off or even tease you for being so clingy. But instead he tugs you into his chest, his lips warm against your forehead.

“Yeah, you got it. I’ll come back, doll.”

You don’t know if you believe him, if you should believe him. Not when you both know you’re going to wake up to an empty couch tomorrow morning, only the lasting smell of smoke to keep you company.

“I’m holding you to that,” you murmur, pressing a finger to the line of staples running down his chin. He twists away with a grimace, and the ache in your chest slowly begins to melt away.

“Fine, whatever. Just go to sleep already, before you really do end up kicking me out.”

You roll your eyes before nestling your face into the crook of his neck. “Suit yourself—goodnight, asshole.”

“’Night, dollface.”

You know it can’t last—not for tonight, maybe not ever. Maybe it’s the alcohol swirling around in your veins, or the smell of ash so strong you think it might choke you. But suddenly you’re smiling against the scarred skin of his neck, idly tracing over the ridges and stitches left behind from his flames. The effects of the alcohol and touch of his skin are lulling you to sleep…but before you feel yourself slip away, you lean in close and press your lips to the shell of his ear.

“Better come back to me, I’m still counting on that second dance.”

#dabi x reader #dabi x you #dabi x y/n #touya todoroki x reader #touya todoroki x you #mha x reader #dabi #touya todoroki #mha fics

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houkagokappa · 9 months

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9 people you want to know better

Thanks for tagging me, @mobloomspell!

last song I listened to: Speed Drive from Barbie

currently watching: I'm not watching anything right now, unless you count the anime I haven't finished from last season (Mahou Shoujo Magical Destroyers and Tokyo Mew Mew New 2nd season) that I still plan on finishing, but haven't touched in weeks/months. I spent almost all summer away from home doing fieldwork and watching tv didn't fit in with that. I came home yesterday, but I'm still pretty busy, so I don't know when I'll have the chance to catch up with anything new.

currently reading: Hikaru ga Shinda Natsu got a new chapter this morning and it's what keeps me going week to week. I love it so much, it's my favourite ongoing series and one of the best manga I've ever read. I'm also keeping up with The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn't a Guy at All, although I might put it on hold since I hate how short the chapters are (the reading experience gets too choppy), Fantasy Bishoujo Juniku Ojisan to, which has had some very interesting developments in the latest chapters, Daddy's Sexy Dolls, which you'll know about if you read my yuri post, Akebi-chan no Sailor Fuku, which is insanely good and has had some exciting developments as well - we're moving full speed towards yuri with that one, and My Girlfriend's Not Here Today, also from my yuri post/adventures. For older works I'm halfway through Nijigahara Holograph. I don't like it that much, Asano Inio has never done anything for me, and then I'm reading Pink by Okazaki Kyoko, which I adore, although I've only read a few chapters so far (I had to put it on hold since I couldn't find all of them earlier in the summer, but now I got them and I'm excited to continue!!!).

current obsession: That new Hunter x Hunter promotional video brought back all my Hunter x Hunter feels... It's horrible... It's one of those series I have to keep some distance to, because if I don't I literally cannot function, I spend all day thinking and crying over it. It's the same with NO.6 (which also made a return to my life in the form of Nendoroids) and Kaze to Ki no Uta. Besides that, I've been getting into and reading a whole lot of josei manga, which has been a lot of fun! Okazaki Kyoko (mentioned above) has become a new favourite author of mine, her stories are very raw and real. Moyoco Anno has a similar style, and I'm interested in checking out more works from Yamashita Tomoko. There's also Okazaki Mari, who I've heard and seen good things from! I've spent almost all summer reading, whenever I wasn't working or being social, and I'd love to continue, there's so much I want to get into!!

I'm tagging @theurbanfuturesoftherecentpast, @ihearasound, @itskyatto, @celia-the-pikachu, @nezoomi, @cookiecthulhu, @akroglam, @natsunes and @kuragawa-rumiko

#tagged #thanks for the tag i always love answering stuff like this!#if anyone sees this and would've liked to be tagged pls pretend that i tagged you to play along

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trashexplorer · 1 year

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BLCD Review: Smoky Nectar

Title: Smoky Nectar (スモーキーネクター)

Author/Artist: Minazuki Akira

Release Date: 2021/07/14

Cast:

Satou Takuya x Enoki Junya

Komatsu Shouhei

Muro Genki

Taito Ban

Tsuchida Reo

Hasegawa Ikumi

Sugiyama Riho

Kobayashi Kousuke

Okada Sachiko

Kida Tasuku

Synopsis: Writer Hasegawa Mitsuru has been investigating a case that was rumored to be the work of vampires known as “Biters”. His childhood friend, Annaka Yuusei, a.k.a. Anna, warns him not to stick his head into where it doesn’t belong.

Review Proper

Just something about this is weird. The manga’s pretty fluid on its own, but it’s kinda, uhh, choppy? in the BLCD. Although I’m not sure if Smoky Nectar’s a serious manga with some comedy here and there, 50:50 serious and comedy, or is a comedy with some serious moments... it kinda doesn’t work in the BLCD. I mean, SatoTaku and Junya did well during the serious parts, but they seem to stumble during the comedy or the parts that lead to the comedic moments. Maybe the comedy just doesn’t transition well into the audio adaptation. *shrugs*

Let’s jump straight into the voice work, shall we?

I was quite interested in listening to this ‘cause yo??? Juujin bottoms??? If Daath and Kai were in these tones in Kemonohito, I would ship them 100% lmao, but then, uhh, idk, Junya was kind of a mess here. We’ll get to SatoTaku later, but I feel like they didn’t record this together. I do not like how Junya drags his moans on during their bedroom Redcross donations because he sounds very out of sync with SatoTaku’s ministrations (this is only very obvious in the first, though). I think he also has a hard time expressing the deadpan humor Mitsuru has. Sometimes my mind wanders off and starts having thoughts of either Reio, Ban, or Shouhei potentially being a better option for Mitsuru. That might just be my other issue with Junya. He was a bit too low for Mitsuru. I feel like if he was in a higher register, then he would’ve been able to express Mitsuru’s feelings better.

Now, as for SatoTaku, the man wasn’t free of my suspicions either. SatoTaku was a little too smooth to match Anna’s equally deadpan humor. I’m not saying that SatoTaku can’t comedy ‘cause sis you’ve heard Sonna ni, right??? But as compared to Anna, Shinobu’s more dynamic a character. Niyama and Ginger also gave the cast time to prepare before a big change in moods. Huh, I’m starting to think that this is the same thing that went down in Takasaki Bosco’s Torokeru Kuchibiru. I feel like Makonyan or Ono Yuuki would’ve done this better. But I know, I FUCKING KNOW, why Fifth Avenue got SatoTaku for this.

Thanks to Fifth Avenue, I know have my ringtone set to SatoTaku saying “erro” in the Mini Drama on repeat.

Goddamn I fucking flatlined on that one. I wasn’t really expecting much from the Mini Dramas, so thanks. 👍

Anyway, I also have to say that the sound effects as well as the bgms suck balls lmao. FIFTH AVENUE PLS. The main piano bgm also starts and ends in random places. There was also this part where Anna jumps off from a fucking building to the floor on the ground, making a table flip. Like we all know how a table sounds like flipped, right??? It definitely won’t sound like a chair shaking! 😂 I don’t think Fifth Avenue even cared at that point.

This was actually a pretty decent adaptation despite the many issues I have with it. It’s pretty faithful to the manga too, although I would recommend reading the manga once before ‘cause you wouldn’t know what they were doing in real time without the visual cues. This is an action bl too, after all. If you’re looking for another vampire (the “biter” thing also threw me off a bit, but the “nectar” concept wouldn’t survive without ig) bl, I raise you Yuri Azuru’s Fujitsu de Fumou na Koi no Kami-kon starring Okitsu and Egu. That one’s a little disappointing on the action front, but it was a good vampire bl nontheless. Okitsu’s Lark was also a good comedic/spontaneous type, so that’s good vampire + comedy!

#blcd reviews #blcd 2021 reviews #smoky nectar #minazuki akira #fifth avenue #satou takuya #enoki junya #komatsu shouhei #muro genki #tsuchida reiou #hasegawa ikumi #sugiyama riho #kobayashi kousuke #okada sachiko #kida tasuku

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gaiakoraidon · 4 months

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2023 Christmas and Chopper Birthday Special: My Brother, the Reindeer

AN: Merry Christmas everyone, and I wish a happy birthday to my beloved Tony Tony Chopper from One Piece! I had the idea to write not only a Christmas special for the whole crew, but also a birthday special for my shapeshifting Reindeer son Chopper. I'm very happy that Netflix's live action adaptation of the legendary anime and manga got into this wonderful series this year since a lot of good things were happening in its community. Oda should be proud of how far his series has come and with the fans both old and new to support him along the way! Hope everyone has a lovely Christmas this year, and here's to me celebrating Chopper's birthday for the first time; art by me!

As a quick add on, I'm making Meloetta's Relic Song the lullaby Mirai hums or sings to Chopper cause it's such a beautiful, underrated tune!

Five years ago....

She heard the tiny footsteps come to her doorstep as she laid there in her bed curled up to stay warm from the cold temperatures outside of Drum Castle. Mirai sat up as she watched Chopper open the door to her bedroom with a saddened look on his face. He was clutching his hooves in a nervous way as he stepped inside. "Chops, why are you up this late at night?" Mirai asked in a groggy way as she rubbed her eyes and yawned. "Shouldn't you be asleep?"

Chopper nodded, but then said, "I couldn't sleep. I was wondering if I could sleep with you tonight?" Mirai smiled and nodded, gesturing Chopper to climb onto her bed. Kureah usually didn't mind this, since she loved both of her "kids" dearly and often smiled whenever she checked on them at night, seeing them snoozing together like siblings. Chopper's eyes lit up as he giggled and climbed up onto Mirai's bed, the hybrid helping him up as she sat him on her lap and stroked his head.

"Now now Choppy, what happened?" Mirai asked him. "Well...I was having a bad dream that I couldn't find you, and I thought I lost you and...and..." Chopper sniffled as he spoke, not knowing what else to say as he placed his head on Mirai's chest. Stroking his back, Mirai then said, "I'm not going anywhere, Chops. I'm always going to be by you, but if something were to happen to me, or if you can't find me..." Chopper looked back up at Mirai, a few tears still in his eyes and Mirai placed her hand on his chest. "I'll forever be here. In your heart. Just like how you'll be in mine if something were to happen to you."

He then nodded in response, thanking Mirai for cheering him up as he hugged her, Mirai soon stroking his back again as she repaid his thank you. After the hug, Mirai then said, "Christmas is coming up, and so is your special day." She smiled, making a lightbulb flash in his head. "You're right. It's not too far away," he replied. He then giggled to himself when he thought about his birthday coming up. Mirai always did something special for him every year to show how much she loved him as a sibling. Mirai heard her brother's giggles and couldn't help but giggle herself.

"You think Mother will do something for Christmas this year like with what she did last year?" Mirai then asked Chopper, looking back up at her. He shrugged in response, saying, "You mean Doctress? Maybe. Who knows?" Mirai nodded again. It was always surpring to find out that Kureah would do Christmas at the castle for the three of them. It was a way to show how much she loved them.

Mirai then yawned as she fell back on her bed, almost making Chopper fall off. She did gesture Chopper to get under her bed covers, and he did just that, getting warm by the warmth of the covers. "Sleep well Chopper. See you tomorrow...and also for Christmas and your birthday," the hybrid said as she shut her eyes.

Chopper also wished Mirai a goodnight as he laid there and looked up at the ceiling, arms out of the bed covers. He smiled to himself, excited to see what Mirai would do for him this year as moonlight poured into the bedroom Mirai called home.

-----------------

Now

Chopper woke up with a smile on his face. Today was finally the day. Not only was it Christmas, but his birthday too. The one thing he loved about Christmas was that his friends always celebrated both Christmas and his birthday on the same day, and they always did something special for him, not just his Mirai. Giggling, he said to himself, "It's my birthday! I can't wait to see what Mirai and the others will do for me this year!"

He slipped out of his sleeping cot with a smile on his face as he walked over to a calendar in the men's corridor room on the Thousand Sunny, taking a pen and marking off another day on it, circling today's day. On it happened to be a cake with Chopper's face on it, signaling that it was his birthday, and not just Christmas. He couldn't help but smile as he changed into some conformable clothes and placed his hat on as he left the men's room to enter the main deck of the Sunny, the warm sun hitting his face, the waters soothing his ears.

Many of the members who were already out wished their reindeer friend a happy birthday as he made his way to the women's corridor room to go see Mirai. Luffy had actually given him permission to go sleep with Mirai whenever he felt like it, since he always liked sleeping with her. He felt both safe, warm, and even touched whenever his Mirai was by his side. "Hey Mirai!" Chopper exclaimed as he poked his head into the women's room. When he noticed that it was empty, he hesitated before looking around the rest of the room. "Mirai?" he asked again as he searched.

"Mirai?" Chopper asked a final time as he walked around the Sunny, leaving the women's room. He soon heard her speak from the kitchen. "Yes, Sanji, that's what I meant. I want this cotton candy cake done before dinner tonight. You think you can get it done?" Mirai asked from the kitchen. She was striking a conversation with the Straw Hat cook, Sanji. "Of course I can Mirai dear. Anything for you and for the birthday boy today," he replied. "Oh thank you. You're a lifesaver!" the hybrid then answered. Chopper walked into the kitchen and saw the two of them talking.

"Mirai! Sanji!" he exclaimed with a wave. Both of them saw him and replied back with a hello. When he asked what they were up to, Mirai replied with, "Oh, nothing much. Sanji actually was thinking about some new recipes for dinner this year as well as a way to prevent Luffy from inhaling the turkey like how he did last year." Rolling his eyes, Sanji said, "You know he inhaled the turkey last Thanksgiving." Chopper shuddered hearing Sanji speak that, since he remembered that day as well.

After hesitating, the reindeer then asked, "Um, Mirai? Could I ask you something?" Mirai turned back to Chopper and said, "Choppy, can you wait for a little bit? Once me and Sanji are done discussing things I'll talk with you, ok?" Chopper hesitated again, soon nodding softly as he heard his sister say, "Now where were we? Oh yeah, the recipe ideas." The reindeer could hear Mirai say something to Sanji, but he couldn't exactly tell what as he left the kitchen a bit disappointed. He closed the door behind him as cook and hybrid began to talk.

Chopper made his way back to the office he and Mirai worked at as he sat at his desk, sighing. Surely she didn't forget. Right? he thought as he laid his head on his desk, moaning. Chopper knew that his sister would never forget his special day. The same applied with the rest of the Straw Hats. Usopp eventually walked into the doctor's office to check on the reindeer. "Chopper? Are you alright? I just came to check on you," the sniper said to his friend. Ears twitching, Chopper looked up at Usopp and said, "Yeah. I'm fine." He sighed. "Do you think Mirai forgot?"

Usopp sat on the doctor's bed as Chopper span his chair around to face him. The lightbulb clicked when Usopp understood what Chopper meant. "Your birthday? Of course no! We never forget each other's birthdays! I bet Mirai is working very hard to make your special day as wonderful as usual, just like how we're all working hard to make Christmas wonderful again!" he exclaimed. This made Chopper feel better as he sighed, hoofed hands over his chest. He knew she wouldn't forget. Looking at Usopp, Chopper thanked Usopp for the encouragement as the two left the doctor's office together.

They arrived on the main deck, and Chopper forgot to take in all of the hard work the crew had done to make the Sunny very festive. She was covered in Christmas lights, long tuffs of cotton were on most of her rims, and even a tree was on her main deck, centered around the eleven of them: the captain and his ten crew members. It was just what he wanted when he first made the Straw Hats. There were even gifts under the themed tree, with a huge pile of gifts for Chopper. His Christmas presents were also technically his birthday ones, since they celebrated his birthday and Christmas on the same day. Mirai only got him two things. One for Christmas, and the other for his birthday. A special thing for showing him how much she loved him.

"I forgot how much love and effort we put into decorating Sunny," Chopper told Usopp, who replied, "Yeah. Same here. In the end, I can say it was all worth it with how in the Christmas spirit she looks!" What Chopper didn't know that Sanji, by Mirai's request, was making a cotton candy cake for him. She couldn't wait to see his reaction when it got presented during dinner. It filled her heart with joy even more knowing that she told the others, and they loved the idea.

As a tradition, the other Straw Hats all did their own things with Chopper to show how much they appreciated him as a crew member, saving Mirai's for last. Luffy was first, telling Chopper how much he liked him as a best friend, and even let him wear Luffy's hat. Chopper laughed happily at this response. Nami let Chopper help in on her map, and the reindeer enjoyed it a lot, even striking a conversation with her too. Zoro took his training day off to chill with the reindeer he called a brother, just telling him some fighting tips. Usopp and Chopper both had a snipping contest, Chopper turning into a human close to Mirai and Usopp's age to actually hold and shoot the spare snipe Usopp had. Even if he wasn't the best at it, he still had fun.

Sanji was done with the cake by the time Chopper came to see him, for it was hidden in the freezer. Chopper helped out in the kitchen for a day with Sanji, and the cook smiled whenever he looked at the reindeer having fun. Chopper got to play a card game with Robin, since the two of them always liked playing board and card games whenever she was free. After all, he saw her as a mother figure. On a usual term, Franky and Chopper usually goofed around, the reindeer always marveling at Franky's upgrades he did to himself over the past two years. Franky even wished Chopper a "super" birthday, making the reindeer blush and do an embarrassment dance in response. Seeing him as a father figure, it was no shock that the reindeer always saw the cyborg shipwright as an idol.

Brook happened to play Chopper and Mirai's favorite song, and it made the reindeer sigh happily as the notes soothed his ears. He always remembered hearing Brook play it during Mirai's birthday too, the day where he got to do something for her. Finally, Jinbei had plotted something with Chopper. Even they were simple stories, Chopper enjoyed each and every one of them, becoming interested by the moment.

When everything was done, Chopper returned to the main deck, a smile across his face. He was grateful to have not only his adoptive sister, but the rest of the Straw Hat pirates with him. He didn't know what he'd do without them. They were like his true family, and he was just so happy to have them. "Hey! You guys better not of started gift opening without me!" Mirai shouted from inside the doctor's office as she ran out of the door. "Hey Mirai! We were about to-" Luffy was cut off by Nami slapping him from the back of his head, making him dizzy. Jinbei's eyes widened in shock as he slowly backed away from the enraged Nami. Mirai summoned her wings as she rejoined the others.

When Luffy woke back up, he told Mirai his full sentence: "We were about to begin, well, until you showed up!" He laughed afterwards, making Nami roll her eyes. Robin reassured her that everything was alright. "Since it's tradition..." Zoro started. "The birthday boy opens his presents first!" Luffy shouted, jumping into the air. "Yes. That's true," Robin added with a smile. Chopper's eyes lit up as he turned back to his friends and smiled at them. "You guys are so cool!! Thank you all!!" he shouted. With that, the gifts were handed out, and Mirai smiled as she watched her brother open his gifts in delight. He even liked the first gifts Mirai got for him: a purple scaled bracelet that looked like her dragon scales and a mini pouch for his Rumble Balls. Since he had gifted her a cherry blossom one, the hybrid thought it was fair to get him one that matched hers; since she had a pouch for her Rumble Balls, she thought getting Chopper one for his would be adorable.

"Was the pouch your idea? I mean, I never thought about storing my own Rumble Balls in a pouch..." Chopper asked Mirai as he looked at the pouch, admiring the painting of the small face silhouette of his Monster Point on it. "Yes. It was my idea! Well it's the picture since I did paint it. Me and Usopp were talking about it. Glad you like it!" the hybrid finished with a smile. Chopper's eyes lit up when he heard Mirai say she painted the picture on the pouch. "It's wonderful. Thank you!" he exclaimed. She told him you're welcome with a smile on her face.

Chopper opened the rest of the gifts his friends had gotten him as squealed in delight when he opened Robin's gift, which was a bucketful of cotton candy. Mirai usually was the one who got him the goods, but Robin was also good at that kind of stuff too. After thanking everyone for the gifts, Chopper watched as the rest of his friends opened the gifts they got from everyone else. He even decided to try on the scarf Nami got him this year, and it was cozy to the touch. He actually got Mirai a picture frame this year, and she knew just what to put in it. It was a selfie she, Chopper, and Law took before they left Punk Hazard to go set off to Dressrosa. She missed her friend, and decided to send him a Christmas card when it was all done.

Everyone was happy with who got what, but as soon as they were done, Usopp happened to spot something up ahead. He cleared his vision, and he discovered that it was an island in the distance. He shouted, "ISLAND AHEAD!", catching the attention of the crew as they turned to the direction of the island. They could see it plain as day as the festive Thousand Sunny sailed to it. "Now this is what I'm calling a perfect place for dinner!" Sanji exclaimed with a smile as the others looked ahead. "It's perfect! Can't wait to get this party rolling even more!" Luffy exclaimed. Mirai picked Chopper up and cradled him into her arms, smiling and gasping at the island they were headed.

The Sunny soon stopped at the island and made anchor. It was a perfect one too: silence surrounded the crew as lush greenery and the sound of the ocean soothed them. Dinner was getting sat up as Luffy, Usopp, Chopper, and even Mirai all chilled and played together. Luffy was thinking about the turkey, for his mouth drooled. Chopper and Mirai looked at each other and smirked, knowing that Sanji had something planed to stop him from causing ruckus. They didn't see Sanji looking over at Luffy with a smirk as well.

During the time the four played, Chopper turned into his animal Walk Point form and gestured Mirai on his back, causing her to yelp as the boys shouted from behind. "Hey! That's cheating!" Luffy exclaimed. Usopp said something similar to Luffy as Chopper laughed and stopped, Mirai clutching onto his furry mane, still freaked out. "Got you all!" he exclaimed still laughing. The dragon hybrid was panting heavily, still shocked by what Chopper just did to her.

The reindeer's ears twitched as he noticed Mirai's face. "Are you alright?" he asked her. Mirai nodded, sighing. "Yeah. That was...shocking," she said, soon collapsing off of his back and passing out. The three boys gasped in shock at this. Chopper started panicking as he shifted back to normal and ran all across Mirai, making sure she was still breathing and had a pulse. Usopp had to ask Chopper to cut it out, only telling him that Mirai was passed out. Once the reindeer hear this, he sighed in relief.

"Christmas dinner is ready everyone!" Sanji shouted from afar. The three boys noticed the cook waving his hands up in the air to get their attention. Everyone else had gotten the news too, and Luffy's eyes lit up over the turkey on the table. Chopper sweated in a nerve racked bit as he watched his best friend and captain drool over the meat before him. "Come on you guys! Let's eat!" Luffy exclaimed as he jumped up in excitement and rushed over to the dinner table. Usopp chased after him, Chopper explaining that he'd catch up to them later. After all, he had plans to carry Mirai back to the others on his own.

Usopp asked Chopper if he was going to be alright, and the reindeer replied with, "I'll be fine. No worries." The sniper sighed in relief as he rejoined the others, Chopper waving him off. Seeing his "sister" knocked out from the shock reminded him of that day twelve years ago when he found a younger Mirai knocked out on the shore of the Sakura Kingdom, formerly called the Drum Kingdom. He remembered taking her back to the castle he called home, watching his mistress take her in with open arms, and the three of them becoming a family.

He smiled, shifted into his humanoid Heavy Point, and picked up Mirai, taking her back to the Sunny. He could still tell that she was breathing by seeing her chest rising up and down, and gasped a bit when she clutched onto his chest, smiling. "So...warm..." she murmured. Chopper happened to remember the younger six year old Mirai saying that when he first carried her back to the old castle, his body heat keeping her warm. He still couldn't help but smile at her as he returned to the Sunny, just like how he couldn't keep his eyes off of her when he first encountered her. He even got a bit of deja vu just thinking about that day that changed his life.

The other Straw Hats were at the dinner table, but some were worried about the two missing members. "Hey Luffy, have you seen Chopper and Mirai? I thought they'd be with you and Usopp," Franky asked Luffy, worried about the two of them. Luffy looked up and eyed Franky, who still looked worried. "Chopper said he'd catch up. He kind of accidently knocked Mirai out while we were having fun," Luffy explained. Franky hesitated, but then said under his breath, "Fair point." This gave Brook the perfect opportunity to strike his iconic joke. "Surely she wouldn't mind me seeing-"

That was interrupted by Nami slapping him in the face really hard, causing Luffy, Usopp, and even Jinbei to all jump in shock. "NO SHE WOULD NOT YOU DINGDONG!" Nami yelled in fury. Chopper's voice was heard in the distance as he exclaimed, "Sorry for the hold up guys! I'm back!" The group all saw him return with the knocked out Mirai still holding onto his chest. Sanji started getting a bit jealous over seeing the sight before him. "Oh come on why does he get to have all the fun?!" the cook yelled in an angerly way. By the time he said that, Mirai woke up and saw the others looking at her and Chopper.

"Oh good, you're up! Sorry if I scared you. Just wanted to have fun," he explained to her. Mirai looked up to see his face, soon smiling again with a nervous laugh. "You're forgiven, but please warn me next time if you do that again," she replied, a small redness forming on her face from where she was in his embrace. Afterwards, she hugged him once he put her down. "I can't stay mad at you Chops!" she finally exclaimed as Chopper reclaimed her hug. Afterwards, Mirai exclaimed, "Let's eat!" as she rushed towards the table, Chopper shifting back to his smaller normal form as he screamed from behind. Everyone laughed in advance as he caught up to his "sister".

Dinner went perfectly normal to Mirai's shock. Luffy was about to inhale the whole turkey, but Sanji's plan worked out well by giving Luffy a full second turkey to inhale and enjoy. This let everyone enjoy the turkey Sanji worked so hard to make instead of having Luffy eat the whole thing. Some new recipes he made happened to include green bean casserole, a dish Mirai remembered her parents make before she found and ate her Devil Fruit, along with some of his original dishes that he made for the dinner. The food was still wonderful as always, but when dessert rolled around, Sanji knew his que had come.

He left the table and headed back to the Sunny's kitchen. "Hey Mirai, where's Sanji going?" he asked her. Mirai giggled and said, "You'll see when he comes back." Chopper was just confused, but the other Straw Hats knew about the birthday cake Mirai requested Sanji to make for her "brother". Soon after, his voice was heard: "My darling dragon Mirai told me that a certain doctor has a birthday today, so here's a little something she requested for me to make. From us and the rest of the Straw Hats, happy birthday Chopper!"

Sanji walked down from the Sunny with the cotton candy birthday cake in his hands. It was a two layered cake that happened to be decorated with chocolate balls on the edges and buttercream icing all around it while it was mostly cotton candy on the top parts of the layers with hints of sprinkles. Chopper couldn't believe what he saw as his eyes lit up in excitement, his mouth now drooling. "For me?! Wow, you guys are the best!" he shouted in happiness. Sanji smiled as he placed the cake in the middle of the table and rejoined the others.

Chopper looked at the cake again and let out a small gasp as he cracked his hooves and drooled again, taking the first slice from the cake as he moaned happily from shoving the first bite in his mouth. "Oh it's so good!" he exclaimed. After this, everyone else tried the cake out. Even Mirai loved the sweet and tangy taste the cake had. It reminded her of the whole coconut cream pies Sanji would make for her birthday. "Sanji really did a good one this time!" Usopp exclaimed as he finished his cake slice. Luffy agreed when he was done with his, the Straw Hats all having a good dinner as they chatted and had fun.

When dinner ended, and everything was cleaned up, it was time for Mirai's special thing. She reached her hand out to Chopper, who gladly took it with a smile as she held him in her arms. "This gift is something I've wanted to do for a long time. It's a dance...the two of us. I've enjoyed performing my mini shows to all of you, and now...I feel like you and me should do one together, even if I've tossed you around for a few moments during some of them," she told him.

Chopper gasped in shock as he looked up at her. "Dance...? Us?" he asked in confusion. "I...I'm not that much of one..." Brook spoke up, "But now, you will be one Chopper." He approached with his violin in hand, Franky with his guitar. "I bet you remember those times you and her danced together on the Sunny," the cyborg then said. Chopper nodded, saying, "Yeah but-" soon to be cut of by Mirai who then said, "You'll do great. After all, it's a special dance for the two of us. To show how much I appreciate you as my sib and mentor. I'm so grateful to have you."

Both Franky and Brook were in playing positions as Chopper jumped out of Mirai's hands, soon shifting into the human teen form, his eyes sparkling from happiness. The two started dancing together, Franky and Brook playing a very special tune: a lullaby Mirai always hummed or sung to Chopper whenever he couldn't sleep or after having a bad dream. Her real mother was the one who hummed it to her, and Mirai still kept the song close to her heart, soon passing it down to Chopper. He would even hum it to himself to calm himself down whenever things were rough or when Mirai wasn't with him, even humming it to a Dragon Point Mirai to help keep her sane. She still had sudden outbursts in the form even if she could control it.

"I recognize this tune. It's that lullaby you would sing to me," Chopper said in shock as his ears caught the familiar tune. "You're correct. I actually requested Brook to play it for us here, and Franky wanted to help, so I got him on the fun too," Mirai replied with a smile. "It's wonderful. Thanks...Sis," Chopper then said, Mirai tearing up a bit after hearing him call her sis. The group happened to laugh at Luffy and Usopp dancing around as both Sakura Kingdom siblings danced to their song. Franky was trying not to cry as he strummed to the tune Brook was playing.

In the flames that appeared around the crew that Mirai formed, memories of their past adventures returned, forming in the fire. First meeting on the former Drum Island, their journey with Vivi in Alabasta, the arrival on Skypiea and Sabaody, reuniting after two years and going to Fishman Island, even first forming the alliance with Law and seeing each other again on Zou. The many memories, both good and bad, made Chopper happy as he watched the images on the flames change as he danced with his Mirai.

When the song ended, the two embraced in a hug again, Brook and Franky placing their instruments down, even if Franky bursted into tears. "Oh, that song was just beautiful! You two are the best, Mirai and Chopper!" Franky cried. Mirai mouthed a thank you to Brook for playing the song, and he nodded back in response. Mirai could feel her reindeer sib shifting again, so she let go of him as he returned to normal again. "That was...actually fun. Thank you for that. It was wonderful," he said. Mirai replied back with a welcome, cherry blossoms soon flowing around them and the crew. They happened to look over and see a few lone sakura trees on the island, making them both smile as Mirai picked up Chopper again.

"Well, I can confirm that this was a wonderful Christmas and birthday celebration for you Chopper," Mirai breathed in awe as the crew watched the sakura trees blow the cherry blossom petals towards them. "Yeah. The best one I'll never forget!" Chopper exclaimed, making the Straw Hats crack up. Mirai rubbed his head, wings coming from her back as she wrapped them around the reindeer in a loving embrace. Once again, it was not only another fun and beautiful Straw Hat Christmas, but also a fun and amazing birthday celebration for Chopper, the crew's doctor and mentor to Mirai. It really was a great Christmas day that they'd never forget.

#christmas #christmas 2023 #merry christmas #merry christmas 2023 #happy birthday tony tony chopper #happy birthday chopper #chopper's birthday #chopper's birthday 2023 #chopper #tony tony chopper #one piece chopper #one piece tony tony chopper #one piece #one piece short story #one piece oc #one piece original character #mirai tatsumi #oc #original character

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happybird16 · 2 years

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Some People Deserve Titles

A short Dadvi fic for Father's Day!

The kid is kept gender neutral and not really described too much.

Summary: It isn’t until nearly a year of gathering orphans from the underground that one strikes him hard with nostalgia. A feral, blood coated brat that changes his life forever.

Ao3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/39758424

Warnings: Mentions of child abuse, mentions of prostitution, blood. Manga spoilers ahead.

Word Count: 4.1 k

Notes: I literally wrote this in three hours! Please tell me if you see any spelling errors or anything!

Tagging: @postwarlevi @jayteacups (I should really make a list of people who want tagged in stuff because I have the memory of a squirrel)

Now that there’s no titans banging on the walls, Levi helps Historia rescue kids from the underground. It’s not often. Maybe once a month or so he’ll guide a small squad of soldiers around the Underground.

He’d forgotten how bad it smells down below Sina. Every time he enters the dark caverns he’s struck by a wall of rancid stench. The sharp sting of mold and feces almost burns his eyes. It’s dark too. He’d forgotten just how pitch black all the little alleyways can be.

The mismatched labyrinth of twisted streets still feels all too familiar. It’s almost as if time has come to a standstill. All the same brothels and bars still line the streets, their floors and walls coated with a familiar filth.

It’s not hard to find kids in need. They’re often begging on street corners, or huddled up for warmth in some dark alleyway. Some are even beaten and bloody, left on a public street as an example.

It isn’t until nearly a year of gathering orphans that one strikes him hard with nostalgia. Most are somewhere around six or seven years old, though none of them ever really know their age for sure. It’s hard to keep track of dates down below, especially when you're on your own. Even Levi’s not exactly sure how old he is.

The brat is a bit older than the typical kids they find, closer to their teens. Maybe nine or ten, though it’s hard to tell since they are so emaciated. A rough looking child wielding a knife, the blade larger and thicker than their tiny forearm. The sight reminds him of himself, immediately making his mind swirl back to his early days under Kenny’s care.

Their hair is rough, matted in places and chopped into a rough and uneven cut. No doubt done so with the very blade in their tight grip. It reminds him of Isabell, her rough and choppy pig tails.

The kid must have been in a scuffle recently, probably desperately trying to get some sort of nutrition. The main road is not far off, teeming with sketchy food stalls. Perhaps they’d tried to swipe some of their stock. It’s all moldy and putrid from what he remembers, but foods food at a certain point.

Their nose is a bit crooked, red leaking down their upper lip. There’s other small scratches dotting their arms and legs. Every kid they pick up has ill fitted clothes, the hole-strewn fabric barely clinging to their boney limbs. This one’s covered in blood though, some of it bright and fresh, other parts an old rusty brown.

They look almost like a wild animal, a feral beast prepared to attack. Eyes wild and knife coated in bright shiny blood.

They fight him, swinging their red stained blade fruitlessly in the air. It’s jerky, slow. Almost like they're on their last legs, the last of their energy reserves run dry.

He takes them down easily, knocking their blade to the ground with a flick of his wrist. Scooping the kid over his shoulder, it’s almost terrifying how light they are.

“I’ll fucking kill you!” They scream and kick and fight, ignoring any of his calming words in their frantic rage. It isn’t until they reach the stairwell that they calm down. Suddenly going limp against his shoulder at the sight of sunlight in the distance.

Levi can feel their stomach rumble, loud and gurgling against his shoulder. It must have been awhile since they’ve eaten anything. He remembers how painful it’d been to go weeks without food. His stomach gnawing desperately at his insides in search of any nutrients. His mind getting hazy and thought disjointed as more and more days passed.

Once they arrive at the orphanage, Levi takes the time to explain to them what’s going on. He’d tried before, while they were fighting him, but the kid had been too desperate to listen.

“You're safe now. Can I help you clean up?” The kid bobs their head in response, but doesn’t say anything. Tight lipped, they still seem a bit wary and wild eyed.

He helps the kid clean up. They seem almost delirious, perhaps in shock. Bringing them to the small communal washroom, he helps them remove the tattered rags. Blood stained clothes line the corner of the room, trash to be disposed of as soon as possible.

They’re so small. The sight makes his heart ache. He doesn’t really remember what he’d looked like when Kenny had found him, but this can’t be too far off. They're all bones, skin stretched tight to reveal every rib and joint. Legs and arms thin and knobby, it seems as though he can see every individual bone in their little fingers.

Washing them takes time. It’s a slow, methodical process to remove all of the dirt and grime from their skin. The others hadn’t had blood matted in their hair, but he’s not really surprised by its presence.

They’re shaky. An odd, almost impossible mix of wary paranoia, of frantic fear of the cruel hands of others, yet desperately touch starved. Long unfamiliar with the kind, soft touch of another. They seem to want to jolt away from him and lean into the touch at the same time.

Wrapping them up in a large, soft towel, they seem to boggle at the fabric. Pinching it between their fingers while he gathers up some spare clothes. Historia’s done the best that she could, but most of the outfits are hand-me-downs. Rich hand-me-downs, but used nonetheless.

They fit better at least, though it only emphasizes just how bony the kid is.

Bringing them into the kitchen, he gives them some bread to eat. The orphanage has full access to fresh meat and produce, but he thinks bread would be best to start out. They’re stomachs not used to fresh anything, much less meat.

They munch on it desperately, shoulders hunched as if to protect their meal from any grabby hands. The sight brings him right back to his past.

“Oi! Eat slower. You’re just going to make yourself sick.”

They do slow down a bit, but they’re still eating like a rabid animal. He can’t blame the kid, he’d done the same thing.

“D’ I live ‘ere now?” They ask, not even meeting his eyes.

The sight of chewed up food makes him curl up his nose. “Don’t talk with your mouth full. It’s disgusting.”

Shuffling around the room, he pulls out a small first aid kit from one of the cupboards. “It’s an orphanage for kids from the underground. You’ll meet your caretakers and the other kids tomorrow.”

The kid kindly swallows down their mouthful of food before speaking again. “Who are you?”

“Levi. I’ll be around every once and awhile.” The first aid kit clicks open with a metallic sound. “Give me your hands.”

Their knuckles are all bruised and bloody, the skin broken open in several places. “This is going to sting.” The kid sucks in a sharp hiss of air as he cleans their wounds, hand nearly jerking from his grasp.

Their nails are all rough, uneven with sharp broken edges. Without a word he immediately sets to work trimming them and filing them into pretty curves.

Their feet are rough. All the kids they pick up always have bare feet. Shoes are hard to come by in the underground, especially when you're still growing. He quickly patches up the rough spots along their soles, thankful that he’d thoroughly washed them earlier. They’d been practically caked with mud and who-knows-what.

Eyeing their rough, choppy hair cut, Levi offers to fix up their hair. He’d gotten most of the matts out, but the style is still uneven.

“Sure.” The kid seems to have relaxed quite a bit now, they barely even flinch at the metallic snap of scissors around their neck. He’s glad that they’ve calmed down. That he’s brought them a bit of security.

“You didn’t ask my name.” They speak softly, giving him their name in turn. They still struggle to meet his gaze, probably completely unused to eye contact.

Levi repeats it back to them, watching the kids face fill with joy at the sound. They’re smiling. It’s rare to see a kid from the underground smile. “You’ll do fine here, kid. There’s no need for you to fight anymore.”

Levi had always visited the orphanage every once and awhile. Stopping by a couple times a month to check on the brats, making sure none of them are giving any of the caretakers a hard time. It’s difficult for them to adjust at first. They’ve basically been thrown into a whole new world and some of them try to fight the change.

The sunlight is too bright for them, it burns their skin. The food is too hearty, too healthy, their stomachs protest the nutrients. The moonlight is too bright, it’s hard for them to sleep without the pitch black darkness.

After the kid though, he makes the trip as often as possible. Every weekend, if he can spare the time.

They grow bigger, boney, wirey limbs filling out. No longer just skin and bones. They're probably always going to be a bit small. All of them will be, malnutrition always takes it’s toll, but it’s a joy to see them filling out. Their face becomes round and youthful as opposed to gaunt with starvation.

The group spends long days under the sun. Sometimes they help with farm work, the exercise good for their growing muscles. Sometimes they spend the whole day just playing in the field. Some of them still complain about joint pain, a concept that makes him worry. What if they didn’t get them out soon enough? What if they're all destined to one day lose the ability to walk?

One day, the brat shows him a rough drawing. He thinks it’s of himself, judging by the smudges of green and black. “That supposed to be me?”

“Yeah! You're slaying a titan!” They gesture towards a large stick figure next to his green splotch.

“The pink blob?”

They’re lips downturn into a pout. “It’s a titan!”

They seem a bit old to be drawing so crudely, but he supposes some catch up is needed. “I like how you drew my blades.”

“Historia is teaching us how to read too!”

It’d been a struggle to learn when he’d first come to the surface. He’d known a few words, just a handful of useful phrases in his dealings as a thug. Learning such things gets harder as you get older, he’d been nearly thirty by the time he’d attempted the task. He’s glad Historia is going out of her way to teach them herself.

“You should refer to her as Queen Historia,” Levi corrects, feeling a bit like a hypocrite.

“Why?” They ask, meeting his eyes briefly before bouncing them back towards the sunny field.

“Some people deserve titles.” Not to mention using them will help them fit in. His own crude vocabulary certainly stands out.

“Like Captain?”

“Sure. Or even sir or miss.”

“We didn’t use any of that in the underground.”

“It’s different up here. Some people have earned respect. You should try to use them to fit in a bit.”

Some days they seem almost like normal kids, just a group of friends squabbling in a field. Their play fights are just a bit too serious, just a bit too skilled, but childlike nonetheless.

Sometimes though, they have bad days. Nightmares are common enough among the group. Sometimes one or two of the kids will be quiet for a bit. Distant before they snap out of it and join back into the play.

Levi knows it’s a bad day when he finds the kid sitting alone against a tree. Their small body is encased in the dark shadows while the other kids laugh and wrestle in the sunlight.

He sits a short distance away, more in the sunlight than the shadows. “Why aren’t you playing with everyone else?”

They shrug in response, mouth pinched tight and eyes distant. They seem tense, shoulders almost to their ears.

“You should at least get out of the shade and sit in the sunlight.” Historia likes them to get at least eight hours of sunlight a day. Even so, Levi still worries for their knees.

“Historia mentioned another knife missing from the kitchen. That you?”

Silence. “You still can’t sleep?”

The kids normally have a hard time sleeping after coming to the surface, too used to the hard stone ground. Soft, fluffy pillows are almost too warm and comforting after so long. Though, It’s already been a year. The kid should have adjusted already.

All he gets in response is another shrug, boney shoulders peeking out from the fabric of their shirt.

They’re gaze still seems distant. The kid has gotten a lot better with eye contact in the passing months, so this almost feels like a step backward. They’re almost glaring, eyes staring hard across the field towards the other kids.

“Did one of them say something mean to you?” Levi feels oddly protective all of a sudden, an urge that makes him feel almost bare and exposed.

“No. Er…yes, but…,” the kid pauses, eyes finally meeting his own. “It’s just bad memories…”

“I went through the same thing, you know. I understand it can be hard. My mom died earlier on so I had to fight to survive too.”

They sound so quiet, so sad when they respond that it almost breaks his heart. “She left me.”

Rage suddenly fills his chest, his vision swimming with red. “Who did?”

“My mama. Said I was too much work and to not come back home.” They don’t cry, but the wet sound of grief fills the kids' tone nonetheless.

Levi suddenly feels the urge to go back down there and knock down doors until he finds the woman. “She shouldn’t have done that. You're more than worth the effort.”

Levi knows it’s hard for women down there. It’d been difficult for everyone, really, but most of them had to sell their bodies in order to put scraps on the table. Hard, unforgiving work that always ended up costing them more than it was worth. The emotional turmoil, the disease, the bruises and beatings.

He hates remembering what his mom went through. The endless string of men that visited their tiny room at odd hours through the day, everyday.

Levi has no doubts the the kids mom was also a prostitute. Most were. There weren’t a lot of other options. That’s no excuse for abandoning your own child though. His own mother had worked herself to death in order to keep him alive.

Levi has to take deep breaths for a moment, an attempt to calm the rage boiling in his blood. What kind of woman would dare leave such a sweet child to struggle on their own. It was a death sentence. She had to have known that.

He wishes he could reach out and pull the kid to his chest. Swaddle them in comfort and warmth. They seem distant, though. Shoulders hunched and head tucked low, knees brought up to their torso. He’s not sure the gesture would be welcomed.

“I…I’m sorry that she did that. That she made you feel worthless.” Levi reaches into his boot, pulling one of his knives from the leather. “Here.”

The kid takes it with shaky fingers, eyes meeting his own once again. “A knife?”

“Keep it under your pillow. You’ll feel a bit safer.” It’s one of many he owns. The kid is so similar to him that it hurts. To this day Levi still keeps a knife nearby when he sleeps.

He always visits before every mission. He wants to see the kid one last time, even if it’s completely safe to wander along the island outside the walls now. He always brings treats, spending his meager paycheck on a small collection of baked goods.

The kids are all still young, they got out of there early and their stomachs recovered from eating literal garbage relatively fast. They won’t end up backed up for several days from eating meat or baked goods. Unlike himself.

He hears a familiar voice call from the distance just as he’s dismounting his horse. “Da…Levi!”

What could they have been about to say? The thought brings a loud buzzing to his ears, his heart throbbing hard in his chest. Levi chooses to ignore the possibility, instead focusing on the young teen running towards him.

It’s been almost four years since he first found the kid. They’re so much bigger now, face so much fuller and happier. The sight is almost jarring. Sometimes it’s hard for him not to see a frail little kid, shaky and scared of the new world ahead.

“Hey, Brat!” Levi can already see the kid searching his collection of snacks, already aware that he’s brought something special just for them. It’s a blueberry muffin, fresh from a bakery on the edge of Wall Sina. It’s not quite on the way, but it’s their favorite, so he’d made the stop.

They take the pastry from him with glee, lips spread wide in an open smile. The sight almost makes him do the same. “I’m not going to be able to visit again for a couple of months.”

They knowingly swallow down a mouthful before speaking. “I know, I know. You’ve told me several times already.”

“Are you sure you're going to be okay going back into the underground?” The kid had offered to go down in his place, especially now that Historia is out of commission.

“Yeah yeah, I’ll be fine,” they roll their eyes with the words. “I’m just going to be a guide to help find new kids. It’s not like I’m going to get into fights.”

“It can be hard…going down there again after so long. You might have some flashbacks.”

They have nightmares, something also familiar to him. Most of the kids do. He doesn’t think theirs are as bloody, though.

“I’ll be fine. Just worry about your big mysterious mission.” They wave him off, patting his shoulder as they follow him inside the farmhouse.

The casual contact warms his heart. They’ve grown so much.

He almost wishes that he doesn’t have to go. That someone else could babysit Zeke until a decision can be made concerning his Titan. Part of him wishes he could throw everything away and start anew.

He didn’t sign up for this. For complicated politics. But he owes it to those he’s left behind to follow it through. To Erwin. Once he kills that ape, maybe then he can leave war behind.

If only he’d known how right he was.

The journey to the orphanage after the Rumbling is a slow one. Thanks to his knee, Levi can’t ride a horse anymore. There must have been something different about Ackermans afterall. Now that the curse has been lifted he suddenly feels every bit his age.

He’s heard friends, at least those that lived long enough, complain about getting old. That their back constantly aches, their muscles crying in protest every morning. Levi never had any of that, at least not until these last few days.

He takes a carriage, opting to drive it himself in lieu of a paid driver. It’s more private this way, especially since he’s not exactly wanted in Paradi anymore.

The roads are rough, even along the outskirts of Sina. Spotted with rubble and the remains of crushed buildings. The sight only feeds his looming anxiety.

The kid better be okay. His chest aches at the thought of what could have happened. His vision swims with horrid sights; the farmhouse trampled, marked with rocky debris and blood splatter.

Every step closer is filled with both hope and dread. Levi’s remaining eye desperately searches the horizon against his own will.

The orphanage is completely intact. The sight suddenly takes a huge weight from his shoulders. It feels like he hasn’t been breathing for so long, his chest tight with anxiety. Suddenly, he can gulp down air once again.

It’s harder getting around now that his knee is fucked up. Every step is so much slower, so much more painful. More than just his injured knee, it feels like he’s suddenly paying the price for all those years out of the sun. The malnutrition making his joints ache even after all these years.

The sight of the kid makes him feel weightless. The journey across the field is suddenly so much easier, so much faster and painless.

“Dad!” The kid is crying, cheeks dripping and nose leaking. They run to him, wrapping their little arms around his waist. His knees feel so weak that the little body almost sends him to the grass.

“I thought you died!” They sob, rubbing their snotty nose into the pressed fabric of his shirt. It doesn’t matter. His heart is buzzing too loudly in his ears for him to care.

There’s a huge lump in his throat, making it difficult for him to speak. “I’m fine.”

“You’re hurt!” Little hands dig into the fabric of his shirt, threatening to untuck it from his pants.

“You…” Levi has to blink hard for a second, tears threatening to leak from his good eye. “You called me dad.”

“Ya’ told me before. Some people deserve titles, ‘member?” Their words are slurred, tongue thick and nose congested from crying. It’d been years since he’d said those words.

“I…I have to go. It’s not safe for me to come here anymore.”

“Go? Go where? Why?” Suddenly their frantic again, asking questions rapid fire.

“Somewhere far away. It’ll be safer there.” The Jaegerists want him dead, after all.

“Can I go with you?” The kid asks, eyes searching his own.

Levi thinks back for a moment, gazing out across the field. He thinks back on how Kenny raised him, rough and bloody with the sting of his fists. He remembers the man’s final words.

He pulls the kid further into his embrace, one arm around their shoulder, the other cupping the back of their head. Threading his fingers into their hair, he can feel the wet tears bleed through the fabric of his shirt.

For his whole life, he’d always purposely avoided the idea of settling down and starting a family. At first, when he’d lived in the slums, it’d just seemed like too cruel of an existence to put a kid through. Then, once he’d been brought into the sunlight himself, there’d been another excuse. Titans. War. He’d always figured that maybe that life just wasn’t for him.

People always left him, one way or another.

His silence must be daunting to the young teen. Their grip suddenly becomes much more urgent. They speak with a quiet, terrified hesitance, voice cracking with emotion. “You don’t want me?”

He remembers their mother, casting them off to survive on their own when they were just a small child.

“No no no.” Now his voice almost cracks. He’s not sure if he's ever felt like this before, brimming with elation and anxiety. “That’s not it…I…”

Levi doesn’t really know if he’s cut out to be someone’s dad, either. He never had an example of a good father figure. Someone to make sure he was eating right, to sit by his side and talk about all of his childhood woes. Someone to tell him stories, to comfort him when he was feeling low. The thought makes his heart clench in both worry and excitement.

He could try though. He’s already been doing most of those things.

Levi hisses a bit, knee protesting as he kneels down to their level. They’re taller now, so he actually has to look up to them. His lone eye searches their little face, catching their lip quivering as they choke down tears.

“I want you.” They sniffle hard and he raises his good hand to wipe some tears from one cheek. “Sure, kid. You can come along”

“Really?” They seem to almost vibrate with excitement, even as they sniffle down the last of their tears.

Levi wraps his arms around their body, pulling the kids head to his shoulder. It’s only then that he lets tears flow from his good eye. Thoughtlessly, he presses a wet kiss into their hair. “I’ll be your dad.”

He’s happy. Even after everything. Even after all of the loss, he’s happy.

#Levi Ackerman #Levi Ackerman fanfic #myfics #dadvi #Levi’s Father’s Day #Father’s Day #fluff #levi ackerman #attack on titan #shingeki no kyojin #aot #snk #levi #fanfic #sfw #tw; blood

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mahounomanga · 11 months

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Programming note (the sequel)

Hello again! Thank you so much to everyone who voted in my recent poll. By far the most popular option was for me to begin posting manga out of chronological order, based more on my own preferences than any other more predictable factors.

As such, I'll be putting the rest of the 80s on hold and skipping ahead to a handful of titles that have intrigued me from the very beginning. Interspersed throughout this I do intend to incorporate some older titles since there are some that, realistically, I'll likely never want to talk about but I still probably should (at least if I want to have some sense of completeness). I'm hoping this will result in me posting at least marginally more often and having a renewed passion for the project, even if the flow will be more choppy.

Another consideration is that Pride Month is right around the corner. I would love to post about one or two magical girl(/boy/etc.) manga that feature lgbtq+ protagonists, and while I have a couple in mind, I would love to hear any recommendations y'all might have that handle their subject matter well. (While following the parameters I laid out in the beginning of course.) And obviously you can still send me any other suggestions for magical girl manga you'd like me to take a look at.

Thank you as always for your continued support and I'll see you in the next one. Ciao for now!

#my posts #programming note

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muchalucha91 · 1 year

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I made a list for webtoons, might as well make a list for manga/anime! I wasn't really allowed to watch too much cartoons TV growing up, so for the past few years, I've been "catching up" so to speak on the anime I missed out on aaand also watching newer ones lol Anyhoo, here's what I've seen/read so far (in alphabetical order):

Arte (Hulu) Manga continues

Black Butler (Hulu) ((full disclosure, I wasn't super paying attention when I watched this, so I have to watch it again lol))

Blue Exorcist (Hulu) ((I haven't finished it yet))

Cardcaptor Sakura/Clear Card Arc (Netflix) ((One of my faves as a kid, I had a board game for it, even! It has since been lost to time, though. T_T))

Cells at Work (Netflix) ((Also haven't finished yet lol))

Corpse Princess (Hulu) ((See Black Butler lol))

Dance with Devils (Hulu)

Demon Slayer (Hulu) ((haven't seen a lot yet, please don't come for me, I'm trying lol))

Devil is a Part-Timer! (Hulu)

Diabolik Lovers (Hulu)

Dragonball/DBZ/DBS (Funimation) ((I got Funimation just so I could watch Dragonball, then I figured I might as well get a refresher of DBZ since I hadn't seen it since it was on Toonami, all while my BF and I were watching DBS on Toonami/Adult Swim lol)

Fairy Tail/100 Years Quest (all the seasons were on Hulu, but they took all but 2 down, so I've been watching it on Funimation) I am SO excited to see 100YQ animated! It's been fun to read.

Food Wars! (Hulu)

Fruits Basket (both runs are on Hulu)

Fushigi Yuugi (Hulu) ((I actually don't know if I finished this...after a while I was just waiting for it to be over and it just. wasn't. ending.

Horimiya (Hulu)

Inuyasha/Final Act (Hulu/Netflix has the movies) ((another fave from my childhood))

Itazura na Kiss (Hulu) ((I'm not sure why people like this))

Jujustu Kaisen (Hulu) ((I think I started reading this after I finished watching it, but I've been super busy and forgot lol))

Kaguya-sama: Love is War (Hulu)

Kakuriyo: Bed and Breakfast for Spirits (Funimation)

Kamisama Kiss (Hulu) ((ugh...I love this and it's criminal that the anime didn't finish with the manga))

Kimi ni Todoke (Hulu)

Kono Oto Tomare!: Sounds of Life (Hulu)

Little Witch Academia (Netflix)

Magic-Kyu! Renaissance (Funimation)

Mahoutsukai no Yome [The Ancient Magus' Bride] (Funimation) ((I love this, too, but I had to take a break from the manga because I was getting irritated with the FL and the choices she was making lmao I've been meaning to pick it back up, though, it really is very good!))

Maid Sama! (Hulu)

My Love Story! (Hulu)

Noragami (Hulu) ((made me cry in a way that my BF asked me what was wrong lol))

Ouran High School Host Club (Hulu) ((I'm sorry, I don't get the love for this, but I also haven't been able to read it yet, so maybe I will once I do))

Pokemon [Kanto-beginning of Hoenn] (Hulu) ((I have not kept up with it over the years and the only reason why I know of any of the newer Pokemon is because of PokemonGo and the new Pokemon Snap--which has been really fun so far--lol))

Ranma 1/2 (Hulu)

Rurouni Kenshin (HBO Max) ((I liked this, but I thought the story was super choppy))

Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts (manga only for now, but I think I just saw that an anime is coming soon!!) ((this is so beautifully drawn and sooo well written! It made me audibly react sometimes)

Sailor Moon [OG] (Hulu) ((My absolute favorite when I was a kid! My mom even watched it with me lol I wanted to be Sailor Mars sooooo bad I always kept my hair long just like her! I've got her as a keychain right now lol))

Say "I Love You" (Hulu)

School Rumble: 1st-3rd Semesters (Hulu) ((I didn't even watch the last episode. Literally nothing happened and I just felt bad for the guy. I couldn't watch it anymore lol)

Snow White with the Red Hair (Hulu) ((I hope it gets more seasons, but I also hope it gets better animation. I know people worked hard on it, but it does not do the manga justice. It's so beautifully drawn and written, this is for sure one of my favorites!))

Spice ad Wolf (Hulu)

Spy x Family (Hulu) ((It was popping up so much on my tumblr around ep 4 that I had to know what people were talking about and I'm so glad I did!))

Vampire Knight (Hulu) ((Didn't/Couldn't finish it))

Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina (Hulu)

Yashahime (Hulu) ((It's not what I was expecting/hoping for, but I've had fun watching it))

Yona of the Dawn (Hulu) ((this NEEDS more seasons, the manga gets SO INTENSE))

You're Lie in April (HBO Max is where I watched it, but I think it's on Hulu, too) ((ugly cried))

Yu Yu Hakusho (Hulu) ((I only saw a few episodes as a kid, but I remember really loving the art style and the voices. It's still one of my faves))

Yu-Gi-Oh! (Hulu) ((I watched this every time it came on Toonami, I had a whole deck that I lost--which I'm still sad about--but I have a new deck and sometimes my BF and I play each other lol))

I've got an excel spreadsheet with these and others that I want to watch, but haven't yet, totaling 126 lmao As of right now (1/2023) I have no desire to watch Attack on Titan, One Piece, or Naruto (again, please don't come for me and PLEASE don't try to convince me), but I welcome any other recommendations and/or discussions/chats about any I listed!

#anime and manga #anime #manga #anime and manga recommendations

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thepancakelady · 1 year

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i’m catching up on stuff i’ve been tagged in but forgot about. tagged by @fandork to reveal my watch & rewatch list

watching:

609 bedtime story - very interesting concept and im a sucker for any time fuckery. it’s also directed by gold tanwarin as if i needed more reason to be sold on it. im a few episodes behind but i like it so far ameiro paradox - i’m a big fan of the manga so i was very excited when i found out this was happening. still not sold on katsuragi’s actor but we’ll see between us - i’m a bit behind on this as well. it’s hard to say if i like it because i like winteam and maxtul but have no interest in any of the other ships, im not a fan of some of the directing and overall the narrative feels very choppy gap - i was actually dreading this at first because it kinda has a lot of tropes i don’t like but they were executed perfectly and i love it history3: trapped - i’m watching this with @ablazenqueen and having the time of my life because it’s a masterpiece. im always screaming about my sons my school president - usually not a fan of high school romances OR someone having an already existing crush but for some reason i love this show. it’s hard to explain why but there’s something really charming about it the warp effect - definitely the show im enjoying the most right now. i was kinda excited about it before but then the new trailer dropped and became obsessed. truly jojo has never failed me. please watch it because it’s worth your time until we meet again - i’ve been meaning to watch this for a while and decided now it’s the best time since between us is coming out. im surprised i like deanpharm because neither is their dynamic my taste nor do i like fated stuff but it’s good to be surprised. i’ve seen 7 episodes and it’s kinda hard to decide what i think because i like it but i feel like it’s moving too slowly. anyway inkorn are the best thing about it <3333

recent binges:

i recently binged s2 of alice in borderland and let’s just say that i would have probably enjoyed it more if i wasn’t a manga reader. it was a solid adaptation overall but there was something missing it was my son hayato

on hold:

kabe koji, love between fairy and devil and war of y are all on hold because i have too many things to watch right now

rewatching:

i don’t tend to rewatch much on my own because my attention span is shit but recently i rewatched kamisama no ekohiiki and s1 of puppy honey with @ablazenqueen because she needed to meet all my kids and i had a blast

plan to watch:

i have a lot of stuff on that list. for stuff that’s coming out i want to start never let me go because its jojo and also maybe 10 years ticket. im not so certain about the latter which is sad because i was really excited before but something about the new trailer just killed my excitement and now i don’t know. i’m also foaming because of the entire midnight series (midnight motel, dirty laundry, moonlight chicken), i’ve been waiting almost a year and im glad they are finally coming out. also blaze and i are planning to start the devil judge after finishing trapped. as for next year i think the series i’m most excited about are the next prince (for the prince/bodyguard trope), wish you luck (for sci fi + my love tonnam) and only friends (i welcome that mess and also it’s jojo)

tagging: @ablazenqueen @7nessasaryevils @springkitten @fairlylokai @rares-posts

#tag games

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0lympia · 3 years

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“when the pillars fall” shoto todoroki

Inspired by @/maddsbuckley on TikTok. Please go check her out, she’s amazing!

x x x

summary: shoto todoroki is strong, and he’s got the good looks to boot. but sometimes, in the dead of night, he falls apart and without fail, you’re there. you’re always there for him. then, the pillars fell, and he’s there for you just as much as you are for him.

genre: angst with a kinda happy ending

warnings: manga spoilers, takes place after the war arc, some cursing, critical injuries, hospitalization, shoto and reader are weak for each other

word count: 2,217

Shoto Todoroki is supposed to be a hero prodigy. Shoto Todoroki is supposed to stand tall and strong, and keep his father's hero legacy alive.

And he's all of those things. Except for late at night when he comes creeping into your dorm with the key you gave him to crawl underneath the covers with you because of a nightmare he had.

"I'm sorry. I can go if you want." Is what he says the first time he comes to your dorm, but knocking this time because you had yet to give him his own key.

"You've gotta at least tell me what's wrong first." You say gently, and he crumbles. He mumbles that it was just a silly little nightmare as tears roll slowly down his face and you pull him into your dorm to cuddle.

"It's not stupid if it woke you up, Sho," You say as he pulls you into him like you're a teddy bear. And it’s always a little awkward cuddling with him after he’s had a nightmare, his body fluctuating sporadically between hot and cold, but you don’t mind because the longer he holds you the faster you fall back asleep.

You ask him if he wants to tell you about it, but Shoto never does, saying that he’s already forgotten, but the feeling stays longer than the visual. And you nod, and drift off faster than you should, but Shoto doesn’t mind - he never does - and he’s so completely lost in you. He’s so completely enamored by you, and he’s never been so happy to be lost.

He continues to knock for his next five visits after the first night, and you eventually get tired of him waking you up in the dead of the night so you give him his own key.

The seventh time he shows up at your door, he doesn’t use the key. No, instead, he stands outside your door and calls you. The dial tone rings in his ear and it doesn’t help soothe the tightness in his chest or the lump in his throat at all, and he wonders if it’s really so bad for him to use the key you’d given him. Eventually though, you answer - you always do - and he falls in love with you all over again.

“Sho?” You ask, voice scratchy and stiff, and he can hear you through the door, “What’s going on?”

It’s technically a stupid question to ask, you know he’d only ever call you so late at night if he’d had a nightmare, but he also doesn’t call you very often either.

“Can I come in?” Shoto asks, and you make a groggy noise of confusion.

“What d’ya mean, Sho?”

“Can I come in?” He repeats, and then softly knocks twice on your door.

You hang up then, and Shoto watches your door swing open with tears pricking at his eyes. And when you drag him into bed with you the world feels like it could never be wide enough.

x x x

Then, your world fell apart.

The pillars that held up Japan’s hero society crumbled in a measly seven hours.

With too many prison breaks, fatalities, and injuries to count, Shoto could care less. Because you were gone. He’d been with you early that morning, before everything fell apart.

He’d been in bed with you, cuddled up close and basking in your presence, the two of you had changed into your hero costumes together. He’d been with you for hundreds of hours too little that morning, and he wants to know where you are.

He asks his older brother Natsuo where you are by showing him the little sticky note that he’d written the question on and shown to every nurse, doctor, teacher, and friend that came in to see him. His throat had been burned to hell, and he wished more than anything to get up and ask every damned person in the hospital where you were.

He’s supposed to be talking about Touya - he’s not Touya anymore, he has to remind to himself, that man is Dabi, not Touya - and all he can think about is you.

Shoto has to remind himself that he can’t cry. Because right now, the people around him need him to be strong, and that includes you, where ever you are. He hopes you can feel him wavering, desperately wishes for you to show up.

It’s on his sixth night in the hospital that somebody finally tells him where you are. It’s Bakugo, surprisingly enough.

“Hey, IcyHot,” Bakugo greets, and Shoto uses text-to-speech to ask him if he should even be walking. The blonde is covered in just as many bandages as Shoto, and when Aizawa had come by on his third day in the hospital, Shoto had been told all about everybody’s condition except yours.

“Yeah, i’m fine,” Bakugo says, easing himself into hard plastic chair next to Shoto’s hospital bed, “Y/N’s not though.”

Shoto croaks out a pathetic noise, but Bakugo doesn’t need prompting.

“All the other damn extras said not to say anything to you,” Bakugo continues, and for the first time ever, the cocky blonde is visibly nervous, worried, even, “Y/N’s in the ICU. They haven’t stabilized since they got in. Nobody’s told me what happened to them, but apparently Dunce Face was one of the last people to see her before she was brought here. He... He thought that Y/N was already dead when he last saw them. They’re in a medically induced coma, according to Mr.Aizawa.”

Shoto sits there, in silence except for the quiet humming of the AC unit, for thirty minutes. Bakugo sits with him, just as quiet.

“Where are they now?” Shoto’s phone asks, the words choppy and abrupt, and Bakugo looks pained when he tells him your room number. Neither of them do anything for a while after that, and Bakugo sits in the hard plastic chair that’d begun to make his butt sore until Shoto falls asleep with a million things on the tip of his tongue.

Shoto is released from the hospital four days later, extensive healing and pain meds made sure of that, and nobody had been allowed to see you yet. He’d asked around, and eventually he learned that you’d undergone six different procedures since you’d arrived.

Tonight would be your seventh.

x x x

It’s hot. Very hot.

The flames are blue, and a few of them lick at you, but they don’t burn. There’s a battle cry from both sides, and you watch as villains pour from the Gunga Mountain Villa. It takes five minutes, and war has broken out all around you.

You’re fighting too, better suited for close combat, and you’re watching your classmates, your friends being battered around, fighting in a war that they shouldn’t be fighting.

You’re the first to make inside the building, and you’re vaguely aware that you’re bleeding. Fatgum tells you to retreat, telling you that you look on the verge of death. You tell him you’re fine.

You’re not fine. The building is rumbling, and the ceiling’s begun to cave in, it’s hard to breathe, and you can’t see through the blood that’s caked over your left eye.

The pillars fall in seven seconds, and you fall too.

You call for him, for Shoto, in the last three seconds of your consciousness, you call for him.

It’s dark.

x x x

When you wake up, really wake up and open your eyes to look right into the harsh white fluorescent lights of your hospital room, nobody’s there with you. There’s a vase of dying roses on the windowsill, and you can already tell from the crisp handwriting on the brown tag that Shoto had been the one to leave them. And it’s cold, but you prefer that to the blazing heat you’d felt when you’d fallen asleep.

Where is Sho anyway?

Your heart monitor steadily beeps away, and when a nurse comes in to check your vitals she’s surprised to see you’re awake. And even more surprised when the first thing you ask for is Shoto.

“Sho,” You say, and your voice is dry and raw and barely a whisper, “Where’s Sho?”

The nurse stares at you wide-eyes for a moment, before she gets you a little dixie cup of water.

“Who’s Sho?” She asks, and you struggle to swallow the little cup of water she’d given you.

“Shoto Todoroki,” You say, “Is he here?”

The nurse purses her lips, and looks at you sadly, and you wonder what she’s thinking about before she tells you that she’ll be right back with the doctor. She leaves three more dixie cups of water on your foldaway table before leaving.

You sit there for almost an hour before the door opens again, and it’s a horrible hour because every time you close your eyes all you can see is the bloody battle that should have killed you.

The doctor comes in first, and right behind him is the person you’d been thinking about since you’d woken up. You’d been with him all that morning before the war, and all that night. And you were with him now.

The doctor tells you what day it is, and you start crying when he tells you it’s been almost a month since you’d first been admitted to the hospital.

“Fuck,” You whimper, voice crackling and breaking as you reach out for Shoto, and he’s there - he always is - and his hand feels so good in yours - it always does - and you start crying even harder when you see the tears in his eyes. “I’m so sorry, Sho. You look so tired.”

“I love you,” And he says it like there will never be another chance to say it, and once the first ‘I love you’ leaves his mouth fifty more follow. And the doctor looks you over as best he can, before telling you that you’re cleared for visitors and that you’d be able to leave within the week.

And as Shoto begins to cry he has to remind himself that he is supposed to be a hero prodigy. That he’s supposed to stand tall and strong, and keep his father's hero legacy alive. But you hold onto his fingers so tightly, and for once, you’re asking if you can come over because you’ve just had a nightmare. It’s a shared nightmare, Shoto tells you, shared by millions.

Two days later you’re allowed to go back home, back to the dorms, and Shoto has to help you get dressed because you can barely breathe standing up let alone walk without your legs collapsing. Shoto kisses your tears away when you catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror. You’re covered in scars, and there are still stitches in places where the wounds were slower to heal.

Your whole world fell apart in seven hours that day, and it continued to fall apart after that. Shoto’s there for you the whole way back to UA, and he tells you that your school, your second home, had become a home to thousands of others too. Shoto had given his dorm away and he’d been staying at his family home while you’d been in the hospital.

But your dorm is still there. And nothing’s changed at all.

“I’ve also been staying here too,” Shoto tells you when he helps you into bed, “I hope you don’t mind.”

“I don’t mind at all, Sho,” You tell him - you never do mind - and he crawls into bed next to you, minding your right knee with it’s poky little stitches and the new metal patella that replaced the kneecap you’d shattered during the war.

Japan fell apart in four days, Shoto tells you, and you can’t find it in you to care, because the world is too big and too wide but Shoto makes it feel smaller.

It was dark, when the pillars fell. And the two of you are blind, lost in it, and you’d never been so afraid of being lost.

“I don’t think I can go back to hero work,” You tell him early the next morning, as he gets dressed to go back to his family home, “Not for a long time.”

“That’s okay, my love,” He replies, he won’t tell you, but he’s not sure he wants you to go back, “Do you want to come home with me?”

He doesn’t need to ask, because he would have taken you with him anyway.

“Yeah,” You tell him, and you struggle to push yourself up into a sitting position, “Just... Will you promise me something?”

“Anything.”

“Promise me you won’t die.”

It’s stupid thing to ask for, you know it is. Because everybody dies eventually, but you don’t know what you’d do if you lost him. The two of you are lost, but at least you’re together.

Shoto doesn’t need to question it, because he’d thought you were dead for almost a whole week. And he doesn’t ever want to be without you, even though he knows he’ll have to.

“I promise you, Y/N, I won’t ever leave you, and I won’t die.”

It’s dark, Shoto thinks, as he helps you into the back of his father’s car, But it’s much less dark with you.

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aspiring-holistic-otaku · 3 years

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alright so half way through the year (2021), reading classics/older stuff only as much as possible n these are my top 10 reads so far:

10. battle angel alita aka gunnm

pretty good, the definition of strength and self are some of my favourite themes, great art & aesthetics, the story was just a little bit choppy at times but all in all pretty good as I said

9. shaman king

another pretty good one, I think it had a lot of good messages and I loved how philosophical n thought provoking it was and tried to be showing a variety of approaches to life, great art & a pretty good cast

8. hellsing

big fan of chaos, destruction and so on so I really enjoyed it, the only downfall was the simplistic plot & how predictable it was that alucard would always pull through but watching the cast dance around to the tune of madness was undoubtedly entertaining

7. drifting classroom

really old but really good especially for how short it was, pretty fast paced but the story was well handled and never really felt like it was going off track and even had a few comedic moments, honestly didn't really expect to like it but the mc was great, cast was great, art though old was also pretty good... honestly just really good lmao

6. uzumaki

I hate sp*rals now but this was really good, I'd always heard how great junji ito is but finally getting around to his works for myself and he's truly a master of the genre, innovative, creative and all with such little material tbh.. like spir*ls??? who knew

5. remina

another piece by ito, really short, only 6 chapters but it's absolutely phenomenal what he did with those 6 chapters

4. initial d

man... I don't like cars like that and honestly I hate driving but this manga was great, despite the fact that they refused to draw the characters decently, the art was great in literally every other department and not just looking pretty but everything was clearly drawn to immerse the reader in a certain atmosphere whether that was the speed of the car, the slowness of thought, pain of loss, melancholy of stillness it was all just beautiful, the story was pretty solid, somehow kept me entertained by somehow excellently diversifying the feel of every race because honestly they should fundamentally all be the same but the atmosphere around every race was different and engaging in it's own way... absolutely loved it

3. dragon ball (z)

the first manga I read this year, dragon ball straight into dragon ball z and honestly I loved it way more than I thought I would, like I figured I'd have to turn off my brain and just accept fight fight fight but the whole story from db to DBZ, story, characters, everything was masterfully done, sure it can be said to be a simple pursuit of strength but I loved how Goku wasn't about violence he just wanted to be free and to be the best self he could be and that's something I never knew before reading, I'd always thought he was just dumb muscle but based on his origins I think his simplicity is a strong point, great cast, phenomenal art, really good vibes, absolutely loved it

2. banana fish

always heard of it, finally got to it, glad it lived up to it's reputation, really really good, great ever unfolding story, loved the constant bashing of the american government, beautiful aesthetic, great cast... yh

1. Great Teacher Onizuka

great teacher onizuka... didn't have any expectations really but man... what a great manga... very touching, hilarious, decent art, pretty good cast... of course unrealistic in a sense, lots of hijinx n all that but really really touching...

other reads so far ranked highest to lowest:

blame!

sailor moon

baki

city hunter

negima (not a classic but a friend promised to read my favourite manga spirit circle of I read it lmao)

flame of recca

saint seiya knights of the zodiac

riki oh

I was trying not to make the post too long & I'd already done "reviews" of most if not all of the these so if you want to see those they should be tagged by name somewhere on here

also if you wanna see what I've read, what I'm reading & plan to read you can check out my anilist

and as always, shamefully plugging my aesthetics animanga page (it's not letting me tag it for some reason but it's @moodthroughmanga)

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heavenfordoms · 3 years

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”Innocent“ Hug (Deku x fem! Reader):

Pairing(s): Deku x reader

Warning(s): 18+ minors DNI, cussing, manga spoilers, riding, death, semi-public sex, eating out

Genera: angst to fluff to smut

A/N: wait this was actually fun and easy to write for me wtf

Fandom: My hero academia (boku no hero academia)

Glossary:

Y/n = your name

Summery: Bakugou looses his life in battle and y/n goes to comfort Deku, soon Deku ends up forgetting about Bakugou as y/n rides him

You sucked in a breath, holding it for a while as you stared at the villain in front of you. You where crouched down low so you knew that he couldn’t see you. But you sure saw him. Your quirk was called memory, you could memorize anything that you wanted. The downside to this quirk is that while your mind was full of knowledge your body was weak so it was no good for battle-training, another bad thing (or more annoying then anything) is that we can’t forget it, ever, even if you wanted to. You remember every single detail of your life and every single thing that has happened to this point in grave detail. Not like you wanted to remember it, but you felt so worthless that it was almost blood to memorize everything. Like how there where five street lamps outside the bar. They where dimly lit and flickered every five second, each one after the other. The one on the very right was the first to flicker then it would go all the way to the left. Sometimes the one in the very middle would shut off at random times as the other lamps brightly shone in the night-sky.

“Could you stop mumbling?!” Katsuki whisper-yelled at you. You slightly cringed at the blonde male’s words before nodding your head in a form of acceptance (for some reason people saw that as acceptance so you did as well).

Katsuki is a young man of average height for somebody his age, with a slim, muscular build, and a fair skin tone. He has short, spiky, ash-blond hair with choppy bangs that hang over his eyebrows. His eyes are sharp and bright red in color. His hero costume is composed of a tight, black, sleeveless tank top, with an orange "X" across the middle, forming a v-neck. There are two dots along the left line of his collar, indicating the support company that designed his costume. His costume also has a metallic neck brace worn with rectangular ends that have three holes on each side. His sleeves reach from within his large grenade-like gauntlets to his biceps. His belt, which also carries grenades, holds up his baggy pants with knee guards, below which he sports black, knee-high combat boots with orange soles and eyelets. His mask is jagged and black, and as it goes around his eyes, a large, orange-rimmed flare shape protrudes from each side.

You focused your eyes off of Kastsuki and onto Dabi, the villain who was standing guard outside the bar. Dabi is a fairly tall, pale young man of a slim, somewhat-lanky build, described to be in his early twenties. He has white hair with a few red streaks at the crown that spikes upward around his head, hanging low over his eyes, which are thin, turquoise in color, and heavily lidded. Before the reveal of his true identity, his hair was dyed black. His most striking features are undoubtedly the patches of gnarled, wrinkled, purple skin that cover much of his lower face and neck, all the way down past his collarbone, below his eyes and on his arms and legs due to him having a quirk at a early age and not knowing how to control it. These appear to be attached to the rest of his skin by multiple, crude surgical staples or hoop piercings. He has several silver cartilage piercings in both ears, and a triple nostril piercing on the right side of his nose. He also seems to be lacking earlobes on both sides of his ears upon close inspection, he wears a dark blue jacket with a high, ripped collar, and matching pants, cut off above his ankles, a pair of dark dress shoes on his feet. He also has a plain pale gray, scoop-neck shirt, below which a gray belt with a circular pattern wraps around his waist, a leather satchel attached at the back.

Nobody knew his real name, until now, Dabi had revealed himself as Touya Todoroki. Everyone now calls him Touya but it never settled right in your gut to call him that. His name was Dabi to you and it will always be Dabi. It didn’t matter if he did a big entry and say that he is part of the Todoroki’s Dabi didn’t seem like them. The Todoroki’s where a strict family with ruled set in place. Endeavor, now the number one hero, had tried to welcome his family with more open arms. You could tell that Dabi’s opening was not out of grief for his family but instead out of spite. Like saying to Endeavor that he needs to take a chill pill with this whole anime redemption arc thing that he has going on for himself (and you didn’t quiet disagree with the oriole scarred man either).

You often thought of life like a anime, it was easier to explain. If somebodies life was broken they just ended up in the wrong anime. It also helped reminded you that every villain has a backstory. You never got to see their perspective in things. You never got to see what happened to the villains after they got defeated. Nope. You never got to see that, maybe if people saw the villain’s side. Everyone would hate the hero‘s and build their own path just as villains do. They make a path that no one has ever gone on, slowly making it a dirt road and them turning it again into an actual road that everyone can go on. Villains never got the roadwork. Hero’s probably always destroy it.

“So what’s the plan?” You leaned in close to Katsuki and whispered in his ear, Kastuki tensed up next to you and sucked in a breath before looking at you through pointy eyes.

”I will distract scar-man while you go and get Deku from the bar.” Kastuki explained, you nodded your head ‘yes’ before you pointing in the direction you where going to go. Kastuki grunted to himself as he crawled slowly in the opposite direction. Sending explosion at Dabi’s face before ducking behind a large wooden tool-box that had the words ”Back Bend Inc” on it in Ariel black font. Although it had been there for so long that the black ink looked to be a dark smoky gray. You quietly padded off into the opposite direction, your head ducked and eyes darting every five seconds to catch every detail around you.

Silently, you slipped into the bar. There was a wooden plank that held up the first stand, it looked to be pretty normal from here. There was dark wine stands that had a light brown color to them. The walls where colored with a sand tan. Over by the bar there was stacks and stacks of different liquor that people could have. Above was the general black chalkboard menu, there was smeared blue chalk that said “SPECIAL: Burbon” the strong smell of liquor and whisky hung in the air. There was a cigarette hanging off the ledge, still lit and everything. It looked pretty normal, but there was a slight piece of the cigarette where it was unwrapped and that told you enough to not say ’fuck it’ and have a smoke break. Turning your head slowly you walked up to Kurogiri. Information began flooding in your head about the villains and the bar. Unluckily for you everyone noticed the smartness you had and quickly found out your quirk. They began to flood your Brian with information. Information that a kid didn’t want to hear. You heard everything when you where just in High School. Now, everyone hated your quirk, everyone fucking hated it. The people who raised you said that you where a monster and that they didn’t know you anymore. But the sad part was you didnt do anything wrong. After hours of racking through your mind you couldn’t find a single moment where you did something bad. “I need to see Tomura.” You stared blankly at the mist villain. Kurogiri's entire body is made out of a dark purple mist, save for his eyes, which are glowing yellow. He normally wears a very elegant suit with a tie and has a metal brace that goes from around his collarbone to just below his eyes. It was pretty simple description of the villain, but there wasn’t much to him.

“Now?“ The male inquired, a hint of annoyance traced his smooth and calming voice. His voice sounded a lot like a gently sea softly rippling in the waves. But in actuality he was more like a thundering storm as the large ocean waves crashed harshly against large dark-gray-almost-black rocks.

“Yes, it is important.” You answered, putting a fake smile across your face. You still heard the faint sound of explosions from Katsuki and knew that you didn’t have a lot of time. Katsuki only could hold off for fifteen minutes before he went full on battle mood. And the villains would definitely think at something is up. Kurogiri hummed thoughtfully before nodding his head in agreement and holding out his purple misted hand.

”Come on dear…” The man whispered soothingly and smiling up and down at you.

“Thanks!” You chirped getting up and going behind the bar, following the villain down the stairs that creaked underneath your feet.

“BOSS!! Somebody wanted you!!” Kurogiri called, you took a deep breath before flinching as you looked into the villains base.

It was the same red bricks that seemed to be different colors every brick that was placed down to make the wall of the bar. There was smooth fake wood counter with clean royal red plush bar stools with the smallest backs on them. There was a few hero posters scattered around the base, one medium sized All Might poster hung to the right of a small screen TV. The dull gray light picketed on and off as the headlights didn’t provide much protection against the dark loom of everything. Different types of bottles hung on narrowed shelves behind the bar. Right next to the bar was a metal door, the window had cages around it and a long shiny knob that went down the left side. To the right of the door was a old faction radio station with LED lights surrounding it. It was currently playing Take Me to Church, apparently just starting to play it seeing how the introduction was still on. You narrowed your eyes before leaning against the red brick wall and giving everyone a swept gaze. All of the villains names that where forced to memorize came to your head all of a sudden.

Himiko Toga was standing in the farthest left, spinning in the red barstools.

Himiko is a relatively petite, fair-skinned girl who is very prone to blushing and is frequently described as to having a rather pretty face. She has slightly inward-tilting bright yellow eyes with thin slits, making them somewhat resemble those of a cat, and her wide mouth is also rather feline, as both her upper and lower canines are more pointed and longer than the rest of her teeth, giving her a vampire-like appearance. Her hair is a pale, dirty ash-blonde and is styled into two messy buns, with numerous wild strands sticking out at all angles from their centers and where they’re fastened, a straight fringe and two chin-length side bangs to frame her face. Himiko’s outfit consist of a plain seifuku with a Kansai collar, both the skirt and the shirt dark blue with a double white trim, which is paired with a red scarf that she ties loosely below. Over this, she wears an oversized beige cardigan with a rather long hem and cuffs, and pockets on either side, the right one shown to hold a number of trinkets on either a keychain or a cellphone strap. She sports knee-length black socks and dark brown dress shoes with thick heels, the same as the outdoor uniform shoes students traditionally wear in Japanese schools.

Tomura was standing next to Himiko, a bored expression clouding his features.

Tomura is a slim man with deathly pale skin, tinged yellow, and wrinkled a great deal around his eyes. His lips are chapped and uneven, a small mole on the right underneath, with visible scars on his right eye and under his lip. He has messy grayish-blue hair of varying lengths, the longest clumps reaching to about his shoulders, left hanging over his face in uneven waves. His eyes are normally obscured, but when visible, they are usually stretched wide in a rather maniacal manner, their bright red irises are very small.

Interestingly, when Tenko was at the age of five, he bore a striking resemblance to Izuku Midoriya, with his blue hair originally being dark black in color, while also having dried patches of skin around his eyes, though his lips were shown to be healthy in appearance. After his Quirk manifested, his appearance changed giving him a wrinkled face and changing his hair color.

Nobody else was in the base, the rest of the villains where busy surviving customers or dealing with Bakugou.

Then you saw him

Deku…

Deku has been a classmate of yours for a while, although you guy’s rarely talked to each other you always admired his strength and wisdom. Soon he became the number one hero and you became the second, Bakugou and Todoroki following closely behind. The only real reason you where able to make it to number two was due to the popularity votes for citizens. Everyone liked you, they loo up to you. So rationally you often teamed up with Deku. He was not good with the citizens since he never got a chance to talk to them due to the fact that he broke his bones in battle often but his quirk was amazing. And you didn’t have a lot of strength so that gave you time to connect with the citizens. The two of you working together helped everyone live a better place. Now seeing him tied up and helpless, it made you pretty angry.

“I would love to sit here and chat, but I got a hero to save!” You smirked as you raced on ahead and grabbed Deku, pulling him out of the chains before the villains had any time to react. Standing next to the hero you where slightly taller (mind you he hasn’t grown since high school so that wasn’t really anything to brag about being taller then him).

”HELLPPP!!!” A scream shouted from Kastuki, your eyes widened as you sprinted off to get the number three hero. Deku closely followed you as he got his quirk ready. But by the time that you rushed out you knew it was too late. Katsuki had been crushed by the blue flames that wrapped around his body.

“KACCHAN!!!” Deku screamed, DabI whipped his head around and started at the number one hero.

”You idiot!“ You hissed as you grabbed Deku’s arm and made a run for it. Dragging him out into the open where a bunch of other hero’s where’s standing just in case something happened. You noticed that they where busy on their phones and probably didn’t even hear Katsuki screaming for help. You rushed Deku to the side of the red brick building and waited for a ambulance to come pick Deku up. Once they carried him away you narrowed your eyes at the pro-hero’s.

”I SWEAR TO FUCKING GOD I AM GOING TO KILL YOU AND YOUR FAMILY IF YOU ACT LIKE THAT AGAUN!!! DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH STRESS YOU PUT US THROUGH??? DYNAMIGHT COULD HAVE STILL BEEN ALIVE IF YOU HAVEN’T SAT ON YOUR ASS ALL DAY AND ACT LIKE A BUNCH OF FUCKING SLUTS!! I SWEAR TO GOD I AM GOING TO RIP ALL OF YOUR HEADS OFF, FEED THEM TO MY DOG, MAKE MY DOG SHIT OFF A BRIDGE AND SEE THE SHIT SMEERED ON THE TIRE, GET A LIGHTER AND BURN THE CAR DOWN, TAKE THE ASHES AND PUT THEM IN A GROUND, I WILL TAKE THE GROUND WHERE THE ASH IS AND MAKE IT A STRIPER CLUB, AND THEN GET A EXORCIST TO PUT YOU TO HELL!!!” You started cussing them off, the pro-hero’s shuffled uncomfortably and looked at each other with weird stares. They knew that they where in shit when they pissed you off. You weren’t very easy to piss off so when somebody pissed you off they knew they were in deep horse shit.

*** You rushed into the hospital bed where Deku was at. Your breath coming out in short puffs as you stood on the edge of the male’s bed and watched as thick tears streamed down his face. You grew soft and laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

“Calm down baby…I am here…” You reassured, slowly climbing on the bed and getting on him. Deku gulped thickly at the closed distance between the two of you and began sweating nervously.

“Y/n!“ You yelped, trying to scoot back. You looked up at him and gave the male a cocky smile.

“What? Are you suggesting something?” You leaned in and whispered in Deku‘s ears. Deku whined before nodding his head ‘yes‘ you rolled your eyes and began to unbutton your shirt. Popping out a few buttons in the process. Gently, you pulled down your panties and threw them to the side, lifting up your skirt and showing your ass to Deku. Deku trembled slightly and started licking at the entrance, slowly, he began eating you out. You moaned quietly before bucking Your hips backwards. Deku gasped before moaning also and continuing to do his work. Once Deku are you out for a few minutes you pulled away and Deku looked at you with large puppy dogs eyes. His Greek emerald eyes blown wide in lust.

You leaned down and took off his pants with your teeth, dragging your nails up his clothed hero uniform shirt. Deku bucked his hips up and whimpered. You smirked into the material. Once you actually got the pants down you slipped off his boxers and starting to get settled on Deku.

You and Deku had this off and on thing. You guy’s weren’t dating each other and fucked other people but it was always a delight when you got to fuck him. A smile always formed on his lips when you topped him. He always thought that everyone was going to leave him to be the top, so it was reassuring when he saw that somebody cared about him enough to dom him and show him who is in control.

You where snapped back into reality when Deku gasped in shock as you took him all in, groaning slightly at the fact that you took him with such ease because he has been in you so much. Slowly you waited for yourself to adjust (which didn’t take that long) before you started bouncing up and down. Deku threw his head back and moaned loudly as felt your walls clench around him. You kept bouncing on him up and down in a rhyme pattern.

“Come on baby, thought you liked it…” You pouted, looking down on the green haired hero and smiling cockily.

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