Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

“Have you ever met a vampire?” 

Cold fingers ran through his short hair, chopped at his nape. He peered up at the woman above him, who was busy watching the snowflakes drift outside the frost-framed window. 

A fire crackled in the fireplace, warming the parlor and scaring away that winter weather. Shouto found himself wishing it was extinguished. He liked the cold, because Mother was always cold. Most people hated the winter season, but it always made Shouto feel safe to be wrapped in the freezing embrace of a blizzard.

“Once, when I was a little girl.” His mother spoke in a low voice. 

He could hear Natsuo and Fuyumi playing in the other room, but their game of sparks and ice hadn’t reached them quite yet.

“What were they like?”

Mother looked down at him, amused. “Why do you ask?”

“Father says that they’re monsters.” Shouto murmured quietly. “But I don’t trust him.”

Something he didn’t understand flickered in her dark eyes and his mother exhaled softly. “The vampire I met was very kind. She wasn’t what I had expected, either.”

“What did she look like?” Shouto sat up with wide eyes. “Did she really have big teeth like razors?”

She laughed at the childish question. “No, she looked just like you or I, really. I remember thinking she was a nymph at first because her hair reminded me of the forest.”

“Was it scary?” He asked. “To be that close to one of them?”

His mother paused. She had that look in her eyes again. It was one she always got when the house was cold and quiet like this, like she was lost in time long passed.

Mother shook her head softly. “No…she wasn’t very frightening at all.”

“Shouto, I need you to look at me–”

Firm hands on his shoulders ripped him out of his memories. He gritted his teeth, digging his fingernails into the fabric of the sofa painfully. 

His head pounded nauseatingly. He was panting, but the air in his lungs felt like water, drowning him as he grew more panicked. He felt like he was sinking, deeper and deeper until he could barely make out the shapes in front of him anymore.

He felt sick to his stomach.

He felt like smashing a head into a window, just to see them bleed.

He felt like ripping out his father’s throat and savoring the taste of it as he watched the light drain from his eyes.

Shouto stumbled to his feet. He was swimming, faces so far above the water that he couldn’t see them at all. All the voices were warbled and twisted. 

Sticky sweat dripped down his neck, running through the old diverts of his scar. Hair was falling in his eyes, blending together like fresh blood upon snow.

There were hands on him, reaching under the waterline and trying to pull him back to the surface, back to safety. 

He didn’t want to go. 

He wanted to drown in it.

Shouto shoved past them, dizzily fighting them off as he gasped for that taste of freedom. He threw the door open and almost fell onto the cobblestone outside. He couldn’t let himself pause; they’d drag him back.

Someone was screaming his name as he ran. 

He burst into the woods despite the burning sensation in his lungs and the thickness collecting in his throat. He just needed the fresh air. He just needed a minute.

He just needed his head on a stake. He just needed his neck to be severed, sliced open, pouring out onto the remains of a blizzard.

And like an arrow, the heartbeat sliced through him. 

Then he was twisting on old leaves and running in another direction desperately. Wind whipped his face, trees blurring together as he ran. 

“Wha–“ 

A stuttered question. That racing pulse. The crunch of leaves.

His hand closed on their racing pulse and it hummed under his fingers. The skin was hot, burning as he grazed it.

And like a wave washing over him, the crushing feeling was gone. He no longer felt like he was being choked as a savory smell burst around him. 

Shouto dropped to his knees, eyes fluttering shut as he buried his face in that sizzling skin. His tongue ran over the flesh and warm, thick liquid dripped from the corner of his mouth.

The heartbeat tick, tick, ticked on the edge of his skull, fading like the backward winding of a clock. Fingernails dug through cloth and skin, straight through to the bone.

Everything was starting to grow cold again. He was reminded of that last winter, before everything had been ripped away from him. His breathing slowed from its rapid pace until it stopped entirely and it was deafeningly quiet. His clothes were soaked through; it was dripping from his fingers. 

Shouto’s vision finally cleared and he was left staring at the scene before him.

Casually, like a limp pillow, the body slipped from his hands and slumped on the forest floor. His head was still fuzzy, slowly processing everything.

Blank eyes stared up at the night sky. The stars reflected in the tears that hadn’t fallen. He must have been human, because he didn’t see any runes on his skin, at least the skin that was still intact and not stained red. 

He was still sitting on his knees as the pool of blood grew larger and larger. It swallowed him, seeping through his clothes and staining him through to the bone. 

Moonlight washed over him, framing his silhouette and his knotted hair and his ripped sleeve from where the stranger had undoubtedly, uselessly, tried to fight back.

“Shouto?!” He jerked his head toward the voice as the silence shattered. Izuku appeared through the trees. “Oh, my–“

“I didn’t–“ Shouto shook his head weakly. “I…I didn’t mean to–“

He rushed toward him. “It’s okay–“

“Izuku? Did you find him?” Someone shouted. 

“Yeah, over here!” Izuku kneeled next to him, holding his face in his hands. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

Shouto shook his head again. That seemed like a silly question, but he supposed he might not know if this blood belonged to him or not. In the dark, it almost looked black. When he pulled away from him, his palms were stained. He could feel it all over his face, blotchy over his pale features in the same way the scar tissue was.

“I didn’t mean to.” He gasped quietly. “I swear, I didn't–“

“I know.” Izuku tugged him closer, holding him tightly in his arms. “I know, it’s okay.”

“Oh, shit–“ He peered over his shoulder, catching the shocked expressions of the other vampires. “Holy fuck…” Hitoshi muttered.

“Huh.” Eri said, dumbfounded. “Well, I guess we should be glad it’s not someone we know.” Aizawa broke away from his staring to shoot a pointed look in her direction.

“I didn’t mean to.” Shouto insisted to them, still clinging to Izuku.

They had to understand that. They had to know that he hadn’t wanted to do that.

“Of course not.” A different voice spoke. Shouto stiffened, breaking away from Izuku to look behind him. Izuku curled an arm around him protectively.

A figure melted from the shadows. Blood red eyes gleamed in the moonlight as he stepped forward. 

Shigaraki Hisashi looked upon the scene with a heavy, almost dramatic sigh. “It’s not your fault, Shouto. You never should have been a fledgling for as long as you were.”

“He was doing fine. The ritual just set him off.” Izuku protested quietly.

“You know you have to keep a closer eye on those you turn, Izuku.” Hisashi scolded him with a tsk. He stepped closer to inspect the body. “At least this time it wasn’t a coven of witches, just a human in the wrong place at the wrong time, but you should still know better.” He added, glancing up at Izuku sharply.

“It really wasn’t his fault.” Aizawa cleared his throat from the treeline. “He used magic to keep us from following him.”

Shouto hadn’t even realized he’d done that. He curled his fingers in his lap weakly. Between the drying blood, he could still read the runes, but his magic sense was gone. 

Just like that, it was all gone.

“Nonetheless, it doesn’t matter now.” Hisashi continued. “I’ll have this handled before dawn. The humans in the area will probably chalk it up to an animal attack.” 

The oldest vampire appeared before him suddenly. With a freezing hand, he took his jaw and tilted it up, forcing his mouth open. Shouto flinched under his frozen touch. 

He inspected the new fangs crowding his mouth and the trails of drying blood down his chin with a thoughtful hum. Then, his face split into a satisfied smile. 

“Welcome to the family, Shouto.”

He could hear the conversation from the top of the stairs, drifting toward him as he grew nearer. Shouto clutched the railing, quietly appearing on the edge of the sitting room. The assorted group of vampires all silenced suddenly at his appearance.

Izuku was the first to move, standing and growing closer to him. “Hey, how do you feel?”

“What happened to the man?” He asked instead. Water dripped from his hair, blood washed away in the shower he’d just taken. 

“He’s been taken care of.” Hisashi said. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Shouto,” Izuku started again. “We don’t have to do this right now if you’re not ready. You can go and rest if you need to.”

He shook his head. “I’m fine, really.”

Besides the elongated canines now crowding his mouth and the points to his ears he couldn’t even feel underneath his damp hair, he honestly didn’t feel any different. If anything, he felt better than he had in days now that the bloodlust was gone. His head was cleared, his senses were still exaggerated, but not as overwhelming as they had been.

Regardless, they didn’t have the time to pause. They needed to deal with his father before this situation got any worse. He noticed the collection vial still sitting on the side table, along with some of the ritualistic supplies.

“Right, it was only your first kill.” Eri leaned over an armchair, watching him with a little sparkle to her eyes. “That’s pretty exciting, you know. You only get one!”

“Eri, you know that not everyone is as excited by killing and violence as you.” Hitoshi muttered.

Shouto pressed his lips into a line. “That wasn’t my first kill.”

The vampires blinked at him wildly, but Shouto offered no further explanation. 

Todoroki Enji was not a man who taught mercy, after all.

After a brief pause, he searched the room for Aizawa. The former witch was leaning against the furthest wall, eyes narrowed so that he could see just the edges of the runes printed on his eyelids. He broke away from Izuku’s side and marched toward him. 

“You knew my mother’s name.” He accused. “How?”

Aizawa opened his mouth, but Hisashi quickly interrupted him first. “Rei has been under our protection for many years.”

“That’s impossible. She’s dead.”

“Is that what your father told you?” Hisashi’s gaze brightened knowingly. “I’m sure that Todoroki Enji also told you that he’d never practice dark magic either, but that is clearly not the case, is it?”

Shouto shook his head. “We just saw it happen, he used a puppet hex on her to force her to kill herself.” 

It was one of the more widely known forbidden curses; it gave complete control of one’s body, mind, and magic to the caster.

And if he had understood his parents correctly, he’d used a puppet hex to force her to hurt Shouto all those years ago as well. He frowned, raising his hand to brush at the edge of his scar. 

All this time, he’d assumed it was his mother simply shattering under the pressure of living in that prison, but it had been him. It was him all along, a ploy to get the other witches to turn on his mother after hurting her own child and then to dispose of her quietly once she stopped being useful. 

Aizawa cleared his throat, giving Hisashi a look that warned him to keep quiet for a moment. Shouto glanced at the man expectantly. “Several years ago, Inko and I were traveling through the forest together. I sensed the presence of witches, even though there shouldn’t have been any this close to our territory. We overheard a fight and reached them to see him cast that hex.”

“Your father fled as soon as he saw us. He left her bleeding out, just like you saw. She had only seconds to live, so Inko tried to turn her, to save her.” Aizawa nodded slowly. “And she succeeded.”

Shouto exhaled dizzily. That couldn’t be possible; all this time…

“Rei spent a few months here with us.” Hisashi continued. “Inko and her grew rather close, but she was terrified of Enji finding her, so she moved to a place further into the mountains, even further from the border between our territories in hopes that no witch would ever dare to venture that far into vampire territory. With the prospects of war, Inko left just a night ago to warn her.”

He stepped back bracing himself on the edge of a sofa. His technicolor eyes flickered across the faces, their worried expressions as they watched him.

His mother was alive. She’d been alive the whole time. 

“Why…” Shouto started slowly, in hazy disbelief. He looked up at Izuku. “Did you know?”

His features softened. “I didn’t know she was your mom. She never talked about her past, if I’d known–“ Shouto nodded weakly, believing him.

“She rarely attends vampire formalities.” Aizawa continued. “I tried to ask about what had happened when we found her or how she was dealing with the turning since we’d both been witches, but she refused to talk about anything. She never talked to anyone besides Inko. That’s also why neither of us attended the party at your home, we didn’t want to risk being recognized or for Enji to blame us for his wife’s supposed death.”

He wondered if Inko had drawn the connection. Had she recognized his mother’s features in his when he arrived that night, with Izuku’s teeth in his neck? Was that part of the reason she’d gone to warn her?

Did his father know that she’d been turned?

Among his hunger for power that war would satisfy, this could very well be part of his motivation. If the relationship between witches and vampires strengthened, how long would it have been before someone connected the dots? Whether he knew she was alive or not, he wouldn’t dare risk his position in witch society being disrupted by vampiric rumors of his long-dead wife.

His fingers curled in his palms and he gritted his teeth. Damn bastard.

“I’ve already sent word to Rei’s home, but it’s deep in the mountains.” Hisashi added. “It may be a few days before we hear from either of them.”

Shouto shook his head. He pushed aside all the questions about his mother swimming around in his head. That would have to wait. They could be things he asked her himself. “No, we need to deal with my father now. I need to get this to Momo, before the sun rises. She’s probably waiting up now–“

A tap on the window suddenly silenced him. They all paused, glancing at the window behind him. The tapping continued, like a fingernail pattering away on the glass. 

Cautiously, Shouto reached forward and pulled aside the curtain. He sighed in relief at the raven tapping at the window. “It’s just Momo’s familiar.”

There was a note tied to his leg. He unlatched the window and let him flutter inside, untying the note. Then, he flew past him. Eri cooed at the bird as he landed on the armrest of her chair.

“Why would she send you a message?” Izuku asked. “Is something wrong?”

Shouto shrugged. “I don’t know. This wasn’t part of our plan.” He unrolled the note and quickly started to read.

Shouto, 

Do not come to my home. 

A witch from the Asui family was just found dead near the border and your father’s just issued a curfew for everyone who lives within our territory. He’s put guards at the border near the mountains.

He’s also blaming your absence on an unknown vampire that they found traces of in your room; he thinks you’ve been kidnapped by them, but they haven’t said a name, yet. 

They won’t let anyone leave their homes. Things aren’t looking good,  there’s a talk of starting a search for you.

Please stay safe, 

Momo

“What does it say?” Eri asked. 

Shouto looked up from the note. He shook his head weakly. “Another witch was just found dead. My father has shut down the border and he knows I’m missing.” He passed the paper to his boyfriend, letting him skim the words.

“How are you supposed to get that to Momo then?” Hitsohi asked, pointing to the collection vial. 

“I can’t.” He looked back at her familiar, still perched on the chair. “They’re probably not letting anything through, if he hasn’t returned to Momo already. He probably got out just before the curfew went up.” Shouto gestured to the raven. 

“Wait, they think you were kidnapped by a vampire?” Izuku cried, looking up at the note. “None of us have even been to your room, how could he have found traces of an ‘unknown vampire’ there?”

“It’s just that.” Shouto exhaled. “The unknown vampire he found was me.”

“Wait a minute,” Hitoshi started. “if he’s blaming you on us, then that’s definitely merit to start a war, isn’t it?”

“I’m sure that’s a happy coincidence for him.” Hisashi hummed. He took the note from his son and read over it. “He’ll likely wait for the sun to rise before he launches any kind of attack, using these circumstances to rally any witches who were apprehensive beforehand.”

“Then we have to tell the other witches tonight.” Izuku protested. “If we show that he’s been orchestrating all this, then it’ll stop any prospects of war.”

“I’ll go.” They all raised their heads at Aizawa’s voice.

“What are you talking about?” Hitoshi hissed. “You’re a vampire, they might just think you’re the one who kidnapped Shouto.”

“I have runes.” He stated simply. “If I’m stopped by anyone, they won’t recognize me, but I can pretend to be a witch with a weak aura because of my runes. I’ll go.”

Eri shook her head. “No, no, that’s suicide. If anyone saw through it, they’d kill you.”

“Besides, you don’t know anything about the area. They’d see right through you after a sentence.” Shouto frowned. “I can go, though.”

“Absolutely not–” Izuku started. 

“None of you know witch territory. I’m the only one who can go.” He countered. Shouto stood up. There were still a few hours until the sun rose, it would be enough time to get there and back, but only if he left soon.

“Your father is looking for you.” He argued. “You can’t just pretend to be a weak witch, if anyone saw you–“

Shouto took his hands gently. “Izuku, there’s no one else who can go. I have to.”

His face softened for a brief second before he shook his head. “I’ll go with you then–“

“You don’t have any runes.” He pointed out. “If we were caught, I’d have a chance, but they’d just kill you.”

Izuku shook his head more firmly. “You can’t, I-I can’t– If something happened to you–“ He gasped.

“Nothing’ll happen.” Eri spoke up with a smile. “Because I’m going, too.”

She pulled back her hair into a ponytail, tying back her bangs with a black ribbon. She offered them a fanged grin, standing beside Aizawa. The man didn’t look happy about that development, but he didn’t argue.

Shouto turned back to his boyfriend. He reached up to hold his face and brush a thumb over his cheek. “‘Zuku, you know I have to do this.”

He watched him for a moment. Behind his eyes, he saw the frustration. He wanted to fight over this and Shouto didn’t blame him. But they both knew there was nothing to be said. 

“I know.” He eventually relented.

“In and out. I’ll be back before dawn.” He promised. 

Izuku leaned forward to kiss his head. “Make sure you come back.”

“I will.” He pulled away. Hisashi put a hand on Izuku’s shoulder to keep him from following. “I promise, I will.”

Eri passed him the vial and he slipped it into a pocket. Aizawa had rearranged his hair to hide the edges of his ears. Shouto glanced up at Izuku again.

“I love you.” He called.

He smiled bittersweetly. “I love you, too.”

They moved faster in the dark than any human or witch would without the assistance of magic. Shouto knew the border would be coming up soon, once the trees thinned. 

“I’m sorry.” Eri started quietly. Aiwaza was a stride or two ahead of the two younger vampires, but he was likely still listening in to their conversation. 

Shouto glanced at her. His dark cloak billowed behind him, while the other two were dressed in simple clothes, not needing to hide their appearance once they crossed the border. “What for?”

“I should’ve told you about your mother when you asked.” She admitted.

He furrowed his eyebrows, puzzled for a single second before it clicked. 

Ah. “The third turned witch you mentioned…who’s in hiding.”

Eri nodded in shame. “I didn’t know she was your mom, but I should’ve. You two look a lot alike.”

“You’ve met her?”

Moonlight washed over the girl, reflecting the gold runes now on show for everyone to see. They were rather unique. Several of the symbols were completely foreign to him. 

“When I was first turned, it was…a lot. Before I realized Aizawa was my relative, I lived with Izuku and his family and she was around, sometimes. Rei and I got along; she took me under her wing in the beginning. We talked about witch society, magic, the sort of thing that others wouldn’t understand.” Eri explained.

“I see.” Deep down, that confession sparked a bit of envy. 

He hadn’t seen his mother since he was six years old, but Eri had gotten some of the time that had been stolen from him by his father.

It wasn’t fair and it made him burn inside, just a little.

“She told me then that I reminded her of her son.” Eri confessed. Her dark eyes raised, flashing in the darkness. “You.”

“Oh.” Now he felt bad.

“I tried to ask her more about you, she never gave me a name or any real details about her family. I think it was to keep you safe.” She continued. “But I don’t think she ever stopped thinking of you.”

Shouto stiffened, looking at the other vampire in a dumb kind of shock. His right hand curled in the fabric of his cloak, but the ice was gone; only pale symbols remained. His mouth opened to answer, but he was briefly speechless. 

“…Thank you,” He eventually answered. “for telling me.”

Eri blinked at him, but neither of them were able to continue before Aizawa reappeared. “We’re close, I can hear the witches’ guards.”

Shouto turned away from Eri with a nod, shoving the feelings deep down. “Right. Make sure to be quiet as we get closer.”

They started at a slower pace. He started to hear their lull heartbeats, the crunch of leaves as they milled around the border. Most of their guards were more of physical fighters, than actually magically inclined. They were a mix of humans and weaker witches, beyond the few who might actually be from a leading witch family. 

They were extra bodies and eyes, but not actual threats beyond them alerting an actual witch to their presence. Shouto would’ve still liked to get past them without drawing any attention, though.

The trio paused on the edge of the forest line, just out of sight. There were about ten guards here. There were some buildings that would cover them once they got out of the trees, if they could just break the line. 

There should be a magic barrier, as well, but he couldn’t see it. He couldn’t feel it all. Shouto frowned, eyes darting between the soldiers to give him some kind of sign.

“You should assume it’s there.” Aizawa spoke. Shouto hummed in confusion. “The magic; you can’t feel it anymore now, right?”

“No.” 

“But you should always assume it’s there, because it probably is. The aura just isn’t strong enough for us to feel it.” He explained.

Shouto nodded with a forced exhale. “Okay, if they’re using the barrier spell I think they are, then it should break if one of them steps out of line. It’ll give us a few minutes to pass over while it’s down before they realize it’s been broken.”

“Should Eri and I go distract them, while you cross over there?” Aizawa suggested. 

He tilted his head toward a shadow of a larger building that wasn’t very illuminated by the nearest street lamps. If he remembered correctly, it was an inn that usually hosted travelers passing through. Beyond that, there was a break in the border where the trees grew a little too close to the cobblestones.

“No, we should try to avoid being seen as much as possible.” Shouto answered. He pulled his hood down further. “We should– Where did Eri go?”

They both glanced around, but she’d vanished. “That problem child–“ Aizawa muttered as he jerked his head toward the shadow of the building.

Shouto saw the gleam of her pale hair by the edge of the forest. A man walked past by building alone, busy peeking in the window to notice the vampire growing closer. 

“What is she doing?” Shouto hissed.

Eri grabbed the man’s arm, making him jump and whirl around to face her. She then slapped her hand over his mouth before he could say anything and pulled him into the shadow of the building. 

Shouto winced at the sound of ripping flesh, darting back toward the nearest few guards. They were, however, chatting among themselves, attention focused on the forest. If the barrier had broken, then they probably weren’t magically inclined enough to notice it yet.

Eri waved them over, setting the man against the building. 

“I guess that’s one way to do it.” Aizawa muttered. Shouto scoffed softly.

They slipped through the shadows before they were across from her. They darted past the border, grabbing Eri’s sleeve and dragging her further down the street. Lively music played inside the inn as they passed, quickly continuing deeper into the city.

“What the hell was that?” Shouto growled as they walked. 

Eri carefully wiped the blood from her chin, licking her fingers. “He was on his own. No one even heard him because of the music.” She countered. “You said the magic would be broken if he stepped out of line, so I forced him out of line.”

“Until they take four steps to the left and see a dead body! A distraction would’ve worked just as well.”

“He’s not dead, yet.” Eri protested. “He’ll be fine if they don’t take too long to find him.” 

“They don’t have even to find him, he’s sitting right besides them–“

“Shouto.” Aizawa interrupted firmly. “We can discuss this later. Where is Momo’s house?”

He paused, looking around the street they were on now. “It’s further from here, all of the main families live in the heart of town. This area is mostly humans or weaker witches.”

“Then let’s get going.”

The walk to Momo’s was long and littered with other witches and guards patrolling the street. They kept to the shade of the buildings and out of the streetlights as much as they could.

Finally, he spotted the silhouette of his friend’s home in the distance. He tilted his head, signaling them to follow him. Just a few more blocks and they’d be there.

Shouto looked up to assess the moon’s height in the sky. His hood slipped, just barely. They still had somewhere around another hour to get out of the city after this. 

“Hey!” The group of vampires stiffened as a voice shouted toward them. Shouto’s hood fell further down, revealing the edge of his bangs. Footsteps grew closer. “There’s a curfew right– Shouto?”

He turned his head, startled as he found himself staring at his older brother. “Natsuo–“

“Who’s he?” Eri muttered, hands curled in preparation for a fight.

His eyebrows furrowed. “Where have you been?! You know that the old man–“

Shouto rushed forward, gripping his sleeve. “You can’t tell him that you saw me. Please, Natsuo.”

“Huh? What are you talking about?!” He stared at him wildly, eyes darting between his hands and his shadowed face. Suddenly, he paused. “What…what happened to your magic?”

He shook his head. “Nothing, nothing, I’m fine. Just let us go, I swear to you that I’m fine.”

“Shouto…” 

“Please.” He pleaded with him. “Don’t tell Father.”

Natsuo's mouth parted for a single second. He saw the confusion on his features. His pulse hummed under his fingers, debating. 

They had never been very close. He hadn’t ever been very close to any of his siblings, but Natsuo even less so. They were better strangers than they were family. 

Then, he nodded quickly. “Go. He’s been patrolling the area.”

“Thank you.” He pulled away from him. He turned back toward the pair of vampires. “Come on, we should–“

“Natsuo! There’s been another murder by the border!” They all flinched at the sharp voice. His brother sent him a panicked look, but it was too late before his father was rounding the corner. He spotted all of them in a second. “What the–“

No, no, they were so close. 

Aizawa’s hand gripped Eri’s, pulling her toward him protectively. Shouto tore his gaze between him and them. He pulled the collection vial from his pocket and shoved it into Aizawa’s hand. “Run, I’ll deal with him.”

“But–“ Eri started.

“Go!” He barked. 

It didn’t matter, though. They took one step away, only for the street to burst into flames. The vampires threw themselves back from the wall of flames. Shouto gritted his teeth, jerking his head back toward his father. 

He’d trapped them. 

Natsuo started toward him, but his father gripped him by the shoulder and threw him to the ground. “Don’t! They’re clearly infiltrators!” 

Eri bared her fangs, prepared to attack him, but she was cast back by another burst of fire. Aizawa caught her before she fell into the flames trapping them here. Like a wind chime, the vial fell from his hand and clattered onto the cobblestone road. Burns rippled on her skin, healing quickly. It wasn’t that strong of a spell, then.

Shouto panted, eyes flickering between everyone. He had to do something. He could still taste the magic in the air with how familiar it was. His skin itched, wishing he could reach out and grab onto it like he used to be able to.

A searing hand gripped his arm, throwing off the hood. Shouto glared up at his father and he watched his expression shift.

Confusion, realization, disgust.

“They’ve corrupted you.” He snarled. 

“I know what you did.” Shouto growled in return. He ripped himself from his hold easily with his newfound strength. “I know it was you who hexed the party and I know what you did to Mother.”

“W-What?” Natsuo called. “Shouto, what are you talking about?!”

“Don’t listen to him!” His father shouted. “He’s been turned into one of those damn bloodsuckers!”

“It doesn’t make anything I say not true!” He retorted. “They’re going to know. They’ll all know about what you are: a traitor to our kind.”

“Our kind? That’s something, coming from you now.” His eyes narrowed. “Not only are you useless now, you’ve taken to their lies.” He twisted his hand and suddenly the fire shifted around him. It turned to thick, billowing smoke and he recognized the spell. 

Before he could call out any warning, he saw Eri and Aizawa collapse. His vision started to turn hazy. Shouto felt his body grow heavy suddenly, slumping on the ground. As the street turned to black, he watched his father’s boots against the ground.

He walked past his face, pausing beside the vial.

Then, the glass crunched under his sole and the last of his magic spilled out onto the cobblestones.

“–shouldn’t we just behead them?” Someone was talking somewhere. He vaguely recognized the voice. “With the blade?”

“No. The sun will do the work for us. It’s set to rise soon.” His eyes snapped open sharply as his father spoke.

Cold, thick metal cuffs were wrapped around his limbs. Shouto started to tug on them, but he was shoved back with an equal force of invisible magic. It had been enchanted to rebound his strength. 

His cloak and outer clothes had been removed, leaving his chest exposed to the cool air. His hair was a mess, tangled and knotted down his shoulders. Before him, there was a collection of witches and guards.

When he turned his head, he saw Eri and Aizawa both trapped in a similar situation. Eri was blinking hazily, slowly regaining consciousness, but Aizawa’s head was still slumped.

This was the town square. In their unconsciousness, they’d been tied up between the trees. He could see the outline of the church and the market stands that lined the area, all closed up for the night. The clocktower loomed in front of them and Shouto fought the urge to smile at the irony of its presence. He’d spent a number of nights up there in a shared secret.

On the edge of the clearing, he saw his brother. 

“Natsuo!” He shouted, startling the witches to his consciousness. Shouto pulled at his restraints desperately. “Natsuo, he killed Mother!”

His expression furrowed in confusion, but he was cut off by a sharp pain. Shouto choked out a gasp, looking down to see where a white-hot, blade-shaped flame had been shoved through his unbeaten heart.

“Stop spouting your lies.” His father hissed. “It’s bad enough that you’re one of them now.”

Shouto scoffed weakly. “You know they’re not lies. That’s why you care so much when I spout them.” 

His magic dispersed swiftly in the form of little embers and Shouto watched the wound knit itself back together. Black blood dripped down his skin, burns twisting over his pale skin. His eyes flickered up at him with a wild glint. “If you want to kill me, you’ll have to do much worse.”

“I don’t want to kill you, Shouto.” His father countered. “You’ll burn as what you are when the sun rises, as punishment for your betrayal.”

He scoffed, jerking his head, but he gripped his face to keep his eyes on him. Shouto hissed, baring his fangs, but his position made it hard to pull away from his burning hand. “How many others are there? How many did you lead into our home?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Shouto snarled.

“Why are you here?” He insisted. “If you tell me what you know, then I’ll make your death swift and painless, rather than letting you burn alive out here.” 

“I’m here to stop you from starting a war.”  He answered honestly. His eyes narrowed sharply. “This is all your fault and you know it.”

“Tell me who did this to you, I will make them suffer.” His father declared. “I’ll make them regret ever touching my greatest creation.”

Then, he laughed. It was ripped from his throat, echoing out in the courtyard. “The one who turned me; he saved me. He saved my life and he saved me from you.” Shouto’s eyes sparkled wildly. “I love him and he loves me and I love the fact that I don’t have your magic any longer. Father, I’m no longer your greatest creation; I’m your greatest failure.”

His father backed away, startled. Shouto smirked at his expression, flashing his fangs. Despite the imminent threat of death, Shouto couldn’t help but enjoy this.

Years of bending to his father’s will and finally, finally, he could say whatever he wanted. He could watch his spirit sputter and burn as he realized that all of his efforts had been wasted, that this was all his own doing.

Because if he’d never sent him on that suicide mission into the mountains, he never would have crossed paths with a particular pureblooded vampire. He never would have fallen in love.

Because if he had never hexed Izuku at that party, he never would have turned him.

Suddenly, a shriek interrupted their dangerous staring contest. “Let me go!” Eri screamed. She ripped at her restraints uselessly. “Let me go!”

They glanced over at the other vampire. His father gave her a disgusted look, like she was a wild animal waiting to be put down. He marched away, pausing before Eri. She snarled at him, hissing and biting desperately, like that might break the enchantments keeping her trapped.

“You’re the one from the Shie Hassaikai coven.” Eri froze, wine-stained irises growing wide. “The girl whose body was never found among the others.”

“H-How…Did you–” Her eyes flickered over his father’s face. “D-Did you know what they were doing to me?”

Enji’s eyes lowered and he continued quietly. “Chisaki was a revolutionary witch, despite his methods. He would have made great advancements in magic if he hadn’t died before his time.” Shouto scoffed.

“You–“ Eri started thrashing again. “You bastard! You knew!” She shrieked, reaching toward him like she wanted to claw out his eyes. 

“Why are you here? How many vampires are with you?” He tried to question her, but Eri offered him even less information in her fury. She pulled viciously on the cuff holding up her right arm. 

Aizawa seemed to be stirring on Eri’s left, woken by the sounds of her frustration. Shouto’s eyes raised as he heard a clunk. One of the bolts had been loosened. 

“Hikara!” His father called, noticing the bolt when it clattered to the stones. He turned toward another witch. “Do you have the silver bladed knife?”

He couldn’t have actually tracked one down. Most silver weapons had been destroyed in the Blood Wars, especially following the conclusion of the fighting. They were deadly to vampires, as deadly as a normal blade would be to a human.

The witch nodded, offering something to his father. 

Shouto opened his mouth to warn Eri, but Aizawa cut him off.

“Eri!” Aizawa hissed. “Stop it–“

“They knew!” She cried frustratedly. Grey hair was knotted at the back of her head, revealing the edges of her pointed ears and framing her face wildly. Eri’s face was blotchy with tears as she shook her head violently. “They knew and they let him do everything to me! They let him kill me, over and over again!”

“Eri, please!” Aizawa turned his head and snapped at his father. “Don’t hurt her–“

The witch ignored him, unsheathing the blade and stepping closer to her. He barely paused, not giving her the time to lurch toward him. He sliced through her thigh first. Eri sunk in on herself, crying out in pain.

Then, his father twisted the blade and stabbed through the flesh of her right arm, just underneath the loose cuff. Eri screamed. She gasped at the air, clearly panicking as her wounds didn’t start to heal.

Aizawa jerked toward her, calling her name. “Please stop! Stop hurting her!”

“Father, stop it!” Shouto yelled. “She doesn’t matter! She doesn’t know anything!”

He paused at his plea. The blade glinted with the vampire’s black blood. It dripped on the stones between them. 

“Just let them go.” Shouto insisted. “They don’t have anything to do with this.”

“Did you not realize that this would happen?” He scolded. “You’re the one who led them into our home. You are the only one who is to blame for this girl’s pain.”

Shouto stiffened, catching a glimpse of Eri’s trembling frame. He shook his head as his frustration was relit. “Would you stop blaming everyone else for your choices?! First Mother, now me! I know that you forced her to hurt me, that you always blamed her naivety for her death when you’re the one who led her into mountains and you’re the one who forced her hand!” He cried.

Enji scoffed bitterly. Before he could counter, however, another witch approached him and cleared his throat nervously. “Lord Todoroki, the first sunlight will be upon us in just a few minutes.” 

His father nodded stiffly. He tossed aside the blade. “The sun will silence you and your falsities.”

“No–“ Shouto pulled at the cuffs. “No, they’re not lies!”

His eyes darted across the other witches collected around them. Momo’s mother and father, Kyoka’s father and oldest brother, Denki’s parents and aunts, the remaining Iidas, Natsuo and his sister, who’d just arrived. They all watched with conflicted expressions. Fuyumi looked close to tears, clinging to Natsuo.

Shouto had known most of them since he was a child. He’d attended events at their homes, he’d grown up with their children.

Desperately, Shouto shouted past his father. “He’s used dark magic! He’s responsible for the vampires’ violence at the party; he poisoned the blood with hexes!”

Enji huffed, ignoring him. “Not only does vampire venom curse the body, it also corrupts the mind. Look what it did to my youngest son!”

Overhead, the sky melted into a lighter blue. Stars flicked and faded with the growing light.

He met his siblings’ gazes across the courtyard, panting. “He killed Mother! He blamed it on the vampires and he murdered Touya, too!”

His scream startled the pair of them. Fuyumi’s face crumpled as she held up her hand to hide her mouth. They had to believe him. They had to have had as many questions about their deaths that she had.

But even if they did, what could they really do?

They’d stood in the shadow of his father for years, ignored entirely. Their magic was weak, unpracticed, nothing that could challenge their father, not to mention the rest of the witches present if they decided to take his side.

If he tried to break free, surely he’d use that blade on him and kill him first. Shouto let out a weak sigh. 

The first ray of light hit the tree beside him. 

He turned his head toward Aizawa and Eri, both defeated in their own respects. The younger vampire had her head hung, bleeding out slowly as she sniffled. Aizawa’s expression was steely, like he’d already made his peace with it. He supposed if he was as old as him, he would have already debated death, too.

There was a way to cheat death once, but never twice. 

If anything, he regretted the fact that he was breaking his promise to Izuku. 

He hoped that he could forgive him one day, somehow.

The burn of sunlight seared straight through him, lighting his skin aflame. He’d never felt anything like it. It was worse than his father’s fire.

Shouto bit down on his lip, muffling himself. He didn’t want to give his father the pleasure of hearing his pain. Eri and Aizawa’s screams echoed in his head.

It was excruciating, drawing tears from his eyes.

He’d always thought that this kind of death would be quick, but his vampire body fought desperately to try and heal, only for that layer of skin to burn away a second later. It wouldn’t be able to keep up soon and he’d turn to ash to be blown away with the morning breeze.

Then, it suddenly stopped. 

His resistants clattered with the sound of tearing metal and there were arms around him. Shouto gasped, collapsing in himself. He looked up at the shadow before him.

“It’s okay–“ Izuku cried, covered by a thick cloak. He pulled the fabric over him, tugging him back into the shadow of one of the trees he’d been strung between. “Y-You’re okay.”

“What are you doing here?!” He protested, clinging to him. The burns on his skin ached. He didn’t answer him, sniffling and holding him close so that the sun couldn’t touch them. 

“Was one child not enough for you, Enji?” 

Shouto stilled as the voice rang out in the courtyard. He raised his head from Izuku’s chest, eyes growing wide.

His father was still, standing alone before another hooded figure in the sun-washed square like he’d seen a ghost.

Eri and Aizawa had been pulled to the other side, hidden in the shadows of the nearest buildings with Izuku’s parents and Hitoshi. The violet-haired vampire clung to his adopted family, whispering to them. Where the streets aligned to meet in the square, he saw various cloaked people lying in wait.

“Rei…” He muttered in simple disbelief.

“You never knew when was enough.” She said simply. “How many were you willing to kill to keep your power?”

Lady Yaoyorozu took a step forward, away from her husband. “Wait…”

“Mom?!” Fuyumi cried. She tried to rush forward, but Natsuo kept her away, watching in stunned disbelief.

His father started to back away. “This is ridiculous– Show yourself, bloodsucker! You demons can’t trick us by speaking with my dead wife’s voice.”

“As much as I’m sure you’d wish it,” She raised a gloved hand, pulling down her hood. “I am very much not dead.”

His mother’s skin sizzled under the sunlight, but she simply pressed her lips into line. She looked just the same as Shouto remembered, like barely any time had passed.

Ivory hair was tied back into a bun, revealing the white runes that ran down her neck and further underneath her cloak. However, there was a sharp, black scar that sliced across the front of her neck. It looked like a knife’s wound that hadn’t healed, seeping into her veins and up her jaw with a dark purple hue. 

Several of the witches around them gasped, clearly recognizing the line upon her neck. It was a sacrificial wound, one that would never heal.

Explicit evidence of forbidden magic.

“Rei.” Momo’s mother gasped. She stepped closer to her old friend. “Did he do that to you?!”

His mother nodded, sunlight burns flickering across her cheekbone. She gritted her teeth to speak through the pain. “I implore you to cast an identification ritual, if you still don’t believe me. He used our oldest son’s death to explore dark power, then my own to further his conquest for power. He was willing to go to war, sacrifice our children and families in order to keep my supposed death a secret and inflict his power over all of you.”

“She’s–“ His father started, but another few witches stepped forward to block the street he’d been backing toward. “Clearly this is some kind of trick!”

“Do you find it interesting that both your wife and your son had to die to escape you?” She continued, watching him with a dangerous glint in her dark gaze.

“Last I checked, Enji, vampires have no means of conjuring ghosts.” Momo’s mother countered as well. “Nor would they have any reason to turn her if she had been attacked by them in the first place, like you’d said.” 

His mother visibly relaxed, pulling up her hood to block the sun again. 

Before he had any time to react, several spells were cast toward him. The stones below him reformed, rushing up to grab his arms and legs. He cursed at witches who’d cast it, but a seal formed from nothing to cover his mouth. 

Lady Yaoyorozu’s runes burned with the display before they faded back onto her skin. She sighed. “I knew I should’ve listened to my daughter when she said you weren’t to be trusted.”

She turned and quickly hugged his mother. Fuyumi and Natsuo both rushed toward Mother as Lady Yaoyorozu backed away. Shouto sighed in relief, sinking into Izuku’s arms in the shade.

“It’s over.” He muttered. His eyes flickered toward his boyfriend, smiling weakly. “We did it.”

“Do you want to go see her?” He offered his cloak to him.

Shouto took the thick cloth in his hand. He hesitantly threw it over his shoulders, looking back to make sure Izuku was still hidden from the sun. He nodded encouragingly for him to continue. “I’ll be here.”

Shouto pulled the hood over his head and hesitantly walked toward his mother. The cloth rubbed against his burns roughly, but he ignored the pain. She was pressing a kiss to Natsuo’s cheek when she noticed Shouto on the edge of her vision.

“Shouto…” She gasped. Natsuo pulled back, blocking some of the light with his bulkier frame.

“Mother.” 

The older woman suddenly rushed forward, gloved hands raising to touch his face carefully. “You’re…You look so grown up.”

He nodded slowly, swallowing a lump in his throat. “Yeah.”

“I’m sorry.” His mother’s shoulders slumped and she embraced him. “I’m so sorry that I never came back, my love.”

Hesitantly, his hands raised and he hugged her back. He exhaled, resting his head on her shoulder. “I know that you felt like you couldn’t. It’s okay.”

“Never again.” She promised. “He won’t separate us any longer. I swear it.”

Fuyumi sniffled miserably. His mother’s head turned, pulling his siblings into her embrace. His ears were filled with their heartbeats, Fuyumi’s soft crying and his mother’s sigh and he felt safe.

three years later

There was an old myth that vampires couldn’t see their reflections. 

He didn’t know where it originated. It may have been an old humans’ tale they spread when vampires were too fast to be seen in the reflections of their blades. It wasn’t true, as he stared back at himself in the ignored mirror, but he found himself wondering why it had been begun in the first place

He heard the footsteps down the hall before they reached him. He turned his head just as the door creaked open. “What are you doing up here?”

“Just having a taste of nostalgia.” Shouto answered with a small smile. 

Izuku crept inside the bedroom curiously, noting all the furniture that had been moved and covered with sheets by the cleaning staff. The vanity was one of the only pieces that still appeared untouched, besides the layer of dust a few years had given it. 

“Your sister was wondering where you went.” He said, crossing over to him. “She said that some of the other witches would be arriving soon.”

“I was just curious what she’d done with my room.” Shouto answered. “Not that I imagined anything besides this. This place already has more space than anyone would ever need for anything.”

“I think she’s just stressed; her heartbeat was all over the place, gave me a headache.” Izuku admitted with a huff. Shouto didn’t blame her. This was the first event she was hosting since she’d been named head of the Todoroki household. He was glad that he was just a guest tonight. “And besides, you know that the last time you disappeared from a party didn’t exactly go well.”

“Really?” He raised his eyebrows. Shouto reached forward and grabbed him by the front of his shirt, pulling Izuku closer in an instant. “It worked out for me, given some time.”

The other vampire scoffed, the unused breath fanning over his face. “Uh-huh, sure.”

Shouto tilted his head, reaching up to kiss him. He fondly brushed a curl from his glowing eyes. His hair was chronically messy, despite his best efforts.

“We should probably go back downstairs before they start wondering about us.” He suggested. 

Cold fingers tangled with his. “We probably should.” Izuku agreed, kissing him once more, just for good measure.

Shouto smiled and offered him his arm, guiding him out of his old bedroom and quietly shutting the door behind them. The Todoroki manor was lively with the incoming party. As they walked, he heard the bustling of work staff, the busy kitchen noise and footsteps in every direction.

Once upon a time, it probably would have overwhelmed him, but he welcomed the background noise now. It reminded him of how different this house was from the one he’d grown up in. 

As they approached the dining hall, the noise grew louder. Conversations drifted toward him, colored by familiar laughs and tones. He paused at the scene, searching the faces populating his former home.

Momo’s family had just arrived. He spotted her and Kyoka together, greeting Denki and hugging Hitoshi with complaints about how little they’d seen them. Eri was beside them, attempting to fix her hair in one of the panes of a dark window. Inko was chatting with Aizawa with her husband’s arm around her as she spoke.

He saw his mother with Fuyumi, her first grandchild in her arms as she listened to his sister fret about the decor. Natsuo was beside them, trying and failing to appease her. 

“What’s wrong?” Izuku asked, pausing beside him.

Shouto’s gaze flickered toward him. He smiled to himself and shook his head softly. “Nothing… Nothing at all.”