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You stepped out into Shirakumo’s yard to witness him staring up at the sky, the sun setting and painting the clouds shades of gold and violet. He didn’t notice your presence until you stood beside him and cleared your throat.
“You called?”
He turned to face you, an eyebrow raised in question before giving you a smile. “Yeah, happy to see you make it!”
You assumed he called you to hang out one last time before you both became busy with internships and hero training. It was already getting intense in recent days and there wouldn’t be much time for you two to spend together when duty called.
Sitting on a cloud he manifested quickly, he patted the space beside him, scooting over a little. You took him up on his offer, sitting and crossing your legs. “So what’s up? Anything you want to talk about?”
Shirakumo shrugged and shook his head. “I don’t think so. I mean, there’s a lot going on right now, but that’s not it.” He paused and frowned, unsure of what to tell you. The man had few secrets that he kept from you and was an open book, but even he sometimes tended to bottle things up and push them deep down. “I just wanted some company.”
You nodded, putting a hand over his. His gentle smile returned, eyes fixating on the sky again. “You couldn’t call Aizawa or Yamada?”
“They were busy. Actually, Hizashi was busy, I’m sure Shouta just wanted to be by himself. Not that I mind, but I’m happy it’s just us,” he replied. He pointed at the sky, moving his finger around and outlining shapes in the clouds from his point of view. “I didn’t want you to miss this sunset.”
Looking away from him and up at the sky, you became mesmerized, the soft gradients pleasing on the eyes. The sun was gradually turning into a deep scarlet, the clouds and surrounding patches turning into warm hues of magenta and violet. You felt like a spectator in a museum, gazing at timeless oil paintings that captured indescribable emotions in what seemed like few brush strokes. It was truly a beautiful sight to behold considering you never considered yourself to be a huge sunset lover.
“It’s amazing, I think.”
Shirakumo’s soft expression seemed thoughtful, illuminated in the golden light. “I love staring at the sky. I wonder what it would be like to sit among the clouds like that.”
The cloud beneath you grew larger, now enough room for you two to lay back on it. You both did so with a soft floomf. Nodding, you gazed deeply into the sky, eyes directed on the sun. It was covered with a few clouds now, providing some shade for your eyes and making it more tolerable to gaze at. “Are you going to go up there one day?”
You heard a chuckle from beside you. “Only time will tell. Once I fully master my quirk, maybe that day will come,” he said, his hand finding yours again. “Maybe you’ll be there too. Wherever I go, I want you to come with me. If that’s cool with you, of course.”
“It is.” You turned to face him, noticing a slight blush covering his cheeks “I’ll go wherever you go, Oboro.”
“For now, let’s stay grounded, yeah?” He flashed a signature grin in an attempt to disguise how flustered he was becoming, being so close to you. “The sky will always be here, no matter what tries to come between us. And if anything ever does happen - not that it will - take a look up for me.” He paused, bringing your hand to his lips and giving a soft kiss. “I’ll do the same if something happens to you.”
You scooted closer, snuggling against his chest while he turned on his side to accommodate the change in position. “Nothing will happen,” you asserted. “Don’t say these things like you’re going to be dying tomorrow or something.”
Shirakumo chuckled, rubbing your side while you both turned to look up at the now purple sky, dusk finally settling in. “Being a hero is dangerous work, you know! It’s just the truth. But if something unfortunate happens to me first, you can count on me to part the clouds while you make your safe way up!”
Rolling your eyes, the two of you bantered until stars appeared in the sky, illuminated now by the pale glow of the moon in the sky.
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You found yourself at a bar this evening. A shady, seemingly abandoned bar in Kamino that had attracted your attention for some strange reason. Tonight was the anniversary of Shirakumo’s death, something that he swore wouldn’t happen. And when it did…
You wanted to forget about it. Maybe that’s why you found yourself here. You sighed and stepped inside, the dim orange glow of the lighting taking you back to that backyard you haven’t visited in years. Nobody was there except for the bartender, his back turned to you while he cleaned glasses from the day.
Making your way to the bar, your footsteps caught the man’s attention. It was only then that you noticed the dark fog as they turned around to face you, golden eyes gazing right through you. You shivered, a familiar yet uncomfortable feeling bubbling in your chest.
“Are you here to speak with Tomura Shigaraki?”
Leaning against the counter, you were able to get a better look at the man speaking to you. He truly did have no physical form, his body all smokey and ethereal. His voice was deep but clear, but it was his eyes that truly held your attention. You thought about his question and looked into them, his smoke swaying gently in your peripheral vision.
“No, I’m uh, just here for a drink. If you’re still open, that is.”
He considered for a moment before motioning for you to have a seat, glancing down a corridor at the end of the room before grabbing a clean glass. “What may I serve for you this evening?”
“Water is fine,” you replied, changing your mind about getting drunk off your ass to forget how painful this day normally was. Taking a seat, you pulled out your phone, briefly checking the time. The plan was to take your drink outside and sit on the sidewalk, watching the sun set in the sky, as was your tradition for the past few years.
The man slid a glass of water across the counter, giving you a nod. “Would you like anything else?” he asked, some of the smoke from his hand lingering against your fingers as you held your cold drink.
You shook your head and slid your phone back in your pocket before getting out of your seat. “No thank you. I’m going to take this out, but I’ll be sure to bring it back.”
As you started to walk out, you felt a presence behind you. The bartender had moved from behind the counter, following you outside. “May I take my break with you?”
He was so polite - a bit terrifying to look at upon first glance, but polite - how could you say no?
The man joined you outside, stepping in front of you to open the door for you. He once again glanced back down the hallway in the back of the building, deeming it was safe for him to take a deserved break. You sat on the sidewalk, patting the space beside you. He looked thoughtful, his eyes sparking playfully as he squatted beside you.
As you took a sip, you felt him stare at you for a moment before turning to look up at the sky. It was clear, not a single cloud to be seen. You exhaled and placed your glass on the concrete, curling up your legs. For you, the clouds in the sky meant something. Maybe this year was just meant to be unlucky, you thought to yourself, not noticing the misty man beside you look back at you.
“Is something the matter?”
Opening your mouth to say something, you stopped yourself, shaking your head as you continued to stare blankly above you. “I guess, but it’s a lot to get into. I just...miss someone really bad today, that’s all.”
He hummed softly but didn’t reply back, leaving you both in a peaceful silence. Something about the man felt comforting - homey, even - but you had never met him before tonight. You didn’t even know his name, but there was something about him that continued to pull your attention.
The colors in the sky started to shift, golden hour finally reaching its peak. You glanced at the man beside you, his purple smoke radiantly shining in the golden light. It was a nice contrast, the complimentary colors turning him into a masterpiece himself. At least the sunset is still going to be worth seeing tonight.
Out of the corner of your eye you saw the man stir more, his mist twirling around and growing larger. Was he trying to say something? Was he thinking? He continued to stir about, his head whirring while the rest of him remained calm. It reminded you of the way Shirakumo’s hair would flow on its own, separate from the rest of him. With this guy it was his whole body, but you couldn’t help but notice the similarity.
Almost out of nowhere, dark, purple clouds started to form in the sky, curling around the sun and leaving small openings for rays to shine through. That beautiful combination of gold, scarlet, and deep violet that you adored so much was manifesting itself in front of your eyes.
It was almost like it was made for you.
You couldn’t help but think that as the sky put on a show. You smiled. Things would be okay now.
The man beside you seemed to have relaxed, sighing softly to himself.
“Are you okay?” you asked him. “You seemed a little, uh...jittery a moment ago.”
He turned to you, eyes widening as if that was the first time someone expressed concern for him. “I can assure you, I am fine,” he answered, adjusting his tie. “I just...wanted some company.”
You took a gulp of your water, looking back at him. “Do you not get much of it?”
He shook his head. “It isn’t that, I just-” he stopped himself, putting his head - if you could call it that - in his hands. “Sorry. I don’t want to burden you with my personal business.”
“No no, please, tell me, I really enjoy your company,” you assured him.
Pondering, the man let out another deep sigh. “It’s just...sometimes, I love staring at the sky. I often wonder what it would be like to exist among the clouds like that. I bet it’s peaceful.”
The most words you had probably heard from the bartender all at once startled you, an eerie resemblance to Shirakumo, once again. You brushed it off for good, telling yourself that it was all coincidence. This poor man had nothing to do with your old lover.
“The one I miss, we always used to look at the sunset...he passed away a few years ago today,” you explained. “It feels good to witness something so beautiful again, and in good company, too.”
His eyes changed shape and you could have sworn it was joy he was trying to express with his limited features. For the next half hour you two sat by each other’s side, occasionally taking a swig of water, and him breathing deeply.
As dusk started to set in, you stood up, taking one final sip from your now warm drink. “Thank you again for the water, um…”
“Kurogiri.”
“Kurogiri, thank you. And thanks for sitting with me, it made my evening a lot better.”
The two of you stepped back inside the cool bar. He took your glass and set it on the counter, leaving it for later as he saw you out the door.
“Thank you again for everything,” you murmured softly, letting him get the door for you again. “Would you mind if I come back sometime?”
“Not at all. Tonight was...fun,” he said. It sounded like he had never even used the term “fun” before when talking about himself. “Well, I am fine with you returning. There are others though...nevermind, take care of yourself.”
“Bye, Kurogiri!”
As you made your way down the sidewalk, the misty man watched to make sure you had at least a safe walk down one of the most dangerous streets in Kamino. You couldn’t help but notice that as you continued home, the clouds above cleared a path in the sky, keeping what light was left shining down for you.