Chapter Text
Kirishima had just intended to pass through Mudditch. It was a fun name for a big, sprawling city that was anything but a mud ditch. In fact it made his dragon hide itch to start tearing down the more beautiful sculptures if they were not welded in place with magic. Seeing gold being used so commonly spoke to something of greater wealth here. Magic.
He bought a few trinkets to ease his need to steal and hoard the more shiny objects when he saw a glint that had drawn him to the town in the first place. That glint was a myriad of colors, some of which he hadn’t the names for, but it had caught his eye even at a great height overhead. He could barely contain his dragon form from manifesting and had to draw his cloak over scales and his horns. It flashed between the branches of limbs that made up the city crowds and Eijirou nearly tripped over his own cape not to lose sight of it before the crowd parted and he was nearly run over by a horse drawn carriage. The horses champed at their bits, eyes wide in terror at what was unmistakably the smell of a dragon. Eijirou took his chance to squeak out an apology at the roaring cabby.
“Watch where ya step fool!”
He scurried off, nearly letting out a growl of frustration when he lost sight of the shiny object only to wonder why it was so compelling in the first-
When he caught it in hand he wondered how this oblong, glass bead managed to catch the light so brilliantly when a different, prettier pair of gems met his own eyes.
This was his first meeting with the witch.
The bead he had closed his fist around was on a dangling chain attached to the pointed end of a worn, brewers hat. A witch’s identifying mark. Sure enough he glanced to the man’s feet and on them were a sturdy pair of pointed, leather boots flecked with mud.
“Are you going to let go or am I supposed to hear out your plea to make your hair less shitty.”
He couldn’t have let go if he tried and ended up blurting, “What would you take for this?”
The man’s eyes widened beneath the wide brim of his hat before crinkling. A devilish grin curled his lips over white, perfect teeth before he said, voice rough as the hemp hewn cloak he wore, “Follow me into my shop. The street is no place for business unless you’re looking to get run over.”
Eijirou just laughed and the witch looked at him like he was crazy.
Maybe he was a little mad, having a hold on a glass bead and trailing the witch like he was a baby elephant being lead by the hold of a tail. He realized he didn’t even know the witch’s name and blurted so. He realized the only reason the witch’s hat was still on his head was that there was a string fastening it under his chin.
“I don’t even know your name! Mine’s Eijirou Kirishima!”
“Didn’t ask.” The witch grumbled. He walked briskly and Eijirou wished he could see his face again, but he knew he would get that same itch the bead was giving him. Those red eyes were like garnets reflecting fire. It reminds him of the hearthstones in his hoard, of home where it sits raw in the earth. He didn’t think wanting to snatch someone’s eyes out of their head should be his second desire right after wanting to show him his collection of treasure.
He noticed that people steered clear of the stomping witch, smiling and lifting their hats to him and looking at Kirishima with interest. Eventually they reached the outskirts of the town where lay a two story building. The property was unfenced and sprawling with well tended vegetation. As Kirishima stepped onto the well worn path to the house, he felt a presence settle over him and a sense of dread like he should not be there. The house itself looked uninviting with its shuttered windows and dark paint. There was something that lay within that froze him in place.
Something watched here.
“Oh. Right.” The witch snorted and slapped a hand to Eijirou’s forehead and the feeling had gone just as suddenly as it came. He still couldn’t dispel that feeling of unease in his gut that reclaimed him after he had figured out how unnatural it all was.
He was able to open his hand and realized with a growl, “That’s a lure.”
“So you’re not completely stupid.” The witch turned to look at him and unfortunately the light caught his eyes ablaze again and Eijirou found his breath caught in his throat. The witch’s skin was like cream, his wild hair that jutted in jagged shapes from his hat were the color of sun bleached wheat.
He was frowning then, “I took off the spell. Why do you still look like that?”
“Like what?”
The witch frowned and Eijirou was enraptured by it. He was so pretty. He had never seen anyone, half dragon or not, that had caught his eye like his stones did.
“Are you coming or not? I don’t have all damn day.” The witch spat and Eijirou figured even if the witch was taller it wasn’t by much. Even concealed in his loose witchy garb, Eijirou was sure any dragon’s strength could overcome some puny human’s.
Dragons were not prone to glamours, so the bead lure fascinated him as both a jeweler, and a dragon now.
He grabbed the witch’s shoulder, “Whats your name?”
The witch threw his arm out to dislodge his hand with a snarl.
“Read the damn sign and come or don’t. I don’t give a shit.”
At that the witch stormed into his cottage, the door flinging open without his having touched it.
He sees the sign now in the garden, “Bakugou’s Brewery”
“Bakugou.” he says quietly and hears the witch scream “WHAT.”
He trots after him with a grin, “Let’s do business then!”
There’s a long counter like it’s a bar. Behind it are jars and boxes filled with various plants, rocks and maybe creatures when Bakugou gestures for Eijirou to take a seat on a stool.
“So what will you take for the bead?”
Bakugou’s red eyes seem to look him over before he says, “What’ve you got, shitty hair.”
Eijirou’s eyes narrow and he digs into his pockets. He places the trinkets he just bought on the counter along with a few interesting rocks that he lines up neatly. He puts a few notes on the counter and then brings out his spool of wire.
“That’s it.”
“The hell is this junk you’ve put all over my counter? What even are you beyond an idiot.”
“Dunno what you mean man.”
“You’re clearly not human so what the fuck are you and what you want an angler eye for?”
“Angler eye?”
“The lure.”
“I like it! Plus I’m plenty human man!”
“Plenty is not all.”
“Does it matter?”
Bakugou stares him down and Eijirou notices light freckles dusting Bakugou’s nose. Like pebbles dotting a sandy shore. He wants to draw lines between them and is only startled when Bakugou moves back to lean against his shelves.
“Fine. What would you do with it?”
He hadn’t thought that far and tells Bakugou so.
The man lets out a startling bark of a laugh before hoarsely braying behind his hand as the other slams the counter. He recovers quick, sneering through an amused smirk, “Sure. I buy that.”
Eijirou scowls, “What do you do with it then!”
“I made it to see what it lures.”
“Okay? And what. You harass the people whose eye it catches?”
“You’re the one who wouldn’t let go of me, remember?”
“Okay fair. But enough. Name your price.”
“First off, this shit is useless to me.” Bakugou gestures rudely to Eijirou’s valuables, “I want to know what you are so I can at least get-scale.”
“Hm?”
“Fucker are those scales?! On your face?”
“Oops.”
“Oops? The hell is ‘oops’ for?”
“They’re mine! I grew them myself, not on purpose mind you, but you have a lot of things I want to take.”
He laughs airily, not knowing why he’s told Bakugou something that would make him out to be some thief. Maybe he is.
Although the things that were stolen were returned shortly after having sat in his hoard long enough to satisfy him.
“Like what?”
“Those anger eye you got.”
He very nearly said those angry eyes you got but managed to curb it and Bakugou barks out another mocking laugh, “It’s angler.”
“Right,” he says.
Bakugou looks him up and down then, “ What do you want for a scale or two?”
Kirishima perks up at that, “The bead!”
Bakugou scowls and folds his arms, jaw working before he curses, “It’s just glass. It’s not nearly worth the price of a-...mer scale?”
Eijirou can’t help a laugh, “No, no I’m not!”
Bakugou’s brow furrows and he rubs at his forehead with irritation, shoving his hat back and again, Eijirou is overcome with admiration. His eyes are even more brilliant in the light of his shop. His wild hair looks soft the way it bristles out like dandelion seed and Bakugou snaps his fingers. Eijirou colors a bit at the fact he had entirely missed what Bakugou said.
“Your eyes.” Bakugou says.
The pupils must have dilated the way they tend to do when he wants something. His thoughts are filled with Bakugou draped in the trinkets and finery of his hoard and he has to drop his gaze, “Uh yeah. They do that-“
“What are you a snake?”
Eijirou snorts, sure to let out sparks and smoke, when Bakugou rips off his hat and starts fanning it, his own free hand popping aflame. He wonders if that was purely accident or if Bakugou is trying to be intimidating, “WATCH THE DRIED HERBS YOU SHITTY DRAGON!”
He rolls his shoulders and doesn’t confirm or deny, only smiles, “So is it a trade?”
Bakugou bites his lip, before sighing, “I don’t have anything worth a dragon scale by itself, shitty hair, much less how many I need.”
“Huh? They’re really worth that much?!”
“The hell? It’s not like there’s dragons just walking around and if there are they disguise themselves like you so you tell me. I’m not cheating you out of body parts. Look through and pick something out.”
Bakugou takes out two large books and sets them on the table, but before he can peruse them Bakugou slaps a hand on top, “No love potions, poisons, or acids.”
Eijirou looks at him curiously, “But you can make them?”
Bakugou grinds his teeth and grits out, “Of course. Though love potions aren’t fucking real, I can make them. Every recipe is snake oil. It’s the one thing you can’t manufacture because it relies entirely on trust.”
Eijirou smiles at him, “That’s so romantic.”
Bakugou splutters before snapping, “It’s common sense. Can’t have one without the other.”
Eijirou just chuckles and leafs through the book. Nothing really catches his eye until he sees rock polish and fancy whetstones he has Bakugou tote out. Bakugou urges him to take more and he hums. He’s always been fond of red stones and takes a couple. He buys small fireworks and Bakugou gets snippy, “Are you even looking at prices?”
Eijirou whines, “Can’t you just give me it cheap?”
Bakugou just gnaws at his lip, “You some country bumpkin? The fuck? This scale can buy me my house four times over. Specially since you’re going to give it to me.”
“M’not though! It’s a trade off!”
Bakugou looks at him so long he feels uncomfortable.
“You don’t know what one of your scales can do do you?”
Eijirou shrinks back as Bakugou leans over the counter, sucking at his teeth derisively, “Even one of those scales can add on months and with a couple of them I could figure out how to live as long as you do. Why do you think there are no half dragons, Kirishima? Why did you think you had to hide it?”
He doesn’t know what to say and Bakugou sighs, “I’m no villain, if I get a scale I’m getting it fair and square.”
Eijirou flusters hard, “THAT’S SO MANLY!”
“The hell-“
“Well um how about whenever I drop by you give me something!”
“Haah?!”
“L-like a lifetime supply of uh-freebies? As you can see by my supplies I don’t carry much around.”
Bakugou just stares.
“Also I just want the stupid bead and my rocks for now,” he takes down his hood and smiles, “Pick one! Any one!”
That’s how he ends up in one of Bakugo’s barstools, swinging his feet and practically recounting his life as Bakugou plucks a few scales from the apples of his cheeks. The smaller ones always grow back faster, but the ones on his face are softer.
“So my dad is really cool, he lives just down the mountain and has the biggest beard! He took care of my egg until I hatched I guess cause my mom decided to hibernate and figured he could use the company!”
“Wait, so you hatched? Like a fucking lizard?”
Eijirou growls, “Like a dragon! I’m a dragon!”
“Right.”
“Took me like a whole year to get the hang of the human thing. I accidentally clawed my eye.”
Bakugou takes pause at that, “You what?”
“So like I got up to get some water because I was smoking i my sleep and rubbed my eyes but my claws were still out.”
The witch’s brow furrows and he asks, “Smoking?”
“Oh I was smoking a lot because was getting ready to make fire!”
“No shit?”
“Yeah man, watch.”
“Hey, watch the-“
“Just a small one-“
He purses his lips to blow out a small fire with a whistle and Bakugou grinned, “That’s nothing!”
He pulled his hands up, free of his sleeves and Eijirou went wide eyed at the pops of flame that unfurled like sunbursts in his palms. The smoke was acrid but sweet on the air and he stared wide eyed at Bakugou, whose chest was puffed out with pride.
“That’s Magic right?!”
“Yeah.” Bakugou huffed. Eijirou froze at the way Bakugou went back to his task. This time he grabbed his jaw and tilted his head.
Usually this set off a fight response in Eijirou but this time his stomach just swooped as it did on steep descents through the sky.
He wouldn’t call it love. It was more piqued interest and he set about claiming the land around Mudditch so his return and hunting would remain unchallenged by any creature that lived there.
Worst he had had to drive out were trolls and he had unearthed some slumbering ancient beast and told it to get lost or he would break its carapace. Not that he expected his treasure would run into these creatures, but they were dangerous and untrusted.
He left much alone and went about his business as usual. In some places he was called the Red Trapper, and in some taverns Red Riot. He was quite proud of both titles.
He made his way claiming bounties and clearing up bandits, though often such bandits existed due to no available work in the area. Eijirou would redirect their efforts to more worthwhile work in the guild or learning shiphand or farmhand work or even flying them to different cities to uproot their lives and start anew. Of course this meant once he got their agreement he in no uncertain terms kidnapped and blindfolded them and carried them astride his back as a dragon.
A lot of people that had seen him as just a dragon knew him as the Red Terror. He rather liked that title too. People thought he was somehow related in some way to the Crimson Terror, the Good Dragon as his kind called him. That was fine with him to be in the same line of thought as the dragon who tore apart cities to reclaim stolen eggs.
His travels took him further and further across the lands and even over the sea, but he still hadn’t seen everything. The world was a big place and yet he found his world was now centered around one point. He didn’t like that much.
Men went where they were needed and endured and stood strong. He collected treasure still, but he began to notice that he was collecting junk.
It was when he was apprenticed under a bookmaker and having bound four or five tomes that he stood there, stock still. The needle burned in his fingers, his arm like a string left to reverberate in the stillness of his thoughts after having reached a conclusion.
He liked working with his hands sure. Weaving baskets and nets to catch fish. Turning ordinary objects into blades and tools. He liked crafting jewelry to sell. Eijirou liked tilling soil and creating means to irrigate crops. He liked hunting and skinning and tanning. He liked climbing great heights in the mountains with just his hands and tools, without help from his draconic blood and power.
He didn’t enjoy reading, and he was learning to bind books. He had learned how to carefully dry herbs and flowers. He had learned to collect them and what they were called. He didn’t know what called him to bind books, but as he threaded in pages he thought of Bakugou and the two tomes he used for inventory.
He quit the book binding job with stained fingers and a heart dyed with hearthstone and poppies. Sun kissed wheat and sand colored cream.
He swore the next job he took would be a great adventure, but found himself deep underground, months later. He had dug out the miners, sure. The dragon refused to feel bad for taking the raw ore and a huge block of cooking salt as payment. He reminded them that they could lose so much more, and went on his way.
He was taking more breaks, and losing his thoughts for long periods of time. It was when he nearly crashed from having fallen asleep while flying that he realized the mountain that had nearly brained him was one of his markers on his way home, but he also knew a little ways away from the base of the mountain was Mudditch.
It was an easy choice. He needed to rest up before he finally headed home.
He hadn’t even touched down outside the city before Bakugou had come barreling after him from the sky. He’s been alarmed to see the human being propelled by bursts of flame from his hands though he shouldn’t have been. Witches could do all kinds of odd and fantastical feats. He rolled into a dive and Bakugou fell with him before they touched down and the other man started yelling.
“YOU! COME WITH ME YOU DAMN LIZARD.”
Eijirou didn’t bother to change back, fanning out his fan scales around his ears and hissing before Bakugou hit his nose with his fist and tugged at his nostril rudely, “COME ON!”
Eijirou heaved a groan. So much for friendly greetings.
He loped tiredly after Bakugou the short distance to his house and Eijirou saw that the sprawling vegetation had overtaken it. The pathway was overgrown with weeds and Eijirou paused, getting that dreadful foreboding feeling before Bakugou gestured wildly for him to lower his face to him and he climbed up his snout to slap his forehead. The feeling left and Eijiro irritatedly tried to shake the witch lose only to be cursed at.
“Why are you still a dragon?!”
Eijirou sighed and sprawled out in Bakugou’s yard. He didn’t much feel like talking. He had come a long way and just wished to sleep.
“You’re not...stuck or something are you? Did you turn full dragon or something?”
Eijirou snorted. Bakugou climbed down finally and eyed him skeptically, “Stay right there then!”
Eijirou just closed his eyes. The earth here was too cold. He wished for some hearthstones and wondered if he shouldn’t have gone homeward. He was half asleep when he was woken up by Bakugou’s prodding.
“There’s a bed I don’t use. And I can heat water. Don’t sleep out here idiot.”
Eijirou stretches and shook his head to clear his scales of dust. He feels his scales recede and yawns. Bakugou leads him behind the bar counter, that he remembers from last time, and into a drawing room. Eijirou snorts a laugh, “ A fainting couch!”
“It’s not a fucking-“
Eijirou doesn’t hear the rest because as soon as he flops onto it it he’s dead to the world.
He’s woken by Bakugou several times. He knew he wouldn’t have made it home. He had been needing sometimes days’ worth of sleep and even when he was roused by Bakugou’s prodding, he went right back to it.
That is until the man threw him off.
“Bakugou!” A high voice squeaked.
“What! I doubt that would kill him!”
“You! You can’t just-wait hey! Don’t go back to sleep! Can you shift for me? Just halfway-“
“NOT IN MY HOU-DAMMIT STOP!”
Kirishima half formed, scales itching. He wriggled against the floorboards and Bakugou swore at him for scuffing them. He didn’t much care but then there were different hands on him and he opened his eyes to see a young witch. Her feet didn’t touch the floor.
Odd.
She scraped her nails along his snout and he huffed. It felt nice but it was rude to just touch his face. When she started going against the grain he snapped at her hand only to have Bakugou elbow her behind him, “KIRISHIMA! WATCH IT-“
“He’s got magic mites.”
“The hell is that?”
“They’re mites that sap magic. I’ll show you how to make a salve for it.”
Bakugou sucked at his teeth, “No. Let me check the Lexicon.”
Kirishima simply went back to sleep. Next he woke Bakugou had taken him outside and he was alarmed he hadn’t woken when Bakugou barked at him, “Change. You change right now and take a fucking flame bath you big idiot! Magic mites. Dragons don’t get magic mites.”
Kiri shook out his fan scales that lined from his ear fins down his throat and hissed threateningly. Bakugou just raised a brow and grumbling to himself Eijirou figured he bathed himself in fire from tail to head though he hates setting the end of his tail on fire to get around his face. Bakugou just stared slack jawed as he popped his aflame tail into his mouth to set it out. Huffing he kneaded at the too firm earth in front of Bakugou’s house and curled up to sleep, ignoring Bakugou’s pointed boot digging into his flank, “You absolute-“
He didn’t hear the rest, but he did wake to the smell of food later when the sky was graying with the touch of dawn. Eijirou followed his nose from outside the house to within, past the dark wood bar and the tools of Bakugou’s trade, into a great kitchen. It was warm with heat from the hearth, all done up in white stone and dark wood. Bakugou clicked his tongue in irritation. He was the picture of a witch, toiling over a boiling cauldron and Eijirou told him so, laughing until he’d gotten a spoon of hot soup thrown at his head. Licking the steaming liquid from his face he smacked his lips, “Not bad!”
He started demanding to be fed every day he spent in Mudditch and Bakugou started writing the expense of the meal into the ledger meant for them. Their transactional relationship that seemed to benefit dragon more than man. He was sure he was getting more out of it when he goaded Bakugou into letting him eat the bones he had used for soup stock.
There were two books that Eijirou saw were related to him. One was the ledger of course, but the other was the Big Book.
He was unsure what the Big Book’s title was, but it must have been some thousand pages. Bakugou told him with a proud nose in the air, “I bound this book myself.”
Eijirou just hummed. He knew it was not coincidence he had picked up bookbinding for so long and here was the answer. They had more in common now, and why?
He was a young witch. Eijirou was surprised at that. Most were crones or young women. He thought it was manly as anything to be the only man witch he’d seen!
Bakugou looked at him strangely before his mouth split over a grin, “Yeah. I’m the first.”
Eijirou went wide eyed at that.
He was in the presence of the very first witch man in existence.
In a long line of girls taking up the mantle as women, Bakugou was the first man to be taught the trade, having been mistaken for a girl as a young boy. Bakugou spat this part, as if he found it distasteful and Eijirou balked in disbelief, “How could they mistake you! Humans are silly creatures!”
Bakugou looked at him then, blowing air through his nose, shoulders dropping. His grin was self satisfied and mystifying, “Yeah yeah, yuck it up. You done or are you going to help me start the fire for my stove.”
Eijirou hopped to it. He and Bakugou rather liked fire. That was another thing they agreed on: fire magic was the best kind. Practicality aside, it was the most fun. Bakugou liked making explosions, often making it an unnecessary trademark of his tinctures and potions. Eijirou was more partial to its warmth. Bakugou said it was because-
“You’re a dumb lizard. Of course you’d want to bask.”
He thought about that too much. Of Bakugou’s explosive personality, like the sun peeking out from between surly clouds in bursts. These ideas were not connected at all whatsoever.
The next time he visited a stranger answered the door.
His grin was wide and full of perfectly symmetrical teeth before he turned back to shout over his shoulder, “I didn’t know you knew a dragon!”
Eijirou felt his stomach drop as he looked at the stranger. He had black hair to his shoulders that was unevenly jagged with bangs to match.
People didn’t usually guess at his dragon heritage. Eijirou squared his shoulders and pushed his way past the dark haired man and grinned up at him, he was much taller than Eijirou, “Eijirou Kirishima. And you are?”
Bakugou slapped a hand over his face and dragged it down so hard his bottom eyelids sagged to show pink before he started to rub at his temples, “You really just tell anyone anything huh?”
“I’M KAMINARI!” Kirishima looked around the man to see a blond man swiveling on one of Bakugou’s stools before the counter. His hair was carefully styled and sculpted in jagged shapes about his head, his skin lined with scars typical of lightning catchers. The grinning man sat right next to him.
“Kirishima Huh? That’s a nice voice you got.” He made a snatching motion with his hand and Kirishima’s jaw dropped soundlessly as he spoke with his voice. Well, Kirishima heard his own voice from the man’s throat, “I think I might take it for meself!”
“Boo! Sero give it back!” Kaminari said with a laugh and Kirishima went went wide eyed as he tried to speak and no sound came out.
Bakugo’s face went murderously dark. He leapt onto the counter in one swift movement and was standing before Sero imperiously, “Give it back and die!”
Sero seemed unaffected, speaking in Kirishima’s voice, “Don’t you mean give it back or die?”
He went on in his own octave, “Silly. His voice is too nice for a dragon’s any way...Besides. It’s not like I could have had it for long. Anything that’s a dragon’s always gets returned to it. That’s just how it is.”
“What are you?” was the first thing Kirishima said.
Sero laughed, “Rude! Not what! Who! I’m Sero!”
He stuck out his hand and Kirishima shook it, as a man does. Sero seemed delighted at that, overzealous in his handshake, “You’re not scared of me at all are you? Dragons really are the best!”
“Scared? Why would I be?”
Kaminari let loose a laugh, “He’s definitely a friend of Kacchan’s! You have to have no fear!”
“Shut up and let me work.” Bakugou snapped and he went back to grinding something within a mortar with his pestle almost violently, while growling, “Kirishima. You ruined my diamond pestle last time. Grind this shit for me.”
Eijirou nodded before heading behind the counter, puzzled.
Kaminari threw himself over the countertop with a whine, “NO FAIR! Kacchan is playing favorites!”
“Where’s his competition? I see no one.”
Eijirou flushed as his hand scaled over.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to steal your pestle.”
“Haah? You didn’t. You shattered it with your shitty scales.”
He looked at Bakugou quizzically before Bakugou shoved his head down and told him to keep on task.
Sero and Kaminari were jovial company. Kaminari had brought a shamisen with him and together he and Eijirou belted out ballads, Sero stamping his feet and slapping his knees and the counter in a chaotic rhythm before Bakugou screamed at them to knock it off.
He wondered if he had eaten the pestle or tried to those days when he had been sleepy. He hadn’t felt any stones in his rock gizzard, but then again if he had been so sleepy he easily could have eaten them by accident. Gone down the wrong pipe perhaps. As soon as he was done grinding one thing, Bakugou would make him thoroughly wash and dry his hands and the mortar before making him grind something else when the mortar broke in twain. Sero and Kaminari stopped talking to stare.
Eijirou hunched his shoulders, sure Bakugou was going to yell but instead he sighed and told him to keep still. His eyes were unreadable as he plucked the pieces carefully from Eijirou’s hands and set them aside. He lead him over to his water pump and meticulously plucked shards from between his scales with what Eijirou thought were the same kind of tweezers that he used to pluck his scales. Bakugou held his rough hands in his own, kneading at his hands to make his scales shift enough to pluck shards of the mortar out until he was satisfied.
He hadn’t realized he had been holding his breath and it wasn’t until Bakugou set him to another task that he realized the entire time he could have shifted back to his human skin and have shaken the pieces off or washed them away.
Did Bakugou know that too?
It wasn’t like anything like that could actually pierce his skin.
“I don’t need a fine dust. Stop grinding that.”
“Oh! Yeah sure!”
“Throw it in the pot and wash up for dinner.”
Kaminari waggled his brows, “Whats cooking good lookin?”
“Your shitty potion. You can pick it up tomorrow I’m closed.”
Sero balked, “So you’ll feed him and not us?”
“That’s right.” Bakugou said, “He’s my errand boy and you two are just nuisances.”
Eijirou snorted, “I’m no one’s errand boy, we’re just friends.”
Kaminari splutters, “Then what are we?!”
“Trespassing. Out.”
Sero yawns, “You heard the man Kaminari.”
Kaminari and Sero hold out their hands to shake and bewildered, Eijirou reaches out only to get both his hands grabbed and shook like prayer bells. He laughs loudly with them until they’re bidding them a good night and step out into the dark.
Bakugou waved a hand dismissively and Eijirou saw the door bar itself.
“Dinner. Let’s go.” Bakugou says and again, Eijirou is behind the counter and following Bakugou into his house further than before. He can smell a roast and his mouth waters to the point he has to swipe at it with his hand. Bakugou notices and narrows his eyes suspiciously.
“When was the last time you ate?”
“Hunted this morning!”
Bakugou scoffs, but gestures him to sit as he goes over to his stove and carefully removes the roast. Eijirou notices he does it with his bare hands and only claps when he sees the dish set on a trivet and Bakugou’s unburned palms.
“It don’t phase me.”
“Being of fire really has its perks huh?”
Bakugou just grunts and sits opposite him. He notices that Bakugou piles all the vegetables on his own plate and serves Kirishima three fourths of the meat. He’s grateful and shouts “Thanks!” before he half changes and snaps up his share with his powerful jaws, crushing it to pulp before swallowing it down.
Bakugou stares wide-eyed, meat sliding off his fork to his plate. Kirishima eyes it, but changes back quickly to assuage his friend’s nerves, “Excuse me.”
Bakugou just sighs, “You could have savored it at least, you uncultured swine.”
Eijirou just laughs. He talks as Bakugou eats and Bakugou seems content to listen. He talks about his trip abroad. Relocating and entire brownie colony because they were being eaten by wildcats because the deer population was in great decline due to over hunting. He was describing the situation and Bakugou brought out his Big Book to write in it occasionally, asking Eijirou for more details. Eventually Bakugou had eaten everything and Eijirou insisted on doing dishes and compromised with drying them at Bakugou’s grumble of “Owe you enough as it is.”
It was when Bakugou was walking upstairs he paused misstep and Eijirou nearly knocked him over because he was so engrossed in telling Bakugou about his homeland. He righted the witch before he was shrugged off and Bakugou said quietly, “There’s only one bed. I got rid of-“
“O-oh! I’ll find an inn in town-“
Bakugou growled, “What? And get lice or worse?”
“I’m sure they aren’t-“
“Come on.”
Bakugou lead him upstairs and opened the door straight ahead, “If you snoop through my things I will know.”
Kirishima followed Bakugou through the doorway and realized this was Bakugou’s hoard. His room. It was his room. There was a large shelf of potted plants with a glowing orb floating above each. They were in front of a large round window where sat a telescope and a desk. A book shelf and the large bed lined the opposite wall. Everything was neat.
“Good night.” Bakugou said and Eijirou caught his shoulder as he turned to leave, “Where will you sleep! I can’t take your bed, man!”
“I said good night.”
With a flick of his hand Eijirou slid back and the door slammed shut. He lunged forward to open the door and the witch was gone.
“What a funny guy.” Eijirou laughed. He wandered over to the bed and threw himself onto it. It was so soft, his eyes slid shut and he found himself rolling over and over. It was a moment before he realized he was trying to rub Bakugo’s scent into his scales like he often did with pine trees and mud. Alarmed he stopped and retracted his scales so fast they snagged on Bakugou’s sheets. Okay. Yeah. So that was a thing he knew about himself now.
He burrowed into the sheets, pulling them over his head and tried not to let out a delighted trill from being surrounded by the manly scent. Bakugou smelled like smoke and spice. Like tea leaves and ozone. Like the earth and fire.
A lot of things where he couldn’t pin point any single note. He slept more soundly than he had in a long time and tried not to think that the reason why was because this was where his most valuable treasure was kept.
He was woken by Bakugou kicking the door open and ripping his sheets off of him, “Wake up. The idiots are here.”
Eijirou just growled at him and Bakugou rolled his eyes, “Suit yourself.”
Bakugou left and Eijirou managed to roll out of bed. He found Bakugou’s washroom and helped himself. He cleaned his teeth and carefully styled his hair. He didn’t carry much on his person, dragon or not. He didn’t know how it worked but his clothes always transformed with him and he was grateful for that aspect of his magic. Without his hair wax he didn’t know how he would style his hair. It was bad enough that if he didn’t keep up on his draconic instincts that his scales would dull and lose their color and luster, but that was another area of upkeep entirely.
He was as ready for the day as he would ever be, his hair a formidable tower of spikes and spires. He grins into Bakugou’s mirror and loves the perfection of it. It’s obviously magic made, and gives a clear, perfect reflection.
He’s removing it from the wall when Bakugou catches him, “You want that. Of all things are you-“
The witch blows air through his nose then concedes with a terse, “Fine.”
Eijirou just grins as he rips it from the wall and tucks it under his arm to follow the witch into his shop. Sero and Kaminari are there. Sero is smiling as usual but Kaminari is laid over the counter, drooling and giggling into the grain of the wood.
Bakugou snaps his fingers and Kaminari is pulled upright by some force. Sero leaps up to greet Eijirou, hand outstretched and he shakes it, smiling wider at the mirror, “Stripping Bakugou’s house of its valuables are you, dragon?”
He laughs, then walks over to the counter. Bakugou is behind it, stirring the gray sludge on the stove and adding water. He lifts the pot over to a jar that has a cheese cloth pulled over it. Eijirou sees dark leaves and other detritus get strained out and then he carefully scoops it with a spoon and bottles it. As for the gray liquid, he removes the cloth and screws on a lid before setting it on the counter.
Sero sighs, “All right, all right.”
He reaches into his dark cloak and pulls out a leather pouch that he sets on the counter. Bakugou snatches it up and immediately spills the coin across the counter and his eyes dart about counting before he grins, “Been a pleasure doing business with you.”
Eijirou is more preoccupied with Kaminari who is slouched over the counter again and asks, “Kaminari?”
Sero laughs, “Didn’t you hear the lightning last night? He had to charge up so he’s a little...yeah. Yeah.”
Bakugou snarls, “Buy one of my tinctures. It’ll alleviate his symptoms.”
Sero laughs, “Why do you think he became a lightning chaser in the first place?”
“Idiots.”
Sero just laughs and Bakugou sets his arm on the counter. Now that my best pestle is broken how about you give me some of those teeth huh?”
Sero grins and Eijirou looks more carefully at his teeth. They don’t look remarkable in anything but how well taken care of they are.
Still the tall man lets out a hum, then says, still smiling but this time apologetic, “You got nothing I want, sorry.”
Bakugou is about to say something when Eijirou says a little too eagerly, “What about my scales!”
Sero’s voice is dark, “That would do it.”
Bakugou looks pale, “Those aren’t mine to g-“
“This is between us, mortal.” Sero says, not unkindly and he holds out his hand.
Eijirou is quick to pluck them out and Bakugou winces, “You’re doing it wrong.”
“That will do though.” Sero says with a hum and pops them into his mouth. The sound is horrible, a muffled crunching and Sero winces, before reaching in and plucking his teeth from their roots. Eijirou watches in fascination as his teeth push back through his bloody gums to replace them and he holds out his hand.
Kirishima holds out his own and the spit and blood covered teeth fall wetly into his palm and he grins back at Bakugou who looks pale with thinly veiled disgust. His face scrunches up when Eijirou slaps them into the witches hand, “There!”
“I CAN’T TAKE THESE, THEY’RE YOURS!”
Eijirou just lets out a growl and picks back up his mirror and holds it in Bakugou’s direction, “You already paid for it!”
Sero hums, wiping at his mouth, “Is that really wise to be giving things back and forth so often with a dragon of all people?”
“Course it is!” Eijirou says, pounding his chest with a fist, “We both get something out of it.”
Sero levels him with a look, “Bakugou? You should know better.”
Bakugou sneers, “I know everything that needs knowing so shut it before I shove this potion cork-“
“Mm I wake to the barbarity that is Bakugou’s word choice. Kirishima. Don’t let his steamed turd personality influence you okay? You seem like a good guy.”
Bakugou rounds the table with a grin too cheerful for the words that come out of it, “I’ll send you right back to sleep! This time into a coma!”
He cracks his knuckles and Kaminari shrieks. Kirishima and Sero stand there as Kaminari and Bakugou run around the counter before the witch manages to grab his collar and grind his fist into his hair to muss it up. There’s the crackling sound of static and Kaminari is whining to them piteously, “Thanks for the help.”
Bakugou shoves him and Sero catches him, “You need to work on your customer service, Bakugou.”
“My work speaks for itself. No one is doing what I’m doing and no one else comes close to capable.”
“Except Midoriya.” Kaminari says and Bakugou explodes.
Kirishima jumps at the burst of fire from his palms and Sero picks up Kaminari with a laugh and bolts. Kirishima slings his arms under Bakugou’s and pulls up to get him in a Nelson but Bakugou is thrashing and kicking, spitting and cursing, “I’LL KILL YOU!”
“Til next time Kacchan!” Kaminari says from where he’s slung over Sero’s shoulder before they disappear into the woods.
“Put me down shitty hair! Why’d you stop me? LET GO!”
Kirishima does and Bakugou is snarling, “Outside.”
“Bakugou-“
“I’m going to kick your ass!”
Kirishima snorts at that and Bakugou hisses, “You won’t be laughing when you’re eating dirt. Hurry the hell up!”
Kirishima is lead to an open clearing and Bakugou rips his shirt from his body. His mouth goes dry. Bakugou has a tattoo on his left arm and he aches to trace it, but he knows that crest, or at least ones like it. If Bakugou is a barbarian, how-
He dodges a plume of fire, “TAKE ME SERIOUS SHITTY DRAGON.”
Kirishima grins, “Oh I intend to.”
He can’t help it when he starts winding around Bakugou, circling. The other man charges and his wings snap out to carry him into a dodge before he’s fully shifting, Bakugou looking small and unthreatening despite his sneer. The necklaces around his neck jangle together as he moves and Kirishima notes that they’re an assortment of painted teeth. He’s not eager to let the man add to it but he snakes his head forward to snap at him and gets a mouth full of ashen air burnt with smoke. He tears his head back when he’s hit on the nose with a fist. He roars at the way his scales burn.
Bakugou can make flames hotter than he can handle and he slinks away to rethink his approach even after Bakugou leaps after him on pillars of flame, “TAKE ME SERIOUSLY OR DIE!”
Kirishima bats him out of the air with his wings only to cry out when something in them snaps as Bakugou kicks off of them to propel himself further into the air. He turns up his head, mouth open to snap him out of the air into his maw, but instead his tongue is scorched. He roars his anger as Bakugou lands on his face and pummels him, kicking at his eyes so he must shut them. He splays his fanscales and shakes his head to try and violently dislodge the human pest . Bakugou has burned hand holds into his armor and he screams, dropping to the ground to roll in the dirt. Bakugou only leaps away, kicking off hard before Kirishima has to stop. Bakugou has drawn a blade and he can feel its point against the roof of his mouth. He could snap down on the human’s arm but that would just as surely kill him.
“I win.” Bakugou sneers and Kirishima lashes his tail in irritation, but blinks at the man with his inner lids so he can keep looking.
The sun kisses it into a soft sunburst of ashen blonde. His grin is vicious and self satisfied even as he sheathes his blade. Eijirou can’t help himself the way he springs up and starts a almost hopping from foot to foot around the man. His tail beats at the ground and his fanscales are churring as they splay wide.
“The hell?”
Bakugou attempts to draw close, and his heart leaps to his throat as he springs away only to trot back, body wriggling. He had too much energy and Bakugou is the focus of it. He leaps around him, and even if it hurts he’s flapping his wings sometimes gliding too far away only to leap back in front of the human.
Bakugou just looks vexed, brow furrowing, “Kirishima? What are you doing?”
He doesn’t know but he bats at Bakugou with a paw and snorts when he rejects him by side stepping. He rolls onto his back and grunts at the pain in his wing but stares down the human, tail and fanscales moving in serpentine movements against the ground.
Bakugou stares at him, then seems to come back to himself, “I win.”
“Yeah!” Kirishima chirps.
“So you do what I say.”
Eijirou listens.
“When the time comes, you’re taking me with you.”
“Okay!” He agrees easily. His human now. His.
There’s something wrong with him. He’s always measuring the distance between himself and Bakugou now. He doesn’t like to be too far from his human but what can he really do, when his mother had awoken, he had been called to her. His mother sat on her mountain of chairs. She was a lithe thing and he had to be careful with his burlier form and ended up taking on something more humanoid to wrap his arms around her neck and chirrup happily. She let out a rumble in response and regaled her with tales of his adventures. He was talking about his fight with Bakugou when she let out a small bark of surprise, “You’re courting a human witch?”
“Oh. No?”
“You are.”
“Mama that’s silly.”
“Fighting and giving gifts like that. This human probably doesn’t know but to mama it’s obvious. Your father and I started much the same. He thought to slay me and ended up with a partner for life.”
Eijirou hums thoughtfully. He likes looking at Bakugou and often tamps down the desire to ask him to come home with him and sit in his hoard for a little bit. He wants to so bad. Bakugou draped in nothing but his treasures and silks and furs. It makes something rumble satisfied in his chest and he’s startled by it but his mother chirrs out a laugh, “See, my son? Hes your pretty.”
“My pretty?”
“His mother snakes around her mountains of upholstered chairs and pats one with her tail. This is a pretty. Your father is the other one I have.”
He knows that chair. It’s got crushed purple velvet backing and it’s been carved from ironwood.
His father made it for her.
“Oh. What do I do about it?”
“He said he’s going with you so? So just steal him as you would a trinket. Once he’s in your hoard he’ll reject you or stay.”
She curls up in the chair, careful with her claws and Eijirou sits in his own chair until she lets him go.