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Keigo knows the laws of the land, drilled into every child since birth, a constant reminder of the dangers of the world:
Don’t go into the forest at night,
Follow the unspoken rules of the woods,
Listen to your elders,
Always carry protection,
Don’t trust the fae,
Never trust a fae.
So uh…
He’s not quite sure how he ended up in this situation.
“The path back to the village should be this way. I honestly don’t know how you got so lost.”
Keigo doesn’t know either.
He had been on a weekly supply run when he had lost track of time, day became night, and he became utterly lost.
This man, Dabi, had found him slumped against the base of a tree, shivering from the biting wind, not deterred by the trees. He’d offered to lead Keigo back to the village, and well, Keigo didn’t have many other options.
Dabi didn’t look like a fae, not that Keigo had ever encountered one. But they’ve always been described as animalistic and otherworldly. Dabi just looked like some regular guy, albeit very attractive, with burn scars marring some of his skin. Keigo wanted to know where those had come from, but didn’t dare ask.
There was something about the man that just pulled him in, made him want to trust him. It must be the sleep deprivation getting to him. He can feel his eyes drooping even as they walk. He just has to hold off until they get back to the village and then he can rest.
They walk through the woods silently, Dabi looking back every so often as if to make sure he is still there. Keigo internally scoffs; it’s not like he’s going to run off and get himself more lost, even if he still hasn’t ruled out Dabi being a fae.
It’s just… fae are tricksters, deceivers. If Dabi is truly leading him back to his village and not some trap, as Keigo is beginning to see some familiarity in his surroundings, then Dabi hasn’t tried to trick him. Maybe he can trust him.
Besides, it’s better than freezing to death or getting mauled by some wild animal starving for food. Winter is unforgiving to those unlucky enough to be caught in its weather. Keigo can see flakes of snow begin to fall, and he shivers, pulling his thin jacket tighter. It hadn’t snowed all day, and he didn’t think he’d be out here this long, so he wasn’t dressed for this weather.
Dabi seems to notice, because he stops, turning to Keigo with an eyebrow raised. “Cold?”
Keigo nods, feeling embarrassed to be called out.
He frowns when Dabi shrugs off his own cloak and holds it out for him to take.
“What?”
“Take it.” Dabi shakes the arm holding it.
“But won’t you freeze?” The man is only wearing a thin, long-sleeved undershirt. Surely not enough to keep him warm.
“Nah, I’m used to the cold.”
…
“Ok, I’ll borrow it and give it back to you when we reach the village.”
Keigo knows never to accept a gift from a fae, if Dabi is one.
“That’s fine. You better not damage it.” Dabi grunts, letting Keigo take it from his hand.
“Thank-“ Keigo stops, remembering the rules, “that’s very kind of you.”
“Don’t mention it.”
Keigo examines the cloak in his hands. It’s fancy. Dark blue fabric adorned with embroidered snowflakes is soft in his hands, clearly good quality. The hood and inside are lined with incredibly soft, white fur. It’s nicer than anything Keigo has ever owned. Is this guy rich? If so, why is he out here?
Keigo wraps it around his shoulders and lets out a sigh of relief as his body is shielded from the biting wind. Dabi turns back to the path, looking satisfied. Keigo truly wonders how he is not cold. His snow white hair is mussed, but not messy, from the wind that whips around his form. He wonders what he must look like right now, tired and pathetic, and feels a wave of embarrassment wash over him. Usually, Keigo is the good-looking one, but Dabi is entirely too gorgeous right now.
Keigo needs to stop these thoughts right now.
“So… do you live out here? People aren’t really supposed to walk these woods at night.”
If Dabi lives in the village, which is unlikely because Keigo would definitely remember him, then he would have to sneak past the guards that watch the entrance, making sure no one can get in or out. No one or no thing.
Dabi glances back at him, slowing his stride to walk next to him. “Yeah, I live out here. Not alone, though. I have my… family.” His nose scrunches as he says it, and Keigo wonders if that is a sensitive subject.
“You don’t seem too fond of them.”
Dabi snorts, but refuses to say anything further.
Keigo rubs his hands together, biting his lip at the awkward silence that has fallen over them.
“I can understand that. My father was a shit person, and my mother was not much better. I don’t talk to them anymore, not since-“ He cuts himself off. Why is he saying so much? He doesn’t ever talk about his life before the commission.
After he’d been sold to them, they’d told him to never speak a word of his past, to leave it all behind, nothing could tie him to who he was before he worked for them. They’d given him a home and food on the table, more than he’d had before. But they could never give him a family, not that his biological parents were something he considered family, and Keigo always longed for a place to belong.
He shouldn’t be sharing this with a stranger, but he trusts Dabi, for some unfathomable reason, he wants to tell the man everything.
“I have two families, I guess. My blood family, whom I don’t talk to and would rather not, and my found family of sorts. Never tell them I said that. My father was… not the greatest. Actually, he was the worst. And my mother and siblings just kind of… let it happen.” Keigo looks at him in surprise. Dabi picks at one of his scars.
“Is that where your burns came from?” Keigo slaps a hand over his mouth as soon as he’s said it. Shit, that was supposed to be an inside thought. Dabi doesn’t seem offended, though; instead, he chuckles softly, eyes never leaving the path before them.
“Something like that.”
He trails off, and Keigo doesn’t want to press. “Guess we both had shitty childhoods, huh.”
Dabi doesn’t respond, but Keigo sees a ghost of a smile.
Keigo doesn’t know how long they’ve been walking, but these trees are none that he recognizes. He frowns, about to say something, when Dabi speaks up.
“So what were you doing out here so late to begin with?"
The question catches him off guard.
“Uh, I wasn’t supposed to be out this late. It was only supposed to be a supply run, but things didn’t go as planned. I lost track of time.” Dabi hums, accepting his answer, but not saying anything otherwise.
Keigo can see that he is not much of a conversationalist but he is trying. Keigo appreciates it, he feels like he’s going to fall asleep on his feet at any moment and the talking is keeping him from doing just that.
Keigo searches for something else to say. He had a question, but he couldn’t remember what it was.
What was he just about to ask?
Suddenly, Dabi stops, Keigo colliding with him in surprise, knocking the man off balance.
“I’m so sorry.” Keigo gasps, helping Dabi up from the snow-covered ground.
The man has an adorable pout on his lips that Keigo can’t help but chuckle at.
Dabi silences him, though, and Keigo feels dread pool in his gut. Dabi’s eyes flit around, surveying the trees, mouth set in a line. The woods are eerily silent, and it sets Keigo on edge. What…
Before Keigo can react, Dabi has pushed him out of the way, just in time for a large wolf to leap out of the trees, nearly slicing Keigo in half with its deadly claws. Keigo yelps as he hits the ground, immediately rolling away from another strike in his direction. He looks up when he hears the sound of metal, eyes landing on the dagger gripped in Dabi’s hands. The wolf rounds on him, snarling. Keigo thinks of his own iron blade (something that burns the fae) in his pocket, scrambling to his feet to yank it out of its holster.
While Dabi distracts the wolf, Keigo comes around behind it, leaping onto its back to drive the knife deep into its flesh. The wolf howls, flinging him off and staggering back. In one swift movement, it dislodges the knife, sending it flying into the trees. Keigo doesn’t have the time to mourn its loss, though, as the beast rounds on him, baring its razor-sharp fangs in a snarl. Keigo, still winded from the fall, drags his body back as it stalks towards him. Shit shit shit
Just as the wolf is close enough that he can smell the rotting meat on its breath, Dabi materializes next to it, stabbing it in the neck and tearing the flesh open, slitting its throat. The wolf falls to the ground, dead. Keigo lets out a shaky breath as Dabi collapses beside him.
“Thank you.” That's all Keigo can say as words fail him. Dabi gives him a nod, catching his own breath.
They sit there in silence for a few minutes, letting their adrenaline calm.
Eventually, Dabi groans as he drags himself to his feet, holding out a hand for Keigo to take. He does so gratefully, swaying on his feet as Dabi pulls him upright. He leans heavily on the other man, willing his vision to stop swimming. Dabi lets him, petting his hair in a comforting gesture.
“Sorry,” Keigo says, feeling awfully weak. What must Dabi think of him? He seems so pathetic right now.
“No need to be.” Dabi chuckles, holding him tighter. Keigo attempts to right himself, but another wave of dizziness hits, and he is forced to fall back into the other man. Fuck, he feels so weak.
“Here,” Dabi says, offering him some bread from his pouch. “You need to regain your strength.” Keigo blinks. Yeah, that makes sense. Food. He needs food.
So why does it feel wrong?
He takes the bread. It’s sweet on his tongue, soft and fluffy, everything he needed. He hasn’t eaten in well over ten hours. He eats the bread so fast he almost chokes. Dabi watches him scarf it down with amusement, letting him stand on his own when he’s done. They continue their trek through the woods.
Keigo nearly gasps in relief when he sees a break in the trees, window lights from the houses below illuminating the town. His town.
He steps out of the tree line to the edge of the hill they are on, relieved to be free of the suffocating trees. He turns to Dabi, brimming with gratitude, but his smile dims when he sees that the man is still in the trees, right on the edge, but not leaving. He tilts his head in confusion, but Dabi only smiles. “This is where I leave you,” he says, and Keigo is overcome with a wave of sadness. He steps back into the trees, grabbing Dabi’s arm before he can even think. They both look down at it in surprise, and Keigo feels his cheeks burning up.
Ah, fuck it.
His other arm wraps around Dabi’s neck as he pulls him down for a kiss, the other man grunting in surprise.
Dabi’s lips are sweet, same as the bread he ate earlier, soft and warm, addictive. Keigo can't get enough. The other gets over his surprise quickly, pulling Keigo closer as he deepens the kiss. Keigo gasps when teeth nip at his bottom lip, digging his fingers into white locks. Dabi trails a hand down Keigo’s back, resting it on his hip as he pushes Keigo against a tree. Keigo never wants this to end.
The sound of a bell below interrupts their kiss, Keigo pulling away to listen. It will be dawn soon. Keigo needs to get down there. Dabi seems to realize the same because he lets go, backing up so Keigo can push himself off the tree.
"I hope to see you again, Dabi.” He says softly, turning back to the break in the trees.
“It’s Touya.”
Keigo’s steps falter. “What?” He turns back to Da- Touya?
“My actual name is Touya. I just use my alias mostly. You never know who you can trust.” Keigo nods, understanding exactly what he means.
“Touya.” He says, feeling it out. Touya shivers when he says it, and Keigo grins.
“Well, if we’re trading names, mine’s Keigo.”
Touya smiles, but it’s kind of sad, and Keigo feels a weight settle on his shoulders, a tightness in his throat that leaves him gasping for air.
“You shouldn’t have said that.”
Keigo looks up, clutching his throat. Touya’s eyes are cold, inhuman.
“You-“
“I could ignore everything else, but I thought they taught you humans better.” Keigo stills, hand going to his iron knife that is no longer there. “Never give a fae your name.” Touya takes a step forward as Keigo takes one back.
“I thought-“
“What? That you could trust me?” He laughs, threading a hand through his hair. “How naive, Keigo.” The use of his name sends a chill down his spine. All he can do is stay rooted to the spot as Touya moves toward him, cupping his face gently.
“Don’t worry, Dove, I’ll take good care of you. After all, we traded names.”
He must read the confusion written on Keigo’s face, because he chuckles, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear. “You have no idea what that means, but that's ok.” He tucks Keigo into his chest, and he feels the weight of invisible shackles clamp down on him.
He tries to say something, tries to fight, to do anything. But he can’t. He’s trapped in a prison of his own making.
None of this would’ve happened if he’d obeyed the laws of the land.
Never trust a fae.
If only Keigo had listened.
“I’ll make you so happy, you’ll never want to leave.”
Keigo wants to scream, wants to throw him off, find his iron knife, and stab Touya until he’s stopped moving. Instead, he feels himself crying, tears soaking into the fae’s thin shirt.
Touya shushes him, carding a hand through his hair. “It’s ok, you’ll be ok. I promised, remember? And fae never break promises.”
He steps back, away from the trees, away from freedom, taking Keigo with him.
No, stop, Keigo wants to scream, I was so close
He opens his mouth, but no sound comes out.
Touya doesn’t notice; he keeps moving.
Keigo can only watch as his hope disappears from view.
Touya looks at him with the triumph of a king, and Keigo feels resentment boiling under his skin.
The fae leans down and presses a kiss to his brow.
“I adore you, my Keigo.”