Chapter Text
Izuku Midoriya remembers the exact moment he discovered he wasn’t alone. It started with an explosion in the dead of night. His time on the island was relaxing before then, almost like a vacation. He’d spent his time busying himself with the usual fieldwork; breeding different plant species in his makeshift greenhouse, collecting specimens, pressing the leaves in between pages of his book, and sketching wildlife.
He’d been awake in his cot by the light of his lantern, jotting down his thoughts in a worn leather notebook when the blast echoed across the valley. He stops, not daring to breathe. The island was uninhabited. Had he imagined it?
The answer is a second explosion, louder than the first.
Izuku is out of his sleeping bag and outside the tent in an instant. He stands wide eyed in the underbrush and under the stars, hoping and praying it isn’t someone in distress. He racks his brain of the wildlife he’s seen so far, and remembers the large boar species he’d observed.
A few nights ago, he had awoken to the inquisitive snorting of the wild pig family around the greenhouse. The adults were still covered in a coarse, thick fur. They were the largest creatures he’s seen so far, standing at the same height as his shoulders. Can he blame them for the noise?
Could the explosions be gunshots?
If the person setting off the explosions is in danger, he doubts he can make it in time. By the sound of it, they’re coming from the beach, and judging by the force it could very well be a ship.
After a third rumble he decides he has to do something. The young scientist dashes back inside the tent and swings his hiking pack over his shoulder. He pulls up the pair of shorts he wore earlier in the day and buckles the belt. He has no time for socks, and once his feet are stuffed in his hiking boots, and his flashlight is in hand, he’s out and running in the night.
Thankfully, the vegetation is thin here, and he can run without hacking through the jungle. One of his hands gropes along his belt to confirm the presence of his knife and revolver. They comfort him, but he hopes they won’t be needed. He can defend himself, but he’s no expert.
Doubt bubbles in his stomach as the beach comes into view. Although shrouded in night, whispers of the never-ending storm in the distance ripple across the sea. No ships can survive it. He knows this, but he scans the horizon for any sort of light.
Nothing. His own disappointment surprises him. Was he so desperate for a companion? He shakes his head and the thought is hastily dismissed. There are more important matters at hand.
So someone on land, then?
If it’s a hostile person with explosives, there’s little he can do to protect himself in the open. He shifts his weight as he gnaws the corner of his lip. If he’s very careful, the culprit won’t even know he’s there.
Izuku is grateful in that moment that he’d grown up in the country. Years of camping and hunting have provided him the skills to cover his own tracks and shadow wildlife without being detected. But would it be enough to outsmart a native of the island?
It’s at least worth checking out, he reminds himself. Exploding anything is never a good sign.
Izuku runs a hand through his gentle curls, recalling the sound when he first heard it. He closes his eyes and inhales the ocean’s breeze for smoke. He’s close, he’s sure of it. A wind from the south kicks up, and he catches a whiff of something singed.
He sprints after the trail and finds himself on a rocky formation before the crashing waves. There, he discovers a crater about the size of a small car. Freshly upturned rocks and debris are scattered around the area, but Izuku can find no trace of a weapon.
“What on earth,” he mutters as he crouches to his knees.
He casts his flashlight around the perimeter examining the mess left behind. This was not a natural phenomenon. This was an intentional assault. Someone was here; he’d bet his life on it. However, there are no remnants of a weapon. He also notes the disturbing lack of footprints in the sand. Izuku cautiously presses a finger against the rock. It's still warm. His skin prickles. It’s possible he’s being watched.
A cool breeze whips past, and the storm above rumbles. The wind strikes again with a vengeance across his body and Izuku is forced lean into it to keep from being blown over. He’s known the island is subject to unexpected weather, but this time Izuku’s been taken off guard. He smells the oncoming downpour and realizes with a sinking heart he won’t make it back to the valley in time.
He swears, and speeds towards the mainland, searching for any type of cover. The wind screams and raindrops the size of golf balls erase his surroundings in a white haze. He’s drenched in seconds and shivers in the cold. Any visibility he once had is gone, and he’s forced to move at a crawl, arms outstretched to navigate the jungle. Just when he thinks things can’t get any worse, sharp twinges of pain erupt on his body as hail joins the downpour.
I could die here, he thinks bitterly. I could walk right off a cliff, break my bones, and die. All because I got distracted in my own head.
When he spots the dark open mouth of the cave, he sprints for it without a second thought. Panting, he slows to a trot at the entrance and wipes the water from his face. He huffs, watching as the water rush by the jungle in front of him, splattering against the rock. His newfound sanctuary is cool and earthy. Although he’s grateful, he could be in for a chilly night. He can only hope he has at least a blanket in his bag.
Izuku slings the backpack off his shoulder, and turns to pull off his soaked shirt, when he catches movement in the side of his eye. Suddenly, he’s slammed back against the wall. The flashlight flies from his hand and shatters on the floor, leaving him in darkness.
“WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU?” roars a rough, gravelly voice.
The force behind the blow is staggering and Izuku’s hands instinctively clamp around the arm pressing against his throat. He yelps as pain erupts behind his eyes. “I-Izuku! Izuku Midoriya! I’m a biochemist! I’m studying the plants of the island!”
The stranger pauses before leaning forward to take a cautious sniff. The grip tightens. “A human?”
“I-I don’t mean any harm, honest!” Izuku winces, but can’t push himself back any further.
“What the hell are you doing here? No humans are supposed to be on this island, and especially not in my jungle!”
“S-sorry! I didn’t know! I just heard some explosions and went out to find if someone needed help! That’s all!”
“Well, congratulations.”
He raises a palm near Izuku’s face, and series of small explosions bursts forth, filling the cave with light. With it, Izuku can make out a young man with a wicked grin and unnaturally long incisors. Izuku shrieks, and cowers under the stranger’s piercing red eyes.
“You just found the source,” he sneers. “So human, where’s the rest of your pack? How many are there?”
“N-none! It’s j-just me!”
The still smoldering hand grinds into the rock near Izuku’s face as claws scrape against the surface like knives. “You think I’m stupid?" His captor spits. "You expect me to believe one measly human made the trip through our great storm unscathed? Yeah, right! That’s the biggest load of shit I’ve heard all week.”
Izuku tries very hard not to hyperventilate as something that feels like a tail crawls over his feet and winds its way up around his legs. His mind nearly goes blank when the coils reach his stomach, but he manages to stammer, “I-It’s true! I used a sp-special kind of ship! I modded it with a friend specifically to handle the hurricane! I didn’t want to endanger anyone else on this trip, so I traveled here alone! I’m not lying, I swear!”
“For your sake, you better not be.” The stranger pauses and turns his attention to the rain. “This damn weather.” He growls and gives Izuku’s lower half a preemptive squeeze. “Listen up. When this clears, you’re taking me to your camp. After that, I’ll decide what to do with you. Got it?”
“Yes! That’s fine! U-um…”
“What?”
“What are you, exactly? I can’t tell in the dark, but this thing around me is your tail, right?”
“Don’t even worry about it,” he sniggers, tilting Izuku’s head upwards until he’s staring right into the stranger’s now glowing red eyes. “For now, why don’t you take a little nap? I bet you’re tired from running around in the storm.”
Izuku is tired, but the suggestion baffles him and he tenses at the forcefulness of the touch. He opens his mouth for a snappy retort, but it dies in his throat. There’s something about those eyes that hook him like a fish. He blinks, trying to refocus. Even when shutting his own eyes, he can’t erase those pleasant, beautiful rubies from his thoughts.
“No…I shouldn’t-”
“It’s okay though. You’re safe here,” the stranger murmurs, as he gently tucks a lock of hair behind Izuku’s ear. It’s a soothing gesture; one that reminds him of his mother. A thumb caresses his cheek and Izuku’s thoughts become fuzzy.
“B-but…”
“Shhh...shhh. Relax."
The points of the claws trace against Izuku’s scalp and his fear and energy ebb away. The boy's shoulders loosen and he supresses a yawn as exhaustion envelopes him like a cloud.
"There’s nothing to worry about," the stranger purrs. "I’ll take care of you.”
Am I being hypnotized?
His realization dulls and dissolves under the crimson gaze, but Izuku forces himself to think and inhales with the intention to fight back. The knife, he recalls. I…still have the knife. Suddenly, the stranger draws closer and something soft and warm presses against his lips.
“I promise,” the stranger murmurs. “Just for tonight.”
Izuku’s heart skips and a blush creeps on his face. The breath he’d taken escapes and melds with the warmth from the mouth brushing his own. He’s still weak from the first kiss when he feels the second one press and linger. After the third, he stops counting.
So…nice.
Izuku wilts. He leans into them, reciprocating their touch. He feels like he’s floating and the boy wants nothing more than to drink in the glow of those beautiful crimson suns forever. He struggles to keep his gaze, but his eyelids are heavy and the orbs begin to set and disappear.
“That’s it. Close your eyes.”
The command is a relief and Izuku submits with a sigh, letting his heavy head slump against his shoulder. He feels a gentle smile pull at his lips as he falls into the soft blankness.
“Good boy.”