Ash Upon Ash - Shigaraki Tomura x Reader!
Pairing: Shigaraki Tomura x You!
Tags: Fluff and Angst, Coffee Shop AU, Shigaraki needs a hug! Gamer Shigaraki! He has a quirk. Reader is doing her best!
Blurb: You don't mean to take inventory, you just notice things. Like the dark bags under Shigaraki’s eyes. How he's always alone—the way he flinches when you lean in too close to set down his coffee. His scowl that never changes and that, oh so lonely look in his eyes. You plan to change that soon by befriending him.
“I hope I'm not too forward, Shigaraki, but would you like to be friends?”
At the tone of your voice—the way you said his name as if he mattered—Tomua stilled. The soft smile that graced your lips, paired with your gentle gaze on his face, made his palms clammy.
“No,” he gritted through his teeth, sending daggers at you with his crimson orbs. “Not interested.”
Tomura didn't like you; you were different, and that scared him.
“That's okay! I understand,” you said, unfazed, and told him your name with a beaming smile—even though he already had it memorized. “Enjoy the coffee, sir!”
Your liveliness made his skin crawl. The twenty-one-year-old clenched his fists under the table and bit back the, ‘Leave me alone!’
Tomura's fingers twitched beneath the black gloves that covered his hands.
He breathed in to calm himself down.
Kindness sent him into a frenzy.
It made him want to pull at his light blue strands.
It was not meant for people like Tomura Shigaraki.
He didn't deserve it. And having it come from you, a bright smile and an earnest gaze came to mind—it sent his heart into overdrive. Tomura didn't even know it could beat that fast, that hard—it was terrifying. Interactions in general made him anxious and twitchy because of his past… because of his quirk.
Monster, Tomura’s mind hissed at him. He shook his head and ignored the thought by taking a sip from his dark coffee. I can't trust her. She's too nice. Nice people stable you in the back.
“Or they die,” he muttered under his breath and somberly looked out the window.
The soft chime of the bell settled faintly behind him. Hushed conversations and murmurs floated about in the modest coffee shop. Instrumental music Tomura grew to enjoy played in the background. He liked the scent of crushed coffee beans and pastries that wafted in the air. The aroma wasn't sweet—it was soothing.
Tomura found the atmosphere in Blessed Brew quite peaceful.
It was his current hideaway.
Not that anyone was looking for him.
He didn't have any family, and the one he considered a father had died.
Tomura Shigaraki didn't have a very good life. An abomination—that's what his foster parents had called him out of fear when he accidentally decayed a table in the living room.
He was only six years old back then.
Small, terrified, and alone.
They sent him away. Tomura hopped from foster home to foster home. Never having a real connection, a real family. He was like an object that no one wanted. Until he ran away at sixteen and never looked back. Tomura learned how to control his powers of decay better thanks to a man called Toshinori Yagi.
He met the random skinny blonde on the streets.
Toshinori was a homeless guy, but he was kind to the teenage boy and gave him his first pair of gloves. He said he was a former hero named All-Might, apparently. Tomura didn't know if he believed him.
“I got injured so badly, I couldn't use my quirk anymore,” the man explained with a cracked smile and dimmed blue eyes. “I lost my job too, and well, things just got worse after that.”
They huddled together for warmth around the galley in some alley.
“I can teach you how to not be afraid of it,” Toshinori offered, giving Tomura’s arm a subtle squeeze. “I used to be scared too—of my quirk, the power of it.”
Warm plastic foam cups of soup from the soup kitchen in Musutafu clutched in their hands.
Thick old blankets littered on the cold-hard stone floor in an alley rolled up with careful precision.
“That's okay,” the older man said with a grin, and Tomura was confused until he learned of his condition. “I'm a tough guy; you can't hurt me more than I've been hurt, trust me—” Yagi motioned with his hands to his thin, wilting frame. “I want to help you, young Tomura. I want you to have a better life, get out of this lifestyle, and out of these chains.”
Cardboard boxes used as mattresses, or to make a tent for that night, rested near their feet.
That was Tomura’s life with Yagi.
The twenty-year-old crushed the cup in his hands and threw it in the trash can without looking at the tiny Bible verse unscripted at the bottom.
“Come again!” he heard you call out as he excited the shop.
“I don't think so,” the young man said, shuddering at the thought of being confronted by you again. “I've got to find a new spot.”
“Welcome, Shigaraki-kun! You came back.”
Your smile never lost its shine, and it irked him. It was fitting. The shaggy-haired man tutted and grumbled under his breath with the usual scowl. “I'll have a black coffee with two sugars.”
No, please. No thank you.
Just cash, then he took his receipt.
“Got it!” you said, making his beverage with practice and ease behind the counter. “It's been a few days since I last saw you. I thought I scared you off!”
Shigaraki scoffed and rolled his eyes with a blank look. “I don't get scared.”
“That's great,” you hummed and spared him a teasing glance. “Does that mean you'll reconsider my offer of friendship?”
“I wasn't scared. I just don't like you,” he said bluntly.
“I see,” you said, half-amused and somewhat disappointed. “I'll bring your coffee right over, sir!”
Shigaraki eyed you suspiciously, then turned around and walked over to his regular seat in the back.
You grabbed a plate with the slice of red velvet cake you baked yesterday.
You prayed Shigaraki would like it.
You made sure to tone down the sweetness.
You just wanted to show him that you cared. Shigaraki was more than just a customer; you saw something in him. Behind the cold outer exterior, there was a broken man inside, and you could relate.
Maybe not entirely, but you wanted to tell Shigaraki: I see you.
You remembered the recent conversation you had with your coworker, Mina.
“I don't know what you see in that guy. He's so…” the pink girl trailed off, and the words she didn't say lingered in the air.
“That's not very nice of you, Mins. He hadn't done anything to be looked at like that.”
“It just slipped out! I didn't mean it like that,” She gestured with her hands nervously. “My face does whatever it wants; I can't control it. I was curious,” Mina gave you a playful nudge.
Tomura glared at the desert you put in front of him as if it personally offended him. “What is this? I didn't order cake.”
“I know,” you said, and slid the coffee cup over to him. “This is on the house, since you're a loyal customer. I hope you like it!”
He blinked at the dark red layered cake with white frosting, and swallowed.
Tomura didn't need anything, didn't want anything; he didn't deserve to have nice things. He now had the luxury to afford it now due to how well streaming video games pay him these days. He went from working at a convenience store, making hundreds by day, to decay. exe.
The twenty-year-old went viral with a clip of him losing his cool on Twitch. Tomura's been a gamer since he was a preteen running off to arcades or playing with his stolen game console. What started out as a hobby was a source of income, and surprisingly, Tomura was excelling.
“Okay,” he said, surprising himself; rejection was at the tip of his tongue, but at your hopeful stare, he yielded.
Just this once. Only because I want to.
“Great!” you beamed, holding the tray up to your chest. You hovered longer than need be, and at his glare, you flushed pink and bowed. “Uhm, okay! I mean, thank you and enjoy!”
The small gesture warmed his heart.
Weirdo. She's such a strange creature, Tomura thought, taking a timid bite of cake. A warm feeling stirred in his chest, and maybe, just maybe, he wanted to come back to see you again. She's entertaining.
“Someone noticed me, Yagi,” he muttered bitterly, savoring the flavor on his tongue. “Gave me cake today. I wish you could have some.”
“I'm proud of you,” Tomura imagined the blonde skeleton would say. “You need to open up more young Tomura! It's good for you. Live life plus-ultra, my boy.”
Tomura wasn't a safe person, he reminded himself.
“She shouldn't be friends with someone like me. I'm no good,” he took a bigger bite out of the cake, and bit back a moan. “This isn't... terrible.”
He wouldn't mind another slice.
Tomura wanted to thank you.
He didn't know how, though.
But then again, I don't want her to try her luck and keep giving me free stuff or, worse, think I want to be friends.
Tomura didn't say anything when you collected the plate, and neither did you.
You just grinned softly, and that did something to him.
Tomura couldn't deny he was attracted to you—not romantically; the pure nature your spirit gave off drew him near. It was like sitting under a cherry blossom tree when the petals were in their brightest bloom.
Just like last time you yelled, “See you again soon, Shigaraki!”
“Maybe,” A fragile smile tugged on his lips as he exited the shop. It felt foreign on his face. “Definitely.”
Based on the request the is how it came out.
I had to think of a setting, and got the idea for a coffee shop. A place where Shigaraki found comfort, and a girl that he found even more comforting.
Tomura and Yagi aka All-Might? So cute! Oh my heart you guys. I had to give Tomu some kind of background story.
Tomura can't be broke, depressed, and lonely okay! I made him rich! He'll learn to send his money—on us.
I have a part 2 that still needs editing and that tiny bonus bit - I don't have a word limit apparently. This can be read as a standalone, I'll post the other part when I have time to edit. It sure takes hours to get just these pieces done.
Are you a coffee or tea person? Or neither? ☕
Hope you enjoyed it! God bless you!
