Time in a Tree (All Might x Reader)

Special I Finale: Touch Me Not

The redhead hummed and turned on his heel, scanning the small room until he found a kettle at the hearth. Stale water was quickly disposed of and replaced.

Now, knelt before the hearth, his hand buried itself below the pile of firewood soon joined by the sound of crackling. Peering around him from where you sat, small embers began to appear. Removing his hand, he wiped it of old ash and stood leaving from the home. You watched as he walked outside, eyes on the ground as he scanned. Finding a small patch of soft yellow flowers. Large hands taking up every bit that sprouted from the earth in one swoop. He turned on his heel, heading back inside.

"What is that?" Your eye at the plant he rolled between his palms, its green drying out into an almost brown. "What?" His brow raised while he dropped those leaves into the hot kettle on the bedside table. "I asked what that is."

"Do you not...Where I'm from, we call this fae's folly."

"That's an odd name."

"Yes, something to do with a human conning a fae into teaching them remedies and such."

"I don't believe that."

"Neither do I, but it works to cure almost anything."

"Interesting," You leaned over the boiling kettle. "Tell me, why did you dry it first? Wouldn't it have been more potent if it were fresh?" He shook his head, dried herb swirling with convection currents in the kettle. "It turns into slime if you don't. Which would be best for tinctures, but we don't have time for that, do we?" He looked over his shoulder at you. "I'm surprised you don't know what it is since your father drinks so much of it."

"You mean the tea? I brought that home from the ports."

"You don't have any ports out here." He ended in a questioning tone.

"The ones from the ball?" You turned, pinching at your chin. "That merchant must have-"

"You were at the ports? Buying tea?" You ignored him, thinking of all the times you looked over those damned flowers sprouting at random. Your father would have been in better health all this time and-

"That was you."

"Yes, yes, that was me." You waved it off. "And I'd do it again." You had half the mind to do it now. There was enough steam being let off from the cast iron, swirling up and slowly out of the windows. It wouldn't take much to soak him again.

"I'll be sure to remember that."

"Fantastic, maybe you'll carry a towel from now on." You clicked your tongue, having decided to gather up as many of those flowers as you could before the frost. How long would it take you to construct a greenhouse? What else was growing out there? Perhaps-

"That implies that my proposal has been accepted." Enji rounded you, to catch your attention.

"Not by me, by my mother." You said matter of factly.

"Well, I can't wed your mother."

"That's unfortunate, you seem to be a divine pairing-"

"I understand that you do not like me." He sighed. "You do not trust me and you do not want me here. I don't like myself very much either."

"I'm so glad you got the message. Over the moon, actually. I was starting to think I'd quite literally have to spell it out for you."
"That doesn't, however, excuse the overall way you've been acting towards your family. Your mother specifically."

Your brows furrowed almost too fast, that attention he'd been scratching at finally all his. "The last thing I need is you of all people to lecture me on how I should be handling the situation."