Oneshots | Pro-Hero AU | 172732014

A Bag of Coal | Tetsutetsu x Traveller

Professionally, the both of you kept to your careers in different parts of the city, but personally, you grew closer once you graduated from Ketsubutsu Academy. The teasing names never stopped, and neither did the competitive chiding, yet you felt a closer affinity to the man who grew to become one of many Pro-Heroes hailing a new era. This did not explain his invitation for you while he carried a bag of—

"Coal?" you asked incredulously. "It's not even Christmas yet. If you wanted to tell me I was on your naughty list, there are better ways of saying so."

"Trust me, you're going to love it when we fire things up," assured Tetsutetsu while he shook the small bag of coal in his grip.

"Punny."

His sharp-toothed grin was unperturbed by your dry reply, only catching a sigh and a small smirk on your lips. He never let down that first day of bumping into each other. You pulled at your gloves nervously while retaining the heat from your hands beneath its skin, having clocked off from a morning patrol before this stroll through the city. Cooling off was still a challenge which left you wondering if the steam had dissipated from the change rooms back at your agency, but at the very least the risk of melting any surface nearby was limited. Which only begged to question—

"I'm not stoking them, am I?" you asked, still suspicious.

"You'll see. And you'll be stoked to find out," he continued with that cheeky grin.

A long sigh escaped your throat at the way Tetsutetsu twisted your words, despite them being less than colourful ways of putting them. It did not worry you though. You would get back at him one way or another. It was just what the both of you did, most of the time.

The stroll through Musatafu ended when you happened upon a building covered in brick and stone. Tetsutetsu stopped by its large gates to eye the activity inside, as did you, curious of the workers. The smell of fire and soot caught your senses and the sharp riveting clink of metal hammering metal echoed from inside its belly. You eyed the sign, finding it to be a workshop while workers shaped and formed brightly hot and smouldering metals against large anvils. The appeal was there when it came to the scolding heat, your eyes drawn to the orange glow of metal within the dark of the workshop. It only reminded you of your hands.

"Come on, we can't miss our booking," stated Tetsutetsu while he casually entered the workshop past its tall brick-laden walls.

"What booking? Here?" you asked, confused while you trailed behind.

"Well, you said you were always good with your hands, didn't you? Prove it."

Those were fighting words, you thought, speeding up your pace to match his while you eyed him with intrigue and bravado. "Was that a challenge, Ironman?"

"Do you want it to be?"

"You said it."

That smirk crawled on his lips, as did one on yours. It never got old.

—

A quick tour of the workshop by one of the workers left you with some knowledge and history of the place, having catered to glassblowing, metal forging, and even pottery for the two kilns they kept in the back. Abafar Crafters was known to be a highly renowned workspace for those who were 'handy', not a surprise when Tetsutetsu poked a joke about it your way. After introductions were made, the both of you began your session at your own workstation complete with tools and your own pressure oven with a flame already lit. However you realised that none of the workers stayed to even supervise while Tetsutetsu unveiled the few coal pieces he brought with him.

"And what are we doing?" you asked, eyeing the black stones in his hands.

"A little experiment, kinda," he admitted, soon unfurling his skin with a shimmer now covered in steel plates. "We're going to turn these into diamonds!"