Dabi x Reader x Shigaraki Poly Soulmate Mark AU (angst)
TW: child abuse (reader), idiots in love, alcoholism, drugs, slight religious trauma if you squint, terribly written angst with a touch of fluff toward the end, possessive behavior
not proofread, written in like an hour lol
reader is plus-size coded, but you can absolutely read it as mid-sized or skinny
reader's quirk not mentioned
for as long as you could remember, your father had drilled it into your mind. soulmates were not something we sought out in this family. marriages were for the purpose of breeding the perfect offspring. he would hear nothing of love, nothing of the mark that appeared on the inside of your left wrist when you turned 13.
your father was a hero. a societal pillar in the small community you'd grown up in. his fans knew nothing of the words he preached, and your neighbors knew nothing of the ideals he beat into you. always a "clumsy child", no one questioned the marks that appeared on your arms and torso. no one questioned why you were so quiet, choosing instead to believe your father when he told them you just preferred to keep to yourself.
as a child you weren't allowed to have friends. not that you wanted them. your father deemed them unnecessary, and you never wished to drag anyone down with your home problems.
when you turned 13, and that mark first appeared, the beatings and weekly preachings turned almost daily. soulmates are not worth the trouble. they will only bring you down. find a man instead who will bring you the best children, strong quirks, money and glory.
strong quirks. money. glory. that was what your father evangelized. glorified. he didn't care if you became a hero, didn't care if you were happy or safe. as long as your children and spouse brought your family no shame.
you could imagine the anger in his eyes when you ran away the first time at 15. you'd dyed your hair again, and he'd left you with a busted lip and likely broken ribs for it. so you'd left. hopped on the first train to Tokyo and planned to never look back. until he found you. you'd been left with much worse than simply bloodied that night.
at 16 you'd began tagging. a black duffel bag stored under your bed held different spray paints and stencils picked up at the hardware store.
at 17 you began pick-pocketing, swiping necessities from gas stations and convenience stores. 17 was the first time you shed another's blood. the first you'd heard of Stain, his ideals and thoughts. he spoke to you, you thought. his words struck a chord deep inside and it never stopped its ringing.
so, when you left at 18 and people asked you, the daughter of a locally loved hero, if you believed in soulmates? the answer was always no. no, they were not worth the trouble. not worth the pain and trauma you'd endured all those years.
now, at 22, you'd made yourself scarce in public and known amongst the worst of the worst. with no name to call you, no alias to make yourself known and no friends to spread your words, the public knew you only as XXX. the mark you tagged in blood above the bodies of your victims. former heroes, usually. child abusers, rotten preachers, the true worst of society. the people monsters hidden in plain sight
the dinky motel had an awkward smell to it. stains on the walls and furniture, something akin to blood stuck in the sheets. you couldn't really complain though, this was the best your stolen money could buy you. next to nothing, really.
the motel was known in the underground as a place villains and vigilantes alike could rest and recover. the receptionist knew you by name, always having a rolm ready for you just in case. she was your favorite. quiet. didn't ask questions. occasionally she'd stop by after a particularly rough night, with her a small first-aid type kit and a glass bottle of some kind of unknown alcohol. she'd help stitch you up. drink the night away with you. you appreciated her, would likely shed more than some blood if anything happened to her.
it was nights like tonight, though, that pissed you off. some old man, Girian he called himself, had contacted you. the League of Villains was looking to recruit more members, and they'd been looking to scout you specifically. you'd seen their work, admired it even. but you had no need for comrades or friends. not at first, at least.
eventually you'd let him meet with you, let him convince you. you'd join, with no commitments to their people and no strings attached. you could leave when you wished, kill who you wanted with protection from their ranks. sounded too good to be true, really, but who were you to decline?
so here you sat, black duffel bag packed and black hoodie adorned. waiting on the car that would pick you up and shuttle you away forever. you'd already left a bottle of the expensive stuff for the receptionist at her desk, as well as a note thanking her for everything she'd done. no strings attatched.
Creepy Guy Girian
Out front. (read 2:13am)
you huffed, tossing the bag over your shoulder and closing the door behind you.
the car ride was awkward, to say the least. but this was the icing on the fucking cake.
a lizard man, guy with purple skin along his arms, chest face and neck, a girl no more than 16 with blonde buns and a knife, a man in a suit and top hat, and the leader. a man who desperately needed some vaseline and obviously spent a good amount of time in his room gaming. not that you could really talk though. Spinner, Dabi, Himiko Toga, Compress, and Shigaraki. you knew their names only from the news.
"so this is her, eh?" Dabi leaned forward from where he sat on the couch, resting his elbows on his knees. "doesn't look like much."
"well neither do you, but you don't see me commenting."
Toga giggled, "oooh, can we keep her? please Shiggy can we can we?"
Shigaraki looked you up and down. "That's up to her."
he stuck out his left hand and you clocked it almost immediately. a Soul Mark, matching your own perfectly. you fiddled with the sleeves of your black hoodie, making sure your left sleeve covered your mark before reaching out your right hand to meet his. "(Y/N). nice to meet you, Shigaraki."
Dabi stood, crossing the room and draping his left arm over your shoulders. you saw his mark as well. matching yours. one soulmate was bad enough, but two? this would be difficult to avoid, but maybe they'd be too wrapped up in each other to even notice you. if you were lucky.
god, if your father could see you now. a villain with two soulmates, both standing for everything he was against.
"so," he asked, walking you toward the bar, "drink of choice?"
the purple misty mass, Kurogiri, set down the glass he was cleaning to set up a Whiskey on the rocks for Dabi.
"anything that'll get me drunk," you responded.
Dabi smirked. "oh, i think we'll get along great."
three months had passed. three months of avoiding Dabi and Tomura. three months of helping Himiko with her hair, going on tedious missions with Compress, and playing drunken games of darts with Spinner. most of your time, though, was spent alone at the bar.
no matter who you were with of what they had you doing with them, as soon as Dabi or Tomura entered the room, you made some crafty excuse to leave the room and the situation. the others had noticed, and naturally so had Dabi and Tomura.
now, here you were at the bar. drinking away your sorrows and just trying to hit your watermelon ice nicotine, when the two you'd been trying so hard to avoid sat to your left and right. boxing you in.
"so," Dabi started to your left, "you've been avoiding us."
"what, you gotta problem with two guys being soulmates or something? because we have no problem throwing your ass right back to the street we dragged you off of." shigaraki snatched your whiskey from in front of you, taking a sip. his eyes bore into your own.
"i've had my fair share of chicks, thanks. just dont see any reason to form unnecessary bonds where i don't need to."
Dabi cocked an eyebrow. "unnecessary, eh?" he leaned forward, taking the drink from Tomura and gulping the rest of it down. "is it that it's unnecessary, or is it that you're just hiding something?"
shit, keep your game face on. this was not a fucking drill, this was not a fucking dream. this was real life, and you had to get the hell out of this situation.
"maybe she works for the Commission, what do you think T?"
"i don't know, i was thinking maybe she was here because her Daddy asked her to be."
oh hell. fucking. no. you didn't want to be in a conversation with these men, and you certainly didn't want to be in a conversatioon about your father with these men.
"just fuck off and leave me alone."
you moved to get up, but Dabi grabbed your left arm before you could. your sleeve rode up just a smidge, so dreadfully close to exposing what you'd been trying so hard to keep to yourself.
"tell us what your hiding first, Hon." Dabi's voice was deep. gravelly. drawing you in so undeniably quick. you needed to get away before this went downhill, fast.
"just leave me be," you tried to pull your arm away, only for it to be the worst move you could have made. the sleeve of your tight black shirt rode up, ever so slightly, but it was enough. Dabi had seen it.
"the fuck is this? a Soul Mark-?"
he yanked your arm back, showing Tomura. Dabi just looked, and Tomura's eyebrows knitted together.
"god, fuck off." you pulled your arm away, leaving the bar and heading down the alleyway before either man could even get a word in.
the club you found yourself at was loud. right now, you just needed to forget the conversation you'd found yourself in only an hour ago. maybe find a nice hunk of meat to take you home and make you forget, just for a little while.
your leather shorts hugged your curves perfectly, your body pudging out ever so slightly at the top. your black halter top accentuated your chest. there was no need to hide your mark, not right now.
and you found one. he ground his hips against you on the dance floor, hands on your hips and your arms around his neck. you'd drank yourself to near stupidity, the weed, nicotine and alcohol in your system all mixing together into a deadly concoction of desire and need. the desire to find someone new, and the need to forget. this man, as pale as they come and hair as dark as the sky outside, seemed to be the perfect person to help you tonight.
he laced your hand in his, leading you to the dingy bathroom down the hall. in your current state, you failed to notice the two sets of eyes boring into you, watching you disappear.
the man whose name you never bothered to learn helped lift you onto the sink, stepping between your legs and gripping your waist. you wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling him closer and kissing him deeper.
you kicked off your shoes, hearing his belt come undone. but that's as far as you'd get tonight.
the door closed and locked, but before you could look up to see who was here, the man before you faded to a pile of dust and ashes on the floor.
you looked up, meeting with pale-blue eyes. Dabi leaned against the now locked door, and Tomura in front of you.
you were fuming. not only had they intruded, unwelcomed, you added, but Tomura had dusted away your distraction for the night.
"what the fuck do you think gives you the goddamn right?" Tomura pushed your back against the mirror, Dabi coming up beside you, gripping your chin to force your gaze toward him.
"what, you thought you could just hide this from us for months and we'd just let it go?"
you had yet to say anything, too angry and shocked and, let's be honest high, to speak.
"you don't get to run away from this."
you scoffed at Dabi, pulling your face out of his grip and pushing Tomura away.
"you don't fucking control what i choose to do with my life. i'm sorry, but i don't believe in that soulmate bullshit. you two can fucking go at it for all i care, but leave me the hell out of it because i'm not interested."
you moved to get up, but shigaraki pushed you back again, right hand gripping around your throat (with the pinky up) and body leaning close. "you don't get to leave this fucking bathroom until we have a conversation.
"fine!" you scoffed, "converse away! but don't expect it to end with me just accepting my fucking fate and leaving with you."
Dabi's face hardened. "listen, hon," he leaned closer, moving his hand to force you to look at him once again. "you're leaving with us, one way or another. do you know how fucking long we've been waiting? for you?"
tears threatened to spill from your eyes. you didn't want this, didn't want them.
soulmates are not something we seek out in this family.
"so, what?" your voice shook as you spoke, "you just expect me to fall apart for you? you think i'll just hear you out and let you whisk me away? abandon everything i've ever been taught just for some guys? i'm not that kind of girl, you can't just-"
Dabi pulled you in, cutting you off and kissing you. it was electric. damn near made you change your mind. but you didn't.
not until he let go and Tomura moved in. his kiss was rougher. lips chapped and possessive. they weren't going to let you go, were they?
if you were being honest with yourself, when he pulled away, you weren't sure if you wanted them to.
you panted, tears finally falling. "so, what? you just expect me to drop everything and be with you?"
"we don't expect you to do anything." Tomura whispered. "just give us a chance."
and in the months that followed, you did.
lol this was so terrible. i've been thinking of this for days now and i just needed to write it out