𝑽𝒂𝒍𝒌𝒚𝒓𝒊𝒆 || Hawks x Reader x Dabi

22 | When The Time Comes

Y/N was greeted by a forest of vibrant green.

Winds of tranquility and peace shuffled through the leaves surrounding her, above her, and all around her. This was where she wanted to be, immersed in nature, with no other person in the world. At peace, not lonely, but alone in the wilderness.

As she walked, the leaves crunched under her feet, and birds chirped in the distance. She could even hear the faint sound of a waterfall from somewhere beyond. It was perfect, it was peaceful, it was everything she ever wanted.

But then her thoughts shifted, as they often did, and she was deeper into the neverending trees than expected. Almost instantly, Y/N understood she was lost. She didn't know where she was, in the middle of nowhere and nothing.

A far contrast than before. Yet, it was not dark, it was somehow inviting, and it made her curious.

This place felt familiar, even if she knew it was not.

Y/N kept walking, not knowing what else to do, searching for something of familiarity, and then came across an abandoned mine, stacks of copper stacked outside the entrance. Y/N's blood ran cold as she studied the moss that littered the man-made infrastructure, already crumbling but distinct enough to recognize.

Even if there was nothing for miles, she understood she had been there before. The mine was all-consuming, and it was all she could see for a moment. The aura enticed her; it begged her to venture in. It wanted her to discover something of substance. It called for her to learn the truth.

Y/N's curiosity almost overtook her, yet she stopped at the entrance. Suddenly, she heard a rhythmic heartbeat and paused. The trance she was under ceased, and she realized that whatever was calling out to her did not have good intentions.

One step back, and the alluring and all-powerful heartbeat disappeared. Her ears were ringing, and her thoughts were spinning, trying to understand what had happened and why she was so enticed.

Staring at the entrance for minutes, there was nothing. Y/N tried to conjure the power back, asking for it to reveal itself. Her powers were futile, even when she used all of her strength.

Panting, she gave up, disheartened and confused, until suddenly, a familiar tempo rang through her ears. A sound that she hadn't heard in years, an imprint lost to time.

Y/N turned and saw a man with his back turned. An axe was in his hands, and coal dusted his blackening arms. He was familiar but a distant memory, a person she hadn't seen in over a decade. As she looked closer, Y/N realized it was one of the two people who helped bring her into this world. The armor he wore, how his brown hair peaked from underneath the helmet, how he moved through the woods with broad shoulders, large and intimidating but fluid and graceful.

It felt too real. It was deja-vu, like her favorite memories of when he took her camping.

"Dad?" Y/N asked, still hesitant to step toward him even if she could recognize his features from behind. There was no way it was anyone else. It was him. In reality, she would have screamed for his attention, and there would have been tears in her eyes.

Yet she was not in control any longer.

"Sweetpea?" He turned at her call, a confused look in his eyes, peeking through the slits of the helmet.

This was a dream; Y/N was sure of it. It had been ages since she felt so at peace, comforted, and appreciated by a father's love alone. Nobody else could ever provide that sanctity, and understanding that fact made her weak. It made her vulnerable. It made her susceptible.