Notes: I just want to say that this was a ton of fun to write. This was a "Detectives AU" + "Magical Accidents", although I didn't really do the "accident" part very well, so yeah… I absolutely love the idea of modern fantasy and I've never written it before. (Yes, I did watch the Netflix movie "Bright" and while it had its issues, I enjoyed the hell out of it.)
"And what did you say the he looked like?" Midoriya asked in a neutral tone. Normally, he could powerhouse through absolutely anything with an upbeat and go-getter attitude, but he'd been working for nearly seventy-two hours straight and was beginning to lose his sense of reality. It didn't help that he'd been taking calls for the past hour. He was fading fast and hard. "Mmhm, big teeth. Yeah, I got it. He had a strong jaw. Big, yellow teeth. And yellow eyes? Okay, yes, that's very helpful. Thank you."
His loud groan after her hung up the phone must have piqued his partner's interest. She rolled her chair away from her computer so that she could peer at him around their desks. "That sounded like a fun conversation."
"Another werewolf accusation," Midoriya huffed, running his fingers through his already wild mess of hair. His partner often teased that it was like a jungle, seeing as how his hair was also green. It was one of the less unusual things about their world, so he didn't stand out much. "The press release that Captain Aizawa gave out stressed that the murder suspect is not a werewolf and people are still calling in fingering one. It's wasting our time."
Uraraka tsked and rolled back to her computer. "I think you're just sensitive to it since one of your friends is a werewolf."
"I wouldn't call him a friend…"
Midoriya thought to Kacchan. It was true that his everyday life had become a little more unruly ever since the string of murders had started. People were so quick to point fingers at werewolves whenever violent crimes happened, especially around the time of a full moon. Midoriya thought that was rather the point of the murders. The perp was trying to make it look like a werewolf was doing them to throw the police off his or her track. Unfortunately for them, Midoriya could spot a werewolf's presence a mile away and he hadn't caught a whiff of that.
In fact, all of Uraraka's tracing spells at the crime scenes had led them to believe that the murders were being perpetrated by an elf. The mere idea had the entire force in a frenzy. Aizawa had forced her to repeat the spells multiple times, but they had come up the same every time. Their captain trusted her skills - Uraraka was one of the brightest witches on the force - but accusing an elf of crimes like these was a delicate process. They were in politics for a reason.
Out of everyone, besides Aizawa who begrudgingly dealt with them on a near-daily basis, Midoriya understood how elves worked the most. He was one, after all. There were very few elves in the police, mostly because they considered it beneath them and to be plebeian work. Midoriya didn't come from one of the higher class elf families though. He was considered a step up above people like Bakugou, Uraraka, and Tsuyu, but often mocked for his decision to rub elbows with those looked at as below elves.
His relationship with his fellow elves was complicated and not always good, but still, he hadn't been pleased when all of Uraraka's spells had come up with the same results.
"Why don't we leave off here?" Uraraka suggested. "We're hitting a wall and I'm tired."
As much as he hated to admit it, she was right. "Tea first?"
Uraraka harrumphed as she stood up and picked up her long trench coat off the back of her chair. "Who do you think I am?"
Midoriya grinned at her as he stood up. "You just want to read the dregs of mine so you can figure out if my next date will turn out well."
Her cheeks turned a pleasant shade of pink as she slid her arms into her jacket. "I'm only trying to look out for you."
She spun on her heels, the end of her coat twirling behind her and billowing as she strode to the elevator. It reminded him of a cloak, like a witch of old would wear. He knew that it was unintentional on her part. It fit her well though, especially when she pulled out her wand and cast a spell. They had their department-issued guns and tasers, but she almost always preferred her wand. It was the safest and least lethal route, despite the fact that she could be plenty dangerous if she wanted to be. He considered himself very lucky that she was not only on their side but his partner.
The tea shop was filled with witches and mages of all kinds, plus a few other beings that relied on magic and fortune-telling. Midoriya had always found shops like these enchanting, mostly because his mother had worked at one when he was growing up. She'd taught him to appreciate magic in all its forms and not just that of elves. The lights were dimmer in this one and there was always that air that something could go wrong or explode in the back at any second, but it was Uraraka's favorite place for tea. She'd been coming here ever since getting transferred into the city and was a known customer to the point that she was given preferential treatment.
She liked to say that it was because she tipped well.
Midoriya knew that it was because her magic absolutely radiated from her. She was strong. Again, he was lucky that she had his back.
"Oh, it's crowded tonight," Uraraka said as they stepped inside. Indeed it was. Smoke permeated the room, hints of incense and tea in the air. It was intoxicating for the unexpected. With his particular sense of smell, Kacchan couldn't step foot in here without getting dizzy. Even Todoroki had issues with it, if only because there were so many things that could burn here. "Get me the usual while I find us a table?"
Uraraka always "miraculously" found them a table when the shop was packed. He didn't have the heart to tell her that it was because she was considered the strongest witch in the room on top of being a cop, so people would vacate seats they'd occupied for hours if she glanced at them for a beat too long.
"The usual, Midoriya?" the young woman behind the counter croaked when he appeared before her.
"You know us too well, Asui," Midoriya replied with a smile.
Asui clucked her tongue. "I told you to call me 'Tsuyu'. Only people I dislike call me 'Asui'." Despite her reprimand, she rang him up and another girl in the back began to make their drinks. It was a slow and delicate process. Uraraka wouldn't have it any other way. "You're a difficult one."
Midoriya handed over how much he owed her for the drinks. "Aren't I always?" Uraraka would try to pay him back and he'd refuse. They always did this dance. She was particular about money, having come from a poor family. He knew how much they relied on her here to send funds back. She could've made more with the power that she had, but she'd wanted to become a cop.
"You're certainly stubborn," the little Nix replied, "but you're one of the good ones."
He knew that she meant he was one of the good elves. Not many elves came down to a small shop like this. It was definitely beneath them. It was appropriate to go to only elf-owned shops. It was a bit hypocritical, considering that elves often mocked such menial labor but would praise ownership. He knew for a fact that Asui's family owned this place, but despite that, seeing as how they were Nixes, elves would never consider them equals.
"Here you go," Asui said, handing him two drinks and two warm biscuits for good measure.
"I appreciate it, truly," Midoriya told her in his most earnest tone. No, he couldn't be the face of all elves and prove that they weren't arrogant twats (mostly because, well, they were), but he could be one of the good ones.
"Not a problem," Asui chirped before she wagged a finger at him. "Make sure Uraraka eats. I can tell she's been skimping recently, probably because of that awful case you're on. That girl needs to keep up her strength. Her magic burns right through her."
Midoriya chuckled. "Will do."
If there was anyone that worried about his partner almost as much as he did, it was Asui. She and Uraraka had become close friends ever since Uraraka moved here. She hadn't known anyone in the city and the first thing she'd done was find a proper tea shop. It was a witch custom, according to her, although he couldn't be for certain. He thought she made up certain things about witches since there were so few of them on the force.
He made his way through the tea shop where he'd last glimpsed Uraraka hunting for a table. He'd almost missed her too, seeing as how he had been looking for a table with only her sitting at it, but then he found her sitting in a corner one, except she wasn't alone. Someone wearing a black hoodie was sitting across from her. Instead of the bright, bubbly smile he was used to seeing on her face, there was a tense one and she had her jaw clenched. What caught his eye most of all was the grip the other person had on her wrist on top of the small table. It wasn't friendly.
"Excuse me," Midoriya said coldly as he set their drinks down. "I believe you're in my seat."
"Oh, I am," the unknown person replied, as if it had just occurred to him. "I was just chatting with your lovely partner. It seems like you two have quite your hands full with those string of murders. Such a shame you haven't caught the killer yet."
Midoriya stiffened immediately. Of course the murders were public knowledge and both his and Uraraka's face had been shown by the media. The public was demanding results and the only ones they'd produced couldn't be revealed yet.
"I told him we were taking a break before we had to report back to our captain," Uraraka ground out stiffly. It wasn't true. They had planned on going their separate ways to their apartments after this to get some rest, although Midoriya was highly doubting that now. He didn't want to let Uraraka out of his sight. He wanted to look at her now, but kept his focus on the stranger before them. Her lie meant that anything happening to them would be found out quickly.
The hooded stranger sighed. "She figured it out, didn't she? I'd hoped that we could hide the trail more, but then you two had to be assigned the case."
A shaky breath escaped Midoriya as his mouth went dry. "I don't know what you're talking about. If you have information on the case, there's a tip line-"
"Don't try to lie to me," the stranger snapped, tilting his head back so that his eyes locked onto Midoriya's. There was such a seething hatred in them that it took him back, but then he knew those eyes. Not personally but he recognized them. Elf eyes. This was an elf sitting before him, gripping Uraraka's wrist like he might break it if she tried to move. It was him. "You're a terrible liar for an elf. It's a disgrace."
Having been called out, Midoriya took a different route. "If you so much as hurt her-"
The other elf sighed and rubbed their face tiredly. "Are you that stupid that you'd think I'd come alone to confront you?"
A second later, Midoriya felt a warm hand on the back of his neck. His eyes flickered back to meet bright blue ones. A tall, lanky figure with dark hair stood behind him. The hand touching him slowly grew hotter until it felt as if his skin might blister and burn. The last time he'd felt heat like that had been from Todoroki, who was a dragon that could assume human form.
"What do you want?" Midoriya demanded.
"I told you," the elf said. "To chat." He smiled up at Midoriya, but it was all wrong. Instead of soothing him like a smile should, it was horrifying. If he was looked down on for his status as an elf, this one was even worse. There was something off about him, something that Midoriya knew would turn other elves away from him. "I wanted to see you, the infamous elf detective." Midoriya clenched his fists at his side, but he didn't move. "Your partner was a bonus. Strength aside, she's very pretty, isn't she?"
Midoriya didn't respond. He didn't even react. Neither did Uraraka. Of course she was pretty. She was probably the most beautiful person that he had ever met, not that he'd ever told her.
"She resembles the victims, doesn't she?" the strange elf continued.
"Don't even think about it," Midoriya growled. "She's too strong for you to take."
Uraraka blinked. She'd never seen him so angry before. Midoriya prided himself on being a cheerful person, greeting everyone with a smile and an easygoing laugh, but he couldn't deny the determined streak in him that burned hotly. There was so much that he had to do with his position as an elf and a cop. He was fierce in a way that many elves never had to muster.
But then he knew that she was a much more powerful witch than she let on. He wasn't even sure if she knew it.
"I think you should leave," Midoriya said.
"Oh, I think you're right." The elf's eyes flickered to the person holding onto Midoriya's neck, which was sweating profusely. "We've overstayed our welcome, haven't we?"
"Tables are for patrons only," Uraraka said.
The elf scratched their neck and let out a thoughtful hum. "How did I forget my manners?" He stood up, as if unfolding himself from the chair, and tossed a handful of coins on the table. "We'll see each other again. I've no doubt. Keep a close eye on her in the meantime."
With that, he walked away. Uraraka didn't move from her spot, not with Midoriya being held still. As soon as the hand left his neck, he fell forward to take a deep breath, as if his body was trying to escape the heat. He knew that there would be a burn there. Todoroki would scold him should he find out, but then, Midoriya had never had a run in with another true dragon before. They were said to be rare even in a world filled with magic. It was only a few seconds, but when Midoriya turned around and Uraraka jumped to her feet with her wand in hand, the elf and dragon were gone.
"I'm sorry," Uraraka said miserably as she collapsed in her seat. "There were so many civilians and I didn't know what to do. If I fought back, I knew there would be collateral damage and I…"
"No, it's fine," Midoriya sighed as he sat down across from her. "I froze as well." She had one hand curled around her wand as the other trembled on top of the table. He took her hand in both of his and her eyes jerked to his. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah." She pulled her hand out of his grip and looked down at it as she flexed her fingers. "He used a spell on me the second he touched me before I had time to react. If I so much as tried to pull away, it would've activated and my hand would've disintegrated."
The air was almost taken out of Midoriya's lungs. "That's a...very good reason not to fight back."
Even though she didn't have to, Uraraka threaded her fingers back in his and he felt a sense of relief blossom inside of him. She was whole. She was okay. Elves were, by nature, not very physical, but he had always differed from them in that sense. He had sought physical comfort all his life, perhaps due to his mother being close with him and how much Kacchan had liked to rough-house when they were kids. It took other elves off guard, made them think that he was uncouth like other magical beings. Uraraka never judged him for it though. She worked with him through it.
"At least we've got a lead," Uraraka said. "We know their faces."
"That was very foolish," Midoriya replied thoughtfully. "Some criminals can't help themselves, elves especially."
"You said it, not me." Uraraka paused. "We should probably head back to the station and let Aizawa know what happened."
Midoriya frowned. "So much for sleep and your tea dregs routine."
Uraraka let out a sigh as she pulled her hand out of his to pick up the tea that he'd bought her and then stood up. No doubt it had started to go cold. "Knowing my luck, they'll probably just warn me of an unpleasant visitor. There's a reason the fortune is the bottom of the dregs."
The good thing about being at the bottom though? There was only one way to go and Midoriya had a feeling that the case they'd been feeling stalled on was about to explode.