***So, I do love this pairing as they count as one of my favorite fluff pairings for MHA! This idea came to me a little bit ago and I couldn't get it out of my head, so I had to write it. I don't plan to make this story long- maybe two or three chapters in total. I just couldn't resist the urge to write it!

***This is an alternate universe, ancient people setting, so there will be emphasis on hunting and gathering as that's what they did to survive. No active description of hunting or harming animals will be in this story.

***Warning: Hunting, tracking, animal traps, wounded Izuku, bully Bakugo


Chapter 1: Into the Woods

He wants to prove himself a successful hunter by the next full moon or lose his place in the lineup to be the next chief of the clan. It's not expected of him to bring home a large kill during the winter, but he had to prove to everyone, if only himself, that he is worthy of the title of chief.

The snow came up past his ankles as he trudged through it, following the trees' tribal marks, which guided him to the game traps. The wind whistled through the dense forest, forcing him to wrap the shawl tighter around his nose and mouth while the thick, woolen hood helped to keep it in place. He was dressed in his best heavy mountain sheep furs and leathers that covered him from head to toe. He carries a dagger, a small pouch of cheese and bread, and a hatchet on his waist. On his back rests a quiver of arrows, and slung over his other arm is his bow, strung and ready to aim.

Checking each trap only to find them empty, Hitoshi was almost ready to give up hope and turn back. No creature in its right mind would venture out into this cold, frosty bite of winter. And then, his eyes settle upon another mark in a tree. This tribal mark, he realizes, is unlike any of the others. Resting a black-gloved hand against it, Hitoshi looks down the dark, seemingly endless hollow of thick trees. Hitoshi swallows hard, knowing that the path leads to a different kind of hunting trap, one for magical beings.

As a child, Hitoshi and the other children loved to listen to the stories of the Ancient Ones. They are a race of different creatures and elementals that had lived in the surrounding areas long before humans inhabited the land. Hitoshi remembers cuddling with the others under thick woolen blankets in front of a large fire as the village elders shared tales of those many creatures. His favorite story was that of the Deer People, a herd of deer that could take the form of humans with the features of a doe or stag. These descriptions would vary from elder to elder, some telling of the lower body of a deer and the torso of a human, or a human body with cloven hooves, antlers, deer tail, and ears.

These woods, he knew, are sacred, and humans should not set foot upon its holy grounds. However, their current leader, Chief Aizawa (his adoptive father), has ventured into these dark woods to set traps. It is said that to catch an elemental or forest spirit is to have them grant a wish of bountiful food for the long winter season. This was said in old stories when the humans made a truce with the forest spirits. However, it had turned into a game and a battle of wit. The forest spirits were always one or two steps ahead of humans.

Still, he could not let his uneasiness of the dark sacred forest keep him from seeking a bounty of food for his people. There was a chance that the traps set there could hold a forest spirit. Hitoshi pulled an arrow from the quiver and readied it as he entered the hollow.

The woods were quiet all around, with only the sound of his boots crunching against the snow. Hitoshi made sure that he did not stray from the path of marked trees. Though the further he went, the more uneasy he became. Hitoshi could feel that this forest had a different energy than the ones he was used to hunting. For a moment, he felt a change of heart and wanted to turn back. But no, he convinced himself. His people were hungry, and he did not want to return home empty-handed.

When he thought the trail would never end, Hitoshi came upon one of the game traps. It was empty though it HAD been triggered. Hitoshi reset it then continued on the marked trail. His body shivered when an icy wind blew through him, almost like an attempt to push him back. Still, Hitoshi pushed on, forcing his legs to keep moving.

And then, the air suddenly became warmer.

Hitoshi almost dropped his bow when he saw the sight before him; a forest of springtime. His tired eyes widened as he took in the warmth of the sun through the green trees, the aroma of flowers, and thick, mossy earth beneath his boots. Hitoshi knew that he had walked into the home of the spirits, for they only lived in springtime.

'Should I...continue?' Hitoshi asks himself. 'Did the chief plant any traps here? No, he wouldn't. Would he? Or did I stray from the path?'

Unable to resist the springtime warmth, Hitoshi pushed the conflicting thoughts from his head and stepped into the sun. The rays kissed his chilled red cheeks, warming them with their glow. How wonderful it would be to live in constant springtime, he thought. And then, he heard something to his right. Hitoshi hesitated for a moment then followed the sound. Finally, he came upon a small clearing where, in the middle, stands a young stag caught in a trap.

The stag struggles to free its back leg from the snare while making pitiful sounds of pain and distress. Hitoshi saw the opportunity to snag a kill, and he readied his arrow, sneaking closer to get a better shot. But he paused when he remembered that he was in a sacred forest and that stag could be a spirit or an elemental. As he lowered his bow, the stag started to sparkle, and it changed shape. Hitoshi watched, transfixed, as the stag body turned into a human.

A naked young man sits on the mossy ground and attempts to pry the trap open. He looked just like the elders had said; cloven feet, a deer tail, deer ears, and antlers. Two long prongs grew from a head of messy green curly hair, each with a smaller prong sticking out from the center. Fading white fawn spots litter the man's cheeks, nose, shoulders and continue down the center of his back, giving the illusion of freckles. Hitoshi couldn't look away from the sight of the beautiful, ethereal man. He must have made some sound because the man became alert and looked in his direction.

Hitoshi's gaze met with the most beautiful and stunning pair of big green eyes. They were the color of fresh moss with the warmth of the sun. Hitoshi lowers his bow, placing it slowly on the ground beside him, and holds up his hands, showing the deer-man that he did not intend any harm. How could he? The being before him was too beautiful to kill. Hitoshi did want to free him from that trap, but would the handsome young man struggle more to try and get away?

The deer-man looks from Hitoshi to the trap, then back at Hitoshi. The green eyes seemed to plead with Hitoshi, silently asking him to remove the trap. Hitoshi took a cautious step forward, waiting for a reaction. The young man doesn't move, so Hitoshi steps closer. Soon, he is standing over the naked man who has the same look of stupefied awe as him. Hitoshi couldn't help but let his eyes travel along the pale toned skin, lingering on the dusty pink nipples and patch of white deer near covering the man's groin. Hitoshi felt a lustful, curious need to want to touch the fur down there as it was not the kind that humans have. He has felt deer fur many times, always noting that the underbelly fur was softer than the rest. Would that fur feel as smooth, he wondered?

Crouching down to the deer-man's level, Hitoshi pushes down on the release latch. The iron wrongs open, and the deer-man moves his wounded ankle, sliding a few inches away. Hitoshi waits to see if the other will run away, but the young stag man stays. Those green eyes look upon him with strange curiosity and a hint of fear. Hitoshi hoped to win the other's trust and slowly reached into his pouch to pull out a strip of cloth. He points to the wound on the man's ankle and gradually moves to wrap it, watching for a reaction. The other didn't make a move, seeming to trust him. Hitoshi gently wraps the wound, tying it into a tight knot at the top. His eyes stayed on the hoof where a human foot should be in the other's present form.

When Hitoshi lifts his eyes to the other's face, he is met with a gentle smile. Hitoshi feels a flush on his cheeks as the man's deer ears twitch and wiggle. The deer-man was both handsome and adorable.

Then, the green-eyed spirit reached out a hand to touch Hitoshi's face. Hitoshi allowed him to do it, removing his hood and shawl to reveal his messy purple hair. Hitoshi let the other feel and stroke his face as if the deer-man was studying him. The hands were soft and smooth, something Hitoshi didn't think a spirit living in the woods would have. He wanted to feel those hands on the rest of his skin. The thought made his heart start to race, and it quickened when the other placed a hand upon it. Hitoshi's heart skipped a beat when that hand stayed. What was the spirit doing, he wondered.

From nearby came a bellowing sound like that of a wild boar or another cloven animal. The deer-man's ears shot up in alert and then flattened in fear. Hitoshi stood up to shield the other and looked in the direction of the bellowing. A massive stag with flaming antlers runs towards them, darting in and out of the trees. Hitoshi barely had a chance to react when the stag was upon him, rearing on its back legs to viciously kick at him with the fronts. A hoof struck him in the jaw, sending Hitoshi stumbling to the ground. The snorting and bellowing of the stag did not cease as a torrent of heavy hooves started to trample him.

The pain came to a stop when a different bellow filled the area around them. Hitoshi, twitching with pain, looked up to see the other had transformed back into a stag and was standing over him. The two stags faced each other, with the larger one baring large teeth and snorting rapidly through its thick nostrils. The larger stag with flaming antlers was the dominant one as the other was cowering yet standing bravely. To Hitoshi, it seems that they were talking to one another until the large stag rears again and its red eyes so wide that Hitoshi could see the white around them.

Hitoshi had no choice; he had to run. He was a human in a sacred forest with magical beings he couldn't fight. Hitoshi forgot about his bow and ran back in the direction he came, forcing his pain-wreaked body to keep moving. Behind him, he can hear the galloping of the large stag and its rage-induced bellows. Hitoshi glances over his shoulder to see the flaming antlers pointed right at him as the beast comes closer. Hitoshi knew that those prongs would pierce through his clothing and flesh like nothing and set his insides on fire. He can feel the heat of the flames behind him but finally escapes into the bitter cold of snow.

Stumbling into the frosty white powder, panting wildly, he checks behind him to see that the massive stag had stopped. The giant animal reared again, kicking its front legs and thrashing its head back and forth. Hitoshi understood the actions as a warning not to approach or come back. Then, he sees the other stag he saved from the trap behind the other. It stands on three legs while keeping the wounded one off the ground. His ears and tail were lowered in defeat and sadness. Hitoshi watches as the big stag drives the smaller one away with the flaming antlers, herding him back into the woods.

Hitoshi remained in that spot until the glow of the fire antlers was gone, and he could feel his legs again. His body ached from head to toe, but he would need to make it back to the village before moonrise. It was a very, very long, freezing walk.

Hitoshi was grateful no one saw him returning as he went into the chief's hut. Chief Aizawa was already asleep, so Hitoshi quietly made his way through the main area and to his room, sliding the linen curtain closed. He lights a candle and begins to undress, biting back his hisses and grunts of pain. Once fully naked, he examined his body and noted all the welts and bruises. His body was littered with them. He could do nothing for now but get some rest and try to sleep the pain away.

Slipping on his linen nightshirt, he settled into the bed of wool and furs. He tried to take a deep breath, but his chest hurt too much to do it, so he gave up. Now that he had time to think, his thoughts turned to the stag with flaming antlers. Hitoshi remembers hearing a story about the creature. At the beginning of time, the Great God granted elemental powers to certain animals of the sacred forest, the leaders of packs and herds. So the deer had a stag with flaming antlers that would light the way for the herd and always bring warmth and protection. Hitoshi also recalls some elders saying that the gifts are passed down through bloodlines while others say they are immortal. It was impossible to know.

But the green-eyed stag that he saved...what power did that one possess? Hitoshi shifts under the blankets, rolling over onto his other side in an attempt to get comfortable. Though his body was tired, his active mind would not let him sleep, for his thoughts are filled with the sweet deer-man's human form.

Hitoshi had never been popular with the young, eligible women of the tribe or with other men his age. He saw this as a type of blessing, though, because Hitoshi had never been attracted to women. As far as he knew, no other men his age felt that way, and Hitoshi always wondered if something was wrong with him. However, he had never given it too much thought until today when he set eyes upon the deer-man's naked body. Did the deer-man feel that way about him, too? They trusted each other at the least, and the deer-man had touched him, placed a hand on his heart. Hitoshi could remember the hands on his face, gently stroking and exploring. He had missed that feeling.

Making sure he was indeed alone, Hitoshi rolled onto his back and started to palm the growing ache in his groin. He let his mind fill with images of the fawn-freckled body and bright smile of laughing green eyes and twitching ears. Hitoshi pictures the other nuzzling against him like the mountain sheep do when they're ready for mating. The other's skin would press against his, rubbing their lengths together and make sweet sounds of pleasure. He could finally feel the softness of that white fur at the other's groin beneath his hand. Then he would mount the other like the animals do, claiming the deer-man as his own. He wished he knew the other's name if they even had one.

He couldn't finish the fantasy, though, because the welts on his body couldn't take the arching and stretching. Hitoshi regrettably had to stop. Instead, he pictured himself with the other in this bed of furs, cuddling together to sleep away the nighttime. Hitoshi can see himself sharing his life with the other. But, he was a human and the other a forest spirit. They were from different worlds. And that other stag with the flaming antlers...

Hitoshi tossed and turned all night.


"Stupid Deku! What were you doing so close to a human?"

"I'm sorry, Kacchan!" Izuku allows himself to be herded away by Bakugo, their herd leader. "I was caught in a trap and he helped me and-"

"A trap humans set!" Bakugo shouts. "Now you're limping, and that makes you more useless than usual!"

"...he helped me out of the trap though…" Izuku stopped talking when Bakugo bellowed loudly at him. He fell behind Bakugo, keeping his head, ears, and tail lowered as they returned to the herd.

Izuku was met with taunts and laughter from others in the herd when it was told what happened to him. He was, after all, the only spirit in the herd that did not have an elemental power. Aside from transforming into a human (which they all can do) he's only a regular stag- no- a deer. He isn't allowed to call himself a stag with being powerless as well as the lowest herd member. Izuku could only ignore their taunts as best he could while going to his assigned thicket. He lay his weary body on the grass and moss, stretching out his bandaged leg.

He thought about the kind human with soft purple hair and tired eyes. Izuku had always been fascinated by humans but warned of the dangers they can bring. The human man was dressed in the furs and skins of dead animals, something that always frightened and upset him when he was little. At his age now, he understood that humans have a hard existence and they need to resort to killing for food. That's why the man had such tired eyes, Izuku thought, because he had to struggle to survive. In this place, everything is provided for them, and it's especially easier for the spirits that don't eat meat for they never have to leave the forest for the human realm. He should be grateful to live in such a special place, and he is, but…he's also restless.

Izuku cranes his neck to sniff at the bandage around his ankle and could smell the human. He closed his eyes, taking in the scent and picturing the human man tending to him. He wanted to see the man again. The human was the first to ever show him any type of tenderness. Izuku remembered the man blushing, and it in turn made him blush as well. Humans always wore clothes and they didn't, so maybe the man was just embarrassed because he was naked. But then there was the heartbeat, which beat quickly and was the same as his. Izuku thought, like many others, that humans don't have beating hearts because they are vicious and cruel. Yet this man's heart beat the same as any of them. And he felt a connection with the human, too.

'I want to see him again,'

TBC