3 Answers2026-06-20 22:40:39
Oh, the Deku vs. Shigaraki dynamic is so much more interesting when it's Deku and Shigaraki, isn't it? I've spent way too much time hunting for those. Archive of Our Own is absolutely the hub for it—the tag filtering is meticulous, and you can find everything from soulmate AUs to dark political marriage-of-convenience fics. People there really explore the psychological parallels. Wattpad has a different vibe, more focused on romance-centric plots and 'bad boy' Shigaraki tropes, which can be fun if that's your thing. I'd also recommend checking Tumblr; a lot of writers post links to their works there, and the community creates amazing moodboards that capture the aesthetic of the ship perfectly.
A less obvious spot is niche Discord servers dedicated to 'My Hero Academia' villain-centric pairings. You often need an invite, but that's where you find the super dark, unpublished WIPs and collaborative writing projects. The quality there can be hit or miss, but the sheer creativity is off the charts. I found this one long-form fic exploring a 'what if Shigaraki succeeded in passing his decay to Deku' scenario that haunts me to this day. For me, AO3's depth is unmatched, but the thrill of the hunt on smaller platforms has its own appeal.
4 Answers2026-06-22 09:43:34
I was deep in the rabbit hole last week trying to find something decent that wasn't just rehashing canon scenes. Archive of Our Own has the volume, obviously, but sorting through it is a chore. The tagging system is a lifesaver—you can filter for 'angst with a happy ending' or 'canon divergence' and actually find what you want. I stumbled on this one slow-burn, post-war reconciliation fic there that had them running a quiet cafe, and it just wrecked me in the best way.
That said, I've had better luck with curated collections on Tumblr sometimes. Writers will link their masterposts, and you get these thematic series that feel more cohesive. The Dabi x Shoto stuff on FanFiction.net felt older and a bit more trope-heavy when I checked, but there are some classics buried there if you're patient. Wattpad... I'm not the target audience, I guess; the prose often feels too juvenile for my taste.
Honestly, the best stories aren't always on a single platform. It's about following an author you like across spaces. My favorite writer for this pairing cross-posts between AO3 and a private Dreamwidth journal for their rougher drafts.
4 Answers2026-06-28 00:11:22
Archive of Our Own is my absolute number one. The tagging system means you can filter exactly for fluffy or domestic fics, and the 'DabiShig' or 'ShigaDabi' relationship tag has thousands of works. The quality varies, but I've found some real heart-melters there where they’re just being awkward roommates or accidentally adopting a cat. The collections and bookmarks from other users are how I find the best ones.
That said, Tumblr still has a ton of shorter, cute drabble-style posts and headcanon threads for this pairing. The vibe is more immediate and playful, like snippets of them bickering over takeout or sharing a blanket. It’s less about polished multi-chapter stories and more about those quick, sweet character moments that feel very in-character despite the cuteness.
4 Answers2026-07-07 03:33:39
Been digging around for this pairing for ages, and I keep circling back to Archive of Our Own. The tagging system is a lifesaver—you can filter for exactly what you want, whether it's dark, angsty stuff or weirdly fluffy domestic AUs. There's a writer called 'dustandashes' who nails their dynamic, the push-pull of mutual destruction and reluctant understanding. Some of those fics live in my head rent-free.
That said, I've found a few real gems on smaller, fandom-specific Dreamwidth communities. They're harder to get into, sometimes locked or require invites, but the quality of character exploration there can be insane. Less quantity, but the stuff that's posted feels more considered, less influenced by the latest chapter's hype. Still, for sheer volume and easy access, AO3 wins out every time.