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"Nishiyama-san!" You pushed your way towards the front as you began to look for your friend. "Nishiyama-san, show yourself! You coward--I know you stole the last of my gummies--"
You spotted Geten first. His hood was down and you could see the exhaustion in his eyes. Mr. Compress was trailing behind him with his hat slightly drooping to the left. Both of the men's clothes were splattered with blood.
"Ran into some trouble, did ya?" Spinner's voice rang out despite being on the second floor.
"Just a little. The small fry didn't make it though. A shame, really." Mr. Compress replied as he righted his hat. "Gave me some candy, too."
Oh.
You found yourself staring at the ground as the two lieutenants moved past you. It felt so nonchalant--the way they were able to write out the existence of your precious friend in just one sentence. Of course, you knew how dangerous it was to stick with villains. Maybe you had made a mistake letting Nishiyama persuade you to stay when Shigaraki took over.
"You alright, kid?"
Hawks was standing a few feet away, both clothes and feathers ruffled. The candy wrapper peeking from his pocket made your blood boil.
"Ah, yes." You bit the inside of your cheek. He'd given Nishiyama one of his feathers before. Most members of the organization had already accepted his double life of being both hero and villain but it always made you feel uneasy. You wondered which role he was playing when he let your friend die. "I'm fine. Thank you for asking."
You turned around and began to walk back to your room. Was it heartless of you not to cry? Nishiyama had always said to be strong and to never show weakness. "When you're swimming with sharks, you don't wanna spill blood. Not even a drop." he had said.
Would it be too late to leave now? Everyone was busy preparing for the big fight. The only reason you were here in the first place was now gone. Besides, no one would notice some quirkless person missing amidst all the chaos.
You sighed as you entered your room. The smell of ash stained the air. You didn't bother locking the door like you usually did. You were in no mood to deal with whatever fuckery--literally and metaphorically--he would dish out tonight.
"You didn't lock the door." Dabi pointed out. He was lying on your bed, arms crossed behind his head with his eyes closed as if he were asleep. His jacket was hanging on the bedposts. He opened one eye to peek at you. "What's gonna happen if that brat barges in again like last time?"
"Yeah, well." You let out a humorless laugh as you leaned against the shabby desk shoved against the wall. "He won't. Not anymore, at least."
The silence that followed was stifling. You heard the bed creak as he sat up. You didn't want to look at him so you kept your eyes back to the floor.
"Was it this morning? With Geten, Compress, and that birdbrain?"
"Yeah."
Another pause. The bed creaked again and the sound of his footsteps followed. Yeah, you thought to yourself. It was better if he left. That way you could bury your face in your pillows and--
The feeling of his arm wrapping around you brought your thoughts to a halt. Your nose buried into his chest as he squeezed tightly. Somehow, the scent of fabric softener persisted through the smell of ash and smoke. You felt a hand run through the tresses of your hair.
Dabi was hugging you.
"Are you hugging me?" You mumbled into his shirt. His hand was moving up and down your back.
He was quiet for a few seconds. The hand on your head slid down to your nape and you shivered as he rubbed his thumb against the skin underneath your ear. "My brother used to hug me whenever I cried."
"I'm not crying." You replied back almost instantly. The thought of Dabi crying in somebody's arms seemed like such a foreign thought. It was easier to think of him as a one dimensional villain who wouldn't hesitate to hurt people for his own gain. Ironically, this version of him--the soft touches and the awkward comfort disguised as childhood reminiscence terrified you much more than any of his flames.
"Should I stop, then?" He stepped away and you found yourself hurrying to wrap your arms around him to bring him back. The laugh he let out made his chest shake. "Guess not."
"Thank you." You said quietly, cheeks flushed. For a brief moment, your eyes flickered upwards. Maybe it was the moonlight, but the strands on the back of his hair looked strangely paler than usual.
His eyes caught onto yours and you quickly buried your face back into the fabric of his shirt. "You're really not crying, huh." Dabi said, almost to himself.
When you're swimming with sharks, you don't wanna spill blood. Not even a drop.
The sudden kiss he placed on your forehead was so gentle you could have imagined it. He pulled you even closer and rested his chin on top of your head. You breathed in the scent of him and closed your eyes.
If you held onto him long enough, maybe the one damp spot on his shirt would dry before he could notice.