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It was too late to make a return trip when Sako realized that he wasn't alone. He'd caught the eye of a kid, but hadn't thought anything of it. So when the warp drive on the Illusion went astray, Sako's last expectation was to find the same kid he'd encountered at a gas station market back on Earth.
"What the hell?" Sako asked, as his eyes caught sight of the child. The kid had been fidgeting with pretty much everything in the engine room. He looked up to see Sako.
"Crap," he replied.
"How the hell are you here?" Sako asked.
"Snuck aboard. I followed you, and I decided to look around. Good thing I have all my stuff, because we've been out here for about four days. I mean, I don't have other clothes, but I've got my portable DVD player and my GameBoy Advance and..."
"What?" Sako said, on the verge of losing his mind. "What are you?"
"I'm a human," said the red-haired child. "My name's Touya."
"And you managed to sneak on my ship and have been hitchhiking for the past four days?"
"Yup," Touya replied. "That's about it!"
Sako's eyes shot to the window. It was one of the few windows on the ship that could be opened. The urge to throw Touya out into space was overwhelming.
"Can you take me home, now?" Touya asked.
"No."
"Why?"
"Because you're a stowaway who thinks he deserves things! If I keep you alive, you've just single-handly doubled my living expenses!"
"You're a jerk," Touya proclaimed. Sako was fuming - this was the worst thing that had ever happened to him. He yearned to just eject the kid into the cold vacuum of space, but he knew that wasn't right.
Atsuhiro Sako, unlike many wanted intergalactic criminals, had something of a heart. He knew very well had this happened to pretty much any other person in his field that the results would be a bullet put through the kid's head.
Moral conflicts weren't something Sako was used to dealing with. It was really pull on a show and steal something, cash it in for his living expenses, and repeat. That was how his life had worked. He thought by getting off Earth - something that hadn't been done in the three generations of his family that preceded him - that he wouldn't ever have to deal with another human. Humans sucked. Particularly because they were morally grey, and also Sako's own kin.
"Come with me," Sako said, making his exit of the engine room. Touya grabbed his backpack from the ground and followed. As they made their way to the ship's cockpit, nothing was said between them.
The ship that was Sako's own was a smaller military-issued vessel - thanks to the extremely advanced built-in cloaking device. He'd bought it off the eccentric man that was Rikiya Yotsubashi, one of the many who roamed the stars with a trace of human in his veins. How Rikiya had acquired it in the first place was a question Sako figured best not to ask.
Sitting down in the pilot's seat, Sako's brain took note of how there was a secondary piloting seat. His ship was built to be crewed by about six to ten people, but he'd managed everything on his own for so long. The Illusion had been his for almost the full two decades he'd been off-planet.
Touya looked at the seat, but instead proceeded to sit down on the steps leading down to the piloting area. Sako sat there in his presence, deciding what course of action to take.
"I've got a deal for you, kid," he said after a while of contemplation. He heard Touya shift around in his seat, as if he was awaiting a continuation.
The silence was almost as loud as if they had been talking. If this kid had managed to sneak aboard, he almost certainly knew that his other option than to take the deal would be his death.
"I'm not gonna hurt ya, kid," Sako clarified. "I've got two options for you - either I drop you off to make your own on the next populated planet I visit, or you work with me."
"So I'd basically just be your slave?" Touya asked. "The option's easy."
"Out here's rough, kid," Sako began. "I only got to where I am now thanks to my great-great grandfather's previous endeavors. If I leave you on the streets, your chances of death increase more than if you become my partner-in-crime."
"Yeah, and you're just gonna make me do everything while you sit back and reap the rewards," Touya sniped.
"That would slow me down, Touya," Sako said. "Look, I'm a thief. I'm mildly wanted, but my theatrics keep me safe. But three hands are always better than one."
"Three?" Touya asked. "You've got two hands yourself."
Sako laughed for a bit, before removing his glove. He'd gotten many prosthetic upgrades ever since he'd lost the arm to a rival gang. Touya looked at it absolutely fascinated, keeping his eyes focused on how the digits moved as smoothly as a natural hand's.
"Things are even crazier out here than they are in the stories you'll find in the bookstore or on TV. Advanced prosthetics are one of the most boring things," Sako answered.
"You're like the guy from Treasure Planet."
"What?"
"It's a movie. It came out last year."
"I was born in 1964, kid. I've been off Earth since I was nineteen, and only visited one time since. That was back in '96."
"So it was only seven years ago," Touya mused.
"How old are you, Touya?"
"I'm ten and three-quarters."
"Screw the options, you're taking my deal," Sako said. "And no, I'm not some tyrant. We'll make it big together, alright?"
"Will you ever take me home?" Touya asked. Sako's heart dropped - he'd forgotten that this kid had a family who cared.
"If that's what you wish, I'll do so in a year. Good deal?"
"Excellent deal," Touya affirmed. "You're on."
Sako smiled softly. He'd just acquired a partner in crime who would learn from the best. Perhaps picking up a stowaway was a real score.
It'd been three months since Sako had taken Touya under his wing. The kid was a fast learner - he'd quickly developed a proficiency with laser pistols. His aim was fantastic too - at least on par with most low ranking troops in most militaries Sako had encountered. And he would only get better in the next nine months Sako would have him - if Touya was as fast at picking up everything else, Sako figured he might be set for the next couple years of expenses.
Touya was also a great shield to Sako's capture. Few knew his face - and even fewer knew his face completely uncovered. Every record of the thief known under the moniker of Mr. Compress charted him as a one-man band. By having Touya pretend to be his nephew, any suspicions of Sako's identity were destroyed.
Every planet they went to was an adventure for the kid. Sako remembered how enchanted he'd been with the greater universe when he'd first made his escape. Touya had so many questions - a lot of which Sako couldn't even answer. He was still someone mostly untainted with darkness of reality.
Sako and Touya didn't talk about their pasts very much. From what Sako knew, Touya was the eldest among four children, and had been the target of his father's rage. His father had apparently gone off the edge when his mother had vanished a few weeks after giving birth to Touya's youngest sibling. Touya's mom was a forbidden topic - he'd slam doors and barricade himself with boxes to avoid the discussion.
Sako didn't talk about how his life on Earth had been. How he'd been the heir to a legacy, grounded by a family who didn't want to ever go off-planet again. He also talked little about his first days out in the stars - anything from before his arm had been taken was best avoided.
They'd have conversations mostly about what had gone on in Sako's absence. Touya talked about the technological advancements like they were nothing, but Sako was just as fascinated with the low-tech world he'd been born on as Touya was with life beyond Earth. They'd always ended up trailing into stranger topics - questions that Sako didn't expect to come from an eleven year old.
After explaining his code name's origin - which was from the usage of compression technology his family had invented - Sako expected Touya to ask little about him in general. But Touya wanted to hear the stories of what Sako had found himself involved in, and happily listened through the whole thing. Of course, Sako kept some things hidden.
If Touya's mother and his own past were forbidden topics, he didn't even know what to call the topic of All For One. The man had quickly claimed sectors of space within minimal amounts of time, and managed to constantly secure stronger and stronger assets. His goal as far as anyone knew was control of the known universe - and All For One didn't have any of the limits built into him that most would.
But Touya heard whispers when they were out and about - and wanted to know more than anything. Sako had decided that if for some strange reason Touya didn't return to Earth, that then he would tell the child of All For One and his conquest.
Sako knew though, as much as he'd fallen in love with the kid, that he wouldn't stay.
"Sorry for the loss, but we kinda need this upgraded warp drive," Touya told the authorities who'd been chasing after him. In a single year, Touya was able to outclass multiple combatants all by himself. He'd be the one to commit the theft - and then hand the prize off to Sako, who'd stay in the shadows for support as Touya shook off the police.
Shifting around with a device on his wrist, Touya gave a sarcastic wave to his enemies before warping directly back to their ship.
"What do you think this one's gonna fetch us, Atsuhiro?" Touya immediately asked, handing over the device. Sako fidgeted around with it in his hands, before returning it.
"It's slightly weaker than our own, so probably a couple million maximum. That's still far more than enough to supply us for the next couple years if we live the way we currently are."
"And I did it all on my own," Touya said with a smirk, before proceeding to head towards the cockpit. He took the co-pilot seat, waiting on Sako's arrival. As Touya began to fire up the warp drive, Sako looked at the kid's face.
Touya was beyond happy. When Sako had first picked him up, he'd been a scared kid who avoided conversation. Now, he was always rather lively, and always ready for whatever came next. Leaning back in his chair as Touya plugged in a random set of coordinates to vanish to, Sako felt a tug on his heart.
"Touya," Sako said.
"Yeah?" Touya asked, engaging the drive. It had been a small quantum jump, so they'd already warped.
"It's been a year, Touya," Sako said. Touya froze up and looked at him.
"Already?"
"Yes. So, shall I take you home?"
Faster than Sako could process, Touya gave an answer.
"No."
"What?"
"I want to stay with you, Atsuhiro," Touya said. "Back home, my family probably thinks I'm dead. My best friend and mother vanished in the blink of an eye. Out here, I have the ability to control my future - to search down what I lose. My mom said a lot of things that in retrospect make me think she was like you."
"In what way?"
"Someone who'd gone out here, and then returned. I know she's out here, and I'm going to find her. And if I can, I'll search out Keigo too," Touya told Sako. The adult thought for a minute, before looking back at his partner.
"Then stay, Touya. You've become like family to me," Sako said.
"I feel the same. I wish my actual dad was some intergalactic burglar who was actually funny and nice," Touya replied.
"I guess this means I'll answer the All For One question," Sako said under his breath.
"All For One," Touya repeated. "What of him?"
"He's some maniac who's rapidly conquering random sectors of space. As far as we're aware, he wants control over everything. He's nothing like me, or anyone else you've ever met though. He's someone who truly warrants the title of villain," Sako answered.
"Well, he'll never stop us," Touya responded with a laugh. "We're on a path to greatness!"
"Yeah, kid," Sako said. "We are."
Three years later, nothing between them had changed. Touya had become like a son to Sako, and the most important thing in his life. Sako had full awareness that he would do anything for Touya.
"Leave me the fuck alone" was the one thing Sako wouldn't do. Sure, Touya was a fifteen year old who still was bad at resolving his personal issues. But of course, what adult ever respected that?
"Touya? Do you want to talk?" Sako asked, standing in his doorway. Touya was curled up under all the blankets he owned, not giving a response. Sako sighed and sat down next to him. His robotic hand rested lightly on where he assumed Touya's shoulder would be, and Touya shifted. He peaked his head out from under the blankets and stared back at Sako.
"What's wrong, my little firestarter?" Sako asked. The nickname had developed after Touya had found that setting fires were an incredible and showy way to make escapes from their little raids.
"I miss home," Touya choked out. He shifted to lay his head on Sako's lap, trying to stay calm as Sako strummed his hand through Touya's hair.
"Do you want to go back?" Sako asked.
"No," Touya whimpered. "It'll just hurt more."
"Then what can I do for you?"
Touya sat up and hugged Sako tightly. They sat in silence, holding onto each other.
"There's nothing you can do."
"There's always something we can do for each other, firestarter."
"Can we go do a job or something, then? It'll take my mind off things," Touya replied.
"I guess I'll ask Giran what he's got on hand, then," Sako said. "Don't worry, I'm always with you."
Touya had just turned eighteen. He would be an adult back home - hell, he was still an adult regardless of where he was.
It was a strange feeling. Back home, he would be able to drink and look at intimate sex-related things. Out here, it was really just a number.
That also meant it'd been over seven years since he'd left the Earth. Seven years since he'd seen his father or siblings. Nine years since he'd seen his mother. Ten years since he'd seen his best friend.
And seven years he'd spent at the side of the thief known as Mr. Compress, learning the ways of the greater universe from him. There was no doubt that Touya still loved Sako. But he was an adult now.
He knew everything he needed. How to fight, how to survive, how to hotwire ships, how to steal basically anything.
So Touya braced himself. He knew what he was going to do - but he couldn't say it in words.
When Sako came back from shopping for their supplies for the month, he found no sign of Touya. Looking all across the ship, Sako was afraid. When he finally hit Touya's room, it was just as empty. There was a data slab left on the bed, however.
Sako picked it up - a single note was recorded on it.
Dear Atsuhiro,
I'm really sorry. I love you so much, and I know I mean the world to you. But I think our paths diverge from here on out. I want to find my mother, and you want to live up to your great-great grandfather's legacy. I want both of us to achieve our dreams. So I'm sorry, but I have to go. I hope we meet again, Atsuhiro.
-Touya
Sako dropped the hunk of metal onto the floor and buried his face into his hands. Where did he go wrong? Why did Touya leave him still?
All he knew how to do in this situation was cry.
Atsuhiro Sako was in a fantastic situation. And by that, he wasn't /dead/, but he was a prisoner. Goddamn ulakins - stealing from a bunch of lizards shouldn't be that difficult.
He was currently awaiting the other three who'd been captured at the same time as him to be boarded onto the transport to the planet's main prison. It was a boring thing, to wait. He'd tried to make conversation with the guard, but the guard hadn't had much to say.
"I'm sorry, man," was the wonderful pity that Sako got from the ulakin.
"Do you ever think about how your life's gone astray?" Sako asked out of the blue. His thoughts had drifted back to Touya, and how he most likely wouldn't have been here if they had stuck together.
"Y'know, Compress? If I had a middle name, it'd be 'walking mistake'. Shuichi walking mistake Iguchi. That's a fantastic name."
"Good for you," Sako muttered. Shuichi checked his phone for any updates on when the others would be arriving.
As if the gods themselves wanted to make Shuichi look stupid, the other three prisoners had showed up the moment Shuichi had texted the other guards.
"I'll kill all of you!" exclaimed one of them. She looked pretty human, but Sako could see in her eyes that she wasn't one. Her fangs bared at the guard restraining her, she promptly attempted to bite him.
"Himiko, calm down," said one of the others. He was the most normal looking of the three - in fact, he was probably the most average person Sako had ever seen. That thought evaporated when the man began to try to split off a part of his body in what was a gooey blob, and he immediately got tased.
"Twice!" the girl, Himiko, exclaimed. "I'm going to kill all of you!"
The third prisoner hadn't said or done anything. He'd simply sat down on the bench next to Shuichi, and cracked a laugh.
"Enjoying the shitshow, scalie?" he asked. Shuichi turned to respond, but froze.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Shuichi asked.
"Me?" the third among them questioned. Like the others, he appeared human, but most likely wasn't. His face and neck were covered in burn scars that were only held together by staples, and what seemed to be an extremely painful pair of implants made up most of his palms. "They've disabled my flames and taken my guns, that's the damn problem."
"How the fuck do they disable your flames? They're fucked up genetic modifications," Himiko inquired.
"Oh, just a damn little temporary chip before I get the real thing. Someone could easily pop it off, by if they do, both me and them get shot," the burnt man spoke.
"It's not gonna happen," Himiko told him.
"Maybe. Maybe not."
"Look, they've knocked my partner out, and they've caught Mr. Compress! You know about him, right? Been on the run as a thief for twenty-five years straight."
"Why do you know who I am?" Sako asked.
"Gotta know in the business," Himiko answered. "I also know Dabi here, quite well if I'm to be frank."
"I wish I never knew you," Dabi said. "You're just a stupid little shapeshifter."
"I'll kick your ass when we're free!"
"Just try to!"
With the back of the transport van sealed, only Shuichi was left to keep an eye on the prisoners. Shuichi was armed to stop anything that would occur - but he was scared shitless. Twice could probably kill him if he awoke.
"Hey, scalie," Dabi said. "I got a deal for you."
Shuichi remained quiet.
"Hear me out, all of you - what if we break out, and go do what we want together? We'll be stronger in a group, and I've got enough credits to sustain us for a few months at least."
"Hm," Himiko said. She kneeled down to shake Twice, who grumbled something incomprehensible.
"Compress?" Dabi asked.
"I did lose my ship," Sako admitted. For a second, he watched as Dabi froze - but immediately Dabi shook whatever cold wave had hit him off. "It's a good idea."
"I'm on board," Himiko said. "Twice too. As long as you don't go behind our backs and turn us in. And we still need to keep contact with Giran, alright?"
"Giran? I have contact with Giran," Sako said.
"So do I," Dabi said. "Well, that's it. All settled."
They all turned to look at Shuichi, who was still enough as to leave one believing that he had stopped breathing.
"Whatever. I always thought Stain was a badass, and I have nothing for me here," Shuichi said. A look between the four of them - and one towards Twice, who was getting up now, binded the pact. Suddenly, the future looked a hell of a lot brighter. And bloodier.
"Alright, Himiko. Get this damn chip off me," Dabi said. Himiko promptly walked up and pulled the chip attached to his neck off, which Dabi didn't even feel.
"That's step one. What's next?" Himiko asked.
"Where are our weapons located?" Dabi asked Shuichi.
"Should be underneath us," Shuichi said.
"Alright, everyone. I want you guys to get as close as you can to the doors," Dabi said. Sako and Shuichi both got up to go back with Himiko and Twice. With a smile, Dabi rubbed his hands together, before extended them out. The implants on his palms emitted fire - something that Sako had never seen before. Dabi kneeled down and began to burn through the vehicle's floor.
"Where'd you get those?" Sako asked.
"An experiment," Dabi answered. "I got captured by All For One's associates. I was the only survivor, and I came out looking like this."
The metal finally melted, and Dabi jumped down into the bottom story. He began to toss up the weapons that they had - an uncomfortable amount of blades and smaller guns for Himiko came first. Dabi pulled climbed back up holding onto Sako's equipment - far more varied than Himiko's - with his own weaponry equipped.
"Can you fire a gun, lizard?" Himiko asked.
"Yeah," Shuichi said. "But I've just got a taser."
"Go wild," Himiko said, handing over a pistol. Shuichi looked at it blankly.
"It's tiny," he said.
"It'll pack more of a punch than your claws," Twice told Shuichi.
"I do not like the implication that we'll be getting into close combat in which I'll have to rely on a gun."
"There's no implications," Twice said.
"Oh, there definitely are," Dabi said. "The transport stops midway to the prison. We break out there, snap some necks, and then find the closest shipyard."
"Can you hotwire?" Shuichi asked.
"I can," Dabi and Sako said simultaneously. Himiko looked at them, squinted, and then looked at the wall like it was the most interesting thing she'd ever seen in her life.
"Well, this is going to be a wild ride," Shuichi announced, stating the obvious.
There was silent agreement among all parties.
"We don't get paid enough for this," said one of the drivers.
"They should just give us Shuichi's paycheck. He doesn't do shit," the other driver said. "Freezes up every time he's mildly threatened."
"Yeah?" said a familiar voice. The guards turned around to encounter their now ex-co-worker. "Which one of us has a gun?"
"That's a tiny fucking gun," the second guard said.
"Yeah, well most mutinies don't even involve guns. They just involve ejecting half the crew overboard," Shuichi said.
Before either guard could respond, both of them were hit quickly with Shuichi's taser in the hands of Twice.
"Are they fucking dead?" Shuichi asked.
"I'm not," Twice said. "But also, I am a near indestructible organism based off my past experiences."
"Huh."
"Alright, alright, this was an easy solution," Dabi said. Sako and Himiko trailed him, wary of their surroundings. "You wanna go hijack a better vehicle?"
"Yeah," Shuichi said, pointing towards the parking lot. "That one."
Said car had no walls, but also a giant turret mounted onto the back.
"Shotgun," Twice immediately called.
"I get the turret," Himiko said within seconds afterwards.
"I can drive," Shuichi said.
"This is what I get for having the biggest portable gun," Dabi muttered. "There's only two damn seats that are even mildly protected."
"Nobody's going to be able to hit you if the girl is half as good a shooter as another kid I knew," Sako said. Dabi froze up again - trying to avoid looking him directly in the eyes.
"Dabs?" Himiko asked. Dabi shook his head and looked back.
"Himiko?" he asked.
"Let's uh, steal the car before we get shot into oblivion," Himiko suggested.
"What implies that?" Shuichi asked.
"More authorites," Himiko answered, pointing down the road. Shuichi's words were quite befitting of someone who had made a potentially stupid decision that was just as big as his.
"Oh fuck!"
The five of them rushed towards the vehicle, quickly taking their places. Sako was focused on getting the car to start before taking his role as unfortunate cover-fire. Himiko mounted quickly onto the gun, gripping the handles. Shuichi and Twice were both panicking - although Twice would sometimes stop panicking and just say weird shit. The group's leader sat in the back, waiting as the few seconds it took to get everything working felt like three centuries.
"Please start, please start," Shuichi murmured.
"Prayers don't get you anywhere out here," Sako said, finally getting the vehicle online. "Just drive, Shuichi."
As Shuichi took off, Sako jumped towards the back to help provide cover fire. Dabi was on the other side of the trunk, holding a multi-purpose laser rifle that was at least the size of his own torso.
"Do we have a GPS?" Shuichi asked.
"I'll try something," Twice replied, pushing random buttons on the control panel.
"They're stupid," Dabi said.
"But helpful," Sako assured.
Suprisingly, the truck they'd stolen was really fast, despite the weight it carried. The police lagged a fair amount behind them, which led Dabi to set down his gun and lean back against the side of the trunk.
"Fun times, huh?" Dabi asked.
"Oh, come on and stop being an asshole," Himiko said.
"It's in my DNA," Dabi joked.
"Everything going okay back there?" Twice asked.
"Yeah," Sako said. "We close to any shipyards?"
"Yup," said Twice. "Turn right here, lizard."
"I'm not a lizard," Shuichi muttered.
"Uhm, Shuichi, I mean."
"Thanks."
"We get off here," Twice said. Knowing that she wouldn't get another chance, Himiko began to open-fire from the turret towards the police vehicles. Shuichi stopped and attempted to put the vehicle into park, but Twice grabbed him and dragged him towards the big building holding the spacecraft. Himiko promptly followed, with Dabi and Sako taking up the back.
"We want one with a warp drive," Dabi said.
"That's basic science," Shuichi shot back.
"Alright, let's split up. Me and Shuichi will go find a ship, the three of you hold off the enemies until you can't anymore, in which you'll go and meet up with us," Dabi stated.
"Aye," Twice replied.
"Sure," Himiko muttered under her breath.
Sako didn't respond.
"That one," Shuichi pointed at a medium-sized vessel.
"Let's g-" Dabi paused. He turned back, to see that the police had seperated Sako from Himiko and Twice. The only thought that raced through his mind was fuck, he's going to die.
"Dabi?" Shuichi asked.
"Get there, and I'll be right back," Dabi said, running to assist Sako.
Sako happened to be holding his own pretty well, which was to be expected after all the years he'd spent out here. But this wasn't an open area, and having excellent escape methods wouldn't help one bit.
"Hey, assholes!" Dabi exclaimed, igniting one of his implants. He tossed fire towards the main mob of his opponents, before coming up to Sako's side. "Pick on someone who can actually fight, huh?"
"I can fight just fine," Sako grumbled.
"Eh, you always needed someone to carry the slack for you," Dabi replied.
"What?"
"How about you, with all your great charades, go back to the ship and help Shuichi? I've got this covered."
"Who the fuck are you?" Sako asked. Dabi gave a soft smile before sending out another wave of flames.
"You know who I am," Dabi said. In that moment, the realization slammed Sako in the gut like a sledgehammer, but it wasn't time for some big emotional reunion. He rushed off to help Shuichi, leaving Dabi to openly fry the police. That was something Touya would absolutely enjoy, Sako thought.
The minute they were out in the open and safe, Dabi quickly decided to wander around the ship. Sako braced himself to follow - the two of them hadn't talked directly since that moment. Luckily, the other three were all distracted.
When the two of them were alone, Sako reached out to grab onto Dabi's arm. Dabi's natural instinct was to ignite the fire from his emitters, but dropped the flames upon realizing who it was.
"What do you want?" Dabi asked. "An update on the past seven years?"
"Touya," Sako said quietly. "You're not okay."
"I'm okay," Dabi insisted, withdrawing his arm. "I'm definitely okay. I've had four run-ins with the ankaan High Commander and survived all of them."
"Just because you have absurd luck at surviving encounters with freaking Hawks doesn't mean that you're okay!" Sako insisted.
"Look, I made a bad decision a couple months after I left you," Dabi said. "There was no way in hell I was going to return to you after suffering through that."
"So you've been like this for over six years?" Sako asked.
"It doesn't hurt anymore. The scars, they don't hurt. The implants do, but they're more helpful than anything. I'm fine," Dabi said. "I'm fine."
"I missed you," Sako said. "I'm glad you're... okay... although I doubt you really are."
Dabi gave a small smile in return. "I missed you too, Atsuhiro."
Sako walked up and hugged Dabi tightly. Dabi froze up for what was the millionth time that day before just accepting the action.
"We're not telling anyone. Not about us in detail, and not about me in anything," Dabi stated. "As far as I'm concerned, Touya is universally dead."
"I'm not going to say anything."
"I know you won't," Dabi said, his grip tightening. "I just wanted to make sure."
"I love you, Touya," Sako whispered. There was silence, and it continued. Sako knew that Dabi wasn't going to reply. That didn't matter. What mattered is that they'd found each other again, and they were both alive, and that they were now going to have to suffer an immense amount of consequences.
If they got caught, that is.