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Keigo couldn’t sleep. For the third time this week, persistent, overwhelming thoughts and fears kept him awake. They rattled through his brain like beads in a container and it was impossible to turn them off. Counting sheep, meditating, and exercising never helped.
With an impatient sigh, Keigo stood up from his bed and stretched his arms above his head. He lowered his arms and looked out at his patio. It was bare, aside from two chairs and a dying potted plant he always forgot to water. The city’s bright lights illuminated part of his room and drew him to it like a moth to a flame. He slid open the sliding door and stepped out, his bare feet planting onto the cold concrete. Inhaling the cold air felt good in his lungs. Looking out at the quiet city always eased his nerves. Something about the fact that most citizens were safe and sound in bed seemed to take the weight of responsibility off of his shoulders. He ran his fingers through his messy hair and sat on a chair.
He stared at the view, noting everything he saw. A black car going over the speed limit. A stray tabby wandering the alleys. Four girls leaving a bar. A billboard advertising a law firm. Focusing his attention on these different things quieted his thoughts. He yawned, but stopped when he heard his front door open and close. He squinted at the dark, trying to make out the intruding figure. They entered his bedroom and stepped into the light.
“You are way too calm about someone breaking into your house,” Dabi said.
Keigo let go of a breath he didn’t know he was holding. “Not too many people know about this apartment. Only the one the commission gave me.” He watches as Dabi invites himself to sit on the other chair. “How’d you even get in?”
Dabi held up a brass key. “You gave me a spare, remember?”
Keigo huffs. “Yeah, for emergencies only. Not to break in at 2 AM.” He was secretly glad Dabi was here. They’ve been spending much more time together recently; not dating, but not quite romantic. Whatever their relationship was, it was nice to have something secret and safe away from the commission and his hero life.
“This is an emergency,” Dabi said as he pulled out a pack of cigarettes. “I’ve got two cigs that are gonna go stale soon.” He held out one for Keigo.
Keigo hesitated for a second. He used to smoke out of stress, but stopped to preserve his health for training. Just one won’t hurt though, right? He took it from Dabi’s hand and rolled it between his fingers. “What a bad influence you are.”
Dabi smirked and lit his own with his quirk. “Yeah, yeah. I know, angel.”
The nickname made Keigo’s heart skip a beat, even though he knows it was sarcasm. He put the cigarette in his mouth and leaned toward Dabi. “Light mine?”
Dabi, with his own cigarette in his mouth, leaned forward so that their cigarettes touched. The two locked eyes as the fire spread to the other cigarette. Keigo could get lost in Dabi’s eyes. The embers of the cigarette illuminated his turquoise eyes, and Keigo would swear he saw his life flicker in the void of those pupils.
Dabi was the first to pull away. “Can’t sleep?” He takes the cigarette out from his mouth, blowing out the smoke.
Keigo took a deep drag before doing the same. “Yeah. What about you? Why’d you come over here instead of smoking with Twice?”
“I just had a hunch you’d be awake. If you weren’t, I wouldn’t feel bad about waking you up.”
Keigo lets out a small laugh and shakes his head. He looked down at his cigarette. “Thanks. I haven’t smoked in a while.”
“Oh, yeah?” Dabi put his cigarette back in his mouth. “When did you start?”
“Too young,” Keigo replied, his eyes transfixed by the burning tip of the cigarette. “I did it to calm myself. And… It reminded me of my father. It gave some sort of twisted comfort to be reminded of home.” The words come out before Keigo could process what he was saying. He internally cringed, but something about Dabi’s presence made it easy for him to spill his secrets.
There was silence between them for a while. Then, Dabi said, “I think we’re more alike than I originally thought.”
Keigo doesn’t press him to elaborate, even though he is interested in what Dabi’s thinking.
The two continue smoking, talking about mundane things that have happened recently. Keigo doesn’t mind; he doesn’t have anyone close to talk about these kinds of things with. In a way, he envies Dabi’s relationship with the rest of the League. Just from talking with Twice, he can tell they’re close friends. They trust each other greatly. He bit his tongue and let his cigarette butt fall to the floor.
“Guess that’s my cue to leave,” Dabi said, flicking his cigarette butt to the ground.
“You don’t have to,” Keigo said, almost too quickly. “Are you… Hungry?”
Dabi snorted. “You know what? Sure. Cook me something.”
The two left the patio and entered Keigo’s kitchen. Keigo opened the fridge and scratched his chin. “Uh… I can make grilled cheese.”
“How nutritious.”
“Hey, it’s a midnight snack, not dinner,” Keigo scoffed. He took out the bread, cheese, mayo, and butter and got to work.
Contrary to some people’s beliefs, Keigo can cook a decent meal. Sure, he preferred going out to restaurants, but it would be embarrassing if he was completely helpless in the kitchen. Plus, it’s useful for times like these when he has a villain break into his apartment.
“Done,” Keigo said, sliding a plate across the kitchen island to Dabi. He watched closely as Dabi took the first bite.
“Hmm…” Dabi purposefully took a long time to form his response. “I’ve had better.”
Keigo groaned and slouched onto a stool. “Just admit it’s good, damn it!”
Dabi laughed and finished the sandwich in two quick bites. “It’s decent. Don’t get your feathers in a ruffle.”
“My feathers are ruffled,” Keigo said, taking a bite into his own sandwich. He rustled his wings for exaggeration. “Do you normally stay up this late?”
Dabi shrugged and put his plate in the sink. “Most of the time, yeah. I’ve got nothing better to do than wander the streets.”
Keigo’s eyes followed Dabi as he walked around the kitchen. “I can’t believe you didn’t take your shoes off before coming in.”
Dabi grinned and leaned against the counter. “I wasn’t supposed to stay long.”
“Take them off. Spend the night.”
Without a second thought, Dabi was taking off his combat boots. “I thought you’d never ask.”
“Not my fault you play hard to get every time we see each other,” Keigo remarked, pulling Dabi towards his bedroom.
“It’s fun,” Dabi replied. He let Keigo lead him into the room and flopped into bed with him.
Keigo couldn’t help but laugh. He put his hand on Dabi’s chest, trying to be as gentle as possible with the burnt skin there. One of his wings draped over them both. It was hard to sort out the feelings he had for Dabi. Sometimes he was jealous, yes, but still felt an overwhelming desire to be with him and get to know him better. Even when he tried to hide parts of himself from him, Dabi could always see past his facades. It’s a new feeling for Keigo, being vulnerable. But it felt good.
“What’re you thinking about?” Dabi rubbed one of Keigo’s feathers between his fingers.
“You,” Keigo mumbled before drifting off to sleep.