𝑺𝑻𝑨𝑹𝑽𝑬𝑫 𝑨𝑭𝑭𝑬𝑪𝑻𝑰𝑶𝑵 ➣ Dabi

overthinking

"Excuse me?" Dabi seethes, his pacing ceases and his eyes dart to Todoroki's. You notice the way he clenches his hands, the way his flames engulf his arms, licking the fabric to his sweatshirt. It's a wonder the material hasn't burned to a crisp yet.

Todoroki's scowl increases and you take a step back. Firstly, the idea is the worst idea you've ever heard, but. . . but it might also be the best. What's better? Hiding with the League, putting them at risk for getting arrested? Or making the heroes believe you're safe? You bite your lip, thoughts beating your head, producing a slight headache, that and all the yelling plus the whiplash of emotions has you beaten.

"I'm saying, let her come back with me. The heroes will stop their relentless search for you. Unless," he says monotone, his face stuck in a scowl as he leans against the doorframe, "you'd rather be arrested."

"Fuck off," Dabi growls. "She'll hide with me."

"Fine. Go ahead. Don't call me when you're in jail locked up in restraints."

Dabi's flames increase, his eyes turning to a darker shade of blue. You want to cry. To fall to your knees helpless, hopeless, desperate for a solution. But you can't. You can't because Dabi said you're stronger than this. You don't need to break down in stressful situations. Crying won't get you anywhere. So, instead of falling to your knees and crying out, you take a few deep breaths, shutting your eyes and trying to calm down. You do as Dabi had taught you, the deep breaths, the focused thinking, going to your happy place, trying to look from a different perspective. Not everyone is out to get you, he said. You don't have to trust them but you don't need to be so scared, he said.

"You can go to hell for all I care but she's," Dabi growls, pointing at you, "not going with you anywhere. Baby, come here."

You open your eyes and rush over to Dabi. You step around him, avoiding his flames but stay close enough to bask in his warmth, in the comfort of his protection. Todoroki's deadpan glare makes you frown. Dabi makes the same face. Something's off but you don't have time to think about it because Dabi's close to attacking, he's too close to losing his temper and burning the building down.

You tune back into their bickering in time to hear Todoroki say, "You'll all be arrested and separated if you leave her here."

A choked gasp gets lodged in your throat. No. No, you want to scream. No, please, no, you want to beg. But your lips seem to be sewn shut, your tongue frozen in place, and your throat constricting. Toga. Twice. Compress. Shigaraki. Kurogiri. Dabi. All of them and more are in danger of being arrested and locked away in a prison, with no way to leave, no way to talk, to think, to even use their quirk. And it would all be your fault.

"You're safe now," the heroes would say to you.

"They can't hurt you anymore," they would remind you.

"But. . . but they stopped hurting me. They love me," you would reply.

They would give you a sad smile, brushing your hair back as Dabi is being dragged away, screaming for you, begging you to do something, and they would look at you and say, "Oh, Y/n. They never loved you."

"That's not true!" you would scream, trying to reach Dabi, trying to save him as he thrashes against the restraints, powerless, helpless as he's shoved into the back of the van.

But they would only push you back, sit you down, and say, "They've manipulated you Y/n. But it's okay now. You're safe, they can't hurt you anymore."

You'd want to scream, to do something, anything, but you're frozen, watching as Dabi gives you a look of betrayal, a look of hurt and pain. And the pain, the aching, seizing chest pain that renders you speechless, motionless, will take over you, leaving anger, fear, and anxiety to whisper in your ear and keep your mouth shut. So you'll just sit there, watching each member of the League be taken away harshly, while you, you silently sob, wishing you would stop aching and do something.

Dabi goes to attack Todoroki but you stop him by sending a jolt of pain, distinguishing his flames and causing him to stumble.

"What the fuck?"

"He's right," you whisper.

His eyes widen, a small sense of hurt clouding his eyes before he shields it with anger, raw and hurtful anger. You flinch and step back when he whirs on you, and that, that makes him pause, watching you. His eyes hold remorse and recognition, remembrance. Of what? You don't know. But you suddenly regret flinching. You didn't mean to. It was instinct. Instinct from past events, from trauma and the fear of overthinking.

"Did you think I was going to hit you?" he asks, venom seeping into every word, every syllable. "What am I some sort of monster to you?"

"No!" you yell. You rush to him, wrapping your arms around him. "No, I didn't think you were going to hit me but you have to calm down, Dabi."

"Calm down?" he says. "Am I not clam enough for you. I just found out that the fucking heroes are trying to take the one person I would kill myself to protect and you want me to calm down? I can't fucking calm down, Doll! I'm afraid you signed up for my issues when you fucking kissed me back!"

The hurtful words and the tone of his voice makes you want to cry. And for a second, you let a few tears drops fall, but then you wipe them away and yell back at him. "Well, I don't want you to go to jail!"

"So, you'll join the heroes? What happened to hating them?"

"I do hate them! I still will! But I can't stay here! You're all in danger of being arrested and I can't live with myself if I let that happen to you!" Now you can't stop the onflow of tears. They shudder you, making you hiccup as you hit his chest. "I can't lose any more people in my life, Dabi! If I have to pretend to be a good guy so you can stay out of prison, then I will!" You cover your face, hastily wiping at the tears. "I don't want to lose you," you hiccup.

Dabi stands silent, no noise coming from his lips. You silently sob with tears, hating the thought of losing Dabi, hating the thought of being alone again, with no one to talk to, to play video games with, or learn magic tricks, or spa days, or movie nights, or to even have someone to hold at night.

"Out," Dabi says, making his way to you, pushing you to the bed.

"What?" Todoroki says, standing up straight.

"Out," he gasps.

Just in time, Toga hops upstairs with Twice and Compress in tow. The one time they interrupt when you need them to. "There you are," she says. "Sorry about that, Dabs. We'll take care of him now."

"Don't hurt him," he says quickly, his eyes trained on your lips.

"That's no fun," Toga pouts.

"I need him alive."

"Fine. We won't hurt him." Twice and Compress grab Todoroki and begin to lead him away. You think he's only complying to prove he wants to join the League and he's not here for you.

"Lock the door," he says to Toga, cupping your face, pulling you close.

She frowns but does so anyways, shutting the door, leaving you and Dabi alone, a lustful and menacing look in his eyes.

"Dabi?" you whisper.

"I want to fuck you, Mouse. Right now."

word count: 1.3K