So This Is Love

Chapter 7

It had been nearly seven months since she had last seen Dabi - and this time, he was the one doing the staring, waiting until Abiteth turned her head to see him. She had sputtered out a laugh, if only because his expression was bordering on pure rage, 'must have taken me too long to notice.'

When he finally registered she was looking at him, his expression softened: brows angled back, eyes hooded, mouth in a light smirk. He gestured upward, then turned on his heel and strode away.

Abiteth followed, arriving at the roof a couple minutes after he had. She shivered, pulling her jacket more tightly around her shoulders.

Dabi chuckled, "chilly night, huh?"

Soft laughter escaped her, "Miss Plant Plant doesn't do too well in the cold."

Dabi sputtered, "Miss Plant Plant?"

"It's a nickname one of my friends gave me. She worked in a flower store, but she was only here temporarily - accompanying her brothers. I worked part-time there when I could," Abiteth explained.

He shrugged his shoulders, "huh."

"So..."

"So."

They appraised each other. Similar curious gazes, memorizing the obvious details and noticing the subtle changes.

"How've you been?" she asked. Simple enough.

"I found my own place - Hiro's uh... been helpful."

An easy answer.

Abi brightened, shuffling a little closer to him, "oh! I'm glad you're still in contact with him!"

"Yeah, he's been kind."

'Useful,' Dabi flinched, glancing off to the side. When he looked back, Abi had shuddered again. He gestured for her to come closer, and she did - small, cautious steps. He chuckled, "you're acting like I'm gonna' take off if you get too close."

"Well... you have tried before."

"Damn, seven months and I've already forgotten how observant you are."

Abi laughed, "in your defence, it has been seven months, as you said. Maybe more than that."

"Maybe."

"When's your birthday?"

His thoughts stumbled, "uh-- um. January... 18th? Yeah. January 18th. I think. It sounds right."

She stood within arm's reach, then stood close enough that he could lean against her if he wanted to. Her eyes fluttered shut, head inclining toward his shoulder but never touching. Basking in the warmth radiating off his body, 'like a flower turning its face toward the sun.'

'... okay, Mister suddenly knows what poetic speech is, how about you stop?' he flinched a second time, looking away.

"So you're... 19? 20?"

He laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck, "I don't know. 19 sounds right. But, technically I'm pretty close to 20."

"So we're the same age then," Abi muttered, eyes still closed, head still tilted toward him, "my birthday is February 27th."

"Isn't that around the usual time for the Hanami festival?" Dabi inquired, analyzing her expression. Her head bobbed in a nod to answer his question. She was so relaxed in his presence.

'She wouldn't be, if she knew you murdered people.'

Dabi flinched for a third time, bringing his hand up to his cheek, leaning into his palm, 'it was necessary. I had to do it. I had to. They threatened me.'