The Quaintest of All (Dabi x Reader)

[9] He holds my body in his arms

𝒜𝓃𝒹 𝒽𝑒 𝒸𝓇𝒾𝑒𝓈 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒽𝑒 𝒸𝓇𝒾𝑒𝓈...

One week had passed since Dabi last visited Ranunculus. He just wasn't in the mood to visit her again after their last conversation about heroes. Especially after having seen his father, he wasn't quite able to think of her shop as a save haven anymore. Nonetheless, the dull everyday life of a social outcast brought him boredom once more, and so he decided he should go see the florist afresh.

After his turquoise pupils brushed the lettering on her shop sign, the male pushed down the doorhandle - only to reveal an empty room. Except for the flowers that minded their own business, of course. Their heads hung lowly as if they hadn't seen water for quite some time.

Hearing his footsteps on the creaking wood below, he raised one eyebrow in confusion. This is her usual opening time, so where is sh-

Dabi's eyes widened as walked past the counter: (Name) was lying on the floor, shattered shards of a vase scattered around her. It looked almost peaceful, seeing her like this, with white arum lilies in her hand.

"Hey, (Name)," the ravenette spoke as he crouched down and shook her shoulder gently. When she wouldn't wake up, he shook it a little more roughly. Since Dabi was more used to hurting people instead of helping them, he was a bit overchallenged at first. But after thinking about how your blood should be able to flow in your head when you've passed out, he pulled out the chair from under the counter and placed her legs on it. She should wake up soon.

𝓒𝓵𝓪𝓷𝓰, 𝓬𝓵𝓪𝓷𝓰.

What was that?

Glancing at the unconscious woman one more time, Dabi stood up and perked up his ears.

...

There it was again.

Quick on his feet, the male hastened towards the door of her café-like room where the sound had come from. Someone was on the other side, rustling through the drawers where only tableware and spices could be found. If anyone really was there, that person should be no threat to Dabi. And starting a fight in daylight, in somebody's shop, wasn't the style of the upper villains. They acted a lot more discreet.

The young man knitted his his brows as he pushed down the handle. The sounds on the other side had stopped.

With a loud sound, Dabi had kicked the door open to surprise whomever might be there - and it worked.

Next to to the coffee machine stood a lanky and pale young man with tousled hair. He held one arm over his face as if he expected a huge impact to come over him. When he realized there was no obvious need to shield himself anymore, he slowly put his arm down. The both male's eyes locked in an instant.

"Did you do this?" Dabi's voice was icecold and the intruder could have sworn he had seen some kind of blue fire burning in the former's eyes.

And so, he tried to pull his small mouth into a smile. "I don't know what you're talking ab-"

"Come on, shut up." Dabi was not amused by this, not one bit. He quickly walked over to the other man which backed away at this sudden action. With an unknown and minor feeling of anger inside of him, the black-haired villain was quick to activate his fiery powers. Glancing towards the shop window, he was quite careful not to burn any flowers in the process.

Luckily there weren't any people out on this street, thanks to the secluded location of this store.

When Dabi looked at the trespasser again, he just wasn't able to feel a bit of empathy. The way the person in front of him stared at him in such an expectant, yet fearful way just made him even more angry. "I'm asking you again. Did you do this?" And thus, the other male only clenched his jaw as if he hoped for a last chance of rescue. The blue light of Dabi's flames shone on his face, and so, he closed his eyes, ready for a hurtful feeling. The heat grew bigger as the villain's hand came closer and closer-

"Dabi?" a familiar female voice could faintly be heard. In an instant, the addressed man turned his head and let the flame in his hand die down. The relieved gasp of the person next to him only made him wish for her to be unconscious again.

"Was he the one who beat you unconscious?" Dabi's fingers twitched as he stared at her. It was in that moment when he realized how her fearful eyes had a different influence on him than other's.

A surpressed snickering could be heard from the intruder, so both of them just looked at aforesaid person. They had very different emotions inside of them, though.

"I guess I can go now. Right, (Name)?" The way the disheveled man stared at her made both of them sick. "Right?"

(Name)'s hand trembled as she supported herself by holding onto the doorframe. "Yes, please just... go." She stared towards the ground now and moved around the corner to make room. With mouth agape, Dabi just stared at the strange man who walked past him like nothing had ever happened before.

"So you got yourself a new one, huh?" the intruder whispered into the poor woman's ear as he brushed her harshly. "I wouldn't have thought he'd look this horrendous, though," he exclaimed more loudly so Dabi could hear him as well. The ringing of the entrance's bells made sure he had really left the shop, and in that exact moment, the florist collapsed onto the floor again. She was very well able to feel the tears flow down her face and brushed them away carefully.

Dabi's highly exasperated face watched the man cross the road and walk towards liberty. But in the moment he heard her muffled sobs, he couldn't let himself be angry anymore and walked towards the woman he had known for quite some while now.

"Do you know that man?"

The (eye colour) orbs of the female darted around the room before settling on her hands again. She hadn't realized before she had a cut on her left hand, probably from one of the shards earlier.

"Yes, but-," she panted for air, "I wouldn't have thought for him to come here." Dabi inspected her body language and soon sat down on the floor too, so he could sit opposite to her. "Not this early." Her eyes held clear shock to them. Maybe Dabi had also had his part in that, but he didn't want to think of this too much.

Not quite knowing what he should do, Dabi did something he can't remember having ever done in his life before. He grabbed one of her shoulders and slowly leaned forwards, so she could still shove him away if she wanted too. But she didn't.

And so, she returned the gesture and both of them hugged each other -

while sitting on a cold, wooden floor and only for flowers to accompany them in the process.

✧ Song: AURORA - Murder Song (5, 4, 3, 2, 1)

Picture credit: Bev-Nap on deviantart

Author's Note: You can imagine the intruder in this chapter as you want to - that's why I didn't describe him too much. I also wanted to make this chapter more thrilling in the first part with her being unconscious, but then I realized they weren't that close already that Dabi would get extremely shocked by a sight like that.