You All Along - ShigaDabi

Tenth

Dabi ran a hand through his coal black hair, gripping the railings for support. He glanced down and swallowed at how high he was up - never had he been a fan of heights, unlike the bird he had for company.

"Wow, who knew the the big bad Dabi could fall in love?

Dabi instantly turned on him, grabbing him by the neck and slamming him into the wall. Hawks tilted his chin up, one hand on the villan's wrist. A smug smirk tugged at his lip.

"You're really gonna do this? Here?"

Hawks grinned at the burnt man, gazing at him with those golden eyes of his - they always seemed to be half lidded, and Dabi couldn't tell if he was being lazy or trying to look seductive. He certainly succeeded in the second one though, and Dabi had to break eye contact.

He grit his teeth, looking back down at the hero. He would not be intimidated by a filthy pigeon.

"Yeah, so shut the fuck up before I burn you right here on the spot."

Hawks laughed, waving his hands about in the air now. "Come on, I was just gettin' you worked up. You get angered so easily."

Dabi said nothing, his free hand being placed on the main arm of Hawks's wing. He noticed how the hero's demeanour changed a little, becoming somewhat vulnerable. A thought formed in his head but it wasn't a very holy one, and he grimaced at how his night-time fantasies used to be of this man. Now the only thing in his head was a certain crusty face.

"Ah- I'd appreciate it if you left those alone, please."

Dabi hadn't realised how his hand had been heating up on Keigo's feathers, and grunted as he released his hold on the hero. He looked him up and down before scrunching his nose in what could have been disgust, but also contempt.

The villan turned back to the city lights and scowled, now groaning that he'd ever come out of his room. What advice could a hero give about love anyway? Saving someone from a monster obviously wasn't the same as making out with them in bed. Those are two different kinds of scenarios with two different types of love, right? But then, if you loved a person so much you'd put your own life in danger to save theirs, surely you wouldn't mind kissing that person at the very least?

Another thought popped into Dabi's mind now - heroes were putting their lives at risk to save other people every single day, and they didn't go around snogging them on the streets.

What the fuck.

Dabi now covered his hands with his face. This was getting too complicated. And weird.

"So," Hawks said, breaking the silence as well as the villan's chain of thoughts. Dabi said nothing though, so Hawks rubbed his neck awkwardly and started again.

"So, uh...do you know anything about love?" he asked.

Dabi rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, I suppose," he muttered, not really concentrating.

Dabi faintly remembered the warm embrace of his mother. And how his younger brother came to reassure him that he'd be alright whenever training went wrong, which was practically every day.

But they loved him, didn't they? Obviously they wouldn't love him for who he was now, but back then. Back then he was like any other normal kid, right? He had a family. He had a kind mother and comforting siblings.

And then there was his father.

If Dabi could just blot out his dad from the picture his family really would be perfect. Sometimes his face would be blurred and fuzzy in his mind due to how much Dabi tried to forget him, but other times he could remember Enji's face as clear as day, or as real and haunting as the scars that covered his body.