Resurrected & Reignited (Dabi/Touya Todoroki x Reader)

Part XXVI: Reasons

With Touya brooding outside, Toga wanted to take the opportunity to get to know the League's new recruit. You sat on the couch beside her and Compress. Twice, still apparently uncomfortable in your presence, opted to pull up a chair beside the young girl's armrest. Steam rose from the warm cup in your hands, and you gently blew into it to cool the liquid down. Toga had mentioned there was no tea left, but you didn't expect her to actually bring over just a kettle of hot water. Still, you didn't want to be rude. You had strangled the poor thing only minutes ago, after all. Taking small sips from your cup, you listened as Toga spoke enthusiastically.
"It's not every day Dabi brings someone back. Like I said, you're the first." Toga noted with a kind smile. She picked up a small jar from the table and used its tiny spoon to scoop out the sugar inside. She added it to her cup and stirred it in.
'Hot sugar water... She's an odd one, alright.'
"Seriously, what did you do to get his attention?" She asked. Compress and Twice both leaned forward, seemingly curious as well. You turned your gaze to the ceiling, wanting to look anywhere but directly at any of them. You sucked in a heavy breath before letting it out in a sigh.
"Oh, wow, where do I begin?" Lying on the spot was never something you'd had to do in the past. When it came to missions, you were more of a "kick ass and take names" kind of person. Deceit wasn't necessary when brute strength was more than enough to make your foes submit. Maybe you should have asked Keigo for some pointers after your messy interaction with Dabi on your first night back.
Moving your eyes down, you stared at the cup you held in your lap. You tapped the glass's rim nervously as you tried to concoct a story. The hand-shaped scar around your wrist, along with the countless other injuries littering your body, provided a bit of inspiration.
"Well, it wasn't easy. That guy takes hazing to a whole new level." You said, finally finding the courage to look up at Toga.
The blonde girl looked you up and down. "Yeah, I can tell by all those scabs. Honestly, I'm just surprised you survived. Most people become kindling for him." Toga smiled at you. "You must've given him a beating, huh?"
You chuckled awkwardly. "Yeah, I guess you could say..."
"What, no way! I didn't see a single scratch on Dabi - no way you beat him." Twice protested. It seemed it would take some convincing for him to accept you. Before you could defend yourself, Toga spoke up again.
"Oh, calm down. Dabi probably thought they were strong enough. They are the first person I've ever seen walk away from his fire before."
Toga had a point. You'd gotten to see first-hand the crematory power of Touya's quirk on a human body. It wasn't a surprise that no one ever made it out of those flames. You swallowed hard at the memory of the burning boys at the factory, and you wondered if the heroes had managed to put out the fire yet. This thought, however, would have to be put on the back burner. You couldn't allow sentiment to distract you.
"Well, I can control thermal energy, so it isn't too hard to keep from burning to death." You explained calmly.
"Not very well, apparently. Look at all those burns!" Twice spat, jumping up from his seat and pointing at your arms.
"Oh my God, Jin. Give it a rest already!" Toga barked at him, clearly becoming fed up with his rudeness. Admittedly. His exaggerated mannerisms were starting to grow on you. You looked between the masked man and the other two villains. "It doesn't work out so well if I don't know it's coming." You admitted.
"I see. Did Dabi ambush you, then?" Compress questioned.
"In a way, I guess so..." You began, thinking back to when Touya had stolen you right out from under the heroes' noses. You had to remember your lie, though. Touya already told them you had sought him out. You couldn't backtrack now. "I uh... tracked him down during the nomu attack in the city." It wasn't technically a lie. You just happened to omit the part where you were trying to kick his ass.
Toga looked perplexed. "The nomu attack? We set those things loose like last week. Don't tell me he's been hiding you from us this whole time"
You tensed. Your lie might not have been the best, after all. There were implications in what you said: the idea that you'd been with Dabi for days, for example. They probably shouldn't know that. You'd really have to start thinking deeper about what you were saying. Now you were wishing that Touya was here; he was a much better liar.
"Yeah, well, he probably just wanted to make sure I was LOV material before bringing me around." You guessed, rubbing the back of your neck awkwardly.
"Yeah, that makes sense. He does the same thing with other people, buuuut that normally just means he sets them on fire." Toga stated plainly.
"Oh, he definitely tried." You laughed nervously, holding up your scabbed forearms.
Twice, who had sunk back into his seat and taken to grumbling lowly to himself since being reprimanded by his friend, spoke up again. "Okay, fine, you lived. Why are you here?" He took on a more childish tone now. You'd heard about his split personality before, but it looked like no part of him was very fond of you. In an attempt to win over his favor, you gave him a soft smile.
"I want to preserve Stain's dream." You fibbed. You'd read enough on the Hero Killer to understand his plight. In reality, it wasn't too bad of a message: to rid the world of false heroes and hypocrites. The man's methods, however, were much too radical for your taste.
Twice raised a brow at you, but Compress was the one to speak up. "A hero supporting the Hero Killer? What a twist."
You looked contently into your glass. "I know it sounds strange since I'm a hero, but... I've only ever wanted to help people."
"I see." Compress said, placing a hand on your back. "It seems that trait is hard to come by these days."
Toga bounced up and down excitedly on the sofa beside you. "Oooh, I love it! Stain is like my hero - it's so cool that even pros are seeing things his way!" She squealed delightedly, balling up her hands and placing them on her cheeks. "It really makes me feel like this string of bad luck we've been having will pass in no time." Taking your hands in hers, she grinned from ear to ear. "We're all working to make this world better - a place where we can all be who we really are. We can live however we like, and everyone can be happy!" It was a cute sentiment. The girl's excitement coaxed a genuine smile out of you. The villains' dream: a world where people were free to be themselves. A world where people were free to live as they pleased. A world where people were free. You stared blankly at Toga as you pondered it.
Up to this point, your life had been run by one person after the next. As a child, you worked tirelessly to ensure a secure future for yourself and others - a future where you were the commander of your own destiny - and for what? Only to end up being trapped in the command of someone else. When had you ever been allowed to live your own life? To make your own decisions?
"Right." You agreed. "A place where... we can all live the life we want. A place where everyone is free."
Toga giggled. "The only thing in the way of it all is those pesky heroes. We'll get rid of their broken society and build a new one where we can do whatever we want!" There it was. You were shaken from your would-be epiphany, remembering just who you were talking to. This girl wasn't interested in creating a safe and happy society, but a lawless land in which there would be no punishment for misdeeds. Still, it was clear now why this cause was gaining momentum. It really was an attractive idea. The public's interpretation of it wouldn't be as radical as the LOV's ideology, but the support would be there, nonetheless. This was why you had been working to win the people over.
"So..." Toga went on. "What made you wanna come over to our side?" You hadn't thought of an answer to that one just yet. Of course, the reality was that you'd just followed a cute bad boy around like some love-struck teenager, but you couldn't say that. The more you thought about it, though, the more you realized that you, more than most, had plenty of reason to pursue this dream of theirs. Though you weren't seriously interested in furthering their cause, it might do you some good to get personal about it.
You glanced in Touya's direction. He was still outside, just leaning over the railing on the balcony. It seemed he was uninterested in the conversation you were having with his companions. You knew well that he wouldn't approve of you divulging more information about yourself, but, if it helped you build a rapport with the League, it wouldn't matter.
"Well, it's a bit of a long story." You wriggled uncomfortably in your seat before finding the right words. "I've never really been able to have my own life. Ever since I can remember, all I wanted was to be a hero. My mom always said it was exactly what she wanted. She seemed so happy about it at the time." You began to absentmindedly run your finger along the rim of your steamy glass as you spoke. "She worked for the Hero Commission, and always brought me around when I was kid. They promised they'd make me a hero, but they lied. They said they wanted to guide me - to train me to be strong and to help people, but..." You stared forlornly at the floor, feeling a bubble of resentment build inside of you. "...I was never really going to be my own person. They just wanted someone strong to control." You gritted your teeth. You were only iterating a small snippet of your life, but for some reason, you were becoming genuinely upset. If you had never been put in Stiller's custody, you'd have just met the same fate as your feathered friend, Hawks: a slave to the whims of the Commission. After all these years, you were only now beginning to realize that you were doomed from the start. Your brows furrowed, and your nose scrunched in a grimace. On the bright side, your visible frustration was helping to persuade the group in front of you that you were the real deal.
Toga placed her hand on your shoulder. You looked up and were met with her yellow, cat-like eyes. They bore a far more serious look than they had before. "Hero society is filled with nothing but liars and fakes. At least you were able to see it before it was too late." She pouted, cupping your cheeks with her hands and squishing them together childishly. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that. What a horrible thing to do to a kid." In a way, her rough handling of your face was oddly comforting. You were almost tempted to lean into her endearing touch. Perhaps your time with Touya had made you far too comfortable with bad guys.
The three villains had plenty of stories of their own to tell. Each of their stories were unique, and, though it took some coaxing to get Twice to say his piece, you learned their reasons one-by-one. Over the next couple of hours, the three of you chatted as though you'd been a part of their group for years. It was strange being so readily accepted by complete strangers when there were those back home who wouldn't touch you with a ten-foot pole. It was quite the welcome change.
"Alright, you can stay, but you better not turn out to be a liar, too!" Twice boldly announced after a while. Toga sighed in an irritated manner as she turned around to look at her bipolar friend.
"Hey, come on, Jin! I thought we were all getting along!"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. What made you think that?"
The pair's bickering was fairly entertaining. It seemed Twice was still battling with himself regarding his opinion of you. As the two of them continued their irenic arguing back and forth, you looked to Compress for some insight.
"Are they always like this?" You questioned, clearly amused. There was no answer.
"Uh, hello?" Nothing. You waved a hand in front of the magician's face, but still, there was no reaction. Mr. Compress's head slowly fell back, coming to rest on the back of the couch. A low snoring could be heard from under his mask.
'He fell asleep? What time is it?' You scanned the room for some kind of time-keeping device, but found nothing. You redirected your attention to the long yellow curtains that hid the patio door. They flowed gently as the wind pushed against them. Through the space in between the fabric, you spotted Touya, sitting slouched on the concrete balcony. The sun looked like it had just begun to set. Not wanting to interrupt your new-found friends' "productive" conversation, you got up steadily from the sofa and made your way to the terrace.
The air outside was crisp and cool on your face, but Touya's coat did a good job at keeping the rest of you warm. This balcony didn't have much of a view; it faced out into an alley. The only thing to see out here was the sides of the building you stood in, the one across the way, and the clothesline that was strung between them. From your position, you could see the sky begin to glow with the arrival of twilight, but the building in front of you completely blocked your view of the sunset. Reaching behind yourself, you quietly slid the door shut. Touya sat on the ground, arms wrapped around his legs and knees brought to his chest as his chin rested on them. He didn't acknowledge your arrival, but rather, stared off into the distance. You cleared your throat with a gentle smile as you approached him.
"That was some pretty good acting back there." You commented.
"Mm." Touya hummed, eyes still lost in the distance.
His lack of response was concerning. You hadn't meant to upset him, but now you feared you may have done just that.
"Toga and Twice seem nice." You continued, hoping to lighten the mood a bit. Touya remained still. There wasn't even a semblance of a response. You swallowed dryly, but kept a smile on your face, hoping not to dampen his mood further.
"I gotta be honest, I didn't expect you to bring me to the League, but I guess it worked ou-"
"Do you know how much I hate this?" He said, cutting you off.
"I- what?" You stammered.
"I told you before, I didn't want to bring you to the League. This was not supposed to happen." Touya finally turned his head to face you. The look in his eye was positively rancorous. "You're a smart person, (Y/n); why would you think it was a good idea?"
You were taken aback by his bluntness. It was a bit insulting, you had to admit, but still, you chose to remain optimistic. The last thing you wanted to do was argue.
"Hey, look, I know it's not ideal, but it's the best we could've asked for." You reasoned calmly. Truthfully, you didn't see what the big deal was. It wasn't like you had to hide your identity. The others already knew you were a hero, and they seemed to have accepted you just fine.
"No, it isn't." Touya took on a defeated expression and buried his face into his arms. "Damn it!" The emotion in his voice shook you. You didn't like to see him so frustrated. You knelt down beside him, placing a comforting hand on his back.
"It'll be alright, Touya."
The dark-haired villain didn't lift his head. "No... you haven't thought a bit of this through." His grumbling was muffled.
"We'll figure it out. As long as I play the part, they won't become suspicious."
"And what about that overseer of yours, huh?!" Touya snapped suddenly, raising his head again, and whipping it around to look at you. "You'll have to prove yourself to the League eventually. What happens when it gets out that you've joined up with them? You're so afraid of the trouble you'll be in if they find you, but they don't even think you ran off!" His words were saturated with trepidation. Your heart leapt into your throat as a sick feeling built in your gut.
"We don't know that!" You cried. "Touya, Endeavor saw us together. For all we know, they think I already did join up with the League."
Touya looked away again. You wished he wouldn't keep doing that. "No. They don't." He didn't sound so angry this time.
"How would you know?" You asked.
Touya was silent for a few seconds. He straightened out one of his legs and rested his elbow on the other. He reached a hand into one of his pockets.
"I don't even think it crossed their minds." He said. Slowly, he pulled something out and held it in front of him. Your eyes went wide when you saw it. That nauseous feeling grew tenfold as you watched Touya twirl the crimson feather between his fingers. "They're looking for you." He concluded.
"Kei..." You breathed softly. In an instant, the feather was set ablaze, burning to ash in a single second. A new fear revealed itself in you as you recalled something Keigo had told you during your first flight together: 'My feathers are a bit more sensitive to vibrations than my ears are, so picking up sound isn't so hard...'
"He could hear us?" Your voice trembled as you spoke. Panic began to set in. It seemed every time things would start to settle down, a new revelation would bring new stresses. "Touya, did Keigo hear us the whole time?"
"Not well. I've had the thing in my pocket from the moment I found it attached to my collar. For a guy that was trained since childhood, he's pretty bad at planting bugs." Touya deadpanned. The news brought little comfort.
"How long have you had that?" You pressed him. Keigo had mentioned weeks ago that he was in communication with Dabi, but you couldn't have guessed Touya was sneaking off during the day to meet up with the winged hero. Is that what he had been leaving during the day to do? Why hadn't he told you?
"Since this morning." He said.
"'This morning?!'" You were dumbfounded. A small seed of betrayal planted itself into your heart. Why hadn't he told you any of this? Granted, there may not have been a good time to bring it up with all of the chaos that ensued today, but this wasn't the only time you'd felt he was hiding something from you. He was being difficult, and you were beginning to feel like he was doing it on purpose. Neither of you knew what the hell you were doing.
You sighed, finally taking a seat beside him. "This is all messed up, but we'll work it out." You assured him.
Once again, Touya gave you the silent treatment; only this time, he didn't seem angry - more lost in thought. You went on.
"What exactly was the plan, Touya? I mean, seriously. Once they saw us in there, what was the alternative?"
Touya shrugged. "I dunno. Leave the League, maybe." Your ears perked up at the suggestion. Dabi, the mass murderer and serial arsonist, was considering tossing aside his partners in crime just to keep you safe. Of course he was. It was Touya, after all. Over and over, he kept allowing tiny glimpses of that caring personality to shine through in his own way. Though you were still nervous, the gesture managed to melt your heart.
"You'd really do that?" You questioned, a feeling of sentimentality soaking in. Touya nodded. "We don't need 'em."
Your eyes showed with puppy-like love. It truly was a sweet offer. There was only one problem.
"I think it's a little too late for that now." You admitted. Touya nodded again.
"Yeah." He agreed with a sigh. He was reluctantly beginning to come to terms with the situation. "Listen...if we're gonna go through with this, then I need you to do something for me"
You cocked your head to the side curiously. "Sure, anything."
"While we're around the League, I you need to call me 'Dabi.'" It was a simple enough request, even if would take some getting used to. The League didn't know who he really was, after all. He must've had his reasons for it.
"Mm, okay. I can do that, but I need you to promise me something." You made sure to meet his eyes as you poked his forehead with your index finger. "From now on, you need to tell me what's going on in that head of yours. No more surprises, okay?"
"Okay." Touya sighed. Your lips curled up in a satisfied smile, and you took Touya's face in your hands. You leaned in and gave him a tender kiss on his forehead. Touya reached his hands out as you did so and gently took hold of your waist.
"There anything you wanna know right now?" He asked, hands still resting on your hips. Of course, you had plenty of questions for him: questions about Keigo and his ties to the League as well as his reasons for becoming 'Dabi.' For now, though, you were willing to put it all on the back burner. You nodded, remembering something Touya had mentioned when you first arrived at the apartment.
"You said there was a shower?"