BNHA Oneshots (x reader, ships, etc.)

!N!☁️| Dead of Night | Toya (Dabi) Todoroki

TW/CW: Nightmare comfort
A/N: Sorry for the long absence, life has been insane. Anyway, here's a softer Dabi one-shot to make up for the angsty one :)
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The sound of your shoes hitting pavement filled your ears, followed closely by the footfalls of whoever was chasing you. Your breaths came in short, sharp gasps, your eyes darting about as you searched desperately for a way out. You were trapped in a maze, running endlessly from an attacker you couldn't see or hear, an enemy you could only sense by the way the hair on the back of your neck stood up and the way your breath would catch in your throat. There never was an escape, never was a way out or a way to hide. Only darkness and fear, running forever as the entity seemed to nip at your heels at every turn and twist. 

You round a corner, only to find yourself at a dead end. No way out and nobody around to help as you feel the thing's breath on the back of your neck. That growing sense of dread continues to build, reaching a fever pitch as you try to turn and run, to no avail: the thing's too close, you're cornered and there's no way out. It's closing in, closer and closer, your heart about to beat out of your chest, and then-

"Y/N! Wake up, for fuck's sake!" Toya's raspy voice breaks through the haze and the darkness, yanking you from your dream and back to reality, back to those plain white walls and the dark curtains of your shared bedroom, to the safety of that thick blue comforter and those warm arms that were wrapped around your shoulders as you jolt up in bed. 

One of his hands slide to rest between your shoulder blades, his other shifting to rest on your thigh. Your eyes dart about the room, breath still erratic and sharp as you try to recenter yourself after your nightmare. You're trembling and quaking like a leaf in a storm, unaware of the few stray tears that have welled and begun to fall down your cheeks. You shakily turn to look at your boyfriend of three years, voice soft and hesitant as you whisper. "T-Toya....?"

His expression softens slightly and he nods, blue eyes shining as the moonlight glints off the staples in his face. "Yes, dove.... It's just me. It's okay, you're okay. See? We're in our room. Everything's alright."

You simply stare at him for a long moment before loosing a sharp exhale, eyes squeezing shut as you try to shake off the nightmare, leaning forward to press your forehead against his collarbone. His hand shifts to rest on the back of your head, gently holding you close. He shushes and coos softly, slowly rubbing tender circles on your back in an attempt to soothe you. After your breathing finally slows and he can feel your heartbeat returning to a more normal pace, he sits back slightly, hands resting on your shoulders.

"....You wanna talk about it?" He asks, raspy voice quiet and softer than usual as those bright blue eyes of his search your expression. You shake your head and he just nods, pulling you into his lap and wrapping his arms around your torso, holding you close. "Okay, dove... Okay. Just breath, will ya? Try to calm down, it was just a dream. I've got you, nothin's gonna happen. It's just us, nobody and nothing else is here."

You manage a nod, resting your head against his shoulder as you calm down, focusing on that familiar scent of smoke and whiskey. He's warm, like always, a nice contrast to the constant cold that seems to have settled into your bones. Those broad hands continue rubbing soothing circles on your back, trailing along your spine and shoulders. It takes a moment to realize he's heated his palms to further soothe your muscles. 

You glance at the clock, the digital numbers reading: 3:48 AM. You frown to yourself, a small sense of guilt starting to build in your chest. "...Sorry for waking you up, I didn't mean-"

"Hush. It's fine. I wasn't sleeping anyway, just scrolling through some of Shigaraki's dumbass plans. Don't apologize, idiot," Toya says, waving his hand dismissively. "Besides, I ain't gonna just lay here and let some stupid fucking dream make you scared."

You sigh, resting against his chest as your trembling starts to recede. His warm presence and just overall no-fucks-to-give attitude is strangely comforting, as always. And besides, you know it was just a nightmare... but that doesn't mean your nerves are just gonna calm down. "Still... thank you," you murmur, voice still shaking slightly.

"Tch... Don't mention it. Now, do you wanna tell me what the hell had you so startled or am I gonna have to lay here and play guessing games for the rest of the night?" Toya asks, quirking one brow as he shifts so he can look at your face.

You pause, debating whether or not it was even worth talking about before sighing heavily and explaining your nightmares to him. "... I was stuck in this maze, I think, and something was chasing me but I couldn't see what or who it was, but I know I was scared and there was no way out. I was alone and I just kept running, but I ran into this dead-end and I couldn't get away. It's the same nightmare every time."

He listens intently, eyes narrowing before he shakes his head. "Mm... A maze, huh? That's..."

"I know, it's dumber than hell, I just... I don't know, it always scares me for no reason. I can't ever find the exit, and I'm always alone, so..." You explain a little further, sighing.

"Mmph... Good thing it's just a dream then. I wouldn't just leave you alone, you do know that, right? Especially if you were in danger." 

You know he's telling the truth: he's too damn protective to entertain the idea of such a thing. That, and he has a habit of trying to burn any and everything that tries to hurt you... 

"I know, I just... I don't know. It's just a damn dream," you say, shaking your head to reassure yourself and to help calm your own nerves.

"Right. I'm not gonna let anything happen to you, dove. I'm always gonna be right here, nightmare or not. Now go back to sleep, it's almost 4AM." And once again, Toya keeps things straight-up and simple, almost nonchalant as he lays back down and hugs you to his chest, keeping you close in a protective hold, even as he acts like everything's all good.

You sigh and nuzzle against his neck, deciding it's best to just listen and do as he says. You focus on his presence, breathing in his scent as you close your eyes and try to go back to sleep. You bring one hand up to lightly play with his black, spiky hair, thumb grazing over the scars along his jaw. He hums quietly at the action, closing his eyes and leaning his head into your touch. It isn't long before you end up drifting off back to sleep. Hopefully this time, there won't be any more nightmares.