𝐟𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 ⟢ 𝘁. 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗼𝗿𝗼𝗸𝗶/𝗱𝗮𝗯𝗶

𝟐𝟏: 𝐰𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐩 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞

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𝐲𝐨𝐮

i woke up feeling cold. the kind of cold that makes you reach out, searching for warmth—for someone who isn't there. my hand brushed against the empty space beside me, and for a second, my heart sank.

was he really gone?

i opened my eyes and took in the room. i was still in my birthday dress, its fabric heavy and clinging to my skin. everything from last night seemed like a dream—the kiss, the way his hand felt on my back, the weight of his presence. but then i noticed a shungry, beautiful medallion on my nightstand. a quiet reminder that it wasn't a dream. he had been here, if only for a moment. a tear slipped down my cheek, and i wiped it away quickly. i had wished, more than anything, to wake up with him still here. but deep down, i knew better. dabi wasn't someone who stayed.

sighing, i reached for my phone. it lit up with several messages—mostly from fuyumi and hawks. fuyumi had sent photos from the party, of us smiling, of the cake, the candles. snapshots of a perfect life, one i wasn't sure i was living anymore.

hawks, on the other hand, had posted a picture of the two of us on his social media. in the photo, i was smiling brightly, my arms around him, his around me. beneath the picture, he'd written: "happy birthday to the most amazing person i know. no matter what, i'll always be there to remind you how special you are to this world."

oh hawks, you're my angel.

his message made my chest tighten in the best way. hawks always knew exactly what to say, how to ground me when everything felt like it was slipping. always be there. the warmth of his words settled over me, a quiet comfort, even as everything else threatened to spiral out of control.

but i couldn't let myself linger too long. work waited, and if i didn't keep myself busy, i'd drown in the weight of last night. i pushed myself out of bed, changed into something more comfortable, and headed to the workshop. it was the only place where things felt manageable, where the chaos in my mind could be pushed aside for a while.

when i arrived, mei was already deep into her work, tinkering away at some new gadget, her wild hair as unruly as ever. her energy was contagious, and just seeing her so focused helped steady me.

"morning!" she called without looking up, her voice bright as always. "ready to get back to it?"

"yeah," i replied, setting my bag down and moving to the design we'd been working on before my birthday. "let's finish this. the arm braces and suit need to be perfect."

mei's eyes lit up as she finally glanced over. "oh, i've been thinking about it all night! i've got a couple of ideas for some upgrades." she leaned closer to the blueprint, tapping on specific areas with enthusiasm. "if we adjust the pressure points here and here, we can handle even higher temperatures. and i was thinking of adding a cooling system—no more overheating."

i couldn't help but smile at her excitement. "that sounds great," i said, leaning in to study the design with her. "just make sure the materials are lightweight. he needs full range of motion, especially in his arms."

mei nodded eagerly, already making adjustments. "we'll use that new alloy we tested. it's flexible but tough. oh! and the fireproof layers can be thinner without losing durability."

"you really think of everything, don't you?" i teased.

"hey," she said with a wink, "that's why you chose me and keep me around, right?"

i laughed, shaking my head. "no, i keep you around because you're the only one who can keep up with me."

"damn right." she beamed, clearly proud of herself.

as we worked, our ideas bounced off each other effortlessly. that's how it was with mei—natural, easy. her infectious passion made everything seem less heavy, less impossible.

after a while, she paused, glancing at me thoughtfully. "you've been working really hard on this suit. is it for someone... special?"

my hands stilled for a second, caught off guard by the question. "yeah," i said softly, "i guess you could say that."

mei's expression softened, but she didn't push further. "well, whoever it is," she said with a warm smile, "they're lucky to have you working on this for them. you always put your heart into everything."

"thanks, mei." her words brought a warmth that I hadn't expected. "that means a lot."

she nodded, then her usual grin returned. "alright, enough of this mushy stuff! let's finish this design. i've got a million more ideas bouncing around, and i'm not running out of time before we test them."

"you never run out of ideas," i teased.

"damn straight!" she shot back, already adjusting the design again.

for the next few hours, we threw ourselves into the work. together, the flow of creation took over, and for a little while, everything else faded away. for just a moment, i could forget about touya, forget about dabi, forget about the ache of last night.

at least for now.