A fiery embrace

Cracked foundations

The mission had gone smoothly—too smoothly. A nagging itch in the back of Dabi's mind told him something was off, but he hadn't expected the fallout to come so fast. 

They'd barely returned to the hideout, the adrenaline from the convoy raid still lingering, when it happened. 

It started with the faint buzz of movement outside—too quiet to be natural. Then came the sharp sound of boots crunching gravel and the high-pitched hum of a surveillance drone. The League had spent months avoiding detection, slipping through cracks and corners, but now it seemed someone had found them. 

The front entrance exploded in a burst of fire and smoke. 

"MOVE!" Dabi shouted, grabbing Miyumi's arm and yanking her toward the back door as the hideout erupted into chaos. 

Tomura was already snarling orders, scrambling to salvage what he could. Compress vanished into smoke, Toga laughed like it was a game, and Spinner hauled a duffel bag toward the alley. The clock was running out. 

The air reeked of burnt concrete and gunpowder, thick with the acrid scent of incoming trouble. Dabi's pulse pounded in his ears, but he kept his grip on Miyumi's wrist firm. They had to get out—now. 

**The Escape** 

They ran, weaving through alleys as the League scattered across the city. Dabi's mind raced, calculating routes and hideouts. The raid meant their current base was gone for good—they needed somewhere safe to regroup, and fast. 

Miyumi kept pace beside him without complaint. Dabi liked that about her—she didn't panic, didn't slow him down. She just ran. 

An hour later, they all converged at a small subway station under the city. Tomura was already there, glaring at a cracked phone screen, his expression twisted into frustration. 

"Lost everything," he muttered. "Tracking tech's toast, and the cops have half the city covered." 

Dabi leaned against the wall, lighting a cigarette. "Got somewhere in mind?" 

Tomura's lips curled in a sneer. "Yeah. A dump." 

**The Apartment** 

The apartment turned out to be exactly that: a grimy, one-bedroom hovel at the edge of town. Dabi slammed the door shut behind them, scanning the dim interior. The place had a living room connected to a tiny kitchen, a cramped bathroom, and a single bedroom. 

"Nice," Dabi muttered sarcastically, shoving his hands in his pockets. 

Toga twirled on her toes, arms spread wide. "I *love* it! It feels so... homey!" 

Tomura dropped a duffel bag with a thud, scowling. "It's not permanent. Just until we figure things out." 

Miyumi stood by the couch, giving the apartment a skeptical once-over. "How are all four of us supposed to fit in here?" 

"That's your problem," Tomura grumbled, disappearing into the bedroom and slamming the door behind him. 

Toga giggled, flopping onto the worn-out couch. "Guess it's a slumber party!" 

Dabi shot Miyumi a glance, his lips curving into a sly smirk. "Better call dibs before Toga decides to cuddle." 

Miyumi gave him a deadpan look. "I'll take the floor." 

"You're no fun," Toga pouted, swinging her legs off the couch. 

Dabi shrugged, moving toward the small kitchen area. "Suit yourself. Just try not to bleed on anything, Toga." 

She gave him an exaggerated grin. "No promises!" 

**Close Quarters** 

The apartment quickly became a powder keg. With four volatile personalities crammed into such a small space, tension was inevitable. Tomura spent most of his time holed up in the bedroom, muttering under his breath and plotting their next move. Toga flitted around, alternating between harmlessly annoying everyone and getting dangerously close to starting fights for fun. 

Meanwhile, Dabi and Miyumi found themselves caught in a strange, uneasy rhythm. 

They moved around each other effortlessly, each aware of the other without needing to speak. But every brush of their arms, every fleeting glance, felt like a spark waiting to ignite. 

The lack of privacy only made things worse. Dabi couldn't escape the way his thoughts drifted toward Miyumi—how her quiet strength intrigued him, how he couldn't help but notice the curve of her lips when she smirked. 

But there was always someone watching. 

Toga was the worst of them all, lounging on the couch like a cat, her wide eyes gleaming with mischief. "You two are cute together," she said one night, propping her chin on her hands. 

Miyumi shot her a glare. "We're not 'together.'" 

Dabi smirked, leaning back against the wall. "Yeah, Toga. She's just obsessed with me." 

Miyumi gave him a flat look, but he could see the corner of her mouth twitch. "In your dreams, hotshot." 

Toga giggled, delighted. "Ohhh, I *love* this game!" 

Tomura emerged from the bedroom, rubbing his eyes with a scowl. "If you three don't shut up, I swear I'll kill someone." 

Toga blew him a kiss. "Love you too, Tomura!" 

**Building Friction** 

Over the next few days, the tension in the apartment grew. Dabi could feel it like a rope pulled taut—between him and Miyumi, between the whole group. The cramped quarters forced them together in ways that were both irritating and... interesting. 

Every accidental touch between him and Miyumi lingered too long. Every glance felt charged, like they were daring each other to make a move. But neither did. 

One night, Dabi found himself sitting on the balcony again, a cigarette between his fingers as the cold night air bit at his skin. Miyumi slipped out a moment later, shutting the door quietly behind her. 

"Couldn't sleep?" he asked, exhaling smoke. 

She leaned against the railing beside him, arms folded. "Not with Toga snoring." 

Dabi chuckled. "Yeah. She sounds like a dying cat." 

They lapsed into a comfortable silence, the city stretching out beneath them in flickering lights and shadows. 

"You ever think about what's next?" Miyumi asked softly, her gaze fixed on the skyline. 

Dabi glanced at her, the cigarette burning low between his fingers. "What do you mean?" 

"After all this. The League, the missions... everything. You ever think about what comes after?" 

He shrugged, blowing out a thin stream of smoke. "Not really." 

Miyumi nodded, her expression unreadable. "Yeah. Me neither." 

They stood there for a long time, the night pressing in around them. There was something almost comforting about it—about knowing they were both drifting through the same uncertainty, trying to find meaning in the mess. 

Dabi tilted his head, studying her profile. "You know, if you ever wanna leave all this..." 

Miyumi turned to him, her eyes meeting his in the dim light. 

"You'll be the first to know," she whispered. 

And for a moment, Dabi thought about closing the distance between them. But instead, he flicked the cigarette over the railing, watching it disappear into the night. 

"Yeah," he murmured. "I'll hold you to that." 

They lingered a little longer before heading back inside, where Toga was sprawled across the couch and Tomura was already muttering in his sleep.