"Just don't make a mess," Rina muttered as she finally let herself rest, curling up in the chair, her body aching with exhaustion. She could still hear the soft rustle of Dabi shifting on the couch, his movements slow and deliberate.
"Mess?" he scof...
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Rina's pace had slowed after escaping the immediate danger, but she didn't relax. Her body still hummed with adrenaline, and her mind was running a mile a minute. She had to get to safety, and find some way to disappear into the night before anyone else started looking for her. She'd been close to getting caught, and the idea of having to deal with Jiro's crew again made her skin crawl.
But as she turned a corner, ready to slip into the shadows, a familiar voice called out.
"You know, you really owe me for that."
Rina's heart lurched in her chest, and she froze, her muscles tensing. The voice was low, rough, and unmistakably Dabi. Without looking, she already knew he was standing there, leaning against the brick wall just a few paces away. He was waiting for her to make the first move.
Her eyes narrowed, but she didn't turn around immediately. "You've got to be kidding me," she muttered under her breath. She didn't have time for this, and yet, she couldn't help herself. She had a sense of dread creeping up her spine as she slowly pivoted to face him.
Dabi was leaning casually against the wall, his hands stuffed in his jacket pockets. His stance was relaxed, but there was something in the way his gaze lingered on her, the intensity of it that made Rina's stomach flip. His usual smirk was present, but there was something more calculating in his expression now.
"You didn't think I was gonna help you for nothing, did you?" he asked, his voice steady, like he was asking a simple question. The amusement in his tone was evident, but there was an underlying demand there, a hint of something more serious.
Rina's brows furrowed. She didn't want to owe anyone anything, especially not someone like him. She'd already been tangled up in enough dangerous webs, and she didn't plan on weaving more.
"I didn't ask for your help," she shot back, her words quick and sharp. "I was handling it just fine on my own." She was going to shamelessly gaslight him. Maybe he forgot, she thought.
Dabi chuckled, low and dark. "Sure you were," he said, his gaze never leaving hers. "But you were running, weren't you?"
Her jaw tightened at his words, but she refused to give him the satisfaction of snapping back. Instead, she crossed her arms, standing her ground. "Fine. So what do you want in exchange for your... help?"
Dabi pushed off the wall, taking a step toward her, his posture still relaxed but his presence looming. He wasn't close enough to be threatening, but the way he moved made it clear he could close the distance at any moment if he wanted to.
"I want information," he said, his tone flat, no playfulness now. "About Hawks. You've been in his ear enough, haven't you?"
Rina felt a pang of tension in her chest at the mention of Hawks. She wasn't expecting that, but she should have. Hawks had a way of dragging her into things, even without her willing participation. She didn't trust him, not fully, but she had helped him with information a few times now. If Dabi knew that, it meant he was keeping an eye on her—on everything she did.
