Dabi x Deku

Chapter 11 (Left behind)

The day after Dabi's surprise visit started off quieter than usual. The dorms were still mostly empty, and Izuku found himself waking up later than expected, the warm comfort of his bed keeping him stuck for longer than he'd planned. Memories of the previous day lingered — Dabi's casual smile, their easy conversation, and the way Dabi actually seemed... happy. It felt weird seeing that side of him, but also kind of nice.

Izuku eventually forced himself out of bed, shuffling to the kitchen to make some breakfast. As he stood at the stove, a soft knock sounded at the door.

"Coming!" Izuku called, flipping the stove off and hurrying to the entrance. He wasn't expecting anyone. When he opened the door, Dabi stood there again, hands in his jacket pockets like before, but this time he seemed... tense.

"Yo," Dabi muttered, eyes flicking past Izuku as if he were checking to see if anyone else was around.

"Uh... hey," Izuku said, stepping aside. "You wanna come in?"

Dabi didn't answer right away, but after a beat, he sighed and walked in. His steps were slower this time, his shoulders heavier.

"Everything okay?" Izuku asked, closing the door behind him.

Dabi flopped down on the couch and leaned forward, elbows on his knees. "Yeah... well, no. Not really." His voice was low, quieter than Izuku was used to.

"What's wrong?" Izuku asked, sitting beside him.

"Just..." Dabi ran a hand down his face. "I dunno, man. Guess I just needed a place to crash for a bit."

"Sure," Izuku said quickly. "You can stay as long as you want."

Dabi's lips twitched upward at that. "Careful what you offer, nerd," he teased, but there wasn't much strength in it.

They sat in silence for a while, the only sound coming from the distant hum of Izuku's unfinished breakfast sizzling on the stove. Finally, Izuku spoke up.

"You know... if you ever wanna talk about stuff, you can. I'm not great at advice or anything, but... I can listen."

Dabi chuckled dryly. "Yeah, sure." He shifted slightly, tapping his fingers against his knee. "Guess... things just get heavy sometimes. And sometimes you don't know where to put it all, y'know?"

"Yeah," Izuku agreed. "I know what you mean."

Dabi glanced at him then, something in his expression softening. "Yeah... I figured you would."

"Hey," Izuku said, standing up and walking to the stove. "I was just making breakfast. You want some?"

"Thought you'd never ask," Dabi smirked, though his voice was still tired. "What's on the menu?"

"Eggs and toast. Not exactly five-star dining."

"Better than nothing," Dabi shrugged.

They ate quietly at first, but as the meal went on, Dabi's usual sarcastic banter slowly returned. By the time they finished, the air felt lighter — like whatever weight Dabi had been carrying had eased up, if only a little.

"Thanks," Dabi muttered when they were done. "For the food... and everything."

"Anytime," Izuku replied. "Seriously."

Dabi grinned, something genuinely warm flickering behind his eyes. "You're alright, nerd."

"Don't go soft on me now," Izuku teased.

"Pfft. Don't push your luck."

For the rest of the day, they stayed there — just two people, eating leftovers, watching dumb TV shows, and finding some comfort in knowing they weren't as alone as they thought they were.

Later that evening, as Dabi was getting ready to leave, his phone buzzed. He frowned as he checked it, his face darkening.

"What's wrong?" Izuku asked.

"Nothing," Dabi muttered, tucking his phone away too quickly. "Just... some unfinished business."

"You sure?" Izuku pressed.

"Yeah." Dabi forced a smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I'll see you around."

As Dabi left, Izuku couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Something bigger than Dabi wanted to admit. Determined not to let things end like that, Izuku grabbed his phone and sent a text to Todoroki.

Izuku: Hey, has Dabi ever mentioned some kind of... trouble to you?

Todoroki: Not directly... but I know he's got enemies. Why? What happened?

Izuku: I don't know yet... but I think Dabi's in more trouble than he's letting on.

Izuku stared at his phone for a moment, then clenched his fists. If Dabi needed help, he'd be there — no matter what.