Chasing You

Chase Nine: Free Food

"How'd you get the name 'Death the Kid' anyway?" Dabi asked, trying to find something edible in his cupboards. There wasn't enough in here for two people. Maybe he'd have to go out again. Not that he had the spare cash for that sort of thing.

"I can trust you, right? You're symmetrical after all..."

"If you don't want to tell me you don't have to," Dabi replied. There isn't anything in any one of these? Oh. Wait. Was that a mouse? Hi, mouse, would you like to be his dinner? Probably not. Goodbye Yuki.

"I have a quirk that allows me to manipulate dark clothing and shadows. I can use it to hide in dark areas. People started calling me Death's Kid and then it altered and became Death the Kid. I don't have a name. I don't have a birth certificate. People with quirks revealed at birth don't usually have those. We're written off of the books and stolen by others for their own personal benefit. You won't find me in the records. I never had the chance at pretending to be normal," he shifted in his chair. He tried not to focus on the asymmetrical aspect of this apartment.

"So, you have a quirk," Dabi nodded. That made sense. People with quirks either pretended to be normal or use them for gang usage. Just look at the Port Mafia. Strangest group of thugs in this city.

"Dabibro! I brought food because I am certain you don't have an-" Himiko dropped the bags at the sight of Death the Kid. "Oh my god, it's happened. You've actually slept around so much that you've got a kid?"

"Bitch, I'm too young to have a kid that age. He is an adult don't look down on him like that," Dabi, grumbling, picked up the bags and looked through them. Damnit. Himiko ruined the bag of chips. They'd be all not-chip-like now.

"Hey, kid, do you like ramen?" Dabi held up a package.

"You just called him a kid after you scolded me for thinking he was a kid," Himiko shook her head. "For shame."

"Stop it, you're scaring him. Look, he is shaking," Dabi pointed. Sure enough. Death the Kid was not enjoying the new company.

The door opened again. "I brought food because you didn't seem interested in getting anything an-" Tenko walked in, spotted Death the Kid, and immediately placed his bags on the counter. "Holy shit, Dabi, did you actually have a kid?"

"Step aside," Dabi shoved Tenko out of the way and investigated the bags. Death the Kid turned his attention to Tenko. He jumped out of his chair and hid underneath the counter. Himiko was fine. Himiko was symmetrical. Tenko wasn't. He didn't like Tenko. Tenko reminded him of that hand guy...the one that told him to hide in the building Dabi found him in. He didn't like him. He didn't know why he didn't but he didn't. He was scary.

"Was it something I said?"

"I see what's going on here," Himiko snickered, pointing to Tenko and then to Dabi.

"Nothing happened."

"We fucked."

Two phrases said at the same time by two different people. "Correction, we fucked twice," Tenko held up two gloved fingers.

"Aw, Dabibro, are you finally getting over Tomu?" Himiko hugged Dabi from behind, snickering into his ear. Everyone ignoring the scared specimen under the counter.

"Listen, shitheads, I have to go calm that kid down. If you two aren't planning on leaving, make something," Dabi shoved food items into Himiko's hands and went around the counter. He knelt down and stared at the guy.

"Tenko might look ugly but he isn't going to hurt you," Dabi assured.

"I'm wounded," Tenko rolled his eyes. Himiko was working on a fruit salad and he was making ramen. Teamwork.

The door opened, yet again, "I figured you didn't have anything in your cabinets so I brought you food," Shota held up bags. "That kid needs to eat." He glanced at Himiko, Tenko, and the bags of groceries on the counter. It seemed everyone had the same idea.

"Well, fuck me why don't you," Dabi stood up too fast and hit his head on the countertop. "All three of you have no faith in me."

Shota looked around at the disrepair of this apartment alone. "Zero faith," he sighed. He placed the bags with the other ones. "I'll be off then. It looks like those two have it taken care of."

"Wait, did you find a therapist?"

Himiko gasped, nearly dropping the apple in her hand, "Are you finally going to get over the whole Tomu thing? Are you going to therapy? Aw, Dabibro, I'm so proud of you."

"Not for me, asshole, for the kid," he gestured to the one curled up in a ball under the counter.

"Not yet, I'll tell you when I do," Shota waved and left. At least that was one more person out of his apartment. Himiko practically lived here. Tenko seemed to have no interest in leaving for the moment. And, then there was Death the Kid. Dabi didn't know when the kid decided to leave the safety of his counter prison, but he did, and now he was clinging to his back. He'd jumped up and wrapped his legs around his waist, arms around his neck, and clung to him, hiding his face in Dabi's neck.

"And, you're certain that isn't your kid?" Himiko held out a knife to Dabi, pointing at him, gesturing to Death the Kid.

"For fuck's sake. This isn't my goddamn child. I haven't slept with a woman since you, Himiko," Dabi growled. Himiko's face turned a nice bright shade of red and she went back to cutting apples.

Tenko whistled, "Spicy."

"I have work to fucking do," Dabi peeled Death the Kid's arms off of him. He placed the delicate human on the chair and walked towards his room. "He seems to be okay with you, Himiko, so you feed him," Dabi said, slamming the door to his bedroom. The door broke and tilted sideways. This place was a real shitty location.

"What about you?" Tenko called out. "You have to eat too, bastard." No response. Tenko shrugged. It was worth a try. Death the Kid scratched his neck. Nerves taking over. He really didn't like Tenko. He couldn't remember why. It couldn't be just the asymmetrical aspect of him. Death the Kid smelled something, something dangerous. Himiko had the same scent but she didn't appear to have acted on her impulses. Was Dabi going to be okay? Death the Kid looked at the door. He kept scratching his neck on both sides.

"Stop it," Tenko looked Death the Kid in the eyes. "Stop scratching." Death the Kid stopped. He stopped because he saw marks on Tenko's neck. Under his hair, he could see them, scratch marks. He couldn't trust this guy, but he could trust him enough to know he understood.

"What's your name?" Himiko asked. "I'm Himiko, this guy over here is Tenko," she pointed with her knife.

"DtK," he replied, not wanting to repeat the name. He didn't know if they heard of him. If they didn't recognize him, they might've heard of him, and that could be bad.

"DtK?" Himiko smiled. "That's kind of cute."