Watch Closely (Dabi x Male OC)

16: The Line In The Sand

"This place is so cute!" Hina said as they entered one of the private cubical type things. 

"Its a café meant for students, so there are a ton of study spaces. I'm not big on having conversations like these in public places." Tomoya explained. 

"I know you're not. Most secretive fucker on the face of the earth." The girl laughed. "But at least you know you can't hide shit from the girl who shared a crib with you.". 

Tomoya had to concede at that. As much as he and Hina had a complicated relationship, at least it was the only one in his life based on truth. The undeniable truth that comes from someone who knew while you were still living in your dark past. 

He remembered vividly the day he started lying to Hina. 

"You were an asshole back then too." Tomoya said simply, "I remember you pulling my hair.". 

"And I remember you trying to pull me off the top bunk when we were six." Hina counted. 

Tomoya smiled slightly at the memory. "How are your parents?" He asked. 

"Oh, they're great." Hina replied, a bright smile on her face. "I just got some photos from them. They're in Hawaii right now.". 

She opened her mouth, like she was about to ask him the same question, but stopped herself. They both knew he didn't have any. 

"There's an outreach program done by the government to help connect orphans to the people who raised, the orphanage staff. Have you considered using it to connect with anyone from Akita?" She asked. Tomoya scoffed and didn't need to say another word. "I figured not. I wouldn't want to talk to them either.". 

"Have you talked to anyone from back home? I can't be the first person from there you've been in contact with since." Hina said with disbelief, but Tomoya's expression once again told her everything she needed to know. 

They were like that, communicative but not. Hina still tried, she had always been the one trying. She had even tried to reach Tomoya after she was adopted at nine but the orphanage stopped letting Tomoya check his emails. He didn't have the time to do it at school either, too busy being the top of the class. 

She had told him the day they met again in Mr. Matsui's second year homeroom. She had moved back into the school district again and they met again as teenagers. 

God he didn't even want to think of the teacher's name. 

"Alright. Well at least you've got your boyfriend here." Hina said with a smile. "He seemed really crazy for you. That's good. He's handsome too, although you were always the pretty one so you deserve someone hot.". 

Tomoya scoffed. "For the record I told you a million times you were the pretty one.". 

"I was an awkward looking girl dating the smartest and best looking guy in the entire school. No amount of reassurance would have made me feel adequate.". 

Oh yeah, that was another thing. 

Hina had introduced herself as Tomoya's childhood best friend, which wasn't incorrect, but her most recent title was a little different. 

There was a reason she was so shocked when Dabi announced himself as Tomoya's boyfriend. 

Because Hina was his ex-girlfriend. 

It was strange, because they had despised each other, but were still so desperate to feel close. They fought like cats and dogs the entire time, but spent more time with each other than anyone else. 

It was a complex relationship and one not at all based on romantic feeling, but a lack of understanding on how else they were supposed to stay close to each other.