Top pic credit: Nala_Bert.
............. :)
Violet POV:
The forest seemed quieter than before when the chaos of the night had died down, leaving Dabi, Akio, and I in silence.
It would be the scandal of the century if someone saw us right now. And, not just on the hero side, but the villain sides, too. Especially, Midas' side.
Two heroes and a villain, all gathered around a body they just mutilated, tortured, and murdered. The body of the second-in-command, supposedly, of the man who has been making everyone's life a living hell.
It had been a few minutes since the actual death blow had been delivered from Dabi. I was still sitting on the mossy ground, finally having come down from my hysteria attack of almost killing Euphoria, and almost being killed by Euphoria.
Dabi was still crouched over the body, inspecting the giant hole he burned through her neck as if he was assessing a work of art, looking as if he wanted to make sure she was really dead.
Akio had stood up once he determined I would be okay, standing a few feet away from Dabi and I as he emanated a soft glow throughout his entire body, giving the pitch black space of the forest a little light so we'd all be able to see each other.
And, Euphoria....well, I think you already know how she's doing. She looks unrecognizable; lying on her back with her arms and legs eerily contorted from Akio's mangling, and her fried, blind pupils shot open to lifelessness; with tears of blood streaking her cheeks. Her face itself was smashed in from my frantic punching, with her cheek bones, nose, and lips all crooked and puffy with swelling.
Her neck was still smoking from Dabi's execution, with the entirety of it being covered in black char and melting skin. A soft sizzling sound filled the space between us as her skin continued to cook as if it was a hamburger on a grill. The smell, alone, would be enough to make me hurl if I'd had anything in my stomach at the moment, but luckily the refusal of the Candied Whale Semen from earlier saved me there.
None of us had said anything in minutes. Not even Dabi had a snide comment up his sleeve, as I sensed the events of the night were starting to catch up with him.
The events.........that started entirely because of his own faults.
I bet he didn't expect things to escalate this badly. Or, if he did, I bet he underestimated how much he would care how they ended.
However, even if he looks bored and unbothered, his silence alone shows that he's definitely consumed in his own thoughts about everything.
But, Akio was the one to finally break the silence after countless time had passed by, letting out a tired sigh as he gave his hands a hearty shake to get Euphoria's blood off them.
"So," he started off casually, acting as if we were talking about the weather. "This is what happens when we work together, I see."
He gestured to Euphoria's corpse for emphasis, causing Dabi to roll his eyes in annoyance, but say nothing else.
I said nothing either, feeling my face throbbing from the beating the woman gave me minutes ago. Even if she's dead, I can still feel her punches hitting me.
Akio didn't expect Dabi or I to answer his remark, wiping a splatter of blood from his cheek as he continued.
"How did this happen, anyway? One minute, we were all in position to get this done, and the next minute..." he trailed off, pressing his lips together as he casually gestured his bloody hand to Euphoria once more.
I let out a small sigh at his words, hugging my knees into my chest as I prepared to speak.
Except, Dabi was the one who actually beat me to the punch this time.
"She was already up there, waiting for trouble. Then, she caught us and went psycho. Shouldn't be that much of a surprise since our shitty plan was probably fucked from the start." He commented casually, continuing to remain crouched as he looked up at Akio.
But, now that my nerves and sanity had finally returned to me and I had the moment to reflect on how we got here....
His answer...infuriated me.
He's omitting quite a few details of why this escalated the way it did.
"Funny," I spoke up now, immediately earning both pairs of eyes on me at how empty and dark my voice sounded. "I didn't take you for a liar, Dabi."
The words left my mouth without thinking, and I didn't care. How could I care, when this entire thing happened because he couldn't bring himself to kiss me? A one second kiss could have prevented all of this unnecessary drama, and he has the nerve to pretend that part didn't happen?
I waited for the stitched man to reply, actually hoping he would say something to piss me off more so I could continue fighting with him.
But, surprising me once again, he said nothing. Letting out a small scoff of irritation and looking away begrudgingly. Almost as if he was ignoring me.
I slowly turned my bloodshot, swollen eyes up from the ground and glared at him, truly not knowing how I feel about him in the moment.
Tonight...was really an eye opener for me. An eye opener into a real look at who Dabi is. Sure, he can be funny. He can be nice when he wants to be. And there are times when he does cooperate.
But, until now, his villainous nature never really processed in my mind. It's almost as if he put me in a bubble away from all of it. Whether it was intentional on his part, or not, I don't know. But, he always acted different around me. Nicer. Warmer. More understanding. Sure, he's always been stand offish, but I felt like he was starting to change.
I felt that he was the kind of person that, even if he did it with an attitude, he would actually make the right choice when it came down to it. That he wouldn't let me down, because he interacted with me differently than he did the rest of the world.
I was wrong.
I grew to trust him. I let my guard down. I shouldn't have.
It's a flaw-a trap I fell into, because even though I see it with my own eyes everyday, my heart keeps wanting to forget that Dabi is a villain. He doesn't care about me the way I want him to. He doesn't care about anyone, other than himself.
Him and I are opposites. We're not right for each other, and I was stupid to think otherwise.
Akio continued to glow softly in the darkness, looking at Dabi and I perceptively as he sensed the tension happening between us.
It's obvious to see that he's aware there's more to the story that Dabi's portraying. But, it's also obvious he knows I don't want to talk about it as he can see how genuinely seething I am right now.
So, instead, he let out a countless sigh as he slowly walked over to Euphoria, kneeling over the body on Dabi's opposite side as he lowered his glowing hand towards her like a flashlight.
He hovered his flattened palm above her, taking in the damages up close to try and figure out a solution.
"Jesus. She looks horrible." He commented nonchalantly, causing Dabi to turn his eyes up at him obviously.
"Ya think?" He retorted crankily, causing Akio to shrug in agreement to the stupid comment he made.
"Okay, okay. Well, look, we can't just leave her here. We need to get rid of her. Like....for good. She's evidence, and it's best not to have that." Akio explained, causing Dabi to clear his throat and start smoking his hand.
"I'll just finish the job then." He murmured tiredly, about to light the rest of Euphoria's body on fire before Akio stopped him.
"As you should. But, not here with all these trees. You're gonna start a forest fire and mess up Midas' garden, and I'm sure the damage we've already done here tonight will have some consequences. I'd like to do everything I can to not end up like that, if you don't mind." He retorted, pointing at the corpse statue standing next to him.
"Then what do you propose? Something stupid, I'm sure." Dabi nagged impatiently, subtly turning his distracted gaze away from Akio and over to a silent me in the corner.
I felt his eyes on me, but refused to look...grinding down on my teeth in frustration as I sourly stared at the ground.
Akio immediately pulled out his phone-the only device of our bunch, before dialing up a number.
"Let Kurogiri portal her somewhere else, and you can finish it there. That way, she still gets cremated, but not here." He mumbled, quickly greeting Kurogiri on the phone and explaining what happened.
"Whatever, but make it quick." Dabi said for the simple sake of having the last word, refusing to acknowledge me again as he blankly stared at the ground and listened to Akio talk.
I only squeezed my knees into my chest tighter, refusing to look at my blood covered knuckles as I barely listened to Akio and Kurogiri's conversation.
My gaze trailed to Dabi once more, feeling an angry hive of resentment starting to buzz around inside my chest as he continued to look everywhere else, but me. I didn't know how to feel about his silence, wanting answers from him, but also not wanting him to speak with me ever again.
Akio broke the tense silence between us, definitely being more proactive than Dabi and I as he scooped up Euphoria's corpse in his arms and carried her towards the forming purple fog a few feet away.
A red jewel fell from her limp hand when he lifted her from the floor. I simply stared at it, not daring to pick it up. It was no longer glowing the way it had been earlier, looking just as lifeless as Euphoria did.
Kurogiri's portal opened a few minutes later to a foreign alleyway I'd never even seen before. It was pouring rain in the place, and upon closer inspection, I noticed Italian writing on some of the far away signs and billboards. It made me realize that we were sending Euphoria reallyyy far away.
She'll be cremated across the world. No one will ever recover that body. That girl.
Akio stepped one foot into the portal, not so gently tossing Euphoria's body on the alleyway floor like a pile of garbage.
He ducked out of it and turned to Dabi with confirmation, causing the stitched man to lethargically rise to standing and make his way towards the portal.
Keeping a hand in his pocket, he angled his other one at Euphoria, quickly shooting a thick coating of blue flames over the entirety of her body to ensure she'd be cremated quickly.
I took that particular cue as an incredibly obvious sign that our mission has officially failed, lethargically rising to my feet for the very first time in a few minutes.
My legs felt like jelly. My entire body was aching, and my knuckles were still raw from punching and wet with Euphoria's blood. But, I simply watched with the others as the remainder of her body burned away into nothing, causing the portal to slowly close a few moments later and leave the three of us alone with each other.
We stood in a sparse circle, all looking at different spots of the premise as we tried to figure out our next move. It wasn't until I shuffled around and felt Euphoria's outfit still clung to my body like a curse that I looked down and assessed myself.
The top part of the jumpsuit was ripped and bloody. As for my appearance, I knew my hair was a rat's nest and my face was clawed and bloody. It got me thinking...
"How am I supposed to go back to the party like this? If people find out Euphoria's missing and see me all messed up, won't they get suspicious?" I questioned, seeing Dabi and Akio's appearances still perfectly intact.
Of course they are. I'm the one who took the brunt of the fight...
Akio quickly fumbled around in his pants pockets, pulling out a pair of dark sunglasses before tossing them to me.
"Here, Vi. Take these. At rich parties like this, people wear sunglasses all the time indoors, to accentuate their outfit. We'll just go back in so you can make your presence known, and give yourself an alibi. No talking to anyone up close. I'll also give you my jacket-" he said, about to remove his jacket before Dabi finally decided to say something.
"She doesn't need your jacket. Why the fuck can't Portal Guy take us back to the hotel so she can get fixed up and changed? Fifteen minutes tops, and then we come back." He said impatiently, yet Akio's patience seemed to be running just as thin now.
"Because, Dabi, a ten minute mission has now turned into a forty-five minute mission. Kaito's been asking where you two are for the past thirty-five minutes! Sure, I finally broke away to come and find you, but we cant afford to waste even two more minutes away from there. A jacket and some sunglasses is gonna have to do the trick. The lights are dark in there, anyways." Akio persisted, about to start removing his jacket once more before a heavy material carelessly plopped atop my head.
I grimaced slightly in surprise at the item, slowly pulling the clothing off my head and un-crumpling it...
....to see it was Dabi's jacket.
I looked at the item blankly before looking back to Dabi, seeing him still avoiding my gaze as he boredly glared at the tree barks.
"Put it on." He murmured quietly, sounding bossy about the order, but rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.
Oh. Now, he's chivalrous? Cute. But, it's a little too late for that.
I furrowed my brows angrily, crumbling up Dabi's jacket and throwing it back at him roughly.
Clearly, he wasn't expecting that as he barely flinched in surprise when the material hit his face, quickly pulling it off his face in confusion.
"I don't want it." I seethed out coldly, not even recognizing the sound of my own aggressive voice.
Dabi was quiet for a moment, looking intensely at my angry mood before he started becoming more annoyed himself.
"Great. I didn't ask what you wanted. You're shivering and a mess. Take the damn thing and put it on." He stated bluntly, lightly tossing the jacket back at me.
Within a second, I had already chucked it back at him, holding on to my remaining patience by a literal thread as my teeth ground together.
"I don't need it." I corrected, causing the stitched man to scoff and finally turn his eyes on me with challenge.
"Clearly, you don't know what you need-or, what's good for you, for that matter." Dabi retorted vaguely, throwing the jacket back at me.
It's as if we started a game of catch with the damn thing, with how much we kept tossing it back and forth.
"And what the hell is that supposed to mean?-" I started off with a raising voice, unable to progress the conversation any further as Akio stepped in.
"Guys, guys, guys. Come on. Take a deep breath, and relax. The intensity of the night is obviously starting to get to all of us. But, we need to hold it together-at least for another hour. We cant afford to make any more mistakes." He urged patiently, swiftly removing his own jacket and draping it over my shoulders.
I took it reluctantly, not wanting anyone's jacket. But, Akio seemed like the better option at the moment.
Dabi's face remained unchanging as he watched me slip Akio's jacket on, yet I could find his irritation in the way his fingers quickly scrunched up his own jacket, about to rip the material from how hard he was gripping it, before he tossed it over his shoulder.
"Whatever. I don't fucking care." He stated lowly, not clear on if he was referring to the jacket or Akio's statement.
Both, probably.
"Neither do I." I followed up bitterly, crossing my arms and avoiding Dabi's gaze heatedly.
Akio stood between the two of us, looking back and forth at our simmering moods before he shook his head in his own irritation.
"Yeah. Okay. Let's pretend that's believable," he muttered begrudgingly, quickly tapping the home screen of his phone to check the time. "Violet, put on the sunglasses and fix your hair along the way. We gotta get back..."
I quickly began trying to straighten out my hair as Akio called Kurogiri for another portal, rolling my eyes at the next begrudging sentence he uttered under his breath.
"Let's just hope everything else goes smoothly."
******
However, upon return to the party, the situation was anything but smooth.
Akio, Dabi, and I were able to slip back into the venue unnoticed. Why, you ask? Well, because the entirety of the guests had their attention directed away from us and to the banister of the spiral staircase above, looking rather alarmed at whatever was going on.
The classical music had stopped. The bar had closed. And the chatter was no longer carefree and 'pretentious,' as Dabi had called it earlier. It was now anxious.
A horrible feeling began forming in the pit of my stomach as our trio was forced to travel deeper inside the premise, with Akio leading the way.
I felt Dabi close behind, brushing his torso up against my back every time I was forced to stop abruptly and wait for someone to clear the way.
He no longer kept up with the touches, or even the appearance of our fake couple ship any longer, keeping his hands to himself and his mouth uncharacteristically shut as we walked.
I'd love to know what's on his mind.
But, obviously that's not the priority right now as I ensured the sunglasses were properly over my face and Akio's jacket was on me tightly to conceal the blood and tatters of my top, getting situated in the middle of the crowd a few moments later with my friends on both of my sides.
"What do you think is going on?" I whispered to Akio, watching Dabi's gaze subtly turn to me when he noticed I wasn't speaking to him.
Akio slowly began looking around the premise, shaking his head in confusion, before a voice from the balcony above got our attention.
"Guests and recruits of Midas," Kaito announced firmly, resting both hands on the golden banister as he burned his glare down to the people below.
Jeez. From the powerful, cocky way he's standing, you'd think he's Midas, or something...
And while I should have been expecting Kaito's next words, given the completely irresponsible way things have been handled by me, Dabi, and Akio tonight, I couldn't help the jump of my already weak heart when the elephant in the room had been addressed. So quickly.
"Someone here was ballsy enough to ruin Midas' personal quarters on the third floor-an area of the place you all know...is one hundred percent forbidden." He explained firmly, causing my entire body to tense up subtly as if someone just hit me in the chest.
Oh god. I'm so dead.
I began to shuffle nervously on my feet at Kaito's words, earning a side glance from Akio to 'relax,' before I felt an arm curl around my waist and pull me close.
Unfortunately, I've had feelings for Dabi long enough to recognize the touch as his. Even more unfortunately enough, I felt my body betraying me as my muscles slowly began to relax when he snuggled me up against his chest; hating the way his scent filled my nostrils and acted as a relaxer for my brain.
"The more you shuffle, the more you're gonna draw attention to yourself." He murmured to me quietly, seeming as if he actually left his anger back in the forest as his voice was a little softer that time.
That makes one of us.
Regardless, I simply nodded and said nothing, trying to relax as best I could-
"Furthermore, Ayame-known as Euphoria to all of you, was supposed to host the toasts half an hour ago, and she never showed. Trackers show she isn't even on the premise-or anywhere at all. That means she's considered...missing. Does anyone know where she went?" Kaito practically demanded, curling his scarred, dry hands tightly on the banister railing in fury.
Me. Me. Me. ME!! I KNOW WHERE SHE WENT!! I KNOW WHERE SHE-
I held in a peep as I felt Dabi squeeze my side firmly in his grasp, coming to the realization that I had started shifting back and forth again.
Immediately, I ceased the actions, pressing my lips together and keeping my head just a tad low as I sweat and internally shook....hoping Kaito wouldn't notice my presence among all the people.
I watched his yellow tinted eyes slowly starting to scan the premise for any suspicious movements, beginning at one end of the venue, and very carefully gliding along the sea of people.
My heart began to wrack out of my chest and my eardrums now, making me wonder if I would unintentionally draw more attention to our group if I were to keel over and die right here.
Dabi's hand gripped my waist tightly as the room remained lethally silent, with everyone watching Kaito's gaze nervously as it studied the crowd.
The stitched man's grip got almost suffocatingly tight as Kaito's eyes finally found our trio in the crowd, stopping his search for a moment to assess us.
Luckily, with him being on top of the banister and us on the ground, he was very far away. And, as Akio said, the lights are incredibly dark.
Akio's dark jacket blends in well with my outfit, and there are plenty of other people in the place wearing sunglasses, because it goes with their expensive outfits. At a far away glance, nothing about the three of us looks out of place.
My bruised cheeks and black eyes throbbed under my disguises as I forced myself to look up at Kaito and remain still as a stick, still seeing the dying woman's image burning my mind as the yellow eyed man studied us for much longer than he did everyone else.
He knows. He's gotta know. That's it. We're dead. We are so dead. We are so...
Not dead, as Kaito finally removed his eyes from us a few excruciating moments later, continuing his trail down the line to try and find the suspect of the 'ballsy' events of the night.
I resisted the urge to let out a visible sigh of relief, feeling enough of it when Dabi's hand slowly began relaxing again around my waist.
Akio remained stone cold as he kept his gaze on Kaito like a target, and it was only when he shifted that I noticed his hand was subtly lit up with a light beam-apparently ready to take out Kaito had the exchange gone poorly.
He bore his glowing orbs into the yellow eyed man lethally, slowly extinguishing his light a few moments later when he moved on from us.
"Yeah. That's what I thought. He won't catch us." Akio murmured softly, inhaling a breath through his nose as he remained calm.
After finding nothing out of the ordinary in the crowd, Kaito let out an agitated sigh, closing his eyes and growling slightly as he spoke.
"As of now, the weekend's just ended early. Everyone pack your bags and be out of here within the hour." Kaito stated lowly, snarling his nose up in anger as he abruptly turned on his heel without saying goodbye to the guests.
Kaito seems very angry about Euphoria's disappearance. Much angrier than any regular 'colleague' would be.
She never seemed interested in him. But, maybe he....
A tense breath escaped my lips at another possible target that could come for us, thanks to Euphoria's murder. Kaito seemed to care for her. There's nothing stronger than determination brought on by love.
Let's just hope he never finds out the truth.
******
While Kaito told everyone to be out of Midas' mansion 'within the hour,' Dabi, Akio, and I were out within twenty minutes. Bags packed. Clothes changed. Blood washed from our hands.
It felt good to rid myself of Euphoria's clothes and shoes, being back in my own jeans and sneakers.
Once we were back on the streets of Tokyo, only a few blocks from the hotel the three of us were staying at, Akio offered me another portal straight to my room. But, I declined, telling him I'd rather use the time to walk and clear my head.
However, once Akio agreed and left, I didn't think about the fact that I'd still have to walk with Dabi, realizing that's a very inefficient way to clear my head.
I looked back at him for a moment on the busy street, realizing I really didn't want to talk about what happened tonight as I immediately turned on my heel and began a brisk walking pace.
A pace that people don't normally walk and talk at.
I didn't look behind to see if he'd followed me, not even caring if he did as I quickly weaved my way in and out of people on the busy sidewalks, never once glancing back to see where he was.
Upon reaching a busy intersection and being forced to wait for the walking man to give us the clear to go, I felt someone purposely brush my shoulder next to me, looking up and scrunching my lips when I saw Dabi had kept up just fine, making it a point to let me know that.
We waited for the crosswalk in silence, allowing the loud, busy sounds of the city to fill our space, before the signal turned white and allowed us to start walking.
Once again, I went quickly, feeling more anger building up inside me with every step as I clung to my overnight bag tightly, feeling my teeth gritting together as I sensed Dabi walking next to me.
No one walks this fast at a normal pace. Clearly, he's doing it on purpose.
I huffed in irritation, walking the next few blocks in silence before the swanky sight of our hotel came into view on our left.
My feet faltered for a moment at the turn I was supposed to make to go up the walkway and towards the hotel...
.....before I decided that I actually wanted to walk a little more to clear my head.
Not wanting to talk to Dabi, I hoped he would get the idea and part now, making the turn towards the hotel to leave me alone.
But, as I walked away from the bustling street the hotel was on....Dabi did, too...lazily matching my steps as I crossed the street and ditched the loud city, making my way into one of the quiet suburbs nearby.
This part of the town actually made sense. It was three-thirty in the morning now, but as they always say-'the city never sleeps,' so you'd never know from over there.
But, over here, you'd know. You'd know, because now the streets were completely empty, and not a sound could be heard, other than the chirping of the crickets and the bristling branches of the giant cherry blossom trees hanging low on the sidewalks.
The late night was dark, but a soft light from the street lamps illuminated our path, almost making the walk enjoyable.
Almost.
I closed my eyes in annoyance as Dabi continued walking next to me, not speaking a word about it, but obviously wanting to address something. Otherwise, he wouldn't have followed me.
We walked a few moments longer, before I tried to lose him again, quickly veering off the sidewalk and into the endless rows of cherry blossom trees to my left.
No matter how angry and stressed the day has made me, admittedly I felt an immediate sense of ease once I'd entered the forest, allowing the perfume of the flowers to enter my nostrils and relax me further.
It was the last bloom of the season, meaning that, not only were soft petals raining off the trees at a steady rate, but that the ground was also covered in pink. They coated the ground like snow, and it looked so pretty that I felt bad about stepping on them.
My temporary admiration had been interrupted when I heard the crunching of heavy boots behind me, with this pair of feet seeming to have no problem tramping the flowers as he walked a few paces behind me.
The sound was enough to finally make my silence and my patience snap, causing me to speak without even turning around as I walked deeper into the rows of trees.
"Stop following me, Dabi." I snapped lowly, picking up my walking pace just a tad.
My words caused his silence to finally break as well, making me wonder if he purposely didn't say anything because he was waiting for me to speak first.
"Oh, I want to." He countered blandly, only following me further into the forest.
"Then, why don't you? Nothing's stopping you." I immediately retorted, feeling my anger returning double the amount now that we're finally talking.
Dabi ignored my comment, probably because he had no justification as to why he was following me. He knows I'm right. He can just turn around and leave at any time. I don't even want him here.
"I hope you know how ridiculous you're being about this whole thing." He stated boredly, addressing the elephant in the room in a very insensitive way.
Alright! The fight has been kicked off by Dabi. Let's fucking go!
Immediately, I halted my walk and abruptly turned around to face him, seeing his broody figure walking towards me with his hands in his pockets.
The sky was pitch black, but in these rows of trees, the cherry blossoms reflected brightly off the moonlight...giving us the illusion that a soft, pink lamp had turned on just for us.
"No, actually. No, I don't think I'm being ridiculous at all, considering the way things were handled tonight. If anything, I hoped you would own up and actually take accountability for the majority of it." I explained seriously, slowly turning on my heel to continue walking.
"Oh, really? Is that what you hoped?" Dabi questioned condescendingly, picking up his walk once more to ensure he would keep up.
"Yeah, Dabi. Keyword-hoped. I hoped you would have stepped up and done the right thing tonight, but all you did was meet my expectations-the expectations that everyone has for you." I muttered out, crouching down under a low hanging branch.
Dabi lazily crouched under it as well, keeping his hands in his pocket the entire time he did so.
"So? I never asked you to have 'hopes' for me, sunshine. You were dumb to have them from the start. It's your own fault things ended this way." He stated boldly, seeming as if he wasn't just referring to the events of tonight.
It also seemed as if he knew such a rude, untrue statement would be enough to get me to stop walking for good and turn around to face him again, judging from the dry smirk plastered on his face. A smirk it didn't even look like he wanted.
"My fault? What happened with Euphoria tonight, Dabi, was not my fault. It was yours. And if you seriously can't even see that, then you're more lost than I thought you were." I stated darkly, having no energy to yell or get in his face as I was just too tired from the day.
Too disappointed in him as well.
Dabi let out a small chuckle at my words, giving his ocean eyes a quick roll to play them off.
"You know what, yeah. Yeah, you're right. I am definitely more fucked up than you apparently thought I was. Not my fault, you didn't know that. You see the shit I do everyday with your own two eyes. Are you too blind to notice? Or too stupid to absorb it? Not like I ever tried to hide it. There's no reason to." He retorted coldly, giving his shoulders a careless shrug to emphasize the point.
A scoff escaped my lips at his words, before I dryly shook my head. I walked a little closer to him, hearing the flowers trample underneath my shoes with every step.
"Oh, don't act as if you're so honest. Sure, you may like to think that you're transparent, because hey, you just don't care about anything, right? You don't give a fuck about what anyone thinks, so there's no reason for you to hide, right?" I asked rhetorically, causing Dabi to smirk and flash his teeth.
"Look who's finally catching on?-" he started obnoxiously, before my voice overpowered his.
"Well, guess what, Dabi? You don't know yourself as well as you think you do. Because, you do care. You do act differently around certain people, in certain situations. Even if you'd like to believe you're the same heartless guy with everyone, guess what? You're not." I stated clearly, burning my gaze into his face with every word.
I wish I could look into his eyes more than anything, but he made sure that wasn't possible; purposely looking everywhere else as he appeared uninterested as ever.
My feet moved on their own, walking closer to him and forcing his gaze to look down at me and see how much distance I'd closed.
He said nothing, looking as if he had a million things he wanted to say, but also not fighting when I continued and beat him to the punch.
"So, yeah, you preach this crap about honesty, and how you never once tried to act like someone else. But, in saying that, it shows that you can't even be honest with yourself about what you feel." I explained, causing Dabi's orbs to flash with a fear he didn't want to admit.
The look washed away a few moments later, leaving the same repressed man he displays to everyone on the surface.
But, even from his next words, I could already tell he was slowly starting to lose a handle on this man.
"Well, you already know the answer to that last part. I told you, I don't feel. I don't feel anything for anyone." He justified a little too strongly, balling his fists to white knuckles when I immediately challenged him.
"You're lying, Dabi. You're lying to me, and you're lying to yourself." I said almost humorously, wondering how in the world he could still say something like that after everything that's happened.
As much as he doesn't want to admit it, tonight's events were the result of him acting on his emotions. Emotions he doesn't understand, or want to admit? Sure. But, I'm smart enough to know they were emotions, nonetheless.
Dabi's jaw tensed now as he burned his orbs into me, almost seeming as if he was going for the tactic of intimidating me again, before he remembered I'm not afraid of him.
Instead-as a first, he apparently had nothing to say right away-turning on his heel once more, and starting to trek his way back through the forest to get to the street.
But, we walked pretty deep into it. It would take him awhile to head back.
This time, I was the one who followed him, forced to keep up with his pace when I heard him speak over his shoulder.
"Don't act like you'd even know that. You don't know shit about me. You can barely even bring yourself to admit that I murder people for a living. That I'm a villain. So, what the fuck do you know?" He questioned rhetorically, hiding his face from me as he kept walking.
While it was easy to tell he was getting gradually more angry with this conversation, his voice had gone a little quieter. Seeming as if he didn't totally feel the need to be heard with his words.
Probably, because he knows they aren't totally correct.
"I know that you act different when we're together. When we're alone-" I accused boldly, causing Dabi to stop walking a few moments later and turn around to face me with raised brows.
"What?? Ohhh, my god. Is that what this is about? You think I act 'different' around you-that's just adorable!-" he immediately lashed out, acting as if my words were completely outrageous.
But, I know Dabi well enough to know that if my words were truly outrageous and missing the mark, he wouldn't have reacted so abruptly. So strongly. So obviously irritated.
Which only means, that I'm completely right.
"I know you act different around me, Dabi! I've seen it with my own eyes. It's the reason I've become so confused and blurred about how I feel for you-" I said, throwing up my hands in frustration before Dabi cut me off.
He slowly walked closer to me as he spoke, tilting his head a bit dementedly as a soft, feral grin sported his face.
"So, what, sunshine? What were you expecting from this whole thing? That you were gonna be The One? That you were gonna be the person who makes me see the error of my selfish, villainous ways, and help me see the light? That you were gonna change me? Is that what you thought, huh? That you were special?" He asked condescendingly, letting out a loud, obnoxious laugh as if he found the whole thing hilarious.
I'll admit that it hurt to hear him say that. To hear him laugh at it, no doubt, because he's not totally wrong.
I was hoping he could change. I was hoping he wasn't just the villainous exterior that he displays on the outside, that there was more to him. A softer side. A humanistic side that, maybe, he doesn't even realize is there.
And, it's my beliefs that maybe this still exists, that caused me to continue.
"I never said I was special! I just said-" I tried to justify, before the fake grin wiped off Dabi's face.
His look was angry now-not just irritated, but angry that I had decided to stand my ground and try to get through to him. His teeth were grit and his eyes were crumbling with pain and frustration he was starting to have a hard time hiding.
Little by little, his true emotions are finally starting to show through the cracks of his exterior.
"Good! You can stop right there. Cause guess what? You're not. You're not special! You're not special at all! Not to me. Not to anyone. You're not special. So, whatever you're smoking, either give me some, or get off the god complex you, and all those other disgusting heroes seem to have. You can't change me. I don't want to change." He growled out lowly, getting inches away from my face now to try and make me back down.
I felt a lump of pain forming in my throat as I almost believed his words. My brain wanted me to. My pride wanted me to.
Truthfully, I should believe these words. I should believe them and give up on him.
But, I can't. I don't know why, but I can't. I feel a pull to Dabi. One I don't understand, but one that's too strong and nostalgic for me to just walk away.
My heart forced me to take a step back and see past Dabi's hurtful words; see past everything he's saying to push me away, and truly reflect on his actions of the last few months.
The actions of his sweet, but subtle kindness. His attentiveness. His softness-softness he hates, sure. But, softness and warmth he can't help.
And, definitely, his actions tonight, where he refused to kiss me.
Euphoria told him to kiss me if he didn't care about me. He couldn't do that. It has to count for something.
That thought was what gave me the confidence and willpower to ignore Dabi's words and get back on track, causing me to inhale a deep breath as I turned to him now with a newly lit fire in my eyes.
"Fine! I'm not special. You can't stand me, and you think I'm disgusting. Fair enough. So, with that in mind, let's talk about tonight!" I exclaimed now, causing the dark anger to flee from Dabi's eyes for a millisecond and replace with dread.
Yeah. That's what I thought. That's the reaction I wanted. The reaction of him indicating that he knows he fucked up, even if he won't say it out loud.
Now, it was him on the defensive as he backed away a few feet, starting to turn on his heel to finally leave again.
Every time the conversation puts pressure on him and calls out his flaws, he tries to leave.
I'm sure that's what he's become quite used to in his life. But, that's not how I do things.
I need answers.
"I don't need to talk about shit with you. I don't need to explain myself. You're not my keeper." He muttered, tensing up when I took control and grabbed his arm to keep him here.
"Well, it sounds like you need one, considering you can't even complete a simple mission without killing someone!" I pointed out angrily, causing Dabi to shake off my grip and face me on his own.
"Oh-ho, ho, don't lie! You wanna talk about being honest with yourself? Admit it then. Admit that the whole reason you're peeved tonight is because I didn't wanna kiss you. I know that's why you're acting like a fucking brat, so why deny it?" Dabi chuckled dryly, looking at me knowingly as if he just figured out something that wasn't already obvious.
"Oh, you're one-hundred percent right that I'm mad you didn't kiss me, Dabi. But, not for the reason you think-" I attempted firmly, before he let out a loud blow from his cheeks to downplay my words.
"It's definitely the reason I think. The reason we both know. Ooo, there you go, lying again. Fucking hypocrite." He gasped tauntingly, covering his mouth with his hands in fake scandal.
He's trying to provoke me on purpose. Trying to push me away and get me to leave.
And, believe me, I want to. But, I guess I possess a bit of my own stubbornness that I didn't realize I had before. A stubbornness to prove that Dabi is lying. Not just to me, but to himself as well.
"I'm not mad, because you refused to kiss me. I'm mad, because you let your pride control the outcome of the night, and get us into an amazing amount of trouble that we will, no doubt, have to pay for at some point!" I explained, starting to raise my voice a bit as my frustrations rose.
Dabi shook his head dismissively and laughed, biting down on his lip before speaking.
"You are a fucking moron if you really believe that cunt was just gonna let us off easy after a stupid kiss! You're too innocent to know, but guess what? She was already high off bloodlust before the night even started. She's wanted you dead, and she was gonna do everything to make that happen. A kiss wouldn't have stopped what happened tonight." He reasoned surprisingly true, calming down in his anger a tad when he knew he had a point.
I get that. I'm not so blind in my fury to not see reason. But, I also know that Dabi had his own motives for dodging the kiss tonight and ruining everything. Motives that had nothing to do with Euphoria's plans, but instead, his own.
"Yeah, you could very well be right. But, what if you're not? What if Euphoria decided to actually follow up on her word and let us go?! What if we kissed, forgot about it a second later, and made our way back to the party with everyone intact?!" I challenged, ignoring the cherry blossom petals that continued to kiss Dabi and I so softly as the conversation escalated again.
"We wouldn't have!! I already told you that!" He snapped, raising his voice this time as his hands began to smoke.
"Well, we'll never know, right? Cause now she's dead!! We killed her!!!" I snapped back, still feeling my hands itch with the feeling of Euphoria's blood-
"Not we. It's me. I killed her. Why the fuck do you think I pulled you off her before you could? Cause you're too innocent to handle shit like that. You're too innocent for this world. My world. I know it, even if you don't. That's why I always say you don't know what's good for you." Dabi explained, unintentionally slipping a small piece of information out of his brain that I'd been previously unaware of before.
Dabi pulled me off Euphoria because he didn't want me to kill her. Because he knew how horribly the aftermath of that would have effected my mental state.
I didn't know that. And it only contradicts everything he's been saying to a higher degree.
"Don't tell me what I can't handle, Dabi. And don't tell me what's good for me, as if you'd even know!" I spat out, feeling my heart beat gradually starting to flutter faster as both of our fury started to reach an all time high.
"I do know!!" Dabi blurted out, starting to breathe heavier as the smoke of his hands began to travel up his arms.
"How?!?" I demanded, causing his face to flash with genuine frustration.
Not, 'Dabi,' passiveness. But....real emotions.
"Cause-you're too easy to figure out!!" He reasoned loudly, villainous facade starting to crumble away more from his blue orbs.
"And you're impossible!!" I groaned, squeezing my eyes shut as my hands went to my hair.
"Good!! I already told you I'm bad for you! I don't want you to figure me out. I don't want you getting close, or trying to give me your input on things. And in case, you're still unclear about things, let me get this through your thick skull for the last time-I don't care about you, Violet. I never have. You're just a nobody who blends in with all the other average, ordinary nobodies. That's how it is. How it's always been." He dismissed, crossing his arms contently as he thought something that hurtful would be enough to end the conversation.
But, as much as he wishes he could push me away...the question still lingers in my mind. The question that continues to scream at me internally and contradict every point he's made.
So, calming down slightly to get myself together, I let out a deep breath...feeling Dabi's cold eyes study mine closely as he hoped he'd hurt my ego enough to make me give up.
Until, I asked the question flat out. The question I need to know the answer to, in order to move on.
"Then why didn't you kiss me tonight, Dabi?" I asked blankly, voice void of any emotion.
But, I meant the question. Even if I couldn't figure out the right emotions to put with it, I meant it...staring at the tree barks emptily as I braced myself for the answer. The justification that he would give, that would surely explain it all and force me to face the truth.
Except, the air had gone quiet between us now. With me staring elsewhere and Dabi staring at me...not speaking for a moment as he wracked his brain for an answer.
He gave one a few seconds later. One that let me know I was actually closer to cracking him than I originally thought.
"Fuck you." He said raspily, causing me to slowly look up and see him burning his gaze into me.
My brows furrowed softly, wondering why....out of all the excuses in the book, he couldn't give me one.
"No. Answer me if you really don't care. That was Euphoria's reasoning after all-kiss me if you don't care about me. You couldn't do it, and I....I wanna know why." I demanded softly, feeling my anger slowly starting to fizzle away as Dabi unintentionally began giving me the answer.
The meaning of him kissing me wasn't really one that sunk in until now. During the moment, I took his refusal of wanting to kiss me as something that was wrong with me. Something that meant I'm undesirable.
But, now that my adrenaline has died down and I have the time to think....I'm starting to realize that Dabi's refusal of a kiss is actually the opposite of what I originally thought.
His defensive mood began to morph now as I pressed on with the question. He swallowed thickly and his hands continued to smoke.
I seemed to be hitting a sensitive topic now. A topic I didn't even realize was sensitive as he squeezed his eyes shut for a moment and ran a hand through his hair, starting to fall apart right in front of me.
"There's nothing to know. I just didn't want to kiss you. Cause you're disgusting." He muttered out quieter, trying to mask the growing emotion that tried to creep into his voice.
His words of defense didn't even faze me as I looked at him silently. Knowingly.
He's lying-and getting worse at it with every passing second.
Sensing my eyes, Dabi slowly turned his gaze up from the ground to find me, letting out a small scoff when he caught my look, realizing the pieces I was putting together.
"Dabi." I stated soft, yet firm, trying to be patient with him as I sensed the fight he was having with himself inside.
Only, my simple, knowing mention of his name seemed to be the thing that caused him to snap and panic, making him inhale sharply as he turned around to leave once more. For good this time.
Running away again. When it gets too personal for him.
"Get away from me." He parted over his shoulder, briskly starting to stomp out of the forest as if he was trying to escape.
Feeling my heart starting to beat harder out of my chest, I picked up my own feet and followed after him, not wanting him to leave without giving me a verbal explanation.
Even though I already knew the answer.
"No. Not until you admit why you didn't kiss me tonight." I said firmly, hearing the leaves and flowers rapidly crunching under our feet as we walked.
Dabi didn't turn around this time, pushing his way through branches and flowers at a fast, aggressive rate as he tried to get away from me.
"You're fucking crazy." He growled out dismissively, seeming desperate to get as far away from me as possible before he did something he regretted.
But, I need to know. I don't know why I need to hear it come from his mouth. I just do.
"Answer me, Dabi. Why didn't you kiss me tonight, if you don't care-" I tried once more, watching him shake his head immediately in denial and keep walking.
"It doesn't matter!-" he seethed out to me with his back turned, balling his fists together as he continued to break.
"Stop lying to yourself-" I stated, losing my anger now when he couldn't give me the answer we both knew.
The answer he can't even admit to himself out loud.
So....I'll do it for him.
Uncharacteristic of me, I spoke my next words without thinking....with confidence. With certainty.
"You care about me, don't you? That's why you couldn't kiss me." I asked without hesitation, stating the question as more of a fact.
I gave him a free pass on that one. All he had to do was give a simple 'yes' or 'no' answer. I would have accepted one of those.
But, I was further motivated to make him admit it when he couldn't even do that, letting out a low growl as he smacked one of the tree branches with his hand and kept walking.
"No. Shut the fuck up. Now." He stated lowly, still not turning around to face me as he spoke.
Becoming more sure of my words, I repeated them again, not caring about how much they seemed to agitate Dabi.
"You care about me, and that's why you act different when we're together. When we're alone-"
"Keep talking, and I promise you'll regret it-"
"You can't admit it yourself, and I don't know why-" I continued, hearing Dabi's heavy breaths starting to get more frantic as he tried to walk out of the forest.
His anger and frustration seemed to be reaching an all time high as he walked faster, acting as if he couldn't take another second of this.
"Last warning to shut up before I blow your throat out-"
"But, it's okay. There's nothing to be embarrassed about, because-" I urged, hearing him suck in a sharp breath as he knew where this was going.
"No. Don't say. Don't you dare fucking say it. I swear, Violet. I'll-"
"Because I care about you, too-"
I never even got the chance to finish my sentence as Dabi turned around quicker than I could process, facade completely melted away. Emotions completely unhinged as he lunged at me.
A scream never left my throat as he tackled me to the floor. Mostly, because of how quickly it had happened. But, also because I wasn't afraid of him. I already know he's not the big, bad villain he pretends to be. I can see past that facade so easily.
The air left my lungs when my back hit the ground too quickly, but it actually wasn't so bad having a pile of blossoms to catch my fall.
But, the next thing I knew, I was on the forest floor. My eyes were blank and my breath heavy as Dabi landed on top of me, straddling my torso with his knees.
His look was the complete opposite of my calm one-with the whites of his eyes streaked with crooked lines of red to show his anguish. His teeth grit tightly, with blood dripping from his cheek stitches at a rapid rate and on to the ground below.
His breath was heavy as his body began to tremble. I watched emotionlessly as he fought with himself directly above me, huffing, and grinning, and letting out a laugh he didn't want as he looked at me with two different personalities.
It almost looked painful for him to laugh as his eyes squeezed shut for a moment in torture, before he opened them and let his demons take over...looking at me ferally.
I opened my mouth to speak, not knowing what I was even going to say...
And I never got the chance to say anything when Dabi saw me even try to get another word in, not wanting me to get any closer to his true self.
Forcing away any hesitation he may have felt with his next actions, Dabi's hand immediately went to my throat, slowly locking his fingers around it with pure, unadulterated threat. Daring me to speak another word.
And, even so...his grip wasn't tight. Not at all. If anything, it was incredibly loose-as if he was afraid any more pressure would cause me to break. He barely smoked his palm around my skin trying to convince both of us that he was serious.
The air between us was silence with tension, with nothing but the midnight breeze and rustles of the leaves filling our space. But, also heavy with unspoken thoughts and answers that we didn't say out loud.
And, obviously Dabi didn't want them to be said as he spoke a few moments later, changing the subject to something sinister.
"Now, I'd say it's time you stop talking, don't you think?" He smirked painfully, leaning down towards my face with threat.
However, I was calm. Knowing. Ready to fight back if the time called for it.
But, it's not time, yet. I know in my heart it's not time.
Right now, it's time to call his bluff.
"What is it, Dabi? Gonna kill me, the same way you did Euphoria? Is that it? Run away from your problems and silence them with murder?" I asked softly, not once breaking his eye contact as I spoke.
Dabi leaned closer towards my face upon hearing my words, already faltering with the grip on my neck when he heard me speak the actions out loud.
"I have half a mind to, yeah-" He stated casually, before I cut him off.
"And what about the other half of your mind? What is that part telling you?" I uttered quietly, searching his eyes for any signs of the person I hoped he was.
He didn't answer for a moment, seeming to reflect on my words unwillingly as his grip loosened more, the longer he looked at my face.
His eyes closed for a few heartbeats of time when he began to look at me too closely, desperately trying to fight it within himself to not break.
"That part doesn't matter." He stated roughly, tightening his hand on me once more.
Slowly and carefully, I brought one of my hands up from the ground, gently wrapping it around Dabi's wrist, but not trying to remove it just yet.
Thinking my actions meant he was choking me too hard, he immediately loosened his grip again, starting to crumble more as his blue eyes became more lost in my own.
"That part matters so much more than you think. It matters so much to me. There's no shame in that." I whispered softly, causing Dabi's breaths to pick up more anxiously and fan my face.
His brows furrowed in conflict as he studied my patient, familiar face, seeming as if it's a face he hasn't been able to get out of his head-or his heart for years. Seeming as if he wanted so badly to make me shut up and keep talking at the same time.
"Why can't you just stay away from me? Why can't you ever get out of my life? I should just kill you for that. For causing me so much damn trouble, for so long." He stated breathily, not seeming to mean his words, yet firming up his grip once more.
I looked at him for a long hard moment, already having a fight plan in the back of my mind in case my next words failed...
But, Dabi unfortunately seems to be a person who thrives on ultimatums. Extremes. He seems to be a person who likes to be in control on the outside, because internally, he's so out of control.
So, in order to put himself out of his misery, I decided to give him a choice. A choice that is completely his, and will prove to his confused mind how far he's willing to go for his stubbornness and denial.
"Fine. If that's how you really feel. Then, do it if you want to so bad. Go ahead. Try to kill me." I stated clearly, showing absolutely no fear as I looked into his eyes.
I know what you're thinking...
And, no, I'm not crazy!
I don't actually want him to kill me, and I'll fight back like hell if he tries...
But, Dabi-or, whoever he really is...is a prisoner of his own mind. He's the type of person where his true self can only escape the jail cell when he's presented with the highest extremities.
I hope that's something he can grow out of one day. But, for now, this is where his damage lies. I don't think people challenge him on many vulnerable things such as this, so I'm still learning how to deal with it. I'm sure he is, too.
Because, even if he thinks he's lost and doomed to the world, I can see that he's not. I can see so clearly every good thing he has to offer.
And as I hoped, the lost, anguished look in his eyes cleared away slightly when his orbs widened and looked at me bewildered, not expecting me to call him out so drastically.
"W..What?-Shut up. You don't even know what you're saying-" he dismissed, before I spoke again.
"No. I do. I absolutely do. You keep threatening to kill me? Then, go ahead. Try. Try to burn a hole through my throat like you did to Euphoria. Sure, I'll fight back. I'll fight for my life. But, I can promise you one thing....if you truly try to kill me, I will legitimately abandon you, the way you claim to want-" I began calmly, causing Dabi's mood to escalate more.
It escalated, but it also shifted-anger slowly fizzling away and melting into frazzled panic as he wasn't expecting me to take it this far. To force him to choose his next actions.
Because, whether he wants to think so, or not, this entire situation-this entire moment is a fight. But, not with me. It's with 'Dabi,' and the person he used to be. It's all about whose presence is stronger.
And, the more his anger fizzles away, the more his eyes morph into the ghost of his past. The person who's been trapped inside the prison of his soul for so many years.
"The fuck is wrong with you? Why would you even suggest something like that?" He questioned slightly softer and more concerned, starting to unintentionally let his facade fizzle out as he focused on my insane words.
But, I didn't cave on my purpose, feeling my heart beat slowly pick up in anticipation as I realized I was finally-finally, after months of trying....finally getting through to him, somehow.
An achievement, I'll admit. I don't think many people have been able to do so with him.
"I will hate you, Dabi. I'll hate you forever. There won't be any coming back from that. Not with me. It's crossing the line. You will effectively betray every ounce of trust and affection I have for you. You'll never see me again-" I continued honestly, but he didn't want to hear it.
"S..Stop talking. Just stop-"
"I'll be cold. I'll be emotionless to you, Dabi. Uncaring. Hating-"
"Shut up, I said-"
"I won't even give you the time of day. I will...forget about you-" I pressed on, causing his loose hand around my throat to start trembling as his world came crumbling down.
"St-fuck-Why are you doing this to me. You already know. You fucking damn well know how I feel about you, alright? Huh? Is that what you wanna fucking hear? Can't you see how fucking crazy you make me?" He growled out roughly, squeezing his eyes shut in frustration as I continued.
"So, do it if you want to. Try. Take the first step and do the action. If you truly mean what you say.....then prove it right now and take us to a place we can't ever recover from. Make me lose all faith in you. Make me give up on you. Then....I will get out of your life." I breathed out shakily, feeling my heart pounding out of my chest as Dabi's cheeks cried blood.
I wanted nothing more than to reach out and wipe away his pain. But, I also didn't want to do anything that would be the wrong move, causing me to look up at him sadly and say nothing instead.
His brows furrowed softly now as he listened to my words, knowing I meant them with every fiber of my being.
Our heavy breaths intermingled as he kept his hand locked around my throat, having a literal battle inside his own head as he chose his next path.
Tense moments of loud silence went by, with Dabi's hand around my throat and his eyes closed as he battled with his demons, forced to make a choice. A choice that was fully his. About something that mattered to him, even if he didn't want to admit it.
And it seems...there was a winner to this battle in his head a few moments later.
And that winner wasn't 'Dabi.'
The broken, blue eyed man lost his willpower. His resentment. His grudges. Past transgressions. Anger. He lost everything that made him 'Dabi,' for this moment, as he furrowed his brows emotionally and slowly looked down at me now.
I looked past his bloody tears and right into his eyes, feeling my heart and soul sparking to life with a muscle memory I didn't understand.
It was clear. His choice was clear. For right now-and possibly the first time in years, his head was clear.
He kept his eyes piercing mine, slowly shaking his head as he carefully released his grip from my unharmed throat in defeat.
His fingers danced along my skin gently as they lingered, sending sparks of heat throughout my entire veins at the foreign shift of his careful touch.
"N...No..." he started out breathlessly, cupping my jaw gently as he rested his forehead down against mine. "Stop. Don't say shit like that. You know I can't do that to you."
My breath hitched in relief, and anticipation, and surprise from the unexpected affection from him, causing my mouth to fall open slightly as I snaked both shaky hands to his wrists-feeling my pulse running wild when he let me do so.
My heart was pounding out of my eardrums, and whether it was from nerves or surprise, I'm not sure. I just know that he was melting to softness before my very eyes and I couldn't look away.
"Oh. Well...good. I'm glad you don't want to kill me." I whispered softly, letting my resilience from earlier fizzle away, the more Dabi focused on my face.
He let out a subtle snort at my quirkiness, giving a breathy defeated laugh of light annoyance as he let himself be free from his prison.
The anguish and pain slowly started to clear away from his face as he looked down at me intensely, studying every feature of my face as he caressed my jaw with his thumb.
His touch was searing me, even if his quirk wasn't activated. It was a simple brush of the thumb, but even so I could still feel the passion of it. The genuine meaning it held, and the actions for the words he couldn't speak. The apologies he couldn't verbalize. It was a feeling I could get addicted to forever.
The next sound of his voice sent shivers up my spine. Good shivers, as I've never heard it so familiar and soft.
"I do want you out of my life. God, you drive me so fucking crazy, sometimes, Violet..." he started out in a rough whisper, eyes becoming half lidded as he snapped his last straw of resistance and shamelessly trailed his gaze down to my lips.
My entire face suddenly felt as if it was on fire from Dabi's touch and obvious want, meeting his eyes with heated anticipation as he finished.
".....but, I just can't bring myself to let you go, little sapphire. No matter how hard I try, I just can't get rid of you. God, I can't ever fucking get rid of you." He breathed out honestly, hot breath tickling my lips as he gave in to the desire we both wanted....
.....before finally slamming his lips down against mine.
I stopped breathing at the movement, unable to register the feeling of his mouth right away as my eyes went wide and I froze from my shock.
But, Dabi seemed to expect that, given the mess of a person I am, not giving up so easily as he snaked his hand from my jaw, to the back of my neck; gripping it tightly-not daring to let me get away as he kept pressed his lips against mine patiently, not progressing any further as he waited for me to process and respond to the foreign motion.
In a delayed reaction, the moment hit me all at once, endorphins, and bliss, and desire flooding my body and brain as I registered the warmth of Dabi's mouth for the first time...ever.
Holy. Shit. Is it bad to say it's even better than my fantasies?
Instantly, the spark I'd kept trying to deny for these past months came back harder and stronger than it ever has. I allowed it to willingly settle into the pit of my stomach as I sensed his lips meshed against mine. His quirk wasn't activated, but they felt so hot against my own. So good, and so full.
I've never felt anything like it. I don't just mean the sensation of his rough bottom lip and piercings tickling me so perfectly...
I mean, that I've truly never felt anything like....the feeling of my stomach and my heart squeezing simultaneously at a kiss that barely had Dabi and I touching lips. It seriously felt as if him and I have been waiting literal years for this moment, even though we've only known each other a few months.
Instantly, I felt a pull to him that I've never felt with anyone else, not realizing how much I needed Dabi to kiss me until he finally did. Not realizing how fucking strong and incredible it would feel until he did.
An immediate tingle of overwhelming pleasure and emotion shot through my veins, making its way throughout my entire body quicker than I could process. I haven't kissed a lot of guys in my day. I haven't been kissing Dabi for longer than a few seconds. But, instantly, I already know without a doubt that this is the best kiss I've ever had.
It was much gentler than anything I ever expected from him. In my fantasies, I always imagined him rougher. Confident. One to take charge of everything from the very beginning.
But, he hadn't stopped breathing when he pressed our lips together, with the vapor from his nose puffing out softer, but faster to show his own version of nerves from the moment.
So cute.
If anything, he almost seemed awkward about the moment, acting like it was his first kiss-as he didn't seem to know where to go from here, where to put his hands, and not knowing if he should pull away or go in deeper to get a better taste.
Maybe it was his first kiss. He doesn't seem like a kissing type-stop overthinking!
And, once my initial shock of the moment had cleared away, I instantly let him know how to progress.
Instantly letting him know that I needed more.
Not giving him the chance to overthink things and pull away, I slowly snaked my hands from his wrists to the back of his head, letting my eyes fall all the way closed now as I guided him through it.
Naturally, my head relaxed back against the ground fully, my body practically melting into it as Dabi's lips turned me to mush.
I pulled him down closer by the back of his head, feeling the overwhelming need to deepen everything as I immediately buried a hand in his hair and molded my mouth flush to his own.
He breathed out heavily as I finally began reciprocating, surprisingly allowing me to take the lead on the kissing stuff as he gripped the back of my neck tighter to keep me close.
Gradually, I buried my fingers tighter in his hair, feeling my body heating up as I was quick to lose myself in the moment.
Dabi seemed to be no different, not even bothering to try and hide how much he enjoyed this as a soft groan if need emitted from his throat.
His groan turned into a small stutter of breath when I barely broke away and let my mouth open a little more, allowing the tip of my tongue to glide along his lower lip in hints for something deeper.
I need it all deeper. Already, I need more.
Dabi's mouth opened softly at the actions, not necessarily because he seemed to pick up on my hints, but to let out a heated gasp at the feeling of my tongue.
His breath gradually began to deepen as he snaked his fingers to the roots of my hair, letting me take control and escalate our innocent kiss.
I pulled him impossibly closer by the back of his head, deepening the kiss and allowing myself to get a better taste of his mouth.
Remnants of smoke and expensive champagne still lingered in his taste from Midas' mansion party. His eyes rolled closed in content at the feeling of my hotter lips as he relaxed and let me explore his mouth further.
A soft hum involuntarily reverberated from my chest as the moment became more desperate, with Dabi instantly starting to get more comfortable and familiar as his lips pushed back against mine.
A low groan sounded from his throat as our lips mingled together a little more heatedly, before he pulled away for air like a flustered teenager.
"Damn. I've wanted to do this for too fucking long. Seriously, you have no idea..." he huffed out heatedly, not giving me the chance to respond as the craving for my kiss instantly overtook him once more.
I allowed him to get his fix, because I needed his, letting both of his hand snake to the back of my head now. His fingers settled in the roots of my hair as he craned his neck down a little deeper.
With first kiss jitters gone, I felt the effects of his next kiss bubble throughout my entire body, letting my anticipation and nerves slowly replace with need and desire.
My brows furrowed and my eyes closed in pleasure as Dabi's actions immediately became more fluid, his body more relaxed, and his breath more heated as time went on.
He mimicked my earlier movements of the kiss, mingling his mouth against mine slowly, darting the tip of his tongue along my lips every so often before pushing deeper to taste me further.
He's a fast learner, I see.
A small moan involuntarily escaped me as his tongue began to clash with mine now, causing him to huff lustfully and slam his lips down to mine impossibly harder.
Every now and then, his kisses began to get a little faster and off synch from his excitement, causing me to grip his hair and pull his mouth away a bit; silently reminding him to kiss slowly and match my pace once more.
For a guy who claims to fuck the world, there's something adorable about the innocence of his first possible kiss. He's not Dabi right now. He's whoever he used to be.
One of his hands balanced on the ground next to my head, ensuring he'd be able to keep himself propped above me, so as not to crush my body.
But, his frame slowly started sliding down atop mine, the more lost in the moment he became, before I felt my own hands starting to wander from his hair, down to his back.
His muscles strained as I grazed them softly, instantly making me wish his shirt was off so I could feel them bare.
My breaths slowly turned into pants as Dabi took control over the moment once I became more physical, resting his body atop mine now as he moved both hands to my head.
I'd say I was becoming more lost in the present time than he was, but that simply wasn't true as he couldn't bring himself to hide any bit of pleasure he was feeling, pulling away for much needed oxygen a few seconds later to look at me.
Not realizing how worked up I'd gotten over the kiss, I felt my chest heaving up and down as my head fell back against the cherry blossoms.
Dabi's fingers gently ran up my neck, and to my jaw, studying my blissed out expression intensely. I felt high off the moment, unable to open my eyes as the ghost touch of his lips and his hands still tickled my skin, causing a dazed smile to form on my swelling lips as I spoke.
"Oh my god..." I breathed out lustfully, hearing Dabi chuckle softly as he slid his thumb to my bottom lip.
I kept my eyes closed as he pushed his thumb past my puffy lips, grazing the top of my bottom teeth and the tip of my tongue.
I slowly opened my dazed eyes as he grazed his thumb on the inner part of my bottom lip, seeing his pupils dilated and assuming mine were the same.
Through my haze, I checked the features of his face to see how he was feeling...
And, despite what Dabi likes to think about himself...right now? He was feeling a lot. And I don't even think he cares. Especially with his next words.
"And we're just getting started. I'm not fucking done with you." He murmured heatedly, smirking softly against my lips before he pulled me back in again.
I smiled into the kiss, losing all coherency as my mind was clouded with nothing but him. We became more comfortable, more forgetting of the night's transgressions and the previous moments as we pulled the other closer and devoured each other's lips once more....the soft kisses turning into something more heated as countless moments went by.
Dabi ran his hand back to my jaw, caressing it softly with his fingers as his other hand went to my waist.
A more pronounced, touch starved moan fell from my throat this time at the simple feeling, but it muffled right into Dabi's own mouth as he squeezed the curves of my waist tightly allowing himself to get lost in the kiss.
"Fuck. You need to be touched more often, huh?" Dabi said huskily, voice thick with lust as he gripped my waist harder.
I was no different, running my hands along his back, and his hair, and any place I could grab as I pressed him against me tighter, feeling my body touch starved, my heart beating out of my chest, and my head feeling dizzy in the best way.
"I...I need to be touched by you." I panted out with no reservations, mind too high on my own desires as I pulled Dabi down on me to close the impossible distance.
His brows furrowed in want and his cheeks flushed red at my words about him, encouraging my confidence as he ran his hand along my hips now.
"I'll touch you, little sapphire. I'll touch you all over. Anywhere you want." He breathed out against my lips, becoming starved of their taste as he quickly pushed his tongue past my lips once more.
Seeming to be more confident with the body stuff than he was the kissing stuff, Dabi's hand trailed from my waist down to the side of my thigh, gripping it tightly before tugging on it.
Immediately getting the idea, I wrapped my legs around his waist, caging his hips against mine and causing us both to shift at the friction of pleasure, before our kisses quickly melted into a makeout.
No matter how much I tried to memorize the feeling of his lips, my brain was too far gone to think about anything, only able to pull him closer and kiss him harder until both of our lips were surely hurting.
The needy ache in my body forced me to pull away from Dabi's lips in a lusted craze, blurting out the thoughts ringing through my mind and....other places!
"I want you, Dabi. God, I need you now. Please." I panted out, causing Dabi to bury his face in my neck immediately since my lips were occupied with talking.
He didn't respond right away, but let me know exactly how he was feeling as his mouth suctioned to my neck, immediately latching on to a sensitive area and causing my breath to hitch.
I've never felt this needy for someone in my life.
"How can I say no when you beg like that?" He huffed out against my skin, breath searing my pulse point in a way that made goosebumps rise so good.
My mouth fell open with a silent gasp at the new feeling of his lips on my sweet spot, causing my head to fall back against the ground and my eyes to close in bliss as I began to shiver with excitement.
Sensing the effect he was having on me, his hand began creeping up my shirt and his hips starting to move and create friction against mine, forcing me to remember where we were before things got too heated.
That's out in the open in case you've forgotten.
"B..But not here." I followed up with a hoarse chuckle, whining softly in pleasure and frustration when Dabi lightly sucked on my neck.
Regardless, he took my cue...huffing heavily against my neck as he pulled away a few moments later, hovering his face above mine once more.
His lips were swollen and kissed out. Eyes hazy with sin and face flushed with pleasure. I'm sure my features were no different.
"What, having the deer watch us fuck doesn't sound appealing to you?" He questioned teasingly, causing me to giggle and slap his shoulder.
Even so, I couldn't say I was flustered.
Because the keyword of my sentence was not here. It doesn't mean, not tonight.
But, first...
"Well....technically..." I began raspily, causing Dabi to groan lightly and face plant directly into my chest.
"No. Stop. Whatever 'technically' thing you're gonna say, I don't care-" he muffled out from my breasts, before I continued.
"Technically, there aren't actually any deer out here. Only chipmunks, rabbits, and owls." I finished, pressing my lips together humorously before his fingers came up and flicked the side of my head.
"Ow!" I followed up with a laugh, giving the side of Dabi's head a soft smack.
He lifted his head from my chest a few seconds later, gracing me with one of his rare, soft, half lidded smiles as he spoke.
"I hope you know you're still a pain in my ass." He murmured warmly, slowly leaning in back towards my lips for another kiss.
I pressed mine to his lazily, humming softly as I gently twirled my fingers in his hair.
"And you are too." I followed up, causing him to chuckle dazedly as I playfully grazed my lips on his.
"Oh? I'm a pain in the ass? That's a swear word, you know." He uttered, slowly leaning in and gently sinking his teeth into my bottom lip.
"You're a pain in my butt." I corrected pointlessly, already knowing I've sworn quite a bit tonight.
Dabi rolled his eyes lightly and kissed me again, speaking softly now against my lips.
"So stubborn. I still hate you, sunshine." He whispered quietly, smiling when he saw me smile and speak warmly.
"And I hate you more, Dabi."
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The next chapter will be a 14,000 word smut chapter titled 'Touya & Vi.' It's available on patreon only
thank you guys for your comments and votes. Hope you enjoyed this!
Thank you to kariumi443 for making the beautiful pic of Dabi and Violet's moment. Love ya, talented friend <3
Next chapter title: Touya & Vi.
Thank you to KittyStealer for the beautiful ko-fi banner! *cough* the words are a quote from next chapter....✨