Chapter Text
Chapter One
It felt like you were suffocating. The living room was stuffy, sweltering even, and the oppressive heat seeped into your skin. Summer was at its peak, and your family’s apartment felt too small, the walls too close. Your father felt that air conditioning was a luxury he couldn’t afford and so you were left to suffer the humidity. The housing estate you lived on was cheap, and it looked it. Blocks of apartments spanned across a miserable balcony; the flats cramped close together as the landlord had clearly tried to get his money’s worth.
The wool of your cardigan itched and you longed to trade it in for a comfortable cotton shirt but your conservative father didn’t like it when too much skin was on show.
It was four in the evening. Father wouldn’t be home for another hour and your mother had already passed out in her room, nursing her nightly bottle of gin. Surely no one would notice if you left the apartment for just ten measly minutes? The door wasn’t locked anyway, your father believed you to be too meek, too well-trained, to even attempt wandering off on your own and you smiled slightly at the thought of your little rebellion as you opened the front door.
The air outside was still, but under the shade of the above apartments it was a welcome relief. You walked up to the balcony which overlooked the apartment’s courtyard and sighed. One day, you thought, one day I’ll be able to get the fuck out of here and I’ll never come back. It was a happy thought and you were too busy relishing in it to hear the opening of a door, and the accompanying sound of approaching footsteps.
“Hey.” The voice was low and slightly harsh. You noticed that there was a huskiness to the way the man spoke as though he has smoked too many cigarettes. At that thought, the man reached into his pocket and grabbed one out of a crumpled packet.
“Hi,” you replied shyly, unsure of how to handle this. It had been so long since you’d spoken to someone new, so long since you’d been in the presence of a man who wasn’t your father…How did people do this socialising thing again?
The left corner of the man’s lips rose slightly as he glanced at you. He seemed amused, but it didn’t feel as though he was mocking you, it was more like he was inviting you to delve into a conversation.
Everything about the man was dark. He had messy black hair, black clothing and tanned, almost charred, skin. Everything was dark except for his eyes. Those were a brilliant blue; they were the heart of a flame. You felt yourself drawn into them in a way you had never been drawn into anything before.
“You want one?” The man brought out a cigarette towards you, held languidly in his long fingers.
You shook your head. There had been enough rebellion for one day.
He scoffed slightly. “Smart choice.” He considered his unlit cigarette. “These things will kill you.”
Then he did something amazing. He put the cigarette to his full lips and moved his hand in front of his mouth. Blue flame, calm and controlled, emerged from his fingertip as he used the fire to light his cigarette. Even from that small flame, you could sense the sheer power exuding from the man’s quirk. You could even feel the heat which emanated from the flame. His quirk was clearly incredible and it had been so long since you had seen a quirk in action.
“Your quirk is so cool!” You blurted, unable to conceal your awe. “Do you like it?”
The man regarded you coolly for a while and you wondered if he’d heard you. You couldn’t help but worry that you had somehow insulted him by asking about his quirk. Quirks were often a private affair, but the fact that he’d performed his so brazenly in front of you suggested that he wouldn’t mind if you asked about it.
“…It has its perks,” he said, exhaling a small puff of smoke as he tapped the cigarette butt on the balcony, spilling ash onto the floor. The apartment complex was littered with “no smoking” signs but the man either didn’t notice or he just didn’t care. You presumed it was the latter. “It helps out in the winter,” he offered, “at least I don’t have to fork out a fortune for heating.”
You nodded, smiling slightly. “I’ll bet.” You fidgeted, feeling restless in the heat. The man noticed and looked over at you again. “Do you know what the time is please?”
He reached into his jeans pocket and grabbed his phone. “It’s 4:30.” Okay, half an hour and then I have to move. “Why, you got places to be? A cute girl like you must have a shit ton of friends, right?”
A bitter laugh sprung from your lips before you could stop it. Friends? When had you last had them? When you were four, maybe? “No, I just have to get back soon, that’s all.”
The man nodded towards your front door. “At least it’s a short commute.” You smiled, but otherwise remained silent. The idea of going back home brought down your mood considerably.
“So…” he began as he took another drag from his cigarette, “you got a name?”
“Yeah, I’ve got one.” He smiled slightly at that. “It’s (y/n).”
He tested out your name on his tongue and something about the way he spoke, how he seemed to savour each letter, how he didn’t spit your name out like a bad taste in his mouth as so many others had before him, sent shivers down your spine. “It’s a pretty name for a pretty girl.”
You blushed, unsure how to process any sort of praise or compliments. His slightly flirtatious nature threw you off a bit, but there was a certain charm to him which evaded any creepiness which so often accompanied outwardly flirty behaviour. He didn’t push too far, and you like that.
“Thanks. What about you? What’s your name?”
“Dabi.” He paused, looking at you for the longest time. His eyes searched your face and you realised that he was looking for a reaction to his name. It then occurred to you that this man, with his incredible quirk and his confidence might be someone famous. Could he even be a…hero? Your heart stuttered at the thought. Meeting a hero was a dream come true, and this man was your next-door neighbour!
“Don’t you know who I am?” He didn’t sound offended, merely curious but it embarrassed you all the same. Television was something your father considered a luxury and you didn’t have a phone or any real access to the outside world. Your knowledge of the current heroes and villains was sparse.
You rubbed the back of your neck as you turned to him, an apology written all over your face. “No. I’m so sorry but I’ve never heard of you…my dad…uh, he doesn’t let me watch tv.” You chuckled nervously, aware of how uncultured you sounded. “I’m sure you’re amazing though- it’s a real honour to meet a hero in person!”
He scoffed and raised his eyebrows. “A hero? I’m not a- “he stopped for a second, the pause so brief you could have imagined it. “I’m not like a major Pro or anything so I’m not surprised you’ve never heard of me. Don’t even worry about it.”
You smiled at him. He was so modest! “Well, I still think that’s really awesome. I’d love to spend my time helping people if I could!”
He nodded slightly in response and you both stood in silence for a while, neither of you knew exactly what to say to each other. “So…” he began, pausing momentarily as though he was weighing his words. “That looks like one hell of a bruise.” He gestured to your right eye, a slight grimace on his face. Instinctively your hand rushed to your face to cover the offending area. Damn it! You’d completely forgotten about your black eye. Your father had come home in one of his moods last night, your mother didn’t have his dinner ready and you were particularly sullen that night. One thing led to another and you fulfilled your duty as his favourite punching bag.
“Oh that,” you giggled nervously as you pushed a strand of hair behind your ear, “I-“
“No. Let me guess,” Dabi interrupted, his voice as low and harsh as you had ever heard it. “You fell down the stairs. No- you tripped and banged your head on the counter. You slipped in the shower. Or maybe you just walked into your old man’s fist.”
Your face blanched at that last comment. He had hit the nail on the head and he knew it.
“Yeah, I thought so,” he sighed as his cool eyes assessed you. Dabi took a long drag of his cigarette and flicked more ash onto the concrete floor. You stared at the fallen flakes fixedly. You regretted your decision to reject Dabi’s offer to have a smoke. You needed an outlet for your newfound nervous energy.
“I used to be real clumsy too,” Dabi’s voice was distant and you guessed that he was thinking about his past. “I walked into my dad’s fist so many times I lost count.” He looked at you for a long while then, and you fought the urge to turn away, to shield yourself from his piercing gaze. “Parents are assholes. You’ve gotta learn to look yourself, no one else is going to do it for you. Once you realise that, life becomes just that little bit easier.”
“Hmm.” You weren’t sure if you agreed with that. At the end of the day, it was all easier said than done. He’d managed to escape the abuse (how had you not noticed the scars which were littered across his body?) whilst you were still living in your own personal hell. How were you supposed to look after yourself, care for yourself, when your tormenters lived in the same tiny space as you? It was hopeless.
“You want me to put something on that?” Dabi gestured to your eye again as you snapped out of your temporary melancholia. “I’ve got some cold compresses inside, might even have some concealer if you wanted it covered up.”
You considered this for a moment. The offer was tempting for a few reasons. Firstly, the bruise did still sting slightly and it would be nice to get out of the heat for a while. But there a more selfish reason. This man was offering to take care of you and it had been so long since you’d experienced the nurturing touch of someone else. Your whole body ached for it.
Still… going into someone else’s apartment was risky. Besides the obvious reason that the two of you were practically strangers, your father would absolutely lose his mind if he found out. You glanced across at Dabi who was looking at you expectantly. Was it worth it? Was he worth it? Yes, you decided. Yes.
“What’s the time?” You asked once more, conscious that your father would arrive soon.
“It’s been ten minutes since the last time you asked, doll.” Doll. You blushed a little. Okay, so you had twenty minutes until he finished work, that gave you around half an hour in total before you absolutely had to be back inside.
“Okay, yes please Dabi. I’d really appreciate the help.”
Dabi smiled reassuringly. He had probably sensed your hesitation. He carelessly chucked his cigarette over the balcony and opened his front door. “After you,” he gestured and you went inside Dabi’s apartment.
Immediately after entering, you were hit with a wave of cold air and it was delicious. You couldn’t help the sigh which escaped your lips and you heard Dabi chuckle softly from behind you. “Killer aircon, huh?” Dabi cut in front of you to pull out a chair for you at his kitchen table. “I run pretty hot so let me know if you want me to turn it down.”
“No,” you replied, settling into the plastic seat, “it’s perfect. It’s so hot at my place. Father says air conditioning spoils you.” Dabi raised an eyebrow, his jaw set in a hard line at the mention of your father but he said nothing.
“You want something to drink?” he asked, opening his fridge before you could answer. “Do you like iced tea?” He pulled a bottle out of the fridge.
“I…I don’t know,” you replied sheepishly, “I’ve never had it before.”
“Never had it before? What, let me guess, your old man thinks it’s a ‘luxury’ or some shit.” You nodded, flinching slightly at the curse word.
“I only drink water mostly, but we’re allowed coffee on Saturdays and sometimes he buys juice when he gets paid.” Dabi looked at you with pity in his eyes and you rushed to reassure him. “I’ve had some other stuff before though! I get a glass of lemonade on my birthday and on Christmas and it’s really good.” You blathered on, imploring yourself to shut up but something stopped you. It was the way Dabi listened to you, like he could listen to you all day which kept you talking. It made you feel free somehow.
“That’s real sad, doll. You deserve better.” Dabi looked at you sadly before turning around to open a cupboard. He pulled out two glasses. “I’m gonna make you an iced tea. This is an exciting moment. I think you’ll really like it, you know. It’s sweet, like you,” he added that last part with a wink and you felt your cheeks flush once more. This man was just too much! Dabi poured the drinks and placed your glass in front of you.
“Bon appetit,” he joked, “I’m going to go and grab the first aid stuff. I’ll be right back.”
You picked up your glass as you watched him leave. Hesitatingly, you took a small sip and practically had to stop yourself from moaning out loud. It was delicious! So sweet, so cold and refreshing. It had so much flavour too! You guzzled it down just before Dabi returned. He eyed the glass and raised an eyebrow. “Guessed you liked it, huh? Want some more doll?”
Blushing once more at the nickname, you nodded happily, “yes please!” Dabi complied, pouring another glass and setting it down in front of you.
He pulled his chair over so that he was directly across from you with only a small space separating the two of you. You could feel his body heat and you bristled slightly. It was strange to be this close to someone and to be so unafraid. He was…calming? No, that wasn’t it. Reassuring, maybe? You just felt some sense of mutual understanding between yourself and the hero, perhaps you were kindred spirits. It all seemed so ridiculous considering the short space of time which had passed, but you just trusted him.
Leaning in slightly, Dabi brushed a strand of hair away from your eyes. “It’s an antiseptic wipe so it might sting just a little. You’ve got a cut just under that bruise so I figured better to be safe than sorry.” You winced slightly as he placed the wipe on your cut. He was gentle as he swiped at your scratch. “There.” He handed you a cold compress. “Just hold this on the bruise and it should stop it stinging as much.” You smiled softly at his kindness, pressing the compress on your face. “Your dad packs a hell of a punch, huh?”
You shrugged slightly. “It’s…fine. I mean, it’s not, you know, fine but I’m used to it. He’s so stressed all the time and I never know the right thing to say so really, I just get in the way you know and I annoy him so really, I’m just asking for it.” You were rambling again. Dabi probably didn’t want to hear all of this.
“Don’t you dare say that.” The sharpness of Dabi’s voice sliced through the air and you flinched a little. “You didn’t ask for it and you didn’t deserve it. Your dad’s just an asshole. That’s all there is to it. People like your father will push, and beat, and break you down until there’s nothing left. Trust me, I know.” His voice was quieter, softer even, and you knew that something awful had happened to this man, something that had forced him to be hard and resilient, to form an outer shell in order to protect himself. “Don’t let him do that to you.” Dabi’s piercing eyes stared into your unsure ones earnestly. What were you supposed to say to someone who was so sincere? Someone who knew what you were going through?
“I won’t. I promise.” You sighed as you removed the compress. Dabi was right; it did feel better. “So,” you started, wanting to change the subject, “what’s it like being a hero?” Dabi looked puzzled for a moment though that was probably because you had changed the subject so abruptly. “Wha-oh yeah, it’s really…rewarding. I try to stay out of the public eye though so I kind of still get to do my own thing unlike All Might or Hawks. I just like the freedom, you know? Plus, it’s nice to get some use out of my quirk. It makes me feel in control.”
You nodded. Being in control sounded good. It sounded like paradise, really. “Your quirk looks really powerful too. Fire quirks are so impressive. I don’t know many heroes, but I watched Endeavour once and-”
“-How about you?” Dabi blurted, cutting you off which was a little strange, but you let it slide. “I’ve shown you mine, now you show me yours.” When you didn’t respond, he leaned back in his seat, hands behind his head, and a slight smirk danced on his lips. “What’s your quirk, doll?”
Ah. Of course, he’d want to know. Quirks were usually an intimate part of person’s character, but it was common courtesy to tell someone yours if they had entrusted you with theirs. “Oh, I’m quirkle-” The lie you had told countless times to many people for so long was on the tip of your tongue, desperate to present itself and yet you hesitated. You couldn’t bring yourself to lie to this man. And why should you? Chances were you’d never see him again anyway. Besides he was a hero, he wouldn’t hate your quirk or think you were a freak like the rest of your family did. You cleared your throat. You were resolute. You could do this.
“So, I call it Storm,” you paused, taking a deep breath. “I can basically do whatever a storm can do. I can make it rain within a certain radius, make lightning come from my fingers, create high winds and make thunder which could probably temporarily deafen someone if used correctly…” You trailed off, intimidated by his suddenly intense gaze. He wasn’t put off by you; he was fascinated. You had no clue how to react to that.
“Sorry…” you said with a small chuckle, “I get nervous when talking about my quirk. I’m not allowed to mention it at home. My father doesn’t like them. He says that they’re unnatural.”
Dabi rolled his eyes. “Let me guess- he’s quirkless?”
You nodded. You’d always suspected that he had been simply jealous of those born with quirks, but you’d never been sure. “Yeah. My mother has a quirk, but it’s just a small one. A water one, I think, though I’m not sure because I only saw her use it once when I was five so I probably don’t remember correctly. But yeah, I guess mine could be pretty powerful, right? I wanted to go to hero school as a kid, but you know…it never could have happened.”
Dabi leaned forward in his chair again, closing the already small gap between you. He grasped your hands desperately; his palms were warm and coarse. “Show me.”
You took a shaky breath and shook your head. You couldn’t. It had been so long since you’d shown it to another person, and you vowed you could never do it again. “I can’t, Dabi. My father would…”
“He’s not here,” Dabi replied firmly. “Please. I want to see it. Show me what you can do. It’ll make you feel free.”
You knew he was right. Whenever you used your quirk in the privacy of your own bedroom, you felt rejuvenated, like you could do anything, be anyone. It was a beautiful feeling and you wanted more than anything to experience it with this man. “Okay. Just- I don’t have much control over it yet and it’s pretty small-scale because I don’t use it much, but okay. Do you have a more open space I could use, just in case?”
Dabi smiled and squeezed your hands before letting go. You tried to ignore the fact that you missed his warmth. “Hell yeah, that’s the spirit. Let’s go into the living room.” The two of you moved into the bigger space. The room was pretty empty save for the threadbare sofa, large TV and stereo system. There were no family photos or decorative items. Maybe this was just a temporary space? You hoped that it wasn’t.
“Okay.” You stood in the middle of the room whilst Dabi stood in the doorway, curiosity etched all over his features as he leaned on the door frame watching you. “Here goes nothing, I guess.”
You took a deep breath, closed your eyes and held out your shaky hands. You tried to clear your mind, purging your thoughts of your cruel father, your distant mother, and the constant fear which threatened to consume you. You pushed it all away and focused solely on the vortex of power within you. You felt the air stir slightly, and then more powerfully, around your feet and you opened your eyes in glee as a small wind swirled around you, gradually getting stronger as your confidence increased.
You looked across at Dabi who offered you an encouraging smile. You took a breath and allowed the lightning to flow through your body. It shot out of your palms, and zipped across the room, hitting Dabi’s wall and leaving scorch marks. “Woah, doll!” Dabi yelled, but you couldn’t listen to him. All you could think about was your quirk. You felt the water hit your skin and found comfort in the warm rain which appeared about your head as it fell in a light shower. This was incredible.
“(y/n)!” Dabi’s yell brought you out of your daze and you stopped. The wind ceased and the rain disappeared as quickly as it had come, leaving a wet patch on Dabi’s carpet.
“Sorry about that,” you said sheepishly, gesturing to the carpet, “got a bit carried away there.”
Dabi shook his head as he looked at you. His face was unreadable, making you panic. “What, Dabi? What is it?”
“You’re amazing.” You felt a glow inside you at Dabi’s words. You had never been called that before. “I thought I was powerful but fuck, (y/n), your quirk is insane. How can you hide this from the world?”
You shrugged as water dripped from your hair onto your feet. “I-” You were about to say that you didn’t have a choice when you were interrupted by loud crashes coming from next door. “What on earth…?” Next door. You froze. Next door- your apartment. You heard a loud roar and you shivered in fear. “Shit! Shit shit shit. Dabi, what time is it?”
Dabi pulled out his phone and frowned at the screen. “Fuck,” he muttered as another yell came through the thin wall, “that’s your dad, isn’t it?”
You couldn’t breathe. You were dead. You were so fucking dead. You’d never be allowed to go outside again; he would lock the doors every time he left now. He was going to hurt you. My god, he’s so mad, what have I done? Fuck, I’m such an idiot. You just couldn’t breathe. You knew you were hyperventilating and crying in front of a man you just met, but you couldn’t bring yourself to care.
“(y/n),” Dabi’s voice sounded funny as you swerved on your feet, “(y/n)”. He was suddenly in front of you- how had he moved that fast? “Doll, it’s going to be okay.” His hands were on your shoulders as he looked into your eyes. “You just need to breathe, okay? I am not going to let that prick hurt you. He doesn’t know that you’re here, okay? So, let’s just breathe and think about that for a second, yeah?” His words made sense and his hands on your shoulders grounded you, but you were still terrified. You took a deep breath in and a deep breath out as you tried to calm yourself.
“Good, yeah, just like that.” Dabi tried to reassure you, but you could tell that he was agitated himself and on high alert. Dabi glanced towards the window and the slight frown which appeared on his face was enough to make you concerned. “Oh fuck- the curtains.”
You turned and felt yourself stiffen in terror. Dabi’s curtains were wide open and he had no blinds so it would have been easy to see in if you were looking through the window which your father most definitely was. You knew how it looked, too. It looked like you and Dabi were embracing and that just made everything so much worse.
Your father’s face was red, and you could see that he was breathing heavily. His hair was a mess from running his hands through it so many times and his mouth was set in a straight line.
One second later and he was hammering on Dabi’s door. “You little fuck!” he yelled. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing with my daughter you piece of trash? Let me in there right fucking now or I swear I will kill you!”
“Tch, I’d like to see your quirkless ass try.” Dabi muttered, rolling his eyes at you as he strode to the front door. You followed timidly, your body trembling as you practically hid behind Dabi. Dabi unlocked the door and managed to dodge just before it would have whacked him in the face as your father violently swung the door open and stepped over the threshold.
“Good evening, sir,” Dabi said sarcastically, “such a pleasure to see you. I love having guests over.” You couldn’t help but notice that his voice was laced in venom.
Your father was not amused. “Drop the attitude and tell my where my daughter is. I know she’s here, the disobedient bitch, so where is she?” Dabi’s body tensed and you knew that he was about to pick a fight with your father which wouldn’t end well for anybody.
“I’m here, father.” You stepped out from behind Dabi. “Please don’t be cross at Dabi. It wasn’t his fault I swear- it was all me.”
“(y/n), no. Don’t do this.” Dabi’s voice was almost pleasing as you faced the full brunt of your father’s anger.
“Oh, I never doubted that it was your fault, you little slut.” The sheer disgust in your father’s voice made you flinch. At least he was in the verbally insulting mood tonight. Hopefully that meant that he wouldn’t hit you. Much.
You bowed your head low. You knew that he needed your submission before he could calm down. “I’m sorry father, I didn’t mean to disobey you. I was wrong to leave home.”
Your father chuckled dryly. “Of course, you meant to disobey me- why else would you come here hmm? Men like him-”, he sneered as he gestured vaguely to Dabi, “just want you for one thing. A quick fuck. You’re not special darling, and you know that. You’re clearly just a slut.” Your father tutted and shook his head slowly, a spectacle of his disapproval. “I’m so disappointed in you. You clearly need to be taught discipline, and it’s my job to correct your mistakes.”
You were still shaking, but your father’s words, which would normally have cut to the core, just bounced off of you. You knew he was wrong about you and Dabi, and you didn’t care what he thought anymore.
“Y-you’re wrong,” you had practically whispered it, but it was loud enough for both Dabi and your father to hear. “Dabi isn’t like that, father, he was nice to me. I just came in for some tea and I’m not a- a slut at all, father, and it doesn’t matter what you think.”
Your father stepped towards you, towering over you as he glowered at you, his nostrils flared at his spat, “you dare answer back to me, you insolent little brat? You’re going to fucking get it this time, (y/n), you really are.” Your father raised his arm, ready to swing for you. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw a flash of Dabi’s light blue as he prepared to come to your defense.
“No!” You screamed and, as you tried to push your father away, your quirk which you had repressed for so long along with all of your fear, anger and sadness, emerged and you pushed your father with the force of lightening. His body was flung across the room as your palms crackled and he hit the wall with a sickening thud. He was unconscious when his body hit the floor.
“Oh my god,” you breathed, “oh my god. Is he…?”
Recovering from the shock of seeing you lose control so spectacularly Dabi rushed over to your father’s body and checked his pulse. “He’s not dead. Just very unconscious. Bastard’s gonna have a sore head when he wakes up.”
You breathed a sigh of relief. You hated him but you were glad that you weren’t a murderer.
“What now?” you asked Dabi, who was still kneeled next to your father’s body. You didn’t miss the way Dabi’s palms lit up on your father’s wrist. Good, you thought, let him burn.
Dabi rose and walked across to you. “Well, we can’t stay here. I know somewhere we can go together. If you want to, that is.”
His eyes were earnest as his hand grasped yours. This could be freedom. “I want to.”
Dabi grinned at you as he pulled you out of the apartment. “Let’s run