I open my eyes, finding myself on my bed. I then recall the events of last night, prompting me to sit up and head to the living room. I open my bedroom door, spotting that indeed Touya is sound asleep on my couch. The antibiotics must've kicked in really well for him to be so sound asleep. Who knows how long he was out in his condition. I take a quick shower and get ready to prepare food for us.
'Who knows how long it's been since he's had a proper meal…' I think to myself.
The sound of sizzling and the smell of food fill the air. Touya slowly opens his eyes, staring up at the ceiling. At first he's unsure of where he's at but recalls the events from last night. His eyes glance at the clock on the wall. It's almost noon. He hears activity in the kitchen and makes his way over.
"Oh…" I'm surprised to see him. "You're awake."
"Yeah…" he quietly says.
"How are you feeling?"
"Much better but still in some pain."
"A couple more nights of antibiotics will do you good. Now…" I sit at the dining table. "Let's eat."
On the table are two plates with pancakes, sausage, and scrambled eggs. Two glasses of orange juice and milk accompany them. Touya sits across from me, being careful with his wound.
"Eat well," I say. "You'll need it."
Touya nods and begins to eat with me. There's a moment of silence as we eat our breakfast. Touya looks over at me, noticing my pensive face. He knows I'm still processing the fact that he's here in my apartment, alive.
"So what happened to you?" I break the silence as I eye his wound.
"I ran into some trouble…" he keeps his gaze away.
"What kinda trouble do you get in to get stabbed like that?" I lightly laugh.
Touya looks down at his plate in silence. I wonder why he's so quiet. I decide not to pry and continue eating my food. Touya glances up at me, noticing my tired eyes. He knows I was up crying last night. He isn't surprised and feels bad.
"Listen…" he holds his fork. "I know you have a lot of questions…"
"There's no need to rush into that," I say. "I'm sure you've been through enough… You'll tell me when you're ready."
Touya is surprised at my response. Despite probably wanting so many answers to so many questions, I remain respectful to him.
"I'll have to go out and buy some clothes you can wear while you're here," I say. "I'll put your clothes to wash once you've got something else to wear."
"You don't have to do that," Touya declines.
"I don't mind. I need to do some grocery shopping anyway."
Touya stares at my caring face. How long had it been since he received it?
"I'll get going," I stand after finishing my food.
I head over to the kitchen counter and grab the bottle of antibiotics, taking a pill out.
"Make sure to take another one after you're done eating," I place the pill next to his cup of orange juice. "I should be back in an hour."
I'm about to walk away until he takes a hold of my wrist. I turn to him in surprise.
"Don't tell anyone about me…" he pleads.
"I figured," I reply.
Touya sees I'm avoiding his gaze. After a moment, he lets go of my wrist. I walk over to my balcony, close the curtains to the four panel glass and lock the sliding door.
"Just lay low," I tell him from the front door.
Touya gives me a slow nod before I head out.
"She's still so sweet…" he continues to eat his food.
Touya wakes up to the sound of bags rustling. He opens his eyes and sees me standing at the end of the couch.
"Sorry to wake you," I say.
"It's fine," Touya carefully sits up. "How was your trip to the store?"
"Rather quick. Just bought some groceries and stopped by the clothing store."
I pull out a couple of grey t-shirts, a pair of black jeans, grey sweatpants, a pack of black socks and boxers, and a pair of grey gym shoes and slippers.
"I hope this is enough," I finish laying out the clothes on the couch. "I don't know how long you'll stay but it's good to have plenty."
"Sorry to be such a bother," Touya says.
"Bother? This was rather fun shopping for someone other than myself," I smile sheepishly. "I only hope that everything fits you."
Touya gets to his feet, wincing a bit from his wound. He grabs a grey t-shirt, boxers, socks, and the sweatpants.
"The bathroom is over here," I show him. "I'll prepare the shower for you."
I turn on the warm water in the walk-in shower, checking to see if the temperature is alright. Touya walks into the bathroom, waiting for me to finish.
"Adjust it to your needs," I tell him. "And towels are in this cabinet," I open the cabinet.
Touya nods and I exit the bathroom, closing the door after me. He places the new clothes on the counter and begins to undress, slowly taking his shirt off because of his wound. He then enters the walk-in shower and slides the frosted glass door closed. The warm water hits the top of his head and runs down the rest of his body. Streams of black water run down the drain as his white hair reveals. He leans one hand against the navy colored tiles, standing in silence.
'How am I going to break it to her?' He thinks to himself.
I'm sitting on the white leather couch. After about ten minutes, the bathroom door opens. Touya walks out wearing the new clothes and holding the old clothes in his arms. My brows rise a bit at the sight of his white hair - his natural hair. I head over as I stare up at him in awe, not having seen him in years.
"You're into hair dye, huh?" I try to lighten the mood.
"Yeah…" he avoids my gaze.
I can see he's nervous as he rubs his neck.
"Do the clothes fit?" I ask.
"Yeah, they're comfortable," Touya replies.
"I'll go ahead and wash these," I take his worn out clothes and towel. "The jacket is ready to wash too. I'll just need to wash this bloody white shirt separately with hydrogen peroxide."
I head over to the laundry room next to the bathroom. I toss the clothes inside the washer, pour detergent into it, and start the wash. I head over to the sink and pull out a bucket from the cabinet under it. I fill it with water, pour hydrogen peroxide in it, and dunk the bloody shirt into the bucket. I leave it to soak until the clothes are done washing.
"The rest of the clothes should fit fine," I walk back to the living area. "Everything is the same size."
I fold the rest of the new clothes up and put it in the store bag, leaving it on the couch. Touya sits on one end while I sit at the other. I grab the remote on the glass coffee table and turn the mounted television on. The news headlines mention crimes have gone up throughout the city and Japan.
"Well that's no surprise," I watch. "We traded in the Symbol of Peace. All Might's weakened body has been exposed to the world, and there's no longer a Symbol of Peace that will never be defeated….Not for the citizens or for the villains. That's what happens when we rely on one person," I sigh and shrug.
"What do you think will happen now?" Touya asks.
"No doubt these criminals will gravitate to a mind that's focused on a goal… Like your friends in the League of Villains...Dabi."
Touya turns his head to me with raised brows. I keep my eyes up at the television, feeling his gaze on me.
"How did…" he's surprised.
"Reports of a man with a patchwork face was seen going into a building that was supposed to be vacant," I explain. "That same building was where Katsuki Bakugo was taken when kidnapped. The reports say the man looked to be in his twenties. Investigators checked records for past criminals but didn't see anything notable. One of the villains who kidnapped the student had the same markings."
Touya stares at me in disbelief.
"When did you realize it?" He asks.
"Last night when I saw you without your jacket on," I reply. "I also recognized it was you, Touya."
"You knew I was Dabi, a member of the League…yet you still helped me?"
"I recognized it was you before I recognized you were a villain."
Touya stares at me in awe.
"I didn't waste my time with the Commission," I joke.
My eyes lower as my smile fades away. Touya can tell what I'm thinking and feels bad.
"Don't worry," I say. "I won't say a word to anyone about you or your involvement with the League. About everything."
Touya feels guilty for making me go against my own morals. How does a pro hero look housing a wanted criminal? Out of most heroes, he knows I'm one with a good heart.
Touya and I are sitting at the dining table, eating dinner. I prepared beef soba noodles with chopped chicken, steamed broccoli, rice and cut up pineapple for dessert.
"So how'd you get stabbed again?" I ask.
"The League is recruiting members," Touya replies. "I ran into some sketchy whack jobs and one of'em stabbed me."
"So it is true. The League is scouting comrades. Are they all following Stain's ideology?"
"Most do...but the leader has a warped sense of it."
"Shigaraki," I say and Touya nods.
"I'll be honest, I didn't think the League had a just cause...but after all that's happened with the fall of All Might, things are becoming clearer. I was supposed to meet up with the League last night to evaluate possible recruits, but I wasn't in the best condition to do so."
I finish chewing my noodles as I gaze up at Touya.
"Do you agree with the League and its goal?" I ask.
"I will carry out the will of the hero killer," he replies. "You must think I'm dangerous."
"I won't say that murdering people is just, but I will say that I understand why you'd carry on his will…Because I agree that the true moral of being a hero has been lost."
Touya looks up to me in surprise.
"Once heroes receive compensation to protect people, they aren't heroes anymore," I explain. "That is Stain's teaching…. The strange system of transforming people's lives into money or glory...The society that sticks tight to those rules...The citizens who blame the losers rather than encourage them...Our fight is to question: What is a hero? What is justice? Is this society truly just? Everyone will be thinking about it… With the movement of criminals looking to find their place, I believe the League of Villains plans on winning."
"Then why are you a hero?" Touya asks.
"Because I stick to the true morals of what it means to be a hero. I don't seek fame or money. I seek justice and the means to make the world a better place."
Touya isn't at all surprised. He's known why I became a hero since we were kids.
"So tell me…" I look up at him. "Why are you a villain?"
"As I've said before," Touya says. "I will carry on Stain's will, to destroy this hero society...We'll fill those heroes full of holes... and put them in their place. All for a brighter future."
I see that Touya is fully committed to his goal. A part of me is saddened by it, but I completely understand why.
"I'll get outta your hands once my wound gets better," he says.
"And then what?" I ask. "You'll disappear again?"
Touya can hear the hurt in my voice. I stop myself from tearing up, holding back my emotions. I decide not to continue asking questions and just finish my dinner. The rest of our time is silent.