The sight of Keigo's tears thrust him back in time. To three years ago. To a night when he woke up crying and shivering. Trapped in a nightmare from childhood, when his father landed blow after blow to his face. Keigo heard him crying from his own bedroom and immediately entered to see what was wrong. Dabi shoved him away at first, still stuck in his own personal hell. But one by one, Keigo kissed away his tears and pulled him back into the light.

He'd never told Keigo the meaning behind the small, subtle little feather tattoos that circled his eyes and swirled on both sides of his face. But the day after his breakdown, he marched into the nearest tattoo parlor for some new ink. Even as he got them done, his skin tingled with the memory of Keigo's feather-light kisses. Now whenever he looked in the mirror, he was faced with visual reminders of the night his lover treated him so gently, as if he were fragile. Healing his heart with small, soft kisses, like down feathers on the wind.

It was the closest he'd ever come to saying "I love you," not that Keigo knew it.

Now, three years later, Dabi watched his lover pull out of the parking lot and drive off. A pain throbbed in his chest that made it hard to breathe. He felt haunted as he watched the red honda civic disappear. Immense guilt overcame him. I thought he was happy...But between the pained expression on Keigo's face, his sobs, and the heartbreak in his voice...he'd made something clear.

Without even trying...I've been hurting him. The idea that he was even capable of something like that...causing that level of pain to one of the only people who made life worth living...was unbearable. He stared down at his hands with blurry eyes, as if he'd used them to physically harm Keigo. I've never seen him cry like that...

With how upset he'd been, Dabi might as well have.

He'd wanted to scoop him up into his arms and hold him. Kiss away his tears. Take away his agony, like Keigo had done for him. But how can I do that when I'm the source of his misery?

~.~

"You might wanna slow down, partner," the bartender said, shooting him a look of concern. "You'll put yourself in an early grave the way you're tossing those back."

Keigo didn't do shots. They were Dabi's thing. But after downing four of them in an hour, he was starting to see their appeal. "If only," he mumbled.

He wasn't entirely sure where he'd ended up. He vaguely remembered driving for hours until his gas tank beeped and blinked at him to be filled. He had to be at least five towns over. He'd never been to this bar before, and he didn't know what their house drinks were. Not that he cared. He'd put anything in his system if it meant forgetting what it was that emotionally destroyed him.

I'm getting there, he thought.

"Jesus," a man said as he took a seat next to him. "Who died?"

Keigo circled the rim of his shot glass. "Me," he answered.

"Looks like," the man replied. "You wanna talk about it?"

Keigo spotted some black mold growing in a corner of the bar's sink where they kept the ice. "Absolutely," he slurred sarcastically. Can't remember what I want to forget but if I think about it too much..."What about you? What brings you to this...fine esh-tab-uh-lish-mint?"

The man actually answered, which told Keigo his sarcasm hadn't been noticed. "My dad's an asshole," he answered.

Keigo glanced at the man out of the corner of his eye with a raised eyebrow. Not exactly original, but...I'll bite. "Most dads are."

The man scoffed, taking a swig of his Samuel Adams. "Yeah. Tell me about it."

Due to Keigo's nonexistent cognitive skills, he took it literally. "Well. Um...mine stole some stuff and killed some people so he's in prison."

The man laughed, until Keigo didn't.

"Crap. I thought you were kidding."

Keigo shrugged. "Most people do. It's fine. He's not actually all that bad. I think in his own way my dad did his best for us. His best just...wasn't good."

"Then he's better than mine," the man mumbled, doing nothing to mask the bitterness in his voice.

He turned to look at the man next to him. He'd bleached and dyed his hair to be a snow-white. His eyes were a familiar color, but Keigo was too blitzed to place where he'd seen it before. He wore a varsity jacket and a light blue sweater with dark-wash jeans. He didn't have any piercings or tats, or at least none Keigo could see. He was cute in a college football player kind of way. Built. Wholesome looking. Didn't look like he would bite. Like a golden lab. Harmless, good with kids, kinda dumb -

"Ever since he retired, he thinks he can come home and act like the past twenty-two years of my life didn't happen."

Keigo fought through the fog hanging over his brain to listen. "What'd he do?"

The man scowled. "Abused us. My sister's ready to forgive him. Even my mom. But not me." He winced. "I can't stand it when he's home. I wanted to go off on him, but when my brother's home...I feel like I don't have any place to talk.

Keigo squinted at him, ignoring the fifth shot waiting for him. "How come?"

The man's expression became somber. "When we were kids, my oldest brother tried to protect us. He ended up taking most of the beatings meant for me. It messed him up." His jaw tightened. "Now we barely see him. And when we do, he just sits there silently, like a statue."

Keigo flushed as Dabi's face rose up in his mind. "I know someone like that. It's hard."

The man nodded. "I can't help but feel like it's my fault. I should've stepped up. Done more to help. It's not fair that he had to be the strong one."

The somberness of the conversation served as a shortcut to sobriety, but Keigo didn't entirely hate it. Talking to this guy is...actually kind of nice. "He sounds like a good guy."

The man smiled sadly, sloshing around his beer pensively. "He is. I wish we were closer. But the second dad's home, he bolts. It makes me resent dad even more. If he wasn't around, I'd get to spend more time with my brother." Suddenly the sadness in his eyes disappeared and he let out a soft laugh. "I'm sorry. We were talking about you and I ended up rambling about my problems."

Keigo shrugged. "Better than wallowing in mine."

The man gave him a playful nudge with his elbow. "Come on, it's your turn. What's got you so bummed out?"

He rubbed his temples, glad he'd done all of his crying in the car. "My friend with benefits."

The man's eyes widened. "What happened?"

Keigo cleared his throat, shoving down the lump that had formed. "I wanted more. He didn't. So I broke it off. That's about it."

"For how long?"

Keigo spoke without a trace of humor. "Since the year they decided gays can marry too."

The man's jaw dropped. "That was six years ago."

"Mhm."

"Jesus Christ," he muttered. "Did you love him?"

"More than anything."

"I'm so sorry."

Keigo shrugged. "I should've figured it out sooner. That's on me."

The man was quiet for a moment before speaking again. "I don't think it was a mistake to hope your love would be returned," he said. "And the fact you committed yourself to the arrangement for that long is a testament to your patience. Both tell me you have a good heart."

Keigo flushed awkwardly. "My mother says the same thing. That I've got too good of a heart."

Natsuo smiled. "She sounds like a smart woman."

They both looked at each other now, more relaxed than before. "I'm glad I got pissed and ran off," the man declared. "And I'm kinda glad this guy let you down."

Keigo raised an eyebrow quizically. "Uh...why?"

The man gave Keigo a once-over. "If it weren't for the assholes in our lives, we never would've met."

For the first time that night, Keigo managed a smile. He lifted his glass. "To assholes, then."

The man looked at Keigo's glass with mirth and raised his own with a clink. "To assholes."

This isn't a good idea, he thought, his gaze flickering between the man's smile and his glass. Is it? Five hours ago...maybe it wouldn't have been. But now...Fuck it. "I'm Keigo."

The man held out his hand for Keigo to shake. "Natsuo," he said.

Keigo shook it warmly, unable to look away from the man's eyes. They reminded him of someone but at the same time, the look in them was completely different. Open. Bright. Curious. He really is kinda cute...

"You hungry? I was gonna grab some grub after this."

Keigo blinked, perplexed. Is he asking me out? On an actual date? "Well, I..." Why not? What reason did he have to say no? It's not like there was a man waiting at home for him. Not one that loved him, anyway. Still. Something about it felt forbidden. Like he was doing something wrong. Breaking some unwritten rule. Dabi flipped his lid over a napkin. If he ever found out about this..."Yeah, actually."

Natsuo grinned reassuringly. "It's on me." He held his card out to the bartender and declared, "Add his drinks to my tab."

Keigo gritted his teeth, tense. "Oh you don't have to - "

" - Don't worry about it," Natsuo insisted. "I haven't wined and dined someone in a long time. It's my pleasure."

Keigo stiffened. He's covering my drinks and he's also gonna pay the check for dinner? Is this what it's like to have a real boyfriend? Or does he just want sex later?

"My town car will be arriving in a few minutes. I apologize for the wait," he said, sounding sincerely sorry.

Keigo blinked, dumbfounded. "Town...car?"

"It's not a good idea for either of us to drive," Natsuo pointed out. "I can give your keys to the family chauffeur and have your car dropped off if you don't mind sharing your address."

An internal panic quickly started to build. Towncar? Family Chauffeur? Covering my drinks?

"As for dinner, I have a reservation at Golden Noodle. But if that's not to your taste, we could go somewhere else."

Keigo blushed. That's the most famous ramen house in the state. Getting a reservation there is impossible. Not to mention the prices are through the roof. "I might not be...dressed for - "

" - I have a room booked, you won't have to worry about that. Besides, you look great."

He must be loaded. Or a celebrity. Or...or... "What did you say your name was?" Keigo asked.

"Natsuo," he repeated. "Natsuo Todoroki."

Keigo's jaw dropped. No fucking way. "As in...Todoroki Enterprises?" They built Loav and Sechz Mall. Our roads. Funded half the city's schools, recreation centers, small businesses...

Natsuo nodded matter-of-factly. "Yup. The company is dad's pride and joy. I went to college for business on a football scholarship. Imagine his delight when I decided paperwork and mahogany desks weren't for me."

Keigo scoffed. "You're telling me...your father...is Enji Todoroki? CEO of - "

" - Yup. And he's an asshole." Natsuo held up his debit card, with the name Enji Todoroki inscribed in the bottom left corner. "So let's go spend his money."

~.~

Izuku played The Chain by Fleetwood Mac as he drove to work. The summer breeze blew through his hair as he made his way down the highway, lifting his spirits.

He felt equal parts excited and apprehensive. He'd worked with lots of people over the years at Cinnabon, and they'd been kind with a few exceptions, but the group of people he watched across the way always seemed to have so much fun. The employees of Hot Topic and Spencers had an unspoken alliance. A bond. Izuku hadn't allowed himself to vocalize it, but part of him always longed to be included. The mall workers in food service had their own clique, but most of them were upstairs in the food court. Izuku, along with a rolled ice cream kiosk and a bubble tea place all the way on the other end of the mall were the only food places on the main floor. It got pretty lonely.

He'd talked a big game yesterday but in truth, he knew the transition from Cinnabon to Hot Topic would not be seamless. Bakugo had been right. Occasionally they had sales and special deals but he'd never done a return before. He'd never really helped someone shop, either. The most he'd been asked were questions like "does this have gluten in it" or "are these vegan?" Most often the answer was no. But Hot Topic had clothes. Bags. Jewelry -

Izuku flushed. What if I catch someone trying to steal something? He hadn't thought of that before. Everything at Cinnabon was behind the cash wrap except for straws and napkins, but when customers took those he didn't exactly consider that "stealing." But Hot Topic sold twenty-dollar shirts. Forty-dollar jeans. Fifty dollar hoodies -

Stop. You're gonna freak yourself out. I'll have to take this one day at a time. Izuku managed to pause his anxiety attack right before pulling into the Loav & Sechz parking lot. Only then did it finally hit him.

I work at Hot Topic. And my boss is...

He sighed as a shudder of pleasure ran down his back. The way Bakugo yelled at him yesterday, it would've looked to anyone that he hated his guts. But Izuku saw it in his eyes. The one thing he'd hoped he'd see if he ever got the chance to get up close.

Bakugo wanted him. All this time...I thought my desire had been one-sided. But it turned out he'd been stealing just as many glances as Izuku.

Izuku popped a cherry-flavored lollipop into his mouth from his glove box and rolled his tinted window back up. He got there early just like he always did. It was so early in the morning the sun hadn't even risen yet.

He had a window of maybe twenty minutes. More than enough time. It didn't usually take him long, even when he tried to make it last. And now he had fresh material to work with from yesterday.

Izuku reclined his seat back and undid the zipper of his jeans. He sighed with relief as his hand made its way between his legs to stroke himself. He tried to go slow at first, biting the stick of his lollipop when his need started to worsen. But he'd stood so close to him he'd been able to smell his deodorant. Hints of the shampoo he used. He'd been oh so close to his mouth. He'd already committed it all to memory, filing it away into his mental spank bank for easy access. The memory was still fresh. Making his pleasure last was going to be difficult this time.

You know what? He thought delightfully. Why don't I apply at Hooters? You said yourself I've got a pretty face. You even had my photo of me pulled up on your phone. I bet you're at home doing exactly what I'm doing. Right now. In bed. Or the shower...

Izuku moaned, bucking his hips into his hand. That was too much. The visual of steam condensing on Bakugo's biceps as he stood and showered. Hot water running down his neck. His chest. His abs. His -

"Oh!" Izuku moaned out loud even with the lollipop in his mouth. He sucked it harder, pretending it was something else. I want to taste you, he thought in agony. No matter what I stuff in my mouth it never fills me. There was only one thing that could satisfy his insane hunger.

Sooner or later, Katsuki Bakugo, he thought. I'm gonna suck you off. I'll shove you down my throat until I'm choking on your hard, hot -

"AAH!" Izuku groaned. That last thought was always what finished him. He tried to stave it off for as long as possible but his hunger always won out. He caught his orgasm just in time so he'd explode into a tissue as opposed to the interior of his car. When he climbed down from his peak he was a drooling, panting mess, his cheeks flushed and his skin hot.

I will seduce that son of a bitch if it kills me, Izuku thought. I won't die without knowing the feeling of his cock in my mouth.

~.~

"You got home late," Dabi noted as Keigo clocked into work.

The ash-blonde feigned ignorance, pasting on a surprised expression. "Did I?"

Dabi returned this little act with a glare. "Where were you?"

Keigo shrugged, brushing past him. "At a bar," he stated nonchalantly. Vaguely.

It maddened him. I waited up for you all night and the whole time you were just getting wasted at a bar? Not to mention Keigo looked completely calm. As if what transpired didn't affect him in the least. There's no way he got over us so quickly, Dabi thought angrily. Yesterday he took off like the world was ending. But now he doesn't seem to be hurting at all. What the hell did he do? "You're not hungover."

"Astute observation," Keigo quipped. He continued to ignore him as he opened the register.

"So you didn't spend the whole night drinking."

"I never said I did."

"But you just said you were at a bar."

"I was."

"Then where did you go after that?"

"I went out for ramen."

Dabi did a mental checklist of all the noodles houses in the area. The nearest Ramen place is an hour from here. And it was way out of Keigo's price range. "Alone?" he asked with crossed arms.

Keigo flushed. "Maybe. Maybe not." He slammed shut the register's cash drawer once he got done counting. "Either way...that's not really any of your business, is it?"

Dabi pulled Keigo against him by the waist of his jeans, making the blonde gasp and blush. "We need to talk about what happened," he muttered under his breath.

"There's nothing to talk about," Keigo snapped, but even as he spoke, he couldn't stop himself from shuddering.

I didn't just tattoo you onto my face, Dabi thought. You're imprinted on my heart, too. I'll kill anyone who thinks they can take you from me. "So that's all it takes? A couple of drinks and a ramen bowl?"

Keigo shrugged as he pasted on an indifferent expression. "We also got gyoza."

Dabi's glare became murderous. "We're done when I say we're done."

The golden eyes that stared back at him were empty. Devoid of emotion. "We were done the minute you decided I wasn't even worth an honorable mention."

I knew it. He's not over me. He's still hurting, he's just putting on a brave face. "What I do in private isn't any of my family's concern."

Keigo's eyes glistened as tears gathered up. "You mean who you do."

"That too," Dabi snapped.

"What do you wanna hear?" Keigo asked harshly. "That I went on a date? That I had an amazing time? That it was nice to talk to someone who actually talked back?! That he didn't let me pay for a damn thing and when I thought he wanted to come upstairs afterward he just kissed my cheek and wished me good ni - "

Dabi threw Keigo over his shoulder and marched to the back room. That's it.

"I'm a grown FUCKING man!" Keigo growled, kicking and fighting him. "You put me down right now, Toya!"

Dabi's jaw tightened. You'll pay for that, baby. He slammed Keigo down onto his back, taking his breath away. "Nothing's changed," Dabi growled. "We had a fight. We'll talk. Fuck. Make up. Then we'll go back to the way things were."

"You mean I'll go back to being your plaything?!" Keigo snapped.

"Yes," Dabi answered without a shred of hesitation.

Keigo's mouth fell open as desire flooded his gaze.

Dabi smirked. Bet you weren't expecting that answer, were you, baby? "I never got to finish you off." With one hand he dismantled Keigo's belt like he was popping the cap off a beer and pulled down his jeans. He'd barely touched him and even through Keigo's boxers, he could see the bulge of his erection. Keigo tried to get up but Dabi pressed his palm into his chest, pushing him back down onto the folding table.

Keigo squirmed and whined, already panting. "We open in ten minutes," he said, trembling as he pulled down his own boxers.

Dabi lightly traced circles on the inside of Keigo's thigh, raising goosebumps on his skin and making him gasp. "You're still pent up from yesterday. We won't need longer than that."

"I don't want this," Keigo gasped as he pressed his leg into Dabi's hand.

"Yes you do," Dabi whispered huskily, gazing down at his lover's arousal. "Pretty badly, apparently."

Keigo moaned as Dabi leaned down and kissed Keigo's thigh.

"Fuck," Keigo mumbled, clenching his eyes shut. "Dabs - "

" - Oh, it's Dabs now?" Dabi asked, taking hold of Keigo's erection and pumping his hand up and down. "What happened to Toya?"

Keigo's mouth formed a delicate "O," as his eyelids fell and he sighed from the pleasure. "Why...aah...don't you...like - "

" - It's the name my father gave me," Dabi growled. "You sure you don't want this?"

Keigo's legs began to shake. His breathing quickened. He clenched the sides of the table to keep himself steady.

He's already close, Dabi realized. "I told you, Keigo," he whispered, pumping his hand faster. "Nothing's changed."

Keigo shook his head, even as his body tightened with pleasure. "AAHH!"

Dabi took Keigo into his mouth and sucked him hard the moment he started cumming. Keigo screamed, grabbing Dabi's hair and pulling it as if he were on a horse and he didn't want to get bucked off.

That's right, baby, Dabi thought, slowly moving his mouth up and down to draw out his lover's orgasm. Cum for me. Just for me. No one else. Not even the prick who thought he could buy you with dinner and drinks.

Keigo's screams lessened into soft, breathless whines as his grip on Dabi's hair loosened. Dabi gently rubbed his hands up and down Keigo's thighs to soothe his shaking as he climbed down from his climax. Once he relaxed completely, Dabi massaged Keigo's calves to get blood circulating again so he could stand.

He'd been right. The whole ordeal didn't last longer than five minutes. But even after his mind-blowing release and his lover's sensual aftercare, Keigo regarded Dabi with silent fury as he got dressed. "That was the last time," he promised quietly.

Dabi studied his face. The way he crossed his arms over himself, as if shielding his body. The hard set of his jaw. His narrowed brows.

He's serious. Dabi stood frozen as Keigo broke away his gaze and stepped back through the door.