"What the hell is going on with you two idiots?" Aizawa asked in monotone.
"Nothing," Dabi insisted.
"Whatever you heard, Shinsou did it," Keigo said.
Shinsou glare in their direction from his spot against the wall, biting into his candy bar with a hard crunch.
Yamada marched right up to Keigo. "Word on the street is, you dumped tall, dark, and handsome over here for someone else."
Dabi raised an eyebrow. "How the hell - "
" - Fucking Yumi," Keigo mumbled, blushing bright red.
"Whatever happened to snitches get stitches?" Dabi wondered under his breath.
"I don't know who did what but make up already," Yamada scolded.
Keigo scowled. "Um...no."
Dabi crossed his arms. "Why do you care?"
Yamada gasped. "You're my OTP!"
Dabi and Keigo stared at the crazy blonde man blankly.
Aizawa sighed exasperatedly, rolling his eyes. "He ships you. So stop being dumb."
"Why are you here?" Keigo asked.
"I didn't have anything better to do," Aizawa answered, sounding bored.
Dabi nudged Keigo's arm. "He broke up with me."
Keigo snarled, shoving him back. "We were never dating, so I didn't - "
" - Yes you were," Aizawa and Yamada corrected at the same time.
Shinsou smirked. "This is so much better than cable."
Aizawa blinked. "You're still having sex so I wouldn't say you're broken up."
Dabi cleared his throat awkwardly, averting his gaze. "How did you know we - "
" - I didn't. I do now."
Shinsou snickered. "Caught in 4K."
Keigo and Dabi blushed, looking away from each other.
Yamada let out a low whistle. "Recently, too. When do you think, Shota?"
"I'd say either late last night or early this morning," Aizawa answered.
"Could you not?!" Keigo exclaimed.
"Hypocrite," Shinsou mumbled with a full mouth.
Keigo strutted past Dabi and both the other managers. "Fuck this." He stormed out of the store, heading for the exit. "I've got a sushi date."
Yamada stomped his foot and chased after Keigo, yelling profanities at the top of his lungs.
Aizawa shifted his gaze to Dabi.
Dabi's heart raced in his chest. Shit.
Aizawa spoke without looking away. "Shinsou. Report."
"He mentioned a place on main that's twenty-four hours. I'm guessing he was talking about the sushi bar. It's the only restaurant on the strip with those hours."
"That adds up. He just said he has a sushi date to get to. That means it's up to you, now."
Dabi narrowed his brows. "What are you talking about, old man?"
"You know where's he's going to be. So go clean the mess you made."
Dabi gritted his teeth. "I didn't do shit - "
"- He loves you."
Dabi gasped, his stomach flooding with butterflies.
"Do us all a favor and tell him you love him too."
"Why?"
"Because you do." Those were Aizawa's last words as he promptly left the store.
Dabi swallowed nervously, already feeling stressed. Without any prompting, Shinsou held his hand up in the air. After another few seconds, Dabi unhooked his keys from the belt loop of his jeans and tossed them to Shinsou before sprinting for the parking lot.
~.~
"I can't believe his fucking nerve!" Keigo growled, squeezing air as if it were Dabi's neck. "He breaks my heart and then thinks he can dictate my every move."
Natsuo nodded as he listened, chewing a piece of sushi pensively. "Sounds frustrating."
"It is!" The ash-blonde stabbed a piece of sushi with his chopstick and stuffed it unceremoniously in his mouth. "I mean...who the hell does he think he is?"
Natsuo hid an amused smile behind his hand as he balanced his chin on his knuckles. "Someone with a lotta fucking nerve."
"RIGHT?!" Keigo concurred, stabbing another piece of sushi. "Exactly!"
Natsuo bit back a laugh. "The bastard," he muttered playfully.
"And he just...he's so confusing!" He spoke with a full mouth while he chewed. "One minute he's completely standoffish. Then the next he's being all sweet and leaving me notes and saying he never meant to hurt me - "
" - What a piece of work," Natsuo said.
Keigo continued, completely missing the sarcasm in his tone as he ranted on. "I'm sorry, asshole, but one apology after six years is too little too late."
Natsuo spoke slyly from the rim of his glass. "I bet the sex sucked too."
Keigo flushed bright red. "Yeah. Of course, it did."
Natsuo laughed. "Don't ever gamble. You have a terrible poker face."
Keigo cleared his throat. "I'd rather not um...talk about - "
" - Do you know how long we've been here?" Natsuo asked, unable to hide his smile anymore.
Keigo finally seemed to snap out of his tirade. "Huh?"
Natsuo finished off his drink. "It's been two hours. And he's all you've talked about." Natsuo had every right to be annoyed by this, but he spoke kindly with an understanding gaze.
"Oh. I didn't realize. I'm sorry I - "
" - You don't have to apologize," Natsuo insisted. "But...I do think we should stop going on dates."
Keigo's shoulder sunk. "Really? I thought we were getting along."
"We are," Natsuo said. "You're cute, funny, really easy to talk to...I've loved hanging out with you. But getting along and having chemistry isn't the same thing."
"Are you saying...you're not into me that way?"
"I am, but that doesn't matter."
"Why not?"
Natsuo laughed softly. "Because you're still in love with him."
Keigo tried to swallow down the lump that rose to his throat. It was the bitter truth he'd been ignoring for god knows how long. Last night was the first time in a while he'd felt whole. And it's because he was holding me, he thought, trying to maintain his composure. Why can't I want someone who treats me the way I deserve? Why is he my hardest habit to break? He didn't have any addictions but if he did, he imagined it would feel the same. He was only happy after he'd gotten a hit. Then it was a matter of "when will I get the next one?" Going too long without him had withdrawal symptoms. Frustration. Irritability. Pain. When he couldn't have him it drove him crazy.
"I hope we can still be friends," Natsuo said. He held out his hand.
Keigo stared at it, smiling sadly. He took it. "Me too."
"What the hell is going on?!"
Keigo gasped with surprise, ripping his hand out of Natsuo's.
Standing in front of their table was none other than…
Well. The love of his life.
"Fuck."
~.~
"Toya?" Natsuo asked, confused.
"Natsu?!" Dabi exclaimed. "Keigo, what the fuck are you doing with my brother?!"
Keigo gawked at him. "Your what?!"
Natsuo's jaw dropped. "Oh my god. You're the...the guy who - "
" - You're the one Keigo's been seeing?!"
By this point, everyone in the restaurant was openly staring at them with mouths practically to the floor.
Keigo stood frozen with shock. He'd never seen so much emotion on Dabi's face before. He was full-on panicking. His hands were clenched into fists, trembling with rage. But his face was anguished as he gritted his teeth and gripped his hair like he was about to break down.
"Toya, I'm so sorry, I didn't know - "
" - This whole fucking time," he said, his voice shaking. "The hours I spent confiding in you about how stressed I've been...how afraid I've felt of losing him...it was you - "
" - I swear, I never would've - "
" - How far have you gone?!" Dabi demanded, just barely stopping himself from lunging at Natsuo.
"Just dinner a few times," Natsuo assured. "A kiss goodnight - "
" - I'll kill you."
"IT WAS ON THE CHEEK!" Keigo exclaimed, standing up to block Natsuo. "My mother gives me cheek kisses! Seriously, that's all!"
"Do you love him?!" Dabi asked, grabbing the sides of Keigo's arms.
Keigo felt a painful tug on his heartstrings at the unshed tears in Dabi's eyes. His whole body shook as he touched him. He looked terrified.
The hours I spent confiding in you about how stressed I've been
How afraid I've felt of losing him...
"Dabs, calm down," Keigo said through his teeth, his eyes darting around them. "If they think a fight is gonna break out they'll - "
" - Answer my fucking question or so help me god - "
"NO! OKAY?! I DON'T!" Keigo yelled at him. "I LOVE YOU, YOU ASSHOLE!"
A tear fell down Dabi's face as he stared at Keigo's face. He looked lost. Scared.
"You said you wouldn't freak out like this again," Keigo reminded him, trying to calm him down.
Dabi swallowed. "That was before I knew it was my brother who you were - "
" - We just decided we're better off as friends," Keigo assured him. "Alright? So just...breathe."
The ebony-haired hurricane finally started losing steam. His grip on Keigo's arms loosened. "You did?"
"Yes."
"You're...you're just friends now?"
"Yes."
"And you love me?"
"Yes."
Dabi took a deep breath and looked back up with a determined expression. "Good." Before he knew it, Dabi hauled Keigo over his shoulder and made his way towards the exit.
"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU - "
" - See you at the next family dinner."
"Kay!" He responded, but Natsuo sounded hesitant.
"PUT ME DOWN, YOU BASTARD!"
"Our parents are married," Natsuo called.
"Dabi, I said - "
"Absolutely not."
"DABI - "
"I'M THROWING YOUR ASS IN THE FUCKING CAR AND WE'RE GOING HOME!"
Keigo flushed, equal parts surprised, and turned on. He's never yelled like this before. "Then what?" he asked curiously.
Dabi growled. "I'm gonna fuck you until you can't move so I don't have to worry about you running off to random clubs and making out with drunk people or banging my siblings - "
" - I told you, we never - "
Keigo didn't get to finish his sentence because Dabi quite literally thrust open the door to their honda civic and threw him into the back seat.
Within seconds Dabi was in the front starting up the car.
Keigo tried to fight the flush rising to his face. "I can't believe you did that."
"Believe it, baby," Dabi snapped.
"We were in a fucking restaurant - "
"I don't give a rat's ass - "
" - You picked me up like a child - "
" - Damn straight - "
" - THAT PLACE HAD WHITE TABLECLOTHS - "
" YEAH, IT DID - "
" - AND YOU THREW ME OVER YOUR SHOULDER AND CARTED ME AWAY LIKE - "
" - YOU KNOW WHY?!"
Keigo finally stopped, sitting up. In the rearview mirror, Keigo could see Dabi's eyes. Blue and scared.
"Because you're mine," Dabi snapped darkly. "If I wanna fuck your brains out in our apartment or in the storeroom at work or even in the backseat of this fucking car I will because you're mine and I can!"
Normally those words would've turned him on beyond belief. If it weren't for the desperate look in his eyes. Keigo swallowed. Dabs...
Dabi always seemed to struggle with words. But for the first time, they flooded out of him like water from a broken dam." "I've spent my whole life protecting my brother. This is the first time I've ever wanted to hurt him. I almost did. I try so hard not to be angry. Or upset. Or lose my composure. But…" his jaw tightened. "You have no idea what this week has done to me."
Keigo gasped, stunned.
"The day I watched you drive away was the worst day of my life. You could've shot me with a revolver and it would've hurt less. It killed me that I caused you so much heartbreak."
Keigo put a hand over his mouth. Dabi…
"I hated myself for hurting you," he said brokenly. "I hated that I wasn't enough to make you happy. When you pissed me off I tried to stay calm. When I was hurt or upset I tried to hide it because I didn't want to burden you with problems I should be able to solve on my own. I did my best to be a damn saint and it still wasn't enough. If you decided you were done with me, what hope in hell did I have of getting you back when I wasn't good enough to keep you in the first place?"
Keigo sank back into his seat, re-evaluating his memories with the new information. I had no idea. It's not that he didn't feel anything. It's that he tried not to show it.
"Then last night...in the living room…" Dabi sighed. "I swore I'd be civil towards your new boyfriend but after that I…" Dabi gritted his teeth. "Then right in front of me, you agreed to go on a date...then I get there and it's fucking Natsuo - "
" - Do you love me?" Keigo asked, speaking softly.
Dabi's shoulders sunk as he let out a deep exhale. "I don't know. I've never loved anyone before. I just know when I'm with you I'm stupid-happy and I got really pissed when I saw you at the damn sushi bar with my brother and when I try to picture my life without you I can't breathe."
Keigo broke out into a wide smile. "Dabs…"
Dabi blushed, trying to stare ahead at the road. "If that's love then yeah, I fucking love you. So if I find one more napkin with some prick's phone number on it - "
" - Pull over."