Two weeks before Halloween...

After everyone closed for the night, they met up at Dabi & Keigo's to handle some very serious business.

Halloween Costumes.

"Aren't we supposed to pick these out of a hat?" Mina asked.

Dabi stared back at her stoically as he dropped in the "last" piece of paper. "Didn't have one."

"You don't have a hat, but you have a bedazzled red thigh-high stiletto heel," Shinsou stated, raising an eyebrow.

"Keigo had a Kinky Boots phase," he explained. "Who's first?"

"Cyndi Lauper is a national treasure. Fight me," Keigo snapped.

Dabi smirked at Izuku. "How 'bout you, Cinnamon roll?"

Bakugo growled quietly under his breath.

Izuku scowled at him, making him stop, before he stood up and reached into the boot. He opened the folded strip of paper. "I got...the White Rabbit."

Bakugo blushed bright red. "PUT IT BACK AND CHOOSE AGAIN!" He exclaimed, grabbing for the strip of paper.

"NO!" Dabi yelled, pointing accusingly at Bakugo's face. "THE BOOT HAS SPOKEN!" He cleared his throat. "Who's next?" he asked in an inside voice.

Sero snickered. "I think he'll make a pretty cute white rabbit. Don't you think, so Bakugo?"

"I'll kill you," he growled.

"Thank you for volunteering, Katsuki," Dabi said, cheerfully shoving the boot in his face.

Bakugo reluctantly reached inside and pulled out a piece of paper. "The...bander...snatch."

Sero doubled over laughing. "Oh my god, that's perfect."

Tokoyami smirked. "Apt indeed."

"That's the fluffy rage monster, right?" Yumi asked. "I guess that's the closest to a pomeranian he's gonna get."

"SHUT UP!"

"You better cut the crap, dogboy. Don't make me break out the spray bottle."

Dabi moved past the growling Bakugo and traveled in a circle until everyone in the living room got to pick.

Tokoyami and Shinsou chose next.

"Tweedle-dee," Shinsou said.

"Tweedle dum," Tokoyami read.

They both looked at each other, unfazed.

"We just have to match, right?" Shinsou asked.

"Yes. Should be simple enough. Our wardrobes have similar color palettes."

"Black counts as a color pallet?" Keigo asked.

"Yes," Yumi, Dabi, Tokoyami, and Shinsou all answered at once.

Then Sero and Yumi.

He grinned wickedly when he saw his. "The Cheshire Cat."

Yumi flushed pink. "The...Dormouse."

"Sounds fun," Sero purred, gently sticking a strand of hair behind her ear. "We can play cat and mouse, gorgeous.

"Hanta!" she complained.

"What have we said about kink-shaming?" Keigo scolded.

"THAT'S NOT MY ISSUE!"

Momo stared pensively at hers. "The White Queen?"

Mina squealed. "You'd make a gorgeous White Queen!"

"Why are these all Alice in Wonderland themed?" Momo asked although the compliment made her blush.

"It was Kaminari's idea," Keigo answered.

Kaminari nodded excitedly. "I feel like every anime has a Lewis Carrol AU. Black Butler, Ouran, CardCaptor Sakura, Code Geass - "

" - Aren't we a little too old for dress-up?" Shinsou asked.

"When you become an adult it's called cosplay," Keigo corrected.

"You're one to talk. Aren't you taking your little sister trick-or-treating?" Jiro asked.

Shinsou shrugged. "I mean, yeah but I don't need a costume to take her door-to-door."

Kirishima grinned. "I think it sounds cool! We've never done anything like this before!"

Kaminari pulled out a very badly drawn layout plan on a piece of 8.5x11 printer paper. "There's also gonna be board games and a tea party with snacks like fancy cookies and cakes - "

" - I think that's a splendid idea," Momo squealed, clapping excitedly. "I'll bring my tea set and all of my best loose leaf-blends!"

"Sato's hooking us up with desserts," Jiro promised. "He can't come cuz he's working but he wishes all of us a happy Halloween."

"All hail Samhain," Tokoyami muttered.

"I volunteered our apartment for the location," Dabi said as he continued to pass the boot around. "And there's plenty of space for anyone who needs to sleep over."

"I call the couch," Shinsou said, raising his hand.

Mina reached into the boot. "I'm bringing all of my favorite Halloween movies!" she said. "Oh my gosh! I got the March Hare!" She ran over to Izuku and hugged him so hard she picked him up off the ground. "We're the bunny squad!"

Sero snickered when Bakugo blushed red and stomped into the kitchen to make himself a drink.

"What's Absolem?" Shoto asked, cocking his head at his paper scrap.

Kaminari gasped. "Oooh! The caterpillar! He smokes opium and sits on a mushroom."

"I don't think there's a mushroom that would withstand my weight," Shoto said. "And opium is illegal."

"Not to mention expensive," Yumi added.

Dabi laughed, ruffling Shoto's hair. "Just wear all blue and seclude yourself in a corner with one of those vape-things."

"That shouldn't be too hard for you," Bakugo mocked with a smirk. "You do that anyway."

Dabi casually kicked Bakugo in the shin as he walked to Kirishima.

He unfurled his paper curiously. "What's a jabberwocky?"

"The dragon-creature thing," Kaminari answered.

"That's awesome! I've got the perfect costume for that!"

"You need to pick too, Dabs," Keigo reminded him as he reached his hand in.

"Pick for me," he said softly.

Keigo blushed as he opened a scrap of paper. "You got the Mad Hatter," he said shyly.

A wicked gleam shone in his eyes. "Good to know," he said nonchalantly. "Your turn."

Keigo's expression became disappointed. "Aaw...I got the red queen."

"The Queen of Hearts is one of the main characters," Jiro pointed out with a smile. "And she gets to yell death threats at everyone."

"Maybe Bakugo should've gotten the red queen," Keigo wondered out loud.

"SHUT UP!" Bakugo called from the kitchen.

Dabi took one of the couch's decorative pillows and threw it at Bakugo's head.

"I'll make it work," Keigo said sadly. "But I really wanted Alice."

Dabi snickered. "Really?"

"What's so funny? I would've made a damn good Alice!"

Dabi leaned in close and ran his finger down Keigo's arm. "Don't worry, baby," he murmured. "I can take you to wonderland whenever you want." He pressed his mouth against Keigo's ear and dropped his voice to a whisper. "Just let me down your rabbit hole."

Keigo turned bright red and squirmed, gazing at Dabi with desire.

"Let's just get through this so we can go home and leave these two to their sexcapades," Yumi sighed.

Sero grinned, plopping her onto his lap. "I think that's a great idea."

"I was talking about them," she whispered.

Dabi made it to Kaminari and Jiro last. For some reason, he passed by Kaminari and put the boot in front of Jiro instead.

She smiled when she pulled her scrap of paper. "The Knave of Hearts. Cool."

Dabi grinned. "That means Kaminari is Alice."

His jaw dropped. "I...I am?"

"How do you know?" Izuku asked.

"He's the only person left, which means there's only one character left. And that's Alice."

Jiro kissed his cheek and hugged him close. "Happy to be your Knave, Alice."

"Technically you're my Knave," Keigo said, but he smiled at the display.

Dabi noogied his hair. "Congrats, Kid."

Shinsou cleared his throat as color rose to his face. "Does that mean he's gonna wear a dress?"

"He can wear whatever he wants," Dabi said, winking at him. "It's his party."

~.~

After a small feast of egg rolls, lo mein, and dumplings, everyone washed their plate and filed out for the night. Keigo didn't say anything until everyone went home. "There never was an Alice scrap, was there?" he asked with crossed arms. "That's why you made Kaminari go last."

Dabi shrugged. "Oh, there was an Alice one." He bit his lip mischievously as he pulled the paper out of his jeans pocket. "Right here."

Keigo glared at him. "I wanna be mad but I can't."

Dabi picked up Keigo and pressed his back against the wall. "Don't be mad," he whispered with emphasis. "That's my job."

"Oh my god, stop - "

" - Then again, we're all mad here - "

His boyfriend shoved at his chest with a grin. "Jesus, can you not be a dad for five seconds? Making kiddo's dreams come true, throwing out puns...what's next, grilling burgers on the terrace?"

"I can think of other things we can do on the terrace," Dabi whispered, kissing Keigo's neck.

He shuddered, tilting his head back. "You're really good with him," he murmured. "Your brother too. You'd be…" Keigo bit his tongue before he finished.

Dabi looked up. "Hmm? I'd be what?"

"N-nothing."

"What were you saying?"

"Nothing."

"Tell me."

"No."

"Why not?"

"I don't want to."

"Why?"

"It's embarrassing."

"I've been up your ass, Keigo."

"I'd very much like for you to be again."

"Not until you tell me what you were gonna - "

" - I just thought you were good with them," Keigo said in a rush, swallowing nervously. "The younger ones. Denki and Shoto and Izuku and…I just like it."

"What do you like about it?" Dabi whispered, nuzzling into Keigo's hair.

Keigo blushed. "You conned me out of being Alice but you did it to make the kid happy. It's like you're...a...a dad or something." He hid his face in Dabi's neck.

Dabi froze, his heart racing. Does Keigo think I would be a good father? How is that possible? How could I ever be a good father when I had such a horrible example?

"Pretend I didn't say that, okay?" Keigo mumbled.

"Thank you," Dabi whispered, kissing him softly. "No one's ever said that to me before."

Keigo gasped. "Really? I think it all the time."

Dabi planted more kisses along Keigo's jawline. "Is that your way of asking me for - "

Keigo's entire body tightened up and locked into place. "No no no that's not what I - "

" - Sorry. I can't exactly get you pregnant," he said playfully, nipping his ear. "But I can try."

Dabi dropped Keigo onto the living room couch and threw his shirt over his head. The ash-blonde was already squirming, fighting to undo the buttons of his own shirt. "F-forget I s-said it, I didn't mean that I want - "

" - So you don't want me to try?" Dabi asked, grabbing Keigo's ass.

"Ahh!" Keigo moaned, already panting. "D-Dabs - "

" - You're right," he murmured huskily. "I'm very protective."

Keigo's mouth parted as Dabi ripped open a lube packet with his teeth.

He slid off Keigo's jeans and pulled down his boxers. "Do you know why, baby?"

"I...I don't...DABS!" He cried, tensing up as his lover entered him.

He moved slowly, kissing Keigo's leg as he draped it over his shoulder. "Because I take care of what's mine."

Something about Dabi's lovemaking felt different this time. He wasn't teasing Keigo but he wasn't in any rush, either. His touch was almost gentle. He worked them both up to release at a snail's pace. By the time they finally climaxed together, Keigo passed out from exhaustion.

Dabi sat on the floor next to Keigo as he slumbered on the couch. Instead of watching the sunrise, he rested his chin on the couch cushion and watched Keigo's face as he slept. He absently traced the wing pattern on Keigo's back, but nothing he did stirred his lover even once.

There were lots of things he loved about Keigo. How he always seemed to be smiling. His energy. How he saw right through him, even when he wore a poker face. How feisty he was. The way he challenged him. His kisses.

But none of those things were what convinced him to make the call. It was how the rising sun's orange glow shone across his face and illuminated the gold highlights in his hair. The way his unruly mane flipped up off the couch cushions, soft and fluffy like feathers. The quiet, gentle way his back lifted and sank as he breathed. The serenity of his peaceful expression while he slept.

These small, quiet things that Keigo wasn't even doing on purpose were what captured Dabi's heart and compelled him to grab his phone and walk into the other room.

He spoke in a low voice as he stood in the dark. "Hey, Momo. Got a sec?"