Author note: Here is the song that is playing during the first part if you want to listen while you read. youtu . be / ilsv0C1-aBw

The next time Dabi surprised me with handcuffs, he at least gave me time to undress first. He cuffed my wrists behind my back and bent me over the bed. After he finished first, he insisted that I sit on his face. His staples were painful against my skin, but not enough to deter me.

Now we had collapsed, panting, our heads at opposite ends of the bed. Dabi sat up long enough to uncuff me, then flopped back down again, lighting a cigarette. The radio, which I had left on a station for U.S. expats, was currently playing an old Billy Joel song.

You may be right
I may be crazy
But it just may be a lunatic you're looking for
Turn out the light
Don't try to save me

Still in a tranquil haze, I ran my fingers over a purple graft on Dabi's leg. "I gotta say, I'm impressed."

He puffed out a round ring of smoke. "Why's that?"

I stretched, gazing up at the ceiling. "Not many guys would do that."

"Their loss." He nudged me, and I looked down to see him passing me the cigarette.

I took a slow drag. "No, I meant… going down on me after…"

"Wait, you mean they're afraid to taste their own-?"

"Yep."

"Pathetic."

We were silent for a moment, while Billy Joel sang on.

You were lonely for a man
I said, "Take me as I am"
'Cause you might enjoy some madness for a while

Now think of all the years you tried to
Find someone to satisfy you
I might be as crazy as you say

I inhaled once more, then passed the cigarette back to him. Somehow I let go too soon, before Dabi had ahold of it, and the cigarette rolled down his side and landed on the bed covers. "Oh shit! Sorry!" I jumped up, but he was already snuffing it out with his palm. "Are you okay?"

"It's nothing. I make flames, remember?"

I laid down facing him. "But doesn't it still hurt?"

His eyes were closed, and he shrugged. "Guess I'm just used to it."

I went back to tracing my fingers over the damaged skin on his torso. Sometimes I would move to his neck or arm, then back to his chest or stomach. It was oddly satisfying to have contact like this without any quirk-suppressing devices.

It's too late to fight
Too late to change me
You may be wrong for all I know
But you may be right

"Quit teasing and just touch me already."

"What?" I pushed up on my elbow. "Already?"

Dabi gave a frustrated sigh. He grabbed my wrist, directing my hand to the undamaged skin on his stomach between patches of scarred tissue. His hand felt hot on mine, but not painful.

"Are you sure?" Cautiously, I ran my fingers lightly over his pale skin, feeling his quirk draw heat into my fingers. I touched him a little more firmly. My hand quickly grew warm, but it felt almost nice. I pressed my hand flat against his stomach, making greater contact. The heat spread up my arm, but it was still bearable. "Does that hurt?"

"No." His eyes were closed again.

I pulled my hand away. "Liar."

He opened his eyes. "I mean it. It feels good."

"I don't believe you. Usually when I touch someone this long, it's excruciating for them."

"No, it's like…" He licked his lips, thinking. "On a really hot day, when you step inside a building with air conditioning. It's nice."

I was stunned, yet I believed him. I moved down to lay my head on his stomach. The heat spread over my scalp and down my shoulders. Dabi pressed his hand to my back, causing the warmth to build faster.

Dabi sat up and pulled me into a deep kiss. Heat poured through me wherever my skin touched his; our lips, our hands, our bodies. His tongue slid over mine like a scalding drink, but I didn't want to stop.

You may be wrong but you may be right
You may be wrong but you may be right
You may be wrong but you may be right

Eventually I had to pull away, and I fell back, gasping.

He gave a low chuckle. "How are you feeling?"

"Toasty," I grinned.

Dabi propped his head up on his hand. "Toasty?"

"Like a baked potato."

He laughed. "Fuck, we overcooked your brain."

"Nah, I'm fine. How about you?"

"Not bad. We should do that again."

I was surprised when Dabi came back again later that same day, but this time he was all business. Shigaraki was finally ready to give me a chance. Dabi was brief as he filled me in; basically, there was a job, and my skills were needed. They were purposely keeping me in the dark so I wouldn't try anything. In about half an hour Kurogiri would be sending us there via portal.

Toga dropped by as I got ready. I was putting on the gear I had arrived in, except for the shirt Dabi had incinerated, but Toga took one look at my outfit and vetoed it. She encouraged me to wear something nicer, more revealing, which gave me only the vaguest hint about my part in things. Then she walked me downstairs to the bar, where the others were waiting.

Kurogiri formed a portal, and I followed Shigaraki through it. We were in an alley. At one end, I could see a bustling street. Toga and Dabi joined us, as Shigaraki pulled up an image on a phone. "This is your target. I want you to get started on him, then I'll come say hello. He's powerful, so don't let him get the drop on you."

I looked closely at the photo. "Anything else?"

Shigaraki smiled at me, his cracked lips drawing out. "Do it your way, Rogue. Try to have fun."

The others waited in the alley as I walked towards the main road. On the sidewalk, the number of strangers around me was a little startling. I hadn't been around so many people in ages. I had almost forgotten the effort it took not to bump into anyone in a crowd like this. I thought I saw my target on the terrace of a street cafe, so I headed that direction.

Now I was out of Shigaraki's line of sight, and my head started to swim with thoughts. If I would ever get a chance to escape, this was it. I looked around as I walked. There were a dozen other alleyways branching off from this street. I could run, but they might be expecting that. Several people met my eyes in passing; some friendly, some less so. Shigaraki could have allies watching in case I tried anything.

I approached the terrace. There was no clear way to get to my target without attracting unnecessary attention. I headed to the host stand and asked to be seated. The first table they led me to was out of my target's line of sight, so I asked for a different spot, and they obliged.

At first I was careful to ignore my target while simultaneously trying to catch his eye. I took off my jacket, revealing the low-cut, sleeveless top that Toga had chosen for me. A waiter brought my drink, and I gave the straw far too much attention.

I had to know if my target was taking the bait. Accidentally-on-purpose, I dropped a napkin on the ground, and had to lean over to retrieve it. When I straightened up, I risked a glance his way. Nothing; he was completely oblivious.

This needed a different approach. I thought for a moment, then looked his way again, this time for longer. He noticed, so I glanced away shyly before smiling at him. His expression grew more serious, and he sat up stiffer. His guard was up. Plan C would have to do: I would pretend we were old pals.

I stood and approached his table. From his body language, he seemed to be on high alert, but I gave him a friendly smile. "Oh my god, Show-kun , I thought that was you. How are you? It's been ages!"

"Pardon me, do I know you?" He was confused, but a little off guard.

"Don't tell me you forgot," I giggled and leaned in, giving him a view of my cleavage. "We had some wild times! Remember when we went bar hopping and ended up on the wrong train?"

He smiled nervously. "I'm sorry, I think you have me confused with someone else."

"Not a chance. I could never forget those big, brown eyes." I reached out and put my hand on his cheek. His expression went from surprise, to realization, then horror. As I drained him, I felt someone walk up beside me, but I was focused entirely on the task before me.

"Excellent work, Rogue." It was Shigaraki.

My hand was still on the man's face, and I was starting to pull memories from him. I grimaced. His handsome, clean-cut appearance could not have been more unlike the disgusting secrets he held.

Shigaraki cleared his throat. "You can let go now."

More of the man's thoughts and desires were drawing into me. It was appalling. He did not deserve to walk the streets freely.

"Rogue, dear, anytime..."

I watched as the man's eyes grew wider, the veins in his face started to bulge. He wheezed for air.

Finally Shigaraki stepped between us, forcing me to break contact. "I'm happy to let you kill him, but first let me get what we came for."

"Yeah, sorry," I gasped. The man slumped in his chair, pale and clammy, but alive.

My skin was crawling with what I had gotten from him. If I was being honest, I wouldn't mind if he died. I might sleep a little easier knowing there was one less monster out there. I tried to slow my breathing. To keep my hands occupied, I retrieved my jacket and put it back on.

I noticed across the street, two uniformed officers were standing by a squad car. My heart skipped. They were so close. I could get their attention with just a shout. I could run to them. What would happen if I did? Maybe Shigaraki would fight. If he did, would the officers be hurt or killed? How many bystanders might get injured? If it didn't work, things would be much worse for me than before.

On the other hand, he might let me go. Kurogiri could portal him away before the officers caught up. Would Shigaraki go back and hurt the students? Besides that, the thought of leaving Toga and Dabi didn't sit right with me, either.

I realized I had zoned out, and I shook myself back to the present. Shigaraki was still occupied with the target.

Something caught my eye. At one of the tables, a woman had her phone aimed our way. Was she recording? I tried to look without being obvious. She leaned forward, watching the screen with wide, nervous eyes. I tugged on Shigaraki's coat sleeve.

"Rogue, be patient, you'll get another turn."

I leaned closer. "I think we've been made."

His head whipped around. He scanned the terrace, and quickly spotted the woman pointing her phone at us. She recoiled as their eyes met. Shigaraki turned back to the man and picked him up by the lapels of his jacket. "I guess we'll have to continue this elsewhere."

Someone screamed. I glanced towards the officers; they had heard the commotion and were looking in our direction. Shigaraki also noticed them. He let out a frustrated grunt. "Warp Gate!" In seconds, a black cloud wrapped around all three of our bodies. The terrace disappeared into darkness. The next thing I knew, we were back in the bar. Shigraki let the man crumple to the floor.

A moment later, another portal appeared. Toga and Dabi stepped through, and they looked at us curiously.

"We were recognized," Shigaraki explained. He patted me on the back. "But our Rogue did beautifully; we should all be proud."

His praise made my chest feel cold. I watched him crouch over the target and reach towards him.

I quickly excused myself to the bathroom, where I splashed water on my neck, trying to ignore the screams. Had I really been that close to killing a person? If he could even be considered a person, that is. The things in his head were repulsive. As his thoughts washed over me again, I wanted him gone from this world.

Someone knocked on the door. "Rogue?" It was Toga, holding several large vials filled with blood. "Tomura is asking for you."

Dabi and Shigaraki were both standing over him. The man was now covered with injuries, some were severe burns and some I wasn't sure about. Shigaraki beckoned me closer. "We saved you the best part," he said. "Go ahead."

I stepped closer. Even in this battered state, the sight of him made me angry and disgusted. I crouched down and put my hand on his chest. He took in a painful, rattling gasp of air. All the veins in his face stood out. I pulled a little harder and he began to convulse under my hand, drool oozing down his chin. I eased off at the last second. He was nearly gone. With just the tiniest nudge, he would be dead, never to hurt another soul. I felt myself breathing hard.

This would certainly help me prove myself to the League, but if I killed this man, I would have to live with it.

Shigaraki knelt down beside me. He did not speak. I knew he was waiting to see what I would do. There was no time to decide. I was still touching the man, and his body gave an occasional twitch or spasm. He was barely hanging on. Shigaraki reached out and put his hand over mine, his thumb and index finger touching my skin. Suddenly my fingers felt brittle. The man's body started to crack and crumble. I yanked my hand away, but there was no stopping it. He let out a weak cry as his body turned to ash.

I stared at the dusty pile on the floor. Toga wrapped me in a crushing hug and kissed me on the cheek, but I barely felt it.

What had I done?

Dabi grabbed a bottle from the shelves before ushering me back to my room. My legs were heavy as I climbed the stairs.

I felt gutted. I stood in the center of the room, zoned out. Then I noticed my gloves, folded on top of the dresser, and I hurried to pull them on. I didn't want to accidentally use Shigaraki's quirk on anything, or anyone.

Dabi took a swig from the bottle before passing it to me. I took a sip, swirling it in my mouth to let the harsh flavor distract me from my thoughts. He was staring at me. "That wasn't your first." It wasn't a question.

I shook my head. After the last time, I had promised myself it would never happen again. I took another drink, then collapsed onto the ratty old chair.

Dabi crouched down in front of me. "How long has it been?"

I thought back, but that made it worse. My hands were shaking. I raised the bottle and forced down a few swallows of the bitter whiskey.

"Hey, slow down. We both know you're a lightweight." He took the bottle from me, placing it on the ground out of my reach. Then he put his hands on my knees. "I bet using Shigaraki's quirk made it worse."

"Probably." I shut my eyes and rubbed my hands over my face.

"What happened out there?"

"I lost control. Shigaraki had to stop me from killing the guy right there at the cafe. Then somebody was filming us, and there were police officers…" I opened my eyes to see Dabi looking up at me with something like concern. "Once I started draining the guy, I saw what kind of person he was. He didn't deserve to live."

"Are you glad he's dead?"

"Yes." It was the truth, whether or not I liked it.

"Then you should try to relax." He ran his hands over my gloves. The trembling had slowed a little. "Want me to get you off?"

I considered it for a moment. "Thanks, but no."

"What, then?"

I met his eyes. "Would you just hold me?" The words were out before I could think.

He looked surprised, then a little disgusted, but he nodded. "Come here." He scooped me up and carried me to the bed. Then he curled up behind me, his chest pressed against my back, his arm wrapped around me. Even through our many layers of clothes, I could feel the heat coming off his body. As I tried to relax, the shaking became worse. Dabi squeezed me tighter and pressed his face into my hair. "You're alright," he said softly. His hand rubbed up and down my arm, warm and soothing. He was using his quirk, just a little, to help calm me.

I tried to breathe through the tremors. "You do this all the time, right?"

"Kill people? Yeah."

"How do you get used to it?"

He chuckled. "You don't. At least, I haven't."

"Really?"

"I don't get the shakes like this, but I always feel disgusted with myself after."

"Are you just saying that to make me feel better?"

He chuckled. "Sure, let's go with that."

I felt myself smile, and before long my body started to relax. Dabi stayed until I fell asleep, but by morning, he was already gone.