CHAPTER TWO - AFTER CARE

It turns out, there is not a whole lot anyone can do for a broken rib and Shigaraki was destined to suffer through any related discomfort. For a few days anyway. Recovery Girl was the only soul who could instantly repair Shigaraki's more serious injuries and she had been called away for an emergency. Pro Hero's were a priority. Obviously.

After a careful and thorough examination, to which Dabi paid very close attention to, the nurse had cleaned Shigaraki's wounds and patched him up as best she could. Rest was what he needed now, and healing would come with time. That was all she could do, she released him from her care.

Dabi was not so satisfied with the nurse's final prescription though. Rest and two aspirin? That was almost laughable. The poor kid had broken bones! Of course, she could neither confirm or deny that, because she wasn't a doctor, and suggested that only an x-ray would make it certain. But being who he was, Shigaraki stubbornly declined going to a Hospital for an actual physical citing that it was "a waste of his time," especially if there wasn't anything they could do for him.

Dabi, on the other hand didn't think a hospital was a bad idea, he was one-hundred percent sure Shigaraki had broken something. Not only did his friend look exceptionally sour, more so than usual, but Dabi could also see pain reflected in his eyes - he was doing an extremely good job at hiding it but Dabi could tell that he was uncomfortable. Heck, even the surface wounds looked… ugly; long red scratches ran across his midsection, and darkening purple bruises framed them, spreading outwards like storm clouds rolling in.

Dabi cringed every time he thought about the accident, and his stomach immediately knotted up with guilt. Seeing the injuries only made him feel more nauseous. It could have been him. Yet, Shigaraki had selflessly sacrificed his own body to save him from that very fate - pushing Dabi away from the threat and into the clear just as the combat robot stomped its enormous metal foot down.
It was Dabi's fault. Shigaraki had been injured because of his own selfishness. He had screwed up, veering from a plan that guaranteed success just so he could prove to everyone that his quirk was strong in its own right, that he didn't need to live in Shigaraki's shadow to win. He wanted everyone to see what he was capable of and it had backfired terribly. If anything, it cemented the fact that Shigaraki was a superior hero because even in the midst of a disaster, and with the threat of death literally bearing down onto him, Shigaraki had still managed to fight back and win.

Dabi scrubbed his hands roughly over his face before pushing his fingers through his hair. He felt something akin to regret and shame stab him directly in the heart. Shigaraki, who never gave Dabi the time of the day, had acted heroically and saved him!

Did he care about Dabi? Or was it just instinctual?

Dabi knew he cared about Shigaraki, oh how he did he care! Despite how it may have come across or what anyone thought for that matter, he had a major soft spot for the boy with the bluish grey locks. He would even go as far as saying he had a crush on Shigaraki and maybe, just maybe, he had broken ranks and acted on his own simply to show off to Shigaraki and to gain the boys attention.

Of course, none of this he would admit to it out loud. He had a pretense to maintain - one that everyone seemed to be attracted too… except for Shigaraki that was.

Even right after the incident, he tried to move on - cool, calm, collected - and pretend that the accident was just a little accident, no big deal. A couple of hours would pass and then everything would return to ordinary life at UA. But when Shigaraki didn't return for any of the following morning classes, Dabi knew this was bigger than just a little mistake.

It nagged him all morning, until the guilt forced him to the infirmary instead of the cafeteria for lunch. Yeah, it had been his choice to check in Shigaraki - not a teacher, not another student - not anyone or anything else but his own berating self-conscious. He needed to… make things right with Shigaraki. Or at least help in any way he could.

A sharp grunt of pain caught Dabi's attention, bringing him out of his own head and away from his remorseful thoughts.

Shigaraki was now standing and attempting to get his shirt back on without jostling his body too much. The nurse had released him from her care.

"No, that would not do." Dabi thought silently, narrowing his eyes.

"Don't move." He pointed at Shigaraki as he hopped off the adjacent bed he had been lounging on and crossed the short distance to approach the nurse. The stare he earned in return from the boy was nastier than death.

"Aren't you going to give him something for the pain?" Dabi questioned, getting right into the lady's personal space.

She shrunk away, hugging the clipboard she had been scribbling on to her chest, "I'm not really auth…"

Dabi immediately cut her off, interrupting her train of thought, though the routine was done with a grin, "You can't let him go like this."

"Yes, she can. And I'm going," Shigaraki interjected, his patience had worn thin. Dabi understood why, he wanted to get out of there after being cooped up for so many hours, but this wasn't right.

"I said don't move." Dabi reiterated, firmly.

After some additional smooth and charismatic badgering from Dabi, the nurse eventually agreed to prescribe her patient something a little stronger than aspirin. Though it was with a certain amount of reluctance.

With pink flushed cheeks, she disappeared and then reappeared, a syringe in one hand and a small pill bottle in the other. She didn't say anything as she carefully sat Shigaraki back down on the edge of the cot and prepared his arm for an injection. She repeatedly glanced at Dabi from the corner of her eye while she worked.

"Ow." Shigaraki snapped when he was stabbed in the arm with the needle.

Dabi smirked. "You're welcome."

"Shut up!" Shigaraki barked back.

"Are you also injured?" The nurse inquired, searching Dabi's face openly now. It was hard to tell with all the scars and the stitching, or maybe she was just enjoying the view, an excuse to admire his unconventional good looks. It seemed to be the case, and Dabi was eating up the reverence.

"Not a scratch." He replied, smug.

"Asshole," Shigaraki muttered under his breath, frantically scratching at his arm where the needle had pierced his skin.

"You have blood on your mouth." The nurse added, ignoring the boys childish banter, still focusing on Dabi.

"It's not mine," Dabi assured, shifting his gaze, and being absolutely delighted when Shigaraki's face inflamed with heat. The sloppy kiss they had shared earlier was still fresh in both of their minds.

She raised a curious brow and then snapped off her latex gloves, tossing them in a nearby garbage can. "I'm done here. Your friend will probably need some help getting back to the dorms. I administered a pretty strong painkiller."

"We're not friends," Shigaraki immediately put in, his words slurring suddenly. He blinked. And blinked again. His eyes were not focusing properly, and the world around him was becoming a blurry haze. He frowned and pressed the palm of his hand to his temple attempting to rub away the fog that was settling over mind.

Dabi eyed Shigaraki with curiosity, picking up on his classmates' abrupt change in disposition. "I'll get him back to his room. Don't worry." The corner of his mouth kicked up into an amused grin. Those drugs worked fast...

The nurse thrust a bottle of pills into Dabi's hand, "These are for later. They're not as strong as what I just gave him, but they'll help manage the pain. And ah, you didn't get these from me."

"Get what?" Dabi grinned. He offered the nurse a wink and then stuffed the pills in his pocket out of sight.

More blushing ensued, she coughed to clear her throat and added, "Just make sure he gets some rest. That's what he needs right now."

"Got it," Dabi nodded.

The nurse bowed her head in return, flicked her gaze over to Shigaraki then back to Dabi before exiting the room, leaving the two boys alone.

"Okay, Mop head, let's go. I'll tuck you in."

Silence.

Dabi swore he heard crickets.

"Shigaraki?" Again, nothing.

Now, this was highly unusual. Usually Dabi would have been met with a snappy response from Shigaraki - he was the king of the smart mouths after all - but this time, nothing. Dabi was almost concerned, though, it did appear Shigaraki was not all completely there any longer. He seemed to be having a hard time processing where he was and what he was doing.

Dabi touched his friends forearm, before drawing his hand back immediately, encouraging Shigaraki to start walking with him, "Let's go."

Shigaraki managed a nod, but remained silent, and followed Dabi's lead whilst anxiously scratching at his neck. He felt… off. Groggy and unbalanced, yet the pain in his side was decreasing and becoming duller.

They slowly made their way back to the dorms, Shigaraki moving at a much slower pace then normal as he tried to concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other. Dabi kept glancing over at his classmate, biting back a grin as he watched the internal struggle of walking while buzzed.

"You okay, Mop Head?" Dabi asked.

Shigaraki was not at all pleased, and he flipped Dabi off, scowling, before he stumbled over his own two feet… on a flat surface.

Dabi reacted immediately, reaching out to Shigaraki to save him falling flat on his face. "Careful," Dabi cautioned, his arm tentatively sliding around Shigaraki's waist. Dabi braced himself for retaliation, Shigaraki didn't like to be touched and usually made it quite clear vocally and physically, but surprisingly, there were no angry outbursts or protests of threats of death. Instead, the other boy leaned into Dabi for support.

To say Dabi was thrilled by this new development was an understatement. He was actually holding Shigaraki! Whatever painkiller that nurse had injected into Shigaraki had pacified his usual contentiousness and softened out his perpetually annoyed expression and furrowed brow. Dabi knew that this wasn't the most appropriate to be celebrating, considering Shigaraki was still injured, but he couldn't stop smiling.

His crush, who was normally this angry, kind of feral, gremlin boy who didn't like to be touched was now putty in his hands. Placid even. A model student who had no objections when Dabi laid him down onto his bed - instead of returning Shigaraki to his own dorm room.

"Hmph." Shigaraki grunted as he hit the mattress, "Ouch."

"Sorry, sorry." Dabi apologized, more careful now as he removed Shigaraki's dirty sneakers. They dropped to the floor, each one with a loud thud. "You know, I never in a million years thought I'd ever get you into my bed," Dabi admitted, and then carefully maneuvered his friend higher up on the mattress until his head hit the pillow.

"Go away," Shigaraki mumbled angrily in return, curling up and trying to nestle his face into the pillow.

"Shhh," Dabi whispered, brushing thick locks of blue-grey hair away from Shigaraki's forehead. He didn't get much in return from the other boy, but his brow did furrow, and he tipped his head further away from Dabi's hand.

This wasn't exactly how Dabi imagined their first time in bed together was going to be like, but he would take it.

"Mop Head," Dabi snapped his fingers in front of Shigaraki's face, earning him a scowl in return. Shigaraki twisted his head, staring back at him. His eyes were glassy and half-lidded with large dilated pupils. They almost sparkled under the light of the room. "How high are you?"

"Get out of my room!" Shigaraki barked back, and then sunk his face back into the pillow.

Dabi snickered. "Okay." Shigaraki was well and truly tanked. He had absolutely no idea where he was, and his voice, though Dabi could tell he was agitated it just didn't have the same threatening bite that it usually did. And the retort was there, on the tip of his tongue. Unfortunately, Dabi was staring at the angry line of Shigaraki's mouth, finding it very appealing even then, and he forgot his snappy reply.

Instead, Dabi leaned over, swooping in on his friend and claiming his mouth in a hard kiss. He grabbed at Shigaraki's messy hair, curling his fingers around the thick locks near the roots to make sure Shigaraki wasn't going to pull away.

Shigaraki responded with a gasp, pushing at Dabi, trying to dislodge him. But there wasn't much force behind the gesture at all. Dabi tolerated the shoving hands for a few seconds, before Shigaraki's fingers twitched, like he was going to defend himself from Dabi's advances but instead his hands curled in on his shirt in resignation, unconsciously tugging him closer.

A deep groan rumbled within the chasm of Dabi's broad chest until he was leaning his body closer to Shigaraki's. His tongue slipped inside the other boys' mouth, and Shigaraki matched Dabi's sounds of pleasure.

When they broke off ten seconds later, gasping for breath, Shigaraki held a shaky hand up. He was not thinking clearly, his head full of confusion.

"Stop."

"Why? Don't you want this?" Dabi moved in for another kiss.

Shigaraki's cheeks flushed, he refused to answer, stopping Dabi's downward descent.

"You can do whatever you want to me. I don't care. Scratch me, dig your nails in, bite me." Dabi explained in a low, appealing voice - assuming Shigaraki might have some anger he wanted to work through. "Just as long as you kiss me."

"What?" Shigaraki scowled, his brow knitting tight together. The way Dabi was talking… this was making him feel more than uneasy.

Dabi lifted a hand to cup Shigaraki's cheek, and he brushed the pad of his thumb slowly back and forth. Shigaraki blinked and Dabi raised his free hand, swiping the light hair away from Shigaraki's eyes.

What was this?

"I don't want to hurt you, idiot." Shigaraki finally admitted. Maybe it was just the drugs talking but it felt genuine.

"Okay," Dabi said with a faint smile, fingertips sliding down Shigaraki's cheek, enjoying the soft skin - the absence of stubble along his jawline.

Shigaraki shivered, and his eyes fluttered closed.

Curling his fingers beneath the boys' chin, Dabi slowly lowered his head, reclaiming Shigaraki's full lips again. He kissed the other boy tenderly; raw with emotion and need. Words could not accurately describe just how intoxicating a kiss like that could be. It was filled with fear and excitement, it was a kiss that could break everything, it was a kiss that could mend. But there was a volatility to the sweetness of that kiss. A threat.

This time, Shigaraki didn't fight it. He softened beneath Dabi's mouth with a sound that started out like a sigh, and then turned into a strangled moan. There was a dip in the mattress, Dabi set his knee on the bed right next to Shigaraki's thigh, a bold move to get even closer as they kissed.

For a moment, at least, any animosity between them was forgotten.

But for how long?