CHAPTER FORTY-SIX - DAY DATE

Dabi and Shigaraki were wrapped up in the warmth of Dabi's bedsheets, awake but unmoving and completely content. Sunlight streamed into the room, bathing their resting bodies with a soft yellow glow, and announcing that the day was well under way. But in that moment, time escaped them. They didn't need to get up and out of bed for anything. There was no school and no work, they had absolutely no responsibilities to get to. It was rare for them to sleep in but exactly how a Saturday morning should be.

Laying on their sides, the two boys were facing each other with Dabi's hand raised to the side of Shigaraki's serene face, his fingers gently stroking the skin and occasionally toying with some loose strands of light hair, twirling it between his fingers. Shigaraki had his arm over Dabi's waist, his fingers slowly and absently grazing Dabi's lower back.

Perfection.

Mornings like this were Dabi's favorite. Shigaraki was comfortable enough to just lay in bed with him, neither of them saying much but allowing them to surrender to the peace and quiet and completely let go of all their worries and cares - which in recent weeks had been far too heavy. This was more than enough for Dabi, just having Shigaraki with him was all he needed to feel completely at ease and for his life to feel whole. There was nothing else.

Shigaraki also enjoyed these mornings, whether they were silent, full of whispers or early morning kisses. Shigaraki could let his guard down in these moments and sometimes even profess some of his deepest thoughts or feelings to Dabi. Other times, he just wanted to be close to Dabi, snuggled up together and feeling totally relaxed. No words needed. And this was one of those times. He didn't want to think about school or work or their relationship problems, he just wanted some respite from everything that was amiss in his life with the one thing that actually felt good and right.

Simultaneously, they both leaned forward into a kiss, sighing as their lips met softly.

"Baby?"

"Mm?"

Dabi smiled and nuzzled into Shigaraki's neck, breathing in the scent of his skin and his hair, so happily dazed at how good he smelled, always.

"Do you know what would make me very happy?" He asked, his voice low. He kissed the base of Shigaraki's throat and his boyfriend's eyes fluttered open at the touch.

"You're not happy?"

Dabi chuckled softly, "No. I mean, yes, I am happy but that's not really what I meant."

"What is it?" Shigaraki prodded, a small yawn escaping his mouth.

"I want to spend the day with you."

"We already spend every day together." Shigaraki replied, stating the obvious. He was a little baffled because the request was not even remotely related to what he imagined Dabi wanting.

Dabi grinned, lifting his chin so he could press a quick, warm kiss against Shigaraki's cheek. "We haven't been on a real date forever though. I want to take you somewhere. Just you and me."

"Mmk." Shigaraki replied, shifting closer into Dabi and closing his eyes. Dabi was always so warm and Shigaraki was always so cold. "Where do you want to go?"

"Hm." Dabi silently thought about it for a moment. "We could go to Tokyo. Oh, or Minato Mirai. My parents used to take us there. There is a ton of stuff to do. There's a museum, we can go shopping or go to the amusement park."

"That's in Yokohama, right?"

"Yeah, Right on the bay." Dabi verified with a grin, his hand sliding around to the back of Shigaraki's neck, bringing his face closer, "Lot's of good food too."

Shigaraki raised his head a little and their lips met. The kiss was chaste and quick, and Dabi dropped his head back down to nuzzle his boyfriend again, addicted to his scent. He truly was like a junkie; he couldn't ever get enough.

"I'm pretty comfortable here though." Shigaraki said, stretching a little, his joints popping and cracking in all the right places.

"Come on," Dabi coaxed with more soft kisses against Shigaraki's throat, "It'll be fun."

"Can we get breakfast first?"

Dabi chuckled, "Of course. Whatever you want, baby."

"Mmk."

Dabi was ecstatic. After a few rough weeks this was exactly what they both needed, some quality time alone, together. Shigaraki was already starting to warm up to him again, so Dabi was prepared to do whatever it took to keep his boyfriend happy in and with their relationship, just like Dabi was. And money and time were no object to him, they were meaningless when it came to Shigaraki.

"We should probably get up then, yeah?" Dabi mumbled as he peppered Shigaraki's jawline with kisses. That was until his boyfriend wriggled away in protest, rolling over and taking the blankets with him. He snuggled back into a pillow.

Cute.

"Baby?" Dabi started, chuckling softly, "I'm going to have smoke, then we'll go get something to eat."

"Mmk." Shigaraki lazily mumbled.

Dabi kissed his turned cheek before sitting up and swinging his legs to the floor. He was really tempted to get right back in bed and cuddle with Shigaraki but even more so he wanted to go out and have a nice date, so he forced himself up to his feet.

"Don't go back to sleep," Dabi appealed, moving over to his wardrobe to get changed. "I'm not going to be long."

"I'm just resting my eyes."

"Yeah, okay." Dabi snorted a laugh as he dug around in his drawers to find some clothes for the day.

… … …

There were so many positive things about being in a crowded city. Besides the accessibility and accommodation of almost everything and anything you could possibly need or desire, for Dabi, the most important thing was the anonymity that came with being in a different city. No one knew who you were, and no one bothered to care. And you were far less likely to run into a familiar face.

Which was exactly why Dabi wanted to bring Shigaraki on a date there. His boyfriend was a lot more comfortable being seen out in public with him, holding Dabi's hand as they walked down the street or went in and out of stores without worrying about any judgment from their peers or their family. It was the perfect scenario for them both.

Dabi squeezed Shigaraki's hand and when his boyfriend turned his hooded gaze over to him, he smiled and leaned down to press a quick kiss against his cheek. He just couldn't help himself. Their afternoon, thus far, had been flawless. Dabi had been able to pick up a few pieces of clothing that he needed and Shigaraki had stopped at several street food vendors along the way. And one gaming store, in which Dabi treated Shigaraki to whatever he wanted.

It was a good day.

"You want to go to the amusement park?" Dabi asked, laying his arm over Shigaraki's shoulders. They were both done with shopping, having done quite enough in a very short few hours, and the sun was just starting to set, sinking low on the horizon.

"Definitely." Shigaraki replied, "You know, I've never been on a ferris wheel?"

"No?" Dabi looked out over the water at the brightly illuminated park and the equally as colorful ferris wheel that served as a focal point for the harbor. He remembered riding it as a child and thinking it was bigger than anything he had ever seen. "You're not afraid of heights, right?" Dabi grinned.

"Not particularly."

"This is one of the tallest ferris wheels in the world."

"I think I'll be okay."

Dabi chuckled.

When they entered the park the screams of children on rollercoasters and the scent of sweet junk-food instantly filled the air. They two boys walked leisurely through the crowd towards the ferris wheel at the edge of the park, not really interested in lining up in queue after never-ending queue for the other more popular rides. Dabi purchased their tickets and then got into the more reasonable length line which started moving right away. Soon enough, they were seated inside one of the enclosed gondolas.

The car backed up about five feet and then stopped on the next pair of people so they could get on, and that pattern repeated until the ride was sufficiently full. With a sudden rocking of the cart, the ferris wheel actually kicked into life and began its rotation, up and around.

When they were high enough, Dabi laid his arm around Shigaraki's shoulders, tucking him into his side. The ride was off to a slow start, but he knew once it really got going, it would pick up.

"Are you happy now?" Shigaraki asked, almost in a mocking tone. He was just teasing Dabi because of his comment earlier that morning.

"Mhm. Very." Dabi grinned, his fingers playing along the edge of Shigaraki's shoulder. He leaned down for a kiss and Shigaraki met his lips.

Dabi turned slightly, his free arm sliding around Shigaraki's waist to draw him closer and Shigaraki lifted his hand to the back of Dabi's neck. The kiss wasn't as passionate as Shigaraki expected it to be, especially for a ferris wheel which was, in Shigaraki's understanding from teen movies, the perfect make out ride. When their mouths met, Dabi seemed to sigh, moving gently against his mouth. There was no tongue or teeth involved, just a gentle caress.

When they broke apart moments later, Dabi grinned, satisfied with the brief intimacy and dropped his forehead lightly down against Shigaraki's forehead, his eyes fluttering closed.

"Baby, there's something I want to talk to you about."

Shigaraki lifted his chin causing Dabi to do the same. "You want to talk now?"

"It's been on my mind since yesterday and I wanted to tell you but-"

"I was in a bad mood." Shigaraki interjected, answering for him. It was true too. He had been in a foul mood after his chat with Mr. Aizawa.

Dabi laughed softly. "The timing wasn't right, though I'm not so sure it will ever be right."

"Okay." Shigaraki said tentatively, his fingers playing with the loose strands of hair at the back of Dabi's neck. "What is it?"

Dabi lifted his hand to frame Shigaraki's face, his thumb caressing the skin slowly up and down as he stared into his pretty red eyes. He didn't want to ruin the mood with a serious conversation, but he felt like it was a good time for them to chat sincerely, considering how complacent they both seemed to feel.

Rationality came with contentment. Right?

Dabi didn't respond right away and Shigaraki could tell that he was trying to find the right words, thinking it over in his headfirst. He didn't rush Dabi, he just waited patiently, until he was ready to speak.

"I love you. Please remember that." He finally said, swooping in for another kiss. Shigaraki thought he was stalling, and that worried him. A little anyway.

"Okay…"

Dabi took a deep breath, like he was trying to garner the courage to talk before he blurted out, short and sweet. "I am going to ask Rumi to the prom next week."

"Oh." Shigaraki dropped his gaze, his head tilting slightly to the side.

"I wanted you to know first. Before I asked her and before you heard it from someone else."

It was Shigaraki's turn to become quiet. What was he supposed to say, congratulations? That he was happy his boyfriend was going to the prom with someone else? Neither of those things were right at all. But he wasn't mad, he wasn't disappointed either, not anymore, he was past that point because he knew it was coming, though actually hearing it still didn't make it any easier to swallow.

"Well, thanks for telling me. I guess." Shigaraki said, a little irked. It bothered him that Dabi decided to announce it while he had nowhere to escape to. Not that he wanted to run away, he just would've liked the option to be alone to think about… things. But maybe Dabi had done this strategically knowing how he would feel.

"I'm sorry," Dabi murmured softly, kissing Shigaraki's cheek. His skin was cool to the touch, from being at the peak of the ferris wheel. They were very high up. "I wish it didn't have to be this way, but my Dad won't let up about it."

"Dabi, I understand." Shigaraki assured him.

There was no reason for him to get himself all worked up over it. He didn't even want to go to the prom, so why should he be upset if Dabi wanted to and take someone else? He had more important things to worry about, like actually graduating and getting his hero's license. If his grades continued to go downhill as they were, well, that might not even happen. He needed to focus on that.

"Tomura?" Dabi said his name softly and then his mouth brushed lightly against Shigaraki's lips.

"Baby, talk to me."

"We are talking."

"What are you thinking?" Dabi prodded. Shigaraki's sudden detachment hadn't gone unnoticed. He was trying to give his boyfriend a silent moment to mull over the news and hopefully overcome his trepidations, but they still needed to talk about it.

"Are you okay with this?" Dabi asked, anxious, "Really?"

"Yeah." Shigaraki reiterated, his tone vacant. There was no expression in it whatsoever though. "You should go with her."

Dabi wasn't convinced. Though, he didn't want to push the subject any further or make anything worse. Shigaraki may have accepted the idea of him going to the prom with Rumi but clearly, he was not happy about it. And Dabi hated that he was the cause of that. But what could he do? Endeavor was going to be making an appearance at their prom, along with a couple of other pro-heroes, and he was expecting Dabi to have Rumi as a date. He had been holding off on asking her because he was trying to find a way around it, weighing up his options and the consequences of those options. But his damn dad had literally made the decision for him by agreeing to chaperone.

"I love you." Dabi said softly, guiding Shigaraki's gaze back to him. He lowered his head and kissed him, and thankfully, Shigaraki responded without hesitation, leaning into it. Dabi stroked Shigaraki's shoulder and down his arm, enjoying how soft Shigaraki felt against him, and seemingly becoming softer the more Dabi kissed him.

With Dabi's fingers wandering over him, so light and gentle, it made Shigaraki's skin tingle. He resisted the compulsion to shiver, curling his own fingers against the back of Dabi's neck.

"Cold?" Dabi asked, pulling away from their kiss after feeling him shift.

"No."

"No?" Dabi grinned. The hand pressed against Shigaraki seemed to radiate warmth, and this time Shigaraki did shiver, goose bumps breaking out across his skin. "Are you sure?"

"Shut up." Shigaraki's cheeks flushed, and he dropped his face into that perfect place between Dabi's neck and his shoulder, so close that Dabi's exquisite heat absorbed into his bare torso.

"Uh huh. Sure." Dabi chuckled, nudging the hood of Shigaraki's sweater back and pressing his lips down against the top of his head.

A small grin tugged at the corner of Shigaraki's mouth. Dabi always had a way of making him forget the whole world when he wanted to.

The ferris wheel circled around about five times, during which both boys relaxed, leaning into each other. When they finally ground to a halt again, their cart was at the very top of the cycle. The view was amazing at that height with the sun just setting on the horizon, melting into the bay and the city coming alive with an array of twinkling lights.

"Hey," Dabi started, breaking the silence, "Why don't we stay in the city tonight?"

"Hm?"

"We can book a room at a hotel." Dabi grinned, kissing Shigaraki's temple. "There are a lot of them here, right on the bay."

"And they are all probably very expensive." Shigaraki grumbled.

"Don't worry about that, i'll take care of it." Dabi said with a light chuckle, squeezing his shoulder, "It's just one night. And we can get room service." Dabi added, knowing that would appeal to Shigaraki, "And make love-"

"Tch." Shigaraki interjected with a scowl, his cheeks flushing, "I am still sore from last night."

"Mm, but I'm not." Dabi said, suggestively.

"What?" Shigaraki raised an incredulous brow.

"Just say yes."

A whole host of emotions ran through Shigaraki, rushing through him so quickly that he couldn't quite process any of them. After a moment, he finally stuttered, somewhat stubbornly, "Okay, but we need to leave early tomorrow. I have to study."

"Sure." Dabi agreed, smirking, and pulling Shigaraki closer.