"Hey, Naosu? Do you have a minute?"
Sayuri had been tidying up her classroom during her lunch break and looked up to find a male teacher. He was around her age and was actually quirk-less, but he was one of the nicest teachers in the school. "Namimoto? What is it?"
He looked distraught; mouth set in a deep frown and his eyebrows furrowed. Entering the classroom, he began to tidy up as well. As if to make up for what he was about to say. "The thing is…I can't make it to that home visit. I know it's super short notice, but Minami asked me out and I'll need to get ready for my date so I won't have enough time. I'm really sorry!"
She tried to mask the disappointment that was now causing her heart to sink. "Ah…that's fine. Don't worry about it too much, Namimoto. I can just call and reschedule. It's fine."
"Are you sure? Look, I can cancel if-"
"No way! You've wanted to go out with Minami for a while and I don't want you to risk missing out. It's fine. Seriously. Anyway, I'll just call and…ask to reschedule. You can go with me then and you can make it up to me by getting me a coffee," she assured him, smiling.
Relief crossed his face and he smiled back at her. "Thanks, Naosu."
Her colleague helped her finish tidying up the crafts her class had been working on and then went off to his own classroom down the hallway. Sayuri slouched at her desk, ignoring the smears of paint on her hands and the glitter in her hair. I…really wanted to check on Eri, though.
After making the appointment for a home visit, Sayuri had started thinking about it more and more. The fearful way Eri acted, the bandages, the strange wounds, and the girl's father. Germophobic or sickly, she was unsure. The mask and gloves were odd considering that his own child was barefoot and did not even have a coat. He struck her as an entitled sort of person just from their brief interaction.
Her class returned from lunch and more messes were made, but Sayuri loved seeing what sort of creations the kids could come up with. One of the things she loved most about teaching was that the children were too young to have their hopes and dreams crushed by the world. Their imagination was rich and their hearts were full of love and hope. It was interesting to hear their ideas and see them form friendships.
She was thinking about the past as she left work that day. Back to the day she met Fuyumi. People had mistakenly thought they were related at first due to their similar hair color. That was how they even noticed each other, but then they started talking about their likes and dislikes and their quirks. Her friendship with Fuyumi was what got her through the roughest parts of her life. It was a stronger relationship than she had ever had with a guy. A solid, dependable friendship.
Relationship…Sayuri felt her cheeks starting to heat up with a blush and she had to smile. She could imagine exactly what Dabi was doing at that moment. He's probably napping on the couch. Almost every time I come home, he's on the couch asleep. I don't know what he does during the day.
Her steps slowed a little and she frowned. I actually don't know much about him. I don't know if "Dabi" is his first name or last name. I don't know his birthday or blood type. Or anything about his past. This realization left her feeling even colder than the winter wind that blew around her.
She was pulled out of her thoughts by her phone ringing. Her heart leapt into her throat, half-expecting it to be Dabi until she remembered that he never really called her. Sure enough, it was Fuyumi's name on the screen. "Hi, Fuyumi."
"Sayuri! You have your home visit soon, right? I wanted to wish you good luck!" The other woman's voice was warm and cheerful.
"Oh…thanks, but…I actually need to reschedule. Namimoto has a date tonight so he can't go with me."
"Oh. I'm sorry. I'd offer to go with you, but-"
"I-it's okay. Really. I understand; you have some family…things to do." Sayuri bowed her head, trying not to let it bother her.
There was a little moment of silence before Fuyumi spoke again. "So Valentine's Day is coming up. Do you want to come over tomorrow and make some chocolates for your boyfriend? My father won't be here; I made sure of it."
"Um…can I get back to you on that?"
"Sure. Just think it over, okay?" Fuyumi was quiet for a moment again before breaking the silence. "Oh! Maybe we could go get a drink somewhere. We could talk about what you want to make."
Sayuri was starting to feel more than a little weighed down now. She trudged to her apartment once her call was over. To her disappointment, Dabi was gone. His coat was gone as well so she was sure he would be out for a while.
Grabbing a bottle of beer from the fridge, along with a bag of chips, Sayuri made her way to her bedroom and closed the door behind her. She sprawled on the thick comforter and sighed in defeat. This day just isn't going the way I wanted. At all! I would have thought Dabi would at least be home.
She pulled her phone out of her pocket and wanted to call him, but hesitated. I don't want to bother him, though. What if he's busy? Sayuri opened her beer bottle and took a long drink. The bitter aftertaste made her frown a little, but it reminded her of the beer she and Dabi had the first night they spent together. He probably won't be out late. Besides, I need to call to reschedule the home visit.
The bottle was finished and Sayuri dialed the phone number on the card she had been given. "Hello. This is Naosu Sayuri. I…had scheduled a home visit for today…" She toyed with a stray lock of her hair as she spoke, her eyes fixed on the ceiling as she lounged on her bed.
"Naosu? Oh, right. You're meeting's in a couple hours."
"Ah…I actually need to reschedule. I'm sorry for the inconvenience." There was a long pause and, for a moment, she thought they might have gone.
"Hang on. Let me get him on the phone."
"I…really would like to reschedule the home visit," she started. "If I could-"
"Naosu. I was told that you want to cancel your visit tonight."
Sayuri nervously ran her fingers along a strand of her hair, frowning. She recognized the cold tone of this voice. The little girl's father. Chisaki Kai. Closing her eyes, she pushed herself onward. "Yes. I'm very sorry, but I need to reschedule. My colleague…had something come up so he won't be able to go with me for the home visit."
There was a brief pause now before he spoke again. "I expected you to come alone. Why do you need a second person for a home visit? Do you…suspect something?"
"No. Chisaki-san…it's just standard procedure for two people to go. It's for safety and legal reasons-"
"I see." There was a disappointed sigh from the man. "I thought you were concerned with Eri's home situation. I was sure you were a dedicated teacher, but I guess I was wrong about you. It's fine. Eri's mother turned her back on her so I'm sure this won't come as much of a surprise to her."
Shift P.O.V
Brilliant blue flames lit the alley almost like sunlight. The intense heat singed the bricks on either side. Ashes filled the air as the lifeless bodies of his opponents crumbled in on themselves. The smell of burned meat was strong, the smoke thick enough to choke anyone downwind.
A smirk curled his mouth as he watched the flames dance on the cold wind. Dabi tried to imagine what Sayuri would think if she saw his flames. He had only told her about his quirk; he had never showed her. She seemed pretty impressed, though. He was sure that if she saw them in person, she would be amazed.
He felt a warm trickle down his arm, beneath his sleeve, and his smirk fell. Pushing up the sleeve of his coat, he found a gash running across his upper arm. Watching a bead of blood slowly run down his arm, he released a frustrated sound and knew he had to find some bandages before he went back to Sayuri's apartment.
Checking the time, his frustration grew. It was well past the time she got off work. Dabi had planned to be back before she got home, but she would have been back for at least half an hour at this point.
I can't let her see this scratch. She'll want to take it from me. He turned away from the blazing remains of the idiots that had dared to try jumping him and licked his lips. Where am I gonna find bandages? And how am I gonna hide this? She'll see as soon as I take off my coat.
He let the cold winter breeze caress his face as he walked against it, trying to stay upwind of the ashes and smoke. This injury definitely complicated things. If he wanted to hide it from her, he would need to keep his distance. No cuddling unless he was wearing his coat or hoodie. Definitely no sleeping together without at least wearing a shirt.
His fingers ran through his hair and looked over his shoulder at the fire once more. Dabi could feel the warmth even at this distance and a slight smirk took form again. Maybe I should just let her do her thing. Or I could find someone else for her to give this cut to. She said she can do that, right?
As he approached her apartment building, Dabi spotted Sayuri emerging from their door and hurrying off down the sidewalk. He tilted his head and proceeded into an alley to cut her off. When she went to pass by, his left hand darted out and he pulled her into the alley.
Sayuri had a faint bitter scent suggesting she had been drinking beer. Her lilac eyes were wide and wet. As if she had been crying. The young woman stared up at Dabi, her back pressed against the cold wall of the building, and it seemed to take her a moment to register who he was. "Dabi…where were you?"
His eyes narrowed, trying to determine if this was some trick of the light. Her snow-pale hair actually looked like it was shimmering. Like it was really made of delicate ice crystals. He was fairly sure this was abnormal for her. Nonetheless, he lifted a hand and threaded his fingers into the pale, glittering locks.
"I had stuff to do. What? You really missed me that much, babe?" He leaned down and brushed his lips over hers, letting the metal of his staples gently scrape over her skin. Dabi felt her shiver, but her back arched and pushed her a little closer to him. "Were you looking for me?" he teased.
"I…had an appointment. It was a home visit. For the little girl I helped." Sayuri's voice sounded strained and she looked worried when Dabi leaned back a little. "My coworker said he couldn't go…but I can't let that little girl down, Dabi!"
"Hey. Calm down. Look at me." He cupped her cheek with one hand, lifting her face to put her nose just inches from his. He half-grinned down at her, taking a step closer and pinning her hips back against the wall with his own. "What're you worried about? You want me to go take care of the kid's dad?"
Shift P.O.V
Sayuri had two more bottles of beer before dashing out into the cold evening without a coat. She had tried to negotiate a new day for the home visit, but Chisaki kept bringing up how disappointed Eri would be. How Eri was abandoned by her mother so this would just be another disappointment to the little girl.
The idea that she might have hurt Eri by not showing up wounded her. Sayuri's own parents had disowned her so she knew how painful it was to be turned away by someone she should have been able to trust. In a moment of slightly fatigued, slightly intoxicated, determination she had set off to do the home visit herself and make sure Eri was safe.
It was a silly plan. She was realizing that as she stared up into Dabi's turquoise eyes. Remembering his question, she shook her head. "No…sorry. Um. Where were you? I got home and you weren't there."
He appeared sheepish for just a second before smirking down at her. "I had stuff to do. I'm free now. What? You wanna go out or something?"
"Go out…?" Her eyes widened and Sayuri checked her phone. She swore quietly and gave Dabi a quick hug. "Sorry! Fuyumi…actually asked if I wanted to go out tonight so I have to get going! Ah…I've got tomorrow off so…maybe we can do something then?"
Dabi frowned and tugged at his sleeve a little, his arm moving behind him a bit. "You're coming home, right?"
"O-of course! I'll probably be home in a couple of hours." Sayuri tried to get out to the street, but stumbled and Dabi had to grab her arm to steady her. She leaned against the wall, feeling dizzy. I…think I drank too quickly.
"You're not going out tonight. Lightweight. Come on." Dabi wrapped an arm around her, making her lean against his side for support. He guided her out of the alley and toward their apartment, his mouth set in a straight line.
Moving only seemed to make the alcohol hit her harder. Sayuri relied completely on Dabi to get the door unlocked and had to close her eyes to keep herself from getting nauseous from the dizziness. When she felt him half-carrying her across the main room, she was only vaguely aware of where he was taking her. "D-Dabi, wait…"
"What's the big deal? It's just a bedroom, right?" The door clicked open and was pushed open wide.
