Shield
Summary : Dabi wanted to burn down her entire home. He wanted to take everything away from her so she wouldn't have any choice but to follow him, but he couldn't do that. His flames wouldn't even lick at his skin at the thought of being what caused her smile to falter. He could barely stomach the idea of being behind such tears. Dabi wanted to see Yua cry, just not in that way. He wanted tears to be in her eyes as she cried out his name over and over again, as she withered and shivered beneath him. It was how he knew he was in deep for her, deep in whatever sticky feelings made people want only good for someone else.
Chapter One
The door was scratched and dented with chipped brown spots. The brass colored lock and matching door knob dulled with age and neglect. Dabi gave no thought as it squealed and groaned when he pushed it open, not till the apartment before him revealed itself. His feet stuck outside the threshold, and his eyes widened a fraction as they shifted through the murk. Dabi did not like being caught off guard, and at the moment he most certainly didn't want to deal with worthless lower lifeforms who had forgotten to lock their front door.
The arrival of winter and its icy serenade of coolness, alongside with the pain of hunger and the thirst for sleep, had left Dabi in a very low mood. One that hadn't quite escalated into being fowl, but he knew it was teetering on the edge of descending into just that. All it would take was some pointless villain or thug trying to jump him for Dabi to burn the whole building to the ground. Instead of his hands flickering blue to light the path before him Dabi sniffed at the warm air washing over him in thick waves. Entwined in the building's natural pungent odor of damp moldy wood was the faintest trace of cinnamon.
It was this oddity that had his knees bending and Dabi crossing through the doorway. He didn't mind crashing into another's home. He doubted they would even mind if they had left their front door unlocked, and extra security wasn't something he bothered worrying about - not in this part of town. If someone screamed often more than not those nearby looked the other way. Only the heroes would investigate and they rarely came this far unless on a mission or patrolling, and their activity decreased drastically at night.
Closing the door behind him, to keep the warmth locked inside the small flat, electric neon hues flickered about as they studied the shadows for movement. Looking for an indicator that would expose the owner of this hovel, but Dabi saw and heard nothing. Only ugly and baron peeling pale purple walls with cracks running down them greeted him.
Scared and calloused hands trailed along the wall as he sauntered his way through the home. Dabi's footsteps echoed on the wooden floor boards. His mind though had him following the sweet, spicy-hot, fragrance until he found himself standing alone in a living room. On one of the counters sat a lit candle. It looked new. To the left, high above on the shelf connected to the only window in the room, sat a half dead plant. The orange pot it occupied was obviously too small for the large leafed shrub.
A grin broke out across Dabi's face, stretching the staples till his flesh stung, as he soaked in the mirthful garden he had accidently stumbled upon. What luck that some sucker had just left their front door unlocked for him.
'Idiot.' Dabi chastised as he focused on a poorly white painted door he could see down another short hallway. It looked to have been left ajar. Which to him was only an eager usher to have him travel over and give his whole hearted thanks to the tenant.
Pulling down his hood Dabi's hands flickered with his flames. For the most part the rundown old building was empty, but the few that occupied the place where nothing but lowlife wannabe thugs or drug addicts. It was why he was squatting in one of the many vacant flats. The likelihood of being caught was low.
Still he should give his thanks and greetings to the tenant. It would only be proper of him. Dabi wouldn't want to come off as rude when later they found him sleeping on their couch.
Yua huffed. Today had been sheer hell, and it had all begun the moment her alarm began to bleep at five-thirty. The milk had soured, there was no water because she had forgotten to pay the bill, and just as she had been leaving the lock on the front door decided it was time to become unattached to half rotten planks of wood. Yua had gone to slide the lock over and the whole contraption had just popped off into her hand. Half of it bouncing across wooden floor boards and the other half bent in an awkward direction in her hand.
If there had been a second to spare Yua might just have screamed in frustration, but instead she plopped Kayda down before rushing about in a frenzy to hide anything of value. She cursed and swore in colorful words as she shoved objects beneath the loose floorboards under her bed and in the space above the tiles in the bathroom.
'The day is still young.' Was what she had told herself as Yua dropped her sister off with the sitter. A broken lock on their home wasn't the worst thing to happen to them, and it could easily be fixed. Her day though didn't get better as the hours ticked by. During her shift at the diner she had been called in to talk with her manager. Who notified her that due to budget costs she was going to be released. She had known a few of the employees would be leaving but that still didn't help when she had discovered that she was one of them. Though Yua had a hunch that the decision had been heavily influenced by her dumping a steaming cup of coffee on the crotch of one of their customers, not to mention she had golden laced things when she had hit the creep repeatedly with one of the trays they used to bring out the food. Yua didn't regret what she had done. The purple tinted man deserved what he had gotten. Still, it stung that her reckless actions had cost her this job.
"I understand." Finding another job that could fit with her busy schedule was going to be difficult. Yua didn't let her employer see the stress steadily growing and instead she scraped on a smile before bowing deeply. "Thank you for this opportunity."
At least she had been able to finish the day in dignity before fleeing for her evening work in the red district as a club waitress. When all was said and done and her day had finally come to an end it was two hours past midnight, and Yua still had to make a pit stop to get a new lock for her apartments front door. By the time she had picked up Kayda the night had long since been enveloped in a blanket of velvet darkness and streaked white from snow. The only light being casted was from the street lamps.
Yua hated winter. She hated the cold, almost as much as she hated mushrooms and saggy pants. There was nothing like worrying if your fingers would fall off first or if your nose would. Nothing like having to scurry home only in the same short skirt, nylon tights, and tight top she had worn at the club because someone had stolen her jeans and heavy coat.
Walking home in the dark was not new for Yua, but doing so with her arms full and a small bundle of life attached to her hip left Yua on edge. Her feet traveled as swiftly as possible, as she kept her eyes peeled and her ears alert for any signs of trouble. It was unusual, and rare, when Kayda's sitter couldn't make it to the flat. The last three days had been that way. Yua getting ready in the morning before racing to drop her little sister off with an elderly lady she trusted.
Yua would have much rather waited to go shopping until tomorrow. She would have been free tomorrow morning until late afternoon now without her primary day job, but the idea of sleeping in her flat while the lock on the front door was broken didn't settle well with her. Yua hated where they stayed, but it was the only place she could find within her budget. She hated that the man on the first level always sat outside his door smoking and watching. She hated that there was mold in the hallways. She hated that she could only fall asleep with one of the kitchen knives tucked between her bed and the box of springs.
She had promised herself and Kayda that one day, one of these days, they would leave the horrid hole they were trapped in. That Yua would give her sister the life she deserved and not the slums they were stuck in.
Shivering uncontrollably, Yua sped up her pace as their home came into view. Bitterly cold and humid - what an enchanting combination. Everything outside was coated in a heavy dusting of snow, and pulling open the metal doors left her hands tingling and throbbing painfully. The dim lit hallway that met the two sisters was just as cold and unforgiving as it was outside. Yua could see her breath materializing with each exhale, just as she could feel the small body clinging to her side shivering despite the thick winter apparel adoring the child.
Climbing four flights of stairs Yua finally came to a stop. With Kayda balanced on one hip and grocery bags dangling off her other arm Yua struggled as she used her foot to harshly push open the front door.
"Hold on will you." Yua chattered to the wiggling toddler as she flicked on the lights. Jumbled words fell from the girl's mouth as she quickly made her way to the ground. Yua was only able to pick out the words duck and bubbles before the dark haired three year old made a mad dash for the living room.
Yua couldn't get her feet to move for a second as she basked in the heat swelling in her home. It felt so nice against her icy skin. Standing there with bags digging into the flesh of her arm though had her mind reeling and telling her to keep moving. So, she followed Kayda as the small girl wobbled to and fro. Her head pointed down to the ground in a firm glare. A challenge had been issued and Yua had no clue what it was, or how the floor had aggravated the toddler.
Dismissing the child Yua instead took a turn for the kitchen. Bags were barely placed on the counter before she heard her sister babbling to herself down the hallway. Halfway through putting the items away Yua heard her sister cry out again, this time with a request that was still being warmed in the microwave.
"Coco!" Came Kayda's small but demanding voice. "Coco!"
"It's still warming up." Yua answered as she shoved a bag of chicken nuggets into the freezer. "You're going to have to wait."
A soft smile graced Yua's features as her hands wrapped around her steaming mug. The heat of the drink brought life to her veins once more. Green hues watched as the numbers on the microwave counted down, and when it dinged she removed the sippy cup and took a test sip from the beverage to see how warm the liquid inside was. Then, with a mug and warm sippy cup in hand Yua made her way to the living room.
"Coco! Coco! Coco!" With each word came the squeaking of her fluffy toy duck.
"Patience little demon." Yua teased playfully, though the slight smile dancing on her lips vanished when she became aware that there was a stranger standing within reaching vicinity of her sister.
"Coco! Coco!" The child cried as she pointed viciously at the man near the window. Electric blue's stuck instantly to Yua but her attention was on the steady flickering of flames erupting from his fingertips.