Day 88
It was the third night that she had come home to Digit having a group of friends around the table. The closer she grew to Dabi the further apart she grew from Digit. She was smart enough to understand the reasoning.
It actually hurt Ali at first because she had assumed that what she had with Dabi was alright. Digit and Dabi had both specifically said that they weren't exclusive when she first met them. But it seemed that there was an apparent unspoken rule on Digits end.
A girl code that Ali must not have been told about.
She was currently in her room and could smell the aroma of the cigarettes and hear the voices as they talked about her behind the closed door. It was becoming the norm.
They played pretend that they weren't having beef with one another. Walking past without words.
Day 90
Ali was done with the situation and had to vent. And she only had one person to vent to.
Dabi.
There was hesitation at her bedroom door. She could go to Dabi and vent or try to talk to Digit about the situation. She was tired of hearing the ugly things that Digit would say about her but above all it hurt to watch Digit playing cards at their table with other people. Doing the things that they once did.
Ali was replaced.
"She was so pathetic when I met her. That's probably why her ex cheated on her in the first place." Digit's voice came through the door and stabbed her heart.
There wasn't room for hesitation any longer. She grabbed her bag and headed past the group of friends and out the front door.
The transit from her apartment to Dabi's was a blur.
Replaced. She was replaced and words were beating her down. Did Keigo speak that way about her now that she wasn't around?
When she made it to Dabi's apartment she felt a pinch of guilt when she realized that there was another person in the apartment. A guy with pale blue hair. She was sure that she had actually seen the guy before with her coworkers.
"I can come back." She spoke before Dabi could speak. The only catch was that her voice almost cracked at the end. Giving away that there was something upsetting her.
Calloused fingers grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his chest.
"No." His voice was neutral but his hold on her wrist softened and the hand traveled up and cupped the back of her head. Pushing his face into his chest, "Just give me a moment."
He kept her close and led her to his room and after attending his friend he returned. Dabi sat on the bed with his back against the wall and opened his legs and arms. Inviting her into his personal space.
Ali accepted the embrace. Her back against his chest and their arms tangled. His chin on top of her head.
"I'm here." She heard him murmur in her hair.
And so she talks. Talks about the situation with Digit. The gossiping and chatter. The frustration and anger. But also the feelings of betrayal and feeling like she was replaced.
She admits to feeling like she needs to move and feeling paranoid that she's just running away from the problem. Just like how she feels like she did with her ex.
"This is different. Fuck Digit." Dabi soothes her in his own way. He had started to rub her arms and she could tell when anything she said annoyed him because he'd paus his actions.
"I'm moving from the apartment." The registration of the words and the shock made her body still, "I haven't mentioned it yet.. Because I wanted to check on a few things first."
There was a moment of silence that passed between the two of them.
"The place is huge. It's a villa- and you'd actually be working there with the Meta Liberation Freaks." Ali tried not to snort at his comment but mostly because she could hear his voice becoming vulnerable. Its only happened a few times and more often than not it was after sex during pillow talk.
"Would you want to move in with me?"