-x- Dabi -x-
He took to watching Enji's misery every night before bed. He was a night owl, since he met less people during the night hours than during the day. He had repair men come and fix up the house. He had the flooring in the training room replaced to get rid of the blood stain, the fantastic idea that was the catalyst for Enji's complete downfall.
Once the place was actually fit to live in, he put locks on the bedroom doors, stopping him from visiting them all each night. He put the key to said locks in a safe under his desk. He also had all of the furniture replaced in every room but the locked ones. He'd been back three days and the court date was in the morning. Dabi would be going there with Rei as support, of course in Touya's body. Just popping out for a few hours and then going to become Dabi again.
Enji had to get all new clothes since his old ones were too baggy as he'd lost muscle mass. He was also often meditating, probably something he resorted to doing in prison. Damn, Dabi should have been spying on him in prison, too! See his misery, see how he was treated. Damn, what a fucking wasted opportunity.
At school he and his friends had a blast talking about all of the things Dabi could do to make him miserable. Of course they were quiet about it so nobody found out, and they never actually used Enji's name, former hero identity or real name. Dabi was happy he had someone he could bully as he'd given up on Geten, who also gave up on him in turn.
When they were walking home together, as they all lived in the same direction, even if their neighborhoods were very different, someone was calling Dabi's name. Someone he didn't know. The four stopped and stared. "Who're you?"
"I'm a talent scout! I've been trying to reach you-"
"Why didn't you just message our page on Twitter or some shit?" Dabi asked skeptically.
"Because you're notorious to not engage with commenters or fans. My name is Kota Sujiro." When they all gave him an unimpressed look, a long pause, he grew uncomfortable. "Anyways - well, you guys are really talented, and I want to scout you for a record deal at King Records."
"No thanks," all four said at the same time.
"What?"
"No thanks. We don't plan on graduating only to be used by other bigger fish. We'll keep our independence. Thanks for the offer, though," Dabi said politely enough. The guy looked shocked that four teenagers were turning down a record label with one of the largest and most profitable in the nation.
They would rather make less money in the future but still be who they wanted to be. They turned around and continued to walk on their way. He didn't follow, and looked disappointed. Dabi used extended senses to listen to him get on the phone. "Hi, sir… yes, they said no. No, a definitive no, I think they won't budge."
"Lazy, fucking ungrateful children. Don't approach them again - they look like a nightmare."
"Yes, sir."
Dabi snorted, and relayed the phone call to his friends, who laughed. They would not be manipulated or bought out and lose everything about their identity.
-x-
"I've been spying on him since the day he came back," Dabi said in the car, currently appearing as Touya, which was pretty awful. Rei rose her brows but kept her eyes on the road. "All he does is mope around the house, cleaning everything, having people come in to fix the shit that's broken. The back shed is rotted by termites, and that's a hassle to get rid of. He only goes out at night or he's shit on by more people during the day. He locked all of our rooms so he doesn't need to see them anymore.
"All around, he's pretty miserable. I have big plans for him," Dabi said with a grin, looking much less wicked without his staples.
"Whoa, what a cool quirk!" Natsuo said.
"Does he miss us?" Fuyumi asked. She had been uneasy about her feelings ever since he got out. Dabi had grown up more and didn't shit on her for them, even if he disagreed that Enji deserved any contact with any of them.
"I don't know. He looks at a shitty photo a lot but then hid it somewhere, I haven't seen it in a few days. He locked the rooms and he's shit at cooking since he's used to Rei doing it all," Dabi answered.
Shoto asked, "What are your big plans?" in a curious, wary voice. Dabi didn't think there was any way to get him to emote more, or be the first to say something. Even in a safe, loving place, Shoto was emotionally stunted. It was sad, honestly. He didn't make many friends because his classmates saw him as boring.
Dabi wished he could make friends, like Natsuo and Fuyumi had. He would usually sit outside and read, or just stare at things. He was going to therapy, but it was either doing nothing or just taking a long time to take affect. Shoto was the most heavily abused besides Dabi. He would always feel guilty for pawning off his issues to Shoto, pretending he had a shitty quirk. It was wrong, and he felt bad for it, but hadn't actually ever apologized. He didn't think he needed to because Shoto already realized.
He'd given him an awkward hug that he initiated first, and thanked him for being a "good brother now".
"Well… I can't really move things from a far distance, but I'm looking for any telekinetic quirk-"
"You can make the house seem haunted!" Natsuo shouted.
"Exactly!" Dabi said brightly. "It'll take some work to figure out how to do it remotely, but I can do it." Rei didn't look happy about this, but knew better than to tell Dabi not to do something. He wouldn't listen and would do what he wanted anyways, as long as it didn't hurt the people he cared about.
Fuyumi said, "That's really mean, if he's already miserable."
"Ugh, don't start the argument," Natsuo groaned.
"But it's true! Dad's all alone, he has no job, no future, no friends, no family. Making him seem crazy is cruel."
"It's your choice to see him or not. It's my choice to be charitable and take pity on him," Dabi said with a shrug. They dropped it when they arrived at the courthouse. Enji had been driving himself places since nobody would work for him, and Dabi saw his car parked a few spots away. Rei looked uncomfortable and worried.
Dabi said, "We won't let him hurt you or Shoto." Shoto was also worried. "I'm more than strong enough to deal with him." They got out of the car and Dabi held Shoto's hand. "Remember, call me Touya," he whispered to his family. They nodded.
When they entered, they moved to sit on one side, usually having the mother sit in front of them, but Dabi sat beside her on the side across from Enji, who looked heartbroken at seeing them, and seeing the way Shoto was slumped so low in his seat he wasn't visible around Natsuo and the back of the bench. Dabi shot a nasty smirk at Enji before schooling his face. Rei's lawyer did most of the talking, as did Enji's.
Both sides had paperwork on their tables. Rei wasn't quite shaking, but she was very uneasy and gripped Dabi's hand tightly for support. "For visitation rights, Mr. Todoroki has asked for voluntary, supervised visitation rights," the judge said. "When said visits are scheduled, someone unbiased and qualified will need to supervise for both Shoto and Natsuo. Touya and Fuyumi are old enough to visit on their own if they wish."
Shoto shared a look with Natsuo, both not looking happy that Enji still wanted to see them in any way.
"As for child support, I grant 50,000 yen per child per month until said children are 20, or have been emancipated. Because of Touya's special circumstances, I will allow the money to go straight to him, since he does not live with you but does not live on his own," he continued. "Touya, use the extra money for necessities. Food, bills, etc."
"Yes, sir," Dabi said respectfully, hating being called Touya.
The hearing wasn't that elaborate in the end, and they family left without speaking with Enji. Fuyumi looked hesitant at the door. "You got his phone number, Fuyumi, start there," Dabi said quietly. She sighed, and nodded, the five of them going back to the car.
When they locked the doors, Rei sighed, relaxing in her seat, looking out the skylight. "You all did so well," she said with a smile at them.
"You, too, mom," Fuyumi replied with her own bright smile.
"I barely was able to give him any look," Dabi complained. "I wanted to piss him off-"
"Well, thank you for not doing so while we were in court about child support," Rei said, surprisingly angry sounding.
"It doesn't matter, nothing happened, no need to bitch about it," Dabi said a bit harshly himself.
"You are almost an adult, Dabi. You cannot carelessly use your quirk for harm or harassment."
"But I'm so good at it," Dabi said casually, a teasing look on his face. Rei sighed. "I'm not a lost cause, I'll behave someday soon." He put his hands behind his head. "Then you won't need to worry about me. Nobody will have to," he said that part a bit softly.
Rei read his feelings, and started the car. "Mei-san will keep in contact with you, even after-"
"She doesn't for all her past foster kids."
"Yes, well, those kids all find a loving home. You're probably the first foster child she's had that she hasn't been able to do what she wishes. Provide you with a permanent, loving home. She cares for you, and I have no doubt you'll stay in contact, but that involves your effort as well," Rei explained.
"...I'm sorry I made things so complicated. With legally being your kid while acting like I'm Mei's instead."
"I am not upset about that, and it's been handled very neatly. I understand why you wanted these arrangements. But, Dabi, you're not a kid anymore. You have less than six months until you are a legal adult. Meaning you can be properly punished for things."
Dabi slumped but nodded. The moment he got out of the car, he shifted back into his Dabi body - his body. He felt much more at ease when his piercings were put back in.
-x- Keigo -x-
Keigo's second movie came out, and it was a weird experience absolutely hating himself. He played that asshole character so well that Keigo rooted for him to die. And it was weird as fuck watching himself die, blaming others for it. He knew that wasn't how he'd act on his death bed.
It made him wonder… how was he going to die? He wasn't a hero, and he was free from the Commission. How would he die? Would he get sick with something? Would he get hit by a car again, and this time lose more than his leg? Would someone kill him even if he wasn't a hero? Maybe he'd die in a plane crash. He wasn't that great at swimming, maybe he'd drown.
He got caught on this thought about how he would die. He couldn't sleep from it, he couldn't eat, he was fixated on the fact that he had no clue how his life would end. For almost a decade of his life, he was sure he'd die in the line of duty. And for the time before that, he knew he'd die because his father killed him.
Finally, he called Dabi. It was really late by now, but Dabi answered. "What's wrong?" he asked in a tired voice.
"I can't turn my brain off," Keigo said quietly, looking out the opened curtains. "I keep thinking about not knowing when or how I'm gonna die."
"From your movie?" Keigo could hear shifting on the other end. "Move over," he grumbled and Keigo heard a small bark. Enzo's therapy dog was with Dabi.
"Yeah. Before I - before it happened, I always knew I was going to die from being a hero. But now I'm not a hero, and my life isn't constantly in danger. It's scary, not knowing at all."
"Well, how would you want to die?"
"I don't know. Old and not alone probably. Be with someone that loved me. I would want to die of old age, not being sick, or getting in an accident - cars are like death traps. I don't want to get murdered or drown."
"Any one of those things could happen. Most you can't control, but you can control the way you want to die. Eat healthy, go to the doctors, take care of your teeth, don't smoke, don't do drugs, exercise, all that jazz. You can't control the world around you, it'll keep moving regardless of what you want, but you can focus more on what you can control."
"Yeah…" Keigo said, feeling more relaxed. "How would you want to die?"
"On my 100th birthday, I'd kill myself. Then I can claim I belonged to myself even in death. Well, can't claim shit if I'm dead, and everyone will think I was bonkers and did it cause I'm so fucking old, but I'll get to know I decided how my life was gonna end even at a hundred fucking years."
Keigo laughed feeling relaxed.
"Go to sleep, Birdie. Think of tonight as your start line to live longer. Maybe eat less fried chicken and more vegetables," Dabi said, his deeper, rumbly voice sounding so peaceful and relaxing.
"Mm'kay. Have broccoli," Keigo mumbled. Dabi chuckled on the other end.
"Sweet dreams." Keigo fell asleep and Dabi hung up the phone.
-x-
"I don't want to be rude… but can I come hang out with you?"
"Why would that be rude?"
"Just inviting myself over… that's rude, isn't it?"
"Well, to some people. You can come over, though. Mei won't give a shit and you'll be in my room. Sheri doesn't dislike you anymore, and you're not scary enough for the new foster sister."
"When is a good time?"
"Come over whenever. It's a weekend day, nobody is doing anything. Not meeting up for the band today, Shuichi and Tenko are on a date and Toga's on a hike." Ah, so they were dating. That was cute, now three of the four were confirmed gay. At least Dabi was around people that accepted and even understood him. Well, his friends, Keigo didn't know if Dabi's family - either of them - knew.
"I'll come now," Keigo said, and slipped his shoes on, zipping his keys, wallet and phone into his pant pockets. He'd found pants at the thrift store that had zip up pockets and that was now his new thing for any clothes, as if made it so much safer to fly with said things. He had learned how to make things now, so he could modify his thrifted outfits even more.
It was very convenient he could fly since going out in public was exactly how things should have ended up had Keigo continued his life as Hawks. People wanted photos with him, autographs, etc. It was alarming in a way because he'd been used to so different for what felt like so long. Focusing on keeping his head down to not be recognized.
No matter how long it was, how many outings ended with crowds of young girls and teens, it still felt wrong, unnatural. Unbelievable, that people would willingly try to interact with him in a good way.
But he was lucky to fly when crowds got too much. People liked seeing him fly so by the time he was gone, they hadn't yet realized he ditched them with no photo or signed postage. He was glad he lived not on the ground floor, and also that Rumi wasn't sick of this. She thought it was funny. When she saw Dabi's music video with the bird, oh man, she'd cried a lot.
So Dabi had a very devoted fan in Rumi.
When he arrived at Dabi's house, the window was open to his room, so Keigo landed on the roof outside it. "Come in," Dabi said, and Keigo took his shoes off to leave on the roof right outside the window. Dabi was in a tank top and shorts, burnt arms and middle calves. It made Keigo wonder why he chose those parts of his body, and how much were burnt where clothing covered.
He was currently playing on his Switch. "So, what's up?" Dabi asked, flopping onto his side to look at Keigo.
"I don't know, I was lonely."
"What about shooting?"
"Not today. We have weekends off. Rumi doesn't, so I'm alone at the house."
"Man, you really need people's attention, don't you?"
"Yeah, seems that way," Keigo said honestly.
"You could get a dog. Or a cat. Cats like birds."
"To eat them!" Keigo scoffed. Dabi shrugged. "Rumi doesn't like other animals, and our apartment doesn't allow pets anyways. I could probably get a hamster."
"Go for a rat, they're easier. Though you are a hawk, maybe you'll eat it on accident." Keigo sputtered and Dabi laughed. Keigo sat on his stomach, knocking the breath out of Dabi, who gave him a glower, but didn't say anything about it. Keigo didn't get off. "Enji got out of jail."
"I heard," Keigo said sadly.
"I'm making his life a living hell," Dabi said with a manic grin. Keigo was intrigued.
"Quirk shenanigans?" he asked.
"Oh, yes. He currently has a 'ghost' that inhibits his home on Sunday nights. It will destroy things, and cause general distress. Hehe, me. I wish I could record it, but I can't!" he complained.
Keigo sighed. "You're a menace."
"Sometimes, yeah," Dabi agreed. "He's miserable even without the ghost, though. He only goes out at night so people don't judge him, his house was in shambles, termites, bugs, damaged walls and doors. No friends and no family." Keigo knew exactly how Endeavor felt, but in a completely different way.
Keigo didn't hurt anyone out of his free will, and he came out and voluntarily outed himself and the people who took care of him. Endeavor made the choices he made voluntarily. That's the only reason Keigo didn't feel complete sympathy over his situation. Because both got to that isolated feeling of losing everything they'd worked for. But at least Keigo never went to jail for his actions.
"What are you thinking?" Dabi asked, an annoyed look on his face.
"Well, not what you're thinking. I feel pity for him because I know what the isolation feels like, but it's also completely different than how I ended up. He deserved what he got. I did, too, I tortured you and should have been punished, but I know it's different with him," Keigo said. Dabi relaxed a bit, knowing that he wasn't on Endeavor's side. Well, Todoroki Enji. He was not a hero anymore. "It's sad… that so many leaders were actually corrupt inside. Even me. I was, too."
Dabi sat up and gave Keigo a hug. "You're a different person, now. A different life you made for yourself, all on your own. You didn't have a cheat into where you are now. You went from a soldier to a pariah to a lovable public figure. You dug your way out of that hole alone. Mostly alone."
Keigo nodded, and moved to not sit on Dabi's lap anymore. "He wants us to see him," Dabi said, scooching to sit with his back against the wall. Keigo looked a bit surprised. "I see that he wishes he'd done different. The way he has forced himself to be unable to look into our old rooms. Not that any of them express who we are now, or who we had been at the time. He has a couple photos of us all together. We were never a full family. With him out of the picture, and with me part of another, we're all happier than we ever had been with him. We've all made friends, Rei made friends with her neighbors… everyone got so much better once he was gone. There's no way for him to get a family again.
"Maybe he'll resort to dogs. I'm sure he wouldn't be happy with a cat that wouldn't do shit of what he says."
"Well, I doubt anywhere selling purebreds would adopt out to him. He does seem like the kind of guy to want purebred dogs." Keigo didn't expect for this to be quite so funny to Dabi, but it clearly was. Keigo laughed a bit, too.
"Oh, what if I turned a double into a dog, and I had the dog go to him as a pet. And I'd just make him more miserable."
"Okay, that's a little too mean," Keigo chuckled. "You shouldn't obsess over him so much." Dabi gave him an unimpressed look which made the actor smile. "Well, has he attempted to make any contact?"
"Pretty sure he made a YouTube account and has commented on our videos. He sounds like a complete old man, and old men wouldn't exactly like us. I also hacked his profile account to see where he lived. So, yeah, its him."
"How the hell did you manage that?"
"I foud a tech hacky quirk online. It's a fucking weird feeling. Gave me a headache, so I probably wouldn't use it. I did find out something new about the capacity of my quirk." Keigo was intrigued, and didn't comment on how Dabi was bordering on criminal activity in his spare time, no matter if it didn't directly hurt anyone. "I've forgotten some of my old ones. I think that I forget them in disuse. I tried to remember some of the first ones I learned, but I know they're gone, so my store isn't infinite," he said casually.
"You're so amazing, Dabi," Keigo said.
"My quirk is amazing."
"No, you. I mean - your quirk is amazing, too - but you've just had such a hard life and you still, like, made friends, you're making the music, doing well in school, you even forgave me and want to be friends, you… I don't know. I don't mean to be ranting or being annoying. I know a lot of what makes you you is from your quirk, but the same is for everyone. You also saved everyone in your family, and you cannot pin that accomplishment only because of your quirk."
Dabi was staring at him with a vulnerable expression. It was interrupted when the door was knocked on. Dabi opened it, and popped out cat ears and a tail for his little foster brother. Keigo smiled at it. "Hey, Enzo. This is my friend Keigo. He's a super star."
Enzo looked at him with a wide eyes, and made a bunch of signs, since he was mute. "Yup, that's him! So, what's up?"
Keigo sat on the bed, and watched Dabi, who was crouching patiently in front of the child. Then, a quiet, "Wanna… talk," in a shy, shaky voice.
A bright grin split apart Dabi's face, but it wasn't a crazed or nasty one. He grabbed Enzo under the armpits and up into the air. "You spoke! Amazing!" Dabi cheered. Keigo's smile turned warm and fond. "Time to celebrate! But I won't tell the others if you don't want me to. It can be our secret." Enzo nodded. "Oi, Birdie, we're making cake and you're helping."
"Sure!" Keigo brightly agreed, liking the sudden nickname. The three headed down to the kitchen, and Dabi told Keigo and Enzo what to do to help, him doing most of the work. After the measurements were done, Keigo and Enzo didn't really have anything more to do. Dabi hummed under his breath while moving around the kitchen. It was so oddly domestic, a trait that really didn't match with how Dabi looked and acted - in public, at least.
Keigo wished he knew sign language, but he spoke with Enzo with him writing on the whiteboard he had hanging from a lanyard around his neck. Enzo wanted to ask him about his movies, having seen Engraved. He was sweet, and Keigo wished he had siblings, even temporary ones.
"Cake's ready, help me decorate," Dabi said, pulling the cake out of the oven, and using a quirk to cool it instantly. He got together frosting in bags to pipe on. He handed the colored one to Enzo, and the chocolate one to Keigo, and then he sat on the counter island, watching, supervising. He watched them critically, unless the boy looked, then Dabi looked nice.
When Keigo was doing quite an awful job, Dabi snickered behind him, and Keigo flipped him off out of Enzo's view. Once the cake was finished, a spongy chocolate, they cut it up into pieces, put it on three plates and Dabi moved the rest of it into the fridge, and then Keigo used his feathers to clean up the area while they ate their cake, which was fucking delicious.
"You're so good at cooking."
"Yeah, you'll benefit from it when you move in with us. No way am I letting my friends gorge on crap food," Dabi said. Keigo looked confused. "Dude, I already offered, though you hadn't said anything, sooo. But the guys are all fine with it. Your choice, I guess." Keigo smiled softly around his fork.
"I'll think about it."
"Still have over six months until graduation. I'm gonna move out immediately, since I'll be 18 and not a foster kid anymore," Dabi said in a bland voice, trying to hide the sadness in it. He didn't want to leave. That much was clear. "Not that I ever was a real foster kid in the first place," he added, scraping the poorly applied frosting off of the top layer and eating it.
"I'm sure you've been a real child to Mei and Asahi. And a real brother to Sheri, Hikari, Rika and Enzo. Just like your Rei's child, and Natsuo, Fuyumi and Shoto's brother," Keigo said in a reasoning voice. "They'll all always know you as family."
"I guess," Dabi mumbled, and Keigo dropped it. He wasn't going to push his luck on this. Keigo stayed over until the rest of Dabi's family got back. Keigo made sure to sign Enzo's autograph book, which was reserved for heroes, and he had a small few already, so the actor was happy to sign, even if he wasn't the same as the others in the small, thin book.
"Thanks for the cake," Keigo said, and got his shoes from the roof and flew away. He smiled all the way back, thinking about just how happy Dabi was for the words that came from the mute boy's mouth. How he automatically did what made him comfortable, even if others might think it silly. Doing it in front of Keigo either meant he thought there would be no issue (which there wasn't) or he just didn't give a shit about what Keigo thought.
But that was the kind of reaction a sibling would have, regardless of whether he and Enzo were bound by blood or had even been together very long. Dabi was a good big brother, even if he ran away from his siblings originally, he was the one to get them out of that hell and bring them someplace safe until their mother could confidently fill her role.
Dabi was more of a hero than Keigo ever would be, or ever had the chance to be.
-x-
"Really? You're taking us to an amusement park?" Dabi asked skeptically, tuning his guitar, sitting in the garage with his friends and Keigo. "What's the occasion?"
"I don't know, is it wrong to want to make fun memories?"
"Will they really be fun if your swamped by people? Especially the water park shit. I'm sure many people want to know how ripped you are under your clothes," Dabi teased with a mean smile when Keigo got flustered. "I could always make you look different. Is that what you were betting on?"
"...Maybe." Dabi snickered, and looked at his three friends - their three friends.
"I wanna go!" Toga cheered. "Let's go, please!"
"I don't really like going places like that," Tenko said bluntly. "You guys should go, though." Keigo pouted. "What about you, Shuichi?" he asked his partner, resting his head on the other's shoulder, which made him smile.
"I don't really like being in public places. And being around you two will bring a bunch of attention." He wasn't gesturing to Keigo, but Dabi and Toga.
"But I'll behave!" she whined.
"Dabi won't. And he's already noticeable enough on his own."
"You flatter me."
"Shut up. You two are bound to drag even more attention. No thanks. But thanks fo the offer," Shuichi said to Keigo sincerely.
"Well, just us three, then," Dabi said. "I can look like someone else if we want to avoid attention." Keigo didn't really want Dabi having to not be himself to have fun. He didn't want him to need to look like someone he wasn't. "The waterpark part would probably not be the best for this appearance."
"You have to make me look pretty, I want to see cute girls," Toga said in a commanding voice. Dabi rolled his eyes but nodded. "Kei, what do you want to look like?" 'Kei'. He really liked that nickname. Dabi was making some nice ones. He liked Kei more than Birdie but preferred both over his full name.
"Randomize me," Keigo said with a grin. "We don't need to pay for transportation since we can fly Air Dabi."
So that weekend, Dabi was in the form of who Toga claimed was Dabi's 'perfect guy'. "What's that?" Keigo had to admit the appearance Dabi was in was attractive, but he still preferred Dabi's real appearance. He looked much more interesting.
"Shut it, lunatic. This is the easiest to remember." Dabi had what looked like a light blush on his face, though he looked bored mostly. Keigo wished he would look like himself, but he would gain both negative and positive attention because of his chosen appearance.
"Ooh, tell me, tell me," Keigo said, hiking his backpack up.
"Me and Dabi crafted his perfect guy. This is who he found 'perfect'." Dabi's face was flaming now.
"Oooh, I see. That's cute."
"Shut up," Dabi glowered.
"But you know it would attract other attention, right? Gonna have girls hitting on you," Keigo said. "Honestly, you should just go as yourself. You look best and are happiest with your real body. I don't care if there are stares in any way. They won't be at me." Dabi looked at him critically for a long beat, but seeing no lie, he changed back into his own body. Much better.
It was warmer out and they were going in the water park area, so they were all in summer clothes. Keigo could practically see the stress melt from Dabi once he was back in his own body. He wondered if that ability gave Dabi body dysmorphia, since he was technically not in his own natural body. He didn't actually have the scars or staples and his hair was originally white. Keigo wasn't going to ask, but it did make him wonder.
Dabi was wearing normal tennis shoes, a blue tank top and black swim shorts, his own backpack on. Toga was wearing shorts and T-shirt over a two piece, and Keigo was currently given shorter brown hair, green eyes and his wings were in a safety bubble in the garage. Before he was an actor playing wingless people, leaving them for long periods of time was scary to even think about. But he had a few feathers in his pockets and backpack in case anything happened.
He wasn't a hero, so could not use his quirk to fight villains, the saving was up to the heroes. Dabi had done "hero work" once, being the one to conjure the second All Might and get out of the nasty bank robbery situation. Proving he would have made a fantastic and talented hero in another life.
Dabi shifted into his dragon form, and Keigo and Toga climbed on, strapping down to his back with a massive harness he made for himself. "Have fun doing couples shit, losers!" Dabi called.
"Fuck off!" they called back, but neither had any trace of insult or anger in their voice. Flying in a way that wasn't with his wings was terrifying, but he trusted Dabi to not do anything to jeopardize their safety. Dabi would be able to heal from any injury and heal them as well, like he had to Keigo's leg and Toga's fingers once.
Apparently she'd picked up her biggest drum and ended up dropping it and having her fingers slammed between them and the concrete. Dabi fixed her up easily. The flight took a bit of time since Dabi was flying at a slower and safer pace. It was early in the day though, so it was fine. And none of them had any curfew.
Mei trusted Dabi to keep himself out of trouble, Toga's family didn't seem to care about their kids at all, and Keigo had no family to set a curfew or even any rules. Dabi landed them in a parking lot a few blocks away from the entrance. Keigo and Toga got off, and the celebrity in disguise watched Dabi's shift from dragon to human in awe. It really did look very cool.
Right now, Keigo was quirkless, Toga's quirk was useless, so they had Dabi there in case anything happened. While they were walking to the park, Toga wrapped her elbows around Dabi and Keigo's like a chain. "What are you doing, nutjob?"
"Being with two hot dudes will make more girls look towards me," she reasoned. Keigo laughed while Dabi rolled his eyes.
"You're an acquired taste," Keigo said before Dabi pointed out that most people thought he was disturbing looking. But this made Toga snort. Dabi formed a baseball hat and plopped it on his head to block out the sun, as well as some obnoxious, bright pink sunglasses.
Toga pouted. "You completely tanked your attractive level," she complained. Keigo snickered. "I guess I'll depend on you."
"At your service." Keigo was glad that she nor Dabi asked him if he wanted to be hit on or looked at because he really didn't. He was glad he wasn't looking like Takami Keigo right now and didn't need to worry about his public appearance. With his hair and eye change, he did not look like his normal body. He felt freer.
When they got to the gate, Keigo handed the tickets inside, and all three got photos on their phone for confirmation, since wristbands or ink stamps would get ruined in the water. "Where to first?"
Dabi stared at the amusement ride area. "Not there. I want some actual fun before I vomit my stomach up," he said in a bland voice. Toga giggled, and so they went to the water park area. She didn't wait to take her shirt and shorts off, and Dabi, ever the big brother, grumbled and picked them up before stuffing them into the backpack. "Hey! Take off your shoes and socks!" Toga chucked them at Dabi, who caught them, and grumbled under his breath.
Keigo laughed quietly and put his backpack, shoes and shirt down, too. He put his clothes on his bag, and Dabi took off his shirt and shoes but kept the hat and sunglasses on. He discreetly tapped the bottoms of their bags and then the concrete floor. "Sticking quirk. Nobody is taking our shit anywhere," he said under his breath.
Dabi didn't have much scarring over his chest or back. Mostly his arms, face, neck and legs. So, everywhere that was usually visible. "You know, I was expecting nipple piercings," Keigo said casually.
"Not yet. Saving those for when I graduate," Dabi said with a grin.
"Not surprised. Planning anywhere else?" Keigo teased.
"Thinking about it." Keigo's face flamed, and Dabi grinned. "You asked, did you not want an honest answer?" Keigo looked away and jumped into the pool to cool his face. Dabi was so fucking blunt it was incredible. Dabi jumped in after him, and when they rose, thankfully Keigo's face was not red anymore.
"How are they still on?" he asked, about his hat and sunglasses.
"Sticking quirk."
"But… why?"
"I don't actually want to get hit on in any way. And its less likely to scare kids away. I don't have the nicest face, hiding some of it is for the best."
"You have a very nice face," Keigo stated. But he did notice both of them were given space from others, which Dabi seemed pleased with. They looked over at Toga screaming like a banshee as she slid down a tunnel. She came out ungracefully, wiping out. Her space buns were in ruins, but she wasn't wearing any makeup, so that was fine.
She swam over to them, and looked at Dabi disapprovingly. "Hey, it causes less drama and I'm fine with it," he said before she could complain. She splashed at him and he splashed back. Then got very aggressive rough housing, causing a scene when Toga bit him. They were given a warning from one of the workers, but once he turned away, both just laughed it off. Toga ripped the hat and sunglasses off and swam away.
Dabi looked… pretty in the water. The shiny wet staples and piercings, the wet hair and bright eyes. He looked very pretty, and nobody could convince Keigo otherwise.
"Are you just going to sit there like an old dad?" Dabi baited.
Keigo stood up and he and Dabi joined Toga at the water slides. It was a lot of fun. When they were in the pool area, Dabi crouched under the water and Toga stepped onto his shoulders. Dabi jumped up and she went flying with a scream and a splash. Keigo was a bit embarrassed by how loud and obnoxious they were, as they very clearly knew this, but didn't give a shit.
After a bit, they finally cooled down and went to sit on the lounge chairs. Their bags and shoes had not moved an inch. "He's cute, what do you think of him?" Toga asked.
"Boring," Dabi said. Keigo was honestly fine with being quiet and watching the two be weirdos. He was a bit jealous they were so secure and didn't give a shit of what people thought of them. Toga pointed at Keigo.
"What about that one?" she asked. Keigo sat up straighter like a little idiot.
"Hmmm, better with wings," Dabi said in a bored voice. "Kinda lame right now." Keigo flipped him off and earned a bright grin, which he mirrored. They waited until they were dried off to go to the amusement park, and Keigo could tell everyone was happy when they were gone. Dabi had his hat and sunglasses back and they immediately ate cotton candy.
"Bitch, you are not paying for our food, we are going to eat like monsters," Dabi said when they got their first round of cotton candy, Dabi forking out the cash. His wallet had an obnoxious amount of single bills.
They went to sit down, and Toga took her puffs of cotton candy and condensed them into tight little balls that she ate whole. "You just ruined it, lunatic. It's supposed to dissolve in your mouth. No, you got yours, you don't get any of mine," Dabi said, shoving her away when she tried to take it.
Keigo knew he would never be able to go places with them for real if they acted like this, but it was great while it was happening. "What college were you thinking about?"
"I want to be an Instagram model," Toga said. "I can be better at it than Dabi."
"Well, that's true, because a clothing model is completely different than an 'insta model'. I just wear clothes and be whatever they want. I'm not in it to look pretty, I just want the pay," Dabi said. "And you're a fucking liar, you hate Instagram models."
"Maybe because I'm jealous I don't have big tits or a fat ass," Toga said with a laugh.
"Hmm, maybe. We want a college close to here but not necessarily in the same city. No specific place yet, at least."
Keigo didn't contribute much, but he was having a fun time hanging out with them, watching their weird dynamic. And being very happy when he was included with for all the rides. Since there were three of them, one was going to be left out on the pair rides.
That was no longer a problem after Dabi refused to get on another one after he lost his stomach. But, for someone who threw up in a trash can surrounded by people, he looked very unbothered and dumped a bunch of mints into his mouth. "That sucked," he said blandly, and Keigo and Toga burst into laughter. "Well, now you guys can be a pair."
"Are you sure? I don't want to leave you out," Keigo said in concern. Dabi gave him a cheeky smile.
"I'm fine. I'd rather not vomit every time. Once was enough." Keigo assumed he didn't have a motion sickness removing quirk. Keigo got on one of the scarier rides next to a much more confident Toga. They climbed higher and higher, Dabi becoming tiny. Keigo was breathing rapidly in panic.
Toga grasped his hand tightly. "Don't worry, if we die, it will be fast!" and the ride dropped and Keigo screamed his lungs out, Toga doing the same before they quickly arrived back at the exit. Dabi stood there and laughed at the two, Toga's hair a rats nest by now and Keigo pale and shaky. She yanked at her hair and Dabi braided it back, making it even more tangled since he didn't brush it out, but she didn't seem interested in looking at all put together anymore.
When Dabi wasn't being obnoxious with Toga, he acted like the mom of their group, making sure things were fully put in the trash, forcing Toga to wait in lines, and when they came across a bathroom area, he suggested they all take a bathroom break.
The dynamic was so fun and entertaining to watch. Quite a few parents eyed Dabi warily, and he got some pointing, but Dabi really just didn't give a fuck. Keigo madly respected him for it.
They stayed until it got dark out, and by then, they were like zombies. At least, Keigo and Toga were. Exhausted. Dabi was fine, since he hadn't been going on roller coasters for the past four hours. He was fine to just wait for them on every ride, not ruining their fun. It was good, since he was the one responsible for getting them home.
Keigo may or may not have fallen asleep on the way back. But when Dabi dropped Toga off at her place, she jostled Keigo. "Wake up, you're almost back. I had fun!" and she pat his head and then zoomed inside, the front door slamming shut behind her. Dabi brought them back to his place.
But he was too tired to fly anywhere safely. "I'm sure you can stay over if you can't fly back safely. I have sleep overs all the time, sometimes with all three of them." Keigo was grateful, and also nervous.
"Mei, can Keigo stay over? He can't really fly back safely," Dabi said once they opened the front door.
"Oh, sure. It's not a school night."
"Thank you! I will have to leave early in the morning anyways," Keigo said. Dabi put his hand on Keigo's shoulder and he felt his eyes tingle and his hair grow out and change texture. His wings came zooming to him, feathers glad to be back in place.
"Yeah. You look much nicer like this," Dabi stated, and then he moved along and both went up the stairs.
"Thanks for taking them out, Keigo-kun."
"It was fun! I had a great time."
"Did Dabi throw up?" Sheri asked.
"Yes, and he gave up after that," Keigo nodded, and Sheri laughed. It was late and all parties had already had dinner, so Dabi offered him to use the shower, as both of them were sweaty from the day, so they did, Dabi going first.
It was such a fun day, and it made Keigo like Dabi even more. He was funny and annoying and responsible and boring all at the same time. Dabi was a very gracious host and created a bed for him. He also made clothes. "Dude, how do you need to pay for anything?"
"Oh, I don't. But both Mei and Rei say creating fake money is 'wrong'," he said with air quotes. "I just make something I don't feel like buying. But there's a sense of power when you get your own, real money." Keigo chuckled.
"Don't go all alpha male on me."
Dabi snorted. He put on the TV and they watched trashy reality TV until both quickly fell asleep after the taxing day.
In the morning, Keigo left before Dabi woke up, and left him a note. He tiptoed downstairs and quietly said goodbye to whoever was awake, which was only Mei. "Thanks for letting me stay over," he said.
"Of course, thank for for taking Dabi and Toga out." Keigo nodded, and left, heading home in a great mood. It had been exhausting, but he thought living with them all together would be wildly entertaining and emotionally fulfilling. He'd also get good food from Dabi. He would totally take him up on the offer when the time came.