Dabi woke up scowling and covered in sweat as he felt his body twitching from his cramps, the cramping was normal, but it only got bad like this on certain days, days when he could feel his quirk burning under his skin in a way that it might as well be boiling his blood with how awful it made him feel.
He wasn't exactly sure what caused it, but he suspected it had something to do with not using his quirk enough because it only happened after long periods of minor use. Endeawhore was a sick son of a bitch, and nothing would ever change that, however that bastard did know somewhat how to manage a quirk like his and Dabi was too burnt out from overuse after his training for it to ever build up… which wasn't much better now that he thought about it.
*Gah… Stupid fucking quirk screwing with my head, making me think there was anything good about that bastard.* he thought forcing himself to sit up which almost made him pass out since days like this left him light-headed, it didn't help that he tossed and turned last night so he hadn't gotten nearly enough sleep to deal with being awake.
Still Dabi had a job to do, and he wasn't going to let his stomach threatening to empty itself keep him from doing the shit he needed to do that day, so he forced himself to his feet and stumbled to the bathroom for a quick shower hoping the cold from the water would clear up the fog in his head.
It helped somewhat but Dabi didn't expect the water to magically cure all his problems, and he threw on some clothes before moving to the kitchen and found Red already had a bowl of cereal ready for him "Oof, rough night Hun?" she questioned when she saw him "Something like that." He mumbled as he opened up a drawer to get himself a spoon, only to be confused when he held a whisk instead.
"One to the left," Magne commented, and Dabi quickly remembered that yes, the silverware was in the other drawer "Right, I knew that." He responded, putting the whisk back and grabbing a spoon then slumped in his chair "Hey, Hun are you feeling, okay? You're a bit pale." Magne inquired leaning back against the counter "I'm fine Red, just didn't get enough sleep." Dabi told her.
Magne didn't look convinced but wasn't going to push it "If you say so, but it's a Thursday so feel free to tap out if you can't work today." She reminded him before going to take her own shower, Dabi sighed feeling a headache beginning to form and did his best to shovel his cereal into his mouth.
As the day went on Dabi's body made its protests of working loud and clear, he even had to stop and hold his head in his hands counting down from ten over and over again as he waited for one of his legs to stop spasming, unable to keep going until it stopped, or he would have tripped himself up.
Thankfully no one had stumbled upon him during that time, he did not want to deal with Red worrying over him or the Twinkie's bedside manner.
He didn't need either of them wasting their time worrying over him over something that he's been dealing with for as long as he could remember, it would pass just as it always would after a few hours, a day at most if it was one of the real bad ones.
Dabi was an adult now and he could deal with the problems his quirk caused him like an adult so he didn't need anyone babying him, maybe if he was a bit less jaded, he'd appreciate them caring enough about him to worry, but he could be safe in blaming his sperm donor for screwing his mind up like this.
Finishing up at Quinn's Dabi felt like his head was pounding and the smell of the grilled meat the old fart had given him made him gag, he handed it off to someone as soon as possible to keep himself from throwing up, the kids seemed happy to take it off his hands, so Dabi didn't linger any longer than necessary and was swiftly moving on to Charlotte's.
He was just passing the shrine when his headache went from a general pounding sensation to a piercing spike being drilled between his eyes and he was feeling more light-headed, he paused to lean against the shrine's boarders, but he had misjudged the distance and fell "Fuck!" Dabi hissed struggling to push himself to sit up right and the stinging in his palms didn't keep his arms from cramping up.
"Dabi are you okay?" someone asked kneeling next to him and even through his foggy daze Dabi could remember whose voice it was, and he cursed his quirk out for failing him at that moment *Of course the Twinkie would see that.* he snarled in his head "I'm fine, fuck off Twinkie." Dabi spat trying to smack the brat away from him.
Normally this was when the brat would dodge him and try to convince him to go with him to one of the backrooms, so Dabi was not expecting it when the Twinkie instead grabbed his wrist making his arm spasm unexpectedly "No, you're not." The Twinkie told him, not letting go of his arm despite Dabi trying to tug it free.
"So what? I've been dealing with this crap since I was eight and I don't need you babying me Twinkie!" Dabi snapped back using his quirk to heat up his arm, it made the fog in his head worse when he used his quirk at all in this state but right now, he just wanted the Twinkie to let him go.
The brat's nose scrunched up, but he didn't let go of him and instead tightened his grip on Dabi's wrist "Then stop acting like an idiot and tell me what's wrong." The Twinkie said right back at him, apparently unbothered by the heat Dabi was extruding "Did you forget your brain today! If you don't let go of me right now, I'm going to burn the crap out of your hand!" Dabi spat more frantically trying to get the boy to release him.
"I'll let go if you promise to do one thing for me, no questions asked." The Twinkie calmly replied not having any trouble keeping Dabi's very hot wrist in his hold, Dabi wanted to scream at the kid for being so dumb but bit his tongue knowing that attracting any attention would just get him killed by the locals five times over for hurting their precious "Deku-Sensei".
However, when the horrid stench of burnt flesh hit his nose Dabi's mind was made up for him "Okay! Okay! Just let go for fucks sake!" Dabi exclaimed and though the brat did it was too late, and Dabi quickly turned away and emptied his stomach on the sidewalk, given his lack of appetite it was mostly just stomach acid which Dabi was unsure if that made it worse or not.
He felt a hand rubbing soothing circles on his back and guessed it was the brat and once Dabi was finished the boy offered him a hankie which he used to wipe his mouth "Feel better now?" The brat asked and Dabi was tempted to say he was but decided to be honest and shook his head no.
"Okay, Dabi I'm going to put something on your wrist so don't fight me." The Twinkie instructed before he reached into his messenger bag and pulled out an odd bracelet, Dabi was reluctant but held out one of his arms and when the bracelet was around his wrist, he felt a small jab making him jolt "Twinkie what the fuck-" Dabi exclaimed but the brat shushed him by putting a hand on his mouth "Just wait a minute okay." The boy told him, Dabi reluctantly did as the brat asked.
After about ten seconds Dabi felt something odd happening to his quirk, it was… cooling down? That couldn't be right. Dabi has known his quirk for years and it would never cool down this fast without Fuyumi or his mom to cool his body. Was it being affected by the bracelet?
"What is this?" Dabi asked, feeling much better now that his quirk wasn't burning him up from the inside "It's a quirk band." The boy replied, shocking him "What?" he dumbly responded because what the hell? Why would the brat just be carrying around a quirk band of all things.
Dabi ended up on the receiving end of an unimpressed look "You haven't been subtle with your problems Dabi and as a licensed quirk counselor all of it was painfully obvious to me." The Twinkie answered and that felt like a stab to the gut "I don't have a-" "No." the brat snapped cutting him off "Your legs just gave out from under you and you vomited all over the sidewalk because your quirk was cooking you alive. Do not think of telling me you don't have a problem, Dabi." The Twinkie- no Deku sternly said just short of glaring at him.
With his head clearing up Dabi was fully able to feel the effect of Deku's intensity and flinched back, that sinister air had only grown worse since they met all those months ago, or maybe Deku wasn't using it in full effect that time because he was tired.
After a moment Deku took a deep breath and the aura dispelled with his exhale "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have snapped at you Dabi, but this really is serious and if we don't do something your quirk is going to kill you." Deku explained somberly and he looked equally troubled by what he'd said.
Dabi froze at that, and his mouth opened then closed "Are- Are you serious?" Dabi questioned and almost regretted it when he saw how grim it made the boy "Nova smith is the most famous case of how improper quirk training can kill someone, but I can assure you there are hundreds of people who've died because they couldn't control their quirks, regardless of the nature of their quirk. There's a reason that free government funded quirk centers exist, Dabi, and that quirk counseling is mandatory in schools." Deku answered, trying to stress the seriousness of what he was saying.
Dabi was going to say that that didn't apply to him because he did know how to control his quirk, he could turn it on and off without problem, he could control the output and he could even manipulate the flames when he launched them forward.
But Deku raised his hand "I know you can control your quirk Dabi but that doesn't mean you weren't trained wrong." The boy told him "What do you mean?" Dabi questioned not following and Deku sighed.
"For the most part, your training was fine. Whoever trained you followed the correct steps for training the "average" person with a fire quirk." Deku explained and while Dabi wasn't the smartest person when it came to quirks, but he could understand a person's tone just fine "And I'm not the average person." Dabi said, distantly remembering what Deku told him about his quirk when they met, and Deku nodded.
"And you're not the average person, you have an Antithesis quirk and because of that, that means you couldn't start off the same way as anyone else. Since you have ice resistance Dabi you should have been put on quirk blockers and then slowly weaned off them in order to help your body properly adjust to your fire, because that didn't happen that's why you are still experiencing the same side effects inexperienced children with fire quirks do, if to a far more intense degree." Deku elaborated, straying from using the more scientific terms Dabi knew the boy could have used.
Dabi frowned and his eyes trailed down to the large scars covering his arms dragging all his memories for all the pain he went through because of his quirk, of the years shambling around like a zombie because of his quirk, of the tortuous hours spent training with Endeawhore regardless of his condition.
"Is… that really why I… " *Wasn't perfect?* he thought, unable to finish the question even if it was just under his breath, he jumped when Deku suddenly took his hands in his "The way you were trained is the main reason you are having problems, but there is one other reason why your quirk is causing you health problems." Deku told him, lightly rubbing his hands.
"My quirk is burning me from the inside out, what else could it be doing to fuck my body up?" Dabi asked unable to help venom in his tone "It's a common misconception that people with Emitter type quirks don't have different dietary needs but that is rarely the case. I'm sure you know how ice and fire quirked people need to drink more water to balance their body's out right?" Deku brought up and Dabi nodded, Endeawhore was always a thirsty bitch when he got off of work.
"But fire quirked people also need to keep a high sodium diet to help all that extra water work right and to help your body properly protect itself from your fire." Deku explained and Dabi's face likely showed his confusion given Deku quickly added: "You need to eat more salt, Dabi."
"Oh." Dabi said, he hadn't known that… his sperm donor never mentioned anything like that, but then again all of their food was taken care for them by their mom and Endeawhore hired them a chef after she was sent to the loony bin, and after he ran away Dabi had more important things to worry about then the way food tasted so different.
Deku let go of his hands and reached back into his bag pulling out a small white box with a black top, he opened it then pulled out a little white cube "Here, I want you to try this." Deku said offering him the cube, Dabi looked the cube over suspiciously "And just what is that?" Dabi asked and Deku suddenly looked sheepish "This is a, salt lick. Mutation stores sell them for people with animal quirks, so they can get their minerals easier." The boy explained.
Ah… Dabi had no idea why that would make him nervous, this was probably something he didn't understand because Endeawhore wouldn't teach him anything outside of what was needed for heroics.
Though Dabi had to admit he was curious just what it would taste like, he ate a teaspoon of salt because Natsuo dared him to once and he wanted to know if it would be like that, so decision made Dabi took a cube and popped it into his mouth.
*Huh, it's not that bad… * Dabi thought not minding the sharp taste as he rolled the cube around in his mouth, Deku coughed into his hand after a moment "Well, um Dabi, I want to help you gain control of your quirk. So please, let me help you." Deku requested, bowing his head to Dabi.
Dabi found himself uneasy with the thought, the request had hit the root of his problem with accepting help… his sperm donor had given him far too much "help" in Dabi's opinion, his mom had tried but she could never help him the way he needed, and his sibling needed someone big and strong to give them the care they would never get from either of their parents.
Things weren't much different after he left home, people offering help just weren't to be trusted, Magne had to strongarm him to let her take care of him most days and he didn't have any of that history with Deku.
Letting the kid fix him up was one thing as Dabi could argue it was something self-serving as keeping him healthy kept Deku from having to find someone to replace him, but this was different.
"I- I'll have to think about that." Dabi told the boy, deciding it wasn't a question he wanted to deal with today, Deku sat up and nodded "That's fine, please keep the quirk band on though and I can give you the name of the shop I got the salt lick from." Deku said offering him the box, Dabi mulled the thought over then took the box from him.
"Fine, but I'm going to keep working today, Twinkie." Dabi told the boy forcing himself to his feet, it was shaky, but he managed to stay up right, Deku frowned but conceded "Okay, just be careful Dabi. Your body is going to need time to recover." Deku advised, Dabi waved him off "It's like you told Red, tripping like that is nothing compared to what I've been through." Dabi said then he continued onto Charlotte's.