Here Without You - Chapter Four
A/N: I AM SOO SORRY about the long wait. i did not realize that chapter three was released in JULY. basically what happened was, I was writing chapter four when I realized that I was moving a bit faster than I wanted. so I decided to make that chapter five and rewrite chapter four from scratch, hence the long wait. BUT that just means that chapter five will be here sooner because it was basically almost done. just needs some polishing and editing.
Summary: Reader is secretly in love with Dabi. But things get a bit complicated when the dreamy young Hawks is introduced. Reader is torn between the hot tough guy she's been in love with or the new guy representing the freedom she never got as a villain. Dabi is desperate to gain her attention back and throw Hawks to the side, but Hawks won't let that happen so easily. A love war draws out behind the scenes with betrayal and secrets. Is Hawks just a hero spy or are his feelings genuine? What's Dabi hiding about his past that he won't talk about. Reader is stuck in the middle, trying to uncover all the secrets before disaster strikes.
Words: 2,034
Warnings: none
Taglist: @aiysan2 @supernatural-hunter1 @desiretdeni @emily2003alzaga
If you haven't read the previous chapters you can find them here: Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three
It was the most disgusting place the league had ever decided to hide at. It was obviously abandoned for a very long time and perhaps a kind of hangout for some punk kids. There was a lot of trash everywhere. Some plastic bottles and bags, mysterious brown piles that you weren't too curious to know what, shattered glass where someone busted the window, and dust beyond what you could comprehend.
“It's awful. It's beautiful!” Twice shouted.
You looked over at the rest of them. Toga was holding her nose shut and Dabi and Shigaraki looked disgusted. You couldn't see Twice or Mr. Compress’s face but you were sure it was just the same as the rest of them.
It had only been a few months since you all joined up together, yet it felt like with everything you all went through together you'd known each other for a long time. Perhaps these life or death situations created a unique kind of trauma bond. Regardless, you didn't mind them. There were times where they bickered or argued, but in the end it seemed to work out. Better than expected too.
You couldn't admit it at the time, but there was a faint crush on Dabi. He was kind of tall, jet black spikey hair, and scars everywhere that he wouldn't explain. You weren't sure what drew you in because he wasn't exactly the perfect bachelor. In fact, he wasn't really what any girl’s ideal or dream boyfriend should be. But then again, you were a villain. So what did it matter? He was aloof, quiet, and pretty sarcastic. He was the definition of the boy you stay away from but you wanted him.
Besides the trash, there was a beat up couch on its side pushed against the wall. That was pretty much the only furniture here to offer. Except the random scattered pieces of wood that seemed to be remnants of old furniture, now busted up and destroyed. It didn't help any of you much in that state. You wondered what life this old building had before today. What kind of furniture it had, what people stayed here, why did the person build it so far into the woods? So many questions, so much history, and no answers.
“Ugh,” you sighed, “This is going to be awful. All I want to do is sit, it was too much walking today.”
“Tomorrow we'll rest,” Shigaraki said as he brushed the hair from in front of his face, which was severely matted from the wind. You were all just recovering from walking in a horrible rainstorm. The rain fell so heavy it hurt. You swore you could see little red welts all over your skin. And if you weren't already cold from being wet, the winds didn't help either. Poor Shigarak's hair got the worst of it, you almost couldn't take him seriously looking like that.
Dabi walked over to the couch, placing his hands underneath and with a grunt he flipped it over. He brushed off some of the debris, causing dust to kick into the air. Toga coughed as she waved the clouds away from her face. “There. So now I don't have to listen to you all whine anymore.” You hesitated to walk over and muttered a soft thanks before sitting down. Dabi looked at you as he walked past, his expression soft. A stark opposite to his tone.
“Let's settle in for now and figure out the next game plan,” Compress suggested.
“Not until we get that rat’s nest under control.” Toga pointed at Shigaraki. He gave her a defeated look before sitting on the floor, where Toga followed after him. She took out a comb and began brushing his hair.
“Your hair gets so knotted so fast Tomura-kun,” she said as she pushed his head forward, followed by his head moving back as the brush traveled down his hair. “Keep your head still."
“I'm trying!”
A few hours went by. Shigaraki’s hair was in a better state, though he wasn't happy, and everyone seemed to have taken the edge off. Each of you were covered in water and mud, now with an addition to the dust that transferred to your skin and clothes.
“It's starting to get late then? Today feels like it dragged on but now I can't believe it's over already,” you said. It was difficult to see in the building except for the soft light from the moon through the window. It was still raining and there was an occasional cold breeze that blew in, sending you chills all over your body.
“You should get some rest,” Dabi said, seemingly to you. Your eyes met with his, and you had never heard him use that soft tone to anyone else.
Everyone else agreed and decided it was time for bed. A whole day of resting tomorrow sounded so nice and rewarding.
You and Toga slept on the couch together. It was a bit cramped but the boys insisted. Dabi sat in front of the couch and fell asleep leaning against it. You felt bad for him, his head resting on his own shoulder didn't look comfortable. The couch wasn't much better either so you figured maybe it didn't matter.
You saw a soft bit of light in the middle of the room and the silhouette of Shigarak’s head, only his face illuminated by the screen of his phone.
“I thought you said we'd rest today. It's the middle of the night.”
“I'm almost done beating this boss. I'm close to winning.”
You nodded your head. He was so serious about those things. He was completely laser focused into the game.
“Can I watch?”
There was something soothing and so satisfying about the way Shigaraki played. Nobody from the outside would know it, but he was very good and enjoyed gaming a lot. His methods were very strategic and he often found crazy loopholes or glitches to exploit the game. Most of them were so ridiculous it was funny to watch. Even better when him and Spinner did it together, helping each other out and plotting together.
He scooter over so you could look over his shoulder and watch. Since Kurogi’s arrest, he seemed rather quiet and reserved. He tried to pretend he didn't care but you saw through it. Sometimes, he'd catch himself mid way of saying Kurogiri’s name. He definitely seemed a bit lost without him. You hoped once this was all over, they could finally reunite.
Shigaraki beat the boss and listened to your protests to sleep. And after a rough night, morning came. Of course, everyone became painfully aware how hungry they were. Yesterday was a long day of braving the elements. You also couldn't remember the last time you ate, realizing your hands were shaking and your body weak. A dreadful synonym from lack of food and overexerting yourself.
Times like this made you remember how much you hated the media. They played out the League as if they were immature children having fun, but this was the reality of it. Working towards Shigarak's new world was work nobody in society wanted to acknowledge. It was both a selfish and selfless duty.
“What's wrong with your hands?” Dabi asked, startling you out of thought..
“Nothing is really wrong with them, I just forgot when the last time I ate was.”
“That's right,” Mr. Compress began, “we were so focused on shelter and the cold rain that we completely forgot about food.” He placed his hand on his stomach as it made a loud gurgling sound. Dabi stood up.
“Where do you think you're going?” Toga said.
“Where do you think? We'll have to find something to eat sooner or later.”
With that Dabi, Compress, and Twice left to get something. They returned surprisingly fast with bags of food. Nobody questioned where they got it or how far they had to go. The only thing on everyone's mind was a meal.
Dabi began rummaging around in the bag, taking things out and placing them to the side. You stopped to pay attention to Twice’s exaggerated version of the story.
Dabi sat next to you and handed you a container with food prepared in it. “Here, because I don't want you to do that weird shaking thing anymore.”
You put your head on his shoulder and teased him, “Oh, you're such a warm and affectionate guy, Dabi.” He rolled his eyes as he took a bite.
“He certainly knows how to talk to the ladies, “ Spinner said sarcastically.
“The food sucked. We've stolen better,” Twice said as he shoved his portion in his mouth.
“Don't waste your food,” Toga scolded him as she waved around her chopsticks.
“Oh, I didn't mind it too much,” you interrupted, “I'm just glad to actually eat something.”
Dabi handed his tray over to you. “Then you finish it for me.”
“No, it's fine. Eat, I'm okay with this.”
“Nah, nutjob is right. The food was meh.” You looked into his container. He did eat, thankfully, but had left enough for you to enjoy later when you got hungry again. It was a reliever to not have to worry about it. You sighed as you closed your eyes.
And opened them to your surprise, finding yourself in your bed. You jumped up and looked around at your surroundings. It must have been a memory you were dreaming about again. You were fond of those early moments with Dabi. He could come off harsh but you saw his sincerity. You jumped when you saw the dark shadow in the room.
“Who-”
“It's me, relax.”
“Dabi? What are you doing in here? You scared me.”
“I heard a bang and it sounded like it came from this hallway. I was just checking on you.”
“Oh. No, I'm okay. I was actually having a good dream.”
He walked over to sit on the bed. He placed his hand on your leg and rubbed with his thumb.
“It was more like a memory, actually. From a few months ago. It's crazy how much has changed since then.” You looked over at him, and with the dim light from the hallway you could see a shy smile on his face. It was such a rare thing to see and it warmed your heart. You wished he smiled more, but he seemed to only do it if he didn't notice or didn't think someone was watching. You always noticed though, you hardly missed anything Dabi did. And there that fluttery feeling started in your chest and stomach.
“We've changed too,” he muttered so softly you almost didn't process what he said. But you didn't understand what he meant. He sat there, rubbing your leg until you drifted back to sleep. To your surprise the next morning, he was sleeping in a chair across from the room.
The bang that Dabi was worried about ended up being a large tree brand that hit the building due to the wind that night. According to Hawks, there was a horrible rainstorm that made hero work difficult and cold. Maybe the sounds are what triggered your memories in your dreams.
You were eating breakfast with him, but purely coincidentally. It just so happened you both got something to eat and went to the same table, you weren't even paying attention to him.
“Woah! Woah! Eggs? Around me? That's just harsh,” he gasped as he sat down with you.
“Shut up before I turn you into fried chicken.”
“Tsk, tsk. No mercy from the villains around here.” You giggled. Then you thought about it, how is it that you only met Hawks recently? It seems like you've known him for quite some time. Maybe it was his charming personality or how honest he was, but it felt like you'd known him for a life time. It was strange to imagine that he wasn't around during the early days of the league.
His life must have been real cushy during the difficult times of the League. You didn't want to resent him though, he deserved his place here and was doing what he could for the future. That's all you could ask for.
