POV DABI

Himiko falls asleep on my back, so I pick up my pace to a speed walk to get her home quicker. She's probably had a long day; when there's an argument in the league, it never ends pretty. And I know how much Himiko hates yelling. Mirko offers to hold her for me, but I decline. I may be exhausted, but I don't trust anyone with my little sister.

When we arrive at the base, the door is still open. I switch Himiko's light body so she's in my arms instead of on my back. It's another reminder that I have to get her something to eat so she doesn't get any lighter. Mirko and Keigo stay close together as we enter, and I nod to Keigo to close the door.

"Mom!" I call as I place Himiko down on the couch. "I'm back!"

"He's out," croaks Shiggy from the counter. He's playing with his gloves, adjusting them around on his hands, not paying any attention to the guests I have. There's a bottle of bourbon beside him, but it only looks like a few sips were taken. I nod, walking over to him slowly.

"I'm in trouble," I say, sitting down on the stool beside him. "So I made a few hero friends to get me out of it. Is that alright?"

"Really?" Shiggy says. I nod, gesturing to Mirko and Keigo. He sighs, resting his head down on the counter. "Spinner was right. This place is going to shit."

"It was already shit," I say, clapping him on the back. "And anyway, we'll get out of it. Remember our strengths and weaknesses, you fucking dust pan, and I'll figure it all out."

"Pull your own weight, patchwork," Shiggy snaps. "You don't have to compensate for everyone. That's my job as the leader of this damn institution."

"Shut the fuck up," I laugh, standing up from my seat. "I'm making Goldie a grilled cheese with bacon. Want one?"

"Yeah," Shiggy groans. "No bacon, though. And—"

"Cut the crusts, I know."

"Why are there heroes in our base?" Kurogiri says cautiously as he steps through the door. "Is this you, Dabi?"

"Yup," I say, grinning as I pull out the bread and cheese. The bacon is already sizzling on the stove. "They're helping me get out of trouble, so don't freak out."

"And they've been cleared as trustworthy?" Kurogiri says, eyeing Mirko suspiciously. I nod again, waving him off. "We'll have to talk about Spinner later on," Kurogiri said, strolling over to Shiggy's side and leaving the heroes alone. "I'm glad there wasn't any physical fighting, but damage was still done and needs to be repaired."

"I don't want him back here," Shiggy growls. "If I see him again, I'll turn him to ashes."

"We'll give you some time to cool down, Tomura," Kurogiri says. "Meanwhile, we'll figure out what's going on with Dabi and his hero friends. Care to explain?"

"Dear old dad sent a few bounty hunters after me," I say as casually as I can. "He's trying to frame me for the birdie's wing problems. The bunny bitch just happened to have my back, so I decided not to kill her."

"You couldn't even if you tried," Mirko laughs. "But yeah. Don't get me wrong– I'm a hero through and through. I'm only doing this because Hawks is my best friend and Endeavor needs to be punished for his crimes." She gives me a side eye, like she's hinting at the fact that I'm not totally innocent either. I just shrug. Yes, I've committed a few crimes myself (murder included). No, that's not what we're worried about right now. Get over it, bunny girl. I'm not Prince Charming, and I never will be.

"Hey Touya?" Keigo says softly, pulling at my jacket sleeve. I look at him, ignoring the twinge in my chest. He's gotten thinner; his face looks sunken and exhausted. At least he's talking and moving more.

"What's up, birdie?" I ask, pulling him to my side as I flip Himiko's grilled cheese. If this wasn't a villain base and there weren't people tracking us down to kill us and Keigo wasn't absolutely traumatized by my god-awful father, we could be the couple in the happy ending of a cheesy romcom. I like the idea, so I hold it close to my chest. I was never one to be optimistic, but I can't afford any doubt if I want everything to end without any more pain.

"I feel gross," Keigo continues. "Can I go take a shower?"

"Yeah, sure," I answer, placing the sandwiches on two paper plates. "Let me just give these to the two morons and I'll go with you."

"I'm gonna go by myself," Keigo says, patting my arm. "I don't feel like waiting, but you can join whenever. I'm stealing towels and clothes from you, too."

I can't stop the smirk that pulls at my lips. "Alright, bird brain," I say, playfully pushing his head to the side. "Go shower, I'll be there in ten minutes."

"I love you," Keigo whispers.

My breath hitches in my throat, but I'm able to reply before he hurries down the hall. "I love you too, dipshit."

"Cute," Shiggy mocks, pulling his crusty face into a twisted grin. "I didn't know we dated heroes now."

"Zip it, dust pan," I scoff. "Don't act like you don't have a crush on that homeless, bumy teacher from U.A. Because I remember you said very clearly you'd let him—"

"Shut up, staples!" Shiggy exclaims, his face getting red. "Shut up! I take it back! Date whoever the fuck you want, I don't care, just don't bring that up ever again!"

"Oh my god," Mirko laughs, plopping down in the seat across from Shiggy. "You have a crush on Eraserhead?! Like, Shouta Aizawa, Eraserhead?"

Shiggy sinks down, basically slamming his head on the counter. "Either kill me, die, or shut up."

"He's married, y'know," Mirko continues, picking at her nails. "To Present Mic."

"I know that," Shiggy groans. "Just drop it. I wasn't being serious. He's a fucking hero."

"It sounded like a very serious claim," I laugh, dropping his sandwich down in front of him. Shiggy nods a thank you, and then continues to talk to Mirko while I make my way over to Himiko. "Blondie," I whisper, nudging her shoulder. She rolls over on the couch, sitting up groggily and blinking herself awake. She hums in delight at the sight of the sandwich and takes it graciously. "You're welcome, brat," I say, ruffling her hair.

"Thank you," she says with a mouthful of food. "You're the best."

"I know," I reply. I head down the hallway to the bathroom, but the door's open and the light's off. Confused, I head into my own room. Keigo fell asleep in a heap of my clothes and blankets on my mattress. At first, I just look at him, soaking in the sight. This is the first time since the attack that he's even able to fall asleep without me by his side. And suddenly the sight isn't enough. I crawl beside him, wrapping my arms around his waist and pressing my chest to his back. Keigo hums and snuggles into me. I didn't realize how tired I was until I fall asleep literally in the blink of an eye.

Hours later, I wake up to something poking me in the chest. I pull back, blinking my eyes to adjust to the darkness. Kurogiri must've shut the lights off after I fell asleep. I focus my vision in Keigo's back, seeing a small red feather poking out of his shirt. I'm exhausted and confused, so I shake Keigo's shoulder. "Birdie," I groan. "Wake the fuck up."

"Hm?" Keigo whines. "Shit, is he here? No, no! Touya?!"

"Shhh," I say, pressing my hand to his face gently. "You're safe. It's just me, Touya. I think your wings are growing back. One of them is stabbing me."

"W-wait, really?!" Keigo exclaims, jumping up. "My wings are growing back?" He gets off the bed completely, and I can't help but chuckle as he spins around to try to see his back. He frowns, letting us shoulders droop. "There's only a few feather, and they're too short for me to fly out."

"It's a good start," I say with a yawn. "Anyways, c'mere, I'm tired. Maybe they'll be bigger in the morning."

"Yeah," Keigo beams, snuggling into my chest. "Night."

"Night," I reply. "Sweet dreams."

But before we can fall asleep, the sound of gunshots rings in our ears— accompanied by Himiko's screams.