Top pic credit: Starry_Dae

Violet POV:

Upon ascending the staircase to the third floor of Midas' mansion, the bright lights of the open windows slowly began to drown away into the darkness of mystery that lied ahead.

The ivory walls had been replaced with deeply colored red ones. Artwork still covered the area above the banister, but upon reaching the top of the stairwell, I noticed that all of the windows had been closed with thick black curtains to keep the floor level relatively dark.

And if I thought the second floor of the mansion had been quiet, the third floor was even quieter, with tension leveled up as an aura of unspoken eeriness loomed in the air.

This level of the mansion was built differently. Contrasted to the second floor, where the hallway continued directly ahead of us once we arrived at the top of the stairs, a solid wall greeted our immediate sight at the top of the third floor. The only directions we could go were right and left.

Before I could even decide on which direction we should take, Euphoria turned around to face Dabi, Akio, and I...suddenly looking more intimidating with the red walls as her background, and the shadowy glow as her light.

"We go right. And right only." She drawled out darkly, holding a tone of authority and threat as she nodded towards the right side of the hallway.

And my first question was, why can't we go left?

Dabi simply scoffed and Akio rolled his eyes at Euphoria's demand. But, her gaze wasn't focused on the two of them. It was focused on me-piercing me with an accusing intensity that caused me to nod weakly in agreement.

Out of nervous habit, my eyes quickly trailed to the left hallway, before they immediately snapped back towards Euphoria.

Crap. Maybe she didn't notice-

Nope. She did-

"Think right, as in the right way to go, Vicky. Can you remember that?" She asked condescendingly, tilting her head to the side mockingly as she waited for me to answer.

I veered closer to Dabi out of nerves, realizing I found much more comfort in this man than I'd like to admit.

"Yes, I can. Right only. Never left." I repeated obediently, giving Euphoria a small nod of agreement.

I hoped she would take me off the spot and lead the way-and she did, not acknowledging my response at all as she turned on her heel and sauntered down the right hallway.

Akio followed first, with Dabi and I trailing after him, before the stitched man slowed his pace towards mine and rested his hand on my back.

My stomach flipped and I fidgeted once more from his unexpected, warm touch, unable to get myself together as he buried his face in my hair for his lips to find my ear.

"Getting better at the lying, little sapphire." He whispered breathily, voice holding smug hints of challenge for something I knew perfectly well.

And that 'something,' was the unspoken knowledge from both of us that we would be going down that left hallway at some point during this trip.

It's just a matter of when.

I simply smiled softly at his encouragement, not wanting to say or do too much that might give me away to Euphoria. It seems I'm being watched by her, after all.

A few twists and turns later, along with more silent tension from our group of four...Euphoria arrived in front of a door. A very beat up and rough looking door that contrasted every other beautiful item in this house.

Instantly, it made me nervous. Especially, when Euphoria turned around with a smirk of excitement, raising her brows in anticipation as she turned the knob and threw it open.

"Meet the team. Or, some of it, anyways." She snickered lowly, strutting through the door and expecting Dabi and I to follow.

Uh-oh. 'Meet,' 'team,' 'people,' my social anxiety could never-

"Knock, knock." Euphoria announced casually when she entered the room, causing me to swallow thickly as Dabi, Akio, and I followed behind her.

Well, here goes nothing....

The faint sound of music illuminated from a stereo in the corner, and the room itself was already hot boxed with a thick layer of smoke that made it hard to see anyone.

But, I could vaguely make out a body slouched in a beat up recliner chair in the corner, seeing this person look over to us slowly.

I coughed a bit at the smoky room, subtly waving my hand around to clear some of it from my area.

"Ayame, you're back." The man in the recliner uttered lowly to Euphoria, turning down the music on the stereo a bit to see what was going on.

Euphoria hummed and turned on a ceiling fan to clear the remainder of the smoke, placing her hands on her hips smugly as she turned to our trio.

"Mhm. Hey, Kaito. Got a couple of newbies. They want in." Euphoria explained, gesturing to our group.

Now that the smoke had cleared away, I could make out the sight of the man in the recliner much clearer now.

And, what a sight that was...

The immediate thing that stood out to me were this man's eyes. The sclera of them glowed a warm, cat-like yellow, instead of a healthy white color. His skin was littered with scars that looked to be from endless fights, and he just appeared overall grimy.

He continued filling his pipe with whatever as he looked at Euphoria, not even giving our trio the time of day as he spoke.

"Oh, really? And do they make the cut?" The yellow eyed man asked uninterested, taking a puff from his pipe.

Euphoria chuckled slightly at the question, turning her eyes back to our group with judgement.

"I already know Dabi, and he's just a dumbass. Stupid, but harmless..." she began, causing the stitched man to retort with sass immediately.

"Try saying that when I blow your fucking brains out." He threatened casually, causing the yellow eyed man to laugh and nod in agreement with Euphoria.

"I see." He started off, before Euphoria's eyes landed on me now.

I jumped slightly when her eyes narrowed in suspicion, before she spoke her thoughts much too honestly.

"This one....I'm not sure about," she began, keeping her eyes on me as she leaned back against the wall. "I think she's the type who tries to fool you, in the beginning. I think she knows more than she lets on. I'm just trying to figure out what."

Oh.

Huh.

I...

Wow. She is severely overestimating me!

My face turned to stone at Euphoria's words, opening my mouth to speak, yet no sounds came out.

Dabi tightened his grip on my back, tactfully opting to stay quiet this time and see how everything would play out.

Why is he deciding to stay quiet now?! I could really use some of his jerk-ness to help-

"Is that so?" This yellow eyed man Kaito leered out, finally sliding his gaze over to me with interest.

Being under the microscope now immediately filled me with stress. My mouth opened to speak again this time, but unlike before, word vomit spewed out instead of the silence I was hoping for.

"Oh-huh?! No! I-I don't know more than I know! I-If anything, I know less than I know! In fact, I don't know anything! What is knowing?!-" I babbled out, letting out a small 'aksjdf' when Dabi gently pinched my side to get me to shut up.

Euphoria seemed satisfied with my meek outburst, smirking wider when Kaito set his pipe down and silently rose from his chair now....starting to walk towards me with purpose.

Oh.

It's like that, huh.

Well, alright then. Goodbye, everyone. I'll remember you all in therapy.

I remained stick still as Kaito appeared in front of me, towering over Dabi, Akio, and I as he bore his yellow tinted eyes into me with way too much intensity.

Involuntarily, my head began to drop a bit, before Kaito slowly reached his grimy hand out towards my face.

However, he was only able to come a couple inches from touching it, before his wrist was abruptly grabbed and stopped by a stitched hand.

I gasped softly at Dabi's movements, surprised at his quick reaction time as his iron gripped hand starting to smoke around Kaito's wrist.

Kaito didn't even flinch, sliding his eyes over to Dabi with challenging authority, yet the stitched man's blood thirsty eyes shone brighter than anyone else in this room.

"I wouldn't, if I were you." Dabi chuckled murderously, meeting Kaito's eyes fearlessly as he spoke.

Kaito glared at him curiously, tilting his head to the side as he tried to figure everyone out.

"What? Is she your girlfriend, or something?" He mocked roughly, before Euphoria chimed in.

"That's what he says. But, I don't know if I buy that, either." She commented dryly, making me want to slap her for the continuing drama she keeps adding with her honesty.

And I never wanna slap anyone!

Kaito nodded subtly in acknowledgment to Euphoria's point, taking her words as the first impression he needed, judging from the stern glint in his eyes as he glared at Dabi and spoke.

"Yeah, well, if you wanna make it outta here alive, son....I suggest you get your nasty, fucking hand off me, and let me do my job. You're in a foreign place, outnumbered by you-dont-wanna-know-how-many men." He threatened casually, causing Dabi's feral grin to grow wider as he retaliated.

Yeah, I'm not surprised. His stubborn butt is willing to die if it means he gets the last word. And he's more than willing to take everyone else down with him, too.

Honestly, I'll be more surprised if we don't die.

"Oh? Son? It's cute how you think little threats work on me, as if I'm just getting my dick wet for the first time with all this murder shit. I only respond to violence and attention, so how about you provoke me further and we can get started, Ugly?" Dabi drawled out mockingly, practically straining his voice from the Dabi-ness he added into it.

Haven't heard him talk that way in awhile. So lethal. So maniacal. So deadly.

Buttt, I don't really wanna die! Sooo...

"Or..." I started off, carefully wrapping my hand around Dabi's hand-that was wrapped around Kaito's wrist.....before continuing on as calm as I could. "...we could just let him creepily touch my face, or whatever, and be on our way."

My own proposition made me sweat, but hey, if it makes this whole situation end with no casualties, then so be it.

I gently placed my hand over Dabi's searing one, holding in a hiss of pain as I heard my skin sizzle from the heat.

Hearing my hand already starting to burn, Dabi quickly deactivated his quirk and removed his hand from Kaito's, now red, wrist...tensing his shiny stitched jaw as he kept his gaze on the yellow eyed man.

"Don't touch for too long," Dabi hummed out blankly, trying to hide the amount of anger he was feeling. His mouth curled into a wicked smile as he added one more part for good measure. "I get impatient when things don't go my way."

Kaito snorted a sound of amusement at Dabi's words, extending his hand back towards me now as he spoke.

"Which is why I called you son." He gloated, making my face involuntarily shrink back when I saw his grimy hand coming for me.

"Oop-Oh, careful-umm....quickly, right?-it's just-I, you know, I kinda...like...breakout in pimples when people...touch my face..cause of, like....finger oils...and s..stuff..." I babbled out awkwardly, grimacing slightly when Kaito grabbed both sides of my face between his gross fingers.

He not-so-gently lifted my head up to have a full view of my face, roughly flicking pieces of hair away from my eyes to assess them.

"Let's see..." he sighed boredly, checking off a list of mental boxes that I was completely clueless about.

I stood stick still as he narrowed his gaze, looking at my features and eyes before rotating my face from side to side.

"Looks-wise," Kaito stated a few moments later, breaking the tense silence that had consumed the space. "She meets the standards."

Standards? What standards??-

"That's where we disagree." Euphoria cut in dryly, once again acting as if her disagreement on this was some sort of insult towards me.

Kaito released my face harshly, causing a small 'ahegh" to fall from my mouth as I involuntarily scooted up to Dabi's side.

The stitched man gripped my arm tightly now and dragged me over to him. At the moment, I had no problem with his rougher handling, as I know he was on edge with this whole thing, even if he wouldn't admit it.

The yellow eyed man turned to Euphoria now, wiping his nose disgustingly as he spoke.

"Here's the thing, Ayame. If you really disagreed, then you would'na even brought her this far." He drawled out knowingly, causing Euphoria's eyes to light up with more hatred for me.

Yet, she said nothing to the words, keeping her fiery gaze to the ceiling as she waited for Kaito to continue on with whatever was happening.

The yellow eyed man chuckled at Euphoria's anger, giving his head a shake as he mumbled 'jealous bitch' under his breath, before turning back to Dabi, Akio, and I with purpose.

"Have a seat." He ordered to us lowly, gesturing for Akio to sit on one side of the couch, and Dabi to sit on the other.

The guys went to the couch without a word-well, Akio without a word. Dabi muttered mean, rebellious things about it as he dragged me over there, too, refusing to let me out of his hold. He lightly pushed me to sit on the couch next to Akio, since there wasn't enough room for all three of us to sit-

"Nah, nah. I said you sit on the couch, son." Kaito clarified for Dabi, causing the burnt man to turn around with glee at the opportunity to cause more problems.

Oh, great....

"And I said you're an ugly motherfucker. See? We can both say things-" he started off ferally, before I placed my hand around his arm.

"Just sit." I uttered, lightly shoving him down into the couch as I looked around for another spot for myself.

But, there wasn't any.

"No problem though, right?" Euphoria followed up, reading my thoughts with the question.

I looked over to her in confusion, feeling my palms starting to sweat at the growing hatred she continued to display towards me.

It just gets worse by the second.

"Huh?" I uttered for clarification, causing her lips to twitch.

"If there's no seat, a girlfriend just sits on their boyfriend's lap. Obviously, that was your first thought, right?" She said condescendingly, causing me to mentally groan, and slap myself, and blush all at once.

Crap.

She wants me to sit on Dabi's lap. Probably to observe our pda up close and see how we interact.

...which is definitely not like a seasoned couple.

Please don't get flustered and weird. Please don't get flustered and weird...

"Ah. Yeah, sure." I smiled nervously, clearing my throat as I turned around to face Dabi on the couch.

He was slouched back against the cushions, resting one arm on the armrest of the couch, while the other rested loosely at his side. His legs were slightly ajar and he looked up at me through half lidded, bored eyes, as he nodded me over.

I wonder what he's thinking about all this.

Probably nothing, considering it's all part of the job.

Swallowing thickly, I walked between Dabi's open legs, feeling his eyes follow my every movement as I slowly lowered my butt down atop his thighs, feeling my heart wrack out of my chest harder than it ever has before.

Relax. Just relax.

I couldn't stop the reddening of my face as his scent and warmth took over my senses, knowing it wasn't the time to have a Dabi overload, but unable to stop it, anyways. My hair fell in my face and I allowed it, turning my head towards Dabi to try and wait out the flusteredness of my cheeks.

But, how could I when I felt his abdomen strain against my side, seeming as if having my body on top of him was affecting his state, just as much as it was affecting mine.

He slowly turned his face in towards mine as he watched me get settled, with the movement causing the strands of my hair to caress his face with ease.

His hands slowly snaked to my waist, before one traveled a little further to curl towards my thigh instead. My stomach muscles tensed excitedly under his fingers, and I know he felt it when he gently pressed his hand against me, silently trying to warn me to relax.

Embarrassing. He must be able to tell how flustered I am, just from sitting on his lap. Kill me.

I slid a hand around his shoulders, smushing my breasts against his chest in a way that caused him to silently huff out a breath and grit his teeth.

Truly, he's not better than I am. Even if he doesn't wanna admit it.

Kaito chuckled upon seeing Dabi and I get situated, causing him to plop back down in his recliner and get comfortable once more. Euphoria simply leaned back against the wall with her arms crossed, since there wasn't anywhere else to sit.

"There. Everyone comfy?" Kaito asked condescendingly, reaching for his pipe again as he eyed our trio.

"Comfy as ever." Akio uttered blandly, before I uttered a weak 'oh, for sure," paired with Dabi's simultaneously 'whatever.'"

Nailed it.

"Good. I'd hate for you to be uncomfortable." Kaito began snarkily, before his gaze immediately landed on me.

My eyes widened slightly at his gaze, knowing he was probably about to put me on the spot and ask a question...

The nervousness I felt caused me to involuntarily shift my butt around on Dabi's lap, causing his hand to grip my waist tightly and suppress a low sound that wanted to creep louder out his throat.

"Stop moving around so much." He whispered in my ear, meaning the words seriously...

But, his voice came out as a slight pant against my sensitive skin, causing a shiver to run up my spine as I forced myself to stop moving and-

"So, what's your quirk?" Kaito asked me casually, yet the question and the pressure of the situation still wasn't enough to pull me out of my thoughts.

I looked at Kaito like a deer in the headlights, trying to bring my mushy, flustered head back to reality as my mouth opened and closed for an answer.

"M...M..y.......huh?" I uttered dumbly, feeling way too hot in a room that was beyond freezing.

Akio subtly glanced over at Dabi and I in annoyance, clearly knowing the source of my distraction as he barely leaned towards the two of us.

"Your quirk." He fake coughed softly, giving me the clarification I needed as I immediately spoke up now.

"Oh! Well, I can-" I started off more confidently, before I was immediately interrupted.

"No. No. No. Show me," Kaito ordered with a wicked grin, finding humor in my discomfort as he followed up. " Come on, I'll show you mine if you show me yours."

Dabi growled lowly at the connotation of Kaito's last statement, digging his nails into the curves of my side in a way that simultaneously hurt...and felt good-

Focus!

I tried to compose myself once more, but it seems my horny daydreams were construed as nerves, since Kaito decided to show me his quirk first, anyways.

He kept his pipe in one hand, keeping one end in his mouth as he extended his other hand with his palm facing up.

My brows raised as small rocks began floating out of his hands. Upon closer look, I realized that these rocks weren't just any rocks...

"Iron." Kaito explained, reading my thoughts as he gestured to his quirk. "I make it. Can't make giant amounts at one time, and I can't do much other shit with it. But, here....it's useful."

Kaito lazily deactivated his quirk now, letting the few iron deposits he made fall to the floor as he continued.

"That's what Midas likes. Useful. What's useful to him. You can have super strength or flying abilities up the ass, but if you can't produce anything useful, then you may as well be quirkless. To him, anyways." He chuckled, shrugging his shoulders slightly.

I swallowed harshly at the new information, adding 'picky' to my mental list of things I know about Midas so far. Let me tell ya, the list is not big...

The room went quiet now, making me realize that Kaito was waiting for me to show him my quirk.

Like a coward, I kept one arm around Dabi's shoulders for comfort, backing my torso into his-even though I couldn't press into him any further....before I extended my own hand out now, mimicking Kaito's earlier movements of extending my palm up towards the ceiling.

My heart wracked out of my chest as small flecks of shiny crystals floated out of my fingers. The crystals were bright, seeming as if they were more potent and silvery than usual in this dull, dark room.

A soft glow illuminated from them, reflecting off the mirrors of the walls and everyone's eyes, in a way that caused Kaito's and Euphoria's to widen in surprise.

Yeah. I know right? How can something so beautiful come from me? I wonder it, too.

I kept the crystals coming for a few more seconds, before deciding that was enough....quickly deactivating my quirk and placing my hand back on Dabi's torso.

Kaito and Euphoria remained quiet for a moment as they watched the residual flecks of crystals slowly start fading out, before eventually disintegrating into the air.

"Wow," Kaito murmured, raising his brows slightly in surprise for my quirk. "Crystals, huh? Wasn't expecting that. They look a little familiar, too."

My heart jumped at that part, before I simultaneously heard Dabi mutter small curses under his breath.

Yeah, of course they're familiar! It's because I used them at the convenience store raid! The Harima murder kidnapping! The Club Norboru bar fight!!-

"Hah-ooo, what? Familiar? I...I don't know why." I chuckled nervously, bunching Dabi's shirt between my fingers to put my anxiety somewhere.

Kaito looked at me perceptively upon hearing my response, opening his mouth to speak...

...before his phone immediately chimed with a text message.

Hmm....

Euphoria quickly tensed up upon hearing the sound, looking at Kaito-who was abruptly pulling the phone out of his pocket with urgency.

His yellow eyes scanned the message while his phone was still fumbling around in his hand...reading it carefully and silently to ensure he understood.

A few tense moments later, he placed the phone back into his pocket, looking at our trio knowingly as he spoke.

"Well, uh...regardless, your quirk is interesting, Vicky." Kaito started off, causing me to sigh tiredly as I didn't bother correcting him. "You guys are staying through tomorrow night, right? I assume that means you'll be at the dinner?"

My brows furrowed in confusion, causing my curiosity to speak for me with the question.

"Dinner?"

"Yeah. One of the main reasons for this whole thing. Midas is looking for new members. The dinner is a way for you to meet the others, so they can get a feel for you. It's not like a sit down dinner sorta thing. More like a cocktail party. You walk. Eat. Drink. Chat. Simple." He explained, raising his brows boredly as he didn't expect us to decline.

After all, why would we? We're here.

"Y..Yeah, totally. We'll be there." I spoke for the group, causing Dabi to let out a displeased grunt at having to socialize.

"Good. It's only semi-formal. Ayame can give you something if you didn't bring anything..." he began, causing Euphoria to scrunch her nose up at the order she couldn't refuse.

Yeah, right. She'll probably give me a garbage bag...

Kaito turned to Dabi now, assessing his frumpy, villainous appearance before speaking with a smirk.

"Guys are supposed to wear dressy stuff, son. I'll find ya something." He chuckled condescendingly, causing Dabi to scoff and roll his eyes.

"I'd rather drop dead." He retorted, causing Euphoria to finally speak up now.

"I look forward to that." She stated fiercely, before Akio nodded in agreement.

Dabi and I looked over at him in annoyance, causing Akio to furrow his brows.

"What? I hated him first." He justified casually, causing Dabi to purse his lips in thought before agreeing.

"You'll hate me even more when I kill you." The stitched man snickered, digging his hands into my waist a little too excitedly as he envisioned murder.

"Relax." I groaned, watching Kaito stand up from his chair to signal this meeting was over.

Dabi gently pushed forward on my hips to help me get out of his lap. I used his momentum to help myself up, misjudging the positioning of his feet as the ball of my heel came down atop his foot.

"Ooo!" I squeaked in surprise, removing my foot from his too quickly in fear that I hurt him, causing my balance to flee as I started falling backwards onto him again.

Instinctively, his hands came out to catch me and ensure I stayed up right.

....and that wouldn't have really flustered me, if one of his hands hadn't accidentally grabbed my ass.

I gasped softly, hearing Dabi mutter a small curse as he realized his mistake-unable to even correct it and move his hand, unless he wanted me to fall back onto him.

"It was an accident. Calm your stupid tits." He uttered into my ear, not wanting to hear the reprimands I was obviously wanting to give him.

"You liar." I hissed out quietly, before Dabi pushed his hand firmer against my buttcheek.

"Just ignore it and fucking get up already." He grumbled out, causing me to hold my tongue and quickly scrambled back up to standing.

Upon remembering where we were, I quickly looked over to Euphoria and Kaito....lucky to see that Akio had been talking with Kaito to distract him so he wouldn't notice the weird moment between Dabi and I.

As for Euphoria....

She was looking right at Dabi and I, glaring daggers while sporting a smirk as she remained leaning back against the wall.

Crap...

I gulped nervously, quickly avoiding her gaze as Dabi finally lugged himself back up to standing, stretching his arms over his head as he stood directly behind me.

Euphoria came over now, slowly sauntering by Dabi and I with a retort.

"You guys can head back to your rooms for the night. We'll reconvene tomorrow..." she started off, before turning her head towards us smugly. "After all, you're looking a little tense. I'm sure you 'lovebirds' just need some alone time."

She walked out of the room before we could say anything else, causing me to subtly look over at Dabi in annoyed dread for the ridiculous way we'd been acting.

However, he simply matched my annoyance, begrudgingly nodding for us to head out and leave.

*****

The walk to the hotel room with Dabi was tense. Luckily, Euphoria decided that she'd lost interest in torturing us for the night, so she simply showed our trio back to the second floor, and gave verbal directions to our room.

Akio got his own room, and Dabi and I-surprise, being a 'couple' and all, were predictably set to share a room. Yay....

Not too big of a deal for us at this point, considering we've been doing so for awhile now.

Anyways, all of us being pretty beat from the day agreed that it'd be best if we just part ways for the night and talk tomorrow-aka...use tomorrow morning and afternoon to come up with a plan for how to get on the forbidden left side of the mansion.

For now, the day ends with Dabi and I, walking side by side in annoyance with the previous situation of the butt grab at hand, and the flusteredness that we both feel, but don't want to admit.

....or, at least he doesn't want to admit it. I think my feelings are pretty obvious to both of us.

The only sounds between us came from the tired clacking of my heels down the empty hallway, and his under-the-breath grumbles about how 'clean' everything is here.

A few more silent steps later and we arrived at our assigned door, causing Dabi to practically yank the keys out of his pockets and jam them in the lock. I leaned against the opposite wall tiredly, humming a bit impatiently as he struggled way too hard to get the door open.

"How fucking hard is it to open a god damn door," he cursed lowly, giving the ivory wood a small scuffing kick with his boot as he continued groveling. "If everything here wasn't so ass tight, bet the thing would open."

I glared at the back of his head in disbelief, shaking my head at his illogical argument.

Holding my tongue, I watched him finally throw the door open a few moments later-unprepared for the way he tightly grabbed my wrist...causing a small squeak to escape my lips as he roughly pulled me inside the room with him.

"Wha-hey!" I yelped, stumbling forward into him as he turned around to face me.

In one swift motion, Dabi had the door closed and my back pinned against it with ease, causing a gasp of shock to fall from my mouth as I looked up at him with bewildered eyes.

I was at a loss for words as Dabi gripped my shoulders to keep me in place, gazing down at me with heated, piercing orbs of blue as it seemed his patience with me was running thin.

Yeah? Well, guess what? Ditto!

He squeezed my shoulders firmer, seeming lost in his own thoughts as he leaned a little closer to my face.

"You irritate me." He murmured obviously, voice surprisingly soft in contrast to the annoyance that was plastered on his face.

My brows furrowed down in my own irritation now, causing my mouth to open and start speaking without thought.

"Me?? You're the one who-" I began, forced to stop when Dabi rolled his eyes and sloppily shoved a hand over my mouth to shut me up.

"Hmph?" I hummed out in confusion, watching his hand remain over my mouth, while his other hand went to his lips in a hush motion.

Not like him. Obviously, he's trying to tell me something.

Instantly, I shut up, watching him cautiously remove his hand from my mouth a few moments later, before lazily turning on his heel to survey the room with purpose.

I remained stuck to the door, mostly in pure curiosity as I watched Dabi shove his hands in his pockets, sauntering over to tables and lamps, window sills, and even under the bed, before finally ceasing the searching a few moments later.

He let out a sigh of content, looking up towards the ceiling lights with challenge as he spoke to no one in particular.

"Yeah. That's what I thought." He chuckled, extending his hand out to the side now as he blatantly flipped off the light switches, leaving the room incredibly dark.

My face morphed in confusion to his actions. It was only by the sound of his shoes that I realized he was walking back towards me, barely able to make out the sight of his frame once he was inches away from my own.

He came just as close as when the lights were on. And, while I could barely make out the sight of his face, his eyes were the most visible in the dark...looking noticeably softer now that we were alone.

I swallowed harshly at the mysterious atmosphere, not knowing if I should be alarmed at my lack of discomfort with it.

"Have you lost your mind?" I uttered to Dabi in pure confusion, causing the low sound of his hum to reverberate more potently in the dark.

His clothes ruffled and his shoes shifted as he came closer. But, it was the radiation of his body heat melting into mine that really made that known to me.

"Yeah. But, that's nothing that happened today." He said in dark amusement, allowing my eyes the very vague sight of his grin as my pupils adjusted to the dark.

The sight, while eery and terrifying to some people when you consider who Dabi is....was comforting to me, causing my back to relax a bit against the door as I felt my annoyances from the day slowly melting away.

"Why did you turn the lights off?" I whispered quietly, causing Dabi to come a bit closer towards my face so he could hear me.

"Cameras, little sapphire. Duh. That's what I was checking for, and they're in here. No audio though. Only video. And they aren't ones that work in the dark, so now no one can see us." He explained lowly, voice soft in volume and deep in his usual pitch.

Unable to see much of his face, I involuntarily focused more on the details of his voice, hating how sultry his resting tone sounded.

"How in the world do you know they're just audio from barely looking at them?" I asked in surprise, able to make out the outlined shrug of Dabi's shoulders.

"Have you forgotten what I do for a living? Getting away from this shit's my speciality." He justified.

"B-But, they saw you looking for the cameras. Isn't that suspicious?" I urged, hearing Dabi let out a snarky laugh before I made out the action of him tilting his head to the side.

"Have you forgotten where you are? This ain't the clueless bootlicker convention. On our side, it's suspicious if you don't check for this kind of shit. Not checking shows you're too trusting. And everyone knows you don't trust the guy who trusts everyone." He murmured smugly, causing my brows to raise at that perspective I never considered.

But, I guess it's for reasons like these that the hero commission paired the heroes and villains together in the first place.

I gave my head a small shake of disbelief for Dabi's logic, letting out a sigh of relief that I couldn't even revel in as he spoke again.

"Speaking of fuckers not trusting us, what the fuck are you doing out there?" He demanded in annoyance, obviously referring to my constant flustered babbling.

But, I was already in no mood, as my annoyance returned in full swing.

My jaw dropped in offense he was unable to see in the dark, straining my voice to speak quietly so I wouldn't be too loud.

"Me? Let's talk about you, Mr. Blushy!" I hissed, hearing Dabi scoff in stubborn disagreement.

"In case you're too thick in the head to see it-which you probably are, sunshine. My face is too charred to do something so sickeningly cute as blush." He retorted, before an earlier moment from tonight came back to me.

"Oh, yeah? Then what about your heavy breaths-and, and, when you stopped me from moving on your lap all nervously?-and when Akio said you were-"

"Yeah? Well, you're all deranged, cause I don't know what the fuck you're talking about." He tried, making me wish I could see the full features of his face to see what denial looks like.

"Pshhhh. Please. You can't fool me." I urged, trying to stand my ground and be sure of what I saw.

"You're a fool." He retorted only half heartedly, seeming as if he wasn't really annoyed anymore and only purposely trying to push my buttons. Again.

I grit down on my teeth in irritation, opening my mouth to reply with another comment...

...before Dabi's next words changed the subject to something I never expected, practically making my soul leave my body.

"Touch me." He ordered way too casually, suddenly making me grateful for the pitch black of the room as my face burned bright red and pale all at once.

???

?????

My mouth opened without words, my eyes blinking repeatedly as I tried to convince myself I'd just imagined his words.

But, Dabi was apparently going with the 'I said what I said' approach, not bothering to justify just yet as he waited for me to speak first.

So, I did. Gracefully and smoothly-

"W-What?!-" I gaped in pure shock, before Dabi sighed impatiently and clarified.

"Look, let's not fuck around and pretend you don't blush like a damn virgin whenever either of us lays a finger on each other-"

"It's not just me, Dabi-"

"-In case you're blind, then you can see Euphoria's on to us, so might as well figure this shit out now, when no one's around, rather than get turned into a fucking rock over it later." He explained blandly, standing as a wall in front of me as he waited for me to touch him.

But....

"W..What?!" I asked again, malfunctioning with intelligence as my mind refused to process.

I was just in shock.

But, regardless, my shock caused Dabi to groan roughly in losing patience. I could barely make out the action of him bringing one of his hands to his face and rubbing it tiredly as he tried to further explain this.

"I'm not asking you to grab my dick, or anything like that. Just touch me. Anywhere. I don't fucking care. Hurry up and get familiar with it." He followed up, placing one of his hands on the wall next to my head.

My spine dug back uncomfortably into the door as Dabi closed more pitch black distance between us, making me wish I could see more of his face and hide from it all at once.

Ohhh, this is so not good for the thirsty, sinful fantasies I already have about this man....

But, he's got a point, I guess. Somewhere, he's got a point. Euphoria is onto us. And letting my flusteredness over Dabi get everyone killed would truly be the ultimate fail on my part.

He's giving me permission. Just touch him.

A..And....after all....this touching....would still be considered business, I guess.

Right? That's why he's asking me to touch him, of course. For...for business.

"Are....you...sure..." I trailed off with more uncertainty, barely able to finish the sentence as Dabi slowly reached out in the dark and grabbed my wrist.

Unable to see his face, I was forced to rely solely on my other senses, feeling his touch firm in grip....but, also soft. The stitches of his palm tickled my smooth skin, and his warmth sunk into my arm with a sense of comfort and ease.

A simple touch. An innocent one. Yet, it made my breath catch in my throat as the spark I've always searched for....the spark I tried to deny feeling with him....came back full force and potent, almost like a cruel reminder that what I felt the first time with him wasn't fake.

It was real.

For me, anyways.

I said nothing, not knowing what to say as I felt Dabi carefully pull my arm away from my side...and over towards his body. He kept his other hand on the wall near my head, and even though the room was pitch black, I could make out his predatory eyes piercing me through the darkness-somehow able to see my every feature.

And able to hear it as well, since a small gasp left my mouth when Dabi finally brought my hand to rest on his clothed chest. He did it slowly, almost like he was trying to familiarize himself with my touch as well, letting the very tips of my fingers graze him.....before gradually pressing my hand flat, so my palm rested against him.

I could feel his gaze on me the entire time he did so, keeping my limp hand in his firm grip as he paused and let my hand stay against his chest, patiently letting me get comfortable and adjust to the feeling of him.

My mouth suddenly felt dry as I took in the simple material of Dabi's shirt....more focused on the divots and shape of his chest I was able to feel underneath it. Any reservations I'd felt immediately retreated as Dabi ran his thumb along the pulse point of my wrist, touching me with a softness I didn't even know he possessed as he tried to relax me.

So, I did relax....finally gaining control of my fingertips as I slowly moved them against Dabi's chest, not wanting to travel to another area of his torso for fear that I'd overdo it.

But, Dabi seemed to sense my reservations, keeping a hold on my wrist as he slowly inched my hand up.

I inhaled sharply at the area where his shirt and his skin met, feeling the bare outline of his collarbone in a way that caused my thoughts to run wild. I kept my touch soft and careful, running my index finger along Dabi's collarbone.

His touch on my wrist became lighter as he felt me gradually getting more comfortable. I couldn't see him in the dark, but I could feel his chest rising and falling a little deeper in breath as I ran my fingers along a sensitive spot near his neck.

With a little more control, he gripped my wrist once more and glided my touch along his throat, resting his hand atop mine before closing our intertwined fingers around his neck.

My cheeks heated up at the dim sight I was able to make out in the dark, watching Dabi's mouth fall open slightly as I lightly choked him.

Small sparks of pleasure began pulsing in my body as he looked down at me through half lidded eyes, smirking softly when he gradually began tightening our grip around his neck.

"Can you breathe?" I rasped out in a voice I could even recognize, hearing my own neediness as I carefully tightened my grip around his throat in a heated haze.

Because I wanted to.

"Unfortunately yes." He uttered out tauntingly, gliding his fingers along my wrist once more.

He couldn't help himself from coming closer, causing me to look up and see his velvety eyes glowing so brightly in the dark, making my stomach flip without remorse as I glided my hand down to his chest now.

"See?" He uttered finally, husky tone so delicious and captivating as it immediately pulled me in. "Touching me isn't so bad, right?"

No. It's not bad, at all.

That's what I meant to say, but my mouth opened with nothing. Instead, my hand spoke for me as I finally gained some confidence....sliding my hand up to Dabi's shoulders and into his trench coat, having nothing but his thin shirt separating his bare skin from me.

He released my wrist now, as I glided my hand along his shoulder, reaching for my other hand that was still limp at my side.

"I asked you a question. Answer me, sunshine." Dabi whispered again, pulling my other arm up towards him at a more fluid pace.

I looked at him once more as I let him place my hand on his other shoulder, once again sliding my fingers underneath his jacket and allowing both of my arms to curl around his shoulders.

"What if I don't know what to say?" I breathed out raspily, acting on my desires as I pulled Dabi closer to me.

I didn't think about the consequences for doing so, and I didn't have to as Dabi was in my space-literally and figuratively. His chest pressed against mine now, his head leaning down towards mine as my fingers crept to the nape of his neck.

"Then..." he started off breathily, voice stripped down to something new as he placed both hands on either side of the wall, caging me in with his presence. "....you don't have to say anything. Not if you don't want to. Do what you want. Think of yourself for once."

Think of myself...

It would have been good advice if thinking for myself actually involved thinking. Instead, it involved me slowly pressing back on Dabi's coat, wanting it to come off and wondering if he would comply.

He remained looking down at me, giving in to temptation further as he slowly shrugged his coat off. The heavy sound of it hitting the floor resonated hotly in my ears, as I watched his hands going to return to rest on the wall.

But, in the spirit of thinking for myself, I removed my hands from his shoulders, melting back against the wall as I grabbed both of Dabi's hands in my own.

He let me dazedly, allowing them to stay limp in my hold as I did what I desired.

"I'm not much of a hand holder, sunshine." He murmured, yet lazily attempted to intertwine his hands with mine since he assumed that's what I wanted.

However, I had a different idea as I kept a firm grip on his wrists, pulling him forward as I spoke.

"You should..." I started off softly, carefully placing Dabi's hands on my waist.

The muscles of my stomach contracted at his warm touch, yet I followed through and pressed his touch firmly against me, ignoring the heat of my face-and other places, as I tried to finish my sentence.

"You should get comfortable with me, too." I explained, feeling Dabi's hands move on their own now as he gripped my hips tightly.

He didn't take as long to get situated, hovering closer as he brushed the ends of my jacket out of the way so he'd be able to grip me intimately. I still couldn't see the full view of his face in the dark, but the small breath of pleasure when he felt up the curves of my frame didn't go unnoticed by me.

"I should, huh." He stated rhetorically, smirking softly as he knew I just wanted him to touch me.

Despite the lives his hands have taken in the past, his touch was gentle. More gentle than I was expecting as he ran the tips of his fingers up my waist.

I shivered as his fingers caressed the area where the bottom of my shirt ended and my skin met, biting down on my lip to hold in a gasp when he applied a gentle, pleasurable heat to his fingertips....feeling over the goosebumps that arose on me.

Why would he do that? Why would he try to make it feel even better if he doesn't care?

My gasp didn't seem to have the inaudible quality I was hoping for, as Dabi heard it....starting to lose himself in the moment as he knew the effect he was having on me. He spoke immediately now, subtly pressing me back harder against the wall as his fingers dug into my curves, etching the feeling of them into their touch memory.

"Yeah? How does that feel? Where do you want me to touch you?" Dabi asked lowly, hot breath starting to scald the tip of my nose as his willpower began to crumble.

My mouth fell ajar as Dabi massaged small circles into my hips, causing one of my hands to snake into the back of his hair as I spoke freely now.

"Y..You can touch me wherever you want. Where do you wanna touch me?" I huffed out, voice so thick with an obvious want for him that was borderline pathetic.

He knows I like him. And right now, I don't even care. Not when he's curling his hands from my waist to the small of my back, molding his entire body up against my own as his face buried in my hair.

His breaths deepened against the shell of my ear, his grip tightening as bliss took over his common sense. I would give anything to be able to see his face.

"I wanna touch you...where a boyfriend touches his girlfriend. That's why we're doing this, right?" he started off when his lips found my ear, causing a small pant to escape me as I threw my head back against the wall and pushed him against me tighter.

Arousal washed over my core when Dabi's mouth tickled my ear. I trailed one of my hands down his shoulders, arching my chest against his as I felt myself getting desperate for him.

"And where does a boyfriend touch his girlfriend, Dabi?" I asked lustfully, gently pressing Dabi's face against my neck encouragingly as I waited for him to continue.

He willingly went with my movement. His self resolve continued to gradually cave when he got a face full of my perfume, inhaling deeply against the skin of my neck as both of his hands barely slid up the bottom hem of my top.

An accidental sound escaped me when his lightly heated fingertips slid up my shirt, grazing sensitive areas and elevating my senses so potently, it almost felt like a form of stimulation itself.

I pressed my thighs together upon feeling his fingertips slowly gliding along my bare back, inching closer and closer towards my bra without complaint. At the same time, I trailed my other hand from his shoulder to the collar of his shirt, slipping my fingers past it to feel further down his bare neck.

Dabi groaned hotly against my neck upon feeling my fingers tracing his bare upper back, gritting his teeth and causing them to involuntarily graze against my skin in a way that caused my brain to turn to mush.

My mouth fell open at the feeling of his lips and the grazes of his teeth on my skin. He wasn't kissing my neck, he was just resting his lips against it. But, it's obvious that he wants more.

It's also obvious how much he's restraining himself.

"Just...for the mission." He reminded me in need, involuntarily pressing the tip of his tongue against my neck with the formation of his words.

A small sound escaped my throat at the feeling, causing me to snake a slightly rougher hand into Dabi's hair as my brows furrowed in desire.

"Mhm. J-Just...for...the..." I started out, unable to get my thoughts together enough when Dabi's fingers reached the back of my bra...resting against it but not unclasping it.

A low growl escaped his throat when my nails lightly grazed the skin of his back, causing him to practically slam me up against the wall with his own body as he gripped the clasp of my bra between his fingers.

"Fuck..." he panted lustfully against my neck, softly smothering his face against my skin as he desperately wanted to go further.

I melted my body against his, throwing my head back against the wall as I grazed my nails up his bare back once more....waiting for him to take us to a place we couldn't come back from.

But....instead of doing that, he paused...seeming as if he was having an internal conflict with himself as he didn't remove my bra, but also didn't move his hand away, hugging me tighter in his arms in self frustration.

A sigh escaped his mouth as he held me, and it wasn't a bored one. It wasn't an annoyed one. It was a desperate one. One that was barely higher in pitch as he fought with whatever next actions he wanted to commit.

"Dabi..." I whispered softly, trying to ground him and give him the reassurance he needed.

He gripped me tighter upon hearing my patient, soothing voice, refusing to take his face out of the crook of my neck so I wouldn't be able to see him. Even though it was pitch black in this room.

I slipped my hands out of his shirt, wrapping my arms around him gently for a hug as I sensed his conflict and stress about this....putting myself out there once more as I spoke the truth.

"It's okay. I promise." I coaxed, trying to rotate my head towards his own, yet he pressed his face firmer against my neck to prevent me from turning.

He really doesn't want me to see him.

He said nothing, giving me absolutely no indicator to what he was thinking as his hands began to tremble against my back, making me wonder the reason why.

But, before I could question it any more, Dabi's fingers retreated from my bra, along with his face from my neck, and his body from my own as he slowly backed away...leaving me flustered and confused against the wall, as I tried to decipher what just happened.

I looked at him in question even though he couldn't see me, unable to see any part of his features anymore since he'd backed away.

The space between us was silent, heavy with unspoken words and thick with restrained desire that was obvious from both of us. It made me wonder why Dabi pulled away, even after I gave him the consent. It made me wonder how his touch and his actions can feel so passionate and wanting, but his words and demeanor so rejecting.

I don't know what he wants. I don't understand why it's so hard for him to admit he's attracted to me.

And, then, to top it off....he spoke composed and very 'Dabi' like a few moments later, using his denial to mask his real feelings.

"Of course it's okay, little sapphire. Only for the mission, remember?" He questioned rhetorically, voice rough and frustrated as I heard him turn on his heel and switch the lights back on.

I didn't even get a chance to see him when the lights came on, only hearing the bathroom door slam closed as if I'd done something wrong.

My eyes closed softly with a sigh as I was left alone in the room now, throwing my head back against the door in my own frustration as I tried to make sense of the emotional rollercoaster that is Dabi.

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