"You look like a goth marshmallow."

"Yeah, you've mentioned that about twelve times already, Tenderfoot." Dabi sighed, shoving his gloved hands into the pockets of his puffy hoodie. He was covered, head to toe, including a medical mask and sunglasses. I wasn't much different, with my own hoodie, cap and mask as well. The woes of being wanted criminals.

"How much longer? Where are we even going?" We had managed to talk our way into time off. At least, that's what Dabi had told me, though part of me knew he had just left without a word. I, however, had the decency to let the original league members know we'd be away for a while.

The train carriage was almost completely empty, but I sat right up against his side, one leg over his lap.
"Not long now. The next stop." It had already been about five hours, and I was getting restless. The cityscape had long since passed us by, and now all I could see were trees and rolling fields, occasionally murmuring 'cow' whenever I spotted one.

"Hey, Touya...when this is over, can we move out to somewhere like this? Can we get sheep? I like sheep." Yawning, I threw my other leg over his lap, and he pulled the rest of me on, letting me rest my chin on his shoulder so I could watch the world pass us by.

"As long as we can get one of those dumb fainting goats." His answers had been kind of short since we had left. Not rude, just absent, as though he had something on his mind. I didn't pry, though. We had a week to talk about anything and everything, so whenever he was ready.

"I wanna bring Karma and Nagisa with us too...I miss them..." Another yawn, and I was completely out. The soft plush of Dabi's clothing, paired with the gentle rock of the train, sent me into a comfortable sleep, and I didn't wake for goodness knows how long. When I did, I was on Dabi's back, and we were surrounded by forestation.

Oops.

"I'm up...I'm up...The fudge..?" Rubbing at my eyes, I kind of sat up, nearly toppling backwards, right onto the suitcase he was wheeling behind us.
"Didn't wanna wake you. Just stay there, we're close anyway..." Dabi hummed, adjusting me so my heels weren't jabbing him in the groin.

"Close to where?" He didn't answer me, so I heaved a sigh, glancing around at the flora around us. "Fine then. Be like that. We'll pass the time with a game! I spy with my little eye...something beginning with L!"

At first I thought he was going to ignore me again, but eventually I felt him heave a long sigh.
"Is it leaves? Cuz all I see are leaves..." He guessed, and I shook me head proudly.
"Nope! That's too easy! Try again!" He peered around a little, nudging his head towards the suitcase.
"Luggage? I don't fucking know..."

"Wrong again! Do you give up? Want me to tell you?" His silence was confirmation in my books, so I leaned in and nuzzled into the side of his head, giggling happily. "Love of my life! You! Your turn!" I felt at ease. Like my old self again, just being able to relax and not worry for once.

"Ugh, you sap...Whatever. I spy with my little eye...something beginning with M." Scanning around with an eagle eye, I began spouting my guesses, each one being responded to with a negative buzzer sound.
"Waaah! I give up! What is it?"

Turning his head slightly, glasses long gone from his face, Dabi met my eyes.
"Idiot. It was idiot." Blinking back at him, I frowned, my cheeks puffing out just like the material of his jacket.
"That doesn't begin with M! Default point to me!"

Dabi released a short chuckle, which seemed to be the only positive reaction I had gotten out of him since our trip began.
"My idiot. No point for you, Tenderfoot." We continued playing for a while, our banter gentle and fun, until Dabi tensed beneath me. Looking up, I realised we had stopped out the front of a large, positively stunning house.

Holy Moly Raviolli...All the way out here?!

"Woah! What is this place?" Dabi let me down carefully, lead-footed as he approached the front door.
"One of Endeavor's old investment properties." He explained in short, crouching down and picking up a small dragon statuette, fetching a key from beneath. "My mother used to take us out here before Shoto was born. We were all conceived here, apparently."

My cheer downgraded immediately. It really was beautiful, but why would Dabi choose to bring me somewhere when it was connected to such bad memories for him? Were they really all bad?
"O..oh...but...wh-"
"Why? Nobody uses it anymore, but it's cleaned and stocked regularly. Just done yesterday. It's away from danger, and you want to know more about me, don't you? What better way?"

He didn't sound enthused, but again, I didn't want to push anything. He would tell me whenever he was ready. Unlocking the door, Dabi coaxed me inside, fetching our luggage as I took the time to explore in awe.

The interior was just as stunning, with earthy wooden tones, a large, unlit hearthfire. It honestly looked like an expensive hunting lodge, minus the dead animals strung about.
"Can...I go look around?" I asked hopefully, kicking off my shoes. Dabi nodded, locking the door behind him and starting to remove his disguise.
"Go for gold."

Off I went, first checking out the kitchen. It was small, but just as he had said, it was fully stocked and shining. The bathroom was just as spotless, sporting a huge shower and tub, and the biggest mirror I had ever seen in a house.

Well, Endeavor is a big dude, so makes sense...

It wasn't until I reached the staircase that I slowed down, framed photographs catching my eye. That was when the house finally started to speak to me. The first was a wedding photo of Endeavor and his wife, and I was blown away by how beautiful she was. She looked sad, though.

Next, a young girl holding a bunch of colourful flowers. She had neat hair of white with subtle flecks of red, and the cutest pair of glasses resting upon her nose. His sister, perhaps? The next, however, was the one that hit me right in the chest.

A family portrait, minus Endeavor, and the unborn Shoto. A beautiful mother, in a flowing sun dress. The same small girl, clutching at the skirt. In the mother's arms, a snowy-haired baby boy, and to the side, donning a shy smile and a bandage upon his cheek...

"Touya..." Reaching out, I skimmed my fingertips across the image, beginning to feel a little emotional before Dabi came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist.
"There's time for that later. Lemme show you the rest of the house."

He basically carried me up the stairs like a football, but I didn't argue. On the second floor, there was another bathroom, as well as a study and three bedrooms, all with crisp linen and wide balconies. The views were incredible.
"So, this was your room..?" I questioned, noting the blue sheets on the bed and, the real teller, the scribbling of his name by the wardrobe.

"Yeah, I got a double cuz I used to toss a lot and fall out..." Dabi chuckled, kind of bitterly, as he sat down on the bed, testing the springs by bouncing. "Natsuo and Fuyumi used to come in and crush me to death most nights. They didn't like the weird animal sounds..."

He sounds so...woefully nostalgic...It makes me want to cry...

Trying to push away possible tears, I moved over to him and took his hands, squeezing them gently.
"Thank you for bringing me here, Touya. I mean it. It's beautiful, and it can't be easy for you..." Pulling me in, he gave the tip of my nose a quick kiss, standing up and stretching his arms high above his head.

"It's nothing. It's just a house. I didn't get my ass beat here, so it's not that traumatic..." He mumbled, wincing at the sound of his back cracking. "Let's change, and I'll sort dinner out." Following him out of the room and back to the stairs, only momentarily lingering by the family portrait, I tugged on his sleeve.

"I'll fix dinner. You go take a shower and relax. It's the least I could do since you carried me all the way here." Vaulting over the railing by the final few stairs, I entered the kitchen again, making a beeline for the chicken I had noticed earlier. "If nobody comes here, then why does it get stocked all the time? Why not sell it?"

Dabi entered, halfway through removing his shirt, and shrugged, letting it crumple in the doorway.
"I don't get anything that bastard does. If it's his, it's his, and if it's his it has to be perfect...At least that's what I've learned..." There was a bite to his voice, but it vanished as soon as it came as he waved over his shoulder when he turned and left again. "Aight, I'm gonna wash. I'll take over when I'm done."

I watched after him for a moment before starting a hunt for the cooking utensils, trying to memorize where I had found everything.
"Alright, don't rush!" Even above my clanging and crashing, I could hear the squeaks of him ascending the stairs.

"Oh, and Tenderfoot?" He called out, and I hummed in acknowledgement, placing the frying pan on the counter and starting my search for a spatula. "I love you." My heart squeezed so tight I thought that I might be sent into cardiac arrest, though my smile was ginormous.
"I love you too!~"

Yeah, this is what our lives are supposed to be like. This is what we have to look forward to. Just us, together, like this...

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***Thank you to lunanightmare15 for the destination idea! It's perfect for the upcoming chapters!

The next few chapters will be softer, though bittersweet with a bit of angst.
Maybe a lemon if that's what y'all want. Lord knows I've listened to every single audio on Yagami Yato's patreon, so I have enough inspiration.

[cough peghawks2020 cough]

In other news I tried to eat a boiled potato whole and it betrayed me and burned my mouth...so that made me think of Dabi so that's what lead me to write a chapter pfff.

Next Time: When I Was A Young Boy***