Top pic credit: Hyph

Violet POV:

9:54 pm.

"Scoot over, you're on my foot."

"No. You scoot over. Your foot's on my leg."

"Wha-no it's not! Why are you so difficult to work with, Dabi? Just scoot over!!"

"Say please and I'll think about it."

"....please scoot over..."

"Okay, I've thought about it. No."

I groaned loudly in annoyance for his rebellion, not too worried about keeping my voice down as the pounding patter of the falling rain and the sounds of the city were enough to conceal my voice.

Begrudgingly, I gave his leg a hard kick with my foot to give myself more room, forced to remained huddled side by side against him for warmth-and protection from the falling rain.

It's been about two hours since Dabi and I left to start our 'kidnapping' mission. We're right where the commission told us to be-in the heart of Tokyo, just before ten at night, waiting for our target, Ryo Harima to exit his work building for the day.

The information wasn't kidding when they said Harima stays hours after everyone else has left the building. He's an accountant, and the only one left in the workplace just a few hours before midnight? That seems pretty suspicious to me.

And while working with Dabi has already been proven to be an extremely unpleasant experience, the situation is only made more unenjoyable as we remain staked out on the rooftop building adjacent from Harima's place-both of us fighting to stay concealed under the tiny little overhead ledge that shields us from the freezing rain.

My ribs are starting to become sore from sprawling my stomach on the hard concrete all night, but at least this entire ordeal should be ending relatively soon.

I let out a small, tired sigh from the night, pulling my black jacket hood further over my head to block the freezing winds.

"Ugh. Where is he? It's already five past ten now. Wasn't Harima supposed to leave the building at ten exactly? Did we miss him?" I muttered in slight concern, keeping my laying body propped up on my elbows as I continued to type controls into the little laptop.

And while we've already established that working with Dabi is a completely laborious task, he seems to have interest in keeping his promise to compromise and help out in the mission this time-well, kind of. He could do better. He could also do worse though.

High expectations at their finest.

But, in barely passable partner fashion, Dabi remained sitting criss crossed on the concrete, messing with the dials of the little radio in his hand as he adjusted the bulky, black headphones around his ear a little better.

"Relax, sunshine. He's still in there, trust me-I know. I can hear his Santa Claus ass wheezing from a mile away while he sits at that damn desk. Guess Portal Guy and Mr. Lamp's wiretap from a few hours ago came in handy, huh?" Dabi smirked smugly, looking over at me a bit with victory before absentmindedly continuing to listen.

I rolled my eyes at his Dabi way of explaining things. To decipher his language, he's referring to the wiretap assignment that Akio and Kurogiri completed a few hours ago. They were assigned to set up the wire in Harima's office, and Dabi and I had the task of listening in on this wire tap for any new information Harima may convey to Midas.

But, according to Dabi, Harima hasn't made any calls to anyone in these two hours we've been listening in on his office space. He's just typing on his computer-and wheezing, apparently.

"Wow. Portal Guy. Mr. Lamp. Walking Eggplant-do you take it upon yourself to learn anyone's actual name?" I countered lightly, closing the laptop now as I turned my attention towards Dabi.

The corners of his stitched lips turned up into a small smirk at my minor confrontation. It almost appeared as if he enjoyed my growing attitude of sass over these past few days.

"Eh. Only the ones who matter." He drawled out, keeping only one headphone on his ear so he could hear me talk in the other.

That's new. Normally, he does everything he can to tune me out-even without wearing the headphones.

"Oh yeah? Well, you've got me a bit curious now. So, who matters exactly?" I uttered, raising my brows with a bit of challenge as I already had a good idea on what the answer to my question would be.

Dabi flashed his white teeth with a smug grin at my setup, for once giving me the exact answer he knew I wanted to hear.

"Absolutely no one." He replied as expected, voice containing just a hint of tease to show he was messing around.

I laughed a bit at what I already knew, resting the side of my head atop my folded hands as I looked up at Dabi's sitting frame.

"Mm, come on. You're telling me that in all your twenty-four years of living, there's never been anyone worthy enough for you to call them by the name they actually wanna be called by?" I asked lazily, absentmindedly studying Dabi's side profile as he continued looking out towards the busy, raining city in front of us.

He remained unfazed by the cold when a particularly freezing gust of wind washed over us, smoking his hands a bit and sparking a flame on his fingertips out of boredom.

Is he really not cold?! I'm freezing.

A small sigh of comfort escaped his lips as he remained content in the chill. It was so cold that a puff of his own foggy breath escaped his mouth when it mingled with the chilled air.

"Well, look who's got all these questions-last I checked, lil' sapphire-I don't have to answer you." He stated smoothly, leaning back against the concrete wall of the roof to relax a bit more.

I decided to re-adjust my own position now that he'd moved his face out of my view, lethargically rising up from laying down on my stomach to sit next to him against the wall.

Even just sitting next to him, his entire body radiates such nice heat.

"No, you don't have to answer me. But, if you don't, I'll just come to my own assumptions that you're a loner, psychopathic weirdo." I explained lightly, forced to scoot closer to Dabi as my shoulder peeked out from our cover, starting to get rained on.

I know Dabi felt me shuffling around next to him, especially judging from the way my outer thighs now smushed up next to his. I expected him to shove me off and-even throw me in the rain for invading his broody personal space.

But, all he did....was nothing. Not moving away from his spot, not moving me away from his space bubble, and not even glancing over at me as he continued looking out towards the bustling city.

"And what makes you think I'm not a loner, psychopathic weirdo, sunshine? Have you forgotten who I am already? How flattering." He replied with tired taunt, not making much of an effort to hold his Dabi Drawl as it fell flat towards the end of his statement.

I smiled a bit at him poking fun at himself, deciding to branch out more and join the antics.

"Nooo, it's not that. I mean, I definitely think you're still a loner, psychopathic weirdo-"

"Oh? Don't go trying to butter me up now-"

"I'm just saying, maybe you weren't always one. Right? Surely, you didn't come out of the womb wanting to commit arson." I chuckled a bit, focusing my own gaze towards the city as I silently reveled in the residual radiation of Dabi's body heat.

He hummed in acknowledgment to my point, the low sound of it barely being heard over the patter of the rain and the moving cars.

"Mm. You'd be surprised. And, anyways, what does it matter? Can't go living in the past, wouldn't you agree?" He asked, voice coming out completely blank this time as he spoke the words.

I pursed my lips in thought to his point, not necessarily disagreeing with that statement. I mean, I've even used the same one myself in certain situations, so I'd be a hypocrite to disagree.

But...

"Eh. Yes and no. I dunno-I think you're right, we shouldn't live in the past. But, that doesn't mean we should go and just forget about it all together. After all, our past actions are what led us to be who we are today. Every past decision led us to this very moment. That makes it significant." I explained calmly, hugging my knees to my chest as I tried to gather myself even more warmth.

I refrained from scooting even closer to Dabi's body heat this time. We're already leg to leg and shoulder to shoulder. I need to keep some type of boundary.

The air was quiet between us after my words-comfortable, pondering quiet this time, with the fall of the rain to the pavement being the only thing to fill the space.

Dabi's blue eyes illuminated brighter with the blanket of night, picking up hues of the multicolored street lights below as he reflected in his silent language.

A few moments later, I saw his mouth softly open in my peripheral vision, hearing him take a small breath that indicated he was going to speak.

"Yeah. Well, trust me, I haven't forgotten. The past never forgets." He uttered cryptically, clearly having a very specific association behind that incredibly vague explanation.

His words were serious and empty in tone. They held a touch of hatred and baggage like no other, only making me wonder what lied behind his lonely connotation.

Admittedly, it only drew me in more, elevating my curiosities about this man who goes by Dabi, making me wonder what past transgressions happened in his life that led him up to this very moment.

But, curiosity is dangerous. It's what 'killed the cat," as people always say.

And that's kind of how I equate my curiosity for Dabi. My interest in him and his intriguing past. He's an unpredictable man. A dangerous one who radiates dark energy and sorrow.

I can already tell that whatever-or, rather, whoever lies behind 'Dabi' is the equivalent to opening a Pandora's Box of pain and gruesome intensity that I'm not sure I can handle.

Getting to know Dabi-getting to truly know Dabi is considered a risk for me, and because it's a risk? I'm uncomfortable doing it.

Now the only question is which vice of mine is stronger? My bad habit of constantly staying in my comfort zone? Or my curiosity to branch out and learn about who he is?

At the moment, I know which one is stronger.

"Uh-well, you know....even if you are a loner, psychopathic weirdo...don't feel too bad about it. I obviously don't know what your home life was like, but I spent a lot of time by myself for awhile." I reassured, changing the subject so we didn't delve deeper into his own dark past.

I more just said the statement as a transition one into something else. I didn't think much of it, and I definitely didn't expect Dabi to actually take an interest in it.

"Oh yeah? How come?" He followed up a few moments later, leaving the majority of his mocking tone as he genuinely just asked a regular question.

Not a condescending one. Not a rhetorical one. Just a regular question, because he was curious as to what I'd say.

But, you know what? Two can play his game.

"Well...I don't owe you any answers either, Mr....Burnt Man." I said almost cool, losing the upper hand with my lame nickname at the very end.

Curse my awkwardness.

At first I thought maybe Dabi wouldn't even notice, but judging from the low chuckle that slipped from his throat a few moments later, he obviously did.

Only, instead of poking fun at me about it, he didn't even draw attention to the dumb name, seeming more interested in keeping us on topic about something for once.

"Yeah. But, you love to talk to anyone who will listen, so I know you want to give me answers." He explained a bit quieter, letting a minuscule smile of amusement curl onto his stitched face as he unintentionally let his guard down for a moment.

I couldn't say I wasn't doing the same, finding the small banter between us more interesting than waiting around for our target.

Dabi's not so bad to talk to when he stops deliberately acting like a rebellious man child.

"And how do you know I love to talk to anyone who will listen?" I questioned a bit smugly, assuming Dabi was just making his usual Dabi assumptions.

"Didn't I already tell you how predictable you are?" He replied without missing a beat, only proving my point.

I smiled a bit at the lighter sound of his voice. Like I said before, he has a nice voice when he's not trying so hard to sound like a villain. It's softer. Quieter. A bit more reserved. More relaxed.

It was just a normal conversation. It wasn't Dabi cutting me off or walking away in the middle of my sentences.

It was just talking. And for Dabi? That's not something one can take for granted, as it clearly is easier to pull teeth than it is for him to let his guard down even a little bit.

But, even so, the conversation and his question had started to veer into something more personal now. Too personal.

Dabi probably has a dark past, yes. And while mine is most likely nothing compared to his, my past is very dark for me.

It's not something I've spoken about with anyone. Sure, Natsuo and Fuyumi lived through it with me. But, even then, they only saw what I showed on the outside. I never spoke with them about how my mom's death affected me.

And I definitely never spoke with anyone about how Touya's death affected me.

Those topics have been off limits to every single person in my life. That's what I associate with my own past.

So, I guess Dabi is right in a way. The past never forgets.

The point is, I've buried my own demons deep down into my soul. I won't say I've come to terms with the deaths of my loved ones, but I've gotten to a point where I can cope by refusing to think about it.

Because like I've said before, the moment I open my own Pandora's Box of emotions to the day I lost everything, is the same moment I will lose it. Lose it.

That's not who I want to be. I don't want to be a basket case of agony and unhinged hysteria. Again. So, why provoke it?

They're gone, Violet. That's how it is.

"Now look who's being silent." Dabi followed up a few moments later, pulling me out of my thoughts.

I inhaled sharply at the feeling of being brought back, instinctively hugging my knees to my chest a little harder as I realized I'd actually just started to become too deep within my head.

Swallowing painfully to force the memories back down into the lost depths of my heart, I absentmindedly kept my eyes on the city below...not knowing what to say.

So, I said nothing. Speaking through my thoughts and not expecting Dabi to understand.

"That bad, huh?" He spoke once more, voice just a tad softer and quieter as he clearly picked up the somberness of my thoughts.

His question was genuine-even a bit surprised sounding, as he truly wasn't expecting me to be so obviously broken up about whatever happened in my past.

It's like he expected me not to care. And now that he knows I did, he doesn't know what to say. He doesn't know what to think.

Once again, I said nothing. Just for a moment longer as I gave myself the opportunity to pull myself together.

Especially, because once again, I need to remember that Dabi and I are not friends. We're business partners. He doesn't need to know my life story. He doesn't care.

"It's....it's....quite a long story. I won't bore you with it. All okay now though. I've got a great life." I uttered through a blank, empty voice, somehow meaning my words genuinely but not feeling the satisfaction they were meant to bring.

Cause the truth of the matter, is that I feel empty. My heart was ripped out of my chest at fourteen years old. I still never found that missing piece of myself again. I don't think I ever will.

I felt Dabi's eyes on my blank face now. I know he was looking at me and this time it was me who didn't say anything else, as I kept my dull eyes on the street below.

Blue eyes continued to study me for a moment, lost in a world of their own as they waited for me to continue speaking. Almost like they wanted me to.

Funny, it seems like Dabi's the kind of person who responds to reverse psychology. The moment I don't want to speak, he suddenly wants me to.

But, as much as a pushover as I can be, when it comes to him? I don't have a problem doing things when I want to. Even in the short time that I've known him, Dabi and I seemed to have established a more honest, no filter partnership. Neither of us worry about offending the other, or pleasing the other, because we've already gone into this assignment at the very bottom. So, I don't feel bad about not elaborating on anything he wanted me to.

He shouldn't care anyways. He doesn't.

Realizing he wouldn't get any answers out of me, Dabi dropped the conversation, giving his shoulders a small shrug as he turned his gaze back towards the rain pouring city with me.

"Alright, lil' sapphire. Suit yourself then." He mumbled blankly, before both of our eyes simultaneously caught sight of new movement below.

The movement was our target, Ryo Harima, finally leaving his empty work building for the night, quickly pulling out an umbrella to shield himself from the heavy rain as he began walking towards the alleyway Dabi and I had hoped for.

I gasped slightly in realization, quickly scrambling myself to crouch on the rooftop instead of sit as I felt small waves of adrenaline spike through me.

I've never kidnapped someone before. I think I'm allowed to be a little nervous.

"Alright. There's our guy. Guess it's time to start." Dabi drawled out a bit sinisterly, with the evil tone of his voice back in full effect now that the mission had officially begun.

Let's just hope this assignment goes better than our first one.

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A/N: thank you guys for your votes and comments on this chap. Keep scrolling for the next chap to this double update <3