Illuminated

Illuminated

pairing: dabi/hawks

tags: first kiss, realisation of feelings

wordcount: 1.1k

They sat on that rooftop again. The highest in the area, but still way below the clouds. Neither the overworked salesmen doing overtime in their glass offices nor the potential hero flying to the next emergency site were able to spot them here. Traffic noise was floating up from the streets beneath, but it was a comparatively quiet spot. Perfect for talks of treachery and corruption.

It was also much easier to reach than old warehouses cramped between buildings and infrastructure, at least if you came from above. How Dabi made it up all those stories without raising suspicion was a mystery to Keigo, one of many.

Regardless of what the HPSC’s tasks asked of him, his personal mission was to uncover each and every mystery surrounding Dabi. When his goal had shifted in this direction he didn’t know, but something about the man intrigued him. The more time spent with him and the more information he slowly gathered, the more he became invested in solving this puzzle.

And as much as he tried to convince himself otherwise, for his own conscience, he knew this was not about his identity or his connection to the League of Villains or anything else that might be relevant for the greater good. No, this was purely self-indulgent. He’d give more for Dabi’s morning routine than his real name at this point.

Looking at him now, while they argued about adjusting the phrasing of a report, he wondered if he would ever be sick of learning more about him.

The topics they wanted to discuss that night ran out, so it was time for Keigo to bring his small talk training to use and make Dabi stay regardless. The longer their conversation lasted, the later he had to return to his empty apartment. Every minute spent with Dabi was valuable.

“It seems you’re not very fond of the way I handle things with the Commission,” he said.

Dabi pulled the USB drive with the fake paperwork out of his laptop. “You’re too vague. Even an idiot like Twice could figure out that those reports are bullshit. If you want to meet the boss, you need to get your shit together and stop jeopardising your own spy work.”

He tossed Keigo the drive, eyes not leaving the screen. There was precision in a lot of his movements that indicated professional heroics training. That acute awareness of his surroundings was familiar to Keigo. It was these tiny details he tried to pick up on, since Dabi did his best to stay as mysterious as possible. They’d shared a meal countless times and Keigo always had to rely on body language to see if he liked the food or not, because he refused to share facts about himself. It would annoy him if he weren’t so fascinated.

Dabi tried to pack up his stuff, but Keigo managed to engage him with irrelevant hero gossip. This was yet another thing he’d noticed: Dabi was unusually informed about the inner workings of the industry. He supposed this was all relevant information he should report back to the Commission, but something told him to keep it to himself. After all, they were sitting here, just the two of them, chatting without any obvious ulterior motives. It had taken a lot of time and building trust to get to this point, and Keigo wouldn’t waste it by ratting Dabi out.

He proved this decision to himself by making an off-hand comment about something Best Jeanist had worn at an event once. It was a pretty stupid joke, but suddenly Dabi was laughing, clear and full of joy. For such a deep and raspy voice, his laughter was surprisingly melodic. Keigo couldn’t do anything but stare at him, the city lights illuminating his beautiful side profile.

After a few seconds, Dabi seemed to notice him watching and turned around. Those intoxicating blue eyes were scanning Keigo’s face and Dabi’s expression became serious. Keigo didn’t dare to breathe, unsure what to make of this mood shift and the deliciously anxious feeling in his chest. Then Dabi’s eyes flickered to his lips. Keigo felt heat rush to his cheeks and his heart rate was increasing with every second they spent staring at each other.

Then, unsure, they both inched their faces closer together and before Keigo could process it their lips were touching.

It didn’t last long though, because Dabi pulled away before he even had a chance to press into it. He tried to regain his composure while Dabi stared at him, wide-eyed. His chest was moving at a rapid pace, the rest of him remaining rigid. For as long as Keigo had been studying him, he’d never seen him like this. Almost like he was…scared.

Now worried himself, he tried extending a hand in a weird way of offering comfort, but Dabi snapped out of it and slapped him away. “What the fuck,” he whispered and Keigo was unsure if he was even talking to him. This “kiss” must’ve upset him for some reason.

Keigo was unsure what to make of it too. It certainly hadn’t been what he imagined under getting to know Dabi, but it explained his fascination. Has he had a crush this entire time?

Before he had a chance to dwell on this revelation, Dabi suddenly sat down right in front of him, hand on Keigo’s thigh. His mouth stood open in surprise and Dabi closed it, putting his other hand on his jaw. Blue eyes were piercing into his.

“Listen, hero.” His voice, full of determination, faltered for a moment. “I have no idea what I’m doing. It’s not like anyone was ever dying to kiss me.” Keigo wanted to add something but Dabi’s grip on his face tightened. “Stop that. I don’t want you pitying me. Just…I warned you, so don’t be disappointed.”

Dabi leaned in and this time, Keigo was a lot less awkward about it. He tilted his head, pressing into the kiss without second thought. His enthusiasm seemed to reassure Dabi, who relaxed after the first few seconds, self-doubt forgotten.

Keigo’s hands found his waist as they pulled each other closer together. Kissing Dabi was addicting. It made Keigo feel like was burning up, in a good way. He should’ve realised much sooner that this was what he’d been craving all along.

The contrasting textures of his lips, the taste of him, the gentleness in his touch - Keigo added all of it to his mental list of things he knew about A-rank villain Dabi. After a lifetime of reporting and documenting his every move, it was thrilling to have information solely for himself. No one else knew Dabi like this. And with every new fact he discovered, he grew more certain that he would never get tired of learning about him.