𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 (𝐃𝐚𝐛𝐢 𝐱 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫)

7

After Hawks had left, you'd spent hours delving further into your research. There were pages of notes strewn across the floor and countless tabs open on your laptop. So many tabs, that eventually, the device had crashed, and you'd been forced to try and sleep.

You hadn't though. Not because you weren't tired, but because when you had fallen asleep, you'd been faced with a memory that you'd thought had been buried.

Ami had tried to get you to talk about it, saying that it would help, but you'd brushed her off, told her that it didn't bother you anymore. You said those words so much that you'd even begun to convince yourself.

And just as you thought that maybe you'd forgotten, the images would come flooding back. The dark, freezing water, your strangled shouts as you struggled to breathe, the terror you'd felt when the men had turned their attention to Ami.

And then... nothing. You held no recollection of how the night had ended. Maybe that's why you were still tormented. Your brain had a nasty habit of creating ideas of what could have happened after you'd lost conciousness.

So, you hadn't slept, you'd restarted your laptop and continued with your task. There hadn't been a moment where you'd stopped until around ten in the morning, when you'd gotten a call saying that two delivery men were waiting outside of the building.

Apparently, Hawks had been serious when saying that he planned on buying you a new couch.

It was nice. A soft red color made of a material that was much too expensive for you to know the name of. It took up about a third of your living room space, and it had been hilarious watching the delivery people trying to fit it through the door.

They'd done it, though, and you were grateful that they did. The couch was much more comfortable than sitting on the floor. And you'd been able to organize all of your notes into a neat stack on the windowsill.

You'd spent hours lounging on your new piece of furniture after sending Hawks a quick 'thank you' text. You weren't usually the type to accept gifts like this, but it was much too comfortable to pass up, and if Hawks was working as a spy for the commission, it was the least you could do to take whatever expensive stuff you could get.

The sound of the door opening caused you to look up from what you were doing. Dabi stepped inside, wearing the usual outfit he liked to adorn when going out in public, and holding an assortment of plastic bags. He said nothing, not even a simple greeting before placing the items he'd bought onto the kitchen counter and turning to the hallway.

"Hey, dude. If you're gonna walk in here unannounced can you at least lock the door behind you?" You called after him.

Dabi paused, as if only just becoming aware of your presence. His voice was low, and there was an edge to him that hadn't been there when he'd left the day before. "I figured you'd be fine with leaving it open, considering that you like to invite any man who comes knocking inside."

"Woah," you held up your hands. "What's got you in a mood? Did the League make you murder a kitten or something?"

"No. I'm just not in the mood to speak with a liar at the moment."

The coldness of his voice seeped through your skin, leaving a chill in the wake of his words. Your brows furrowed, "excuse me?"

He turned, eyes studying the piece of furniture you were lying on. "Nice couch, where'd you get the money for it? Or the time to go and pick it up?"

"Technically, it was delivered." You pointed out.

The volume of his voice increased suddenly, startling you. "Don't play dumb with me. Were you planning on telling me that you're buddies with the number-two hero, the man who works closely with the people who are hunting for the same thing we are? Or did you plan on keeping him a secret? Letting him keep buying you gifts in exchange for whatever information you're giving him?"