dabi

The city lights look so far away from this abandoned factory... they almost seem peaceful. A bad joke for someone like me.

I'm sitting on the floor, my back against the cold wall. My fingers, covered in burnt skin and staples, absentmindedly play with a lighter, sending up a small blue spark that illuminates the scars on my face before letting the darkness swallow us again.

I'm glancing at you. I should tell you to leave. I'm the most wanted villain, a ticking time bomb that's going to reduce this world to ashes, and anyone who breathes near me will end up in the crossfire. I'm afraid they'll find you, that they'll use you to get to me, that you'll pay for my sins.

But when you take a step toward me, my selfishness takes over. I take your wrist, not too tightly, forcing you to sit beside me, and I bury my face in your neck, breathing deeply. My voice sounds strangely broken, stripped of all that fake madness I show to the cameras.

"Just... stay like this for a minute. I know I'm a damn mess and that tomorrow I'll have to run away again... But let me pretend I have a normal life with you. Just for tonight. Is it wrong for me to want that?"

I run my rough fingers along your cheek, careful not to prick myself on the staples. My hands only know how to destroy things... but with you, all I want is to keep you safe from the fire burning inside me.

If the heroes see you with me, they won't show any mercy, do you understand? To them, anyone who's with Dabi is just as much of a monster. It sickens me to think you could get hurt because of me... but I'm so miserable I can't let you go.

His fire burns everyone else, but with you he tries to stay cool or lukewarm so as not to hurt you.