Work Text:
Tomura was irritated. Beyond what he thought possible.
His neck itched and itched and Tomura scratched until he drew blood, but the itch never went away. Not since he came into contact with a possible foreign ally.
The group was entirely Chinese and fuck if Tomura could speak Chinese. Their leader was a bald, burly man who could easily snap them in two like a stick. And he was stupidly ignorant.
This was making Tomura on the edge of nerves.
Communication between them was sparse and nothing was known about their ambitions or quirks. All Tomura had was the information that Dabi brought.
Somehow, that foreign group managed to mimic Overhaul's quirk canceling bullets. And Tomura was a curious cat.
It's like the saying goes: curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back.
One day he was asked to go meet the leader and some of his most trusted henchmen for a friendly drink. It had clearly been a challenge. Be the one who can handle drinking the most or fall first. It was a trap and Tomura knew it.
But still he was considering going. It was a very good opportunity to at least get information out of them when they were drunk.
The league was in chaos ever since. Toga laughing and running around, Twice yelling and contradicting himself the whole time, Compress trying to weigh the pros and cons of going to meet them, and Kurogiri and Spinner were quiet. One because he knew better not to interfere and the other because he didn't know what to say.
And then there was Dabi. Who watched everything sitting on his stool at the bar while sipping a glass of whiskey on the rocks. Tomura furrowed his brows just looking at it.
"OK enough." Dabi's voice breaks out in the screaming, along with the clink of ice in the glass as Dabi slammed it down violently on the bar counter.
Kurogiri shivered visibly - or as much as he could with his quirk - in consideration of his precious cup.
"We're going to find those idiots and have a drink, it's decided." Dabi concluded.
"And who put you in charge?! I think it's a great idea!" Twice screamed.
"I put myself in charge since you guys are such idiots that you won't shut the fuck up and let the boss talk." Silence followed after Dabi's speech.
Tomura felt all eyes turn to him for an answer, and he felt his eye itch under his father's hand.
He held back the urge to scratch scratch scratch scratch until the blood drew and that itch from his body.
"Dabi is right." He finally said "Let's find them and get information out of them.
"So what? Who's going on this mission?" Compress asked from under the mask.
"Me, obviously." replied Dabi.
"Oh, oh, oh! Can I go too?! I have the perfect disguise!" Toga said, excited and with a blush on her cheeks.
"No, you are underage." Toga pouted when Compress denied her request "I can go too. I'm a good drinker."
"Okay, then me and Compress. That's fine. Be ready tomorrow when we go out." Dabi was about to leave, probably to her room, when Tomura interrupts.
"I will go too."
Dabi stops in her tracks and slowly turns to her boss and lets out a loud, dry laugh.
"You? I doubt you can drink a shot without making a face. And by the way, aren't you underage?"
"My age doesn't matter, I will." Tomura stated vehemently, in his 'leader' way that no one dared to question.
Dabi's smile froze on her face before it disappeared all at once and he sighed loudly.
"Fine, just don't puke on my shoes afterwards."
Dabi then turned around and left.
Everyone went back to discussing some nonsense after that, and Tomura preferred to go back to his room and lock himself up until it was time to go to the bar.
He wanted to sleep, he could feel the weariness of three days of insomnia and restless sleep creeping into his bones, but he just couldn't.
Lying on the bed and looking at the ceiling, Tomura tries to close the solos and make sleep come to hug him by force.
His brain projected some scenarios as he struggled to fall asleep. He always tried not to pay too much attention to them, especially when they all involved a certain brunette with scars on his body and blue eyes.
Tomura wouldn't admit it even if his life was on the line, but he found Dabi attractive. He wasn't blind, and I would venture to say he had a crush on the other villain.
Thinking about it made her heart race. Tomura ignored it.
He didn't know how much time he had wasted trying to sleep and not being able to, but when he realized it, there was someone knocking on his door telling him to start getting ready.
"We're out of here in 30 minutes, be ready mop head." It was Dabi's voice from the other side of the door.
He pretended he didn't feel butterflies in his stomach at hearing that stupid nickname and got up.
Tomura was lucky to have the only room with a bathroom for himself, privileges of being the leader.
He took off his clothes and dropped them on top of his bed as he headed to the bathroom. He didn't notice when he turned on the shower and didn't even notice the coldness of the water, he knew that hot water was a luxury he didn't have.
His shower was quick, as always, and soon he found himself in boxer shorts in front of his open and half-empty wardrobe.
Tomura didn't have many clothes, never had. As a child, Sensei bought him clothes that were too big for him to fit when he grew up, and he got into the habit of wearing baggy clothes.
In addition to all his clothes being black.
"Are you ready yet, mop head?" Dabi's voice brought him out of his thoughts.
Before Tomura could even think about answering, Dabi turned the doorknob and entered the room.
At this point Tomura was grateful for the training Sensei had given him to control his facial expressions, otherwise he would now be visibly expressing his embarrassment at having Dabi see him half-naked.
But one thing he couldn't deny was how hot and flushed his ears were. He hoped his hair was covering it.
"You're still in your underwear." Dabi noticed.
If Dabi felt anything at seeing Tomura in his underwear in his room, he didn't show it.
"I don't know what clothes to wear." Tomura hoped he didn't sound as stupid as he felt.
Dabi sighed and walked straight into the room, ignoring Tomura standing awkwardly on the edge of the bed and went straight to the wardrobe.
"Do you have any black pants? Clean, preferably." Dabi didn't even look at him while going through his wardrobe.
"Uh, yeah, there are ripped jeans lying around somewhere."
Shigaraki scratched his neck lightly, feeling out of place in his own room.
"You don't have any white shirts. Impressive." Dabi growled "Wait here." And he left.
Tomura didn't know what to think, and the flush in his ears was distracting him. He decided to sit on his bed and wait for Dabi.
"Here, put this on and put on that blazer." Dabi threw the clothes at Tomura as soon as he got back to the room "Put your shirt in your pants. If you're not downstairs in five minutes I'll leave you behind." As quickly as he arrived, he left again leaving a catatonic Tomura behind.
He picked up the shirt and saw it was a dress shirt. It smelled like smoke and men's perfume. Tomura realized that they were Dabi's clothes.
He couldn't fight the blush this time.
Dressing quickly - because Tomura knew Dabi would keep his promise to leave him behind - he soon went downstairs, finding Kurogiri, Compress and Dabi waiting for him, the latter looking nothing more than impatient.
Tomura hadn't noticed before, but Dabi was hot. He wore something similar to his own clothes actually. The three were in black and white. Beggars can't be picky.
At least they looked good.
"Finally. It's about time." Dabi growled "Come on, the bar is far away."
"All ready?" Kurogiri asked, already opening a portal.
"It's now or never." Compress sighed and crossed, followed by Dabi and Tomura was last.
"Master Tomura," Kurogiri called out before walking through the gate, "...don't overdo it."
"I'll be fine. Thanks for your concern, Kurogiri." And so he crossed over.
Dabi and Compress were already walking a little ahead, and Tomura just surreptitiously quickened his steps and stayed behind them.
A nasty voice muttered in his head something like 'so humiliating, a leader should be in front.'
Tomura chose to ignore how much that voice sounded like Sensei's.
"Listen here." Dabi stopped walking "You two decided to come so you're going to have to put up with a lot of drinking. I know people like these guys and they are strong drinkers and won't stop until someone falls over." Her voice was serious and Tomura could only think of how attractive Dabi looked when she was angry "Don't you dare fall first. Drink until you can't take it anymore and then drink some more. And Don't. Dare. Vomit."
"Yes sir." Mocked Compress.
"Are we clear, boss?" The mocking look Dabi was giving Tomura made him want to scratch himself.
"I think you forgot who's in charge here, Dabi." He muttered angrily, his eyes burning behind his blue hair.
Dabi was silent.
"Whatever. If you embarrass yourself it's your reputation on the line."
Tomura ground his teeth.
The rest of the walk to the bar was silent. Kurogiri left them a block away so as not to look suspicious.
Dabi walked in like he owned the place, and at this point, he really could. The trio of Chinese people were seated at the back, with a few bottles of liquor still chilled and unopened placed on the table.
They sat down and barely exchanged a few words or greetings. The leader - the bald one - opened the six bottles and placed three of them in front of Tomura and his companions.
They knew it was a challenge and didn't hesitate to flip the bottles at once.
The drink turned out to be soju. Tomura hated soju.
The Chinese also drank and soon ordered another round.
A glass of some clear, strong-smelling liquid arrived for each of the three and Tomura drank it down without even thinking about it.
Kurogiri would certainly know what the drink was just by looking at it, but Tomura never paid much attention to his caretaker's teachings and couldn't tell the difference between whiskey and rum. He just knew he hated the way the two of them tasted.
So the hours passed. And they drank and drank and drank.
The three Chinese still looked unshakable, but Tomura could see that Compress was already a little drunk. Or maybe more than he let on.
Dabi still looked unperturbed.
They continued drinking until Compress fell.
The smile on the bald man's face made Tomura itch to want to decay something.
Another round of drinks arrived and Tomura didn't even know how much he had drunk or what the hell was in those glasses, but he did. Dabi too.
The next to fall was one of the Chinese. Blond hair shaved on the side. Tomura smiled.
He hoped that the other would fall soon, because if Dabi fell Tomura would have no way to squeeze out information, since the only one who spoke Chinese was Dabi.
More and more rounds of drinks came and went, the four of them downing shots one after the other, until for a moment all was silent.
Dabi was already obviously drunk and Tomura feared that he would be the next to fall. Sweat dripped down his spine and the only thing you could hear was the snores of Compress and the blond henchman.
Until the Chinese's other henchman also fell.
Tomura smiled triumphantly.
"We won." He said.
It mattered little to him whether the Chinaman had understood or not. He would know what it meant.
The bald man grimaced and placed a handful of money on the table and two metal briefcases beside it.
Dabi reached out and took the suitcases, leaving the money on the table. He said something in Chinese to the bald man and got up. Tomura close behind, supporting Compress' semi-conscious body.
It was three in the morning, maybe four. He didn't already know. Dabi was carrying the suitcases and Tomura was carrying Compress, who had completely passed out as soon as they left the bar.
The night was cold and silent, only the tapping of their feet on the asphalt could be heard.
They walked a little way until Dabi staggered and tripped over her own feet, falling to the ground in a random alley and not getting up.
"Hey." Tomura kicked him in the leg "Get up."
Dani mumbled something unintelligible and curled up, hugging the two suitcases like they were stuffed animals.
"How are you still able to walk…" his speech was slurred and lazy.
Tomura sighed and dropped Compress on the ground beside Dabi.
Quickly digging through his pockets, he pulls out his disposable cell phone and texts Kurogiri his coordinates.
Kurogiri didn't answer right away and Tomura sat next to Dabi and Compress, leaning his back against the alley wall.
"What you're made of… you drank like a skunk…" Dabi rolled her tongue to form the words.
"I grew up in a bar." Tomura said, vaguely.
Dabi probably wouldn't remember that tomorrow considering how drunk he was. With that in mind, Tomura had no problem opening up a bit.
"I hate drinking. I hate booze and I hate alcohol." He began "Sensei taught me to drink and made me develop a tolerance for alcohol." He looked down at his bitten nails. Bad habit. "I had my first shot when I was seven. Vodka straight. I washed the floor with vomit after I swallowed it. He made me drink two to make up for it."
He received silence in response and assumed that Dabi had fallen asleep as well as Compress. He kept talking.
"As I grew up, Sensei made me drink a lot, until I developed the coveted alcohol tolerance he wanted me to have. At thirteen I didn't feel drunk anymore. It didn't matter how much I drank." The wind blowing through the alley lifted his blue hair, revealing his dull "I hate drinking."
Tomura banged his head against the wall behind him and stayed there, eyes closed, just feeling the icy wind.
He wished the wind could carry that weight in his chest away.
Kurogiri opened a portal soon after, and quickly they were back at base.
In his room, Tomura took off his clothes, taking extra care with Dabi's blouse and blazer.
He didn't know how the arsonist had clothes like that, but he didn't care enough to ask either. He bent and placed it gently in his chair. He took off his pants and threw them inside his wardrobe.
Sitting on the bed staring at nothing in the dim light, he relived those memories of Sensei teaching him to drink. He wished he could forget.
He lay down in his underwear and closed his eyes. Although he no longer felt drunk, the alcohol was starting to make him feel drowsy.
Against his best efforts, Tomura fell asleep.
•
Despite how much he drank yesterday, Dabi didn't have a hangover. He never had a hangover. In fact, it was even very difficult for him to get drunk, as his body burned through alcohol faster than he could get drunk.
He must have gone overboard last night.
Sunlight streamed in through the curtains of his garter base room, and he sat up in bed as he stretched. Dabi realized that he was still wearing the clothes he had worn to the bar and quickly took them off, throwing them sloppily around the room, and put on his usual white shirt and black sweatpants that he wasn't sure if they were clean or if they even wore them. it was yours.
He came downstairs scratching one of his belly cramps and saw Compress sitting at the table having a drink and staring at a plate of toast with a frown on his face.
"All up there, Mister?" Dabi scoffed.
"Shhhh keep it down please." was Compress's whispered reply. Dabi watched him bring the tips of his index fingers to his temples.
"Where is Shigaraki?" Dabi asked, ignoring Compress.
"He hasn't come out of his room. I wouldn't bother him if I were you." Compress said, but Dabi was already going upstairs again.
He didn't know why, but he wanted to see the boss. He wanted…
He didn't know what he wanted.
But after hearing a part of his life story last night, even though he was drunk beyond belief, Dabi felt… bad. And it wasn't the hangover.
A heaviness settled in his stomach when Shigaraki confided in him a part of his past and hadn't left since.
Kurogiri saw to it that Toga and Twice were out today so they could get over their hangovers. Spinner was in his room and would not come out or disturb him.
Dabi stopped in front of Shigaraki's door with his hand raised as if he were going to knock.
He lowered his arm and growled low, feeling stupid for being there.
He knocked on the door before he could regret it.
"Boss? Are you awake? It's me." Dabi didn't know why he was feeling and acting so strange.
Maybe he knew. And maybe it had something to do with the butterflies that fluttered wildly in his stomach every time Shigaraki spoke to him.
He swallowed hard.
"I'll go in." He warned before opening the door.
The room was completely dark, the windows and curtains properly closed and there was a large mass wrapped under the blanket on the bed.
Dabi closed the door behind him and walked slowly over to Shigaraki, sitting next to his boss's head on the bed.
"Hey boss." he whispered.
"What do you want, Dabi…" Tomura tried to growl, but his searing headache made it sound like nothing more than a growl.
"I came to see how you are. You drank a lot yesterday." Dabi tried to hide the concern in his voice, but she didn't know if he had done a good job. Luckily, Shigaraki was in too much pain to notice.
"Leave me alone, I'm exhausted and have a headache…"
"I… must have some aspirin somewhere in my stuff. Maybe in my first-aid kit…" Dabi honestly didn't know why he was saying this to his hungover boss, but he couldn't stop either.
He wanted…
Fuck, he wanted to see Tomura well.
"I'll get it and I'll be right back." Dabi started to get up, when he felt the firm, four-fingered touch of a slender hand on his arm.
"No… stay…" Tomura barely opened his eyes.
"I…" Dabi's mouth was dry "I'll be back, I'll just get the medicine."
Dabi practically ran out of Shigaraki's room, and from the back he didn't see the brief expression of sadness that Tomura made before turning to the side and closing his eyes.
He actually went to get the medicine, he was sure there was some aspirin in his first aid kit and went to his room to get it. Despite the overwhelming urge in her chest to go back to her boss's room and take care of him, Dabi made the journey as slowly as possible.
He still didn't know how to face Shigaraki in that situation.
The ride back to the boss's room came faster than he would have liked, but at the same time he could barely stay away.
"Here, I brought aspirin and a bottle of water from the fridge." He placed both of them on the nightstand next to Shigaraki's bed.
The boss groaned in displeasure and sat up slowly, reaching for the pill but not bothering to take the bottle. Dabi saw him swallow the medicine dry.
"Hey boss. You gotta drink the water. You're hungover and I'm sure your mouth is dry."
Shigaraki looked at Dabi from behind his bangs and silently drank the water. He lay down again, with his back to Dabi.
Dabi sighed.
"...Do you still want me to stay?"
Silence.
"Boss?"
With the blanket up to his ears, Tomura hid, trying to escape his shame. He nodded slowly in affirmation and felt the bed dip behind him.
"I- yesterday-"
"How are you not hungover?"
Dabi's voice was lost in a choke inside her throat when she heard the hoarseness in Shigaraki's voice. It only took him a moment to process the words that had been spoken.
"My body temperature is very high, so alcohol burns very quickly." He replied.
Tomura grunted in response.
"You said yesterday that you don't like to drink." Dabi pretended not to see how the boss's body tensed. He decided not to comment on what else he remembered. "What do you like then?"
"Smoke." Was Tomura's quick reply.
Dabi was surprised. Shigaraki didn't seem like someone who smoked.
"I hate smoking." He preferred to say "My quirk is already fucking with my lungs by itself."
"Apparently we both have something we hate about each other." Tomura snorted.
"I think so."
Silence ensued after that.
"Are you still staying?" The chief's voice was small, uncertain. Dabi felt her heart tighten.
"I'm not going anywhere, boss."