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The first time Dabi sees Miruko, they’re nineteen. She knows who Miruko is, of course. They haven’t lived on the streets for three years only to be stupid enough not to keep an eye on the heroes who patrol the area she’s staying in, but they didn’t expect to actually meet her. Dabi isn’t even doing anything illegal when she meets Miruko, just walking down the street, mentally checking over the money they have left. She will need to take a new job soon, unless they want to go back to pick-pocketing. She pulls a face.
They can hear the villain approaching before he turns the corner. Really, calling him a villain is almost an insult to other villains. He’s big, sure, but based on the way he is running, panting heavily and with a bag thrown over his shoulder, he seems like barely more than a common robber. Normally, Dabi wouldn’t care to interact with a guy like that, but the alleyway they’re in is small and she is already running out of money. Taking whatever the guy managed to steal would manage to tide them over for a while. She might even be able to get an apartment or motel room for a little while.
They let their quirk build up, heat gathering under her skin as they turn to face the villain running down the street, but Dabi doesn’t have time to do anything else before someone else interferes. Miruko drops from the rooftop of the closest building with a yell, kicking the guy in the face before Dabi can so much as raise her hand. They’re left standing next to Miruko and a downed villain. The hero flips her hair and shoots Dabi a wide grin.
“You alright, dude?”
Dabi scowls. Normally she doesn’t care that people think they’re a man. The only person that matters, the only person that she wants to look at her and finally see who she truly is before she burns him to death, is Endeavour. But, somehow, this bothers her. They shake out the heat from their hands and glare at the hero, who has now leaned down to put the dazed thug into cuffs.
“I’m not a dude.”
Miruko’s eyes dart up and down Dabi’s body, then her smile softens ever so slightly.
“Apologies, Ma’am. Are you okay?”
Dabi glares at the hero for another second before she rolls her eyes and lets out a huff of breathe. They hate having to cut off their quirk after already heating her skin up, their arms sting and burn and she knows that they will have to let the fire out sooner rather than later unless they want their burns to get even worse.
“Yeah, yeah. I’m fine. See ya.”
Dabi can feel Miruko’s eyes on her back as they turn and walk away. Later that day, she takes on another job getting rid of evidence, anything to let the flames out.
-----
Dabi meets Miruko again two weeks later. Really, this is entirely on them. She should have moved on the second a hero saw them. Why, exactly, Dabi stuck around she isn’t sure of, but they did and now they’re here. She was walking the streets, it’s often safer to be awake at night and sleep during the day or early in the morning, so they have gotten used to being up at this time.
“Hey, pretty Lady.”
Dabi turns towards the voice, hands already positioned to activate her quirk. They tense up even more when she recognizes who it is. Miruko is wearing civilian clothing and smirking at Dabi. Dabi crosses their arms and raises an eyebrow.
“What do you want?”
Miruko laughs and leans forward slightly. Dabi refuses to back down, grinning right back. She knows it pulls at the staples around their mouth, knows that most people are unsettled by it. Miruko only grins wider, her red eyes sharp as they trace over Dabi’s features.
“Well, I was wondering if I could buy you a drink.”
Dabi blinks in surprise, taken aback. Then she narrows her eyes.
“Why?”
Miruko seems to have expected the question, because she just shrugs.
“You’re interesting, I wanna talk to you!”
Dabi hesitates some more, then sighs.
“Fine, but add dinner to it.”
Miruko grins and offers her hand to Dabi. They don’t take it and Miruko pulls back.
“You got it.”
Dabi follows Miruko into the pub, just barely stopping herself from pulling their hair into her face when the server placed at the entrance gives her a dubious look. Nobody makes a fuzz though and based on how much people tend to glare at them when she’s simply trying to walk down the street, that must be because of Miruko. The hero, for her part, simply leads Dabi to one of the tables further back. They don’t talk as Dabi picks what they want and Miruko orders. It doesn’t take long for the drink to be placed in front of Dabi, who grabs the glass but doesn’t drink. She hasn’t eaten all day, drinking alcohol on an empty stomach is a bad idea, especially around heroes. Miruko sips on her drink without hesitation.
“I’m Miruko. Mind giving me your name?”
Dabi doesn’t have to think much about it. They know that the police hasn’t clocked her as a villain yet, so there is no chance that Miruko would recognize their name. She grins at Miruko, eyes half-lidded.
“You can call me Dabi.”
Miruko grins back. Dabi’s food is brought to the table and then they just. Talk. Well, Miruko talks mostly. Dabi answers some questions and goes on some rants, but they avoid talking about their backstory. Really, Dabi is surprised by how easy talking to Miruko is. Miruko is loud and says what she thinks and she thinks that Dabi is funny. So, really, it’s not a big surprise when Dabi leaves with Miruko’s number saved in their phone.
-----
Dabi hates heroes. She hates how fake they are, how hypocritical. But. Miruko isn’t like that. She’s loud and annoying and also a hypocrite, but she is true to herself, so much so that it keeps her hero ranking from rising even more quickly than it already is. And that’s interesting. Miruko is interesting, she makes Dabi want to poke at her, makes them want to make sure her red eyes are never fixated on anyone else again. Instead, she does research.
Dabi digs into whatever they can find on Miruko, they get in contact with multiple informants that she knows and what they find is interesting. It seems Miruko was a downright troublemaker in school. She got expelled and even seems to have fought in an illegal fighting ring once. Usagiyama Rumi. Dabi grins as they look down at the text conversation between her and the hero. This is interesting.
-----
“Something bothering you, Princess?”
Dabi rolls their eyes. She isn’t even sure when, exactly, Usagiyama started calling them that. It was mocking, at first. Now Dabi isn’t quite sure anymore. Things have shifted between them in the two months that they have known each other, but Dabi isn’t quite sure what, exactly, changed. They’re still a villain, Usagiyama is still a hero. For all that they meet up weekly now, to get a drink together and just chat, for the most part, that will always be true. More often than not, Dabi has to stop herself from catching fire whenever Usagiyama mentions the hero billboards, or Endeavour, or All Might, or a lot of things that have to do with hero work, but. But. Usagiyama seems to be able to pick up on which topics make them uncomfortable and for all that she is annoying and loud, she steers clear of them expertly.
Then there’s also the fact that Usagiyama definitely knows that Dabi has been researching her. She doesn’t seem to find it creepy though. No, she almost seems to take it as a compliment. Her eyes go sharp whenever Dabi hints at knowing more than they should, focused only on Dabi and that sends a rush of feeling through her she can’t name. Which leads them to today. Dabi takes a sip of her drink and tilts their head to the side, a mocking grin on their face.
“Oh, I was just thinking about that new scandal you are apparently involved in. Which hero did you cheat on this time?”
Usagiyama throws her head back and laughs. It’s by far not the first scandal she got caught up in and Dabi has heard her complain about the stupid pictures gossip magazines choose often enough to know that she isn’t really bothered by it, but that’s not what they’re trying to achieve. Honestly, Dabi isn’t quite sure why they want a reaction out of Usagiyama so badly, but she’s not disappointed when the hero looks back at them, red eyes narrowed and grinning teasingly.
“What, you jealous? Do you want to be my, what did they call it, mysterious mistress this time, Princess?”
Dabi leans forward, enough that their noses almost bump into each other, and grins back even wider.
“What if I do, bunny? What would you do then?”
Really, Dabi isn’t surprised when Usagiyama leans forward and lets their lips brush, ever so slightly. They’re more surprised by how much she likes it. Usagiyama pulls back, her breathe ghosting over Dabi’s lips. Her voice is definitely teasing.
“Oh yeah? Is this good?”
Dabi feel breathless. She wants to kiss Usagiyama again. They never want to have to stop. So they lean forward.
“Yeah.”
She presses their lips together again, a proper kiss this time. It’s a bit awkward with the table between them, but they make it work. Dabi tilts her head to the side a little bit and lets their hands tangle in Usagiyama’s soft, thick hair. Usagiyama is the one to pull back, again, and Dabi wants to chase her, but she’s grinning at them, one hand placed on their shoulder.
“Come on now, Princess, let me pay, okay?”
Dabi nods and watches in silence as Usagiyama waves down a waiter to pay before they leave the pub together. Usagiyama leads them into an alleyway and then she’s right in front of Dabi, fast enough for them to start calling up their quirk before a callused hand is pressed against her cheek softly.
“Can I kiss you again, baby?”
Dabi reaches out and tangles her hands into Usagiyama’s hair again, pressing closer for another kiss. Usagiyama’s hands settle on their hips, then glide lower and hook under Dabi’s thighs. With what seem like barely any effort at all, Usagiyama lifts her up and presses their back against the wall. Dabi breaks off the kiss, panting, and runs her fingers through Usagiyama’s hair while the hero softly kisses their neck.
“Usagiyama-”
She chuckles and looks up at them.
“Come on now, call me Rumi.”
Dabi grins down at Rumi teasingly, even though she can feel how red their face is.
“I’m afraid you’ll have to stick to Dabi, bunny.”
Rumi grins and presses another short kiss to Dabi’s lips.
“Oh, I think I can make do, baby.”