Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

'Why am I back here?' Dabi thought as he kept his hood up and head down, peering into the compound that colored his life in shades of red and blue for so long. How many years had he chased being what his father wanted? How long was he rejected over and over again, while his parents kept trying for the perfect child? Then they got Shouto. They got their perfect child. But Dabi had kept fucking trying, kept trying to prove he could be what his father wanted. While it had annoyed Natsuo to no end, Dabi had been born with a wildfire in his chest that demanded he pay penance to it.  That is likely why he was back at his old house for the first time since he buried his old name.

The sound of a screen sliding open had Dabi peeking from his hiding space. It was little Shouto. Dabi could only see part of his face, the light casting his face mostly in shadow, but he could see that perfectly divided hair that gave him away. Dabi felt the fire in his chest grow, hatred there. That was until Shouto turned his face back towards the house, into the light. The little boy might as well have frozen Dabi solid the way the sight of his face smothered Dabi's inner flame. There was a massive bright pink scar on the left side of Shouto's face. 

How? When? Why? Dabi's mind came up with all sorts of causes. None of them were pretty. He had seen the way his father had dragged Shouto around from training. Had his father done this in a training accident? The rage that always kept him warm and drove him forward dimmed a little as he realized that his drive to having his father see him as valuable had ended up with him possibly putting Shouto in even more danger. 

And yet, Dabi was sure if he hadn't gone to the Sekoto Peak and nearly died, his bitterness towards Shouto would have remained. Now all that was left was his hatred for his father, the man who refused to come see what he had learned to do. The man who had disregarded all of his kids except the one that fit his own personal desire. What could have a 5 year old done that enraged Enji so much that he'd burn his face? Dabi didn't want to think about that, not right then.

An insane idea ignited then, as he watched Shouto rest his chin on the windowsill. There was a way to make this right as well as sticking it to Enji in the best possible way.

Dabi jogged to the front to see if Enji's car was there. With it not in the drive, Dabi scaled the wall and dropped down right outside Shouto's window. Immediately he looked up and found Shouto was looking down. His teal gaze met a dichromatic one. They stared at each other before realization filled Shouto's face, that mouth falling open and eyes widening.

"Tou-"

"Shh, move, I am coming up." Dabi said as he waved his brother back. Shouto scurried back so that Dabi could climb up the side of the building and swing through the open door. As soon as his feet were on the floor, there was a heavy weight slamming into his middle. Shouto's face pressed into his sweater as tiny arms wrapped around his waist. Unable to stay stoic, Dabi's hand came to rest on that red and white hair.

"Hey, Sho," he whispered softly. Shouto's head snapped up, eyes filled with tears and face twisted in an ugly scowl.

"We thought you died! You're on the altar!" Shouto said, small flames and ice cracking along those chubby cheeks. Dabi's hands came to cradle that face before he squished those cheeks together, smushing that face into an even uglier appearance.

"Yeah, well I'm back to do the same with you guys." Dabi let go of that face, only to find his gaze falling to that scar

"Huh?" Shouto looked so confused. With care, Dabi stroked a thumb along the very edge of the scar.

"It's not supposed to be like this, the way we live." Dabi added when Shouto appeared to grow more perplexed. What he was saying must have eventually made sense because Shouto's face grew slowly darker as moments passed. 

"Go, pack a backpack or two with all your favorite things. We are going to leave here forever." Dabi said as he stepped away and gently pushed Shouto's shoulders to get the five year old into action. Shouto's normally stoic face grew bright with a rare smile before he ran to grab a small backpack. Dabi knew there was several large duffle bags in a hall closet. 

Not knowing how long he had, Dabi headed out of the room to run down the hall. His footsteps must have roused his other siblings because Natsuo and Fuyumi poked their heads out of their rooms. All three of them stared at each other, stunned into a frozen state.

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They looked older somehow . Had his death caused that? The shock must have broken because Fuyumi's eyes were filling with tears behind her glasses as her hands came to her mouth as she stepped fully into the hall. But she was soon shoved back into her doorway as Natsuo stormed down the hall. 

Before Dabi could warn Natsuo off, his younger brother was throwing a rather impressive right hook. Dabi stumbled to the wall, his hand coming to hit the wall in order to keep him upright. There was a copper taste in his mouth, making him lick where the skin broke against his teeth while his eyes took in Natsuo. There were tears and anger warring across his brother's face.

"I buried you! We thought you were dead and all this time-" Natsuo started but Dabi didn't have time for this. Didn't have it in him to listen to Natsuo right then. Later, later when there wasn't a risk of their father coming home. 

"Either pack a bag and bitch at me later, or stay and keep your damn mouth shut." Dabi snarled as he shoved off the wall. Shoto shuffled out, dragging an impressively full duffel bag. Fuyumi let out a horrified sound.

"What are you doing?"

"Touya said I could leave with him. I wanna go. I don't wanna do training all the time." Shoto said as his little fists gripped the duffel bag's handle tighter. Those dual colored eyes glistened with fears and want. Dabi set his hand on Shoto's head, feeling suddenly so much older than he actually was. Either years between them and Dabi knew well what his father was like when he saw potential in a child. 

You almost really fucked up. Dabi had to admit to himself that his drive for his father's attention had almost blinded him to his baby brother's plight. Yet it was his rage that brought him back.

Dabi looked to Natsuo. His other brother looked form Shoto to him. They moment their eyes caught, Dabi could see the grief and the…guilt there. Later, he'd have…he'd have to figure out where that came from. But later. 

"Get a bag. I'm burning this place to the ground. Shoto will be dead and whoever else decides to come." Dabi warned as his free hand sparked with bright blue flames. Natsuo nodded before rushing into his room. Fuyumi hesitated. Dabi frowned but turned and grabbed Shoto's bag to put it over his shoulder. He pet that hair again. He wasn't sure how he was going to do this, but he rather them out on the streets with him then here still being abused. Or well, Shoto being abused and Fuyumi and Natsuo having to play witness. 

"Ready." Natsuo came out with a duffel bag. They stared at Fuyumi who…shook her head.

"I can't. I have so many household responsibilities now." Fuyumi's voice was soft, hesitant. But all Dabi felt was rage. Why was Fuyumi having to work at both school and the house? Natsu let out a disgusted sound before rushing down the hall to Fuyumi's room. Dabi followed and helped hold the bag open so Natsu could stuff it.

"Leave his wife to it," Dabi snarled as he helped Natsu throw some of Fuyumi's things in a bag.

"Mom was committed after what she did-" Fuyumi stopped, her hands trying to grab the bag away from them.  Dabi would have to ask, but later. 

"I don't care, you're not staying." Dabi snapped.

"Yeah you have to come," Natsu said sipping the bag and adding it to his.

"But someone has to take care of Dad. He will be lost without -" Dabi whirled around, cutting off what Fuyumi was about to say.

"No!" Dabi snarled, grabbed her arm and yanking her back to him. "You are not going to attend to him and try and make this right. It's not your job. It never was. It…It should have been mine. I won't let you throw away your life trying to keep him alive and believing he is a good father." 

Fuyumi's eyes were wide, tears streaking out from the corners. He knew he was being rough, but he had been on the streets long enough to know how a daughter would work without someone there to keep them from filling the wife role. While he didn't believe his father would take it that far but he knew that Fuyumi would do all the house work and fall behind on school and…No. He couldn't let her do that.

"I need you to come with me and live your own life, Yumi." Dabi lowered his voice, watching as she cried more before going and grabbing a bag to throw other things in.

Out Shoto's window, he helped his siblings get out then he…lit the whole place on fire. His flames had never burned brighter or hotter. His rage mixed with his relief that he was finally finding peace.

All the memories of his father's disappointed and disgusted face. All the hurts, all the violence, all the obsession. The old house lit up like the dry kindling from the mountain. The heat was so intense he could feel his skin crack and break under it's intensity. But still he stood in the center with a dark grin. His boot scrapped across the ground as he danced through the flame like he had as a child when no one was looking. 

Burn baby, Burn.

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Dabi leaned back against the brick building, hands buried in his patchwork jacket's pockets. They had been on the streets for a week. A full, terrible, horrific week. In the abandoned building behind them, Fuyumi and Shoto were sleeping with Natsu on watch. The moment anyone found out that Dabi had acquired a little brother and a sister on the streets with him they turned into creeps . The only one that wasn't fucking disgusting was Jin. 

The man had taken one look at his siblings and for one moment, both side of the Copier were in agreement - they needed to get off the streets. Jin had gone off, saying he had a friend/enemy who may be able to help. Hence why Dabi was standing here, desperate for a cigarette pressing against him.

Not that he'd get one. His siblings needed to eat more than he needed to smoke. Every odd job he managed to get a little funds from went to ensuring they ate. Doubt ate at Dabi's stomach, stealing his appetite these past days. He was slimmer now than he was before. But Shoto was safer, so he'd suffer a little more.

The sound of footsteps had Dabi tensing, hands heating as his' teal eyes glowed while he looked down the street. It was Jin in his still all black bodysuit.

"Yo," He offered, not moving for the alley's mouth. Jin saluted him.

"I have a plan/ I have no good news ." Jin jerked before he passed Dabi an envelope. Dabi raised a brow as he opened it. Inside was the dowry agreement between his father and mother, signed by his maternal grandfather. Why the hell was Jin giving him this? Reading over it, hoping that Jin had a purpose, Dabi's other brow joined the first in his hairline. The amount was insane.

"A million? Seriously?" Dabi hadn't known that. He knew his father had selected a wife to create the perfect Quirk user. He also knew his mother came from some sort of line. But not one that had this kind of money. 

"Yes/ Expensive Wife!" Dabi ignored that. He wasn't sure how this helped him at all. In fact, it wasn't helpful. It just meant his father never cared beyond getting Shoto. His hand heated up. He tucked his arm to keep his anger from light in the information aflame.

"Why give this to me though?"

"You should use him. His address is in there. Make him pay for you to live./ He owes you! If he has that much to give your dad, he could help you live for their sake." Jin waved back towards the building. From his suit came a pack of smokes, Jin tossing them to Dabi. He caught them, pausing. 

"Thanks…" Dabi didn't know what to do with this. Let alone how to pay Jin back for this. "What did you have to do to get this?" Dabi needed to know what was owed.

"Stole some things/ I had fun!" Jin exclaimed before he posed, pointer finger thrusted into Dabi's face. "But! I may ask for you to pay me back later/ I have to capture her first." With that Jin left. The ominous warning was strange, but it didn't matter right then. They had a plan forward. Even if it was a shot in the dark kind.

It took some planning and scrapping, but eventually they managed to make it to the estate in the middle of the night. Dabi broke in, letting his siblings drop the bags by the front gate. Instead the place was a traditional lay out. One that screamed money. This was a good plan.

"Make food. Clean up. It's Mom's space too." Dabi instructed. Fuyumi looked uneasy but eventually agreed when they looked at Shoto. His little face was dirty but clearly trying to hold it together. Fuck, his brother shouldn't be trying to hold it all together. 

It wasn't long after the three of his siblings were sitting down to eat that the front door opened. Dabi was struck by how much the man looked like his mother. The white hair on his head and face, the short stature, the grey eyes. The scowl, however, certainly wasn't.

"What are you doing in my house! W-wait, is that?' Dabi grabbed the old man by the collar and yanked him into a different room so Shoto and Natsu could eat what Fuyumi managed to scrapped together.

"It is. Now shut up and listen." Dabi slammed the old man against the wall, flame awakening on his hand, silencing the ice user. The room grew cooler, but Dabi remained unaffected. "Don't even bother. Touya was my name, and I'm sure my father told you how strong my flames are and how disappointed he was." 

The older man fell silent, eyes looking at him, then he twisted in the hold to look back into the room before returning.

"They are alive."

"I wasn't gonna let them remain where your daughter burned Shoto's face. Not with the man who drove her mad enough to do it." Dabi watched the man jerked under the hold and the accusation. 

Good, he sold his daughter to a madman.

"W-why are you here though? Why make us think they all died." Grandpa wilted there, all the bolster from finding them vanishing under his guilt.

"We need money or a place to live. Not here. Enji can never fucking know we are alive. I'm gonna make sure they live outside his bullshit. Your grandkids at least deserve to live in the light instead of his shadow.." Dabi's hand was covered in blue flames, enforcing his threat. The man shook his head rapidly.

"I-I don't have any money. That was part of the family trust. I have no access to it!" The man's hands came up to wave in front of him. Dabi had no idea if that was true.

"Bullshit!" Dabi wouldn't let this fucked-up half-thought plan of his continue. This was not what he wanted. He just wanted to get them out of that damn house. But that was as far as his mind had gone. Now he was struggling to get to the damn finish line. This was what he thought would be that finish line.

"No really! I swear. I have some passive money but it's just enough for me to survive. Nothing more." Grandpa continued to wave his hands. It was then that he really looked around. He could see signs of non-handy hands repairing things. Fuck. His hand twisted harder in that shirt. He slammed the man back and stepped away.The grandpa slid down the wall, head hanging. Dabi had assumed he got some kick backs from Enji or something. The man was loaded.

And as fucking great as it would be to stay here, it was fucking too risky. Four kids magically appearing after Enji's family funeral takes place would raise way too many questions.

"We weren't here." Dabi stormed out of the room. "If you tell anyone you saw us, I will come back and down to this estate what I did to Enji's." Dabi snarled but his voice vanished as Shoto drank down the broth. Fuck. 

"We need to head out. Our stuff is still outside." Dabi didn't say this was for naught. Fuyumi and Natsu's expressions clearly said they knew. Fuyumi helped Shoto grab his little backpack as Natsu put all the dishes into the sink. Not even bothering to wash them.

"What are we going to do?" Natsu asked as Dabi followed him out. Dabi had no fucking idea. He had one skill, one that would kill him if he continued to use it but they needed him.

"I'll figure it out." Dabi promised. He had no other choice.

They were headed out when Grandpa was there again, yanking Dabi's arm back into the courtyard.

"H-here. It's enough to get a taxi. And this," The man shoved an envelope with money in it and a key. "This is a small store I own. It had a small one bedroom apartment on top. It's empty now. But it's run down." Dabi accepted the key and the address. 

This was what he needed. This was exactly what he had to find. Any space was better than no space. This he could make work.

"Thanks, Grandpa." Dabi whispered as he awkwardly patted the man's shoulder. The man nodded, still looking down.

"...Take care of them." The man whispered before heading inside. Dabi knew this was the last time he'd ever see him again. It was good enough.

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The Old man hadn't been lying when he said it was rundown. The convenience store was closed when they arrived, but Dabi could tell It was one of those places that sold single cigarettes. Up the back staircase, it took Dabi some serious finagling to get the key to turn over and the door to open from the stuck paint and the rusted locking mechanism.

Inside was worse. It smelt of musk and sut. The apartment was huge, strange enough. It appeared to take over the entire floor layout of the store below. It hadn't been divided into two apartments as was tradition.

Dabi could tell why the old man said it was a one bedroom. There was one traditional bathroom and one set of shojis still hung that marked off a master bedroom. He flicked the single light, it's light vibrated before stabilizing. 

Everything was covered in dust and cobwebs. 

But most importantly, Dabi could see rails on the ceiling, where more screens could be hung. That was for later though.

"Okay, tomorrow we clean. Tonight, we sleep." Dabi instructed as he set down his and Shoto's bag. He made sure to lock the door. He carefully he push the screen to onesiide and found the light for the other room. It was large as well, Taking up a quarter of the apartment. It also had rails.

There would be space for them all to have a room eventually. 

"Lets go do our nightly routine," Fuyumi instructed, taking Shoto and Natsu into the bathroom. Dabi stood in the doorway between the two rooms.

She needs to go back to school . Dabi didn't want her to try and take on that mother role here with them either. He rubbed a hand down his face. He also needed a job.

Tomorrow problems. 

Dabi also went through his night routine before they all slept on piles of their clothes and used their bags as pillows in the main room. Sleep didn't come easily to Dabi. His anxiety over this choice and his siblings future's knawed at him. 

Eventually he gave up on sleep. Taking one of his rattiest shirt, he rinsed off all the dust and grime from the kitchen. And the low table. He then did the same to the other room's mats. They needed a true clean but that came with time. Right then it just had to be moderately habitable. 

By the time he was done, the sun had begun it's climb into the sky. He used the quiet moments between the sun's first rays and Fuyumi's first groan of alertness to search for jobs in the area. He found two good ones. The store below them needed an assistant stocker during school hours and there was a bar a couple blocks down looking for a bus boy. They each didnt pay much but together it would be enough to get by.

"What are you looking at?" Fuyumi asked as she sat beside him at the table.

"Jobs. Once you guys are back in school, we will need more things. Hustling for coins wont do it."

"I could also get a job." Fuyumi's suggestion rang oin Dabi's ears. He shook his head to dispel it.

"No. I didnt take you along just for you to take the same role I was trying to keep you from."

"But I-"

"No Yumi, you have goals right? Things you wanted to be?" Dabi watched her hesitate and knew he was right. "You need to do those still. I gave up my life years ago. You didn't. You and them," he used his chin to point to his brothers snoring up a small storm, "still got a chance to make something out of yourselves. I won't stop you from doing it."

He let her chew over that as he submitted his fake applications. Jin would be a terrible contact but it was better than nothing.

"Then I will do the applications for us to go to school today." Fuyumi conceded, holding out her hand for his phone. Readily he passed it to her before he stood.

"I am going to run downstairs, the store should be open. I will grab us some breakfast foods and get you a pay-as-you-go phone." He opened the envelope and counted out the money. It was enough to get them through to the next month. If he played the money right. 

And he would. 

A glance at his siblings scattered across the living room was motivation enough to see to it.

The bell rang as he stepped into the cramped store. The walls were piled high with box of unopened and stocked merchandise. No wonder they needed a stocker. But that was for later.

There was eggs, milk, bread and coffee to go. Good enough for him. He even found a close to expired pack of ham. Even better.

At the register he sat everything down before an older look man. The weathred hands rang everything up.

"Just a heads up, my…children and I moved upstairs. My wife's cousin's grandfather, Mr.Himura, let me rent it out." The old man paused, greying eyes staring at him.

"Huh?" He said, hand cupping his ear as he leaned in closer.

Dabi groaned and leaned in, raising his voice, "My kids and I are living upstairs. Himura rented it to us. Also I am your new stock boy." Might as well tack that on, just in case.

"Ohhh, okay. Okay. 10.75 for the groceries. Start in an hour. I need this stocked." The man waved at all the boxes. No shit he needed them stocked. Dabi gathered his food and headed up.

Things at least were looking up.

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Or so he thought.

Who knew the utter monsters his siblings were when finally free from the oppression of their father. Fuyumi had managed to get herself and Natsu into the local highschool. They had decided that Fuyumi would be a year younger and Natsu a year old to ensure they went to the same high school. Shoto ended up in the nearby elementary school that was a walk from their apartment.

"Hey, hey, hey!" He snapped, grabbing Shoto's backpack handle to yank him back from the stairs as he struggled to lock the door. "Will you wait for me?"

"I want to go! I'm already the new kid, I don't wanna be the late kid too." Shoto's brows pinched together as he pouted up at Dabi. That was the newest expression. 

Three weeks without being forced into training and actually given a chance to grow, Shoto had a whole set of expressions. This pout was the latest. It worked on Fuyumi and sometimes Natsu, but it didn't ever really work on Dabi. He had too many years on the street to be softened by that adorable look.

"We need to go over this again and everyday until you answer to it. Right, Saisei ?" It was the name they had decided on. Shoto struggled not to answer to Todoroki.

Not because his brother was attached to the name but because a ten year old only knew that name so it would be hard. Natsu had readily accepted erasing it Todoroki and Fuyumi was whip smart enough nimbly adjust.

Stubborn Shoto on the other hand struggled. But it was fine so long as Dabi took the time to constantly remind and reinforce.

"Saisei, saisei, saisei. I am Shoto Saisei!" He jumped from one square of concrete in front of the store to the next.

"Yah, yah. Now you are just being annoying." Dabi yanked the small hat down over Shoto's head before he gently rocked that head back and forth. "Remember straight to school and straight back." Dabi reminded just as Shoto was off - jumping hopping skipping, eating shit, and running to school. 

He chuckled, Shoto clearly enjoying the freedom of being able to walk to and from school. To even go to school was unheard of beyond home school and training.

From a pile of boxes, Dabi grabbed his work apron and set about stocking the latest orders. The old man sat behind the counter flipping his magazine. It wasn't hard work. It was mind numbing more than anything but it paid good enough that he only need it and the bartender job. Especially since he got upgraded from stocker to clerk. But only when the schools let out.

The magazines were organized and the old ones were taken down and torn in two before being put into the 'Art Cycle' bin. He had convinced the manager to let them do this. It gave people the chance to have free paper and reading things and items for collages. 

"Oh, time for me to go. Be nice to the students. I heard some of them think you are quite…'cool' as they say." The old man said as he gathered he stuff. 

An exasperated sign left Dabi, "No one says cool anymore." But the old man just tottled out the back. Dabi slid behind the counter and pulled out his ledger.

He managed to convince some poor smuck behind the bank to open a bank account without the right documents. Documents he needed to buy. Which he was saving for. Blackmarket connections he still kept would help him. Jin had a new friend that was good behind a computer so he just needed the funds.

But those were in short supply from the utilities - no one apparently recalled how to turn off a light or the faucet when they were done - and the groceries -thankfully he and Fuyumi were able to get the meals planned and on the cheap- to the uniforms. 

"Just gotta make it work." He muttered.

"Make what work?" 

Dabi jerked up right and found yellow eyes staring up at him and strange buns. He blinked at the girl who was staring at him with wide, curious…and hungry eyes.

He leaned over the counter and spied a very different uniform than the ones from his area. "Life Math. Where are you from? You lost?" He did not want to have to call the cops for some lost girl.

"I uh…" She looked behind herself then back at him. "I followed a bird here."

What the fuck.

"A bird?" He stared at her like she had lost her damn mind.

She nodded but then her eyes grew wide, almost pale from how hunted and scared she appeared. Her smile never faltered though. It remained fixed. "Yeah, a pretty bird. I could fly and be free. So I followed it here."

So definitely lost. "Yeah well, I love birds too but not enough to chase one and end up lost. Do you want me to call your par-"

"No! Okay bye!" She ran out before he could finish his question. What the hell was that. 

No sooner did she leave, did Shoto walk in looking…frustrated. Lovely. Another lost child. At least this one was his.

"Wanna talk about it?" He asked but Shoto just thrust his hand out, making a grabby motion for the house key.

Dabi pulled it out before pausing - "you light anything on fire or freeze your damn room, you will be using the ice water to bath or the ashes to eat, you got that?" Dabi steeled his gaze, watching Shoto turned up his nose before muttering an agreement.

Before Dabi's fingers could let go, Shoto was snatching the key out of his hand and storming off in a sea of steam up to the apartment.

"Lovely. Two moody people in one house." He said as a gaggle of other elementary school kids in the same uniform came in. Various ones bought milk and sweets.

Two that appeared…distant but close were standing near each other while reading the most current magazine about All Might's latest success. 

And yet Shoto is upstairs hiding. Dabi glanced up at the ceiling, wondering what waited for him up there. But for now he collected money and bossed the more wild children out of the store. He'd deal with Shoto when Natsu and Fuyumi were home. For now he hoped Shoto was taking his private time to cool down.