I love @snzity's headcanon that Dabi rarely sneezes because the receptors around his face are damaged. And I add that, he is incredibly susceptible to chest infections due to his injuries and burn trauma.
This is my first ever published sneezefic. It is over 5.5k with very little snz pay off, sorry :(
Content warning: illness, sneezing, nudity, sexual themes and implications
Keigo had been tasked with infiltrating the League of Villains about seven months ago, yet he was barely any closer than when he started. He was yet to have earned anyoneâs trust, and still hadnât met anyone except Dabi, Twice, and Spinner.
Communication was incredibly rare. Physical interactions, even less so. All Keigo had was Dabiâs burner number and an incomplete mission report that was looking smaller by the day.
Frustratingly, he met with Dabi the most. Even the bastardâs voice got under Keigoâs skin. Like maggots eating beneath the flesh of a corpse. A wriggling, writhing sensation that buried deep into his chest.
Dabi would request information, at the order of someone else (likely Shigaraki but Keigo wasnât supposed to know that name yet), and Keigo would provide it to him. It went like this each time, the meetings never lasting more than a few minutes. Not nearly long enough for him to get any useful information.
Tonight, theyâre meeting in an alleyway - Dabiâs idea. In the middle of the night - also Dabiâs idea. So that Keigo can give him a highly confidential security file - Probably not Dabiâs idea. It was just Keigoâs luck that it started to pour around sunset, and the sky has shown no signs of stopping.
Keigo wore three layers of clothing, on top of a thermal shirt, and still shivered to the meeting spot. The rain racketed against his umbrella like bullets, only muffled by the beanie pulled so far on his head it reached down to his neck.
He rounds the corner into the alleyway, walking past the large rubbish bins to see Dabi. In a drenched hoodie; Thin pants; Completely soaked.
Is he serious? Heâs going to freeze to death.
Keigo doesnât voice his concernsâ nope.Â
Keigo doesn't voice his thoughts aloud. Even in the rain, Dabi is a formidable villain when pushed, and Keigo doesnât feel like adding fire burns to his frostbite tonight.
Dabi spots him, hands in his pockets looking miserable beneath his hood that is dripping thick droplets of water onto his face.
âWhat, too cool for an umbrella?â Keigo teases.
Dabi narrows his eyes. âShut up. Do you have it?â
Keigo noted how Dabiâs voice sounds rougher than usual. If he couldnât see that Dabiâs hands were empty, he would assume the guy had smoked just before he arrived.
âAlways one for pleasantries,â Keigo mutters, blanketed by the sound of the rain. He pulls out a thin file from his coat and holds it out. âYes, I have it.â
Dabi steps under the umbrella, forcing Keigo to step back and expose his neck to the downpour. He shivers but Dabi pays him no mind, opening the file to the first page, avoiding getting the pages soaked beneath the thick polyester.
Keigo can feel the heat radiating from Dabiâs body as theyâre pressed almost against each other. He wonders if itâs the guyâs quirk that makes his body run that hot. The scent of smoke and debris cling to him like a layer of skin, the aroma drying Keigoâs throat even with the damp rain.
Now that heâs looking, Dabiâs pale skin is flushed by the cold. Beneath his eyes, before the scar tissue takes over, the colour looks pink and tender. Dabi clears his throat and sniffs, adjusting his hold on the file to allow one hand to raise up and rub his nose.
Keigo goes rigid. Stop. No. Whywhywhy? The sound of the sniffle from Dabi echoes in his head. The slight wetness, the clicks of congestion as he scrubs at his nostril. Keigo feels his face flush as he begs his body not to react.
All of which, unfortunately, doesnât go unnoticed by Dabi, who looks up with a raised brow.
Shit. Dabiâs knuckle is still under his nose, squishing against pink rimmed nostrils. Keigo could die right here.
âUm.â Keigo clears his throat when his voice comes out thin and croaky. Itâs fine. He tells himself. Dabi will just think itâs the rain. âEverything look okay?â
Dabi looks at Keigoâs hand clutching the umbrella, knuckles white. He then turns his attention to the distance Keigo has tried to put between them. He grins, âUncomfortable being this close to a villain, huh? You didnât seem to mind last time.â
Right, last time. Keigo was handing over a microchip to Dabi at a bar two weeks ago. They had a few beers, and one thing led to another and Keigo was on his knees in the back alleyway between Dabiâs legs.
They hadnât talked about it since. Keigo thought maybe theyâd just forget it ever happened. He certainly wasnât going to include it in his report to the Commission.
At worst: A momentary lapse of judgment from the alcohol. At best: a way to establish a deeper connection and uncover more about Dabiâs identity.
Dabi flicks the file shut, unaware of Keigo's dilemma that was getting harder to hide with each second he spent looking at Dabiâs perfectly flushed face.
âEverything looks good.â Dabi says, tucking away the file and passing Keigo with a pat to his shoulder. âLooks like youâre still of some use to us, Number Two. Till next time.â
Keigo waits for him to disappear into the downpour. His heart is beating a million miles an hour, and now that heâs alone in the alleyway, the blood in his body has settled in a rather unfortunate place.
His body shudders. From the rain. He tells himself.Â
Itâs dark. Itâs raining too hard to see more than a few feet in front of him. He would probably be safe walking the four blocks back to his apartment without anyone witnessing his predicament.Â
(He stayed in that alleyway another twenty minutes before getting the courage to leave.)
âŚâ˘ÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇâ˘âŚâ˘ÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇâ˘âŚ
The next time he meets with the League is a week later.Â
He was messaged to meet at one of their smaller bases on the outskirts of the city to discuss another trial. One step further to gaining their trust and meeting Shigaraki.
He expected mindgames, and annoyance, and Dabiâs smug face. What he didnât expect was Spinner and a blonde teenage girl to be waiting for him.
He looked around the small room. Cold brick walls, cement floor. âWhereâs Dabi?â
Spinner rolls his eyes. âNone of your business.â
He only gets an answer hours later, when Spinner leaves to take a call and Keigo is left with the girl - Toga, so he can be âsurveilledâ.
She is young, and annoying, but extremely chatty. So Keigo tries his luck once again, âSo whereâs Dabi?â
âHeâs too busy being sick and miserable in his room,â Toga says, kicking her feet on the barstool. She continues talking about something else, but Keigoâs head is stuck on two words.
Dabi. Sick. They play in his head like a record, spinning round and round till heâs dizzy on the idea. Was it because of the other night in the rain?
Later, in the privacy of his own apartment, Keigo pulls out his phone to the familiar number.
No reply. Honestly, Keigo wasnât really expecting one.
âŚâ˘ÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇâ˘âŚâ˘ÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇâ˘âŚ
It was a few weeks until he saw Dabi again. This time, the message came in the early afternoon on his day off.Â
He had just finished the final set of his workout, an episode of a trashy reality show playing in the background while he enjoys the serenity of the calm evening.
19:05 >> Meet me at [[XX]] in an hour. This time I have something for you.
Keigo stared at the message, ignoring the excitement in his chest at the prospect of seeing the arsonist.
(He lingered by his door longer than he'd like to admit, eager for the time to pass and for him to make his way to the location.)
Turns out, Dabi had messaged him the address to a small bar in the middle of the city. Only a few minutes walk from Keigoâs apartment, which he was thankful for as goosebumps rose on his arms from the nighttime wind.
He walks down the stairs into the dimly lit space, spotting Dabi in the back booth almost immediately. The man is dressed casually. Gone is the long coat, replaced by a loose gray shirt rolled up to his elbows. A dark face mask is pulled down to his chin, exposing the scarred skin below his eyes to the warm lighting. Keigo canât help but notice the slight pink around his nostrils.
Keigo stands above him, placing a hand on the table. âLong time no see, stranger.â
Dabi glares at him. âJust sit down.â
Keigo laughs, âSo whatâs this about?â His eyes land on the two beers on the table, one placed directly in front of him. âA friendly drink?â he guesses.
âMore like a final chance for you to slip up and expose your secrets, hero.â Dabi says, taking a sip from his pint with a small sniffle. âThe boss has finally decided he wants to meet you, so consider this a final test of sorts.â
Keigo eyes the drink. âYou didnât spike this did you?â
Dabi's smile grows wide, the staples on his cheeks click with the movement. âWould you believe me if I said no?â
Probably not. Keigo thinks, but he decides to take the risk anyway. Dabi has had hundreds of chances to drug him over the months, and never has he (even after all the threats) done anything that actually seriously put Keigo in harm's way.
The drink is cold going down his throat. Heâs still careful of any strange taste or consistency.
âSo the boss, huh?â Keigo asks, âWhat can you tell me about him?â
Dabi shrugs, his biceps stretch under the thin fabric of his shirt. Keigo takes another sip of the beer to avoid looking. âHeâll want to introduce himself.â
âStill as secretive as ever, hot stuff.â
Dabi shrugs again, another sharp sniffle permeates the heavy space.
âAre you ever actually going to tell me anything about yourself?â Keigo pries, leaning back against the booth. âWeâve been meeting for months, and I still know shit about you.â
Dabi laughs, âCareful, birdie. If I didnât know any better, Iâd think youâre trying to interrogate me.â
The jukebox behind them stalls, and the music cuts as a blonde woman changes the song. Itâs much slower, and melodic. Keigo closes his eyes, saying âI thought maybe we could become friends.â
âYou donât want to be friends with me.â
With his eyes closed, Keigo can almost imagine Dabi as someone else. That he would open his eyes and across from him would just be an ordinary civilian that he was drinking with. Somebody he could walk next to on the street, without face masks and hoodies. A real friend.
In another universe where Keigo wasn't a hero, and Dabi wasnât a villain. A universe where Keigo didnât know manipulation tactics to get information. Where he could get to know Dabi, really get to know Dabi. Without deciding what he was going to put in his report, and what he was going to keep to himself in a locked vault in his mind that he refused to admit was there.
He opens his eyes, âHow about we play a little game then? You get to ask me any question you like, and I have to tell you the truth.â
Dabi expression pinches wearily. âThat doesn't sound much like a game. What do you gain fromââ
âFor every question I answer, I get one in return,â Keigo offers, taking the final sip of his drink. The slight buzz is hitting the tips of his fingers and lips.
He holds the empty glass up to the bar, making eye contact with the bartender and motioning for two more to be brought to the table. The dark haired man across the room nods while Dabi grunts, âNice try. But no.â
âCome on, itâll be fun.â
âHere, weâll start simply,â Keigo says, paying Dabiâs hesitation no mind. âWhatâs your favourite colour?â
âReally?â Dabi snorts. Keigo can hear slight congestion in the sound.
Dabi sighs, two pints are set down in place of the empty glasses and Dabi takes a long drink before answering. âBlack.â
Predictable. Keigo thinks. âBoring.â
Dabi doesnât miss a beat, âMy turn. Why do you want to join the League?â
âIâve already told you this,â Keigo says. And itâs true.Â
Since starting his mission, itâs been one of the most asked questions. Which makes sense, the League of Villains isnât exactly in a position to be trusting the word of the Number Two Pro-Hero (and rightfully so considering his actual motivations). Still, Keigo wonders what Dabi is trying to gain from asking it once again.
Maybe Dabi thinks with a little alcohol in him, Keigoâs answer may change. He knows he can lean into that to benefit him.
âThen you should have no problem answering,â Dabi says.
Hawks blinks heavier than he needs to, he takes a long look at his glass and pretends he canât see Dabi watching him in his peripheral vision. âThe Hero Commissionâs corrupt.â He shrugs. âThey churn out little soldiers to do their bidding and use them to keep people in line.âÂ
Keigo tells himself heâs saying what Dabi wants to hear. But what he doesn't want to admit, even to himself, is that the truth and lies are blurring together the more time he spends on this mission - the closer he gets to Dabi. âBesides, despite what you guys call yourselves, youâre not villains. Youâre doing what you think is right for everyone. You want toâŚâ he hesitates on the words, âHelp people. I want to help people too.â
Dabi glares at him, letting the silence hang in the air for a few seconds while the song plays out. Another one begins, almost drowning out the arsonist's voice. âWe do want to help people. But donât get it wrong, weâre villains.â
âNot to me,â Keigo says.
If he wasnât looking for it, he would have missed the surprise in Dabiâs face. The slight widening of his eyes. The twitch of his fingers. The flare of his nostrils.
Dabi sniffles another time, taking a sip of his drink. Keigo is done pretending heâs not noticing it.
Not sober enough to hold his tongue, Keigo perks up. âMy next question.â He motions his hand to Dabiâs face. âWhatâs with all the sniffling?â
This time, nothing in Dabiâs expression could hide how taken off guard he was at the question. He sniffs again, then blinks like he didnât realise he was doing it. He pushs the back of his palm to his nose, wiping beneath the steadily darkening nostrils. âNothing.
âThatâs not how this works,â Keigo insists. âYouâre supposed to tell the truth.â
âIt is the truth,â Dabi defends, lowering his hand.
Keigo studies the man's face. The flush of Dabiâs cheeks that had been there long before the embarrassment had settled on his face from Keigo pointing out his nasal plight. The way his nose scrunches under Keigoâs watchful eyes. The slight dampness around his upper lip.
Fine. If Dabi wants to play this game. Keigo was going to play dirty.
He relaxes into his seat. âI guess weâll just sit here in silence until you do it again.â
âUh uh! Silence. Come on.â
Dabi furrows his face in displeasure. Keigo relishes in the almost arousing enjoyment it brings him to see the villain squirm in his presence. Something about taking Dabi off guard and drawing his attention to an involuntary bodily function is incredibly erotic to Keigoâs inebriated mind.
A few seconds pass. Dabiâs nose scrunches, and he brings his hand up to rub the itch away.Â
However, not fast enough to stop Keigo grabbing his wrists and holding them to the table.
âWhat the hell are youââ
Keigo ignores the heat radiating from Dabiâs hands. He knows he wonât do anything with so many witnesses. And a few burns on his hands was far from the worst pain Keigo had ever experienced.Â
What does keep his mind occupied however, is Dabiâs face. Or, more accurately, his nose.
With his hands bound, a drop of moisture falls from his nostril to his upper lip. With no way for him to wipe it away, Dabi sniffs sharply.Â
Taking the win, Keigo let go of the man's wrists, and watches him rub his nose into submission.
âFuck you, bird brain.â
âAre you sick again?â Keigo asks. âIs that what this is about?â
He could understand if Dabi was being closed off because he wasnât feeling well. What he couldnât understand was why Dabi would ask him out for drinks if he clearly wasnât at his best. There was no reason for them meeting tonight, no information to exchange, just the promise of an evening in each otherâs company.
Dabi clears his throat behind his hand, rubbing his knuckle a final time against his nose. âIf you have to know, yes.â
âWhy did you come out for drinks then?â
âIâm not here for the pleasure of your conversation.â
He plasters a grin onto his face. He wonât pretend heâs not interested. But he will pretend heâs not curious. âYou sly bastard. You know you can just ask right? I have a nice cozy apartment five minutes from here we could have met at. You donât have to wine and dine me first.â
Keigoâs far from an idiot. He was certain Dabi knows where he lives. Itâs probably why he chose this bar over the other hundreds of others in Fukuoka that are much closer to the Leagueâs base.
Still, he gives Dabi the decency of ignorance as the man looks at their finished glasses on the table, then looks at Keigo. âFive minutes, huh?â
Keigo already has bruises on his hips before they make it inside his apartment. They clumsily make their way in the dark to the bed, Keigoâs clothes being discarded along the way, replaced by Dabiâs warm breath and tongue.
Dabiâs mouth moves down Keigoâs chest as he settles against the bedframe. He feels Dabiâs weight over his hips as the arsonist unbuckles his belt and kicks his pants onto the floor hastily, mouth and body eager to please.
The sensation of tongue and teeth are erotic to Keigo. He grips Dabiâs hair as the manâs warm, rough fingers pull down his boxers. At least, until the grip falters, and Keigoâs hand lets go of Dabi as the man abruptly sits up.
Keigo opens his eyes to Dabi dropping his weight onto him. The man's legs either side of his hips as his breath catches, face scrunched.
Keigo sits up slightly, âYou okay?â
Dabi raises a hand to his face, turning his head away. His abs clench on top of Keigo in anticipation, his body flickering with a rapid inhale, âFhihine~â
Keigoâs ears perk at the hitch, his dick twitches at the sound. But as soon as it appears, it leaves Dabi unsatisfied. Keigo watches the arsonist curl his nose and sniff heavily before turning back, his lips already re-finding their place on Keigoâs neck.
And if Keigo gets off twice as quickly listening to Dabiâs wet sniffles in his ear, nobody has to know.
Keigo wakes up alone the next morning. The space next to his bed is cold and empty.
06:17 >> You didnât have to leave.
âŚâ˘ÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇâ˘âŚâ˘ÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇÂˇâ˘âŚ
Keigo stops looking for it after a while. The flare of Dabiâs nostrils, the slight hitch of his breath. Dabi recovers from his illness and months go by without Keigo seeing the man so much as sniffle.
Itâs fine. Itâs not like Keigo pictures Dabiâs scrunched up face, his dark lashes fluttering, eyes watery and red, nose on the brink of release on top of him. The feeling of warm, sweaty biceps clenching. Nope. Not at all. Itâs not like he had been profusely masturbating to Dabiâs almost sneeze for months after.
But he canât help it. With Dabiâs no allergies and no sensitivities, he gave Keigoâs interest very little to work with. He was bound to be a little pent up. Especially now since theyâve been hooking up more regularly. But nothing got him off like imagining Dabi, straddling him and sneezing messily onto his bare chest.
He doesnât know when he stopped looking at other people. Sure, the barista at the coffee shop near his agency is still hot. But he didnât lean over the counter and flirt with her every time he went to order anymore.Â
Nor did he wink at the cute interviewers who batted their lashes and licked their lips between questions. Or banter with the interns who would bring him his paperwork wearing deep cut necklines and short skirts.
What was originally a ploy to get closer to Dabi, had shifted. And Keigo found his stomach genuinely fluttering when he received a message from him.Â
It felt a little too real. Which wasnât at all helped by Dabi getting sick again.
Keigo stares at his phone for a minute. Fingers hesitating on the screen. Heâs sick again?Â
Keigo wonders what could have brought it on this time. It hadnât rained in Fukuoka in weeks. In fact, the weather had been nothing but clear skies and warm sun. Sure, a few people got summer colds, but Keigo wonders how Dabi is that susceptible to picking up illnesses.
Whatâs stranger, is that Keigo still wants to see him. Sex or not. Plus, he isnât going to lie that the thought of Dabi, shivering and shaking, wasnât at least a little enticing.
20:06 >> Come over anyway.
20:24 >> I have something for you.
Dabi didnât respond to that. And enough hours pass that the sun has long since set and Keigo wonders if heâs coming at all.
But just before midnight, the familiar sound of Dabi landing on his balcony hits Keigoâs ears. A little more sluggish and heavy than he was used to hearing. Being a villain, Dabi had mastered moving stealthily. But upon seeing him, Keigo could understand why that wasnât the case this evening.
Dabi shuffles through in a thick hoodie and sweater, a scarf covering the lower half of his face, but not enough to hide the angry red below his eyes and at the tips of his ears. There is sweat sticking his hair to his forehead, and his hands are flushed and splotchy like he has held them in snow.
As always when it came to Dabi, Keigo didnât bother with pleasantries. âWarm enough, hot stuff?â He teases.
Dabi glares at him, pulling off his scarf to expose his pale lips and pink rimmed nose to Keigo. He clears his throat, which does nothing for how dry and painful his words come out, âYouâre the one who asked me to come over.â
If his appearance didnât betray how bad he felt, his voice definitely did. Keigo can hear the illness settling in the back of his throat, and the way his words click around phlegm and inflammation. He listens to Dabi let out a few rattling coughs into the back of his hand and feels a slight pang of guilt for asking him over.
âShit, Dabs. That sounds bad.â
Dabi unzips his hoodie, revealing another warm layer beneath, and a line of sweat at the neckline. The warmth of the room must shift the congestion in Dabiâs head, as Keigo watches him bring a hand to his nose, groan, and wipe at it. âUgh, do you have any tissues?â
Keigo forces himself to look away from the frankly erotic sight of Dabi squishing his nose back and forth. He focuses on grabbing a box of tissues and not listening to the quiet squelching and whistling noises in Dabiâs breaths.
âYeah, here.â He holds out the box. Dabi grabs two and blows his nose loudly. Balling the tissue in his hand and pressing it a final time to his nostrils before tucking it away in his pocket. âSo, what did you have for me?â
Only then does Keigo double guess himself. As nice as it is (and itâs really nice) seeing Dabi in this state, he doesnât actually have anything to give him. Well⌠apart fromâ
Keigo steps to the side, showing off the kitchen table. âI have dinner?â He tries.
Dabi blinks at the table, then at Keigo. He sighs, which leads into another round of wet coughs that he catches in his fist. âSeriously, birdie? You made me come all the way out here for nothing?â
âIn my defense, I didnât think you would be this bad,â Keigo says, making his way back to the kitchen where heâd packed everything away into his fridge hours ago. âBut now that I see you, you definitely shouldnât leave. Come on, sit down and eat. I made soup.â
Itâs strange seeing Dabi sitting at his kitchen table. Itâs the first time the arsonist has been over and they hadnât immediately moved to the bedroom. The only time Keigo can think that Dabi has been in the kitchen, is when they got a little too wasted and he bent him over the counter.
He notices Dabi shuffling in his seat while he reheats the soup, looking around the apartment like he was seeing it for the first time, and not the dozenth.Â
âThereâs no way youâre comfortable in that,â Keigo says. Capturing Dabiâs attention and pointing to the heavy layers of clothing Dabi was still bundled into. âIâll turn up the heating if you take off some layers.â
âYouâd like that, wouldnât you?â Dabi raises an eyebrow, but begins unbuttoning one of the thick sweaters.
âYeah, you look so sexy like this,â Keigo says. Not for the first time, using sarcasm to mask the truth in his words.
Dabi takes off his top layers, going down to a shirt and sweatpants. His face is somehow more flushed the more exposed it gets. His cheeks have settled to a rosy pink, spreading up his cheekbones until they reach the charred skin below his eyes. And his lips and underside of his nose are red and puffy like heâs been scratching them with something rough.
Keigo sets the soup in front of him, placing his own serving on the opposite end of the small table. âSo, you get sick a lot?â He asks.
Dabi shrugs, taking a cautious sip. âSomething like that. My immune systemâs shit cause of⌠well, you can guess.â
Right. His injuries. Keigo doesnât know why he thought the burns wouldnât have a significant effect on Dabiâs health. Of course, as a Pro-Hero he knew all about injuries, fire trauma, and long-term health risks, but for some reason he never saw Dabi like that.
He always seems so much larger. So much more powerful. Not somebody who can be brought down by the shortcomings of their own body. And not for the first time, he wonders how Dabi got his scars.
He doesnât ask. Part of him thinks he does it because heâs a kind person. The other half of him knows that he wants a reason not to answer the Commission's questions. If he doesnât know who Dabi really is, he canât betray him.
But it scares him how much he wants to know the man.
âIs it always this bad?â Keigo asks instead.
Dabi laughs, then coughs. Itâs thick and rattles in his chest. âSometimes itâs worse. Iâll be fine though.â
âDoes anything help?â
Dabi looks up. âLike what?â
âI donât know?â Keigo tries to think of his own remedies when heâs sick. But with his immune system heâs drawing a blank. âA hot bath?â He suggests. âSteam therapy?â
Dabi looks at him like heâs grown a second head. âThe League doesnât exactly have a five star bathroom, bird brain.â
Before he can stop himself, Keigo offers, âI have a tub?â
Dabi looks over to the bathroom door. Keigo watches a thousand thoughts cross his mind. Frustratingly, he canât place a single one of them. âLook, birdie. Iâm flattered, but I donât think Iâm up forââ
âIâm just offering you a bath, hot stuff,â Hawks laughs, shaking his head. He opens his eyes to Dabi watching him skeptically, and winks. âNothing more. Scouts honour.â
âYou werenât a scout,â Dabi grumbles around the phlegm in his throat. â...No strings attached?â
âNo strings attached.â
Keigo watches Dabi hesitate, before the arsonist's body wracks with an involuntary shudder, âFine.â
Keigo has to fight his instincts not to watch Dabi strip down in his bathroom. He promised him no strings attached, and he plans to stick to it. No matter how aroused it made him to think of Dabi, naked and shivering in his bathtub.
His skin flushed from the warm water, hair sticking to the back of his neck. The droplets of condensation running down his exposed skin, mixing with sweat and sickness that drips off him.
Keigo starts the dishes to keep his mind off it. Heâs drying the bowls when he finally hears it. Followed by a round of wet coughs and splashing water.
Hawks stops what heâs doing, feeling exposed in his own house.
The sneeze was loud, sounding like it came from the back of Dabiâs throat. It was scratchy and rough, and didnât sound satisfying in the slightest.
Keigo cranes his ears to hear sniffling. Wet snorts and the sound of Dabi clearing his throat take over his entire apartment, and Keigo imagines his face.
The slow buildup. Hours, maybe days, of the teasing itch. Always sitting too far back in his nose to bring any relief. Being teased out by warm soup, and thick stream, bringing the tingling sensation to the brink until his breath catches in his throat.
Keigo closes his eyes, picturing the scrunch of his strong nose. The squint of his dark eyes, how his lashes would clump from tears and bath water, the splash of the tub with the final desperate release.
Keigo hurriedly finishes the dishes. Finding a comfortable shirt and pants and knocking on the bathroom door.
âCombe in.â Dabiâs voice sounds heavy. But the painful roughness from earlier has subsided.
The bathmat and floor are soaked, as the arsonist shows little concern to contain the water to the tub. It almost overflows the rim, hot enough that steam rises in the humid room.
Dabi lifts his head where it is leant back on the porcelain tub. His face and skin are flushed a deep red. From the cold, or the water. Or both. His eyes are bleary when they land on Keigo, and his nose runs with the movement of his head.
He sniffles thickly, wiping his nose with a wet knuckle, âI could gedt used to tdhis, bhirdie. sngkff!â
Oh. Keigo likes that a little too much. How the stupid nickname Dabi uses to get under his skin sounds around the congestion in his sinuses.
âUhâ I brought you these,â he says. Setting the clothes down on the bench.
Dabi looks at them, wiping at one of his eyes that has started watering with his running nose, âWhadtâs wrogng width my clodthes?âÂ
âNothing,â Keigo shrugs. Fighting to keep his eyes from lowering to Dabiâs bare chest and⌠other exposed body parts.
Dabi blinks, he sniffles again. This time much harsher as he sits up and pinches the moisture from his nose with his fingers. Spilling bath water across his upper lip and forcing an erotic image of a wet faced Dabi to the front of Keigoâs mind.
He watches Dabiâs nostrils flare with the contact, his ears and dick twitching at the thick squelching sounds. âYgou tryna trabp mbe indto sdtayigng?â
Keigo almost short circuits. âIâm just saying itâs late. Thereâs food in the fridge for breakfast, a warm bed, and I donât mind if you donât want to go all the way back.â
Dabi gives him a final look over before dropping his hand from his nose. Thank God. Because Keigo was doing everything in his power not to get erect at the sight of a naked, fever induced Dabi slowly rubbing nose to a deeper shade.
The scarred skin on Dabiâs hands working only to further rub his nose raw. Keigo can see his septum is now a chapped, wet disaster.
âFidne⌠sngkk,â he sniffles quietly. âBut only begcause of tdhe breagkfhast.â
Keigo sighs, âOf course.â
He is about to leave when it happens again. This time, Keigo sees it all.Â
Dabi inhales suddenly and sharply, with no time to prepare as his breath catches on an inhale and his head jerks forward. His hands have no time to catch the outburst as his face crumbles, thick lashes fluttering close as his nose gives a final twitch towards its ticklish release.
The bathwater splashes with the force of the sneeze, a sheen of spray trickles in the steamy air.
Dabi groans, lifting a wet hand to his nose way too late to cover anything, and sniffles back the congestion that was knocked loose.
Keigoâs mouth goes dry, and his brain stalls.Â
He saves the image of a wet, shivering, post-sneeze Dabi in his mind for later.
Dabi is grumbling, a thick mess dribbling down his chin, the spraying residue on his hand. âUgh, gross.â
Keigo excuses himself before the man could notice his reaction, offering a quick, âBless you,â over his shoulder.
He doesnât let Dabi respond before he closes the door behind him and sits on the edge of his bed.
He can hear Dabi sniffling once again in the tub. The humidity and steam loosening the stuffiness in his head and draining out the fluid through his nose one ticklish and illness induced outburst at a time.
It doesnât sound like heâs making any movements to get out of the tub, however. Which is probably good for Keigo as he looks down, gnawing at his bottom lip.
Iâll make this quick. He tells himself, pulling down the waistband of his pants.
⌠I hope y'all liked it. Iâve never done anything like this before. Iâve been a lurker for a few years. Suuuper nervous about posting for the first time!!