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Today could not be any more perfect for enjoying the outdoors. The sun was warm, pleasantly breezy, and her allergies weren’t trying to murder her. People from the local university were spread out all over the park, doing whatever they can to soak up the sunshine. There were some people that weren’t students, but whatever. The grassy areas that surrounded the campus were open to everyone that came by. It would be a shame to not take advantage of the gorgeous space.
“Go get it, girl! Yes, that’s it!”
Which was exactly why they were here today.
Opening one eye, Rumi popped the straw to her milkshake away from her mouth. She leaned back and rested a palm behind her, supporting her weight on the picnic table she was lounging on. She had gotten some odd looks from passersby for sitting on it, rather than at it, but who cares? She had a better view of the scene before her like this.
With one flick of the wrist, the blonde-haired man a few feet away launched a bright green frisbee into the air. Dropping down to one knee as fast as he threw the disc, he gave out a low whistle. Within seconds, a red brindle Saluki-mix runs, leaps onto the man’s back, and propels off of him to fly after the frisbee. The canine snaps its jaws at the frisbee, but it doesn’t reach high enough and just barely touches the frisbee with its nose instead. As the man stands up, he catches the dog just before it could hit the ground. The frisbee hits the grass with a dull thud .
Rumi shakes her head in disappointment. Cupping the side of her mouth, she calls over, “She almost had it that time, Keigo!”
Puffing his cheeks out in a pout, Keigo lets the canine back down on the ground. She snatches up the frisbee, feathery tail wagging rapidly. “Sora’s getting better, we just need a little more time before the competition.” He said before trying to get the frisbee back from Sora- who now thought it would be a good idea to start running away with it.
Rumi chuckles at the little chase that starts between owner and dog. Her hand reached down to stroke the back of her own beloved canine lying next to her on the picnic table. Loaf’s large ears perked forward a bit at the familiar contact, too busy soaking up the sunlight to do anything else.
“Didn’t expect to see you two assholes here today. Thought Saturday was yer next free day.”
Cracking a grin at the familiar voice, Rumi carelessly looks over her shoulder. Strolling towards her with his leather jacket slung over his shoulder, revealing the deep ink tattoos littering his arms and neck, was one mister Todoroki ‘Dabi’ Touya. Rumi reminds herself to look in the eyes, not at his snake bite piercings, as he sits on the bench next to her legs. He was reeking of smoke and the cheap hair dye he used to hide his pretty white locks.
“Got lucky today and thought it would be good to take the dogs out,” Rumi gestures to where Keigo was trying to tug the frisbee out of Sora’s mouth, “Sora’s almost ready for that frisbee catching competition in a month, but she still needs practice.”
Dabi makes a humming noise, rolling his neck back to stare up at her. His eyes looked a little bloodshot as if he was recovering from being high. Knowing him, he probably was. “Ya think she has a shot at winnin’?”
“Are you seriously doubting Keigo’s training abilities?” Rumi snickers, arching a brow. “You know that once he puts his mind to something, he ain’t going to back down until the goal is done. Sora will be bringing back a pretty blue ribbon before you know it.”
With a snort, Dabi reaches into his pocket. “Yeah, sure, whatever ya say, Mimsy,” He says, fishing a half-used box of cigarettes from his jacket.
Rumi lightly wacks his arm with the side of her leg, making him hiss. “Oi, I haven’t been ‘Mimsy’ since high school.”
“So?” Dabi hums as he shifts in place, getting more comfortable on the bench. “You’re just as much of a rabbit now as you were back then. Now you're no longer hidin’ behind people. Just looking the part.”
Still amazing that I used to sleep with this bastard sometimes. Eh, us rich kids do gotta stick together, I suppose.
Rolling her eyes, Rumi takes another sip of her milkshake. “Don’t shame me for dying my hair when you do the same thing. We’re just the opposites of each other now.” Her nose wrinkles at the familiar waft of Dabi’s cigarette and waves her hand in front of her face to blow it away. Loaf only lifts his head, sniffs the air, then cuddles closer to Rumi’s side.
“Yeah, except I do a better job at wringing myself out, sweetheart.” Dabi sneers. God, he just loved playing well into his ‘bad boy’ role, didn’t he? He pushes back against Rumi’s legs when she attempts to side hit him again. Her milkshake almost topples over her lap and Loaf squeaks a bit from his paw going under Rumi’s thigh.
“Dick.”
“Bitch.”
There’s a pause between the two as they simply glare at each other before they break out into small snickers and giggles.
This was usually how their interactions went after they haven’t seen each other in so long. Between Rumi’s apprenticeship at the local tattoo parlor, Keigo’s various jobs, and Dabi’s disastrous attendance at university, they weren’t able to meet like this very often. They weren’t the same kids as they were in high school, but they did what they could to keep in touch. The idea of leaving Dabi behind after Rumi left the aristocratic class with a middle finger with all of those high expectations was damning. There was an understanding between them that Keigo didn’t get sometimes, as his background was completely different from theirs. The unwanted associations that came with the class they were born into.
After all, sometimes beautiful people had the ugliest flaws.
“So,” Dabi was the one to break the silence for once, “Still datin’ that girl with that the dragon tattoo?”
“Fuck yes. You really should meet her, Dabi, she is deadass awesome. You’d love her art.” Rumi grins. The slight tilt of Dabi’s head in her direction was the small indicator that he would consider it. Although she knew that one look at Ryuko’s sketchbook and he would be filling up more of his pretty clean skin with her beautiful designs.
“Does she know ya don’t feel romantic attraction? Hate to be the one she goes to for a shoulder to cry on if you can’t tell her that you love her.”
“Har-har. Yeah, she knows.” Her cup empty, Rumi flings it towards the nearest trash can. The body gets in, but the lid pops off with the straw and they land in the dirt around the metal. Whoops .
Dabi snickers. “Weak. An iced coffee cup would have made it better than that.”
“Hop off,” Rumi huffs, brushing her palms against her shorts. “Oh, speaking of ice, you’re not going to believe who finally asked Keigo out.” She tries not to laugh too hard at Dabi’s (word) expression. She would never say it out loud, but he looked too much like their old high school principal, Aizawa, when he did that.
“Someone asked out the birdbrain for once?” Dabi took another huff of his cigarette, obviously preparing himself for the question Rumi saw coming. “Alright, who?”
“Geten.”
He proceeded to choke on the nicotine going down his throat and sounded like he was going to hack up a lung. Loaf finally pushed himself to his paws and peered over Rumi’s lap to inspect the noise that was disturbing his nap. Rumi waited patiently for Dabi’s dramatic moment to end, patting him on the back as he caught his breath.
“Seriously?! My bitchy ass cousin?! Goddamn-” He ran a hand through his hair. Rumi fails to hold back a grimace from the ashes that cling to his bangs. “Well fuck, I owe Fuyumi 1000 yen then. Didn’t think bitchy snowflake would ever have the guts to ask Keigo out.”
Said blonde was back to throwing the frisbee up in the air for Sora. Rumi watched for a brief moment before reverting her gaze back to Dabi.
“Yeah, apparently they were super nervous when they approached him. According to Keigo, they were so sure he was going to reject them based on the crap they used to do as a kid.”
Dabi didn't reply. His silence was worrying, but he had a right to be concerned about his cousin dating one of his friends. Rumi didn't have all of the details, she just knew that Geten and Dabi hadn't gotten along very well when they were younger. Despite being the youngest out of them, Geten had been a ferocious bully. It was a far cry from the quiet, nearly empty individual Rumi knew them as now.
As if reading her thoughts, Dabi speaks up, "I'll grill them later for it, but they're lucky that they have changed somewhat from when we were children. Better than the old man…" He trails off and starts reaching for another cigarette.
Not willing to let Dabi go into those dark thoughts swarming his head, Rumi hauls Loaf up. She plops him directly into Dabi's lap. The man starts to protest, but his voice dies down when the corgi yips at seeing one of his favorite people and licks Dabi's chin. “Good to see you too, ugly furball,” Dabi mumbles as he strokes a hand over Loaf’s ears.
“Don’t call my son that!” Rumi laughs.
There’s a few moments of silence as Dabi strokes Loaf, the two of them watching Sora fail again at catching the frisbee.
“You gonna share who left that nasty hickey on the side of your neck?”
She heard a crack emit from Dabi’s neck from how fast his head turned to look at her in bewilderment. “Da fuck are ya talking about, Mimsy?”
She doesn’t hesitate to press a finger against the nasty bruise that was covering a patch of Dabi’s tattoos on his neck and he hisses from it. “I’m talking about that .”
Dabi’s eyes dart away as he rubs over his neck where the hickey was. Rumi arches a brow. Dabi had never been shy about any of his past flings before. There was even some dusting of pink across his cheekbones. A delightful grin lifts the corners of Rumi’s mouth. “Oh ho ho, they’re a good catch?”
“He.” Dabi breathes, tilting his head back. “Unfortunately, that’s all I can say. We have an... arrangement. About our relationship.”
Rumi frowns. “What do ya-”
“Guys! Guys, look!”
Keigo was waving at them with the frisbee in his hand, Sora trying to snap at it. “I have a good feeling about this one this time! Just watch!”
Turning to Sora, he directed his flat palm towards her nose slowly as a silent gesture for her to sit. Once she sat on the grass, he walked a few meters away. Like the first time, he whistled for Sora to start running. Dropping to one knee, throwing the frisbee in the air, and letting Sora use his back as her supporting item to leap after the disc in the air. This time, her jaws snapped around the disc and it remained in her mouth as Keigo caught Sora in his arms.
“Woo! That was awesome!” Rumi cheered and clapped, Loaf barking in agreement.
“Not bad, pigeon. Looks like you’re onto something after all with that mutt.” Dabi cackles. For the first time, his shoulders were finally slumping with ease and his smirk was softening to a genuine smile.
Rumi smiles softly. Those were the small things she always looked for whenever Dabi hung out with her and Keigo. Their meet-ups were becoming fewer and fewer these days. It was like he was playing around with a smoke alarm, running away from the things that were supposed to keep him warm. The fire he used to have was fading, but she wasn’t going to let it get put out. She knew Keigo would agree with her.
Dabi may have broken every vow he’s made, but she would not break her vow to keep him on fire. And then maybe, he’ll laugh like when they were all kids in the rare moments of peace.
It would be great to all just be kids again.