….
The bakery run of Dabi and his family somehow turned out to be something they had expected but also not to this scale.
Even in his casual outfit, Dabi's profile was unmistakable.
He is once again undoubtedly, the most discussed Pro Hero amongst the masses, across national and international media.
And not to mention, Rumi herself is very famous and well known.
The moment they stepped onto the commercial buildings, heads turned, whispers rippled through the crowd, cameras were being opened, autographs were being asked.
Sitting in a public cafe was out of the question, since the kids were really uncomfortable due to all the eyes, leaving them with the only option of takeout.
"Vultures." Rumi muttered, snatching the takeout box from the baker while Dabi stepped in front of the girls, shielding them from the cameras. "You wanna get out of here before the paparazzi turn this place into a feeding frenzy?"
Dabi led his family down to the underground parking lot and loaded everyone into his vehicle.
The SUV was spacious, with heavily tinted windows that offered more than enough privacy.
"Want me to drive?" Rumi asked.
"Nah. I've got it."
Dabi settled behind the wheel, already bracing his sensitive dragon genetics for the inevitable motion sickness, then steered away from the city center, taking the winding access roads toward a secluded hillside overlook.
The lookout was quiet, surrounded by tall pine trees and completely closed to through traffic.
Far below, Musutafu stretched across the horizon like a sea of lights.
Dabi brought the vehicle to a stop, pulled the handbrake, killed the engine, then left the battery running and adjusted the dual-zone air conditioning.
He glanced through the windshield at the scenery.
"Yeah... this place works."
Rumi leaned back in her seat, looking out at the mountains. "You know, we could just move up here."
Dabi turned his head toward her. "Come again?"
Rumi shrugged, a crooked smirk tugging at her lips.
"I never thought I would be the one saying this, but I think I finally understand those cheesy fairy-tale heroines who run off to live in the mountains with their families." She glanced toward the girls in the back seat. "Guess having a family brings out parts of you that you never knew were there."
Dabi stared at her for a second before a quiet laugh escaped him.
"Hah. I don't know about the cheesy fairy-tale part, but you? You're definitely the kind of person who would love living in a forest."
In the back row–
Himiko was already having her melon bun. "SO YUMMY! Mama, the cream inside is cold like ice cream!"
"See? I was right, brat." Rumi laughed, twisting around in the reclined passenger seat to lean over the center console.
She wiped a stray smudge of pink sugar from Himiko's cheek with her thumb, tossing a mischievous grin at Eri. "Eat the crust first, kids, or the filling's gonna squish all over your bags."
Eri sat neatly, holding her pastry with both hands over a paper napkin, taking tiny bites.
"It tastes like sunshine." she whispered, her ruby eyes sparkling. "Also papa the city looks like little fallen stars from here."
"Yeah." Dabi murmured, his gaze softening as he caught her reflection in the rearview mirror. "Not bad, bean."
Beside him, Rumi stretched lazily, sighing in relief as the cool air soothed her aching muscles. She popped the straw into her peach tea, took a sip, and nudged Dabi's arm with her elbow.
"You did good, Patchwork." she said softly, her rough voice dropping into a quiet, raspy murmur meant only for him.
Dabi glanced sideways. Her beanie had slipped slightly, revealing the soft tufts of white hair at her temples; the fierce rabbit hero looked breathtakingly unguarded.
"Did I?" He asked.
"You know you did."
Rumi smiled. She gave his knuckles a squeeze, leaning her head against his shoulder, and her long rabbit ears drooped comfortably against his dark sleeve.
Dabi turned his hand, his thumb tracing the edge of the fresh bandages wrapped around her wrist. "You're getting soft, Bunny."
"Only for my house, idiot." she whispered, nudging her cheek against his shoulder.
In the back, the sugar rush finally took its toll. Himiko slumped sideways against her armrest, her small bunny backpack clutched tightly against her chest, letting out snores.
Eri carefully folded her napkin, placed the empty wrapper neatly in the bag, and brushed the remaining sugar crumbs from her fingers.
Seeing the quiet settlement, Dabi gently squeezed Rumi's hand before shifting in his seat to look back at Eri.
"Eri." Dabi said softly.
The little girl looked up. "Yes, Papa?"
Dabi rested his arm along the headrest, keeping his tone calm.
"Once we get back to U.A., I want to ask you for a little favor. Think you can handle that?"
He reached back, his fingers gently brushing through her pale hair, carefully smoothing the strands around her horn.
Eri tilted her head, listening.
"There's a boy locked up in the underground holding rooms on campus." Dabi explained, not intending to hide the truth from her. "He used to be my student, and he was dragged into making a stupid choices, fell into a bad crowd, and pushed his own body until it broke."
A smile pulled at his mouth.
"Your Quirk is yours, bean, and I will never make you use it for anyone. But if you're willing... I would like you to use it as we practiced, and reverse that boy's body back to before he wrecked himself... so he can go back to normal and have a chance to go home."
Eri looked down at her hands, then reached up, wrapping both of her small palms around Dabi's thumb. She remembered the fear of the lab and the sharp needles from her past, but there was no fear here.
Just love, care, and family.
"Will it make Papa happy?" Eri asked in an earnest whisper.
Dabi chuckled, his thumb gently tapping the tip of her nose. "Yeah, bean. It will also fix the only mistake I left behind."
Eri beamed, her chest swelling with proud, determined purpose as she gave a firm nod. "Then I will do it."
She continued. "I will use my quirk as we practise the gentle breath, Papa. So that boy can go home, too."
A movement caught their attention. Dabi and Rumi both glanced toward the other side of the second row.
Himiko wasn't asleep anymore.
She had jolted awake somewhere between their conversation; giant, fat tears pooled in her golden eyes, trembling on the verge of a waterfall.
"Himi wants to fix Papa's mistake too!" she wailed softly, her voice full of heartbroken toddler desperation.
She aggressively scrubbed her face with the sleeve of her pastel sweater, sniffing so hard her little nose turned bright pink. "Eri-chan gets to do magic breathing and help papa... but Himi doesn't have a horn! Himi only has sharp teeth!"
She flopped forward against her safety harness. "Himi is a useless little goblin! Papa isn't gonna let Himi be the helper!"
Rumi snorted so hard she nearly choked on her tea, quickly muffling her wheezing laughter behind her forearm as her rabbit ears twitched with helpless delight. "Oh brother. Here comes the waterworks."
Dabi sighed, unbuckling his seatbelt so he could twist fully around in the driver's seat. He reached back with both hands, scooping the sniffling blonde dumpling out of her seat and pulling her over the center console into his lap.
"Who called you useless, you little menace?" He wiped tears off her cheeks. "Use your head. You think a Quirk can fix everything?"
Himiko blinked, a hiccup catching in her throat. "I-It doesn't?"
"Not even close." Dabi nodded. "Her Quirk can reverse his body back to normal, sure, but that kid is still an ignorant, whiny brat who couldn't keep his failure to himself. The moment he wakes up, who is gonna make sure he stays in line and doesn't pull the same stupid crap all over again?"
Eri leaned forward from her seat, catching on instantly, her ruby eyes glowing with earnest sisterly support. "Himi-chan is the guard bunny! Papa said so earlier!"
Dabi tapped the tip of Himiko's nose, making her squeak. "That makes you muscle, Bunny. If that grape-headed idiot wakes up and starts whining, acting like a creep, or giving anyone trouble, you make sure he remembers his manners.
"Flash those fangs, give him your nastiest glare, and don't let him push you around. You think Eri can do that? Look at her, she looks like a marshmallow and most probably even apologize to him for locking him up."
"Noo!" Eri protested, though a sweet giggle slipped right past her lips.
Himiko's watery eyes were gone.
"I can do the scary face!" she declared, wiping her nose on Dabi's black sleeve with zero shame. "RAWR! I'll tell him: 'If you're bad, Himi eats your toes!'"
"Terrifying~" Rumi chimed in from the passenger seat, reaching over to ruffle the girl's messy blonde hair with a proud grin. "The kid's gonna regret ever committing the mistakes."
"Good. Mission assigned." Dabi set Himiko back into her seat and clicked the buckles securely. "Now sit back, both of you. We are heading back."
"Yes, Sir Papa!" both girls chimed in unison.
Dabi once again braced himself, started the car, and cut through the hillside.
In front of them, the distant city lights flickered in the dusk, oblivious to the political storms brewing in the cabinet offices or the shifting tides of the Hero world.
Dabi gripped the steering wheel as he drove towards the U.A..
It was time to pay a visit to the U.A. prison cells, wipe away the only failure of his teaching career, all thanks to his eldest daughter.
.
….
[To be continued…]
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