creamation | (no subject)

Of course I've been happy. What kind of dumb question is that?

[Shigaraki pulls away completely, putting a healthy amount of space between the two since Dabi didn't keep him there forever.]

Have you been happy?

[ Dabi lets him pull away, leaning back on his hands. Is it a dumb question? He didn't think so. Right now he's just trying to imagine at what point Shigaraki was happy. He wouldn't have asked it if it didn't seem like such a goddamn mystery.

Dabi shrugs, glancing over at the cook working on their burgers. ]

Not that I can recall.

I'm sure there's one time you've been happy.

[For Shigaraki he's been happy causing the disaster at USJ. He'd been more than happy to piss off Stain by being 'loud' at Hosu. He was even pleased with the pleasure Dabi had given him on a few occasions. But... he was never really happy in the traditional sense of the word. Almost all his happy moments were fleeting, ruined by heroes or by the ever persistent dominance pull that he and Dabi had going on.]

[ Dabi doesn't think happiness is something that's fleeting. If it's so easily taken away, then it probably wasn't happiness to begin with. Is anyone actually happy? He doesn't think so, unless it's like Shigaraki said. All these mindless, people, walking around thinking that they are. ]

Maybe once. Too long ago to remember. But if you can't remember it, does it really count?

[He slides off the table and goes to grab some napkins and things as their greasy bag of burgers is finally set out. He was feeling fine, teasing Shigaraki, but now he feels his mood dipping back into that weird place again. ]

Anyway, grab the burgers, let's go. We don't have to stay in public any longer.

It counts.

[But he's not going to push for answers. This was Dabi's question after all. He grabs the bag, turning towards the door with Dabi. The greasy smell of the food has his stomach growling; he's definitely hungry.

As soon as they make it back to the hideout, he makes a beeline for his bedroom. Because of course they're going to eat in there, away from prying eyes.]

Well, whatever it was, if it even was, I hope it was good.

[Which is an odd thing to say, maybe, but Dabi doesn't really have any other answer for it. He just follows along next to Shigaraki, quiet on their way back. He's quiet when they head to Shigaraki's room as well, not even questioning it. He'd rather be in here anyway. ]

At least we got out.

Out for food doesn't count as out.

[He pulls out his plain burger and fries, and gives Dabi the burger bag because he can smell the onion rings and spinach dip and he'd rather not. He'll probably try to eat his burger as quickly as possible too to avoid this bullshit half-n-half thing Dabi was talking about earlier.]

Yours smells awful.

Well what fucking choice do we have, you hate being in public. You were already bitching about how out that was.

[He's not sure why it felt important that they do something outside of this weird arrangement they had going on... especially todays. Forced touching and photo taking is just one step too weird in the Dabi box.

Not that it'll stop him from doing it again.

He sits and starts unwrapping his messy burger, spinach dip slopping back down into the wrapper. He scoops some up and licks it off his fingers, letting out a pleased sound.]

But it tastes better than anything you've ever put in your mouth, that's for sure. Come here, creep. You have to have a bite.

Next time I'll just send you on a food delivery quest.

[Shigaraki may have gotten a plain burger but you know what he's gonna smother his french fries in? Ketchup. And mayo. He watches Dabi with a disgusted look on his face and actually scoots away from the other.]

Keep your moldy burger away from me.

Like hell. I'm not your fucking delivery boy.

[The whole point was to go out, Shigaraki. Christ. It feels like this man has never done anything in his entire life. Dabi doesn't know why he's trying so hard.

At least he's not weird about his fries. But the more Shigaraki scoots away,the more Dabi follows, dragging the bag with him, because he laid everything out on top of it.]

Don't be such a fucking coward. Have I ever led you astray? Every new thing I've showed you, you've liked.

I'm not a coward. [Over not wanting to try a different burger. Christ.] I don't have to try everything new you show me.

[He gives up scooting away because he can already feel his back on the wall. But also if they play this dumb game any longer, he won't have time to eat his burger while it's warm.]

Then stop acting like one.

[He stops scooting when he's close enough to hold the burger up to Shigaraki's face. This is ridiculous, it really is, but it's alleviating the weirdness from earlier- as long as Shigaraki doesn't have a damn tantrum over it. He really doesn't know what the big deal is. They already came back here, away from the outside world like Shigaraki wanted. The least he could do is try the damn burger.]

Yes you do.

[He shakes his head, refusing to even reply to Dabi. Call him childish but he's old enough to know the oldest trick in the book about tricking people into trying food. Nice try, Dabi. But that also means he can't open his mouth to eat his own burger, fuck.]

[ Dabi gives him a cool look, letting out a long sigh as some more of the spinach dip drips down, this time between Shigaraki's legs. What a waste. ]

Come on, open up.

[He says as if he's talking to a small child. He thought maybe the whole licking from his fingers might seem enticing to Shigaraki, but the other man didn't even bat an eye, which is highly disappointing. ]

Take a bite and I'll answer a question.

[it's utterly stupid and he doesn't know why he's doing this over a burger. His burger. He shouldn't even be giving it away at all, and here he is, turning it into another damn game. A dangerous one at that. But it's already out there now, he can't take it back.]

[God it smells awful to Shigaraki. That sentence was hard to type because I fucking love spinach dip. But disregarding that, he shakes his head no. Seems like not even their stupid game would get him to try a burger with spinach dip and onion rings.

When it becomes obviously clear that Dabi isn't giving up on this, he reluctantly takes the world's tiniest bite (a crumble really)- making no move to chew on it or swallow, hoping that will get Dabi to back down.]

[ This is... the least fun and the most disappointing experience of Dabi's life. He was willing to give up something as precious as an answer to one of Shigaraki's many questions and still, he says no.

The tiny bite, Shigaraki's complete reluctance to do anything really- Whether it's spending time outside, or just taking a damn bite out of a burger- it's starting to get boring and it's starting to get to Dabi. ]

Uch. You're pathetic.

[He gets up, grabbing his fries and shoves more of the burger in his mouth as he moves away, heading for the door.]

I don't want to do this thing tomorrow. You're starting to bore me even more than my boredom.

Foods not meant to be entertaining, asshole. Weren't we playing video games later?

[Honestly if Dabi leaves? Shigaraki won't stop him. It just means that he can eat his plain burger that he ordered in peace. Admittedly... he'd miss having the company but god dammit Dabi if he wanted onion rings and spinach dip, he'd have treated you to Applebees instead. Or whatever the Japanese equivalent of an Applebees is.]

I'm bored too but I just want to eat my fucking burger without getting something else shoved into my face.

I'm not just talking about the food, creep. I'm talking about everything you put out there. If you were bored, you would stop sticking yourself in such a small, annoying box. If you were bored, you'd do shit with me.

[One bite isn't having something shoved in his face. Besides, what's the big deal? Can't they just fuck off and hang out? Apparently not. Dabi supposes it's his own damn fault. He had to come in here and suck Shigaraki off right off the bat.]

You wanna play video games, you know where to find me.

[He's mostly annoyed, he thinks, because he wanted to do things, and Shigaraki clearly doesn't want to do anything at all. He's annoyed at himself, because he wanted, and wanting is dangerous. It's disappointing and it's weakness. No use trading one weakness for another.]

Sit down. I'm not going to go chase you like a babysitter for video games.

[He's irritated, but he's actually pretty calm. Which might be more terrifying than when he's pissed. A calm Shigaraki means he's thought through the entirety of his actions and the consequences they might have. Shigaraki holds out his burger, only a fourth of it eaten.]

Put only a tiny bit on the side of my burger. I'll try it. I don't like onions so keep your onions. [A pause.] And I'm not going to ask you a shitty question over a burger. That's not an equal exchange.

[ Dabi wants to leave. This whole night has felt like a bust. He's exhausted from not having slept since yesterday, and overuse of his Quirk. He's frayed at the edges because of their stupid ten minute deal. He's on edge because he's reaching for things to make him stop feeling this way, but Shigaraki has been woefully disappointing in that aspect and he's angry that he even thought to try and rely on someone else for any of it.

He wants all of this to be over. It was easier that way.

And yet, he saunters back over as if he doesn't have a care in the world, sitting back down in front of Shigaraki, crossing his legs under him.]

Since when the fuck do you care about equal? You were trying to get shit out of me any way you could, the other day.

I don't. [It's partly true. He doesn't care about the equality of things.] You'll complain later and demand something later. You negotiate the big things with small things, Dabi, and no one will want what you have to offer anymore.

[But he's not about to let his underlings make stupid mistakes that he has done in the past. Only offer big things if you're going to get something big out of it. Forcing Shigaraki to eat a digusting burger? That's a waste of a big thing, in Shigaraki's eyes.]

I don't demand anything that I don't put forward right away. You know that better than anyone else, so you know you're talking bullshit.

[He shrugs, breaking off a piece of his burger, making sure there aren't any onions on that piece. He holds it out to the other man in one last attempt at whatever the fuck this is. ]

Maybe my idea of big things and small things are different from yours, you ever think about that?

[Shigaraki hesitates, breaking off a similar piece of his own burger before trading it with Dabi. He sort of stares at the mess in his gloved hands with disgust before slowly eating at it with small bites. He hates it. But he gave it an earnest try this time.]

Big and small are always different from person to person, Dabi. Just the very words conjure up different images of how big and how small something is.

Then your words are invalid and I can negotiate with whatever I want. Anyway, it's your loss. Days ago you would have jumped at the chance to take anything from me, especially if it meant you didn't have to give up something big. You would have snatched this chance right out from under me.

[Days ago... it feels longer than that, and yet it also feels like a whirlwind. Maybe they really do just need a break from each other. ]

Well? Isn't it good?

It's too mushy. [Well at least he didn't call it outright disgusting.] It's turned the bun into a wet mess.

[But he swallows and goes back to his burger and fries. No more exploratory foods for Mr. Plain Burger here.]

Sometimes big opportunities aren't always what they're hyped to be. Especially if you've done nothing to earn it.

[For a guy that throws tantrums over the smallest inconveniences, it seems like he doesn't want everything to get handed to him. He works hard at putting together his tasks. If he wanted to, he could very well demand everything be handed to him. But he doesn't.

He swallows the rest of his burger, picking at the last of his fries before he wipes his hands clean on the seat of his pants. Classy. Shigaraki then stands up and goes over to the TV to turn it on.]

Are you staying?