Chapter Four

dabi pov

I stared at the toys in the display window, my hood up over my head and the collar of my neck high enough to cover my mouth. "What are you looking at?" Toga tilted her head to me.

"Nothing, you go on ahead." I waved her off, heading inside.

I went through the aisles until I found the Barbie dolls. I looked at each one, not impressed, until I felt a presence beside me. "Is this your first time?" A kind elderly woman asked me, smiling softly up at me.

"Y-Yeah." I nodded, rubbing my neck nervously. "Do you have any recommendations for something that can withstand heat?"

"Well, Barbie will always melt off your daughter's Quirk is related to heat, but come with me," she motioned for me to follow her. "They released a line of toys that can handle the heat up to four thousand degrees."

I followed her down another aisle and saw the heat resistant Barbie dolls. My eyes immediately caught the attention of one. I grabbed it off the shelf, looking at it.

"I'm guessing if Ken hadn't melted yet, he might soon of you don't buy one?" The woman held up a Ken doll to me. 

I was washing the dishes when I heard a knock on my door. "Ember, can you come get it please?" I looked at her in the living room, coloring.

"Yeah..." she nodded, setting her crayons down.

Ember accidentally melted Ken and the baby this morning, so she had no Barbie dolls now, and she was sadder because I told her we could only get one. I wasn't going to spend money on dolls that would melt within days of ownership.

Ember came and opened the door before looking up at the guest. "Hi mister.." she sighed before walking away.

I turned my head and saw Dabi walking inside, holding a big gifting in his hand. "What's all this?" I raised my eyebrow at him.

Dabi closed the door before looking at Ember, gulping nervously. "Umm.." he cleared his throat as he held the bag out to Ember. "Here..."

I watched intently as Ember peered into the bag. Her sad expression quickly went away as she screamed, whipping out two new Barbie and Ken dolls. "Thank you mister!" She giggled and ran into her room.

"Dabi-" I frowned before he looked at me.

"Those dolls are able to withstand heat," he handed me a small pamphlet about them.  "And before you ask, no I didn't steal them. Here's the receipt."

I felt... shocked? pleased? confused? as I briefly read about the toys. "Why did you-" I tried to all before Ember came back out.

"Mommy, look! Barbie has white hair like me!" She showed me. "And Ken has dark hair too!" She turned to Dabi before hugging his legs. "Thank you mister! Do you want to come play with me?"

"I uh.." Dabi froze, looking at me to respond.

"Dabi's about to leave for work, sweetie," I stared at him. "Maybe later."

"Oh, okay!" She held her hand up to him, sticking her pinky out to him. "Promise me!"

Dabi hesitated before his pinky hooked around hers. "I promise."

Ember giggled and ran away down the hall. Dabi looked at me, and I huffed at him.

"What did I do?"

"Dabi, you can't just 'buy' toys for her when here gets destroyed."

"I-I wasn't even planning on doing it honestly," he rubbed his neck nervously. "I was out and about this morning and saw the toy store. Next thing I knew, I was at the register paying for them."

My heart fluttered some before I shook my head, erasing the feeling away. "Well I appreciate you doing that, but please don't do it again unless it's okayed with me."

"Well I don't even have a way to contact you," Dabi frowned before holding his phone out to me. "Can I get your number?"

"No."

"What the he-"

"It takes more than buying my daughter toys to withstand her Quirk to get my number," I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Would you rather I keep showing up unannounced?"

Good point. I took his phone and input my number into it. "You cannot call me, only texting." I handed it back to him. "I'm usually away from my phone, so easiest way to get ahold of me is texting."

"Okay, thanks."

Ember came back out, looking at the two of us, a huge smile on her face. "Mommy, guess what I found in one of the boxes?!"

She held a note up to me. "Can you read it? I don't know how to very well.."

I raised my eyebrow and grabbed it, reading it out loud:

Hi Ember!

I heard your Barbie's got destroyed, and your Quirk is waking up. Good - enjoy these two new dolls that can handle the heat you'll bring into the world.

I'll see you soon, Daddy.

I froze and glared at the paper, crinkling it in my hands. "Daddy wrote me a letter?!" Ember's excitement weakened my grip. "I can't believe this! I'm gonna write one back! Mister, can you help me?" She tugged at Dabi's jacket.

"I can't today, I gotta head back to work." He awkwardly answered back.

"Well can you come back after dinner?" Ember pouted. "And if not then after one sleep?"

"One sleep?" Dabi raised an eyebrow at me. 

"Ember, sweetie-" I tried to say before she cut me off.

"Please Mommy!" Her lower lip pouted out as she unlocked her secret attack: the beg-face-so-mommy-says-yes. "Please~"

I groaned, losing to her. "Alright, fine." I looked over at him. "I'm making veggie soba tonight. If you would like to come over, we'll eat at seven."

"I think I will, I like soba," Dabi nodded, his hands in his pockets.

"Yay!" Ember hugged his legs again before running off. "See you later!"

Dabi didn't say anything else, as he took off out the apartment. I raised my eyebrow before shaking my head and finished putting the dishes away.