CHAPTER ONE: 
THE REASON FOR DEATH AND LIFE

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"They say Death can mean so much more than Life. But what is one without the other?"

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DABI SAT AT A CHAIR IN THE WAITING AREA NEAR THE NURSE'S STATION. The people passing him by did not seem to notice or even pay attention to the man that was sent to take the souls of those who are near passing. Death is at every corner of this room; waiting for souls to be taken to their eternal rests. There are others who are taken too early and there are those who are taken late, depending on the mission they had to fulfill on Earth. His job today was to take the soul of (First name) (Last name) who would be dying in the next five days. Why this young though?

The girl was only 19 years old, four years younger than he is (if he considered his age in human form). Checking her personal files, she had a lot of dreams in life that she wanted to achieve; become a painter, writer, dancer, and photographer. All these seemed like a bit of what she needed to fulfill rather than what she wanted to achieve. She knew she was dying and that was probably what shocked Dabi the most. Nobody truly accepted death in a certain sense—they always had to ask for a little more time.

Watching the clipboard while walking, he flipped the pages with his slender fingers, feeling the paper as if it had been the first time he touched them again. The dejected sigh that escaped his lips tickled while his eyes tirelessly look at every door number, looking for the one patient he was going to visit today. Dabi's footsteps were light and his shoes' heel made a small sound when he wanted it to. Once in awhile, he'd wave to some of his comrades, handing them a salute as they take another soul with them to wherever they deserve to be.

This was Death's job.

And he wasn't the only Death running around the world. As mentioned earlier, Death is at every corner of this room. There are people dying for every second passing all over the world and having only one person to handle that can be stressful. So, the Divine created a system for Death that chose various souls to work for it, making them the ones to collect the souls of the Living and bring them to Eternal Rest. The concept is simple to understand but mortals like to complicate things most of the time and even signify death as something, probably a force that is related to evil. Yet, Death is merely just a bridge that separates the Living from the Dead—from the Divine or Punishment. Death takes care of the mortals for a few days before their deaths and lets them fulfill their lives' greatest desires or wants—as a final incentive before resting.

He gazed at the gold plated number on the wooden door of the patient's room as he prepared himself to whoever might be behind it. The knock he had made echoed through the halls and all Dabi could hear on the other side was shifting pieces of cloth and a burst of small laughter. "Come in!" the girl's voice chimed as he slowly turned the knob and opened the door.

"I am ready!" was what she told him when his body was inside the room and the door behind him closed. Dabi's confusion urged him to tilt his head and shift his smile into an awkward position. "The fuck-?" Dabi spurt out as the girl with thinning (hair color) locks fixed her little straw hat and dusted off her sundress. "Take me!" she tilted her head with a smile plastered on the corner of her mouth. Dabi gave her a once-over, wondering if he even got the right person. He flipped the papers again and watched the pictures; it's her alright.

"You are Death, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am. But you have five days left..." Dabi once again inhaled deeply, not wanting to slap the girl into some foul reality or something. "... and how the fuck do you know I'm Death?" She only giggled at Dabi's reaction causing him to furrow his brows a little more. "I just do... I felt it, I guess?" she responded as she walked closer to him, making him back up just a little. "Can you finally take me to where I belong?" Her eyes were sparkling like someone just put stars in there and Dabi's piercing turquoise ones were just trying to drown the hope out.

"Listen, kid... I don't know what is going on in that little head of yours but do you understand the concept of life and death?" He smirked, grabbing one of her shoulders and pushing her lightly to create minimal distance between them. "Yes... and I want to die, right now," His nerves were pulsating at her answer and even if he can just remove the headache he is having right now, he felt like it would be what he would be feeling for the next few hours. "It doesn't work like that... the Divine would not allow me to take your soul before the deadline."

"Even if I beg the Divine?"

"Even if you beg..." The female looked at him with a disappointed expression, her pale skin reflecting the sunlight coming from the window. "I would be in big trouble if we did that..." Dabi's low voice echoed as the girl finally sighs in defeat, walking to her bed and sitting on it. "Well, that sucks..." she pouted, her lips were slightly drained from their color.

"Why do you want to die already, anyway?" He asked, raising his head to her, his eyes scanning her figure. "You were supposed to have a life ahead of you..." Dabi muttered, his gaze now lowering to the ground as the girl shot him a cold glare. "I was... but then, I got sick... so, goodbye dream life!" The female's sad face turned bright when she looked at him. "But that's enough of me, you probably already know everything about my life."

"Actually, that's half true-half not. I don't know everything. Just a bit," Dabi stated while looking out the window, the view of mountains clearer than the last few days he was around and the blue skies probably reflecting the same blue sea somewhere. "Oh? Then, what do you know about me?" (Your name) smiled as she took off her straw hat, placing it on her lap. Her gaze was glued to the male and he pursed his lips, looking over at the clipboard again.

"Just how you look, your name, and what you always wanted to do. That's all the information the Divine can give us, really." Dabi said as he threw the clipboard to her, her thin arms catching it on time before it fell on the floor. She read the papers and a small smile tugged on her lips, her voice rising again. "Well, these are highly accurate..." she chuckles as she placed it on her bed. "...but I still want to die earlier."

Dabi licked his lips. "You're different."

"How so?"

"A lot of people would ask for more time when they learn that Death is already following them..." Dabi raised his brows as his eyes observed her figure standing up again. "Don't you have anyone that cares for you? Family, perhaps? Friends?" She froze on the spot, wondering when the last time it was she heard those words. Where was her family? Where were her friends? Truth be told, (your name) doesn't really know either. Her whole life, it felt like she spent half of her life in the hospital seeing nothing but nurses. Maybe, they forgot about her. But what would this stranger know? Why would Death care?

"I don't know, Death. I don't have those." She shrugged as she walked closer to him, grabbing his arm. "But, I am a bit hungry... would you please take me to eat?" Dabi mouthed a confused 'what' as he was dragged out of the hospital room and into the back exit of the hospital, hiding from nurses that know her and guards that roam the facility. "You escape the hospital?" He asked when they were finally far away from the area.

"Yes, is that going to land me Punishment?" Her eyes were wide as she realized what she just did but Dabi let out a small laugh. "No, no... in fact, before we collect souls, you've already been assigned to a place..." She smiled as she nodded, the details just sinking into her head easily than any other mortal Dabi had been assigned to. "So, what did you want to eat?"

"Blueberries!"

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(YOUR NAME) REMEMBERS IT WELL. She was only twelve years old when her parents left her in the hospital. The yellowish-white walls became her new environment and sooner or later, she would get used to seeing it every day, befriending all the nurses and doctors that come her way. It was something that she never really understood; her parents loved her enough to pay for the bills but not enough to show up for her chemotherapies. She hated the pain the medicines would give her but she was glad they only lasted for 2 years.

What they weren't expecting was for it to come back stronger than it was before. She was 15 when they realized that her leukemia had returned but was developing slowly. Her parents wanted her to undergo chemo again but she begged not to as she is too weak to handle it. She asked for her parents to just let everything go—take care of her other siblings—but her parents insisted. Now, she was 19 and her body was starting to give up in fighting it away.

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"Hey, Death. Do you have a name?" she asked out of the blue, Dabi looking up at the new information the clipboard had just given him. His eyes were giving her a look of worry and pity, the same look the doctors would give her when she denies her medicines. "Why are you looking at me like that?" her voice was low and the hint of sadness in them only made Dabi's heart clench. "Nothing... my name's Dabi." He turned the clipboard upside down so she couldn't see what he just read. "What was your family like, (your name)?"

(Your name) put her fingers in a thinking position, looking up as she tried to recall the last memory she had with her parents and siblings. "My parents were alright, I guess... they cared enough to let me in a hospital and pay for the bills and my siblings send me gifts every month! It's a basket full of food and other things I need." She smiled, her teeth showing as she raised her cup filled with blueberries.

"Do they ever care to visit you, sometimes?"

She looked up at him with a brow raised, her smile disappearing. "You're never going to let go of that question, are you?" Dabi shook his head as he muttered a small no. "Well, Dabi, they don't... probably, for the best. I wanted it anyway," she pouted as she put a spoonful of blueberries in her mouth. "What do you mean by that?" Dabi asked, his back reclined on the chair as his finger tapped on the table both of you were occupying. "Do you not want to see them?"

"Attachments make it harder for dying mortals to let go," she responded, her elbows moving slightly as she rested them on the table, her hands placing the cup down. As she eyed him, she laughed at the shocked expression he was making. "Did that scare you, Dabi?" (Your name) questioned as she continued laughing, slamming her hand on the table. "How did you even know that line?" Dabi's brows furrowed, his nose exhaling air. "And yes, that did fucking scare me."

Satisfied with his answer, the girl gave a wide toothy grin. "Well, I overheard another Death say that to a dying person once..."

"You're not supposed to eavesdrop on other Death's talking like that..." Dabi scolded as his fingers grabbed a small blueberry from her cup and throwing it in his mouth, the flavors exploding as it was his first time tasting a blueberry. "So, you like blueberries? That was my first one." Dabi indicated as he sucked on his tongue, trying to get more of the blueberry taste out of it. (Your name) moved her head up and down as she eats another spoonful. "I really love the small ones because they pop in your mouth but the big ones taste good too!" she squealed happily. "Did you like it?"

"Hm... I don't know." Dabi lied. "We can't taste."

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HER BROTHER DIED BEFORE HER. This was one thing she always kept in mind as she was stuck in the hospital, the IVs in her hand and arm sending liquid into her body as she laid in bed, looking up at the ceiling. The only thing that kept her going for so long was the thought that she didn't want to cause more burden to the family if she kept herself in touch with them; to talk to them is to create more memories. Her parents still have 3 more children they need to take care of—ones that would actually outlive them

She believes that the more memories that would be created, the harder it is to let her go when she dies. (Your name) knew the stakes. She knew that it would cause her so much pain to see that nobody cared if she died right now, but it brought her more pain to think about the process of letting go of someone who had given them so much to hold on to. Just like how she couldn't move on from her brother's death all those years ago.

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"WHAT IS LIFE FOR SOMEONE LIKE YOU?"

The question caught Dabi off guard as they were walking down the path of some flower field (your name) usually goes to when she escapes the hospital. The walk was a little longer than they anticipated but it just meant that Dabi could at least show her for the last four-five days what she could be missing when she finally dies. "Why do you ask?" The female scrunched her face, Dabi smiling at how cute it looked. "You used to be mortals too, right?" he nodded then she continued. "What did you think about life when you were...alive...?"

"Painful," Dabi admitted as he chuckled, his dark hair ruffling against the wind as they finally arrived at the field. "This scenery looks pretty, (your name)..." he complimented which caused the female's cheeks to turn red. "My brother used to take me here... we used to chase each other a lot and fall on the tall blades of grass," she started to run down and Dabi's eyes widened, catching her arm before she could fully dash. "No, you're sick... you can't just run like that... and you're going to get dirty."

"But I want to lay there..." a frown plastered on her face.

"How about we just sit in this hill over here and I'll tell you more about what I thought life was like..." He bargained, crossing his fingers on his back. The frown was quickly changed into a wide smile as she directly sat down, patting the spot beside her for him. Dabi let out a quick sigh of relief before sitting beside her. "Well?" she raised her brows, her (eye color) irises once again filled with wonder and curiosity. Dabi took a deep breath, trying to recall the memories he had before he had died—the Divine would only return those memories once someone had passed over their own gates and their souls were finally at peace.

"Well- uh-," he stammered, scrunching his forehead as he thought harder. "I wasn't joking when I said it was painful. When I was still alive, I never appreciated the people around me enough and I always thought I was the one being taken for granted...?" She listened attentively, the wind still blowing through their skin and clothes. "... I had a loving family and really cute siblings..." he chuckled, playing with his own fingers. "And when I was dying, I wished I could take back the time I didn't spend with them or love them the way they loved me..."

"...It's just you realize how much you or other people mean when you're or they're finally facing death..." He stopped as he noticed (your name) was staring at the fields, her thoughts all jumbled up. "Are you alright, (your name)?"

"Is that always like that?" she looked down on her knees, her eyebrows meeting one another. "Why do I not feel like that?"

"Do you love your life, (your name)?"

The question made her silent and she could feel herself wanting to cry. Truth be told, she hated it and she always hoped she could make it better but she could never say that out loud—not now, not ever. "Why do you ask?" Her piercing eyes gazed at him as he looked back, feeling the nervousness in her voice and body. "You see, when I first walked in that room, you weren't afraid..." he smirked. "...your first reaction was telling me you were waiting for Death to arrive and take you sooner than later..."

"Is that such a bad thing?" she tilted her head, raising an eyebrow, her chest tightening as she breathes in. "Not really a bad thing... but..." Dabi was cut off by her sudden coughing, her hand covering her mouth as she curled into a ball; her other arm was holding on to her stomach, clutching it as if it's the only thing she's got. "...Are you...?"

"I-I'm alright... keep talking..." she lied and he can see through it, his hand supported her shoulder while his other hand rubbed her back as she shut her eyes, pain surging throughout her whole body. "You're not... let's get you back..." Dabi tried to let her stand up but she pushed his arms away, tears falling from her eyes. "Why do you care...?" she let out a shaky breath, still covering her mouth, her tongue slowly tasting the blood coming out of her throat as she continued to cough. "...You don't even know me..."

Dabi tried to think of a reasonable answer but nothing came out of his mouth except for a sigh, watching as her body slowly trembled and her tears continuing to fall. "Dabi, I—," (your name) stopped talking as she felt her eyelids getting heavier and her heartbeat slowing down. There was nothing Dabi could do except watched as her vision slowly turned black.

Was she finally dying?

In truth, she just passed out.

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HOW CAN ONE BE SO SURE THAT THEY ARE DYING? For (your name), it was when she tasted blood on her tongue for the first time when she coughed. She was 14 years old at that time, her heart rate started to slow down as she continued to cough and puke out blood. The way it dripped down her lips and to her neck made her shiver and it scared every inch of her body. (Your name) was shaking and she couldn't really remember the last thing that happened. Her parents were screaming her name, shaking her to stay awake, and carrying her so she could be rushed to the hospital.

But her body was trembling and her mind was blank, the way her eyes were threatening to close as she tried to catch her breath was enough for her to think that she was indeed dying. The next day, she woke up only to find herself stuck in the hospital room once again; with nothing but herself and the note her parents left telling her to take care and keep fighting.

Oh, how dreadful it is.

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(YOUR NAME) OPENED HER EYES TO A BRIGHT LIGHT with Dabi sitting right beside her hospital bed, caressing her hair softly, careful not to grab the hair strands out as it was already thinning. When he moved away from her, she finally spoke up. "A-am I d-dead?" she managed to ask with her stuttering voice, the IV connected to her nose moving slightly as she breathes. "No, not yet..." Dabi shook his head, giving a side-smile as she let out a groan. "Dang... I thought t-that was i-it..." she pouted.

"Yep, you thought of the same thing 5 years ago too..." Dabi said as he watched the clipboard again, reading additional information about you. "Does your c-clipboard add like..." she waved her hands around, flinching at the pain as she does but continues to do it anyway. "Yes, it does... I didn't even know it did that but the more I try to get to know you, the more it explains your life to me..."

"So, there's no sense lying is there?" she asked, letting out a sigh as she finally rests her hands on top of her stomach. "No, there is not." Dabi grinned as he fumbled with the clipboard with his fingers, trying to keep the conversation going. "So, uh, about earlier..." he started which caused the girl to move her head to the side to watch him, his eyes never leaving her every movement. "... You said I don't know you... and you're right... but..."

"But?"

"It may sound strange coming from me though," he looked down, a sigh escaping his lips as he tried not to sound weird. The silence that followed after made the two awkward and nervous, their hearts beating in motions that were not comprehendible. "I'm sorry I lashed out... I'm just not used to it..." she said, tears starting to fall from her eyes again. "Yeah, that's why... I just want to say that... if nobody else will, I'll miss you when you'd die..."

"Huh?" (Your name) let out a chuckle. "Why would you though?"

"Because you made me realize blueberries tasted delicious..." Dabi smiled.

"Shut up!"

WHEN DABI WENT OUT OF THE DOOR THAT EVENING, the girl felt herself cry once again but it wasn't because of pain. The tears that were falling from her eyes were just realizations that maybe all she really needed was someone to be there for her in her darkest times. The feeling of someone holding you close when you're afraid, or the feeling of someone telling you that you should be stronger because they are there—even when you tried to push them away.

Maybe, she found that in Dabi.

She found comfort in Death.