"Star. Can I talk to you?" A raspy voice asks from the doorway.
You were trying to help the others with cleaning the mansion you all were staying in so that you could go back to drawing in your room. It was getting less and less dusty the more time went on.
Dabi has been being avoidant of you ever since he got hurt while he went shopping with Toga that one time, keeping himself busy with work while you were left at home with Tomura to do lessons with him or by watching things on a laptop.
You had been trying to keep yourself busy so you couldn't think about it too much. You missed him, but Tomura said he was busy, and just because he wasn't with you twenty four seven like he used to be didn't mean that he didn't want you around anymore.
You stop balancing on your tiptoes as you dust some of the furniture to peer over your shoulder at Tomura who was waiting in the doorway, leaning against the doorframe slightly with only one crutch holding him upright.
"Am I in trouble?" You ask, always expecting the worst.
"No. But I need to ask you something." Tomura replies, motioning lazily with his hand for you to join him. "Come on."
You hum a vague response, putting the duster on the floor gently and approach him, allowing him to brush his knuckles over the skin of your cheek before obediently following him to the room he'd been sleeping in.
He settles down on a couch, patting the seat beside him.
You follow suit, curling your knees up to your chest and facing him with your back against the arm of the couch.
"You know when you told me about Daiki a little while ago?" Tomura asks.
"Oh... Yeah?" You ask, looking away and feeling uncomfortable already.
"Do you remember if he had a quirk? Or a job, maybe?" Tomura asks, tapping his fingers lazily on the arm of the couch.
You roll your head to the side as you think, trying to recall if he had a quirk that he'd shown either you or your mom at any point.
Unfortunately your memory of that time isn't the best, and you don't really remember much of your interactions with him besides him trying to touch you while you slept and all the times he argued with you and mom. You remembered all the bad stuff very well, but nothing beyond that.
It's frustrating, because you like to try and help Tomura whenever he comes to you with questions. It's nice to feel useful.
"I don't remember his quirk... Sorry." You mumble, picking at your clothes.
"Do you remember if he worked? Did he have a job?" He asks patiently regardless of the fact you hadn't answered the other question.
"He worked at night like Dabi used to." You say confidently. "Mom and him argued a lot about their jobs."
"They did?" Tomura frowns slightly. "Do you remember what they argued about specifically?"
"Um, they argued a lot..." You admit shyly. "But he used to yell at mom a lot for working on the streets and she used to yell at him for not giving her what she wanted but she knew he had it so she had to work on the streets."
Tomura looks at you with an intensity in those crimson eyes that you hadn't been on the receiving end of for a while. You almost wonder if you said something bad and that's why he looked like that.
"I don't know what mom did for a job on the street but it made him mad, so I don't think they worked together." You continue, trying to give him as much information as possible in a bid to get him to stop staring at you. "Sometimes things would go missing in the house so maybe she sold our things like old people do on their blankets in the street sometimes."
"Maybe." Tomura says, nodding his head. "I think that helps a little. Thank you."
He scruffs your hair up clumsily, and you relax, knowing it's his unpracticed way of showing affection.
"Is that it?" You ask curiously. "You just wanted to ask about Daiki?"
"There's something else." He says, leaning his face on his fist. "I'm getting my cast taken off tomorrow, which means I'll be leaving for a while soon."
"Oh..." You murmur sadly.
"But I think we should do something together before I go." Tomura says. "What would you like to do, little Star?"
"I wanna see the ducks." You murmur shyly, not used to demanding things of Tomura. "And have a sleepover like we did when we were in the hotel. And play more shrines together."
Tomura nods slowly as you speak. "Ducks, sleepover and Legend of Zelda."
You nod enthusiastically.
"That's all you want?" He asks, sounding a little amused, even though it doesn't show on his face.
"Yup!" You chime. "And maybe watch Spirited Away."
"I'm sure all of that can be arranged." Tomura grins, stroking your cheek with the back of his hand again. "You have to make sure Dabi doesn't go too wild while I'm gone too, okay?"
"Okay." You agree. "You're not going forever, are you, 'Mura?"
"Not forever. Just a while." He nods.
"I'll miss you." You say sadly.
"I know." He says, patting your head softly.
"Don't you think you'll miss me?" You ask, leaning into his hand trustingly despite knowing his quirk. "Or Dabi?"
Tomura looks a little uncomfortable for once at the question, but after a short silence he sighs quietly and pets your cheek with the back of his hand again.
"Of course." He admits.
*â¢*
You'd gotten a bit of drawing done after you had finished helping Atsuhiro and Himiko with the cleaning.
Himiko had lay on the floor with you and doodled beside you, although you couldn't quite tell what she'd been working so hard on.
It looked a lot like a green sheep with lots of hearts around it.
You were a bit confused by it, but chose not to comment on it because you drew a lot of ducks, and people probably found that weird, too.
It was fun drawing with the others, but you did find yourself dwelling on how you used to paint with Uncle Giran before you both got taken by the bad men. You missed him a lot.
Dabi came home earlier than usual, and the second you caught wind of it, you were immediately following him around and trying to tell him about your day.
It's not until he tries to go for a cigarette to get away from you and you try to tell him about something Jin did today from a distance that he flicks his cigarette away and closes the distance between you both.
"Star, darlin', please stop followin' me around." Dabi pleads, crouching and rubbing your cheek with his thumb softly.
"But why? I haven't seen you properly in forever! I miss you!" You complain.
"I miss you too, hon, but..." Dabi sighs. "I got hit wi' a quirk that makes me tell the truth, an' I don't wanna say anything that'll upset you, or tell you anythin' you're not meant to hear."
"Like what?" You ask, exasperated.
"Like curses and work stuff." He chokes a little at the end of his sentence.
"But why can't I hear about your work?" You ask. "You used to take me with you!"
"Because it's borin' and I'm keeping it a secret from you." He says and then groans immediately after when you point a finger at him in an accusatory manner.
"We don't keep secrets!" You exclaim, jabbing his shoulder with your finger.
"I told ya before, some are necessary. To stop you from worryin' about nothin'." He argues.
"But if I'd be worried about nothing, why not just tell me anyway?" You counter.
"Hon, I say this with love, but ya still expect me to shove ya back on the streets whenever you do anything slightly wrong." He explains calmly, tucking some of your hair behind your ear. "You're not cool about certain things. An' that's okay, 'cause neither am I. But it means I gotta hide things from ya sometimes."
"I can be cool!" You defend.
"Cool or naw, you have the tiniest, littlest baby ears ever." Dabi smirks, but it looks a little sad. "So I gotta protect them. Just like I look after you, right?"
You 'hmph', and cross your arms over your chest but nod reluctantly because you didn't want Dabi to think you were ungrateful for how much he'd looked after you.
Especially when mom couldn't even do it herself when she was meant to.
"So trust me when I say things I keep a secret from you are for your own good, yeah?" He says.
"Okay..." You relent.
"Attagirl." He smiles softly and ruffles your hair playfully. "Why don't ya go do some drawin'?"
"I wanna spend time with you." You repeat.
"Star..." He sighs, giving you a look that you know means 'stop now'.
"I don't understand why you keep getting hurt with people's quirks." You frown. "You never used to."
"I-"
"I wanna tell you about what 'Mura said!" You interrupt, trying to continue on with your chatter about the day. "He said that his leg will be better tomorrow, and he wants to spend time with me before he goes away!"
"He did, huh?"
"Mhm! We're gonna go see the ducks, and have a sleepover and play shrines and maybe watch Spirited Away!"
"Sounds great, Star." Dabi says as he stands fully again.
"Are you having time with Tomura too?" You ask, following by his side as he walks back to the kitchen.
"Yeah." He grunts.
"What did you ask for?" You ask, hopping up on one of the chairs as he pours himself a glass of water.
"Nunya."
"What?" You ask, frowning. "What's that?"
"Means none of ya business, kid." Dabi grins, flicking your nose up with his finger.
You grumble, rubbing your nose roughly and scowling at him as he drinks his water while smiling smugly at you.
"You suck."
"Hell, sometimes." Dabi says with a shrug, and then gives an almost surprised laugh.
"Why's that funny?" You ask, confused by his behaviour.
"S' jus' a dumb joke." Dabi says, clearing his throat.
"You're weird." You state in your confusion.
"An' you love me anyway." He teases, flicking your nose again.
"Ugh, stop!" You whine, holding your hands over your nose.
"Stop torturing her." Tomura chastises softly as he passes behind Dabi.
"She makes it so much fun." Dabi grins, pinching the small exposed area of your cheek.
"Geddoff!" You grunt, swatting at his hand playfully.
You don't really mind too much, just hamming it up because it seemed to make him happy. You'd let him keep flicking your nose and pinching your cheek if it meant he kept being this playful, smiley and loving with you instead of trying to avoid you because of what he might say.
*â¢*
You were getting ready for bed with Dabi for the first time in what felt like forever, having learned to embrace the weird comments and brutal honesty he kept giving everyone and choosing not to comment on it in fear he might start avoiding you again.
You were brushing your teeth while he combed your hair, trying to get the tangles from the day out without hurting you too much.
You liked the rare occasion when he did this, because he was so much more gentle than when mom used to agree to do it and it felt like the brush was tearing through your hair if the wooden side didn't hit you roughly first.
"I think HakuchÅ has a bird quirk like Spinner has a gecko quirk but she doesn't want to admit it." You say with a mouthful of toothpaste foam.
"Mhm." Dabi hums blandly, disinterested in the topic.
"Because boys might think she's weird. But I think wings are cool! Cooler than my quirk." You lament.
"Your quirk's cool." Dabi replies, beginning to braid your hair. "Ya made Gran Torino puke that one time, remember? When he knocked me out?"
"It's gross though. I wish I had something less gross." You sigh, and then spit the toothpaste out into the sink, leaning your back against Dabi's torso.
"I like you just how ya are, Starshine." He says as his fingers continue to work through your hair as gently as possible.
"You're still telling the truth?" You ask, looking at him in the mirror.
"Sadly."
"You still love me?" You ask suspiciously.
"Yeah, Star, I still love ya. Jus' like the last five times you asked." He replies teasingly.
He flicks the tip of your ear playfully with a single finger and then continues to braid your hair as you huff.
"I'm just making sure." You murmur, rubbing your ear as if it had hurt.
"Told ya kid, you're stuck with me for life." He reminds you. "From the...dumpster to the tomb, darlin'."
"Stop!" You whine, moving to elbow him in the ribs, only for him to slink away and chuckle.
Suddenly, a blonde mop of hair appears around the door and Himiko's sharp, white teeth make themselves apparent as she grins widely at Dabi.
"I found him." She says in a sing-song voice.
"Already? Damn, Toga." Dabi sounds impressed. "Good job. You alri'?"
"Mhm!" She chirps, admiring the braids in your hair as Dabi finishes them up. "'Mura said once his cast is off tomorrow he wants to go with you to sort it out."
"Doesn't need to tell me twice." Dabi says darkly.
You pout at the boring work talk, especially when he pats your back to signify that he's done with your hair.
"I wanted to deal with it myself but I knew you guys would get mad..." She trails off. "Can you do my hair like that later?"
"Yeah. Lemme jus' get Starshine to bed an' then we can talk some more." He says, encouraging you along out of the bathroom and towards your room. "An' don't let Shigaraki hear you callin' him that. Only Stars allowed to call him tha'."
Toga huffs and sticks her tongue out before hopping down the stairs energetically. Dabi places his hand on top of your head as you watch her go.
"C'mon Star. Bedtime."