By the time you're dressed up in Aiko's old clothes again, and your teeth are brushed properly for the first time since you'd been taken away, Dabi's already lying on top of the sheets in his sweatpants and shirt, scrolling through his phone with your ducky plush on his chest.
You're admittedly a little heartbroken that you didn't win the race, so your hug and goodnight kiss with Uncle Giran is a little more subdued than it would have been otherwise.
"Love ya, darlin'." Uncle Giran says, patting your head as he stands. "Sleep tight."
"Love you grandpaw." You say, rushing over to the bed to get close to Dabi again.
"Night, son." Giran calls to Dabi from the hallway.
"G'night." Dabi grunts back as you press your face into his side quickly.
He wraps an arm around you easily, dropping a kiss to the top of your head. He even turns his phone off and places it on the table beside the bed so he can give you his full attention.
"Ya sleepy?" He asks quietly.
You shake your head, running your fingers over the line of staples on his torso to see if there were more staples there, too.
"Wanna tell me what you'd talk to me in your head about?" He asks gently, his fingers carding through your hair as gently as possible.
"Just about things that were happening." You reply quietly, taking your duck from his chest. "Like how the tube works. And then about how Hawks was kind of mean but that I was trying to be bad so he'd get rid of me... how much I missed you, and everyone else. Sometimes I'd pretend to talk to Tomura about Legend of Zelda and make up shrine puzzles too."
You pause when you think about how you'd been bad, your mind going back to Endeavor, and how pleased Dabi had been when you said that you'd bitten the towering man. You immediately begin to sob when you remember how you'd laid on the Endeavor plushie.
"Hey... come on, honey, don't cry like that." Dabi says, kissing your head again. "We don't hafta talk about it, darlin' girl."
"No, I did something bad." You sob.
"Shh... I told ya already, you weren't bad." Dabi soothes.
You wail and shake your head. "You won't love me anymore."
"Star..." Dabi sighs, tilting your head upward and running his thumbs gently under your eyes. "You're gonna flood these cute lil' bandaids clean off. An' then you're gonna have a loose tube."
"Will not!"
"Will too. People'll start callin' ya Nosewhip like one of those Pokeymons you and 'Mura like so much."
"Pokémon." You correct tearfully.
"Nerd." Dabi snorts.
"Stop!" You whine, pressing your face into his warm palms.
"You're gonna snot on me, dork." He says, but doesn't move away, instead he kisses the top of your head once more. "What did ya do that's gotten you all upset?"
You cry into his hands, only stopping when he gently moves them away to wipe the stream of tears away.
"Hon, ya need to get whatever it is out." Dabi says gently, looking down at you as he strokes your cheek with his thumbs. "I won't get mad at ya, or stop lovin' ya, ever."
He cradles your face between his hands and continues to coast his thumbs back and forth over your cheeks as you try to calm yourself down enough to talk.
"I had a period, and my tummy really, really hurt." You say after a while, still sniffling. "But Hawks wouldn't give me a hot water bottle because I was bad and I hurt them a lot and took my tube out."
Dabi rolls his eyes. "He wouldn't give ya a little hot water? Coward. That ain't bad on your part, though darlin' girl."
You shake your head. "No. He gave me a warm plushie like ducky."
"Okay...?" Dabi says, beginning to look a little confused. "Ya do somethin' to it or...?"
You shake your head. "I lay on it, but..."
You feel tears slip down your cheeks again and Dabi cringes.
"Ya don't need to tell me about that, darli-" He begins to say.
"It was an Endeavor plush but I only agreed because my tummy hurt so bad!" You interrupt, crying harder. "I said sorry to you but you couldn't hear it and I felt bad but I needed it."
Dabi blinks in the dark. "Ya just lay on it? For your belly?"
You nod, leaning your wet cheek against one of his palms firmly. "I cuddled a pillow because I didn't wanna cuddle it."
Dabi's silent for a moment which makes you even more nervous before a slow smile creeps up on his face, the small strip of light from the window making his staples gleam for a second.
"You're silly, doll. I don't care." He says with a chuckle under his breath, then he kisses your forehead. "S' just a damn doll. If you'd been cuddlin' the real thing I mighta gotten a little upset, but not over some dumb toy for kids. 'Specially if it was helping you with yer cramps."
"...Your belly still sore?" He asks, cupping the back of your head gently.
You shake your head, still a little sniffly. "It stopped a little while ago."
"Alright." He murmurs, laying on his side and placing an arm around you. "Why don'tcha tell me about the other bad stuff you did?"
"I did lots." You admit quietly.
"Yeah? Tell me about it, princess. Make your pawpaw proud." He says slightly teasingly.
"First, I kept making the nurses sick and yelled at them because I was upset that Hawks took me away from you." You say, and he hums, rubbing your side. "Then I fought the nurses because they kept putting me to sleep, and I didn't want them looking at my privates."
"Yeah. That ain't nice." Dabi agrees, and then pauses. "Sometime you might need a doctor to look at 'em hon, but only if you're hurtin' or worried about it. Not 'cause they wanna see. Okay?"
"Okay." You agree, knowing he knows best. "But I was nice to Nurse Wani because she listened to me when I talked about you."
"Yeah? What'dya tell her about me, doll?" He asks. "Anythin' good?"
"I said that you're the nicest man ever." You say, closing your eyes slowly and yawning. "And I told her about how we met, and about the rules."
"Yeah?"
"Mhm. And that you give me hugs and head pats and call me nice names." You continue, your voice getting more sleepy. "I told her that you and Tomura are boyfriends, but you still love me."
"You're damn right." He agrees, giving you a squeeze.
"But she asked me a question I didn't like so I yelled a little and told her about Daiki and that you and 'Mura were going to tell him off for touching me so you definitely wouldn't touch me." You continue, yawning and moving closer to him.
"Mhm." Dabi responds dryly.
"I yelled at her when they said Hawks was taking me home too." You murmur. "They didn't put me to sleep that time though. I hope she doesn't hate me..."
"No-one could hate ya, cuddle bug." Dabi reassures.
"I hit Hawks and HakuchÅ a lot, too." You say, peeking at him.
"Ya did?" He asks, amused. "Ya hurt 'em good?"
"I kicked Hawks' shin a couple times and scratched, punched and headbutted HakuchÅ..." You murmur. "I didn't say sorry though."
"Shoulda aimed for the balls, kid." Dabi chuckles. "Glad you showed 'em who's boss, but ya shouldn't go around hittin' everyone. Okay?"
"Okay." You agree, surprised you're not getting told off. You then pause for a moment and add: "...But they didn't have balls."
Dabi begins belly-laughing again instantly, shaking the bed with how hard he's shaking with laughter.
"You're right about that, kid." He chuckles, smiling to himself still as he closes his own eyes.
"...I cursed at them, too." You admit.
"Eh, I think I can let ya get away wi' that, sweetheart." He says, rubbing your side again.
"I ruined the room they locked me in and took my tube out." You say, earning yourself a shocked look from Dabi finally. "...They put me to sleep for that though."
"They locked you in a room?" He asks, beginning to warm up beside you, his heat soaking through the sheets. "You took your tube out yourself?"
You take the rising heat as anger towards you, and begin to become more subdued. "Yeah, 'cause I was bad... I'm sorry."
He sighs, stroking your cheek. "You coulda hurt yourself darlin'."
"You're mad?" You ask quietly.
"Not at you." He says. "Worried about you, mad at them."
You cuddle closer to him again at the reassurance, letting your eyes close and your body go lax as he continues to rub your arm slowly.
"Pawpaw?" You ask, a little delirious.
"Starshine." He replies.
"I'm sad I didn't win." You murmur sleepily. "I wanna stay with you and 'Mura."
"You can stay. Of course you can stay." He says, kissing your head. "Now sleep. Love ya."
You don't need to be told twice, the intensity of the day and the tears you've shed throughout the day making your eyes heavy enough to stay shut, and sleep coming for you not long after.
*â¢*
"Why're you strugglin' with this, hon?" Dabi asks patiently. "S' a pancake! Ya used to fight yer uncle over these."
You press your face into his shoulder even further, hiding your face from the food. It smelt strongly, even though you used to like the smell, and it was making you feel ill.
Dabi holds your head to his shoulder, stroking your hair.
"Honestly, you're all messed up an' they're the ones paid an' praised for 'helping' people." Dabi says sourly.
"You're pressuring her. It says not to do that." Zero says calmly.
"Yeah, Dabi." Aiko agrees with a childish tone.
"Don't remember askin'." Dabi mutters into your hair, kissing your head after.
"Lil' love." Giran says, his large hand rubbing your shoulder. "How 'bouta shake instead? Lotsa yummy fruit an' you don't even hafta eat it!"
"Good idea." Aiko says, she was being a little less mean than the last time you'd met her.
You hear her chair squeak, and then the cupboard doors in the kitchen opening, bottles rattling as she looks for fruit, probably.
"What fruit do ya want, Starshine?" Dabi asks, shifting as he slides the plate behind you away.
"Apples." You say quietly.
"Ya need more than that, sweetpea." Giran says, patting your shoulder.
"...Strawberries." You add reluctantly.
"Want some watermelon an' grapes too?" He asks.
"Okay." You murmur into Dabi's shoulder.
"Good girl." Giran says, kissing the top of your head.
And then he leaves Dabi to cradle you on his lap while he carries on making you breakfast, Zero and Dabi already having eaten. Aiko arrived early in the morning to see Giran, and had been surprised when she'd seen you all there too, but when she'd set eyes on you being carried by Dabi, she'd stopped looking like she was annoyed with you all.
"I'll hafta talk to Tomura about all this when he's back." Dabi sighs, petting your hair. "He knows about this kinda stuff."
"Tomura's not home?" You ask, still remaining slumped against your dad.
"Naw, hon. He's gone adventurin'." Dabi replies, a little bitterly.
"Aw." You whine, pouting a little.
You jolt when the blender starts up, Dabi holding onto you a little tighter for a moment and presses a kiss to your temple soon after.
It doesn't whirr for long, and it doesn't smell strongly enough to make you feel sick, so when you're gently peeled away from Dabi and encouraged to hold the shake in your hands you do so without complaints.
You lean against Dabi as you sip the shake through the straw, sitting quietly. You were tired today, and you just wanted to be cuddled and sit quietly. He strokes your hair lovingly as you sip the juice, Zero, Giran and Aiko all talking to one another.
Aiko seems really chatty with Zero in particular, and she keeps smiling back at him when he talks to her, which you hadn't really seen her do before.
"Can I see Uncle Jin today?" You ask Dabi quietly.
"Not today, darlin'." Dabi says, kissing your head. "Think ya need ta rest."
You sigh, slumping against him.
"I know, doll." He says apologetically. "But you're a sick lil' bug. Gotta take good care of ya."
"I'm not a bug." You deny.
"Are too. A rare Star bug." Dabi teases, like you'd never been away. "Gonna make ya a enclosure."
"You're not funny." You huff, but put the glass on the table and wrap your arms around him.
"Tha' nice, sweetheart?" Giran asks, clearing the glass for you.
You nod. "Thank you grandpaw."
Aiko had been leaning against Zero's side, watching over his shoulder as he scrolls through his phone, clearly researching something in a really friendly manner until she heard the word 'grandpaw' fall from your lips.
She sits up and looks at you.
"Grandpa?" She asks.
"Tha's right. Star's my granddaughter an' you know Dabi's always been like a son ta me." Giran replies, bopping her head with a spatula.
"What would that make me?" She says with a roll of her eyes.
"Aunty Aiko." You say quietly.
She blinks at you in surprise for a moment, and then huffs, her face turning a little red. "Don't go thinking you're cute, kid."
Dabi chuckles and Zero catches your eye to give you a wink.
"Call her that more." Dabi instructs quietly, and then kisses your cheek.
"Star, ya got any more stories from when ya were away?" Giran asks, finally sitting down at the head of the table, crossing his legs.
"Not really, I wasn't allowed out much." You say, picking at the sweater Dabi's wearing. "When Zero got me, we had been to a cat café! That was fun. I petted a cat called Lasagne, and he rumbled on my lap."
"You went to a fu-frickin' cat café?" Dabi asks, astounded.
"It's called purring." Zero corrects. "The area around their vocal chords vibrate when they're content, stressed or simply-"
You're actually listening to what Zero has to say, but Dabi waves him off.
"They let ya outside to go to a cat café?" Dabi questions again.
You nod. "HakuchÅ wanted to go on a date but Hawks wouldn't let her unless I came, too."
Dabi blinks, and then frowns. "A date?"
You nod. "His name was Shinsou, he was cool. He has purple hair like Spinner and he dressed like you."
"Didn't do anythin' to upset ya?" He asks.
"Nope, he was nice. He got me apple juice." You say simply.
"Didn't do anything that made you uncomfortable?" He continues to ask.
You sigh, sick of people asking you that question. "No. Apart from kissing HakuchÅ, because that's gross."
"Kissing is gross." Zero agrees, and Aiko looks at him a little taken aback.
"It is." Dabi agrees too, earning a scoff from Aiko that he ignores as he moves hair out of your face tenderly. "Did you have fun? At the café?"
You nod, and he gives you a small smile, but it doesn't look overly genuine.
"That's somethin' at least." He sighs, kissing your head again.
Everyone all goes to their own conversations again, Aiko moving close to Zero's ear to ask him something, Zero ducking his head politely to hear her better, his mismatched eyes thoughtful as he listens to whatever she's asking and then smiles faintly and quietly responds.
"Dad?" You whisper to Dabi.
"Mm, hon?" Dabi replies.
"Aiko likes Zero?" You ask as quietly as you can.
He chuckles, and ruffles your hair gently. "She has a thing for broken people."
You frown, insulted for Zero and confused, but you decide to drop it there.
"...Dad?"
"Still here, doll." He reminds you with the tiniest smirk.
"Why did Uncle Zero hurt that man? And..." You pause. "Hawks said you hurt people too."
Dabi goes quiet for a moment or two, slowly placing his chin on your head.
"Because he wanted to get you back, an' out of that situation where you were hurtin' and sad. Plus, Zero told me the car hit him, doll. They hurt him first."
You look over at Zero, concerned for the stitched-up man.
"As for me, that's somethin' I'll tell you about when you're older." He says firmly.
"How much older? Twelve?" You ask.
"Every time you ask I'll add a year." He says, going to flick your nose and then thinking better of it, kissing his finger and pressing it to the tip of your nose softly instead. "Don't worry about it, 'kay? Your pawpaw would never hurt you."
"Okay." You reply, having faith in him. "Can you tell me why me and mom are different, then?"
"Not right now, Star." Dabi responds.
"But you said yesterday you'd tell me 'later'." You remind him.
"Later ain't now. You need to rest, an' thinkin' about your mom just stresses you out." Dabi sighs.
Admittedly, he had a point there.
You pause, dropping the subject and watching as Aiko quietly asks Zero something and Giran watches the two with amused pink eyes, his fingers digging into his pocket, probably for cigarettes.
You tilt your head back to look at Dabi, once again hit with a wave of relief when he immediately looks down at you with those neon blue eyes.
"Pawpaw?" You ask.
"Yes, princess?" He asks in return.
"Can we get a cat?" You ask shyly.
His expression softens, a small smirk pulling at one side of his mouth. "A cat, huh?"
You nod. "An orange one."
"Specifically an orange one?" He snorts. "Ain't askin' for much, huh? Might start thinkin' you're spoiled."
"Cats are good companion animals." Zero begins to say, with that faint smile ever-present on his lips.
Aiko seems to have moved away from where she had been pressed up against him, looking a little embarrassed as she leans her face on her hand, looking at you and Dabi with an emotion you don't recognise in her eyes.
"Well, we gotta see what your pa thinks of havin' a cat runnin' around. Ya know he's a bit nervy around animals." Dabi says. "But I ain't gonna say no to a cat."
Dabi pauses for a moment, his eyes going distant as though he's thinking about something, and then he meets your eyes again with a mischievous smile.
"How about, if Tomura's alright wi' it, we get you a cat when you're all better? Sound like a deal?"
"Deal!" You agree, thumping your head against his chest again.
Now you were back to your family, being loved, treasured and adored, you were bound to get better, after all.