You wake up alone in the bed, but Zero is up already, tidying your room in silence rather impressively. The second you sit up, he turns to look at you with a few items of your clothing draped over his scarred arm.

"Good morning, Star." He greets.

"Morning." You grumble sleepily, rubbing your eyes.

"Did you rest well? No more nightmares?" He asks calmly as he picks more clothes off the floor.

You make a sleepy noise of agreement, pushing yourself out of the bed and walking to hug him like you did every morning.

But before you can wrap your arms around his waist, he stops you with his free hand placed at the top of your head. You look at him in confusion, watching as his eyes scan your face thoughtfully.

"I'll get your dad." He says simply, carrying the pile of clothes off with him.

You watch him in confusion, wondering what could be wrong that he'd need to get Dabi or Tomura straight away. You wonder if maybe you were in trouble for not knocking on the door last night, and that they were delaying your punishment.

You start getting nervous almost instantly, your face twitching as you automatically look to find somewhere to hide before you can be told off.

You don't manage to shove yourself into the wardrobe in time before you hear Zero, Dabi and Tomura coming up the stairs and talking to one another.

"Mornin' sleepin' beauty." Dabi greets as he comes into the room, crouching and holding his arms out for you.

You stay frozen like a deer in headlights, staring at Tomura even though he seems as stoic as usual and not at all like he might be mad. His ruby eyes are settled completely on your face, and he hums a little to himself before getting on his knees beside Dabi and beckoning you over.

Your twitch gets worse and you look at Dabi desperately for back-up.

"Come over here, dork." Dabi says, rolling his eyes.

"I want to look at your face." Tomura says, encouraging you over with a hand motion again, holding it out expectantly for you to place your face in.

You begin glowing green faintly, and your face itches. Your hand raises, but Dabi quickly snatches your wrist, holding it gently but firmly enough that you would have to exert some effort to get out of his grasp.

"Don't itch it." He says.

His thumb rubs the protruding bone on your wrist as he pulls you forward carefully with his grip on you, neither him or Tomura changing their expressions in a way that would give away whether they were going to yell at you or not.

"Am I in trouble?" You manage to squeak out the closer you get to Tomura's outstretched hand.

"No. You have a rash on your face. I want to look at it." Tomura replies calmly.

"A rash?" You ask, going to touch your face with your other hand, only to be given a stern look from Dabi.

"Come here so I can look at it." Tomura repeats.

You gingerly place your chin in his palm, your breath catching on instinct when his fingers close around your face, even though he's gentle.

He uses his grip on your face to pull you closer, brushing a thumb over your other cheek reassuringly.

"It itchy?" Dabi asks you worriedly.

"A little." You admit quietly.

"It's just hives." Tomura says calmly, gently running his thumb over the inflamed patch of skin and making it itchy again. "Probably from stress."

"Like from bees?" You worry.

Dabi snorts and then coughs, rubbing your arm affectionately with an amused look in his eyes. And Tomura huffs in amusement, too.

"Another word for rash, Starlight. You have a stress rash. All here." He motions on his face where the rash would be on yours.

"Who'da thought she'd take after you?" Dabi simpers, earning a quick jab in the ribs from Tomura's elbow.

"Would you like some medicine to take away the itchiness?" Tomura asks you, ignoring Dabi as he groans in pain exaggeratedly.

You nod, reaching for Tomura now you knew he wasn't mad at you.

He lifts you up in one quick movement, holding you with ease to his side as he carries you to his and Dabi's room, and you take the chance to play with his long white hair, learning how soft it is to touch as you idly braid it.

Dabi seems to leave you both to it, not following behind you as Tomura sets you on the bathroom countertop.

His hair is so long that you don't even have to let go of it when he reaches for the bag in the overhead cupboard and brings it down to rummage through it.

"Mura?" You ask as you continue weaving the strands of white together.

"Yes, Star?" He replies.

"Is it ugly?" You ask quietly.

He pauses for a moment, and then fully stops what he's doing, turning to look at you with all his attention.

"No. You're still cute, little Star." He says, the three words being the nicest things he'd ever said outwardly to you.

"Really?" You ask, a little surprised. You'd never heard him call anyone or anything cute before, not even Pokemon that were definitely cute.

"Really." He nods, and then returns back to finding the medicine.

You sit quietly, swinging your legs as he washes his hands and then begins to apply a cold ointment to your warm rash. You hadn't even realised how hot your face was until the cool was put onto it.

Tomura is really gentle with you as he applies the ointment, his fingertips barely grazing over your face and softly rubbing the stuff into your skin slowly.

"Pawpaw said you're going away for work." You say as you watch his eyes carefully.

He hums a response, his thumb gliding more ointment over your cheek.

"How long are you going away for? I'll miss you." You tell him sadly.

"I'm not sure yet." Tomura replies. "I'll miss you too."

"Even though I didn't knock?" You ask.

Tomura snorts, his cracked lips pulling up at the corners slightly. "Even though you didn't knock."

"Then don't go?" You try hopefully.

"I don't have a choice, Star." He says simply.

"Aw." You pout a little, and he pinches your bottom lip playfully with a small smirk.

"None of that. When I come back, I'll bring you a gift." He says in a way that sounds like a promise.

"A gift?" You ask curiously.

"Yes, but there's conditions." He says, finishing up the application of the soothing cream on your face and washing his hands again.

"Conditions? Like what?" You ask, watching him intently.

Tomura dries his hands before returning his attention back to you, gripping your chin and looking down at you softly.

"When I come back, I want to see you looking healthier. That means I want you to gain some more weight. Your dad and I are worried about you." He says, looking down at you with an intensity that makes you feel like you can't look away.

"I'm trying, pa." You insist, sadly.

"I know. Keep trying." He encourages. "I want you to keep doing your textbooks. I want to see that your quirk's back and you can control it again, too."

"But... How long are you going for?" You ask worriedly.

"Can you do those things for me?" He asks, ignoring your own question.

"I'll try, but-"

"If you get sad or miss me, I want you to play shrines." He says, stroking your cheek faintly with the back of his knuckles. "Make sure Dabi doesn't forget to put this on until it's gone, okay?"

"Okay." You agree, your eyes widening when cracked lips press against your forehead quickly.

"Love you, little Starlight." He says, picking you up and putting you back down on the ground.

"Love you pa." You pause. "Can you keep the braid in your hair while you're gone?"

Tomura looks at his mass of white hair, carefully threading his fingers through it until he finds the thin braid you'd made within it.
There's a flash of amusement in his eyes when he comes to look at you again, holding the braid between his fingers.

"Of course." He says. "Go have your breakfast."

You hum an agreement, scurrying out of their bathroom and bedroom to go downstairs to find Zero or Dabi. Naturally the second Himiko and Jin see you, they're both fussing over you because of your face.

Jin sits you on his lap while Himiko frets over the rash, her slender fingers delicately tugging your face this way and that as she worries.
Zero wordlessly allows them to continue worrying about you as he makes you a fruit shake, but when Dabi comes back inside from smoking he playfully swats Himiko's hands away from the irritated clusters on your cheek and tells her to 'back off'.

Jin still keeps you on his lap as you sip your shake, trying to be braver about it so you could gain some weight and get whatever gift it was that Tomura had in mind for when he came back.

Dabi crouches by your side, moving your hair out of your face and looking at your rash with a slight frown.

"He put some cream on it?" He asks.

"Mhm, he said to make sure you don't forget to keep putting it on until it's gone." You say with a mouthful of shake.

Dabi rolls his eyes and ruffles your hair as he stands.

"What do ya wanna do today then, hon?" Dabi asks, leaning against the countertop next to Zero who's standing and eating cereal clumsily.

"Can we do painting together?" You ask, stirring the shake with the straw Zero put in it.

"Well... Sure, but don'tcha wanna go outside?" He asks in return.

You shake your head adamantly.

"C'mon! Bet the duckies miss you!" Jin tries to encourage, squeezing your tummy gently. "Quack quack!"

"Careful of her belly." Dabi snaps.

You feel a little sick but you don't mind because it's Uncle Jin and he wouldn't have made you feel bad on purpose.

"Easy man, just givin' her love!" Jin replies defensively.

"Well love her gently." Dabi retorts.

"Please don't fight over Star's breakfast." Zero says with milk dripping down his chin.

"We're not fightin'!" Dabi replies irritably, tearing off tissue and thrusting it towards Zero wordlessly.

"Can I paint too?" Himiko asks, leaning her face in her hands as she watches you adoringly from opposite the table.

You shake your head apologetically. "It's a Star and paw day."

Himiko pouts, so you immediately go on damage control. "Maybe another day we can paint?"

This immediately lightens her mood and she bounces her head up and down, instantly inviting Jin to the painting party that you were inevitably going to be having in the future.

Tomura appears in the kitchen, wearing a tight black shirt with a tattered red cape around his shoulders and tight black pants too that look like they have some kind of guards in the calves going up to his thighs.

Everyone goes quiet, even Himiko, and you notice his eyes are glowing again.

"I'll be going now." He says, looking around, but his eyes linger on Dabi and he seems to sneer. "See you all there."

"Bye-bye pa. Have you got your br-" You begin to say.

"Goodbye Shigaraki." Zero interrupts, bowing his head.

"Bye Tomura!" Himiko calls cheerily, but there's an edge in her eyes as she looks at him.

"Seeya out there, Shigaraki!" Jin calls, giving him a mock salute. "Don't go dy-"

Dabi smacks the back of his head in time to shut him up, staring at Tomura with an expression you can't make out.

"Seeya boss." He says nonchalantly, but his Adams apple bobs up and down. "Be careful, Tomura."

You want to get up to give Tomura a hug but Uncle Jin keeps you firmly seated in his lap, pretending he can't feel you trying to pull away as Tomura turns on his heel to leave.

"So what're we paintin' then, dollface?" Dabi asks, ruffling your hair with enough force to make you whine in annoyance and distract you.

*•*

You were sitting side by side at the kitchen table, you were painting a picture of an orange cat, and Dabi had doodled some stars and a moon on his page in the sketchbook you were sharing, and was idly colouring them in with some pencils Uncle Giran had given you.

It was peaceful, and nice to spend some time alone with Dabi like you used to.

You didn't have to talk, but when you did it was nice. You liked sitting in the quiet too, and just occasionally thumping your head against the arm closest to you to let him know you were still enjoying your time together and appreciated having him close.

Zero had wandered in after an hour of you both being alone to make another shake, and he also cut up some soft fruits and placed it wordlessly in the middle of you both, glancing at your painting before leaving again.

You force yourself to drink the shake, even though you do it slowly, and Dabi doesn't touch the fruit for a while before lazily plucking a strawberry from one of the bowls and popping it in his mouth without comment.

You watch for a second before nervously reaching for a strawberry too and taking a small bite, not noticing Dabi tensing beside you momentarily, returning back to what he's doing soon after and placing his free hand on the back of your head.

You decide that it's not too bad, but your anxiety about being sick again makes your mouth water like you're going to be sick, so you wait for it to go away again before picking up a blueberry after Dabi does.

You find the blueberries don't make you feel sick, so you end up eating them without even really thinking about it as you paint.

"Dad?" You ask after a while.

Dabi hums in acknowledgment, focusing on trying to add some blue highlights to the stars.

"Mura said 'see you all there'." You muse. "Are you going away too?"

Dabi continues colouring without answering for a few moments.

"Just for a lil' while, hon, yeah." He replies finally.

"Can I come?" You ask, looking up at him.

"Naw, hon." He says, putting his pencil down to focus entirely on you, and he begins to pet your hair. "It's... Gonna be borin'. Real borin'. There won't be any kids your age there, and yer Uncle Giran said he's got plans for ya while I'm away."

"I'm staying with Uncle Giran?" You ask. "Is Zero staying too?"

"No, hon. Zero's comin' with us." Dabi replies calmly.

You immediately start panicking, dropping your paintbrush into the cup of water and twitching away.

"Star..." He sighs, his blue eyes going solemn. "It'll be alright. You love seein' the old man."

"But what if we get taken again?" You worry.

"Ain't gonna happen." Dabi says with complete confidence. "The heroes are gonna be too busy to worry 'emselves with you two. An' the Liberation Front is as good as disbanded now. Don't think anyone'd dare snatch you from me again, dollface."

You're not confident though, and it must be written all over your face because his lips fall downward slightly and his look goes even softer on you as he strokes your cheek softly.

"C'mon. It'll be a few days, tops. An' your... grandpaw is lookin' forward to spoiling you." Dabi tries to bribe.

"But why?" You ask, hurt clear in your tone.

"Hon, I have to do this, 'kay?" He says, sighing a little. "My old man'll be there, an' I got things I wanna say an' do."

"But I already bit him!" You exclaim.

"You did." Dabi nods with a smirk. "But maybe I wanna bite him."

"Biting's bad." You remind him.

"Bad things happen to bad people, twerp. That's karma." Dabi retorts, flicking your nose.

You grumble, scowl at him and cover your nose with your hand. He chuckles at your reaction and ruffles your hair affectionately, like he always did.

You flick his nose back the second he's off-guard, when he assumes the conversation is done and he turns to return to his colouring. You don't get much of a reaction beyond his eyes widening for a split second, though.

"Karma!" You exclaim with a little frown.

He snorts. "I can already tell I'm gonna regret teaching ya that one."

You go to do it again and he catches your wrist before you can repeat your actions, his grin growing wider as he holds it tightly enough for you not to be able to get out of his grip. You try to use your other arm instead, but Dabi grabs that one too, holding onto both of your wrists with a grin that tugs uncomfortably at the staples in the corners of his mouth.

You grunt as you try to wiggle out of his grasp, scowling at him the entire time.

"Get off!" You grunt, trying to wrench your arms away.

"Mm, no." Dabi teases. "You'll just try flickin' me again."

"Nuh-uh!" You deny, trying even harder to pull away from him. "Get off!"

He chuckles, but does let go of you, patting your head affectionately. "Finish yer damn painting, nerd."

*•*

"I don't wanna." You say stubbornly.

"But I wanna. It's Star and paw day. You had your turn, now it's mine." Dabi replies just as stubbornly.

"But what if I get taken again?" You worry, moving to itch your face, only for Dabi to catch your wrist easily once again.

"Look an' listen, sweetheart." Dabi orders, still holding your wrist and you obey, looking him straight in those glacial eyes. "No-one's takin' anyone anywhere."

"But-" You begin to persist.

"No-one is takin' you anywhere. I'm gonna be there the whole time. I keep you safe, don't I?"

You nod shyly.

"So you'll be safe out there. There's a curfew anyways, so there shouldn't be anyone about."

"I don't know what that means..." You murmur as he lets go of your wrist.

"It means it's safe an' sound out there." Dabi says, standing up.

"Please, I really don't wanna, pawpaw." You beg.

"Star, I love ya, but it ain't gonna do you any good lettin' you rot away inside 'cause you're scared." Dabi says, sounding like he's struggling to be firm with you. "C'mon, let's go see your ducks."

You shake your head, your bottom lip threatening to wobble and your eyes watering. You don't mean to cry, but the idea of being outside and potentially taken and put to sleep again is terrifying.

Even without any tears being shed, Dabi's expression becomes pitying and he sighs.

"Compromise." He says. "We sit outside on the balcony or on the grass an' watch the stars."

"Here?" You ask dubiously.

"Here." He nods.

You think about it for a second. You would still be home, just outside, and that was okay and safe, because you'd sat on the balcony for a while alone before and nothing had happened.

Tentatively, you nod, and Dabi grins immediately, finishing pulling your jacket over your shoulders and gently leading you to the balcony, grabbing a blanket from your room as he leaves it.

The night air is cold, but Dabi sits cross legged and pulls you between them so that you can leech off his body heat still, and wraps the blanket around you, too.

"Toasty?" He asks after wrapping you up like a Star burrito again.

"Mhm." You agree. "My tooth hurts."

"The wobbly one?" He asks. "Tilt yer head back."

You look back at him, the back of your head resting against his shoulder. Curious blue eyes look down at you as you wobble the tooth the furthest it'll go.

"Mm. Yeah." He says, cringing a little. "Trust me, doll?"

You nod without thinking, squeaking in surprise when there's a sharp tug in your mouth and suddenly your tooth is being held in front of you.
It happens so quickly that you don't know how to react, and just kind of blink at it.

"F' ya put it under the pillow, the tooth fairy will come an' take it, an' leave you a little gift." Dabi says, gently pressing the tooth into your hand. "Don't lose it, 'kay?"

"A tooth fairy?" You ask curiously, wincing when you taste blood in your mouth.

"Mhm. They take yer teeth, an' leave you a present for the morning." Dabi explains.

"Are they scary?" You ask, looking at him again.

"Nah, they're nice." He says knowingly. "Nasty fairies don't leave gifts behind."

"But why do they take teeth?" You ask curiously. "Is that why Uncle Giran has missing teeth?"

Dabi snorts, smirking down at you. "Ta build their houses, hon."

"Ohh..." You reply slowly, looking at the stars again, gripping the tooth tightly in your hand.

"Love you, Starshine." Dabi says, kissing your head and then leaning his chin on the top of your head afterwards.

"Love you too, dad." You reply easily.

"Don't lose that tooth, kid." He reminds you.

"I won't." You reply certainly, squeezing it even tighter, even though it's a little sharp.