A Lost Creation

Good Job, Star!

Just as you'd expected, your sleep was plagued with nightmares.
The first one was brief, one you didn't remember the details of. You just were left with the feeling of dread it left behind.
Luckily Dabi was still awake when you woke from that one, scrolling through his phone with a frown on his face.
When you'd cuddled more into his side with a little whine, he'd glanced down at you, the look of anger at his phone changing to one of pity as he looked down at you.
He'd put his phone down on his chest, petting your hair and softly shushing you.

The second time, you'd dreamed that the big, blonde, muscular hero that had slung you over your shoulder had actually managed to get away with tearing you away from Dabi and his coworkers.
He'd taken you to a home, where you were left with all the other kids that either weren't wanted, or had lost their parents too, and Imasuji had tried to adopt you.
That one had you waking with a gasp, your fingers digging into the ribbed scars on Dabi's arms with enough power to make him wake with a hissed curse word that you pretended not to hear.

Rinse and repeat with how he managed to get you back to sleep, this time he leaned his head against your own, giving the odd kiss to the top of your head.

The final nightmare you had, you dreamed that Dabi was actually dead, and that you'd just been sleeping the entire time earlier, dreaming he was still alive.
The others decided they didn't want to look after you and left you on the streets again, and they hadn't even given you teddy back.
You'd tried searching for Giran, but no-one knew who he was, and if they did, they wouldn't take you to him.

Dabi had actually woken you up from that one, asking you why you were calling out for Giran in your sleep. You were confused at first, relieved to see Dabi was still alive, and then ecstatic to see your teddy wedged between you and Dabi.
You'd whispered about what you'd dreamt about to Dabi, clinging onto him as though you'd fall to your death if you didn't.

"Wanna try 'Yumi's trick?" He asks sleepily. "Can ya do it yourself or do ya need me to come up wi' somethin'?"

You always preferred the stories Dabi would come up with in comparison to your own, so you opt for that choice, wondering what he'd change your nightmare into this time.
He takes a little while coming up with something, to the point you'd actually wondered if he'd fallen asleep.

"They were jus' gonna throw you a big surprise party." He says with a yawn. "Uncle Giran was gonna be there too. That's why ya couldn't find him."

"A party?" You query quietly.

"Mhm. Because you were so brave earlier." Dabi mumbles sleepily, nuzzling his face into your hair.

The story rolls off his tongue so fluidly, like he'd done it a million times before so it was effortless for him to do it again.

"Why would they leave me on the street for a party?" You ask, trying to poke holes in his story.

"It was gonna be a street party, they were waitin' for you to find them." He replies, as though he had already been expecting you to ask that.

"But I'd still be sad that you were dead, even if there was a party." You say sadly.

"I faked my death for the extra surprise." He says, continuing to spin his tale.

Surprisingly, it really does help. His answers were plausible in your sleepy, young brain. You try to reimagine the dream you had in Dabi's version. It's a lot better than the nightmare you'd actually had, and the use of your imagination does actually help you lull yourself back to sleep again, comfortably cuddled up against Dabi.

*•*

You wake up disoriented, waking up sweaty enough for your hair to be slicked to your face.
You give a confused grunt, leaning up on one of your elbows, taking in the slightly blurry sight of Dabi quickly changing the TV channel to cartoons.