A Lost Creation

Paths Cross

"Will you go to sleep, Star?" Dabi groans as you stir next to him again.

"I can't sleep." You whisper.

"Try harder." He replies shortly.

"I'm scared." You tell him, turning over again to press your face into his warm back.

You feel him sigh. "You don't needta be scared. 'Mura already told Re-Destro and Skeptic they're not to come near ya."

"But what if they don't listen?" You immediately counter.

"You think they wouldn't listen ta Tomura?" Dabi asks back.

You pause. He had a fair point. Everyone listened to Tomura, even Dabi himself- although sometimes he'd be sassy about it at times.

"Tha's what I thought. Now get ta sleep." Dabi says gruffly.

"I don't like my outfit." You try instead.

"Star."

You huff, making sure you do it hard enough for Dabi to feel the movement of your breath against his back.
You really didn't like the outfit picked out for you tomorrow. Some black leotard with a star printed on the chest. Dabi said you could wear it with some black pants and a cardigan, and Tomura said that it was a 'peace offering' from the men that had taken you, so you had to be good and wear it.

"It's one a.m., you know what that means?" Dabi asks.

"What?" You ask curiously.

"S' time for little squirts like you to go the f- hell to sleep. Quit buggin' me, close those eyes and get some z's. Or else."

"Or else what?" You question. Dabi hadn't ever really given you an 'or else' scenario before.

"Or else I'm gonna hide your teddies in the spider nest yer uncle found in the basement." Dabi replies.

You frown, clinging to him tighter. "You wouldn't."

"Wouldn't I?" Dabi asks with a yawn. "I'm the oldest of four, kid. I've done worse for less."

"Liar." You murmur.

"Really wanna risk findin' out, Starshine?" Dabi asks in a way that makes you doubt your confidence in him.

You let your silence speak for you, and not long after, Dabi's asleep from what you can tell from his breathing.
You hold onto him tight, squeezing your eyes shut and praying that sleep will come to you. You try every method that Dabi has taught you.
Counting ducks, thinking of a time you were really happy, counting the staples you could feel across his belly, trying to recite English words and sentences you'd learned with Uncle Jin and Spinner in your head...
But none of it works.

So you decide to go and see Tomura downstairs. You know he's usually awake all times of the night, and he probably gets lonely having to sleep downstairs with his bad leg.
You slide away from Dabi slowly, not that he tends to wake easily anyway. He's in the sleep-mumbling phase of his sleep now, so you could probably get away with moving a little clumsier if you wanted.
It's hard to navigate in the dark, and your heart is pounding as you feel around in the dark, taking careful steps down the staircase, but you get to the bottom floor and head towards the main recreational room where you know Tomura has been sleeping.

"What're you doing, Star?" You hear in the darkness when you open the door to the room.

"How do you know it's me?" You ask back.

"Tiny footsteps." Tomura replies with a smirk in his voice.

"I can't sleep. Can I come and sit with you?" You ask quietly, as though anyone upstairs would be able to hear you speaking if you were to talk any louder.