BLOW.

KEEP IT HUSH HUSH

forget me not, laufey

Even after everyone else had drifted to dream land, Juniper couldn't quite fall asleep. The darkness had her on edge, causing her to sit up to try getting up to calm down. She pulled the blanket off of her and stood up, glancing at her beloved sleeping classmates.

Her movement caught someone's attention, causing him to sit up and follow after the girl.

Juniper immediately saw his movement, rerouting to grab his hand and help him get up. She gave a meek smile, patting his head before guiding them away to one of the hallways to talk without waking those asleep.

"Hey Sho. Can't sleep?"

He observed her carefully, seeing how the moonlight had perfectly illuminated her as if she were an ethereal figure. He wouldn't mind looking at her forever. "I just couldn't fall asleep. Are you okay?"

She shrugged, fidgeting with her hands as she gave a glimpse into her mind, "I've just been thinking a lot. I worry that the league will come back for me... I worry that they could come attack at any time... But most of all... I'm worried about Touya."

Shoto tensed up, not quite expecting his brother's name to be mentioned. He may have noticed how she acted along with Dabi, even considering the similarity in her behavior towards Touya. It was hard for him to actually believe that his brother was alive, especially after all this time. The shock made his chest feel tight as his eyes glazed over, "Touya... There's no way it was actually him, Juni. Touya is dead."

The girl shook her head, a sure and anxious expression as she spoke, "I know it's him. His blue flames, he showed me them before he disappeared. He even told me what happened to him that day on ___ peak. He was showing Endeavor his power, only for it to lose control and burn the whole park down. It was All For One who took him, putting a corpse in his spot to trick us all. We need to get him back somehow." She was resolute in her mission, using the guilt she felt from running away to fuel her will to fight.

It was a lot to take in. He slid down the wall, sitting on the floor as he let the words sink in. Touya was alive. He never died, instead turning to a life of villainy as a new person. Juniper followed his lead, sinking down next to the boy and leaning on him. He had many many questions, but decided on one to ask, "... Should we tell the police?"

"No!! We can't." Juniper responded quickly, immediately dismissing the idea as she looked at Shoto. "It's not like it would help, would it? We just need to wait for our chance to get him back, I know it."

He saw the determination in her eyes. Shoto grabbed her hand, holding it in his lap as he carefully thought. "How do we know he even wants to come back?"

Juniper lost some confidence as she spluttered out an answer, "Of course he does!! D-Doesn't he?" Her head began to spin as she thought of her time with the boy, "He was so happy to see me... I thought we would stay together, he even promised that he wouldn't leave me. I left him, I was the one who left. Shouldn't I try to get him back? It's my fault Shigaraki died and it's my fault I left him behind. I just want us to be all together again."

The boy wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to lean on his chest. He had a lot to think about but formed a temporary answer, "It's not your fault, Juniper. We... We don't have to tell anyone yet. Maybe that will change in the future, but for now we'll keep it a secret."

Nodding, Juniper began to drift asleep, feeling comfortable and warm in the boy's grasp. "And then we'll all be together..."

Shoto glanced at the sleeping girl, her breaths becoming heavy as she truly fell asleep. He hated seeing her so torn up about Touya and constantly worried about being attacked. It made him feel as though he should protect her better, keep her out of harms way, and let her remain happy with everyone she loved. He had to focus and become stronger to protect her from the world's ugly chaos.

He decided that would be his new goal, no longer aiming to be number one, just to protect Juniper's happiness.

After making sure she was asleep for a few moments, Shoto carefully picked the girl up, taking extra care to not wake her up. He softly walked over to where she had set up, stepping through the girls' barrier and gently placing her down on the cushions. He tucked her in, putting the white cat plush in her arms that she took with a subconscious smile on her face. Shoto pat her head one last time before cautiously making his way to his own sleeping area.

Juniper was precious to Shoto, more important than anything else in his life.

He knew he could do anything for the girl's happiness.