A Lost Creation

Pawpaws

Eventually, you huff and turn your face away, staring out of the window and falling silent again.

You feel Dabi's eyes burning into the side of your face for a little while before he's turning even more and reaching to stroke your cheek softly.

"Did I upset ya, hon?" He asks, and you ignore him. "...C'mon, I was just playin'. Don't get all grumpy wi' your old man."

"It was a secret." You reply, your voice thick from tears unshed.

"I won't tell anyone, Star." Zero reassures. "If it'll make you happy, I'll keep it a secret forever. I won't even discuss it with you if that's what you want."

"You're not going to make fun of me?" You ask, looking at your uncle dubiously.

"Why would I?" Zero asks, tilting his head in confusion and looking at you again for a split second in the rear-view mirror. "Crushes are normal. Even at your age."

"Thank you." You whisper. "Love you, Uncle Zero."

Zero's face drops a little, going more blank like it does sometimes, but it only lasts a second before the stitched corners of his mouth turn upwards faintly again.

"I haven't learned that one yet, Star, but I like you too." Zero says in his usual calm tone.

"You're weird." You half-tease.

You don't know why he didn't just admit it, because he had to love you. After all, he hurt someone to get you back with the rest of your family, and you wouldn't do that for someone you didn't love.

Maybe he was just shy.

"Watch it, twerp." Dabi warns, but you can hear the smirk in his voice. "You feelin' better today, darlin'? You're chattin' a lot."

"I'm sleepy, but I'm excited to see Himiko, Atsuhiro and Spinner again." You reply, side-eyeing Zero to see if there's any kind of reaction from the man when you say Spinner's name, but his faint smile remains. "Is Uncle Jin home, too?"

"Not yet hon." Dabi replies, and then goes quiet for a while. "Hey, doll. Needta tell ya somethin'."

"What is it?" You ask curiously.

"Atsuhiro... Compress, he got arrested, like Kurogiri." Dabi tells you slowly. "He's not at home, either."

"Why?" You ask, your shoulders drooping. "Did he hurt someone, too?"

"S' a long story, darlin' girl." Dabi replies a little apologetically, peering at you. "Don't get too upset, m' sure we'll see him again soon."

You go completely silent this time, going back to watching the trees pass outside the window as Zero drives through the wooded area close to your home. You recognise it from all the other times you'd been driven through it before, and although you're excited to go home, and see everyone you'd missed so dearly, it is a little less exciting while knowing your pa, Uncle Jin and Atsuhiro are still missing.

You feel Dabi's eyes on you for a while, but he doesn't say anything more, he just lets you all sit quietly in peace for the remainder of the journey.

When you pull up, you wait for Dabi to tell you it's safe to get out of the car to undo your seatbelt and hurry out of the car. You're pretty tired, and would probably go to sleep when you were able to, but you were going to use the remainder of your energy to rush to see your family.

Apparently, the speed you're moving at isn't actually as fast as you feel like it is, because Dabi's managing to keep pace with you easily, with Zero walking at a relatively normal pace behind you both, keeping watch.