Touya may have gone a little overboard.
He ended up leaving with paint, paintbrushes, a few small canvases and he'd bought her a crépe, too, for when they sat with the ducks.
Money wasn't too much of an issue. Shigaraki had paid him, and even chucked him extra because Moonfish had fucked his arm up.
He didn't want little Star worrying about money, anyway.
She was too young. And a ten year old using the word 'selfish' when referring to themselves really didn't sit right with him.
Something about that stank of an adult telling her she was selfish before, and from the sounds of it, it didn't sound like she was ever in a position to ever really be truly 'selfish' in her previous life.
Not like Touya.
Sure, his childhood wasn't necessarily the best, but his old man had an abundance of money, and wasn't shy of throwing it at his kids and wife to 'fix' the problems he'd made.
Touya had been known to thrown tantrums when he didn't get his way before. Hell, sometimes he lost his temper now when things didn't go how he wanted them to. It was a rite of passage of being a kid.
In fact, he wanted her to be a little more selfish. Whatever she did was either for him, or to help someone else out, like she needed to prove herself, or pull her weight, when it really wasn't expected of her.
She still didn't quite seem to understand that she wasn't in any danger of Touya leaving her, or getting mad at her in a way that would put her in any kind of danger, or refusing anything she wanted or needed... within reason.
Touya was a ride or die. It took a while for him to warm up to people, but once he did, once they'd earned his respect and trust, he'd protect them to the death. And if they destroyed that faith he put in them, well...
He hadn't really had a plan while he was on the streets. He knew he wanted to do something big. Something to get back at his old man. But had no clue how to get around to doing it, until Shigaraki and his gang came along.
He knew he was on a time limit physically. Sekoto Peak had already destroyed about eighty percent of his body, and all it'd take for him to ruin the rest of it was probably one more complete loss of control of his emotions.
He wasn't precious about it. His body wasn't made for his quirk. Yet another thing that was his dear parent's fault.
...Until he met little Y/N.
She relied on him. She needed him. She saw him.
She gave him a reason to try and act less recklessly. She gave him a reason to live, to keep fighting even if it hurt.
She could become what he could have been, had the right person come along and helped.
"You're in here." She says, poking him roughly in the head.
She was copying what he'd said to her earlier. Annoyingly cute, even if she was a bit clumsy and rough with the touch.
He waves his hand at her with a half-hearted frown.
"Buzz off kid. Ya know I don't like ya this close when I'm smokin'."
"You look sad." She says, sounding sad herself.
Touya feels that horrible tugging in his chest that always came whenever she was distressed.
It was almost like she was his kid. He'd always overhear parents saying how their stomachs lurch when they hear their child cry, and he had that exact same reaction whenever she was even remotely unsettled.
Must have got that one from his mom, cause god knows his old man didn't give a damn if his kids were crying.
"You're fussin' again." He says dismissively, flicking his cigarette and refusing to meet her eyes.
If he did, he may just buckle and spill his guts here and now.
"You don't look sad often." She says simply.
If she were an adult, Touya would have acted on instinct and snapped 'yeah, no shit' or something along those lines. He couldn't exactly be very expressive with his skin stapled so tight on his face. One too-big smile and that'd be several staples having to be replaced, and a child being even more traumatised from seeing the muscle that'd peek through the second his scarring would come loose.
He couldn't even cry anymore, just bleed.
He doesn't really know what to say to her comment, so he continues smoking, waving her away again.
She ignores him, even with the ducks behind her making a very loud fuss over the bag of seed in her hands. She always seemed to pick the worst time to be stubborn.
"Star." He warns, finally gathering the confidence to look at her, making sure to give a sharp look.
He shouldn't have bothered. The concern she has for him is clear as day on her face, a little frown pulling at her youthful features, her eyes running all over him as though the answer to her questions were written on him.
And just like he knew he would, he caves.
"Jus' thinkin' about my family." He tells her simply, hoping she won't pry too much more. "Ain't important."
"Do you miss them?" She asks, tilting her head slightly.
Touya gives her a single hard laugh before answering.
"No."
She whispers 'oh', pressing her lips tight together, and looking away as he takes another long drag of smoke, his leg beginning to shake.
He was ruining it. He was ruining her treat because he's allowed himself to spiral.
He needed to get a damn grip, and quick. She'd done really well to ask Shigaraki for help, considering how wary she was of him, she'd done good on her work, and she'd continued to behave herself as best she could, even when she was tested, like with Imasuji.
He has to cut that thought off too, knowing that remembering the way that idiotic meathead had spoken to Star would likely send him into a rage.
"I don't need them, anyway." He continues. "I got you, my little Star."
The blush that crosses her face is adorable, him catching it just before he'd averted his gaze while he flicked the end of his cigarette toward the lake.
"We got each other, an' that's all we need." He says lowly, more to himself than to her.
"We have Uncle Giran, Jin, Toga, Shigaraki, Spinner, Magne, Kurogiri and Atsuhiro too!" She adds enthusiastically.
Touya can't help but reluctantly feel a little touched that she was comfortable with such a male-heavy group of people enough to call them family, especially when she had issues with men.
He nods a little at her, smirking.
She holds out the bag of bird seed for him, and he's more than happy to humour her by throwing some seed for the ducks that are practically screaming for attention behind her.
She throws out a few handfuls too in silence, looking a little more thoughtful than usual.
"Shigaraki can't be family though, because you kissed him." She says, scrunching up her tiny nose in disgust.
Touya can't help but chuckle. "Ya got a point there, kid. That'd be gross."
He's teasing her, not that she seems to notice as she spins around to face him, displeasure written all over her face as she scowls.
"It's already gross!"
His grin widens some more, the staples at the corners of his mouth beginning to pinch a little.
Her reactions are just so perfect, he can't help but want to get more entertainment out of her.
"Might do it again." He teases.
And god, he hopes so. This time without any interruptions would be nice.
"'Scusting!!" She yells, pointing at him. "I won't let you!"
This is far too fun for Touya, who tilts his head, his grin still tugging uncomfortably as it widens at her antics.
"How?" He asks, trying to act as serious as possible. "You're jus' a little kid."
"I won't leave you alone ever again!" She continues to exclaim. "I'll sleep in your room every night!"
"I'll lock ya out." Dabi chuckles, leaning back on the bench.
"No you wouldn't!" She denies, still frowning disapprovingly at him.
He raises one of his thin eyebrows, as if to say 'are ya sure?', his grin turning into a smirk as he turns his attention away from her, looking over the lake.
He can feel her staring at him for a second or two as she stays hovering near the bench.
"You wouldn't." She repeats, quietly and more uncertain. "Right?"
Dabi isn't expecting the shift in tone, moving his eyes to look at her.
He feels as though she's gone a little pale, as if the mere thought of him locking the door on her terrified her.
He should have known really. Although she didn't climb into his bed as much as she had when they first joined Shigaraki, she still has nightmares that end up bringing her into his bed at least a couple nights a week.
Guilt gnaws at him. He always did this, always took things too far and upsets people.
"Of course I wouldn't." He scoffs. "Jus' playin' with ya, Star."
She seems relieved for a second before her expression turns suspicious again.
"You were joking about Shigaraki too, right?" She asks.
Dabi chuckles. "Ain't making any promises, princess."