"I hate them... Dammit Dabi, I hate them so damn much..." You muttered, knees pulled against your chest. "He didn't need to die... Why is the world so cruel?!"

"It's going to be alright." He kneeled in front of you. "I won't let anything happen to you."

Dabi reached out and ran his fingers through your hair, ruffling it tenderly in an attempt to lift your spirits. But the rain was heavy and the sky was dark.

"What am I going to do?!" You sobbed. "Mom's sick and we're going to get evicted in a matter of days!" Your breath quickened, turning panicked and scattered.

"(Y/n), listen to me." The boy calmly called out. He tore his jacket off and placed it over your shoulders. "Relax. Let's go home first and dry off before we do anything else."

"But..." You quivered.

You weren't able to get another word out before Dabi had leaned forward to embrace you in his arms. He held you tightly, his hand gently circling your back.

"But nothing. We're going to be just fine."

- - -

You woke up in a panic, quickly turning over in your bed to peer around the room. When you sat up and pressed your fingertips to your face, it finally occurred to you.

It was a dream.

But not one of those incoherent, nonsense dreams. Everything had felt like Deja Vu.

Why is my mind such a mess lately? Why was that guy there? Why don't I even understand the things I was saying?!

I need to talk to him.

Dabi. That was his name.

Your racing mind was halted for a moment by Kuro nuzzling up against your side. He purred softly, melting away some of the tension in your body. You ran your hand across his back and glanced over at your alarm clock.

It's almost 1 am... And I leave for my internship tomorrow... But still, I hate this! I hate feeling like I'm forgetting something!

"Ahhh, forget (y/n)!" You yelled, slamming back down against your pillow and tossing the blanket over your head. Kuro meowed and curled against your side. But despite the comfort he provided, you could only lay there, tossing and turning for a half hour. There was no point in trying to sleep.

Just sleep! Stop thinking too much you idiot!

Every time you closed your eyes, you saw the same scene play in your head. Just you collapsed on the sidewalk in the rain outside of the hospital with Dabi beside you. Your eyes shot open.

A hospital!

You sat back up once more, some of the dots becoming vaguely clear and connected.

Mom was sick, I remember! Is that why I was there then?

Your legs almost moved on their own. Before you realized what was happening, you had thrown on your shoes and jacket.

I have to know more!

- - -

Ranka's bar, The Rusty Mug, was still open. Heck, it was almost always open. You busted through the door and rushed up to the bar, ignoring the people calling out to you from behind.

"Ranka!" You shouted.

"Oh my, what are you doing here (y/n)? It's rather late." He answered back, pouring a drink for a patron.

"I need to know! About my family and Dabi!"

He instantly stopped what he was doing, clearly shocked by your sudden announcement. Ranka didn't say anything to answer your desperate pleas.

"Oi," An arm slung over your shoulder. "What are you going on about (y/n)?" Ai questioned.

"Ai! Maybe you can help!" You gasped.

"WHAT?! Alright, who do I need to kill?!"

"No, no, nothing like that."

"Eh, okay. Then what do you need-" Ai stuttered when she noticed Ranka shaking his head from behind the bar. "Actually, how about I just walk you back home (y/n)-"

"No wait, I need you to help me find someone!" You said.

Ai pressed her lips together. She knew what you were going on about. She could feel it the moment she entered the conversation.

"Who?" She dryly asked.

"Well... I don't know a ton about him. He goes by Dabi, he wears a dark cloak, and he's covered in burns. Oh, and he has spiky black hair!" You frantically spouted, motioning to your head. "You know, like an anime character!"

"Come on now!" Ai chuckled. "Are you sure you're not just talking about an anime character you fell in love with?"

"I'm serious." Your tone wasn't angry, but it was incredibly firm. Ai and Ranka both gazed at you, unable to say a word. "You guys... have been keeping something from me."

The chatter of the bar was steadily decreasing in coronation with the severity of the conversation. Ai stepped forward and placed her hands on your shoulders.

"(Y/n), listen to me... Everything we've done up to this point has been for you." Her eyes were desperate. "Please... Just understand that."

"So that confirms it..." You muttered, taking hold of her wrists and pulling them from you. Ranka sighed, and put down his glass.

"(Y/n) sweetie-"

"HOW LONG?!" You cried. The bar was completely silent now. Men and women whom you had healed and helped were gathered around. They were confused, never seeing you like this before. The tragic thing about healers is that they often hide their pain for the sake of others.

That facade was breaking. Everything about who you were just seemed more and more unstable with each passing day. The only thing that felt stable was your relationship with Shouto, and you couldn't risk that falling apart.

I have to get it together. I have to figure this out.

"I'm sorry for yelling..." You muttered.

"No, it's alright..." Ai sighed. When you met her eyes, you could tell just how hurt she was by all this.

"You guys... are the only family I have. That's the assumption I have to make unless I am told otherwise. And the only things I have to go on are incoherent pieces of memory, a rent check with my mothers signature, and Dabi." You looked to Ranka as well. "Please, if there's anything at all you can tell me, ANYTHING... Then maybe I can put this away."

"I'm sorry (y/n)." Ai solemnly replied. "There are a multitude of reasons why we can't say anything."

There was no getting through to them. It was no longer a matter of just keeping a secret. Maybe it was true, maybe knowing about what happened would be your downfall, maybe it would tear the comfortable world you had built for yourself apart.

But despite that, you would rather be in pain then be in the dark.

"Alright." You finally answered.

"Then I'll just have to find the truth on my own."