Camie was stoked to get invited to the "sort of party" that the UA group was having. It was cool to be part of something.

Even if Shishikura had really been so extra this week. What had gotten into him? He would not leave her alone.

She didn't want to let on that he was getting to her either. 

Why was it any of his business whether Bakugo took her seriously or not? She didn't even care if Bakugo took her seriously!---well, anymore than he had been, and she was not a joke! Sheesh, Shishi had issues.

She kind of felt more nervous about the party though, because of all the things he'd been saying, and Moto had said a few things too, but she'd been kind of laying off the past two days.

She didn't believe they knew what they were talking about, but, then again, there could be stuff she would never get about "serious" people, like Bakugo, Momo, and Todoroki. It was a little weird to hang out with them when they had almost nothing in common.

Camie tried to push those concerns aside as she always did. 

She put on a cute outfit and some light make-up, though she didn't go super fancy, just a little dressier than usual to show it was an occasion.

She showed up right on time of course, because she traveled by portal.

Everyone else was gathered around a large room. It wasn't in the dorms. They were waiting, looking nervous.

Momo had dressed up slightly too, not really noticeably, just she wasn't wearing lounging clothes.

Bakugo and Todoroki were just wearing street clothes. Looked good though. It was rare to see Bakugo out of work out clothes.

Camie caught herself staring and shook herself. Why was she extra spacey today?

"Hey, Pikachu!" She waved at Kaminari, the safest person.

He nodded. "Camie, can you stop calling me that...? Everyone is calling me that now."

"It's cute," Camie said.

Jiro shook her head.

"Hey, Camie, guess what," Kaminari said.

"You and Jiro are dating!" Camie said.

"What? How did you know?" Kaminari was wide eyed.

"Bakugo told me, duh," Camie said.

"Oh...Bakugo talks about us?" Kaminari said.

"Sometimes," Camie said.

Jiro shot Bakugo a wary look.

Bakugo pretended not to have heard any of that.

"So you came." Todoroki glanced at Camie. "And you're fully aware of who else will be here...if he has the guts to show, anyway."

* * *

Dabi was hiding in an adjoining room. "I told you this is not going to end well," he said.

"You said you would allow it," Shine said, "I told you, it's more efficient."

"I said I could get why it would be, but I didn't like it."

"I thought that was a yes."

"No, it wasn't!" Dabi snapped.

"Easy there," Wally said, "You'll have to meet them again eventually, man. We're always getting into trouble, and if you end up helping or needing help, you might have to work with them. Why no just get the awkward part over?"

"I'd rather do it if it's life or death."

"We never know!" Shine said.

If she was a different woman she would have offered to make it life or death right then. But she didn't.

"They're here now. If you stay in here, how does it look?" Wally said, "I mean, sorry, we can explain we messed it up." He went toward the door and opened it just in time for them all to hear what Shoto said.

Dabi clenched a fist. Maybe he and his brother were just a little more alike than he was aware of, Shine thought.

"You know what? Fine. I'll go out and say hi, but only to show them I'm not going to act like they're better than me. I'm not going to make nice with them," Dabi said, brushing past Wally.

"Is this a good idea?" Wally hissed at Shine.

"Not at all, logically, but we might as well take the bull by the horns. Too late now," Shine shrugged, muttering a prayer that this whole thing wouldn't end with the house on fire.

* * *

Dabi appearing right at what Shoto said scared all the teens-- well, most of them.

"You!" Shoto cried.

"What...?" Momo was completely floored.

Everyone else was just gaping at his lack of scars.

"Whoa," Camie said in her usual careless tone, "He really is here. I half thought this was going to be some kind of huge joke. Why does he look so different?"

"Oh, you think it's a joke, huh?" Dabi was hostile openly.

"Lol, not really." Camie gestured. "I heard you flipped. Is that true?"

"Flipped?" Dabi narrowed his eyes at her.

"Yeah, did a 180?" Camie said.

"I wouldn't say that," Dabi scowled, "What is this airhead doing here anyway? Does she even go to your school?"

Bakugo glared at him. "See? An ass." He looked right at Shine.

Shine face palmed.

"Uh..." Momo stood up nervously. "Hello...um...Dabi... Uh, is 'Dabi' still okay?"

"It's the only name you're allowed to use," Dabi said tightly.

"Right... Dabi...it's, uh... I don't know where to start... I'm sure this must be awkward for you too. But we just wanted to show our support for your...decision."

"Oh, please." Dabi was bitingly sarcastic. "You all just came here to gawk at me like some freaking zoo exhibit, didn't you? Well, you saw me. Why don't you go back to your school of fakes and freaks and leave me alone?"

Wally winced. "Ouch."

"Big oof." Camie was never disconcerted.

"I thought something was off about him," Shoto said suddenly, "You were posing as the gardener!"

 Momo was staring still. "What were you doing at our school?"

"Oh, probably plotting to burn it down." Dabi was sarcastic.

At that point he'd gone too far. Shine came up and smacked him in the arm.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"You know perfectly well," Shine said, "What are you doing?"

"Making conversation. What does it look like?" Dabi looked at her with half closed eyes.

"He's just talking a big game," Bakugo declared.

He alone other than Camie didn't seem to be uncomfortable. "He's too chicken to actually do it."

"You want to push me?" Dabi said.

"Sure, dumba--. Let's see what you've really got." Bakugo got up. "You were too chickens--- to fight me after you kidnapped me, so why should now be any different?"

The others all gasped in horror, except Camie, who just went, "Bruh."

Dabi stared at Bakugo in anger.

Then he laughed.

"At least someone is being real. What a little punk. This is how your student acts, Likstar?"

"As you say," Shine seemed suddenly to be relieved, "he is being real. What would you expect?"

Nobody moved.

Bakugo shrugged. "Fine then. I knew it."

"Like I'm letting you provoke me into a fight. I've never been that stupid," Dabi said.

"It would be stupid to fight me, knowing you'd lose," Bakugo said, "I hate it when punks like you get cocky."

"I don't think you should be talking, Explosion Man," Dabi said.

"Can you stop, please?" Momo begged.

"Why?" Wally asked her, "This is the most normal interaction so far."

Momo was at a loss for words.

Shine laughed. "Okay, enough posturing. You know I won't let you fight in here anyway. You want someone to hear you? Bakugo, let Dabi have his respite, huh? Plenty of time to fight him in a better location."

Bakugo shrugged. "Fine. For now..."

"And this is supposed to be him reformed?" Shoto ruined the brief break from tension by saying icily.

"Well, you're not dead yet." Dabi was mad now.

"See? This is what I mean!" Shoto said angrily to Shine, "This is never going to work! You're wasting your time. And I'm not going to watch this anymore."

He turned and went towards the door.

"Sounds like Endeavor," Dabi said in a low tone.

But everyone heard him.

Shoto stopped.

"Touya!" Shine was shocked.

Dabi just glared at her sideways.

Momo covered her face.

Shoto turned, one eye on fire. "What did you say?"

"I think you heard me," Dabi said.

"Yeah, say it again. To my face," Shoto said.

"All half of it?" Dabi didn't know when to quit.

Shoto crossed the room to him. "You're going to regret those words."

"Hey!" Wally grabbed him and held him back. "Time out!"

"Let go of me, West!" Shoto's left side was heating up more, and ice was forming over his right.

"Let him come. I don't care," Dabi said.

Shine got in front of him.

"Please, don't do this." Momo came and got in the way also. "This is not how a hero should act."

Dabi hissed at that word.

"Or...anyone," Momo amended quickly, "I mean, forget the hero part. Aren't we all just trying to do new things here? All of us, in some way, know that we have something to learn, and we're not perfect, and we've come here because we recognize that fact. We can't start off by throwing our past in each other's faces, can we?"

"Did he really come here to recognize that?" Dabi asked in a terribly mocking voice, "or to make sure the freak show who's not his family anymore didn't go out of control?"

Momo froze.

"Don't I have a reason?" Shoto said.

"You're the one who activated his quirk," Dabi shot back.

Since that was actually true, Shoto was stunned...then he lowered his hands, and the fire and ice vanished.

Shine let out a long sigh. "Shoto, meet me outside."

"What?" Shoto said, "You can't do that."

"That was not a request!" Shine thundered, scaring them, "Go."

Shoto stormed out of the room.

"Everyone else, there's food in the other room. Why don't you try not to kill each other while I'm gone." Shine marched out after him.

Silence.

"I think there's ramen..." Kaminari said awkwardly.

Camie snorted a laugh.

"Yeah, food," Wally said.

They went in... Dabi didn't really want to, but Wally didn't give him a choice.

The kids grabbed food, but only a few of them picked at it. Momo was just shaking her head.

"You know what it is?" Camie said, holding up a pair of chopsticks, "We're trying too hard. Come on, how would we usually act around this guy?"

"I'd be afraid for my life," Kaminari said.

"I'd try to fight him," Bakugo said.

"You already did that, Baku," Camie said.

That at least got a small laugh from Jiro and Denki, if no one else.

Bakugo smirked slightly.

"So we did that," Camie said casually, "And, Dabi, bro, what would you normally do?"

"I don't know, threaten you," Dabi said.

"You did that already," Camie said, "So like...what's the next step after that?"

"I don't know. Our conversations don't normally go beyond that point." Momo didn't mean that to be funny, but almost everyone laughed or smirked at that.

"This is hopeless," Dabi said.

"Well, if it's hopeless, we have nothing to lose," Wally said, "Let's just throw something out there and see if it lands or it falls. Someone, give us something."

"I know. Did you ever meet Stain?" Kaminari asked Dabi.

"What?" Dabi gave him a bizarre look.

"I mean, I dunno, I just thought maybe you did," Kaminari said.

"Oh, gosh, Denki, don't tell me you still think Stain is still kind of cool." Jiro made a gagging face.

"I mean, not really but kind of," Kaminari said.

"A hero kid is saying Stain was cool?" Dabi narrowed his eyes. "Got someone turning to the dark side in your own class, huh?"

"He's not!" Jiro grabbed Denki's arm. "He's just a moron. Shut up."

"You just told a villain--ex, I mean, to shut up!" Kaminari said to her, alarmed.

"Uh...yeah." Jiro looked freaked at herself.

"Yo," Camie said between bites, "I don't think he's going to set you on fire. I mean, come on, we made it this far."

"All of five minutes..." Momo muttered, again unintentionally getting laughs.

"Well, if he's reforming, maybe he'll be less of a pansy," Bakugo said.

"You're sure annoying," Dabi said.

"And you're not?" Bakugo dismissed it. He didn't used to do that.

"Well, I never met Stain," Dabi shrugged, "I admired him, but I never met the guy. He's in prison."

"Aw, too bad," Kaminari said.

The others just shook their heads at him.

Wally laughed. "If meeting a villain means you're not a good hero, I've never known a good hero. But wanting to meet the hero killer is a little weird, Sparky."

"I don't want to meet him. I just...you know... I mean, it's cool how he believes so strongly in this high standard," Kaminari said.

"I don't know about that," Momo spoke up, with a tad more confidence now that they were on an actual subject, "I don't know if murdering people the way he did is cool. I prefer how Miss Likstar and Mr. West live out their convictions by defying convention without hurting anyone. If one has to ignore what's acceptable, why can't it ever be to be more kind, not less?"

"Well said," Wally nodded at her, "Preach it, Peaches."

"Peaches?" Dabi said.

"The name stuck," Wally said, "I can't say Yaoyerozou--" He did mutilate the name terribly.

"So Peaches was your go-to nickname?" Dabi said, "That's weird."

"It's not weird in the Midwest, really," Wally said, "I guess maybe here it is."

"I don't mind, Mr. West. I know you just meant it to be a play off the alternative spelling," Momo said nicely, "And Peaches are a nice fruit. It would be worse to be something like a tomato."

Camie laughed. "Sis, I know some people who'd be a tomato though."

"Or a pineapple," Kaminari said.

"What the heck are we talking about?" Jiro asked.

"I dunno. Fruit, I think. Hey, Jiro, if you could be a fruit what would you be?" Kaminari said.

"That's a stupid question."

"Come on, just pick one."

"I dunno. A plum maybe, because it's got a darker color..." Jiro looked down.

"What would you be?" Camie asked Kaminari.

"Gee..." Kaminari rubbed his chin. "Maybe...an apple? 'Cause you know, they go with so many things."

"Deep," Camie said.

"Yeah, this is a really deep question," Wally said.

"I think I'd be...something exotic, like a kiwi," Camie said.

"I want to be a banana. They give you energy, you know," Wally said, "Plus, I love bananas."

"Is it weird to pick one you'd want to eat?" Momo said, "Because then you're saying you want people to eat you?"

Everyone laughed at her, to her surprise.

"That was just a poor choice of words." Camie was in stitches. "Baku, what would you be?"

"That's easy. A pineapple," Bakugo said.

"Huh? I wouldn't have pegged you for that," Kaminari said, like it was a normal question.

Dabi was listening to all this in bewilderment.

"Pineapples are bada--," Bakugo said, "They eat you back when you eat them. It's a fight between you and the pineapple for survival. But I always win." [Whoever saw the fan comic about this gets it.]

"That makes so much sense it's scary," Camie said.

"Yeah, for real." Jiro made a face.

They all looked at Dabi.

"You can't actually think I'm going to tell you what kind of fruit I would be," Dabi said.

"I'll pick one for you," Camie offered.

"Pick something really weird," Kaminari urged, "like a dragonfruit."

"Ugh, those are so bland," Jiro said.

"Yeah, you should pick an ugly one, like a zucchini," Bakugo said.

"That's a vegetable, Bakugo!" Kaminari said.

"No, it isn't, moron. Vegetables are a societal concept!" Bakugo said, "All vegetables are actually fruits. Look it up!" [Technically I think it's only all non-root or leaf vegetables would be a fruit.]

"Dude, chill." Jiro covered her ears.

"If that's true, you should have picked a chili pepper," Wally said, shaking his head.

"You know that chocolate comes from a fruit too?" Camie said, "It's legit. Can I change my answer to chocolate?"

"It's really bitter," Bakugo said, "Actually, it used to be a test of manhood to drink it."

"Get out. Really?" Camie said.

"Wait, so eating chocolate is manly?" Kaminari said.

"Not the watered down stuff girls eat. I mean the real deal," Bakugo said, "Makes you want to throw it up it's so hard, that kind of cocoa."

"This conversation got really weird," Dabi said.

"Maybe Dabi is a lemon," Momo suggested. 

Everyone looked at her oddly.

"Oh, I get it. Lemon into lemonade," Camie said.

"I didn't need a fruit. This was idiotic!" Dabi said.

"I just thought you might feel left out if we didn't pick one," Momo said apologetically.

Dabi was incredulous.

"And this is actually the quality of conversation we have 90% of the time," Wally told him sadly, "Welcome to what being a normal, boring person is like."

"I don't think any of us are normal, yo," Camie said, "Normal people wouldn't be here."

"True," Wally acknowledged.

In spite of himself, Dabi had begun to relax a little with how dumb all this was. It was hard to feel threatened by a conversation about fruit, for crying out loud.

But he didn't expect it to last. Shoto might come back in, after all. 

* * *

Shoto didn't want one of Shine's lectures. But when she came out, she just stared at him for a long time.

"Say something," he finally said to her.

"No, you say something," Shine said, "Start explaining to me why you came here if it was just to start a fight. I'm waiting." She crossed her arms and tapped her foot.

Shoto would have preferred the lecture.

"I...didn't come to do that. It's just...he's so...and this is...and I'm still mad at you."

"You have made that abundantly clear. But you could have done it by staying out of it. Is this fair to anyone else in that room?" Shine asked.

Shoto scowled. "You have him on campus."

"It was the only place available. We didn't like it either."

"That's beside the point! Every decision you make about him I don't like! It's dangerous! It's..."

"Crazy?" Shine finished.

"Yeah, it is," Shoto said, "No sane person would do all this... And what is he doing to show gratitude? He's just as before...  It makes me sick."

"Yes, the whole thing was sickening to watch." Shine's tone implied she didn't just mean Dabi.

Shoto glared more at her. "Don't blame me for not trusting him."

"It may shock you, Shoto, but Dabi is not actually the ungrateful prick you think he is, when he is only around us," Shine said, "He can even be...oddly sweet, in his own warped, clumsy, and usually unintentional way. Perhaps I'm just crazy, and I take it that way. But you know...you can see the best in people or the worst."

"Or what is really there," Shoto said darkly.

"You could never see that with your approach." Shine was cutting. "Dabi, or Touya, as I should say, is never going to be anything but a villain to you, as long as it is all you treat him as. I would like to hear what you expect to change by acting the way you've been acting ever since you learned he was your brother. What are you so angry about, Shoto? Talk to me. Tell me once and for all why you are mad at me, at him, and everyone else."

Shoto clenched his fist. "What would you understand about it? You're already on his side."

"Not at all, but out of the two of you, he is the one who has told me why he is acting the way he is. I've yet to hear you own up to it. I'd like to hear it. I'm listening now. You say I never ask you, but if I ask you and your response is to ice me out, then why should I bother asking? I'll know not to ask in the future too. I won't waste my time."

If her goal was to provoke him until he spilled, she was succeeding...not that it was ever that hard to get Shoto to talk about his anger.

"You know what really pisses me off about it?" he burst out, "It's how you're so calm about it all. I haven't been able to get it out of my head since the rescue mission...knowing what I know...and that my family believes a lie, and I know, and I can't tell them. And you knew, and not only did you not tell me, but it's never bothered you in the least to know about it! I thought you would feel sorry for my family, my mom...my siblings...and understand why I'm angry at him."

He paused for breath, then barreled on. "And I didn't know what I'd do if we ran into him again. Fight him? But now he wants to reform, and it's not because he feels bad for hurting us, it's because...I don't even know why! You did something... He likes both of you so much...and...I hate it! I guess that makes me a bad person, but that's the truth!"

So saying, he stopped. He was almost in tears now.

But Shine was no longer frowning at him.

"I understand," she spoke very softly, "I know what it is now. It looks as though Touya loves us more than he ever loved his own family."

Hearing those words shocked Shoto. He didn't often use the word love about his family. They all kind of stayed away from it. But once it was verbalized for him, he knew in his soul that was exactly correct.

He opened his hands and stared at the ground.

Shine knew he knew it was true.

She sat down on the grass. Shoto sank down a few feet away, all the energy gone out of him now.

"You could take all the rest, even understand it, but in the end, you still cared enough to try to help your mom," Shine went on very gently, "So you feel you did not lose your heart. Touya threw it all way, all of you... But, Shoto, let me tell you something about it... Some people cannot cope with the pain of love without any justice. I don't know of anything more painful than loving someone who you know will never love you back, and who will mistreat you always... That's me and my father."

Shoto looked up. "But...you said it got better for you."

"For me," Shine nodded. She sounded upset. "But my father is the same. He may always be the same. And you know, unlike yours, he knew it, I think, all along... I've said this before, I think, but what I would give to have any inkling  he would ever be like your dad and even try to change... I have to try not to hate you sometimes."

Shoto was astounded. "You? Try not to hate me?"

"I'd be sick with envy if I wallowed in self pity," Shine said, "I don't. I've learned to live without my father. I have a better father... And Thank God, that is enough to change over. I have no reason to complain about my life now, Shoto. I believe the pain of my past will just become part of the joy of triumph over those circumstances. I still hurt at times, but it's also sometimes my biggest source of happiness to think about how I was brought out of it all." She fingered the grass gently.

"I could go back to thinking about what I don't have, but should I? I'm sorry if I have dismissed your anger too quickly, because perhaps I think you have less reason to complain than me, but that is stupid of me. I would have felt the same as you if I got the chance. It's just natural to struggle with it. But what is not right is to think that means it is not your duty to try."

She looked up finally. "Touya will never be able to go back and make different choices. You can be upset about that all you want. No one can deny you that. But it's wrong to make him pay for what he cannot change. He can try his best to be better in the future, but it is not for everyone to be a part of their family a whole lot. Many, many people end up in different walks of life, different places. And Touya does not owe your family his loyalty any more than you owe your father to follow in his footsteps."

Shoto was startled by that take on it. He had not thought of it that way.

"If you want to be free, Shoto, you must allow others that same freedom," Shine said, "It's as simple as that. Or who is really refusing to grow and move on? I did grieve the loss of what I wanted from my family...but I also accepted I'd have to build something better with the people who would let me. And let go of the ones who wouldn't. I've never once regretted that in the last several years, and you won't either if you make that choice."

Shoto looked down, uncertain.

"I hope it wasn't too much to admit all that to you," Shine said, "I thought it might help if you knew I have had uglier feelings also."

"No, it's fine... I get why you told me," Shoto said. "It's just surprising to hear it's not just me."

Shine laughed. "Yeah, the first time you find that out, it really is. Trust me, almost everyone has this. They just don't talk about it. One of the things I like about you is that you do. You can heal because of that. Don't lose it."

"Even if that's true, I can't treat him like you would," Shoto said.

"I would never expect that," Shine said, "But I think I know you well enough by now to know when you are trying...and you were not trying."

Shoto didn't deny it.

"What if I am still angry at you for not telling me?"

"You have that right." Shine swallowed any more negative responses she might have had. "I would probably be too. But it won't change anything. I still love you even if you're angry at me."

Shoto gave her a very weird look.

"Did you just say you love me?"

"Of course I do. How could I not?" Shine said.

"That's... a strong word..." Shoto was embarrassed.

"Love is a strong thing, isn't it?" Shine said, "And if I didn't love you, I would not be sitting out here talking to you in the cold, when I could be inside not getting yelled at."

"I--"

"It's okay. It's what I signed up for." Shine waved him off. "You were upset. I know that...but you can't stay upset forever, Shoto. Think about it. We'll always be willing to help you if you want to try to do this differently. If so, you can come back inside. If not, then go on home... No one will blame you for that, after that just happened."

She smiled wryly. "But don't expect Touya to make it easy for you. Every insecurity you ever had about seeing your mom again, take that and multiply it by 10, and that's how he feels about talking to you. He already knows how angry you are, so he can't just dread it might happen, he knows it's a fact. He'll be on the defensive as long as he thinks you are attacking him, and I won't hold that against him nearly was much as I would if it were totally unprovoked, but you provoked him."

"He makes me so angry." Shoto tore some grass.

"I know," Shine said, "He makes me angry too. But I can blow it off without losing control. If you could at least manage that, things might finally start working themselves out."

"I don't know, Shine." Shoto finally used her first name again. "I've never been as forgiving as you are."

"I was not always like this. I wasn't like this at all... I'm glad after years of practice you think I'm forgiving, but I am often annoyed, you know. That's fine, if you just let it go afterwards. It's having a rap sheet on someone..."

"Someone with a real rap sheet," Shoto said.

"You know, to God, all of us have a rap sheet," Shine said, "but He gives us a new chance every morning. That's what the word says. Every single morning, his mercies are new. To the just, and to the unjust. And if God sees fit to grant us that, then we are in no position to deny other people that. It does not mean you pretend it was all okay, but you cannot keep interpreting every new thing he does through that lens, or you're just blinding yourself. I want you to understand that. And you might be surprised just how much of it he'd agree with. Dabi is far less self deceiving than many people like him."

She got up and put a hand on his shoulder briefly. "But remember, I love you so much, regardless. I think you're going to do the right thing. You always do."

She went back inside.

Shoto sat out there for a while alone thinking...before he finally went inside.