*Seven Years Ago*
*(Y/N) POV*

It was a dreary winters evening, and yet again, I found myself at the park. Why should a little rain stop me from having fun? A slide just gets better when it's wet; a playground becomes a water park without the pricetag on tickets. Kids in galoshes jumped in muddy puddles; spraying their parents with dirty brown slime, and passers by did that awkward little dash for shelter under their small, flyaway umbrellas. All of it seemed so fun to me.

“Look! It's (N/N)! Hey! Hey, (N/N)!” I scuffed my feet against the sludgy wood chips to slow my swing and smiled brightly as a small group of young kids skipped towards me; eyes sparkling with excitement.

“Hey, guys! I was hoping you'd come today!” I greeted them with head pats as I stood up; ignoring the cold, damp feeling around the seat of my pants from sitting on a drenched swing.

“Mama didn't wanna bring me because it's rainy, but you promised something new! I gotta see!” One of the little boys; around four, like the rest of them, pranced around me with his fists in the air.

“Same! I hope it's super cute!” Another girl with tight auburn curls added; raindrops mixing with her freckles on her cheeks. Stretching my arms in front of my chest, I grinned down at the raincoat-clad children.

“Something cute? Then you'll definitely love this!”

My name is (L/N) (F/N). I'm eleven years old, and I'm in my final year of middle school. I'm just your average kid; (H/L) (H/C) hair, (E/C) eyes, born to a middle class family. My father was a veterinarian, and his quirk was Animal Sync. He could touch any animal and see through their eyes; feel what they felt, and that made him an amazing vet. My mother’s quirk was Mimic Mime; the ability to completely replicate the appearance of any person she had come into contact with. The only downfall was that she couldn't speak when it was being used. She often took up modelling jobs for celebrities and pro heroes who just didn't have the time, which I thought was pretty cool. Then, there was my quirk. Mixing their two abilities together, I was blessed with what I liked to call Animalia. Any mammal dna I touched was stored within my body, and gave me the ability to morph into any one of them at any moment I wished. I could transform completely, or I could just change a certain body part, such as a hand to a paw, or give myself ears and a tail. I slowly collected creatures for my quirk bank whenever my dad allowed me to join him at the clinic, or on out-calls to the zoo or nature preserves. In addition to the transformation, I was learning that I could choose to combine aspects of each animal to change their size, which caused my mother plenty of near-heart attacks. Imagine walking into your daughter’s room to find a rat the size of a toddler?

Every Sunday afternoon, I'd make my way to the park without fail; just so I could make the little kids smile. They loved seeing me change into puppies or kittens, or anything cute and cuddly, and I loved seeing them so happy.

In a pale white glow, my body began to alter itself, and before their eyes, I became small, white rabbit.

“Uwahhhh! So cute!” The auburn-haired girl squealed, and I allowed her to pick me up and cuddle me close to her damp chest.

“Don't hog bunny-(N/N)!” One of the others whined, and to keep the peace, I jumped down from her arms and began to hop around them in circles; binkying merrily. (a/n: binkying is what rabbits do when they're happy - those wild flips and leaps)

“Tobio! Jun! We need to go! You'll catch a cold!” One of the mothers lingering by the benches called out; shifting her umbrella in her hands.

“Aika! You too, honey! Say goodbye to (L/N)!” The second mother gave me a smile and wave, and I reformed back into my human state; returning it happily.

“You'll be here next week, right, (N/N)?!” The freckled girl named Aika asked me with big, hopeful eyes. I nodded and ruffled her damp curls; giving her a thumbs up with my free hand.

“It's a promise! Now off you trot, before you get sick!” I waved them off before I sighed; feeling a little sad that I hadn't been able to play with them for long. The low rumble of thunder rolled in from the distance, and I shivered; pulling my coat closed around my chest. I knew I probably shouldn't have waited around in the pouring rain for a bunch of kids I barely knew, but a promise was a promise, and promises were solid for me. I began to walk back past the play equipment; scooping up my backpack and skipping over shallow puddles as they danced with each raindrop. I was just starting to think of whether I should stop off at the nearby cafe for some hot chocolate, when I saw something move. Inside the playground cubby, something dark shifted; what looked like a leg, and my curiosity began to simmer. I wondered whether it was some child hiding from their parents to avoid going home, but when I looked around, there was nobody else there. Just me and whoever, or whatever, was inside the bright orange cubby.

“Helloooo?~” I sang out; moving towards the entrance hole as I ducked my head to get a better look.

“Get lost.” A deep, snapping voice bit out, and I recoiled, but only for a moment. I crouched down and stuck my head through the hole; laying eyes on the snarky owner of the voice. There; drenched to the bone in a plain grey T-shirt and jeans, sat a boy. He was older than me, and his black hair stuck down against his forehead as he bared his teeth.

“Whatchya doing in here?” I asked curiously; tilting my head as he glared at me. His eyes were like dulled, polished sapphires, and they were filled with annoyance.

“Mind your own business, brat…” He muttered; voice breaking a little as he turned his head away. It was then that I noticed the large, soggy patch of medical gauze taped to his neck. Not only his neck, but his arms, too.

“Are you hurt?” I completely ignored his attempts at getting me to leave, and poked my head in to get a closer look. A frown etched itself onto my face as he edged further into the corner.

“I told you to fuck off! Are you fucking deaf?!” I could see him visibly shivering as small droplets raced down his jaw; fighting to see which would win and drop down onto his clothing first. Normally, a lone eleven year old girl would run for the hills when being yelled at by an older male, but no. No, I was far too positive and kind for that. Carefully, I climbed inside; dragging my bag after me and sitting at far away as I could to give him a bit of space.

“I'm not deaf...just worried. Here…” I shrugged off my coat and tossed over his head; feeling bad when he flinched. He just sat stiffly for a few moments before pulling it down and staring at it.

“Tch...It's too small…” He muttered; flicking his sharpened gaze to meet with mine. I snorted and rolled my eyes; crossing my legs in front of me as I began to ring out my hair.

“Well, of course it is, silly! I'm smaller than you. How old are you, anyway?” He looked at me as though I was from another world; like he would catch some interstellar disease if I were to get any closer. I waited patiently; resting my chin on my knees as he just blinked.

“Six...teen…” He said slowly whilst seeming to drop his guard.

“Cool! I'm eleven…so you're a whole five years older! What are you doing in here? And seriously, are you hurt? I could go get someone if you a-”

“Tch. I'm fine. Run along home before it gets dark...little girls walking home alone at night spells trouble…” He growled; sniffing a little as he covered his shoulders with my coat. I smiled to myself, because I was glad he was accepting what I could offer.

“I can take care of myself!” I said proudly; nodding my head once. Again, he clicked his tongue. He was like an angsty little clock.

“Oh can you, now, Tenderfoot?” His voice lost its flat tone and switched to sarcasm. “What? You'll call for the heroes if you run into some big, bad villain on the street?” He kicked his foot out and nudged my knee rather hard, but I just pouted at him.

“Nope! I can be my own hero!” I announced; pride apparent in my voice. He studied me for a while in silence, and I just stared right back. That was until he lurched forward and grabbed my ankle; his hand growing painfully hot against my pants leg. To his surprise, I barely flinched.

What shocked him even more was when my form shrunk down into that of a cat; black and relaxed, with my leg slipping from his blistering grip. His wide, confused eyes stayed on my new appearance as he withdrew his hand, and another silence swept in, just like the storm that was growing closer outside.

“A cat?” He asked my feline self, and I just nodded my head once; a peppy meow being pointed in his direction. “Well...I'm more of a dog person...so…” He averted his eyes again, and during that time I took the liberty of using my quirk to change into a yellow Labrador; my own pet Labrador, to be precise. My sudden woofing made him jump, and I would have giggled if I had been able to. I could have sworn I saw his lips twitching, but he hid it rather well. “Did I say dog? I meant...Iguana…” I didn't bother to wait for him to turn away when I reverted back to my human form.

“Sorry, my quirk is mammals only…” I huffed; wishing I could have humoured him again. A dry chuckle escaped his throat, and that twitch turned into a cool, yet very tired, smirk.

“Go on then, kid...impress me.” He leant back; wincing a little as his body touched the hard plastic. I wavered; wanting to ask him if he really was okay, but I wanted him to open up to me. If that meant being a bit of a showpony, then that's what had to happen.

“Any requests? If I've touched it, I can be it.” I offered him a hearty smile, but I still didn't receive any warmth back from the boy.

“Well then…” He hummed as he obviously tried to think of something I wouldn't have a chance at. “...show me your claws, Tiger…” The joke was on him, because that was one animal that I had, indeed, touched. The sight of a teenage boy scrambling around in wood chips was pretty entertaining on its own, but what was truly hysterical was his face when I yawned.

“I...said claws...not t..teeth…” He chuckled nervously; gaining enough courage to reach out and slightly brush his fingers across my striped ginger fur. “That's...pretty cool, though...for a kid…” His touch was warm, and I sighed as I morphed back into myself. (E/C) eyes stared into blue for a few moments until the boy realised that he had his hand curling through my hair, and he reacted as though I would have poisoned him. Innocent and unphased, I just smiled brightly.

“So, are you gonna tell me why you're out here?” I asked curiously; eyeing the obvious wounds on his arms and throat.

“None of your concern, Tenderfoot…” He stretched, and I sympathised as he hissed in a painful breath. “You're what? Eleven, right? Go home...watch cartoons and sip your milk, kid.” Just as I was about to retort, a clash of thunder made me yelp, and without so much as a thought, I dove into his chest and whimpered.

“Yep...totally could go for milk and cookies right now…” I laughed nervously; not realising how his hands hovered over my form, or how he was staring with wide, blue eyes. The rain was pelting down against the plastic roof, and lightning flashed and flickered outside; making me bury myself deeper into the stranger's shirt.

“For fucks sake…” I heard the boy mutter to himself as he pushed me away; clenching his teeth as he crawled over to the entrance. With a stifled groan, he climbed out into the hellish weather, and I frowned; not wanting to be stuck in the damp, cold cubby on my own. He crouched back down and rolled his eyes; motioning his head. “You coming or what, Tenderfoot?” In that moment; even with the elements crashing down around us, I felt happy. This boy, who I had just met, was being kind to me in return. The mysterious air about him did nothing but intrigue me, and I happily followed him out; yipping like a pained puppy as the icy cold slashes of water struck my skin. With rough, terribly hot hands, he yanked me closer to him; my back to his chest, and lifted my coat over us like a terrible makeshift umbrella. He leant over me, and the difference in our height paid off, as I was decently shielded.

“You're pretty tall...what's your name, again? I'm (L/N) (F/-)-”

“Run for it.” Without warning, he pushed me forward with his knee, and we began our mildly entertaining sprint for cover. Our shoes sent puddles spraying, and I couldn't hold back my excited giggles until we finally reached the partial cover of the sidewalk across the street. He still stayed arched over me with my coat, but our pace slowed from a run to a brisk walk.

“I don't live far...just a block over. You can come in and dry off! I'm sure my mum will-”

“I'll pass.” The soaked ravonette cut me off, and I stuck out my lip.

“But you'll catch a cold! Plus I'm pretty sure you're hurt...we could call your parents to come pick you up…” I insisted; hoping he'd agree. I couldn't stand not seeing people smile, and my new friend wasn't an exception.

“Look...I appreciate the gesture...but look at it this way...what would you think if your ten year old daughter brought home some stray teenage boy?” He queried; adjusting the coat so some of the water it had gathered splashed off over the side. My innocent mind mulled over his question for a few moments before I shrugged.

“She'd think I was a good person for helping someone?” He made a noise; somewhere between a snicker and an exasperated groan, and shook his head.

“Cute...but no. She'd...you know what? I'm not even gonna dignify that with a response…”

We made small talk the rest of the way to my house. When I say we, I meant that I chatted on whilst he just clicked his tongue, or didn't even acknowledge my words. Finally, after being splashed by a few cars, and me tripping into the gutter more than once, we arrived at my sheltered doorstep.

“Seriously...just come in and use our phone to call your parents! Won't they be worried..?” I fretted over the boy's well-being and he flapped my coat out over the stoop; ridding it of an much water as possible.

“I couldn't care less. Mother ain't around and my dad’s just a flaming sack of shit...uh..I mean...nah, I meant shit…” He held my coat out to me with a stiff arm, but I hesitated.

“You...don't have an umbrella, though…” I murmured; gently pushing it back into his chest. He just looked at me for a while before smirking; reaching out and ruffling my wet, (H/C) hair with a heavy hand.

“You're okay, Tenderfoot...Stupid, but okay...” He turned to leave, but I found myself grabbing hold of the back of his shirt.

“W..wait! You never told me your name...I wanna know what to call my new friend!” I sounded urgent, and I guess I was. He intrigued me, and I felt like it was important to have a name to match with his face. He turned a little; fiddling with the coat in his hands before turning over the tag and staring at it quietly.

“Just...call me...Dabi..?” He hummed; almost like he was testing the name for himself, before pulling out of my hold and walking back down my path; his figure slowly melting into the darkness of the evening storm.

“Dabi…” I repeated his words to myself as I blindly reached for the doorknob. I could still see his lacklustre sapphire eyes in my mind, and the name seemed to match him well. As I turned and pulled the door open, I stiffened and immediately spun around to shout out after the mysterious Dabi, who was already long out of sight. “YOU JUST READ THE BRAND NAME OF MY COAT, YOU BUTT!”

***Eventually I'll add a sketch of un-burnt Dabi, but I'm so tired and I've spent all day trying to write this***