It had been a long time since I had been inside my home.

At least, it used to be my home.

Of course, nobody was home. They rarely were. Even Karma and Nagisa were nowhere to be seen, which meant that my parents were likely out of town, if not the country. It kind of hurt that they'd do that when their only daughter was missing.

The first thing I had done was place my note, sealed in an ivory envelope, upon the kitchen bench, and now I wasn't sure what to do next. There were plenty of my belongings I would have liked to take back with me, but there was no point. Where would I ever get to wear my favourite outfit again? What use would I ever have for my cute little animal figurines?

I knew my parents did love me. They just weren't the best at showing it. Their jobs were demanding, I understood that, but they had never really taken the time off when I needed them. When I had gotten hurt at the docks, in that blaze, they hadn't been there. My return from being 'kidnapped'? A brief reunion before they jetted off again.

Did I ever really belong here in the first place..?

Dabi was waiting for me nearby, a block or two away, just to play it safe. Not that coming back here was safe to begin with. I originally had insisted on coming by myself, but there was no stopping him from tagging along. When Dabi insisted, it was futile to argue.

Brushing my fingertips against the bannister of the stairs, I released a heavy sigh, closing my eyes and telling myself to get a hold of myself. The old life I had lived was dead and gone. There was no ressurecting it now, even if I wanted to.

Despite having the urge to wander upstairs, I chose to turn and walk away, heading to the back door so I wouldn't be spotted by any nosy neighbours on the street. The sunny weather outside didn't feel like it belonged, not with my current mood, but the warmth was comforting.

Using my quirk to transform into a simple tabby cat, I hopped the fence and left my old life behind, just like that. Again. Thankfully, for the final time. The only thing that mattered was that, going forward, I had Dabi. I had my new friends.

Padding along, unseen, I headed towards the arranged meeting place, where Dabi was waiting for me. The neighbourhood was quiet, for a Sunday afternoon, with only a handful of people wandering about. I had chosen the perfect time to give one final visit.

At least, that was what I had thought before I was plucked from the path by the scruff of my neck.

The side street I was carried to was even quieter, the buildings casting a shadow that hid both me and my captor rather well. Squirming and hissing against a chest, I attempted to claw myself loose, but my body turned rigid once they finally spoke up.
"It's you...right, (Y/N)..?"

When I finally took a moment to catch a glimpse of the person who had snatched me up, the overwhelming hue of red sent my heart straight up into my throat.

Why did it have to be you..?!

Kirishima's eyes were full of concern as he held me in his arms, brows furrowed, creasing that tiny scar above his right eye.
"I..I just want to talk to you...Please, (Y/N)...Just let me talk..."

I knew it was a bad idea. No matter how hard I tried to toss aside the people from my past, I still cared for them. His plea was choking out my heart strings. Caving, I squeezed my eyes shut and pushed away from him, deactivating my quirk, but staying a few feet away, on guard.

"Go ahead...Talk..." I had wanted to sound firm, but my voice had raised in pitch, both due to fear and upset. Every time I tried to leave for good, something like this had to happen, didn't it? Sign or not, I was going to stick to my guns.

I barely had any time to react when the first year crashed into me, one arm curling around my middle, the other around my head, pulling me into a tight embrace.
"I'm so glad you're alright..." His words struck me, of course. I had always been a softy, but I tried to fight the urge to hug him back.

Standing there, arms limp by my sides, I stared over his shoulder, unsure of how things would go.
"Y..yeah. I'm fine..." I murmured, gritting my teeth as his hold became a little tighter. "Kirishima, you need to let go of me now. Please."

Thankfully, he did as I asked, but he stayed close, his crimson irises glossy as he tried to catch my eyes.
"Everyone's s..so worried about you...We didn't know if this time you-"
"I get it, but I'm very much alive and well, see..?" I cut him off, not wanting to hear anything too emotional. "Was that all you wanted to say, Kirishima? I need to get out of here."

I have to...

"No..! No, that's not all!" He insisted loudly, but not in anger. His fists were balled tight, and he continuously re-wet his lips so he could speak without them sticking together. "I...We all still care about you, (Y/N)! We always will, no matter what you choose to do..!"

It was my turn to ball my fists this time, my stomach twisting like a pretzel in response to his words. Easily, I could have turned and run away, but then I would have been pathetic. I was done with being pathetic.

"Even if I have to kill someone you love..?" Barely above a whisper, my voice still seemed to carry over to Kirishima and slap him in the face. He was silent for a long while, his shoulders dropping lower and posture slacking.

"That's not gonna happen...because you aren't going to kill yourself..." He finally responded, sending that hit straight back. "...or anybody. I know you. You're no murderer, (Y/N)." For somebody with a quirk like his, he looked so fragile in that moment, and it hurt to look at him.

"I've...I've changed. You have no idea what I'm capable of now..." I trailed off as he began to shake his head, equalling his step forward with a step back.
"No, I know you wouldn't do something like that, no matter if you've changed or not." He explained, expression of worry contradicting what he was saying.

I won't have a choice...

Swallowing down anything I could say that would keep on topic, I turned my back to him, arms crossing over my chest.
"Is that all..? Are you done now..?" I had been cold to him before, so why was it still so difficult? He was putting his life at risk by talking to me.

"So, is this really it..? You're gone for good? I won't see you again..?" There was a hint of disbelieving laughter in his tone. The kind that rose up when you were trying to hold yourself together.

Forcing myself into a walk, I kept my head down, exhaling slowly towards the concrete.
"No, you'll probably see me again, but...when you do...you'll probably realise that you really don't know me at all..."

I was glad when no response came, and I truly thought that was the end of it as I got closer to the opening to the main street.

"Y..you were right..! Back when you guessed that I was in love with you..! When we fought..!" Mid-step, I paused, teeth nearly severing my tongue as they clenched together. "Sure...I..It may be pathetic...and it's fine that you don't love me back...but I can't let you leave without telling you..! That isn't going to change, whether you walk away or not..! I'm gonna prove to you, next time we meet, that you haven't changed either..!"

Eijiro...

"I'm going to save you, (Y/N)..! N..not just me...but everyone who loves and cares about you..! You better be watching us, (Y/N)..!" His desperate shouting echoed through the air, reverberating through my entire body, but still, I refused to look back. Hope was the last thing he needed.

"Yeah...well...you better watch me too, Kirishima...For your own sake..."

Reactivating my quirk, I didn't run away. I continued to walk, back out onto the street, the way I had originally been going. I barely had to walk another two minutes before I slipped into an alleyway.

There, dressed in his usual public attire, Dabi leaned against a dumpster, phone ready in his hand. It didn't take him long to spot me, and I jumped up into his arms without so much as a greeting, pressing my feline face into his chest.

"Yeah, I heard. The bastard sure knows how to cause a scene. That shit echoed..." He didn't sound mad, or even slightly agitated, which came as a surprise. He just tucked me under his arm and pressed a button on his phone.

Soon enough, I began to feel that familiar black gunk forming and rising from my throat, and I hid away against Dabi as it consumed the both of us, spiriting us away and back to where we belonged.

No...I have changed. If I hadn't...then I don't think I would have been able to walk away from you, Eijiro...

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***[screams in writer's block]

Sorry for the wait, my dudes. Life kicked me in the metaphorical balls by sapping all my energy, nearly burning down my house and a whole lot of other shit.

But hell yeah, the reveal happened. Finally. Not too keen on the reveal happening in 293 though. If you don't know, you will.

Next Time: Two is the Loneliest Number***