"Hello?" Yumi answered.

Everyone waited with bated breath.

"What? You're already - okay. Um...I'll tell Yamada I have to call in. Yeah. On my way." She hung up. "I gotta go."

"She's not already back, is she?" Keigo asked.

"I thought she was gonna be away for another four days," Shinsou said.

"Where are you going?" Dabi asked.

Yumi texted her boss quickly as she spoke. "Jiro just landed in Portland International. I need to pick her up."

"Why did she come back early?" Shinsou asked.

"Uhhhh," Yumi mumbled, grinning sheepishly. "No...idea."

Dabi glared at her.

"Well, sorry to bail like this, but - "

" - What's going on?" Dabi asked.

"Is it because of what you found at - " Keigo cut himself off, quickly making himself busy with straightening out a pile of magazines.

Dabi raised an eyebrow. "Found at what?"

Keigo didn't answer.

"Keigo," Dabi warned.

Keigo blushed but kept quiet.

"Keigo."

"Yes?"

"What were you about to say?"

"Me? Oh, I dunno. Something. Maybe."

Dabi smirked, spinning Keigo around and grabbing his hips. "What was it you said boyfriends do? Public displays of affection?" Slowly he started kneeling down in front of Keigo.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU - "

" - Would you like our friends to see how I display my affection?" he asked wickedly.

"DABS - "

" - Mmm. You're wearing my boxers. Sexy."

Keigo clenched his eyes shut. "YUMI MADE ME DRIVE HER TO DENKI'S PLACE SO SHE COULD BREAK IN!"

Dabi stood back up immediately. "What? Why?"

Yumi crossed her arms, shooting Keigo an annoyed glare. "Jiro asked me to keep an eye on him. Let her know if he acted weird while she was gone. He was, so I - "

" - Define weird," Dabi asked gravely, stepping away from Keigo.

Yumi turned pink. "Well, um...I mean...I don't think it's my place to - "

" - Are you kidding me?" Dabi snapped. "You're choosing now to respect someone's personal business? After breaking into their house?!"

Yumi narrowed her brows. "Gossip is one thing. But this is different."

"What did you find?" Dabi demanded.

Yumi flushed. "It's personal. I don't feel right just telling you all - "

" - Yumi, you B & E'd our friend's apartment. You forfeited the right to be discrete. What. Did. You. Find?"

The blue-haired girl swallowed nervously. "I know I sound like a hypocrite but I want to respect Kaminari's privacy, so I'm not telling. But I will say that...I think he's in trouble."

Dabi squinted at her, just barely suppressing the urge to shake the answer out of her himself. I don't get it. Yumi's never had a problem with sharing dirt in the past. What could be so private that she'd -

Dabi's heart fell in his stomach. Fuck.

Without another word, he bolted out of Spencers and sprinted into Hot Topic. But all he saw was Bakugo, staring off into space.

Jesus, what is it with everyone today? "Where'd Denki?"

Bakugo growled. "I have no idea. He never came into work."

Shit. "Why didn't you try calling him?"

"You think I'm an idiot or something?! Of course we tried! His damn phone keeps going to voicemail!"

That's bad. But why is this happening? Ever since we got him on medicine he's been fine. Is it because Jiro's gone? "Call me if you hear from him." He ran back to Spencers and scooched Yumi across the floor by pushing her back. Her Heels made a squeaky-scraping sound as they skidded across the floor. "What the - "

" - Get Jiro and drop her and Denki's place. Keigo, I don't know when I'll be back. Can you hold down the fort?"

"Of course, Dabs, but…" Keigo's eyes widened with understanding. "Oh no. Is it - "

" - I think it is," Dabi answered, quickly closing out his register and grabbing his keys from the drawer.

"Is it what?" Yumi asked, trying to walk back into the store. But every time she tried, Dabi scooted her back again and put her back out into the hall.

"CAN YOU STOP DOING THAT?!"

"Get Jiro!"

"But where are you - "

" - Don't worry about it."

"Dabi - "

" - SO HELP ME GOD, YUMI - "

" - I'M GOING I'M GOING!"

~.~

Kaminari didn't like being in his bed. Not when Jiro was gone. So he'd been sleeping on the couch in the living room. He buried his face into it so he wouldn't have to look at the rest of his apartment. He knew he had work. But he didn't know where his phone was. He couldn't leave the house without his phone. Plus he had no way of knowing what time it was without his phone. Unless he checked the clock on the microwave. But to do that he'd have to turn over. Or get up, which was too hard right now. He'd hoped to find his phone after he heard the alarm go off, but it never did. It probably needs charged, he thought. But he didn't know where his charger was, either. He wrapped his blanket tighter around himself. I'll just sleep, he thought. Maybe if he could slide down onto the floor, and crawl to the bathroom he wouldn't have to walk. Then he could maybe find Jiro's bottle of Tylenol for when she had menstrual cramps. If he ate a bunch of them he could sleep for good. It wouldn't even hurt. Probably.

He considered using a razor but it would leave a mess. He didn't want to make anyone clean up something like that. If he ran a bath for himself he could wash away the blood, but he'd have to get in with clothes on. He didn't want to make whoever found him uncomfortable by seeing him undressed.

He hated that these thoughts were on loop in his mind, like one of Jiro's Car CDs. He'd been ready to work hard. Go to University, even if it scared him. Jiro just helped him move into his new place. He was ready to be a good boyfriend. But he just couldn't move. His brain knew all the things he needed to do but the weight was back. Like a giant cinderblock. Holding him down.

He was so caught up in his downward spiral he didn't hear the knocks on his door. Everything was muffled. Like when he swam in a pool. Everything felt duller. Quieter. Slower. He felt more than heard the thump on the floor as his door was kicked down.

Then a pair of blue eyes were staring at him as a pair of arms shook him.

"Kid!" Dabi cried.

"Dabi," Kaminari replied, blinking as his senses started to surface again.

"Here. Take one of these." Dabi wrapped open a Walgreens prescription bag and unscrewed the white cap off an orange bottle. He took out a blue pill and pressed it to Denki's mouth.

He ate it and swallowed it, making a face when the powdery coating left a bitter taste in his mouth.

"Why the hell did you stop taking your medicine? The pharmacy said they had your prescription ready five days ago!"

Kaminari spoke in a daze. "The first day...I...I forgot. Then I couldn't find the car keys. Kyoka keeps them...somewhere but I...and I wanted to call her and ask, but she's...I knew she'd worry if...if I called her - "

" - Why didn't you call me?!" Dabi exclaimed.

"I wanted to, but I don't know where my phone charger is...so I had to conserve my battery. I thought I'd ask you at work, but I called in cuz I...I was tired. Really tired. Then my phone died. I didn't want anyone to see me. I know I don't look good. If I upset anyone cuz - "

" - Kid, don't worry about upsetting me. Okay?" Dabi said, trying to stay calm. "I'm not. Have you eaten anything?"

Kaminari's gaze moved down to Dabi's hands. It was fascinating how the flame tattoos sort of moved up his hands. He usually painted his nails midnight blue to match. His fingers were long. Guitar fingers. "I haven't done the store."

"I'll order something. What do you want?"

Kaminari shrugged. "I'm not hungry."

Dabi narrowed his brows. "Sushi. Great choice," he snapped curtly. He wrapped the blanket around Kaminari again and laid him back down. Kaminari drifted in and out of consciousness but he vaguely heard the echoey clinking of cans. Loud thuds as Dabi walked across the door he'd kicked down. Running water. After a half-hour, the place started smelling a lot better. He felt Dabi's hands on his arms again, making him sit up.

The dizzy blonde looked around. He'd been cleaning. The garbage had a fresh bag. Lilac scented. The dishes were done. The vacuum stood propped against the wall, still plugged in. A pile of clothes had been gathered and placed in a laundry bag. The curtains were opened. Light streamed in, making Kaminari squint.

Dabi kneeled down in front of him and got the takeout sushi set up on the coffee table, which smelled liked lemons and shone from being polished.

He grabbed a piece of sushi between two chopsticks and held it up to Kaminari's mouth. He poked the blonde's face with it but Kamianri didn't open his mouth.

"Work with me, kid."

"I'm not hun - " He didn't get to finish because Dabi took advantage of Kaminari opening his mouth to talk.

This piece came from a California roll. He didn't taste it so much as recognize the texture. The smooth mushiness of avocado. The chewier, stringy feeling of imitation crab. The crunchiness of minced cucumber. And of course, the squishy, sponginess of the rice holding it all together.

He chewed it slowly and swallowed, staring off blankly.

Dabi repeated this pattern until he'd eventually gotten Kaminari to eat two rolls' worth of sushi. He gave him jasmine tea to drink between servings. He held the cup on one side while Kaminari held it on the others, sipping from it gingerly.

Once Dabi cleaned up lunch, he kneeled down in front of him again and carefully pulled up Kamianri's sleeves. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw his wrists were devoid of any incisions or cuts.

"Your charger was under the bed," Dabi said. "I plugged in your phone, which I found in the fridge on top of an olive-garden takeout box." He pulled Kaminari's sleeves back down and bundled him up again.

"Thanks."

"How do you feel?"

"Numb. But not heavy anymore."

"Do you feel light enough for a shower?"

"Not yet."

"You might wanna rethink that. Jiro's on her way home."

"DENKI?!"

"Nevermind, I guess it's too late for that."

Kaminari's heart rate quickened. Color and sound returned. "Kyoka?" He asked, forgetting he was supposed to feel guilty for worrying her. Ruining her trip.

All he felt was joy. Kyoka's home.

Dabi stood up and moved out of the way in time for Jiro to throw herself at Kaminari and encircle him in her arms. "I'm here, Love. I'm home."

"I'm gross," he admitted. "I haven't showered yet."

"I missed you so much," she said, ignoring him. "I'm sorry I was gone for so long."

Dabi picked up and propped the door against the wall, getting out his swiss army knife to rebolt the door back into place. "He ate three sushi rolls. He also got down a few cups of tea."

Jiro stroked Kamianri's hair, rocking him gently back and forth. "How did you know to come? Did Yumi tell you about the empty bottles?"

"So that's what…" he sighed with exasperation. "Goddammit."

Jiro gasped softly. "You knew. Didn't you? About Denki's medicine."

"I didn't know he was out of it. But he took that too. I picked up his refill at - "

" - For how long?" She snapped.

Dabi sighed. "Two years."

"What?! Why didn't you tell me?" She asked.

"Don't be mad at him," Kaminari said weakly. "I made him promise to keep it a secret."

"Even from me? Why? Did you think I wouldn't be able to handle it? What did I say about - "

" - I wanted you to keep believing in me," he admitted quietly into her chest. "I'm able to do things because you seem so sure that I will. That makes me think I can. And then I do. And that makes you happy. I didn't want to stop making you happy."

"You make me happy all the time," she said, kissing his cheek. "When you gush about Fruits Basket and burn our dinner and sing with me in the car."

"That's just normal hangout stuff," he protested. "But getting through community and moving on to - "

" - Don't get me wrong, I'm very proud of you," she said, hugging him tighter. "But even if you'd never done those things, that wouldn't make me less happy. And if you need a break before you start classes again, we can do that. It won't change anything."

Kaminari breathed in the scent of Jiro's perfume. Tears of relief spilled onto his cheeks. She smelled like home. "I missed you so much," he whined, starting to cry.

"I missed you too, Love."

After Dabi screwed the door back into place, he took it upon himself to slip out. As he drove back to work, he realized for the first time he felt grateful for the suffering he endured as a child. If I'd had a perfect life I never would've known how to help him. He'd been able to venture forth into Kaminari's darkness because he had his own.

We're all lost, he thought. But at least we're lost together.