Oh, I see a man at the back as a matter of fact
His eyes are as red as the sun
And the girl in the corner let no one ignore her
Cause she thinks she's the passionate one - Ballroom Blitz by Sweet

I stayed in the bath house while Katsuki exited and headed up to go to bed. I sighed, hoping against hope that what I had said had done it's job. Whatever Katsuki thought, he had not tricked me or made me say anything I hadn't wanted to. In fact, if we couldn't just be friends soon, I didn't know what else I could do. More than anything, I just wanted to get home. Back to the Magdalene, back to Dabi. But Katsuki had to know that I meant it too.

I needed him, and frankly, he needed me. But we did not need each other the same way I needed Dabi. Talking about him, even just that little bit, had been a weight off my chest, one I hadn't even known existed. I flexed fingers that were more prune than skin and decided to finish washing. I rubbed the lavender soap into a lather and worked it though my hair. I had work to do tonight as well.

I checked my pile of clean, new clothes, and put on my underwear and the long john bottoms. There was no way I wanted to get it wet, and working mostly topless when I was nearly assured that no one would come was preferred. I added Katsuki's dirty things to the water, and my heart did a funny thump. I hope he's already asleep, and that I can just not think about how good it felt to sleep with him.

Thankfully, washing the clothes didn't take nearly as long as I thought it would, and I was able to hang them from the same line that held our blanket. I retrieved the blanket, shaking it to air the woolen fabric. It wasn't fully dry, but one of us could sleep in it, and dry it that way. I sighed as I folded it, hoping I wouldn't get stuck with it. It smelled a bit like a swamp.

I put the top on, and went up to the bridal suite, stopping just long enough to thank Armand and the Father for their kindness. The stairs were handily lit with electric bulbs in milky glass globes. I paused at the threshold of the suite, hesitating before I opened the door. Finally, I swung the portal open, revealing that Katsuki was indeed asleep, although his toned backside was mostly uncovered and facing me.

Had I not spent the last hour telling myself that I wanted Dabi, that I had made a commitment to him, I would have admired his strong back. The way his drying hair was poking up all around his head like a prickly halo. How his waist tapered into such a fine... I shook my head, berating myself. Ignore it, Ochaco! I spread out the blanket we'd stolen and lay on it, using my new clothes as a make-shift pillow.

"Good night."

I gasped in surprise,"G-Good night."

"I'm sorry," he flipped, making the bed squeak under his weight, "I don't think being on the run agrees with my temper." His eyes moved to track me as I turned to face him as well. "I shouldn't have tried to get information out of you."

"Just forget about it." I flopped to my back, and pulled the blanket around me, "I answered knowing full well what I was saying. You didn't trick me, or whatever you think."

"Still, whoever he is; he's probably a wanted criminal."

I turned completely, I couldn't believe it! "You have only known me for a day! I don't want your dating advice!" I hissed at him though clenched teeth, boiling mad, "The only difference between you is that your crimes were okayed by the Empire." I stared at the wall, and if I had Dabi's flame, the whole place would have went up like a tinderbox. "You know, the only crime I've ever seen him commit was against drug-runners and slavers. Which I believe is still illegal in Japan. Don't talk without knowing anything!"

I heard him turn over, too, "It wasn't advice about your love life." He sounded angry again, and the bed creaked like he was thinking about getting up to prove some point.

"Drop it," I warned him. "We have an image to keep. Remember?" He remained quiet, though I heard his long-suffering sigh. "We just have to work together. We don't have to like one another."

"Got it," he growled, "I don't have to like you. Go to sleep."

I took his advice that time, and hugged my possessions close, realizing that the room plus the woolen blanket was comfortably warm. I said a short prayer, and in no time was fast asleep.

In the morning, Katsuki had woken with the sun, and with a cough.

"We should stay one more day. We're well to the west of where we started."

"No," He coughed, making his upper body shake, "No, my metabolism is great. I'll blow though this cold in no time."

I frowned. Even if that was true, and it would explain a lot about why those drugs didn't work so well on him, he had a fever and it hadn't broken. Which meant that even though he was warmer than ever, he wasn't sweating. His quirk didn't work so well with out it.

I shook my head, "You aren't sweating and you have a fever. What if it gets worse? I can't treat you out in the middle of France!"

"Che," he spat and held in another cough. "Don't worry. We'll walk, that'll help it burn off. You won't have to take care of me."

Right. What could I do? Silently, I gathered everything up and wrapped it all into one big bundle with our blanket. I relieved the mess of it's weight, and tied the ends around my shoulders. Katsuki pounded three glasses of water, and slipped into his flannel.

"There. Let's go."

He suited his words, stalking down the hallway like he had something to prove. I rolled my eyes and followed him out and down to the lobby. The fireplace was already roaring, and Armand was sitting at a table, eating what looked to be dried fruit and a sliced wedge of cheese with some kind of bread I'd never seen before with the Father who was again nursing a mug. I smiled at them, and Armand stood.

"Leaving?" He dry washed his hands, "Don't you want food? I'll take those coins now, David."

"We should," I whispered. "At the very least you shouldn't be wandering around with nothing in your stomach."

"Please sit with us you two," invited the old priest. "I have some things you will have a use for. Please. Sit."

"Fine." Katsuki acquiesced with bad grace as he slumped in the chair closest to the fire and tried to hold in his coughing.

I pulled up another chair and sat, pressing my fingers together under the table so that I could hide my quirk. The blanket weighed on my shoulders for a moment before I could untie it and lay it on the floor. I took off my coat, folding it across the back of the chair, "A kind offer, thank you."

Katsuki dug in his pocket, and plonked both the coins on the table. "As much as we can get, Armand. Enough for a day or two?"

Armand gave a quick nod, and hurried off to the kitchens. The priest touched my hand gently, and I closed my eyes, just letting the calm and peace the old man was offering soothe my spirit. I mouthed thank you at him, and he smiled his gap-toothed smile.

He withdrew his hand, and reached under the table withdrawing a small package wrapped in faded calico. "When I first left to tend the sheep," he looked far-away, as if he could still see that moment in his mind's eye, "my parents gave me a compass and a map. I don't have a spare map, but over the years, I've collected quite a few compasses."

He unknotted the cloth, and it fell open to reveal a simple compass set in a steel square that had been etched with tiny leaves and flowers and polished by time. I withdrew it, and examined it for a moment before passing it to Katsuki. My cheeks warmed as my eyes flooded with tears of gratitude for this kindest of all gestures. He'd made it possible for us to get home, and I didn't have the words to express my thanks.

Katsuki put the compass back, and pawed though the other offerings, a "Father, I can't thank you enough." He coughed, and the priest frowned, "Don't worry. My quirk'll take care of it."

"If you say so," the elderly man said. "Ah, Armand. Just in time."

The Innkeeper put our plates in front of us and brought two mugs and a glass carafe filled with black. "Café?"

"Please," I smiled, I knew that one for sure. I swear I've learned the word for coffee in seven languages.

Katsuki made a face, "Tea?"

Armand simply nodded again, and brought over hot water and a simple teabag. "We can still get bags, but loose leaf? Mais non." He shook his head. "We do have a bakery that supplies me fresh croissants and baguettes in return for electricity from that boiler. So eat them, they're the fruit of your labor."

We ate, and Armand left again, coming back with a armful of paper-wrapped parcels that he dropped in front of me. "They're smoked and dried fish, a twist of dried fruits, and a fishing line with three hooks." I gathered them up and tucked the packages into our blanket. Now, it would stink like a swamp and fish. Delightful. He reached down one last time, "Finally, a knife. If anything else, you can use it to clean and gut fish. I wish we could do more."

"It's more than enough," I assured him quietly. "We're strangers in a time when a stranger could mean something bad. Thank you, both of you, for watching out for us."

Both older men smiled, Armand's accompanied by a rosy flush. We finished our breakfast quickly, making final trip to clean up and do everything we could to ready ourselves for what was sure to be a long walk. We'd found out that we'd probably been traveling on what was known as the A10 which was almost 100 kilometers away. Though we could now go overland with the compass.

Katsuki helped tie the blanket to my shoulders, and I was instantly baking in my new coat, thick woolen sweater and tough jeans. I wondered what Dabi would think if he could see me now. I hoped he'd be proud that we were certainly making the best out of a bad situation. The thought had me smiling as we exited the walled portion of Royan out the opposite gate that we'd entered.

"We should get back on the A10. It leads to Paris and away from the more seedy communities." Katsuki hawked and spat, ending the sickening performance with a cough.

I glanced around, feeling eyes on us already, "It's almost 100 kilometers. You're not flying until your fever breaks." I fretted, absently tugging on the zipper pull of my new coat. "If you won't stay here, we should find another barn or abandoned house until then."

"Nope." He itched his nose, "I've got a Godzilla sized headache, and we're making the A10 today. We'll go north east until we reach it to keep our forward momentum. No more arguments."

"Aye, aye, Cap."

We walked though the ruins of what was 'old' Royan. It had been a prosperous city once with tall buildings and grand churches around every corner. I could hear the sea in the distance, and the cold wind blowing off of it brought scents of salt and tar. Scents of home. If it weren't for the feeling I kept having, the feeling of eyes watching us, it would have been a pleasant walk.

We kept going, following the compass north east and keeping our eyes open for the A10 though it would be hours yet before we would see anything. It was only when I kept looking over my shoulder and urging more speed did Katsuki become concerned.

"We're not being followed."

I glanced back again, catching movement out of the corner of my eye, "Yes, we are."

"We're not being followed by those idiots from the Izanami."

Oddly, I agreed about that. It was unlikely that they had followed us here. If they had, they would have had the perfect opportunity to ambush us yesterday when we were resting. I stubbornly kept my eyes forward.

Dabi had told me once that a little paranoia kept you on your toes and your senses sharp. A statement that I hadn't understood at the time, but now... I looked around the dilapidated buildings, blackness lurked behind the yawning windows, huge lifeless eyes that tracked our every move. I shuddered in spite of the warm coat, I should have learned this lesson before ever leaving the Magdalene.

Where the city petered out and became withered green rolling hills again, I tried to shake the feeling of being watched. But the prickle between my shoulder blades refused to abate. Instead, I hurried my feet as much as I thought Katsuki could bear. Maybe if we got far enough away, anyone who had thought to accost two travelers in broad daylight would think us no easy prey.

We stopped for as long as I dared, just long enough to share a dried fish between us and a few chunks of fruit. We had to make it last even though looking at Katsuki, I didn't know how much longer that could be. Not even in the warrens had we let our families starve if they were sick. He refused to let me test him for fever, and we set off again.

When noon had come and gone we were walking though a long untended field when Katsuki's cough startled me out of my silence. I couldn't ignore it any longer. He was hunching to hack into his hands now, and still not sweating. The most mule headed idiot would have to admit they had a fever. Unfortunately, there was little I could do about it now. He pressed on.

"Katsuki, we have to stop, your fever..."

He interrupted me simply, "I don't dislike you."

"Huh?" I blinked, slowing just to have to catch up to him as he kept right on. He coughed again, spitting and rubbing his temples. I really didn't have time for his feverish revelations. "Be quiet, we have to stop and let your fever break."

"You should listen to her, mate." The English was badly accented, and we both turned. The speaker was tall, in darned clothes, and a derby hat perched forward on his head that gave him an almost rakish air. "I'll take everything you got. Lighten the load."

He lifted a hand, a stubby knife glinted in the weak sunlight. Though his clothes and skin looked like he had just a passing relationship with clean water, he wasn't exactly starving. Part of a pack or gang. I frowned out at them as Katsuki coughed explosively beside me.

"No. You don't want to mess with us."

"There is no us, girlie. Lookit him, he's nothing but dead weight." He gestured with the knife and the grass erupted with more men of all ages and descriptions. Some couldn't be any older than little Sato back home. Others were older than Captain Aizawa, though the one talking seemed to be the leader. "That guy can't do anything, he's sick." He leered at me, "Come with us, and maybe we'll keep you safe."

There was no way I could let that happen, but Katsuki growled and spit, "Fuck off, mate." His red eyes were narrowed angrily, but even I could see that he was barely standing. "I'll take you all on."

The older members of the gang started to laugh: a dull, creepy, joyless sound. "Oh, I'm meaning to. You got something we don't." He turned his haunted stare back on me, "Leave him, and maybe it won't be so bad when I get what I want form you."

I had wondered earlier if Dabi would have been proud as I did my best in tough circumstances. I hope that he'd be just as happy now. I pressed my hands together, "You really don't want to make me mad, boy," I taunted. I hurriedly dropped the weight of the blanket, and slipped it off my shoulders handing the mass to Katsuki.

I had been afraid more times than I could count since the day before yesterday. In that limited amount of time I'd been accosted, kidnapped, tied-up, threatened, and generally mistreated. But most of it had been my stupid fault. Had I kept my head, I wouldn't have been taken so easily by Katsuki in the first place. Had I actually listened and practiced the things that Dabi had tried to teach me about self-defense...

I set my feet. I had listened, I'd just been afraid. Katsuki had saved me once, and now, it was my turn to save us. I lifted my hands in a defensive stance. The same one Dabi had tried to teach me so many months ago now. I had to do this. If not for myself, then for Katsuki who was now doubled over, and as unable to use his quirk as a newborn. I had to. So I would.

AN/ This chapter dedicated to Mr Mosevic, who is still an angel. I shamelessly picked his brain. Thank you, everyone who's reading please leave a review! I would really appreciate it.