"There is a blanket of peace that covers the soul of the broken."

~ R. H. Sin

-Kuroo's POV-

"Kuroo, I need your help downstairs. Now," Kenma's voice over the phone sounded off. He almost sounded concerned, which while not unheard of from my pudding-haired friend was definitely uncommon.

"What's going on, Kenma?" I asked while simultaneously slipping on my shoes and jacket, not wanting to waste time if Kenma was already worried enough to call me for help.

"I found a girl. She's in really bad shape. I can't lift her, and her skin is freezing. She looks like... she looks like she was attacked, Kuro," Kenma's voice shook at the last phrase, and my mind raced, my brain going immediately to a certain caramel haired girl that I had not been able to get out of my mind since I met her.

As I finally made it outside to where Kenma was, my heart dropped. There was Endou, but she was almost unrecognizable. Her left eye was swollen and blood was flowing rapidly from her obviously broken nose, soaking her mouth, chin, and her form fitting tank-top. There were countless bruises of various stages of healing covering her chest and neck just from what I could see that weren't covered by the jacket that was draped over her shaking figure. This was all insanely alarming, but I had seen plenty of injuries in volleyball. The part that alarmed me the most was the glassy look in her eyes. The gunmetal blue color seemingly clouded over as though she was looking straight ahead but not seeing anything.

I'm gonna kill that bastard. My thoughts were uncharacteristic for me. I'd never been a violent person, but knowing that someone would do something like this to another person was sickening to me. How could anyone go after someone who seemed so strong and full of life? What would there be to gain from harming someone like this?

"Call Akaashi. Tell him it's Endou-san and we need to warm her up as soon as possible. Warn him that she's in bad shape so he can warn Bokuto," I ordered Kenma before gently hooking one arm under Endou's legs and using the other to support her back as I picked her up, trying to keep her as steady as possible to avoid irritating any of her injuries. To my surprise, and further concern, Endou did not even flinch as I carried her quickly up the stairs to Bokuto's apartment. My thoughts briefly went to what would happen if we ran into the asshole who did this to her, but fortunately, the hallways were empty as we made it to their apartment and entered without knocking.

"Akaashi! Get the first aid kit and some blankets! Quick!" I yelled out, which for some reason is what caused Endou to flinch, the first reaction she had had to an outside stimulus. This was an encouraging sign, though I did feel bad for causing her more discomfort. As Akaashi left to do just that, I noticed that Endou was trembling in my arms. Worried that she might be uncomfortable with a guy touching her on top of everything else that had happened to her, I gently sat her on the couch, making sure Kenma stayed beside her to keep her sitting up. She didn't need to be laying down with a broken and bleeding nose.

"Kuro," Kenma's calm voice snapped me out of my adrenaline filled pacing and caused me to turn my focus to him as he looked in concern at Endou, "She's going to have a hard time warming up in wet clothes. She needs to get into something dry or she's going to get sick." He was right, as per usual, but what were we supposed to do about that?

"I brought some dry clothes for her. They're mine, so they're going to be the closest to fitting her," Akaashi stated, returning to the living room with a first aid kit in one hand and fresh clothes in the other. Bokuto was right behind him, and when his eyes landed on Endou, they widened in a mix of shock, sadness, and anger.

"Alright, I'm going to kick this guy's ass! Come on, Kuroo!" he announced angrily, heading towards the door. While I totally agreed with him, I didn't feel right leaving Endou like she was.

"Enough, Koutaro," Akaashi said sternly before looking at Endou who had gone back to being mostly unresponsive. He knelt in front of her, trying to get her attention and spoke slowly to her.

"Endou-san, do you remember me? My name is Akaashi Keiji. I was with these two when they came to check on you last time," he said clearly, and when Endou did not respond, he continued with a slightly different tactic, "We need to get you changed into something dry and treat your injuries. Blink twice if you need help changing. I promise no one here will hurt you." Slowly as though it took way more effort than it should have, Endou's gunmetal eyes blinked once, and then again.

"You're doing great, Endou-san. Now, I'm going to suggest we have Kenma-san change you and Kuroo-san will stay in the corner without looking in case Kenma-san needs help moving you. Kenma-san's the one who found you. If you're more comfortable, I can do it as well. None of us would try anything since we aren't attracted to girls," Akaashi explained ever-so bluntly. I would have laughed at his bluntness if the situation wasn't so shitty.

Endou nodded slowly. And again, using the blink twice method from before, Akaashi confirmed that Endou was okay with Kenma changing her with me being in the corner of the room. That's how we ended up in Bokuto and Akaashi's spare bedroom where after putting Endou on the bed, I went dutifully to the corner of the room, my back facing the other two, listening intently for any signs that they would need my help.

"Your name is Endou-san, right?" I heard Kenma trying to speak in a way that helped her feel comfortable and I felt a swell of pride at him showing this side of himself to another person, "My name is Kozume Kenma, but you can just call me Kenma. I hate formalities. The reason they picked me to change you is because I'm asexual. I never really got the whole physical attraction thing. Bodies are just bodies to me." I chuckled a bit at his rambling and I could feel the glare he shot in my direction.

"Can you lift your arms at all, Endou?" Kenma asked and continued his rambling after a couple of moments, "This must all be awkward for you. I'm not sure how you know Kuro, Bokuto, and Akaashi, but despite how annoying the first two can be, they tend to be quite reliable. I don't know what you did, but they all seem quite protective of you, which isn't normal for them so quick... We're done, Kuro. You can turn around now." When I turned around, I saw that not only had Kenma helped Endou change her clothes, he had also washed all the blood off from her face chest. With the blood gone, her injuries were a lot more evident.
"I'm going to carry you back to the living room okay? Bokuto and Akaashi set up some extra blankets for you in there," I informed her, trying to speak as normally as possible in order to hopefully make her feel a bit more comfortable, and as her eyes darted to Kenma, I quickly added, "Kenma will be coming with us."

When we made it into the living room, I once again placed Endou down on the couch. I noticed her eyes were appearing to clear up a bit and finally, she spoke, her voice sounding hoarse.

"Thank you, Kozume-san, Kuroo-san," she croaked out slowly, earning a smile from me. At least she was speaking, but the slight slurring had me concerned.

"Kuro, you should do an evaluation of her injuries," Kenma spoke up and I nearly facepalmed for not thinking about that. When Endou looked nervous, I quickly explained.

"I have training in sports medicine, so I know how to evaluate injuries. I can even treat them in cases of emergencies. You never know when you'll need something like that in sports," I explained, earning a nod from Endou that I took as permission to begin. As I looked over each of her injuries, I felt a lot better about most of them; however, there were two major concerns.

"Endou-san, most of your injuries don't need to be treated at a hospital; however, your nose needs to be reset, and you are showing signs of a concussion. We really should get you to a hospital so they can evaluate the extent of those," I said matter-of-factly. Honestly, I would much prefer if she went straight to the hospital. Despite her shaking slowing after being wrapped up in the blankets, she still wasn't in the clear by any means.
"I don't have a concussion," she stated slowly, her speech slurred still but not as bad as before, "H-he drugged me... Barbiturates... I managed to spit out most of them... And then I tried to throw up the rest... They must have already... taken some effect." The look of horror on Kenma's face I could only imagine matched the fury I was feeling in my head, but thanks to years of staying calm as a captain, I was able to avoid showing the plethora of emotions I felt at that statement. Instead, I reverted back to the medical training that I did have.

"Do you know how many you swallowed?" I asked, to which she shook her head.

"No more than 5 I think... It's all.. a blur..." she responded honestly and I sighed and decided to focus on what appeared to be the more serious issue.

"Well, we still should take you to the hospital to get your nose reset," I finally said and I saw her stiffen, eyes widening in fear as she quickly shook her head.

"C-can't you just reset it here? You have medical training right?"

The desperation with which she asked the question only caused me further concern, but as she began trembling again, Kenma stepped in, wrapping an arm around her, shooting me a look in the process. After years of friendship with the pudding-haired boy, I knew he was stepping out of his comfort zone with all the physical comfort he was giving Endou, and if the look I was getting from him was any indication, he fully expected me to do the same. Heaving a sigh and running my fingers through my ever-unruly hair, I looked at Endou and grabbed the first aid kit from the coffee table before kneeling down in front of her and grasping her chin gently to get her to look at me so I could assess exactly how I was going to do this.
"Alright, I can reset it here, but the risk of infection is much higher, and I also don't have anything to numb it with, so this is going to hurt like a bitch. Are you still sure you want me to do this here instead of going to a hospital?" I asked, my eyes staring intently into hers. Anything less than a confident yes, and I would be dragging her to the hospital to get treated. I was already apprehensive about this, but her being treated by me is better than leaving her nose as it was. To my dismay, but not surprisingly, Endou met my gaze with an even and confident gaze as she nodded her head.

"Please reset it here, Kuroo-san. I can handle the pain," she responded without hesitation causing me to sigh again. I took an alcohol wipe from the first aid kit and wiped off my hands and instructed Kenma to bring some paper towels.

"Shouldn't you use something sterilized to pack her nose?" he asked. I rolled my eyes. I swear he just pointed out I had medical training and still thought I was an idiot.

"It's to catch the blood when I reset her nose. When I do that, it's going to more than likely break the clots that have formed. I'll pack her nose with the sterilized gauze from the first aid kit," I explained, and at that, Kenma did as I asked without anymore questions. Finally, after preparing everything, I gently grasped Endou's now completely purple nose.

"Are you ready?" I asked and she nodded, "Okay. On the count of 3. 1... 2." At 2, I snapped her nose back into place, causing her to let out a slight whimper of pain as a gush of blood fell onto the stack of paper towels Kenma was holding under her nose. Her reaction was surprising. I'd seen grown men scream like girls at getting their nose reset, and that was in a hospital with numbing. Endou flinched and whimpered, but she barely moved at the pain. She would wince occasionally as I cleaned up the blood that fell under her nose and packed her nose with sterilized gauze, finishing the makeshift job by using medical tape to secure her nose in place. It definitely wasn't hospital standard, but it was pretty damn good for an at home job if I did say so myself.

"Going on two was a bitch move." At her nasally comment I couldn't help but chuckle.

"It's a diversion tactic. You were too stubborn to take any other kind of medical help so I had to go pretty old school with that one," I responded with a lazy smirk. She was making jokes despite a shitty situation and I appreciated that.

"Speaking of which, can I please get a couple of pictures to send to a friend of mine who works in an emergency room, Endou?" Kenma spoke up, and I noticed her tense at the question before relaxing a bit.

"Fine, but please no pictures of my face," Endou reluctantly agreed. The pictures took very little time, and I bit my tongue from asking Kenma when he had acquired a friend that worked in the ER.

"You really should have gone to a hospital, Endou-san," Akaashi spoke up as he and Bokuto re-entered the living room. I'm pretty sure Akaashi had spent all this time explaining to Bokuto why going to kill the guy Endou lived with wouldn't help anything. Bokuto had always been a really emotional guy, and Akaashi had always kept him in check. It's part of what made them such a great pair in my opinion, even if Akaashi and I butted heads on occasion.

"Thank you for your concern, Akaashi-san, but I have no insurance," she replied, "And.. they would ask too many questions." I frowned at that. We could have figured something out.

"Hey hey hey, we could have helped you out with hospital stuff! Or what about your parents?" Bokuto asked, clearly confused. Endou gave a small smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. Her eyes, while no longer cloudy, looked darker than I had seen them before, like there was a storm brewing behind them.

"My parents and I aren't exactly on great terms, and I would never ask you all for help. You all have already done so much for me. Thank you all," she spoke these things as though they were fact, not with any emotion behind them. I could practically see the walls she was building up around herself as the medicines from earlier wore off.

The room was silent and full of tension for what felt like minutes but was probably only 30 seconds. Bokuto, Akaashi, and I all desperately wanting to ask the question that would confirm our suspicions about how she got in the state Kenma had found her in. We were all too afraid of approaching it in the wrong way.

"What happened to you?" Kenma asked point blank and I shot him a 'what the hell' look. He simply shot back a look that said 'none of you would ask.' A panicked giggle followed by a sob interrupted our silent argument as all of our attention returned to the caramel haired girl.

"I fought back," she whispered with a small smile that grew to a bit of a relieved grin as she spoke up louder, "I fought back... I fought back... and now I have no idea what I will do." The last bit seemed more like a thought that she meant to keep in her head, a surefire sign that the medicine from earlier was still affecting her brain. Akaashi approaches her slowly and puts a gentle hand on her shoulder, giving a small comforting smile when she looked up at him.

"That sounds like a problem for tomorrow. For tonight, just stay here and let the medicines wear off. Besides, no one should be out in a storm like this," Akaashi stated, a clap of thunder seeming to prove his point, earning a reluctant nod from Endou, "Are you hungry?" The woman shook her head.

"The idea of food grosses me out, side effect of the stupid medication," she responded before looking at Kenma and I, "Kozume-san, Kuroo-san will you both be staying too?" Without a second thought, I answered 'yes' and Kenma nodded his head in agreement, surprising me a bit. He must be really worried.

"Also, please call me Kenma. I don't really like being called by my last name much," Kenma insisted earning a hesitant nod from Endou.

"Then, please call me Mikia. I'm sure you know at least a dozen Endous. It's a pretty common name," Endou responded before looking in my direction, "You can call me Mikia as well Kuroo-san." Her voice was a bit shaky when speaking to me, making me fully aware that she was not near as comfortable with me as she was with Kenma, an odd change of pace if I was being honest.

"Mikia-chan can have the spare bedroom to herself! It's got a lock and everything!" Bokuto interrupted what was turning into an awkward exchange between me and the caramel haired woman.

"Thank you, Bokuto-san, but..." Endou looked hesitant and of course Akaashi picked up on it as soon as he came in the room, an unopened bottle of water in his hand that he passed to the woman.

"You're afraid of being alone, that he'll find you right?" Akaashi interjected and Endou looked up at him in relief and nodded.

"But I don't want to be a bother for anyone... I've already caused all of you so much trouble. I'll be fine," she quickly corrected, and I let out a laugh to try and alleviate the tension.

"You won't be causing any trouble! Kenma can stay with you! We used to have sleepovers all the time," I teased before shooting a smirk at Kenma who looked indifferent, "Just know that he's a major blanket hog." Kenma glared at me but was got off by a small laugh from Endou. It was much more relaxed than the panicked giggle we heard earlier.

"Do you mind, Ko- Kenma-san? If you do, don't worry about it. I can manage," she asked, obviously trying to seem strong. But who was she trying to be strong for? She was the one who went through everything. Not us. Kenma blushed a bit in embarrassment at all the attention on him and told her it was fine.

After getting Endou to drink at least half the bottle of water, Kenma and I helped her to the spare room. The medicine's affects still had her a bit shaky on her feet. As we reached the room, we helped her to the bed, and I turned to head to my place on the couch when a hand shakily grabbed my wrist causing me to turn around. Endou eyes were glued to the bed for a moment before looking up to meet mine as she released her grip on my wrist and gave me a slight bow.

"Thank you, Kuroo-san, for all of your help," she stated very formally, and I gave her a small smile. Not a smirk, an actual smile as I ruffled her hair a bit.

"Anytime, kid," I teased earning a huff from her something about not being a kid causing me to chuckle, "Good night." And with that I made my way to the couch. Akaashi and Bokuto had already retired to their room. After about an hour, I was ready to give up on sleep until my phone buzzed with a message. When I opened it, I was surprised to see it was from Kenma. When I saw the picture attached I smiled. It was Kenma with Endou curled up beside him clutching his shirt and sleeping. His message said exactly what I had been thinking since I saw her outside with Kenma.

If she wants to, she's staying with us. Not up for debate. Now, relax and sleep you annoying rooster. -Kenma

-
Song: Talk to Me by Cavetown

A/N: So I will probably edit this in the near future because I did not get to proofread at ALL because my child wouldn't quit screaming. But anyways, hope you enjoyed the longer chapter completely from Kuroo's POV :) 3