Each minute ticking by like an hour. Excruciating. An intense fear that was eating away at him as he stared expectantly at his phone. Waiting for her to say something, to let him know she was alright. Listening to the pounding of his own heart, biting at his lip as he waited.

Come on, doll! You're still alive, right? You have to say something! I need to know that you're okay! I need to know that you're not mad at me. You wouldn't be mad at me, though, right? This wasn't my fault! I didn't send Dabi after you; the person you should blame is…

Sighing. Half-closing his eyes and dropping his phone at his side. Deku crossed his arms behind his head and frowned up at the ceiling as he mulled it over. The fault was everyone's. No one was innocent in this. Shigaraki had sent Dabi after her, but Amaya had made him question her loyalty and Deku had hesitated to "educate" her himself.

Footsteps out in the hallway. Toga's giggling, the rough sound of Dabi's voice. Taunting, mocking, growling, threatening. Closer and closer, causing Deku's pulse to race. Subconsciously holding his breath as they stopped right outside his door. Pushing himself to sit up, he waited for the sharp click of his door opening and felt a twitch beneath his eye when he saw them.

Dabi, holding Amaya's upper arm in a bruising grip. The girl's head was down, obsidian locks falling over her face to hide it and her blood red ribbon askew. Her school uniform ripped in some places, her stockings torn, her tie hanging loose around her neck. Toga stood behind her in the hallway, grinning at Deku over her shoulder and giving him a wave.

"Here." Dabi shoved the girl into Deku's room and caused her to fall to her knees on the floor. "Leader said she's gotta stay here tonight. Lucky you, right? You get to keep your pet and leader's satisfied she won't run off now."

What did he do? What did Dabi do to you, doll?! He was off the bed even before the door closed and fell to his knees in front of her. So unbelievably happy to see her was alive. So excited to have his arms wrap around her. So angry that Dabi had put his hand on her, so worried about the damage the other villain might have caused.

Trembling. Tears dotting the floor beneath her. "D-Deku…" Her voice a hoarse whisper, from either crying or screaming. "Deku."

"Doll? What is it? I'm right here. Everything's going to be okay. I'm here." His arms tightening around her and feeling her fingers clutch at the back of his shirt. Her body so warm against his and making his heart skip a beat.

"Deku…Deku…Deku…" Her face burying in the side of his neck, her breath warm against his skin and bringing him comfort. "…it hurts…"

"What? What hurts? Doll, where did he hurt you? Show me. I'll take care of you. I promise. Just show me-" Words dying on his lips when she leaned back and he saw her face. The split, bleeding lower lip and the dried blood beneath her nose. The gash above her left eyebrow.

His heart sank and Deku held her shoulders. "Doll. What did he do to you?"

"No. I can't…talk about it." Amaya embraced him again, trembling as his arms slid around her waist. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

He lifted an arm, stroking her dark hair and smiling at her. "Look at me. It's going to be okay. I'm going to take care of you. I promised, didn't I?" Deku leaned down, stealing a kiss and bringing his hand to her cheek. "I love you, doll. Even when you're broken like this! Isn't that…heheh..isn't that kind of crazy? It's so hard to find someone that will love you no matter what state you're in! I never thought I'd find someone that loves me as much as you do, but I guess maybe we're both a little broken now, right?"

Giddiness. Biting back laughter as he stared down into her eyes, holding her face in his hands. Leaning down and bringing his lips to hers again, swiping his tongue along her lower lip to taste the metallic tang of her blood. It sent a powerful shiver down his spine, heat rushing to his lower abdomen.

"Oh, doll. Everything about you is just so perfect! Even your blood…is so pretty…" Groaning into the kiss and leaning back against the side of his bed, pulling her with him so she was settled between his legs.

You're here. You're broken and you're bleeding, but you're here. I wish it didn't have to hurt so much, but we can really be together now! Shigaraki isn't going to let you go any time soon. I'll have to take care of a few things, but we have so much time together now, doll! And I'm going to make sure you're happy! The worst part is over now so we can skip to the fun part!

Breaking the kiss, smiling down at her as he tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "You're so beautiful, doll. Oh! Do you want some food? I can order some dinner and we'll eat it in my room. It can be like a date! Oh…but you probably need some clean clothes, right? Your uniform got ripped up. Just wait here, okay? I'll get something for you to change into."

Heart beating so fast, so loud, that it was impossible to ignore. Guiding her to sit on the edge of his bed as he went to search for something. As much as he wanted to look, he kept his back to her while she changed and he was rewarded for his patience when he turned back to her. Even bruised and bleeding, even with her obsidian hair in tangles and her ribbon crooked, the sight of Amaya wearing his button-up shirt filled him with exhilaration. It was just long enough to reach her thighs and when he saw her blushing, it nearly gave him a nosebleed.

You're making it kind of hard to control myself, you know. You look so cute. You always look cute, but this is…different somehow. I really love seeing you wear my shirt, doll. It almost feels like my heart's going to explode. I can't look away from you. I feel bad about what happened to you, but…if it hadn't, then you wouldn't be here right now!

An idea popped into his head and he beamed. "I'm going to grab something from your room. I'll be right back, okay? Just wait here." Deku hesitated near his door and walked back to the bed, holding out his hand. "Sorry, but can I have your phone? It's not that I don't trust you! I just…need it for something."

Though he was worried about leaving her alone in his room, he wanted to get something for her. A surprise from the room he had made for her. Standing just inside the doorway, he typed a message to her parents. An explanation; telling her parents that a villain had found out where she lived and was targeting her. They needed to find somewhere else to stay for a while and she would be going into hiding for a few days.

Shift P.O.V

"Ngh." Amaya curled into a ball on the bed, her arms wrapping around her legs and biting back tears from the pain of her injuries. The split in her lip was stinging. The pain from hitting her nose had faded to a dull throbbing. The various cuts burning. She knew there would be a lot of bruises on her the next day.

Leaving the house with Dabi, she thought she would be alright. He would take her to the League's hideout, she would be with Deku. Everything would be fine. Except that things did not go as she expected. Dabi took her somewhere else before the hideout, claiming he wanted to "test her skills". Which meant pitting her against himself and Toga in a fight.

Licking her lip, looking at the door as she waited for Deku to return. Her only protection in this place. Her only hope for getting out alive. How quickly things had turned and she felt guilty. This felt like punishment for trying to find his mother, for prying into his past, for trying to go against his wishes and pull him away from the League.

When the door opened, she felt her heart skip. Meeting his soft, emerald gaze and seeing a sheepish smile take form. "Deku?"

"I wanted to surprise you when you officially moved in, but I think now's a pretty good time for this." He locked the door behind him and sat on the edge of the bed, settling a small box on the blanket beside her. "Here. I wanted you to have something special, doll. I picked this out just for you."

"I…appreciate it, but it's okay. Deku, you didn't have to get me anything." Her voice sounding so small. Humiliating. Weak. She had worked so hard for the past three years to become a hero and she was beaten down so quickly by a pair of villains. Amaya felt like her skin had been peeled away; left exposed and frail.

Any time the League feels like it, they could go to my house. They could kill my parents. They could kill my cat. What am I going to do? What am I supposed to now? A tightening in her chest so intense that it brought fresh tears to her eyes. She lowered her head, trying to hide it from him. So worried, so panicked.

Warm fingers slipped beneath her chin and she was suddenly looking into his eyes again. "It's going to be okay, doll." Deku's other hand gently gripped her shoulder and he pulled her close. Lips meeting hers, fingers threading into her dark hair and his body pushing against her.

Amaya closed her eyes and let her arms slide around his neck. Fingers delicately running through his dark green curls, feeling his hips grind down against hers. Swallowing his groan and feeling a hand run along her side. Her pulse was almost deafening in her ears, a fluttery, warm feeling settling over her lower abdomen as she felt his fingertips skim across her thigh.

A muffled yelp of surprise. His lips curling into a smile against hers as his hand went beneath her leg and lifted it around his waist, bringing them closer. Grinding harder against her and finally breaking the kiss, his face moving to the side of her neck.

"Oh, doll. You have no idea how happy I am to have you all to myself. We have so much time now! And I promise…we're going to have so much fun together! I won't let them hurt you again; I swear. I'll be your protector. I'll keep you safe." Lips brushed against the sensitive skin below her ear. One arm wrapping around her to keep her pinned against him as his free hand slid beneath the hem of her shirt.

"You can feel it, too, can't you? We're made for each other, doll. You won't leave me…not like she did. She didn't love me. She never loved me! She…hurt me. And I thought I'd never feel happy again. But when I met you…doll, made me feel so good. Just seeing your face could make me smile."

She kept her arms wrapped around him as he went still. Feeling the pain in his voice, the heartbreak he had suffered at someone else's hands. The loneliness he must have felt. When he braced himself over her on the bed, Amaya saw a wet sheen to his eyes and she caressed his cheek. "Deku…"

"Everything's okay now," he assured her, smiling. So genuine. So content, so loving. "You don't need to look so worried. I'm okay now because I have you. You're all I need to make me feel happy, Amaya." Leaning down, resting his head on her chest. "Your heart is beating so fast. But I love the sound of it. Here. Feel mine." He brought her hand to his chest, pinning it between them. "Feel how fast mine is beating, doll? My heart's beating just for you now."