AN: Aight, this one was a long time coming. I finally got around to editing after my wonderful beta (Aiedail Liadeia on , give them a look! And their name on AO3 is Aiedail_Liadeia) did so much work. Thank you for all who are sticking around for this.

Tokoyami had expected a lot of things from today, but nothing like this. Firstly he had been hounded by Ashido to not say a thing about the note she had given him. Supposedly she needed to apologize to Aoyama for that. He couldn't even get a word in before she left to greet the blonde, which left him a tad ticked off.

And the mess that was his feelings only made his head spin. Efforts to get his head and the feelings within it sorted felt like a herculean task, and Dark Shadow who refused to cooperate made it that much harder. For all their bickering and clashing, they completed each other. After so many years he had simply relied on Dark Shadow to be his emotional interpreter, now that he was gone he felt lost. What even was with him? What were these feelings?

Then after hours upon hours of deliberation he had decided, he had no such feelings. Well he had thought he had no such feelings.

But things couldn't be simple, could they? Of course not! At USJ as they had gotten attacked, his thoughts hadn't been in fear for himself or his friends. They were of Yuuga, and as if on cue the classmate himself had tried to push him out of the way of the descending mist. What had he thought he was doing?!

Once they got seperated in the chaos, is when things turned for the worst on that horrid day.

His feet hit the pavement in a constant rhythm, as he tried to find his way around the city. Not only was he completely soaked and chilled to the bone, but something nagged at the back of his mind. Like radio static, barely there at first, but slowly it got louder and louder with each passing step in the dark city. It filled his mind, a trouble he was rather familiar with.

'Feeling scared are we?'

He did his best to ignore him as he turned into another alleyway in an attempt to avoid being in the open for villains to pick him off, like one would simply pick a grape off a vine.

'Just admit it, Fumikage. You're afraid.'

'Silence yourself. I need to concentrate.'

'On what? What you will do once you find his lifeless body? Or do you need to concentrate on the thought that you are once more going in circles in these stupid alleyways?' The static was getting louder, a headache started to throb in his head. His vision became blurry, his legs threatened to give under him unless he stopped. 'You can't ignore me forever Fumikage! Answer me!'

'For somebody determined not to talk to me, you are suddenly very talkative.' He had been forced to halt, his hands shook. He wasn't sure if it was from the cold or the creeping dread trying to sink its sharp claws into his mind. The fear that could immobilize him at a moment's notice, the kind which gave Dark Shadow free reign over their body.

Tokoyami persisted in pushing it away, this was the worst possible place for that beast to be unleashed.

'I just feel like talking, oh dear Fumikage. You are the one answering back. Consider the predicament we are all trapped in. Seems like the perfect place for my help, especially considering all the possibilities of you and our dear friend Yuuga getting hurt one way or another. Just a minute to find him and get us to safety. That couldn't be bad could it?'

'Perish the thought. I am not letting you do any such thing!' Wind howled, sending a shiver down his spine in the dark alley. 'You are nothing but a demon with a silver tongue!' Footsteps echoed from one side that were getting closer to his spot, Tokoyami froze in place.

Step. Step. Step.

'My, my. Those are some heavy accusations. But you are forgetting, I am part of you. Who is to say what you would be like if I didn't exist? You won't get rid of me so easily...unless you would prefer to try your hand as a quirkless hero?'

'Silence!'

'Face it, you need me.'

Step. Step. Step.

'I don't need you.' His rebuke was weak as he looked around for a way out without alerting the person getting closer. There weren't any windows or doors to escape through. He turned around once more to face whatever would meet them head on.

Step. Step. Step. STEP. STEP. STEP

'You disappoint me. Stop lying to yourself, you simpleton.' Dark Shadow forced himself out and quickly bounded behind them.

"WHAT THE-?!"

A woman fell off the wall, he felt a spike in his despair as the knife in her hand clattered to the ground near his feet. She was silenced by Dark Shadow, who knocked her out with a forceful throw at the brick wall. The steps turned into a run, more voices and footsteps reached his ears. Tokoyami realized he had been cornered as there were people now coming from both ways to investigate her exclamation.

There was no escape.

His breathing became laboured. Would he even be able to get out of here unscathed? What about Yuuga? What about the rest, were they any better?

His thoughts spiralled as all he could do was look around hopelessly. Villains approached from both sides, but his vision at this point was so foggy he couldn't make out any of their faces. The shadow behind him grew, a loud laugh echoed from the beast of darkness.

He couldn't stop him anymore.

"What is going on there?"

"Why, haven't you heard? Your funerals!"

Fumikage would never be able to recall the event after that in his life. He could remember one thing and one thing only, it would haunt his dreams until his death. Their horrified and anguished screams.

He was only snapped back out of the darkness, as a shriek echoed through the air. Their names had been called. Dark Shadow didn't seem to notice that Tokoyami was awake as he turned towards the sound, turning Fumikage with him.

Dark Shadow dropped the villain he was playing with in shock as they saw an icicle pierce right through Yuuga. The sounds of the city and everybody around them went quiet. The static that was a quiet presence at the back of his mind, suddenly rushed forward.

BZZZZT

BZZZZZZZT

Then the worst possible thing happened. It went silent.

"HOW DARE YOU!" Dark Shadow howled, trying to find the one responsible. They seemed to be gone for good. So he had instead focused his distress into the crowd of dumbstruck villains. The beast only grew with each angry swipe, Fumikage was dragged like a ragdoll, no way to even attempt to stop Dark Shadow. He felt a surging pain go through him as his leg hit something, it was all a mess of colours and sounds. Bones cracking, quirks going off and then out of nowhere a bright light covered his field of vision.

'NO! NO!'

Through all the pain and confusion, Tokoyami got up, finally being able to take some control. Only one person here could produce such a thing.

Yuuga had done it again. Though he didn't have much time to dwell on his thoughts as Dark Shadow started to scream within his mind.

'LET ME OUT! LET ME GET THEM!'

The static buzzed loudly, pounding within his skull with protests of the beast. Luckily the adrenaline and pain was what kept him in control and awake. His breath hitched as he finally saw where Yuuga landed.

He wasn't moving.

'...Shit.'

He decided to ignore Dark Shadow, limping over as fast as he could to check on him. The icicle was so big, as it melted it mixed with the blood that oozed from Aoyama's armor. The sight was ghastly. He looked paler than usual, he didn't even seem to be breathing.

"Yuuga!"

No answer.

They needed to be quick, maybe he could still be fine. He needed to be. He needed to be fine.

'Let me out!'

'No! I refuse to let you go after them, he is going to die if we leave him like this.'

'They hurt him. Let me help Fumikage!'

'And what will you do? Drag me along for another 'joyride'? Possibly snap my neck along the way?'

'They need to pay!'

Finally Tokoyami had enough.

'Are their lives worth Yuuga's? For once in our miserable lives, think. Do you really think we have the time to hunt them down? My foot is injured and he is bleeding out, you insufferable, wretched beast. You miserable excuse of a quirk! You are going to get all of us killed because of your power lust and I dearly hope the death you cause for me will be as painful to you as it will be for me!'

All was quiet for a moment as he tried to pick him up. Would he even be able to do it?

'Let me help.'

'You've helped quite enough today Dark Shadow.'

'Shut up. We both know you won't be able to do it alone.'

'What is with the sudden change of heart? Did you have to actually think beyond a few moments on whether to tear someone apart or throw them into a wall? Or what you wish to obsess over to try and drive me crazy?'

He felt a strong pull in his body as Dark Shadow tried to come out, the buzzing returning for a second but he kept him in.

'Leave us alone.'

'Let me out. I'll help, the villains are far gone by this point.'

'How can I know if you are genuine?'

'You can't. But you can't lift shiny boy on your own. And with the grip you have now on us, we both also know that if I try anything I will be gone within an instant.'

The rain continued to fall as Dark Shadow emerged, the two needing a moment to coordinate how to actually do it. He was surprisingly light, getting him off the ground was much easier than expected.

Once they picked him up, he finally made a sound and it felt like part of a burden had been lifted off his shoulders. He was alive. He was okay. As okay as he could be in this predicament.

This mad banquet of darkness wasn't going to end in a fruitless death.

"Can you for once shut up about that?" Dark Shadow barked up at him, the two shared a tense look before Tokoyami looked away.

"Then stop listening in on me and help me find a way to safety."

"You are deflecting!"

"We don't have time for this Dark Shadow!" His voice raised in frustration, Yuuga flinched at the sudden volume. He didn't mean to do that, he really didn't.

"It h-hurts...it h-hurts.".

"I probably cannot fathom the pain you are in. But please stay awake, I am getting us somewhere to treat you."

"Are you ok-okay? Did t-they hu-hurt you?" Yuuga's voice was frail, his eyes constantly fighting to stay open.

"For somebody who took an icicle to the torso, you are very concerned with my health. Just stay awake, I shall be fine."

"H-How b-bad is it?"

Both of them glanced down at the bleeding wound.

"It is certainly not good."

Today was a filthy mess.

So he was carrying a dying friend (possibly a pash on top of everything too), said classmate barely kept Dark Shadow occupied and they had no idea when or even if they were going to get rescued. Just wonderful.

He ran into one of the buildings with the lights on, he guessed the villains would have probably waited for them somewhere warmer and more comfortable.

"Dark Shadow."

"Hmm? Oh yeah, whatever." He muttered, taking one hand off Yuuga to open the door.

Once the door opened he got them inside, the change in temperature was clear. He shivered, shaking his head to get any water droplets out of his feathers. He would need to deal with them later. His eyes scanned the barren room, looking for somewhere to put him down. He saw some chairs and a running heater, packs of beers and other alcoholic drinks.

'On your right.'

He turned his head and would you look at that, a rather decrepit couch was sitting in the corner. It looked like it hadn't seen a human in years, with the villains probably being the first to use it in a long while. He limped over, putting Aoyama down.

'I don't see any first aid kits. I doubt they would put them in every building.'

'I despise that you are probably right. But we need something to bandage him, my coat and his cloak are soaked on the outside. Might cause an infection.'

'Use your shirt genius. You are dry under the cloak. And despise me all you want, I want shiny boy safe.'

'You wish him safety when you no longer have power over our form. Hold your tongue.'

'Put a sock in it and take your shirt off, you can hurl insults at me later.'

He knew it wouldn't be the cleanest, but he couldn't let him bleed out either. Aoyama was watching them, tears stained his cheeks and he couldn't blame him. The wound was absolutely awful. It was around the size of a fist, dark blood oozing out in a horrifying manner. For all the horror Fumikage had seen in movies or news reports or even his dreams, nothing could compare to real life most of the time.

'What's in the stupid belt again?'

'It's not stupid. I believe we do have some rope we could use. Ball up the shirt and tie it down.'

'Sounds iffy. Don't you have a pen too? Why not make one of those uhh turnikeets?'

'You mean a tourniquet? That is only for last resorts. I swear, did you even put any attention into our first aid lectures?'

As they spoke like this, he got the wet cloak off, throwing it over one of the chairs. He moved on to Aoyama, whose unblinking stare was following his every move. He could never guess what he was really thinking, at least not when he had that ridiculously fake smile on. It was rather creepy, especially now. Tokoyami wasn't sure if the other knew that he even had it on. Seeing it paired with blood flecks on his cheeks certainly was eerie.

"This may hurt to some degree. I need to remove the cloth around the wound." He explained to him. The armour around that area had already fallen off, so it should be easy. Aoyama nodded after a second, exhaling. He noticed that he had curled up his hand into a fist on the healthy arm. "Do you wish for me to remove the rest of your costume? Did it soak through?" After another moment Yuuga nodded.

"S-Should be e-easy enough to r-remove. T-there are c-clasps under the gaps." He explained in a hoarse voice, how was he still awake? He looked like he was one foot in the grave already.

No! He had to banish such thoughts, there was going to be none of that.

Once the armor was on the floor, his next objective was the wound. Tokoyami gingerly reached for the wounded area, pulling away the black cloth. That made the blonde release a loud hiss, closing his eyes as more tears left him. Though what Tokoyami saw shocked him. Not only was there a wound, there also seemed to be...frostbite?

He could damn their luck later, so he reached for his shirt and pulled it over his head. Once he could see again, Aoyama was trying to look away with a heavy blush on his cheeks. Maybe the note held some water...Gah! He didn't have time for such infantile thoughts.

Dark Shadow pushed rope into his hand, so once he got the shirt in position and the right pressure, it wouldn't take long. Aoyama was still refusing to look back, only slightly wincing as he put the black shirt against the wound. He waited a bit, watching until the pressure was right so the bleeding stopped.

"Is it too much? Can you feel your arm? Can you possibly move your fingers for me?"

Yuuga nodded to both and closed his eyes, with the blush continuing to persist. They tied the shirt on to the wound. When he was done, he contemplated the look of pain on his face that brought him a sort of sadness he really couldn't describe. And a rising regret, as he scolded himself for letting him get hurt. What snapped him out of it was surprisingly Dark Shadow.

'You can mope later! Shiny boy needs warmth! Get the heater and the cloak, the inside should be fine to put over him.'

'Shouldn't you be thrilled at my current negative headspace?'

'I can feed off your bad feelings any time. Shiny boy needs help and the light here is too bright, smart-ass.'

'I really hope you stop with your foul language soon.'

As he got up to get the heater though, Aoyama whined. "P-Please! D-Don't l-leave me-me alo-alone. Please." His eyes were wide, with his whole body shaking. The usually loud and flamboyant voice was alarmingly quiet. He felt the need to calm him, hold him and smother him with-

No. What was with him today? He should have already had this sorted out!

"I am not leaving you alone. I swear. Merely getting the heater and possibly some water." He explained, making sure to catch his gaze. That seemed to have calmed him down a bit, as he averted his eyes and nodded.

He got up, dragging the thing closer to them while Dark Shadow riffled through the bottles and found an unopened water bottle by some miracle. Before he got back, he grabbed his cloak from off the chair.

"How bad is the pain? From one to ten?" He tried to remain calm, while regret still ebbed at him. How could he have been so sloppy? Tokoyami opened the water bottle, trying to help him get a drink.

"Six o-or seven." He spoke quietly after a few weak sips, he tried to lift his healthy arm to tilt the drink towards Fumikage.

"No. Drink as much as you wish. I'll be fine."

"I-I'm fine."

"You absolutely are not! Drink more than just the bare minimum, I don't wish for you to faint here." His voice got sharper, his friend shrunk into himself but did as told. He had quickly drained it and then, he started to shiver.

"Here." He opened the cloak, planning to put it around him.

"... Monsieur Tokoyami y-you are literally shirtless. Y-You take it. I am betting that you feel much colder than I!" He tried to push it off, even as he quivered. Yes, he was cold. But he would be fine.

"I insist. Take it."

"Non!"

"JUST SHARE IT LIKE A BLANKET!" Dark Shadow exploded at both of them, Yuuga cowered, his healthy hand raised to shield his face, probably from the sudden surprise of the yell.

'Maybe that was a tad too harsh.'

'Maybe? Just maybe?'

'Shut. Up. Be happy I decided I want him to live.'

'Since when do you pretend that you can hold lives in your hand?'

'Since I can. Do you wish for me to drag us out? I can and I will Fumikage. My part here is done, he is safe. And the one who hurt him has yet to be gutted, so I will gladly continue.'

Tokoyami flinched at his words, taking a deep breath to calm himself down. He couldn't let him take over again, not here.

"I insist that you keep it. My condition is nothing compared to yours. It would just make you uncomfortable."

Yuuga turned his gaze away before he spoke, his voice barely louder than the rain.

"And what if I say, that I am fine with it?" His cheeks were spilling from pink to bright red, like watching a blooming flower get its colours. Then he finally realized what he had said, not sure if he was serious. "It's just until the heroes come back, correct? It's nothing wrong, unless you find it too uncomfortable!" For somebody who could barely move, he backpedaled faster than anyone he knew.

"Well...it is not a bad idea." Tokoyami nodded to ease the tension, and he sat down on the other side. The couch wasn't really wide enough for two to lay down together side by side, so the best he could do was try and share the cloak like one might a blanket. Yuuga leaned against the arm of the couch on his side, the two faced each other. With one quick move the dry underside of the cloak was on them, the two of them settling under it without a word. The only real sound was the pitter-patter of the rain against the roof and the building settling every so often. The wind howled outside harshly, still no sign of anybody coming for them which worried him deeply. Could he even get Aoyama out of here in his current state?

He felt movement, looking down. The blonde was fidgeting under the cloak, drawing something on his own knee with the index finger.

"Are you nervous?"

"Non, not real-really. More, afraid if that makes se-sense? Nervous implies s-something more c-cas-casual." He halted the movement, his gaze glued to the ceiling.

"I would think it is natural to feel fear in this kind of situation. We were left on our own with villains and you got hurt too. Which I still need to apologi-"

"Shut up." Aoyama cut him off, looking down with a determined look in his eyes. For a moment his shaking voice became strong, catching his gaze. "I saved m-my friend! I would do it all again! For any of you! Mina, Shoji, you. If you apologize I-I swear monsieur I will p-push you off this couch!" He huffed, even puffing at the blonde curl so it moved aside. As Fumikage watched him speak, he noticed the dark circles under the smudged makeup. Something felt very wrong to him, but he couldn't fathom what it was.

"Then how may I make this up to you."

"This isn't some sort of favour system!" He shook his head, looking away and even tried to move himself in the other direction. But he stopped with a hiss of pain, shivers going through his whole body.

"Try us. You wanted to return the favour when we were helping you learn all those equations in mathematics."

"That is different!"

"How is it-"

"It was not your life on the line!' He looked absolutely terrified, tears starting to well up again. Seeing the smile break into such an expression, made his heart ache. And only worsened his guilt over the situation. "I...I t-thought I would lose you! T-That I wouldn't be able to get you h-help! Much less with the am-amount of villains on the scene! My quirk can't handle t-that kind of s-stress! I wo-would have be-been useless!" He hiccuped, tears overflowed from those bright indigo eyes. "I…!"

He blinked, his eyes suddenly going adrift as his speech was halted, the colour drained from his cheeks. His healthy arm reached out to try and grab hold of something on the couch, grasping at the top of the backrest.

"Yuuga!" He leaned forward to grab him by the healthy arm, hoping it would help him focus back into the present. Aoyama started quaking once more, trying to blink the tears away.

"I suppose the childish outburst had left me a tad tired. I...I am sorry for scaring you. I should have known such emotions w-would have made me a tad dizzy." He spoke once he seemed to have gathered his thoughts. He continued to shiver, Tokoyami's attention being caught by how paler he looked now and that his lips seemed to be turning blue.

"Do not apologize. I was the one pushing it on to you." His voice became quiet at the end, he was going to suggest that he could have the cloak for himself when Yuuga spoke up.

"Do you think that you owe me a favour still?"

"Oh, he absolutely does. But won't admit it." Dark Shadow piped up, with Tokoyami trying to swipe at him. The beast swiftly dodged, disappearing back into him. Aoyama smiled softly, the corners of his eyes crinkling. The expression looked so warm and fragile, he wanted to protect it. Especially such a rare sight.

"Then if I may be so selfish...how many do you believe you owe me?"

"Two. When you took the hit and what happened afterwards."

"Oh aren't we pedantic?" He rolled his eyes, but his tone was playful. "Then I will use all of them now. Just please do not judge me for them."

He would have raised a brow if he had had one, nodding for Aoyama to go on. What did the classmate of the light desire?

"One is a question, the second is an action. You can deny them if you wish. One is, what happened back there? What was going on with Dark Shadow? And the second one is uhm…"

"Yes? Do go on."

"Do you promise not to hate me?"

"Yuuga."

"Could you hold my hand?" He asked in a whisper, looking away in what he guessed was embarrassment. "I am just feeling...so scared and everything hurts. I apologize since it is so puerile."

"Huh?" Tokoyami was caught off guard, really that was all it was? By how he had been describing it, he had expected something horrible. "Oh that is fine. Sure."

Aoyama whipped his head back, seeming at a loss of words as Fumikage simply moved the free hand over his. He felt an odd spark in his chest at that mere action,a blush appearing. Tokoyami had moved a tad closer, his knees bent as he didn't want to take more space from him.

It was certainly odd. Why didn't he mind any of this? Should he mind any of this? It felt fine, he even liked it. He liked seeing him with so many expressions, his face in so many shades. He wanted to see more in fact. He wanted to know more of all the sides of his fascinating classmate. To do whatever he could to get that beautiful smile out more too.

Wait.

Oh.

Was this...? Was this really a crush?

Huh. He guessed it was. He didn't feel like this around Mezo or any of his old friends. Being near him just made him feel so much better. The fear he had felt when they were seperated too... Who would have thought he would need a life threatening situation for such a mundane realization? Was he really that thick?

'FINALLY! IF I HAD A CHAMPAGNE BOTTLE I WOULD HAVE OPENED IT!'

'What?'

'Took you long enough genius! Now smooch him. I have been waiting for this for sooo long.'

'You knew?! Why hadn't you said anything? Tell me, beast!'

'Duh. I wanted you to get there on your own, you bonehead. Now are you going to kiss him or am I going to have to tie you two together for this one?'

'Dark Shadow. He is in a very sensitive state. I shall not take advantage of that! Even if there is a chance he harbours the same feelings back.'

'Do I have to get the damn note and pin it on your beak?'

'No, just-just let me do this later when we are not in danger.'

'Fiiiine. But if you won't give him a kiss soon, I will.'

Tokoyami noticed that Yuuga's condition hadn't really improved, this wasn't acceptable.

"Are you still so glacial?"

"You didn't answer my question about Dark Shadow, monsieur. I shall not be distracted so quickly." He huffed, glaring at him with a look that didn't hold any strength. "I will be fine, I have you next to me." He said that with such a certainty and such feeling, that he actually needed a second to regain his composure. He probably started blushing again, though luckily it probably wouldn't be seen through the feathers.

"You might get horribly sick Aoyama. We need to keep you warm."

"Tokoyami, stop dodging the question. What happened back there? What was with Dark Shadow?" He narrowed his unblinking stare, an actual frown appearing on his lips.

As he asked once again, he realized how it must seem to Aoyama. He had been so caught up in his own inconveniences that he had ignored his question. But the problem was how to explain this, without scaring him even more than he already was. He knew he had a flair for the dramatic, so this may not end well.

"Fumikage. Please just tell me." A scared and pained look was in his gaze, coupled with the use of his name made his heart throb.

"Yes, I will." He exhaled, looking away from him.

'No! It will scare him! Stop it!'

'I owe him the truth, Dark Shadow. Without him you would still be rampaging and killing who knows how many, you would be becoming only more sizable by the passing moment.'

'Psssh, it's not that bad.'

'You nearly spliced a person in half!'

'Shut up. Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up!'

'No, I don't think I will. He is stronger than we give him credit for.'

'No! You are going to ruin everything! I am coming out! I am coming to kill you. If you won't I will slowly suffocate you in your sleep once we get home. Let! Me! Out!'

Tokoyami turned his head back, making sure to keep Dark Shadow in. Sure he was strong, but in the light he had the upper hand over him. He would need his permission after that mental outburst. The beast continued to scream in his mind, but he did his best to ignore him.

"My quirk is heavily influenced by the light, somewhat by my emotions as well."

Aoyama perked up, nodding with as much energy as he could muster in his current state.

"It is incredibly dark outside, coupled by my surprise and later fear once we got seperated...it feeds Dark Shadow. I already am dependent on him during combat, so he was naturally going to come out. I had overestimated myself and underestimated him. With us sharing a mind and body, he has a wish to take over. To do as he wishes, cause chaos and wreak havoc!" His voice slightly rose, feeling Yuuga squeeze his hand.

"This-This is the same Dark Shadow we are talking about? The one who whines about sparkles and speaks like a child?"

"He is telling me how he is going to slowly suffocate me during sleep just as we speak. The one you know is the one most weak during the day."

Aoyama looked completely horrified, but he didn't let go of his hand. On the contrary the hold seemed to become tighter.

"Fumikage, are you okay?" He asked in a soft voice, looking ever so worried.

"Oh, you get used to it! I am certainly fine, but you aren't." He chuckled, shrugging as if it was nothing. Well to him it was.

"This is not fine! How do you do it?! It obviously hurts you as well, look at your foot, he caused that by simply dragging you along! And how mentally taxing it must be! How did you even get him to stop?"

"I really did not, you did."

"What? Those few beams were enough to distract him?"

"Not distract him, weaken him enough for me to take control. I have to thank you for that, it was-I was not in the best head space at that moment."

He shivered as he felt a sinking feeling in his chest. The regret he felt, the anger and sadness at him getting hurt. Yet with that he had just caused more damage, Aoyama forced to save him yet again.

Yuuga sat there in a stunned silence, before speaking.

"You can't do anything about him?"

"Not really. He is my quirk and with all the bad he can do, he can also do a lot of good."

"Aren't you afraid of him ever going too far?" His voice was tight, Tokoyami did not like the lack of colour on his face.

"Every waking moment."

"Is that why you are so 'dark'?"

"Huh?"

"Well you must deal with such negativity, horrible thoughts and fear. Is that why you kinda, you know have such a way of speaking and dressing? Immersing yourself with something so it feels so much easier to deal with?"

He blinked, watching the blonde who looked at him with the look of a scared deer.

"I am so sorry. I probably overstepped some bounds or said something foolish, I-"

"No, no. It is fine." He moved his other hand to cover his. "I had never thought about it like that." He wanted to calm him, causing him more stress was the last thing he wished for. He looked down, trying to think to himself even while drowning out Dark Shadow's threats. "I suppose. It's easier to deal with something you are constantly immersed in. Though I think it is just that I really do like the aesthetic and way of thinking. It feels right to me. Like why do you dress with such vibrant colours and put so much into your appearance?"

Aoyama flinched at that, opening his mouth to answer but nothing came out. He closed it, going quiet. Did he ask something he shouldn't have?

"I must admit, I don't know. I feel better surrounded by light to a certain degree. And it is something I have been used to since childhood, my Maman has a very unique taste. I just wore what she made and what I felt pretty in." He reached up with his hand to rub at his eyes. The makeup came off on his hand, he shook his head while probably dealing with his own inner thoughts.

Suddenly he had an angry look, he let go of Tokoyami's hand and started rubbing at his face with both his hands. The already smudged makeup started coming off, showing off a low-key face compared to the one he had with everything he had on. Sharp face, with his features looking much softer but also much more drained. It showed off dark circles under his eyes, his cheeks sunken. The change was subtle, but alarming.

"Aoyama?"

"It's been irritating my skin since we hit the rain. Everything mixing just does not feel right. It felt wrong that you have bared such a sensitive thing to me and yet I sit here covering my own face. It's not a pretty sight, but for some reason I wished to-I don't know." He looked between his soaked cape and the couch, rubbing his hands on the dusty item to clean them.

"What do you mean?"

"My plain, unpleasant face monsieur. You don't have to pretend. Oh, what was I thinking?" He sadly smiled, a smile that even made Dark Shadow pause.

'Is he for real?'

"I am not pretending Aoyama. Remember? I had told you I prefer your natural look back on the roof." At that, the blonde blushed.

"I suppose you are right. Still doesn't change the fact that I look simply horrible. It's a miracle you hadn't run off whenever you see me without it."

"Aoyama."

"It's true and you know it! I can't compare to classmates such as Todoroki, Bakugo or Mezo! I am not anything like them!" He snapped, before he covered his mouth.

"Well of course you can't compare to them. You aren't them. You are simply yourself. Yuuga, do you consider me ugly?"

"What?! Of course not! Why would I?"

"My head is of a literal avian Aoyama."

"And so? You make it work! You look absolutely stunning, monsieur . Mysterious, dark and fascinating."

"You sing my praises yet you can't do your own?" He felt warm from the compliment, gentle tugs of something in his chest.

"It's different, okay?"

"Different how?"

"I. Do. Not. Know." He seemed frustrated, punching at the couch. He let out another hiss of pain, shaking his arm.

"Fine! You are a very handsome individual, with an inviting and calming aura. Your gaze peers into our soul and your eyes are fascinating to watch."

'Smooth.'

'You stay out of this.'

Yuuga meanwhile had turned all sorts of shade of red. From a dusty pink to the deep crimson that almost matched Tokoyami's eyes. "Are you serious?" He started to blink quickly, Fumikage realized he was blinking tears away.

"Absolutely. I would not lie over something like this, I see no reason to even lie about it. Now, may we take care of you possibly freezing?"

"Fine...but only because you called me pretty." He tried to joke, but the blue lips and how tired he looked didn't help him calm down.

"So you are more likely to agree if I compliment you?" But he could still try to play along.

"Oh, without a doubt. Who doesn't like some nice words. After all you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar and all that?" As he spoke, his teeth started actually chattering. "Now, any ideas? Start a fire?"

"That would be incredibly dangerous and possibly be our end."

"Oh…"

"Well, ah there is a possible other solution?"

'Stop beating around the bush or else he will be a shiny popsicle!'

"And what is that? Sharing body heat? Hohoho." Yuuga giggled, with the blush from before persisting.

"Actually yes."

Tokoyami swore that at the moment he said that, he heard something crack with the expression that Yuuga pulled.

"You have to be kidding. It would be uncomfortable for you!"

"Excuse me?"

"Because it's me! Why would anybody wish to touch me unless I ask them to?"

'Is he okay?'

'I honestly don't know.'

Being with him for so long was eye-opening. But for some reason he didn't mind it. He wanted to help him, to see him smile and see him see the opposite. Though it stung a tad, Yuuga wasn't wrong. Tokoyami was not very affectionate or physical, so it would probably be a shock to hear.

"Do you not believe me?"

"No!"

Okay, he had frankly nothing to lose. Tokoyami moved against the back of the small couch as he could, opening his arms wide.

"I am completely serious. We can better wrap my cloak around us as well." He watched Yuuga stare, his jaw slack. Tokoyami said nothing, before he just gave into his fate.

"So uhm...w-where are you okay with me laying?"

"Wherever you feel comfortable."

The couch was very narrow, even with Aoyama trying other ways he ended up giving up and laying down on his chest.

This is when he realized it was a mistake, his heart had sped up at how close they were.

He was just under his chin, the top of his head below the beak. One cold arm rested on his chest, while Yuuga moved the injured one so it was comfortable for him. Tokoyami pulled the cloak tightly around them. Aoyama was absolutely freezing, like it was like having an ice cube pressed against your skin. He was still slightly shaking, before their legs got hooked together. It was a mess of limbs to say the least. It wasn't comfortable and it wasn't easy.

But it felt right.

He rested his own hand on Yuuga's back.

"You are fine with such a position?"

"Oui, oui. No worries." He squeaked out and this time Tokoyami felt the warm blush.

What made him nearly combust was Yuuga nuzzling him as he got comfy. He swore he heard a softpurr, before he realized that Aoyama had started dozing off. Even with the information on Dark Shadow and with everything happening...he felt safe enough to fall asleep with him like that.

But he knew falling asleep could be dangerous in his current condition. So he gently rubbed at his back, Yuuga groaning.

"Try to stay awake. Please."

"Mmm. Why?" The whine he let out was simply sweet.

"Because the situation is still dangerous with you. You lost a lot of blood."

"Who cares?" He muttered into him, the tickle of voice near his skin did things that will certainly keep him up later.

"I do."

Yuuga froze as he said that, before he shook his head as if annoyed. The conversation lulled for a while, Tokoyami felt his nerves start to frazzle once more. How was he going to keep him awake? He doubted Aoyama had energy for any in-depth discussions and he might bore him to death if he talked to keep him awake.

'Small talk, you disgusting idiot.'

'I'm sorry, what?'

'You heard me you coward, keep him awake with small talk.'

'You and I both know, I do not engage in 'small talk'!'

'You will have to now, goth boy. Either speak up or he will doze off and never wake up'

'Dark Shadow!'

'Start yapping birdbrain. Time's ticking.'

'What would I even discuss with him?!'

'Tik tok, tik tok, tik tok. The sands of time don't care for your worries. And if he dies because of you, I will-'

"How's school?" He choked out, Yuuga startled awake.

"Huh?"

"How is school? I wish to keep you awake."

"I think out of all people you know my school situation, monsieur." The healthy arm was raised to boop him on the beak, which surprised Fumikage. What was up with him? "Bad as ever, I doubt I'll pass the next exam and I still have so much to go through." He groaned against him, frustration obvious in his voice. Well that was a horrible topic to start with.

"Is there anything I can help with?"

"You already tried, do not worry yourself with me."

"And what if I-"

"Shhhh...Shhh...You don't need to help. I just have to figure it out myself." That was probably his cue to change topics, but he needed a moment before letting the next stupid idea through his beak.

"Well if you do not wish to discuss school, how did that television show end? You and Ashido seemed quite excited for the ending of it during lunch last week. Something about diamonds?"

"Shining diamond?" Aoyama quietly started to speak, surprise coloured his voice. "You had been...paying attention to what we had been talking about?"

"Well of course, I was following what the group was talking about."

"I...Ah, nevermind. It wasn't that good. They messed it up completely." The hesitation at the start was rather apparent, but he didn't press farther for now.

"How so?"

"You don't want to listen to this, you do not even watch it. I'll just ramble and bore you to death."

"And if I say I wish to hear your thoughts?"

"You are horrible, you know that right?" There was that blush again.

"I might have been told that before. But do go on."

The chattering that filled the air for the next while was quite comforting, the two of them stuck in their own little bubble.

Loud voices interrupted them, Yuuga jumped from surprise at the yelling.

"Check all the buildings!"

"Snipe! Go check on the villains."

Snipe?

Yuuga seemed to hear that as well. Both let out a yell after a moment, wanting to get out as soon as possible.

One of their teachers found them soon enough, the others appeared right behind him.

Chiyo would be foaming at her mouth, putting her cane to good use if it weren't for their condition.

Toshinori had once more gone over his limit and what more, the Midoriya child had broken his bones again. At this point she was going to start charging Yagi every time the grenette had to be healed, to teach him a lesson about not training the child properly.

While they were talking in the infirmary, the door opened with Cementoss coming in carrying another student. Another was following them looking rather frightened with a limp to boot too, holding on to the hand of the injured one. Oh these kids, were they already dating? The school year had barely started! The youth never rests.

Well, couple heroes did get a lot of attention, but it would be a problem if they split up.

"What happened here?" She slowly walked over as the injured student was put on to one of the beds,which made him let out a whimper of pain. He looked rather chalky, shivering even while the room was warm. What caught her eye was the makeshift bandage, which made her want to beat somebody. It did not look sanitary at all!

"He took a hit for me." The dark child spoke, she glanced at him.

"What kind are we talking about? Knife? Spear?"

"Icicle, bigger than my fist. Also sent him flying and he hit a wall. The bleeding was rather bad and we had nothing else on hand."

"Mhm...and what about you? The limp?"

"Oh...I believe only my ankle is damaged."

"Just only." She rolled her eyes and sighed, looking at the other who was shivering. "Alright, I'll heal you two and send you on your way. Does that sound fine?"

Both nodded and she turned her attention first to the one on bed.

"You will be fine soon, sonny." She gave him a kiss, it wouldn't be a lot of energy for the boy. Well it shouldn't have been.

What little colour he had was gone, he fell unconscious within a few moments.

The other student's eyes became open, he gently shook him.

"Yuuga? Yuuga?" His voice was tight, the calm expression he had on before gone within an instant.

Aoyama was soon awakened, Chiyo checked over his vitals while he was talking to his classmate, their hands didn't for once let go of each other. As she was close, she noticed his face seemed quite sunken and what little colour he did get back did not look healthy.

She would maybe need to call him into her office in private to check his weight, something felt off. He should have had more than enough energy to get healed, maybe he would have needed a snack or a nap. But nothing drastic like faint. Not at his age.

The other boy even after being healed had asked if he could stay in the infirmary with him, which was rather cute, she had to admit. She let him stay, it had been a hectic day for everybody. Ken had been sent to contact Aoyama's parents, she would need to talk to them in case the boy was actually developing an eating disorder. It wouldn't be the first time.

Girls tended to try and lose weight quickly, especially considering how all the female heroes looked. While it was much rarer, it wasn't unheard of in boys.

She approached the two of them and offered Aoyama a sandwich she had ordered from Lunch Rush.

"Oh! Madam, are you sure?" He asked sheepishly, his hand though still reached for the sandwich.

"Eat up, you seem to be lacking energy! When was the last time you had a good meal?"

"Oh, this morning." He bit into the meal, gratitude spreading across his face as he ate. She had expected him to reject it or just wolf it down. Odd.

"What did you have? Maybe it's just a lack of certain foods in your diet." She moved back to her desk, her cane clicking with every step.

"Oh it uhm...Some bread and cheese, I really don't like having big breakfasts. You see, my quirk tends to make it difficult to have heavy meals. It's erhm not pleasant." He started fidgeting with the blanket, looking down. It wasn't a lie, the file had stated that he gets nauseous after too much use.

She turned around, looking at the other young man. "May you leave us alone for a bit?"

"If you so desire." His voice was unsure, but he did let go after a moment, and left through the door. The blonde's gaze lingered at the door, seeming distressed before it all disappeared as he looked back at her. Something didn't sit right with her.

"What kind of meals do you have? A lack of carbs or certain other things may have you lack energy, I would need to contact a dietitian if we need to."

"Wait, why?"

"Well, each of you has a different quirk. Each quirk needs special training and each training needs certain things so the body won't fail on you. Like somebody with a strength quirk would need a lot of protein in their diet, or a shapeshifter needs as much of a diverse diet as possible for each of their forms. A lot of people don't know how to treat their bodies with their quirks, the food pyramid simply does not work for everybody."

"Okay...I would think my diet is fine. My Papa and Maman do their best so that I have everything I need."

"Mhm, can you get up sonny?"

"I do think so." He sat up, but winced and reached for his head.

"Maybe you should stay down." She shook her head, he still wasn't in the best shape.

"Non, non. It was just a dizzy spell! Stress and all that." He brushed it off so easily, while still leaning on the side of the bed before he actually was able to get up. When he seemed stable, he looked at her.

"Can you step on the scale please?" She asked seriously, watching his eyes become wide. They darted around, as if trying to make up an excuse. But he nonetheless complied, walking over in an unsteady way that worried her.

Once he stepped on, he refused to look down. What Chiyo saw was worrying.

"Forty four kilograms."

She reached for her phone, opening the calculator. Checking the file for his height, she made sure she would be right. The boy was barely not touching the line of a healthy BMI for his height, he was actually under it.

She looked up, he stood stiffly on the scale. He was slightly shivering, making her even more suspicious. He had lost weight from the first medical examination she gave as they entered the year. Sure, a lot of kids lost weight once the training started, so it could just be that. She would need to keep an eye on him.

"You can get off. I will be taking your blood. Just to make sure that the wound didn't leave anything lasting."

"But shouldn't your quirk heal me completely, madam?"

"Yes and no. You fainted, which may either be you fully healed or just having healed what was needed the most. It won't be a lot, I promise. Just to give your parents and myself some peace of mind."

"Oh...O-Okay…" He didn't argue or anything, just going with what she said. Teenagers were so odd, who knows what else was going through in their minds.

Getting the blood was harder than expected, apparently the boy had a fear of needles that border lined on phobia. He had nearly fainted, again. He even started to apologize, jokingly saying that it was odd that such a coward was trying to become a hero.

"Every hero has something they fear. That does not make them any less of a hero. For example, you know your English teacher? Present Mic?" The boy nodded with interest.

"Deathly afraid of bugs."

"Non! That seems just wrong!"

"Oh? How come?" She smiled, watching him try to explain it.

"Well, he can simply blow them away! Squash them!"

"Do you think he is any less of a hero, now that you know that?"

"Of course not! He has saved hundreds if not thousands and is a great teacher."

"Then, don't be so harsh on yourself either." She patted his shoulder, a soft smile on her lips. "Now don't tell him I told you. It's an open secret in the pro hero community, but he still likes to act brave about it." She winked, the boy relaxed as they talked. He even had a small smile slip on, his eyes and skin shined as he asked her how she could be so kind.

They were interrupted by a knock, Ken opened the door. He and somebody else were having a rather lively chat, Ken was in a very good mood.

"Aoyama's father has arrived. He had wished to come pick him up himself."

That is when the blonde tensed up once more, the open expression being replaced with the smile he had arrived in and just seeming much more on edge than before. His posture deflated, his hands crossed over his stomach.

She turned around, her gaze caught sight of a towering man who was slightly taller than Cementoss. He certainly didn't skip meals.

A very strong and athletic body, long luscious hair and eyes sharp enough to cut steel. His expression changed within an instance to devastation as he saw his son.

"Yuuga!" He ran over, hugging his son who seemed astonished and in pain. She wasn't surprised considering how he was probably pressing on the wound.

"Back it up! You are hurting him!" She snapped, before a rather odd scent caught her attention. It made her nose scrunch up, something rather familiar.

Alcohol? At three in the afternoon?

She narrowed her eyes, the man let go of his son and looked down at her.

"You must be Recovery Girl! Thank you so much for taking care of my boy. What had happened? All I was told was that he had gotten hurt." His voice dripped with worry, his gaze jumped between the two of them. His arm wrapped around the boy, squeezing him without a worry.

"Pa-Papa…" The boy actually whimpered in pain, his father's head moved to look at his son who immediately shut his mouth, his gaze kept on the ground. "Nothing, nothing! R-Recovery G-Girl can ex-explain, I apologize for interrupting you two." His thumb had started to move circles over the wrist of the other hand, his arms were...shaking?

" I implore you let go of him, you are causing him pain if you haven't noticed yet." She hissed, the man's eyes narrowed for a second before he nodded with a plastic smile.

"You are the professional, you know my son better than me." He shot back, before he put his hand on his cheek. "Pardon, I mean you know his treatment better than me. Do go on." He crossed his legs, with his fingers interlocked over his right knee. A sudden tension rose in the room, the boy's head lowered. For a moment he opened his mouth, but sir Aoyama lifted his right hand from where it was to make a dismissal motion.

"Let the miss speak, okay bud? We will talk on the way home."

"He had taken a hit for his classmate in a very stupid but brave move. You should be proud, he saved a life." The father raised a manicured brow, not seeming too pleased at the fact.

"Oh? He really did? Yuuga, you did that?" Green eyes looked away from her, as he continued to speak, the boy didn't even try to speak this time. After a bit of silence, he tried to open his mouth but he was just cut off before he could tell them anything. "How rude of me! I should introduce myself to the wonderful woman who saved my son. Kagayaki Aoyama, forever grateful." He got off the bed to crouch down to offer his hand, which ticked her off severely. She wasn't a child, he could have easily reached down. But she remained quiet, shaking it. "So, what should we be careful about? My medical expertise is rather limited."

"Well his shoulder had gotten badly damaged, so I recommend that he does not put more pressure on the arm that he needs for about two weeks. Does he do anything at home that might jeopardize his recovery?" He smelled of cheap beer, while wearing a suit that probably costs more than her salary. And his smile. Sure it seemed charming and warm, but with how they both acted it didn't sit right with her. They hadn't even exchanged any proper words.

"Not that I know of! Most chores are taken care of by the maid, I can take over the groceries so that he can rest. Heavy bags and all."

"That would be good, yes. I wrapped up his shoulder, I recommend he puts ice on it twice a day or always after a heavy activity to lessen the pain he might feel. Painkillers should be used sparingly. And I am worried, he had-"

"Understood. Thank you so much for helping him. UA really is such a great school, they have resources to afford you and you taking time to take care of these children. You really are such an important hero, ma'am. So, how do we need to repay this or rather how much?" He reached into his suit to take out a check book, a pen slipped out with it.

"Repay?" She raised a brow, what was he getting at? He jumped around subjects like a gymnast. And the compliments felt very hollow. For singing such praises at the school, he didn't seem to know a damn thing about how this worked.

"Well, there is no such thing as free lunch! Some schools charge extra for assistance. Especially for something so easily preventable." If that was true, half of the students would be bankrupt.

"No, it is all covered by the school fee. It is a hero course after all, students get hurt a lot. It would be silly to bill them, wouldn't you think?"

"Oh! I suppose! But there is always a catch, is there not? Insurance covers a lot, but not a thing that would actually give you the most money, just for an example. And private high schools having general free treatment sounds like a wonderful idea, but somebody has to pay the bill or rather you when somebody does something for example really stupid to themselves. Like something that has them recover for longer periods of time?" She wasn't sure he was directing that at herself or the cowering student, whose gaze was locked on the floor. She didn't answer and he didn't elaborate further. Good for him that he didn't, he would have otherwise gotten smacked.

While she agreed they shouldn't hurt themselves if they didn't need to, pro heroes got hurt all the time. Throwing yourself at danger was the whole meaning of being a hero to a certain degree. They couldn't cosily solve every problem with just talking it out.

"Apologies for my little rant, that was incredibly rude. I think me and Yuuga will be going." He got up, walking towards the door, as his checkbook had been slipped back in as if nothing had happened. Aoyama didn't follow right away, needing a moment to get up. He had leaned on the railing to help himself get up.

"Is everything okay? Can you not walk? Did he perhaps also hurt his foot?"

"Non, non!" He scrambled out of bed, in the hurry he almost fell on to his injured arm.

"No, but he did faint. Which you would have known if you hadn't interrupted me for your stupid little rant." She tapped the cane impatiently on the floor, ready to use it on him next.

"Apologies! Again, incredibly rude of me. I just wish to get him home as soon as possible. You can understand that, right? Privacy of a home, to help him recover quickly. A parent is always worried. I just had a momentary lapse in judgement. You probably understand that." He flashed a toothy smile, rubbing the back of his head as if he regretted his actions.

"Sit down or get out! I need to explain his treatment plan, you can't herd him out like a dog. Can you not see that he is barely standing?" Her voice slightly rose, his eyes widened at that. She wasn't sure if it was from annoyance or surprise.

"I.." He looked at Yuuga who was standing in the middle of the infirmary, as if he had nowhere to go. "...Understood, ma'am. I should not rush to the safety of our home, even after such a thing, I need to listen to you. My son's health is the most important." He nodded, but didn't move from the door. Chiyo's eyes narrowed, this man was on her last nerve.

"Sonny, you can go sit down. You need rest." She turned around to witness Yuuga look between the two of them. Once he noticed her gaze, he cobbled to the bed to actually sit down.

She pulled up her own seat next to the bed so she could keep the eye on both of them.

"So, what you will need to be careful of is your exercises. I will have you excused from the most intense part of the training until I am completely sure this won't leave lasting consequences. It wouldn't do any good if you are unable to use your arm without pain. Since we have time, I'll quickly show you to change your bandage."

"A-Actually madam..I-I kn-know how to do it." He spoke up for the first time since Kagayaki had appeared, his gaze fell down to the floor once more.

"Are you sure you can do it properly? You will need to change it twice a day and if you do it improperly it won't be well for you."

"Y-Yes, I am sure. I-I had done it be-before on mys-I mean my Papa."

"Huh?" He raised a brow from his position at the door.

"R-Remember? For your b-back?"

"Oh! He did yes. My wonderful son actually has a great hand for medicine, he helps me so much."

"With what?"

"You see, I have an injury from my youth. It causes chronic back pain and I had gotten another injury in a very sensitive area, he stayed by my side and helped me so much. That included changing bandages time to time."

Yuuga nodded fervently, his hands crossed across his stomach again in a nervous gesture.

"Well, it is still not the same as changing bandages on yourself. Can you come in tomorrow and I will check?"

"Does he need to? Classes are important and staying after them might give him less time for homework."

"...Sir Aoyama, there has been an attack on your son's class. Classes will be suspended for a few days." She turned away from him, to look at Yuuga. "Would you come by tomorrow, so I can check if you did it properly?"

"We have a family doctor you know? There is no need for this insistent fussing, I'll call him and have him check my son tomorrow. You should not worry over him so much."

"You do realize if you do not call him or the doctor is sloppy, your son may have chronic pain for the rest of his life? Will he even have time for your son tomorrow? I can do this without a problem and it would be free. Since the school covers such fees, hopefully your memory was able to retain this information." She leaned forward, glaring up at Kagayaki.

"While you are a very talented doctor-"

"Oh, don't waste your breath. Your compliments are hollower than an empty beer can, for which I hope you had a good reason for drinking at this hour." She gently patted Yuuga's healthy shoulder, before offering her hand and doing her best to ignore the glare aimed at her back. "Let's get you up and home. How does that sound?"

There was a moment of hesitation, before the weak voice rang through the infirmary. "That sounds simply wonderful."