Horizon: I keep forgetting that this Kaere has both hands.
I…I love you. Tears rose to her eyes when Kaere heard the strain in his voice, when she saw the fear in the gray-blue eyes that were looking back at her. He looked so worried that she was going to reject him, but there was no way she could. No one else made her heart ache like this.
Twice saw the tears and shook his head. "I'm sorry…that wasn't fair. I didn't want to pressure you. I just…do you love me or not?! Ngh! No…I just…I wanna know how you feel," he muttered. He closed his eyes, but when they opened they were shining wetly.
Kaere's hand was still pressed against his lower stomach, just at the edge of his pants, and he was still gripping her wrist. She felt his thumb rubbing gently at her skin and she bit her lip. She wanted to answer him, but the words caught in her throat. The tears were multiplying and she could feel them sliding down her cheeks.
He meant a lot to her. He was the first person to fully accept her. He was the first to welcome her into the League and he was the reason why she was a member now. Without him, she would still be alone. She would be spending her days by herself in the apartment. Left with cold loneliness as every day passed the exact same way.
Her tears dotted his chest before she could stop them and Kaere lowered her head. "I…I can't…" Her voice came out soft as she struggled to find the right words. How she could properly express just how important he was to her.
Every time he got hurt, every time he broke down, it was like pins being shoved deep into her heart. More and more, pressing at it until she felt like it would fall apart. She wanted to see him smile, she wanted him to be safe and happy. The love and warmth that he always showed her was more than anything she thought she deserved.
"You don't love me…do you?" His free hand cupped her cheek and made her look at him. Twice's expression made it clear; he was starting to crumble from the inside out. His mouth was twisted in pain as his tears started to flow. "It's my fault! I…I smothered you! No way! I gave you all the cuddles! I did everything right! Why don't you love me?! I…I need you-! You think you're too good for me, is that it? K-Kae…why…? I don't even need your love! I just…I just…!"
She felt like the pins in her heart were turning into knives. He sounded and looked so heartbroken that she started to tremble. "I…I love you," she stammered, her gut twisting into knots. Kaere saw his expression change to surprise and she forced herself to be bold. Something to make him feel better, to ease his pain, to help her convey her feelings.
Kaere moved closer so she was leaning over him with her legs on either side of his right leg. The girl's free hand planted on his shoulder and she forced herself to maintain eye contact with him. "I…I really…fucking love you! I love you…s-so much that I-I can't even…I can't even tell you how much! I don't…know the right words to say it, but I…I…"
An arm wrapped around her, pulling her down on top of him. His hand pressed against her upper back, pinning her in place, and he buried his face in the side of her neck. "You…really love me that much?" His voice came out broken and he was shaking underneath her.
She nodded and tried not to tense up. Kaere felt warm and fuzzy, but still so nervous. So afraid and vulnerable because the only other person she had been this open with was Compress. He had accepted her, scars and all, but so many others had shunned her in the past.
My heart…is getting ripped to shreds. I'm a bad person. The next thoughts that hit her as he held her against his chest. The soothing warmth radiating off of him, the thumping of his heart under her fingertips, the feeling of his bare skin against her hand. It felt so good, but her stomach sank as she thought to herself that this was more than she deserved.
I'm a bad person, she thought again. Why am I like this? Why? I love him so much, but…I love Sako-san, too. What's wrong with me? This isn't right. It's not okay. I shouldn't love more than one person. What's wrong with me? What's wrong-?! Kaere blinked as he ran a hand along her back.
"I wanna…get closer," he mumbled. "But I don't wanna hurt you. Kae-chan…"
She reached a trembling hand to pull off her glasses and put them onto the side table. "I don't…deserve love." It came out in a whisper as guilt weighed down her heart. "I'm…I'm not good…for anyone."
"Don't say that."
"I'm not! I…I hate…feeling like this! I-I love you, but…but the way I feel about Compress-!" Kaere found herself suddenly on her back, staring up at Twice in alarm. A hand was braced against the pillow on either side of her head and he scowled, the scar on his forehead looking deeper.
"Don't…say stuff like that! I don't wanna hear you put yourself down! We're all bad people! No! You're…not a bad person, Kae-chan!" He leaned down and brought his lips to hers, stopping her arguments before they could leave her mouth. A hand slipped beneath her head, his fingers tangling into her dark hair.
Tears slipped down the sides of her face, but Kaere stayed still. It felt like she was melting into the kiss and she lifted her hands to put her arms around his neck. His hand left her hair and he straddled her waist, his hands on her hips as his mouth moved. Her back arched when she felt his warm lips against her jaw and then the side of her neck.
The burns on her skin from Dabi's touch were kissed and soothed as Twice slid his fingers under the hem of her shirt. She bit her lower lip to keep quiet, knowing that the other two were still in the apartment because she could hear Compress trying to convince Dabi to leave. Warm, gentle hands started to slide her shirt up along her stomach and ribs.
She squirmed and tried to protest, feeling anxious with so many of her scars on display, but went still when she saw him lean back. His brow furrowed, lips twisted in disapproval as Twice looked at her marred skin. Fingertips skimmed over a particularly long, deep scar that was only half-visible with her shirt still covering where it began.
Kaere turned her head to the side, subconsciously holding her breath and waiting for him to say something. The fabric slid higher, exposing more skin, and heat started to spread through her core. She felt blood rushing to her cheeks as she glanced up at him.
There was a moment of silence as he looked at the scar running down the center of her chest. Starting at her sternum and ending a few inches above her navel. As if someone had tried to slice her open for dissection. Twice stared down at it, catching her wrist when she tried to reach for her shirt to pull it down again.
Warm breath skimmed over her skin as he leaned closer and her back arched once more. Kaere bit back a whimper as his mouth made contact with her scar. Lips caressed her damaged skin and she felt her hips lift on instinct. The blush on her face went from pink to bright red, tension coiling in her lower half at the contact.
"Love you," he mumbled against her skin, trailing his free hand along her abdomen. Caressing every scar as he continued to kiss her chest. His mouth traced the scar with care; moving down her sternum, between her breasts, the center of her ribcage, and along her stomach. All the while still holding her wrist and rubbing his thumb against her tender flesh.
Kaere felt like she was melting into the bed. The heat from being touched like this, the rush of blood through her veins warming every inch of her body. Every time she glanced toward him, she felt a spike of something. The fuzzy bliss from someone showing her this much adoration as he treated her scars as if they were something beautiful.
Her breathing got ragged and she finally felt his mouth stop at the edge of her pants. A hand rubbed along her side, drawing her attention to make her look down at him. Twice gave her a slight head tilt, trying to silently ask permission to keep going. She was conflicted on if they should continue, if she even deserved to be treated this well, when her stomach growled.
"I-I'm sorry. My quirk…I need to eat so I can finish healing," she muttered. Embarrassment clutched at her stomach and twisted it into knots.
Twice's eyes widened. "You didn't eat. I'm…sorry. I got selfish and forgot. I…I got all your favorites. Do you…wanna eat together?" He leaned back and pulled her shirt down to cover her up again, still being as gentle as possible.
She was nervous about leaving her room, but she knew she had to. Eating was even more anxiety-inducing. She was settled in Twice's lap and she could feel eyes on her. The wounds in her side were able to fully heal by the time she finished eating; leaving behind three puncture scars.
As much as she enjoyed the company of Compress and Twice, Kaere was still struggling with her conflicting emotions. Loving more than one person felt wrong. It left her with a heavy, guilty feeling even if Twice was okay with it.
Sitting in her room, alone, she ruffled her dark hair and chewed at her lower lip. Her glasses slipped lower on the bridge of her nose and she slouched. I…love them both. I love them both so much that it…actually hurts.
She heard movement beyond her bedroom door and froze in place. Anticipation made her pulse quicken as she listened to the footsteps moving around in her apartment. Twice and Compress had left hours ago; only after her insistence that she would be fine.
The doorknob started to turn, but she had locked the door so it stopped abruptly. Dabi swore under his breath and slammed an open palm against the door, making the girl jolt. "Hey, Kae, you wanna open this or you want me to burn it down?" he taunted.
"I'm…trying to go to sleep," she argued. "I took a lot of damage today and my quirk…I lost a lot of blood and…"
"Open the door, Kae. You think I'm bluffing? I'll burn it down, even if I end up setting this whole building on fire in the process." When she reluctantly obeyed, he smirked down at her in the doorway. "Good girl. See how easy it is when you just-?"
"Y-you said you took care of my problem. Um…the hero with the wings?" Kaere looked up at him over the rim of her glasses and flinched when he leaned down. She tried to step out of his reach, but he moved faster and gripped her jaw with his left hand.
"Wanna hear the dirty details?" he taunted, smirking.
The girl stepped backwards, still trying to get away from him, but he followed her every step until they were both in her room. The back of her legs hit her bed and she gripped his wrist with both hands, her eyes narrowing slightly. "S-stop it. Please. I don't-"
He leaned down so his lips were beside her ear. "You wanna know what I did to him? Wanna hear about him squirming and begging for me to stop while I yanked out all his feathers and made him cry? You get off on that?"
"No…no, I didn't…I didn't want that! I just-!" Kaere winced when he snickered and she felt his grip on her jaw tighten.
"You're so…gullible." Dabi stepped back, but kept his hold on her. Vibrant turquoise eyes settled on her face, filling with mirth when he saw the wet sheen to her hazel eyes. "Gotta keep the little bird around so I didn't do anything to him. But…I've gotta meet with him tonight."
She tried to dig her nails into his wrist, hoping to make him let go, but then his fingertips started to heat up. Kaere froze, gritting her teeth at the pain. "Why are you telling me? I don't…I don't need to know that." A bad feeling came over her, settling in her gut and replacing her earlier guilt.
"Tch. Seriously? You're gullible…but I know you're not stupid." The pad of his thumb skimmed along her lower lip and his smirk grew into a grin when he saw the pink tint spreading across her face. Dabi moved closer, heat radiating off him so strongly that he could see her squirming in discomfort.
"You know hawks eat mice, right? And the way he looked at you last time…" His thumb pressed at her lower lip roughly. "A mousy nerd like you…is the perfect thing to keep that bird in line."
She shook her head and instinctively tried to step back, but stumbled and fell onto her bed so she was sitting. Dabi moved forward again, planting a knee between her legs on the edge of the mattress. "N-no! I don't want to see him again. He…he tried to-!"
"That glorified chicken got cocky and tried to carry you away. What's the big deal? Didn't Twice stop him?" he taunted. "I'm not gonna let him swoop in and take you as long as you're a good girl for me, Kae." Fingers brushed over her cheek and he felt the girl tremble with fear. "Heh. You know you're cute when you're scared."
"I don't want to go with you!" To her embarrassment, her voice came out in a squeak. She dragged herself backwards, trying to put some distance between them, and her back hit the wall.
Dabi's lips twitched up at the corner and he tapped a fingertip against the patch of skin on his neck. The pale patch she had donated to him to seal his wound. "I'll give you a choice," he said, licking his lips. "You come with me tonight and I won't make you patch me up again for a while. Otherwise, I bet I could convince the leader that you should start healing these burns."