He wanted to talk to her, but his guilt was keeping him away. Hawks had hovered outside of her hospital room in the hallway as soon as she was settled. Forcing himself to keep his distance because every time he saw her injuries, he was reminded of the look on Dabi's face as he was about to hand her over.

It hurt to see her in so much pain and to know that he had been willing to put her through more. Possibly put her through even worse. There was no telling how much Dabi would have taken from her, how he would have treated her once he had her completely alone. It made Hawks feel sick, knowing he almost tossed her right back to the League.

The worst part was that it was no mistake. He felt like he had no choice; it was what the Commission would want him to do. He was never supposed to take things this far with her. The original plan was to get information from her, gain her trust, and lure her away from the League. Then he found himself falling for her and that was no mistake, but it made things so complicated so quickly.

The lies. The weight of his guilt from Dabi's first attack now had the weight of this incident piled on top of it. Hawks felt like the sterile white hall in the hospital was closing in on him. It felt like his heart was being pressed in a vice, pumping faster and faster until it would pop.

When he left, it was just by chance that Endeavor had finished up with Dabi. As curious as he was about what took place, he just told Endeavor what room Kaere was in before he hurried out of the hospital. The wind's caress when he took to the sky helped him a little.

The pressure of the air around him felt familiar and reassuring. It help him to push down the guilt and anxiety that had started to bubble to the surface. Assuring himself that she would be fine. Endeavor was there now; he would take good care of her. It seemed to be his personal mission, after all.

Now he was in his apartment, a few hours later, sprawled on his bed on his stomach, clutching his phone and watching messages from Kaere appear on the screen. She wanted to talk to him, but the thought of talking to her made that heavy feeling return to his gut.

His wings folded against his back and he started to type something, but stopped. Hawks deleted the words and stared at the screen. Unsure of what he could even say to her at this point. He had already messed up her life once, but this time he could have gotten her killed.

The worst part was that he knew letting her go with Dabi and possibly get killed was exactly what the Commission would have wanted. The League's healer would be dead. Killed by one of the League's other members. It would be viewed as discourse among the ranks and considered a weakness. A small sacrifice for them to be able to exploit that weakness and take down the League.

He skimmed a hand along the sheet, still staring at his phone. To the world, the loss of one girl might seem miniscule. To Hawks, losing Kaere would shatter his heart. She was the first person that he felt like he could be normal with. Kaere never demanded anything of him; she was just content to cuddle with him on the couch while they watched movies, even if she was a little shy. He could be himself with her and not have to worry about portraying himself a certain way.

Another message popped up on his phone from Kaere and the words she sent made his chest feel tight. She wanted to know if he was alright. Even though she was in the hospital, brought so close to death by Dabi, the girl was more worried about Hawks than herself.

A sigh escaped him and he ran his fingers through his hair, closing his eyes. The desire to see her was becoming stronger. He wanted to be there with her at the hospital, to try to reassure her that she was safe now. However, a strong part of him wanted to keep his distance.

The same part of him that hated himself for being so ready to hand her over to Dabi. The part of him that felt like she would be better off if he stayed away. She was working with Endeavor now and staying with him. If anyone could protect her, it was Endeavor. She was safe and he knew she was happy, judging by the way she talked about the flame hero's children she had made friends with.

I can't be around her anymore. He tossed his phone aside and dragged a pillow closer, pressing his face into it. I'm selfish when it comes to Kaere. If I talk to her, I know I won't be able to keep away. And I'm not good for her. I got her away from the League; that has to just be good enough for me. His wings flexed before folding against his back again, his fingers digging into the pillow. I know it's for the best so why's it hurt so much?

Shift P.O.V

"Naoru-chan?" Fuyumi popped her head into the room and smiled when she saw Kaere look over. "Can we come in?"

"Oh…um…s-sure." She lowered her eyes to the bouquet sitting across her lap and fidgeted with the string that kept it tied. Blood rose to her face as she heard Fuyumi cross the room to the left side of her bed, followed by Natsuo's slower steps. "I-I'm sorry that I yelled before. I just…I-I felt bad about…causing so many problems for everyone. Um…"

Kaere bit the inside of her cheek and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. She turned to her right, where Natsuo was slouching in a chair. "Th-thank you for the flowers, Natsuo-kun. No one's…ever given me flowers before. They're really cute." Her face only got redder when she saw him look surprised and then flush pink before he looked away.

"Well you were only outside because I asked you to go with me. And there wasn't a lot I could do to help so I wanted to make it up to you," he muttered.

"You got Dad," Fuyumi corrected him.

"Yeah, but that's not-! Whatever. I'm just glad she likes the flowers. Here." Natsuo held out a hand in front of Kaere as he dug in his pocket with his other hand. When he saw her look of confusion, he frowned and the pink tint deepened. "Your hand. Let me see it."

"Oh. Ah…o-okay." Kaere cautiously settled her right hand in his left one and watched curiously as he pulled a packet of something out of his pocket.

He ripped it open with his teeth to produce a sterilizing wipe. "I grabbed a pack of these off a cart in the hallway. You got that villain's blood on your fingers, right? I'll clean it off for you."

"Y-you don't have to! It's alright! I appreciate the offer, but-!"

"Just let me do this." Natsuo sounded exasperated as he lifted his eyes from her prosthetic hand, but it was clear in his face that he genuinely wanted to help and this was the only way he could think of. She gave him a tiny nod and Natsuo began wiping at the dried blood on her artificial appendage.

When a hospital employee brought Kaere's dinner, Fuyumi accepted the tray and brought it over to her. She had gotten used to eating with her left hand so Kaere ate while Natsuo meticulously wiped the dried blood away from the edges of her artificial fingernails. The young woman with red and white hair told Kaere about what happened when Natsuo came home without her. How quickly Endeavor was out of the house and searching for her once he heard what happened.

"Naoru." The hero appeared in the doorway and settled his gaze on the wounded girl. "I spoke with the nurse. You're going to be kept overnight so they can make sure your injuries finish healing." His eyes shifted to Natsuo, who refused to look at him, and then to Fuyumi. "It's getting late. You should both go home."

The two said their goodbyes for the night; Fuyumi with a friendly smile and Natsuo with reluctance. She knew it was safer for them to be away from her, but she still wished they could stay. They treated her warmly, in their own unique ways, and their company helped distract her from thinking about what happened to her.

Heavy footsteps approached the side of the bed as she flexed her artificial fingers. The sleek, pale prosthetic had been wiped clean of blood, but she knew the scalpels themselves would need cleaned later. What…do I do now? Dabi's still looking for me. And he wants to use my quirk…to heal all of his burns. If I'm out in the open, I'm a walking target. Everyone around me…could be…

The chair beside the bed creaked as the hero sat down. From the girl's peripheral, she could see he was sitting stiffly. Awkwardly tapping his fingers against his knee as he seemed to struggle with what to say or do.

"Do you need anything?" he attempted.

"N-no, I'm alright. Thank you." Kaere glanced over and saw him frowning deeply. It was clear that something was bothering him, but she was afraid to ask what it was. She was still unsure of what happened after she fainted in the alley.

Endeavor huffed quietly and crossed his arms, making her turn her head in his direction. "Naoru. I need for you to be honest with me. That villain was using your quirk to heal himself, wasn't he?" He saw her nod timidly and his eyebrows furrowed. "I thought that might be his reason. I suppose his intention was to share your quirk with the other villains once he was healed."

She could not be sure, but she gave a half-nod. "That's…probably what he planned. Endeavor-san, um, I just…I wanted to thank you. For helping me so much and…supporting me. You saved me, but you're still helping me. I just…I really appreciate it." Her voice shook as she spoke and she felt her glasses slipping downward a little when she lowered her head.

"I told you before. The fact that you're trying to change yourself and make up for your past mistakes…is something I can sympathize with. Which is why I…" He paused, the muscles in his neck and jaw tensing as he gritted his teeth for a moment. His eyes closed before he continued. "I appreciate your support, Naoru. You're probably not aware of how you're helping me and I won't go into the details of it. Just know that the appreciation is mutual."

He lingered in the hospital room for a little longer, neither of them speaking. When he announced that he was going to patrol the hallways and talk to the nurse, Kaere was both relieved and sad to be left alone. With him gone, she was no longer feeling awkward, but now she was left with her thoughts.

The memory of Dabi's flames searing away her flesh. The splash of his blood against her skin when she stabbed and slice with her scalpels to try to defend herself. The terror that coursed through her veins when he loomed over her, gripping the back of her neck and staring down at her with eyes devoid of mercy.

She gazed down at her hands, remembering how they looked covered in his blood. The still-healing wound on her cheek throbbed and her vision became blurry as tears filled her eyes. Kaere curled up on her side on the bed, hugging the blankets close around her and trembling. She closed her eyes and bit into her left hand to keep her sobs from drawing attention. Exhaustion was quickly settling over her and it was becoming a struggle to stay awake.

The next time she opened her eyes, Kaere jolted at the sight of warm golden eyes staring back at her from the right side of the bed. She pushed herself up; her words catching in her throat, face flushing a vibrant pink, and her glasses sitting askew on her face.

Hawks gave her a half-smile and reached over, running his warm fingertips along her cheek. "Careful. You're still healing, right?"

"Wh-what? You're…? I-I thought…I thought you might be mad at me. I thought you didn't want to talk to me! I thought-!" She blinked in surprise when he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, gently. Being extremely careful as he caressed her uninjured cheek.

When he broke the kiss, his smile had a sad sort of look to it. "Why would I be mad at you?" He glanced over at the closed hospital room door before he looked at her again, his smile turning into a sheepish grin. "Close your eyes, okay? Just trust me. It's going to be worth it."

She was confused, but closed her eyes. Kaere felt his hand draw away and then footsteps moving around the bed. The mattress dipped and soon a pair of arms wrapped around her waist. Hawks pulled her down to lie with her back against his chest, both of them on their sides. Warm breath slid along her neck and shoulder as he sighed in contentment.

"That's better." The hero released a breathless laugh and nuzzle against the crook of her neck from behind. "Haven't been sleeping well. You don't know how much I miss this. I really miss having you sleep with me."

The girl was quiet for a moment. Her pulse was racing and she was still blushing, but a smile curved her lips. "I missed you, too. This…this feels really nice. And I'm glad you're alright. I was worried about you, Hawks."

He tightened his arms around her and brought his hips tight against the back of hers. One wing was folded against his back, the other draped forward over both of them. "Kaere. I want you to call me Keigo. It's…my real name. No one calls me by it, but you're…really special to me. I don't tell a lot of people my name so I'm trusting you with it."

Kaere took off her glasses and set them on the bedside table with a trembling hand. She turned in his hold so she could face him, staring up into his eyes. "K-Keigo? That's your name?"

He looked surprised when she turned around, but now he smiled warmly and ran his fingers through her dark hair. "That's right. It's Keigo."

She carefully slipped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his chest to try to hide how red her face was turning. "Keigo, I…I love you. I just…I wanted to say it properly. With your real name. I-"

A hand slid beneath her chin and tilted her head back. His lips pressed against hers, softly, and his smile could be felt in the kiss. When he broke contact, there was a pink tint to his cheeks. "Love you, too, Kaere."