He should have been furious. Somewhere deep down, he knew that. Getting sliced up by someone with a healing quirk, watching his little healer get swept away by Hawks, and then clashing against Endeavor. He should be angry, but he could not stop grinning every time he thought about.

The staples at the corners of his mouth strained and he wiped blood from one of his open, oozing cuts as he got to the top of the stairs. Dabi could already hear them in the room. Everyone assembled and ready to start the meeting. Just waiting on him as he took his time sauntering down the long hallways to the open doorway.

"What took you so long? I said the meeting was going to start at noon. We've been waiting for an hour. You better have a good excuse." Shigaraki glared at him from across the room, from behind the hand planted over his face.

Dabi offered no explanation, no apologies. He stalked over to the empty bedframe against the wall and sat down on the hard metal frame, leaning against the headboard. His clothes stuck to his bleeding wounds and he was tired, but he still dragged himself to this meeting.

"Where's Kae-chan?" Toga interrupted Shigaraki before he could ask the question. "You said you'd bring her with you."

"Yeah! I was looking forward to seeing her again! I totally forgot." Twice followed Toga's lead and both villains gave him an expectant stare.

"Something came up. She couldn't make it today," he replied, stretching his arms over his head and keeping eye contact with them both.

"You don't have her, do you?" The blue-haired villain took slow steps to the end of the bedframe and nudged the metal with the toe of his shoe. "If you had her, you would've brought her with you." Shigaraki glared down at him, but Dabi kept a smug smirk on his face. "I don't know how you thought you could hide it, but I know what happened to her."

All eyes went to Shigaraki as he lowered his head and scowled, glaring at Dabi through his hair as he took the hand off of his face. "You damaged my healer. It's all over the internet. People talking about "that member of the League of Villains that burned off a girl's hand". And the pictures. Pictures don't lie, Dabi. I saw the pictures of my healer being saved by the number one hero and she's missing her right hand."

Dabi stared back at him, completely unfazed. He put a hand to his bleeding bicep and squeezed. When his palm felt wet, he held up his hand to show everyone the crimson painting his skin. "You wanna know how I got these cuts?"

"I don't care. You damaged my healer. Do you know how rare it is to find someone with a healing quirk that's willing to work with villains? She was an important member of the party and you destroyed her hand."

"She's got another one. Besides, that old man bought her a prosthetic. That's how she got me. I didn't think a medic would have so many knives." He snickered and shook his head, wiping his blood on his pants.

Shigaraki seemed to bristle at Dabi's lack of concern. "Well, fine. Maybe I should have someone more competent bring our healer back. Someone that can actually control themselves and not maim her again. I need her in good condition so if you're going to keep-"

"Oh! Me! I'll do it! I wanna see Kae-chan again so I'll bring her back," Toga spoke up. She smiled past Shigaraki at Dabi in way that made his blood boil.

"I said I need her in good condition. I know what you'll do with her as soon as you see her." Shigaraki glanced to Compress and then Spinner. Finally he looked back at Toga and Twice. "Both of you. I want both of you to bring her back."

It made sense for him to choose them; they were her friends, after all. If anyone could convince Kaere that it was safe to rejoin, it would be Toga and Twice. Dabi knew that, but he still felt something ignite inside of him. Bitterness, hatred, jealousy, anger.

He lifted his fingers to the scrap of her skin he had used to patch up part of his collarbone. Running his fingertips over the smooth, pale skin and imagining how Kaere would have trembled and cried if he did that to her. It was sadistic, but seeing her so full of fear made him excited in a way nothing else did.

Dabi wanted to pin her down and take from her. He wanted her tears, every little cry and whimper, every plea. He wanted to feel the girl's lips against his as he swallowed her begging words and he wanted to feel her body thrashing under him. Thinking about it riled him up again and he felt blood trickling down the side of his face from under his left eye.

Endeavor had taken it upon himself to protect Kaere. Dabi had seen the way the flame hero rushed to save her from him the first time, but when he came rushing in the second time, it made Dabi want to laugh. He looked seriously worried about the girl when he saw what Dabi had done to her and when he looked directly at the villain, the rage was clear in his eyes.

To think Endeavor was so hung up on protecting Dabi's prey was too perfect. I can't wait to see the look on his face when he knows he's lost her, he thought with a smug half-smile. Only problem now is those two. Have to make sure they stay out of my way. He looked at Toga and Twice, his lips twitching up more at the corner.

Shift P.O.V

I should tell him the truth. Kaere gazed sleepily at the winged hero lying beside her. He was sleeping on his stomach with his head turned toward her, his crimson wings tucked against his back. His golden tresses were in fluffy disarray and he looked so calm, so content. She had to resist the strange urge to reach over and run her fingers through his soft hair.

Keigo. Takami Keigo. He told me everything about himself. Even…the painful stuff. I should tell him. I need to tell him, but…if I tell him…what if he doesn't love me anymore? What if he hates me when he finds out the truth? What if-?

"…Kaere…" he mumbled. His eyes half-opened and he put on a lazy smile. His hand reached over and rested on top of hers. "Look so cute…" His eyelids fell and he seemed to have drifted off to sleep again.

She laced their fingers, holding his hand as he slept. Color rushed to her face as his words sank in and she bit her lower lip. "I-it's…Ki-," she whispered. Saying it brought tears rushing to her eyes and she shook her head. I can't! I can't do it! I can't tell him! I haven't gone by that name in years! That…person's dead. I'm Kaere now! Naoru Kaere!

His fingers bent to gently squeeze her hand and his large red wings shifted behind him. He stretched them outward and propped his upper half up on his elbow. When he saw her looking at him, he smiled and tilted his head. "What's up, Kaere? See something you like?" he teased.

She flushed red and looked to where she was still holding his hand. "S-sorry. I didn't mean to stare, I just…um…" The girl wanted to wipe away her tears before he could notice them, but her prosthetic hand was charging and her left hand was still holding onto his.

"Hm?" He rubbed his thumb against her knuckle, still smiling at her in that cute, slightly sleepy, way.

Kaere took a deep breath and looked down at her pillow, knowing that if she looked at him then she might lose her nerve. "Keigo. I…my quirk. It's a healing quirk so, um, practicing with it is sort of…tricky. B-because you need…injured people to practice on."

Her heart thumped faster and faster as nervousness churned her stomach. "I did…things…t-to make people get injured. And…and I'm not proud of it! I hurt people just so I could try to fix them! It was…the only way I could think of…after I lost my parents. Because I wanted to be able save people…instead of letting them down the way I let my parents…um…b-but it got out of control really quickly. And soon…soon people were dying and…w-well criminals and…villains heard about my quirk so they started to pay me to help them and…that's…"

It felt like a lump had formed in her throat; stopping her from saying more. The tears rolled down her cheeks and dotted her pillow as she trembled. She had wanted to keep it a secret from him because she never wanted him to think she was really a villain, but she hated the thought of not being truthful with him. All night, guilt had made her stomach twist in knots. However, divulging the name her parents had given her was still out of the question.

"Kaere" was the name she had given herself when she stared healing people for money. "Kaere" as in "go back"; referring to how her body could repair itself and, in most cases, make herself go back to normal. A pseudonym to protect her old self from her bloody future.

He was silent for a moment and then his wings rustled. Hawks released her hand and leaned over. He lifted her chin with a fingertip and a frown began to form when he saw her tears. "Hey, it's okay. You were just doing what you thought you had to do. You know I know what that's like."

Her vision was blurred by tears and by the fact her glasses were still on the bedside table, but Kaere could still see it in his eyes. He was worried about her, but he was not angry with her. There was no trace of disgust or hatred. She shifted her eyes to the side when she realized how close he was.

"It's going to be okay," he tried to reassure her. "I know what might cheer you up. I'll get breakfast for us and we can eat together. I've got the day off, remember? So we might as well get it off to a good start. Let me try to cheer you up, okay?"

Kaere dressed with her back to him; feeling self-conscious about all of her new burns and scars. She could feel blood rushing to her face when she felt his eyes on her. When she looked back over her shoulder, she saw him smile sheepishly and continue getting dressed. A weird, warm tingling stared in her lower stomach and she subconsciously peeked at him again as he slipped his wings through the slits on the back of his shirt.

I…killed people. But he isn't mad at me? He…just wanted to cheer me up. She was sitting alone in the apartment after he left to get breakfast from a nearby café. Left alone, on the couch, to try to puzzle through what she should do next. He knew the truth now. Well, most of the truth.

Hawks just accepted her and to Kaere, that was baffling. Of course, at the same time, she was glad. The idea that someone could accept her so easily. Love her so easily. Tears dotted her glasses as she tried to blink them away and she slouched. She wiped at the tears as best she could, but she felt a smile trying to creep onto her lips.

He loves me…so much that he's willing to overlook something like that. The girl leaned back and sank a little deeper into her Hawks hoodie with a half-smile. Even with all of her scars. Even with the League after her. Even though she had killed people in her pursuit to get better with her quirk. He still loved her and she knew that she loved him.

Her phone rang, drawing her out of her blissful haze, and Kaere hurried to answer it. "Naoru speaking."

"Naoru. I bought a security system for the house and it's being installed today. What day do you plan to come back? Fuyumi wants to know. I think she's planning a surprise or something." Endeavor sounded like he was walking through his agency while he was on the phone. Burnin's voice could be heard in the background somewhere, along with a few other sidekicks.

"Oh! Um…I-I'm not sure yet. Maybe tomorrow."

"I'll tell her that you're coming back tomorrow." He paused and suddenly all of the background noise was gone. "That villain hasn't tried to make contact with you, has he? If you see him or hear from him, I want you to tell me immediately."

She chewed at the skin around her thumbnail, holding her phone with her prosthetic hand. "No…I haven't seen him. Or heard from him. B-but I'll tell you if I do." Kaere leaned forward and tugged up the hood on her hoodie. "Um…Endeavor-san, I just…wanted to apologize again. For causing so much trouble and…for putting Natsuo-kun in danger like that."

"Natsuo told me it was his idea to go out at night."

"But he didn't make me go with him! I…went because I wanted to. Hanging out with Natsuo-kun was fun and I just…" Kaere slouched more and closed her eyes. "I'm sorry."

Her apology was met with silence for a long moment before he spoke again. "I understand." His tone was quieter now. "But until the villain is caught, you need to be vigilante. You can still do those things, as long as you're aware of your surroundings."

The apartment door opened and Hawks paused in the doorway. He cocked his head to the side, curiously. Seeing that she was talking on the phone, he carried the takeout bags over to the coffee table. He listened as the call ended and he sat beside her with a smile. "Endeavor, right?"

She nodded as she tucked her phone into her pocket. "I need to make it up to Natsuo-kun for putting him in danger," she commented. "Dabi could've hurt him just because he was with me when he found me."

"Natsuo, huh?" His smile shifted to a grin that made her blush. "He's the one that gave you those flowers, right? Should I be jealous?"