The room was pretty dark when Akari woke up, but that was normal. The thick curtains were made to keep out sunlight. Unfortunately, they did their job a little too well. She opened her eyes and stared at the window, having absolutely no idea what time it was. For all she knew, it could be four in the morning.

Her phone said otherwise. Her phone said that it was, in fact, ten in the morning. Gripping the phone tightly, she felt her pulse quicken in panic. I'm late for work! Shit! This is it! This is the end! Nezu-san's going to fire me and then what…?

Akari ran her fingers through her hair and frowned. It sank in just then. If she was fired from the school, she would just be a hero again. Nothing really lost. Nothing gained. Back to the same. Of course, she was then reminded of what Jin had said the previous night.

He said…that being a hero will kill me. She pushed herself to sit up and curled into a ball with her back against the headboard. He had a dream that my own capture weapon was strangling me. He was so worried that he came here and…She bowed her head and lifted a hand, biting at her thumbnail as she considered what he said.

What if he's right? What if it is killing me? Right now. Being a hero takes a toll on the human body. And with my quirk…if I was in a fight for too long, using my quirk, I could easily bleed to death. So what if he's right? I might die fighting, just like the hero that saved me when I was a kid. Is that what I want? What do I want?

The red-haired hero looked toward the bedroom door. It was closed. Not that she was surprised; every time he was in her apartment, he was a perfect gentleman. She slipped off of the bed and made her way to the closet to find clean clothes. It was too late to go to work and if the lack of messages or missed calls were any indication, she was not missed. It stung a little, to be honest.

Finding some black jeans and a simple gray tank top, she got dressed and mentally prepared herself to leave her room. Her stomach was twisting in knots at the thought of seeing Jin again. Just thinking about facing him reminded her of the kiss from the previous night.

Akari had never gotten weak knees during a kiss. The passion that had been felt through it, the way he held her close as if she was the most precious person in the world to him. Thinking back on it now, she felt a stinging at the corners of her eyes. A harsh, rapid rhythm was set by her heart as she opened the door.

She took a deep breath as she stepped out of her room and kept her gaze on the floor. The television was on, but it was very quiet. Almost too quiet to actually hear. Akari was afraid to look his way. She was nervous, self-conscious. She had never felt that way around Jin before so it was frustrating. Why can't I just be normal? Just one kiss and I'm acting like this.

Her admirer was sitting on the couch, a can of cotton candy energy drink in hand. When he saw her, he tensed and gripped the can a bit harder. "M…morning," he muttered in greeting.

"Nn." The hero fidgeted awkwardly with a strand of her hair, trying to summon up the courage to actually look at him. When she did, she met the man's gray-blue eyes for a second, only for him to quickly look away and rub the back of his neck. "I overslept," she stated, as if he might actually think it was normal for her to sleep until ten o'clock.

"I…know." He slouched, elbows resting on his knees. "I…I don't want you to hate me, but…I wanted you to get enough sleep. You're always tired. So I…took advantage of you…I measured you and I…made a double…" Jin ran a hand through his hair, frowning deeply. "I just wanted to help you somehow. I'm sorry."

Akari stared at him for a long moment, butterflies fluttering in her stomach upon hearing his words. Her eyes almost teared up, even. "I…slept for fourteen hours," she started.

"I know. I should've woken you up, but I didn't want to bother you and you were tired and-" He seemed a little surprised she settled on the couch beside and sank back into the cushions. "…Akari…?"

"It's been a while since I was able to sleep for so long without my insomnia kicking in." She closed her eyes, rubbing at her face with both hands as she fought that weird fluttery feeling in her chest and stomach. It was like electricity was rushing through her veins. Like she wanted to do something, had to do something, but had no idea what it was.

Finally calming a little, she let her fingers trail through her hair and looked at him from the corner of her eye. He was watching her with a look of worry. As if he thought she might kick him out now. But I can't. I can't do that. I should be angry. I should be so pissed off that I throw him out, but…he had a point. About being a hero. And he helped me sleep. I got so much sleep, I feel awesome.

"There's no point in going to work today," she began. "If there's a double, no one will even know I'm not there." Akari closed her eyes again, releasing a sigh. No one called. No one messaged. So they must not even realize it's not me. I don't know if I should be happy or depressed.

Her pulse quickened when a hand gripped her shoulder and gently pulled her closer to him. When her head rested against his shoulder, she opened her eyes and felt a warmth spreading across her cheeks and ears. He smelled like cotton candy energy drink and soap. His shirt was faintly wet, still bearing the scent of her body wash and telling her that he had borrow the shower. It was pleasant, combined with the warmth radiating off of him. Almost enough to lull her back to sleep.

"I…could do this every day," he started, his voice low. "I want to keep you safe. I want you to be happy."

"I can't have you make a double to go to work for me every day," she immediately argued. Akari chewed at her lower lip for a moment, considering everything he had said the night before.

He loves me. How long has he felt like this though? And why? I'm really not special. My quirk hurts me more than it really helps me; I might as well not have a quirk. I'm a hero for the wrong reason. I'm awkward, I talk in my sleep, I have an addiction to energy drinks. I held a knife to his neck once!

Shift P.O.V

His heart was beating so fast, so hard, that he could feel his pulse in his ears. It was almost deafening. Jin's muscles clenched as he fought back certain urges and he tried to just appreciate this moment with her on the couch. His soulmate was more or less cuddling with him. It was so euphoric that it was almost overwhelming.

He felt like he might start splitting apart, but he gritted his teeth and tried to push that feeling down. Putting on his mask now would definitely ruin the moment. However, those urges were becoming stronger. She was right there next to him, leaning against his side. Her long, crimson hair was still kind of tangled and chaotic from sleep. Her pale skin was showing more than usual because of the tank top she was wearing.

Jin's eyes settled on her shoulder and he felt a tightness forming in his chest. There it was. The scar from the USJ incident. It was a thick, nasty scar that looked like something had corroded her flesh. Like it was healing from an acid burn. He remembered that night he had to help her home from the store. The pain she had been in. That moment when her body went limp and he had to carry her.

I won't let it happen again, he swore to himself. I won't let her get hurt ever again. He sipped from the can of energy drink, letting the sweet cotton candy flavor linger for a moment to almost soothe him. Just thinking about Akari being injured was enough to make him want to go out and start his hunt again. The hunt for that blue-haired villain. He might even start hunting the hero killer, just until she swore to quit being a hero.

Hunger started to set in and he remembered that he had not eaten since dinner the previous night. He had wanted to make something, but Akari's kitchen was out of pretty much any food except for the instant ramen in the cupboards. Jin frowned and tried not to think about food. He was hungry. He was sure she was hungry. However, he wanted to avoid leaving the apartment.

Of course, Jin's luck usually leaned toward "bad". His cellphone rang and he felt Akari draw away from his side. He wanted to pull her back, but the phone kept ringing. Answering it only made things worse. A certain item was ready for pick up. A certain item he would absolutely need if he wanted to be able to protect Akari if she refused to quit being a hero.

By the time the call ended, Jin had been told that he had to get the item that day or the price would go up. Looking over at Akari, he felt panic setting in again. He had to leave. If he left, she might go out and try to fight villains. This was a risk he was not willing to take.

Summoning forth some courage, he looked toward her and frowned. "I…have to go somewhere," he started. He really did not want to force her to go with him, but leaving her alone was out of the question. That sensation was back. That horrible worry. The utter panic. He felt like he was splitting apart.

Shift P.O.V

Akari could hear the strain in his voice. She saw the pain in his expression and frowned. Setting a hand on his shoulder, she attempted a reassuring smile. "Jin. It's okay. I don't have anything to do. You want me to go with you, right?"

Relief overtook his face and before she could react, both arms were wrapped around her. He held her close against him, securely yet still with gentleness. As if she was something delicate that might break, but still needed protection. Jin remained that way for a long moment; just holding her. When he finally spoke, his voice shook. "Akari…"

"Let me get ready to go, okay? I'll be right back." She went to her room to grab a jacket and then trudged into the bathroom to finish getting ready to leave. There was a second toothbrush in the holder on the edge of the sink. He isn't planning to leave, she realized with a frown.

The seriousness of her situation was starting to set in. Jin was a murderer. Probably a criminal wanted for more than just the murder of those random blue-haired men. He was in her apartment, probably with all of his belongings stowed somewhere in her home. He was in love with her and had no plans to leave.

What am I going to do? She gripped the edges of the sink, head bowed. It would have been easy. So easy. She could have just told him she had no feelings for him. That kiss, though. It had made her feel so weak, so hot. It made everything so much more complicated. It planted seeds of affection in her heart. Excitement. She glared at her reflection. What the fuck am I going to do? And has Shouta seriously not noticed that the Akari at work isn't the real me?!