The last time he saw her, she had asked him again if he would reconsider associating with Shigaraki. She insisted that the villain would hurt him, that he should avoid Shigaraki at all costs. The fact that Neneko worried about him so much only proved it though; she was his soulmate.

Of course, he had to say "no". Jin was committed to this. The League of Villains accepted him as he was, much the same as she had. Not that he would ever want her to meet them or associate with them in any way. Putting her in danger was absolutely out of the question. She was everything to him.

Even now, as he entered the bar to meet with the other villains, he found himself thinking about the soft-spoken translator. He fondly remembered how she had hugged him and asked him not to go. Just the memory of it filled him with a warm fuzziness and made his heart beat faster. He promised himself he would see her again soon.

Jin wanted more than anything to be able to see her after the meeting, but there was no way he could face her so soon after going against her wishes. Seeing disappointment in her eyes would be too much to handle. She thought so highly of him. She called him valiant, noble. He was her hero, even if he was a villain.

Tomorrow, he promised himself. I ought to just run out early and go to her place! He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, frowning within his mask.

He had met some of these others before, having crossed paths coming and going from the bar or being introduced by Giran. Though there were a few Jin had never seen before in his life. The others were mostly guys, with the exception of three ladies. He had already spoken to Magne. The other two were a blonde teenage girl and a woman with a half-mask that covered the lower half of her face.

Jin's gaze briefly skimmed over this stranger, eyes narrowing. The woman had eyes that were completely black. A few strands of dark hair fell over her forehead from within the hood of her dress.

Her costume was different from the other ladies' as it was form-fitting, hugging every curve and dipping low at the neckline. The dress was just above knee-length with a ragged hem and long sleeves with red ribbons laced along the length of the forearms. A red ribbon was tied around her neck like a necklace, matching the shining red lacing along the front of the dark blue dress.

Is that a gothic lolita costume? Ugh! Oooh! Just my type! He shook his head and lowered his gaze to the floor. He found himself thinking about Neneko and how she would never wear something that revealing. This thought was quickly followed by an attempt at imaging what his soulmate would look like in a dress like that.

Looking again, he saw that this stranger was talking to Compress and Dabi. They looked like they were all getting along really well. He figured this lady probably already knew at least one of them from before joining.

Introductions were given and Jin quickly found his attention shifting to this peculiar plethora of new friends. Everyone seemed to be an outcast in some way. Everyone seemed to accept everyone. So, despite this being a collection of villains, they were at least a close group.

Shift P.O.V

Beneath her costume, Neneko was sweating from a combination of anxiety, slightly overheating, and from being flustered. She was quite glad for the spandex mask that hid the warm hue of her cheeks and the dried blood beneath her nose. It was absolutely humiliating, but the second that she saw Jin in his villain costume, she had suffered an explosive nosebleed and was unable to clean the blood away for fear of exposing her face to the others.

A man as noble…as pure-hearted…as Jin and I have such a lewd reaction to simply seeing him in his costume. Though that costume…leaves so little to the imagination…She glanced over and found her gaze roaming along his figure. The fabric really did cling tightly to him. Neneko could see how well built he was and she felt her heart skipping a beat when he seemed to look her way.

"What're you staring at?" one of her new acquaintances asked. Dabi tried to follow her line of sight, but was stopped by a gloved hand gripping his chin and forcing him to look at her again.

"D'ya mean by that, sweetie? Don't tell me yer the jealous type. Kheheheh! Kinda like it though, ya know! Makes a girl feel special!" Neneko's throat was hurting from having to speak in the fake voice. Lower than her natural voice, a growly sort of edge to it for an added villain effect. Shigaraki had seemed to like it well enough and it seemed like it was helping her blend in.

"Oh yeah?" Dabi gripped her gloved wrist, smirking down at the woman. "You sure Twice isn't more your type?"

Jin…his villain name…so similar to his quirk. So simple yet so meaningful. A name like Twice…for a man living in two worlds. Neneko narrowed her eyes and tilted her head, lifting a hand to plant on his shoulder. "Kheheh! Ya know I like a bit of muscle. Power's the name of the game, Staple Face!"

She stepped away, her wrist slipping from his hand as she prepared to make her boldest move yet. It was only natural. Neneko was acting. She was playing the role of a villain in the League of Villains. It seemed a little more like some sort of twisted support group rather than actual criminals. She had talked to most of the others already, had even determined who she would make "Mystic" stay close with. Now she had to talk to Twice.

Her heart was pounding, stomach doing nauseating flips, as she approached the masked man. Giving a dramatic bow, she forced a grin so her eyes would show she was supposed to be smiling. "Hey there! How ya doin'? Name's Mystic. Wanna be friends?"

Whatever she had expected him to do, it was not this. Twice pointed at her with one hand, wildly waving his other arm, the eye parts of his mask seeming to narrow to indicate that he was angry. "Who'd want to be friends with a hussy like you?! Hooray for friendship!"

Neneko was, needless to say, a little taken aback by this. For one, she had never been called a hussy before in her life and had never expected to be called that. To make it worse, she had just been called a hussy by Bubaigawara Jin. The man that she was so fond of. The man that she was doing this for. It hurt a little. Of course, she had to pretend to be unaffected.

Rubbing the back of her head through her hood, she raised an eyebrow. "Ya know, I never been called that before! How old ya gotta be to use a word like that, huh? Really know how to make a girl feel awkward! Kheheheh!"

The rest of the time she was there, Neneko kept her distance from him and forced herself not to look his way again. When she left the bar that night, she was in a rush to get home. She moved as quickly as she could, glancing over her shoulder every so often to be sure no one had followed her. No one was there.

A secure, shady area near her building was used to take off the parts of her costume that looked particularly villain-like. She practically ran up the stairs to her apartment and when she was inside, she released a sigh of relief and pushed back her hood. Sweat stuck her hair to her forehead. Tugging down her mask, she grimaced at the dried blood around her nose and mouth.

She was halfway down the hall to her bedroom door when there was a knock behind her. Neneko froze, her blood running cold as she looked over her shoulder. No…impossible. Why? There is no reason for someone to have followed me so why-?

"Neneko…?" Jin's voice penetrated the door, sounding strained; almost as if he was in some sort of pain. He knocked again.

The translator began to sweat more and sprinted into her room, keeping her footsteps light so she would be quiet. Rushing to take off her costume, she nearly tripped. The outfit was shoved beneath her bed and she grabbed some clean clothing. Struggling into the skirt and long-sleeved shirt, Neneko heard her phone start to ring. The screen displayed the name "Bubaigawara Jin".

"Ah…yes, hello…Jin…I must apologize…I have been feeling ill today. I will be there shortly to allow you in so if you could-" She was about to go to let him in, but caught sight of her eyes in the mirror on her wall. Neneko paused to remove the black contact lenses, her heart racing like mad.

"I-it's okay," he assured her. "It's fine. I can…come back."

"N-no! Jin, I…would very much enjoy seeing you. I can assure you that this ailment is not contagious. Something I ate disagreed with my stomach."

Shift P.O.V

Jin had tried so hard to not go to her apartment. His plan was to go straight to his motel room when he left the bar and yet here he was at her door. It's fate, he thought with a frown. I can't stay away from her. I have to see Neneko.

It was more than a desire to see her. What he really wanted was to hold her, to fall asleep next to her, to wake up beside her in the morning and see that shy smile she sometimes wore. A smile that made his heart skip a beat. A smile that made him feel weak. He needed her calm warmth after such an eventful evening.

When the door opened, he was prepared to see her looking a little sickly. What Jin had not expected was to see so much dried blood around her nose and mouth. His eyes widened and he leaned down, a hand resting on her shoulder. "Neneko, did you puke blood?!" With his mask off, he could see that dark rust-colored flakes were thick on her skin; indicating she had lost a lot of blood.

The woman's violet eyes widened as well and she jolted backwards. "Ah…blood…? You must be mistaken." Her voice sounded rough; almost raspy.

Determining that she must have a cold developing in addition to the indigestion, Jin frowned. I want to do something for her. There's got to be something I can do. I should leave before I get sick with whatever she's got! His free hand lifted, running through his hair as his teeth gritted.

A decision was made and Jin lifted her before the translator could protest. He kicked her door closed behind him and carried her bridal-style down the hallway, careful not to trip over the cat as it wove between his legs and meowed for attention. Just holding her like this was enough to make his heart pound. Heat ran through him when she wrapped her arms around his neck to steady herself.

Jin carried her to the entertainment room and gently set her down on the couch. He would have taken her to her room, but he felt like that would have been just a little too much. Their relationship so far was not as if they were actually a couple so it might have made her nervous if he did that. He wanted to keep her comfortable around him.

"Just…wait here. I'll get some stuff." He turned to leave, but felt her delicate fingers grab his hand. His breathing hitched at the woman's soft touch, felt even through the material of his costume. "Neneko?"

"I can assure you that I am fine, Jin. Please allow me to make some tea for you. This was the night that you went to meet with your new associates, correct? Would you like some chamomile tea to help you-?"

"Let me…take care of you. Please." Saying this made him feel a little like he was overheating. He was sweating a bit and, obviously, he was nervous. If she rejected his offer or seemed put off by the request, he was unsure of how he would react. He just knew that it would break his heart.

A hint of pink rose to her face and she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear anxiously. "Well, I suppose…I could allow this. You simply wish to repay me for taking care of you before, correct?"

Jin was instantly reminded of waking up on the floor, his head in her lap and her fingers running through his hair. The thought of doing that for her made his stomach twist in eager, excited knots. He gave her a nod and had to stop himself from running to gather supplies to make her feel better.

Having memorized her apartment layout the last time he was there, Jin quickly brought her some stomach medicine and a cup of chamomile tea. Though he was at least eighty percent sure his tea was nowhere near as good as hers. He retrieved the blanket from her bed and a wet cloth from the bathroom for the blood on her face.

Neneko quietly thanked him when the blanket was settled around her shoulders, but tensed when he knelt in front of her so he was at eye level with her. "Jin…?"

He reached up, taking her chin in his hand as gently as possibly, and used his free hand to wipe her mouth and nose. Jin had made sure to use warm water and he saw her blush darkening to red when he started cleaning her face for her. She's so cute when she blushes. I don't know how much of this I can take. I'd do way more than this if I wasn't afraid of her puking on me!

That last thought made him avert his eyes for a moment. It had conflicted with his thoughts of his pure love for her, but it made him face the realization that he did want more. Jin wanted to make her his. After all, he loved her. She was his soulmate and she was quickly becoming the most important person in his life.

"Thank you…for taking such good care of me," Neneko spoke. "Jin, my gratitude is difficult to convey, but I value you greatly." She smiled warmly at him, not realizing how it made his heart feel like it was melting.

"I'm…staying here tonight," he determined. "To take care of you."