Title: Eternal Salvation

Summary: "Suicide is not the answer. No... really it's not. I've already tried that method more times than I can count." Shouta Aizawa didn't know what to make of her. The woman who stood across from him on the roof, with shattered blue eyes laden in anguish and defeat.

Pairing: Kagome/Shouta

Anime: My Hero Academia/InuYasha

Rated: M

When Shouta woke up the next morning, it was to the repetitive pecking outside his window. Not a normal sound he'd come to familiarize himself with. Standing, stretching, feeling last night in every ache and pop of his body. Shouta walked over to the window and opened it to reveal the culprit behind the consistent drumming that passed as pecking. It stilled in its drilling of the side paneling of Shouta's apartment to stare back at the hero. Letting out a series of chirps and shrill trills before flying away. He'd be back. Shouta was sure he'd be back. It was just his luck, getting such a noisy neighbor like a woodpecker. Though he wouldn't admit it aloud, the green feathered bird looked pretty.

"Well, I'm awake." He wasn't quite pleased about that, but what could he do. Oh, go back to bed. That was an option... an option he would consider later. Right now, he needed to talk to a certain U.A. Principal.

"You realize what you're asking of me, Aizawa?"

He nodded, having considered the dangers and weighed them carefully in his head the night before. Well, no, not really. He'd considered them, just not as carefully as one would expect from him. Did he trust Kagome? Yeah. He trusted her enough to take her to his apartment and didn't bother trying to hide her from Hizashi. Oh, he had no delusions about which part of him led the negotiations in taking her home with him the first night they met. He knew very well that his libido pulled the reins of that conversation, and no, he didn't regret a thing about that night.

Now, the question today was, did he trust her with his students. That was something else, and... yeah, he did. Shouta didn't think she was capable of hurting a bunch of kids. She had a rather dim view of the world but didn't show signs of a villain. In this world of contradictions, wherein everything is gray, and almost nothing is black and white...she was a million different shades of violet and blue. He'd still need to monitor her and the child who would be coming into U.A. care, but he wasn't worried.

"It's not like you to be quite so..." Nezu looked thoughtfully at his paws, "spontaneous." He nodded, satisfied with his choice of words. "I will meet with them. However, I make no guarantees. This school, and these students, will always be my priority. On that note, it's nearly eight; if we leave now...you said she lives in Saitama? Yes, that would work well. We'd make it before noon and still be back before your next shift later tonight."

Oh, what joy. He'd make it home before he had to leave for work. Ah, if he were lucky, he'd manage a quick nap.

Lithe fingers carded through a mess of slate blue. The gentle aroma of tea tree wafted through the air, and she relaxed against the headboard. "I've got you, little one." Her words were whispered low enough so she couldn't wake the boy she held close to her. Tomura had woken up earlier to a night terror. One she was familiar with at this point. Brushing away the tearstains that lined his cheeks, she brought the sheet up and over his shoulder. "You're safe. No one will hurt you. No one can touch you now." This was said to the shadows that had tormented him when all of his defenses were down.

Listening to the wind howl outside her apartment, she watched the clouds through the window. The curtains were drawn aside. As cloudy as it was, she didn't need to worry about the sun breaking in and waking Tomura. He needed his sleep desperately.

In all her years, she'd never taken on the role of a mother. Not since Shippou, but that child had no doubt grown and lived a full and happy life with those she'd left behind in the past. Now, she found herself feeling responsible for this boy. Like she needed to protect him, from Takeshi, and himself. She would do what she needed, even if that meant getting help.

'Damn, it's been so long since I've asked for help. I honestly wasn't sure if I would still know how to do that.' Staring back down at the boy, she smiled sadly. 'For him, I can.' Bringing one of her hands from his hair, ceasing the repetitive ministrations, she took the hand that clutched her nightshirt and held it. The single-finger glove that he refused to take off in fear of accidentally using his quirk on her was smooth against her fingers.

Taking a careful breath, she carefully pulled herself from beneath his arms and silently went to the kitchen. The clock on her wall read nine. Looking at her phone, she had sent Shouta her address last night on her way home after leaving him at his job. She told him to text her when he and Nezu were heading her way.

Having been relatively certain, he'd go home and get at least a few hours of sleep before heading over, then needing to meet with Nezu... Kagome almost laughed. She wasn't even sure if Nezu would agree to help her. Still, she had hope, at least... a little; what was left of it after one hundred years of watching it fizzle out.

"If I had to guess... he'll be by sometime around five." Kagome picked her phone up off the counter and pushed a button along the side. The screen lit up, and she looked curiously at the three messages. Tapping the little text bubble, she silently read over the messages.

XXX-XXX-XXXX

7:49 AM

We're leaving now. Should be there around 11:30-ish.

7:53 AM

I assume you'll be awake by then if you're not already.

7:55 AM

This is Shouta, FYI.

Kagome hid a small smile behind her fingers at his awkward way of texting. It was cute. Especially because she'd added his number yesterday by calling herself with his phone, she knew it was him.

She quickly responded with a simple, Drive safe, and we'll see you when you get here. He was driving with roughly four hours of sleep at most. Kagome pocketed the phone and tapped her foot to a mindless rhythm. "I'll get some tea ready for when they get here, but I should wait until closer to eleven. He'd probably prefer coffee, though." She thought for a few minutes and smiled, "It's still a long drive to get here. I have time to swing by the store and pick up some coffee, and I'm sure Tomura wouldn't mind getting out of the apartment for a bit." Her muttering had stirred Tomura from his sleep, and he'd slowly walked down the hall with an involuntary yawn highlighting how tired he was.

Greeting him as he leaned in and wrapped his arms around her, she gave him a tight squeeze before brushing his hair from his eyes. "Did I wake you? I did, didn't I."

Scratching his head, he looked up at Kagome. "It's okay. I've slept enough."

She took a deep breath, pulled away from his arms, and started for the kitchen. "Homemade waffles sound good?"

He shrugged, sitting down at the table. "I've never had them before."

'Well, now that's just depressing.'

"So, I thought you and I could run to the store next door and pick up a few things before my friend gets here."

"You're friend?"

"You remember, don't you?" She pulled the Belgian waffle maker from her pantry, placing it on the granite countertops before returning to her pantry. "Our hero will be coming by to see us today, and he's bringing someone else that will be able to help us too." She seriously hoped she wasn't building up his hopes only for them to be brought down painfully around him. That very idea was... no, that wouldn't happen. Even if Nezu didn't help them, she had to believe that Shouta would. A small smile found her. Her eyes looked lost, staring vaguely at the condiments shelf in front of her without seeing what was there.

Leaning back, she hefted the all-purpose flour and sugar over to the counter. "Can you grab a bowl from under the counter?"

Tomura moved past her, bending down; he opened the cabinet and pulled a large mixing bowl out, "Is this one okay?"

Peeking out from around the door, Kagome grinned, "perfect!" Baking powder, salt, and vanilla extract were in her hands. "Now we need butter, milk, and eggs."

He grabbed the items from the fridge, carefully placing the eggs before doing the same with the butter and milk. "Anything else?"

"That's it, and a whisk, of course, but ingredient-wise, we're good!" She quickly started making breakfast with Tomura helping her with pouring and mixing. It wasn't too long until breakfast was ready, and the two sat at the table, enjoying the large waffles that took up most of their plates. Syrup and butter were slathered atop the waffles, and Kagome and Tomura easily devoured what was in front of them.

"I'm going to wash my hands."

She would need to do the same, "Hey, Tomura?

"Y-yes?" The way he stumbled over the word had her pausing midway to the sink. "You okay?"

He looked down at the sticky plate, placing his fork in the sweet amber pool. "We're not going back to Sensei, right?"

Tapping the head of the faucet, water poured freely over her hands as Kagome washed the syrup away. "No, we won't be going back to Takeshi."

He didn't seem too confident, but at the same time, there was this wavering look of want and assurance. He wanted to trust her. Kagome could see that vividly in his eyes. He'd just been let down so often that he found it difficult to put his faith in any good thing.

"Kagome?"

"Yes?" looking up at her name, she watched him as he moved to the sink and cleaned his own hands. He had removed his glove while eating to avoid getting it sticky, being extra careful not to dust her silverware.

Turning the faucet off by tapping the long neck, he shook his hands in the sink to get the excess water off. "Do you think you could call me by my real name?"

That had her stilling. His real name. She knew it, but she had honestly thought that Tomura had forgotten his name. He'd been pretty young when he'd been picked up by Takeshi and then been given a new name not long after, one that he was called every day thereafter. "...Tenko."

She watched his eyes light up, which lasted only a moment before tears swelled in his eyes, and he lurched forward into her arms. Even without his gloves, Kagome held him close. She let him cry in her arms, all his worries and fears fleeing on tears that fell without resistance. She dropped to her knees with him still held close, cradling him in her lap. His fingers tangled into her clothes, with one finger carefully raised so as not to cause her harm. He was so careful with her. So scared of hurting her or turning her to dust. Once upon a time, she thought he might end up being the cause of her death, but now, as he trembled in her arms, how could she bring herself to continue down that line of thought. "Tenko? Do you know what your name means? It means Heaven Child. Your mother must have known that you would be a gift."

"I'm not so sure about that. I..." he shook his head, burying it into the crook of her neck.

She understood. She couldn't properly define the way he felt; no one could. To claim she understood would be insulting to his personal feelings, but she could understand that he was hurting, and he did need to vent to someone. She knew what had happened that day. She knew because after Takeshi took the boy in, Kagome had gone to see what was left of his family. Hearing about what happened from Takeshi was hardly a reliable source of information in Kagome's personal opinion. The news had reported that some unknown quirk had destroyed the whole family. Turned to nothing but dusted bone... they were wrong. Here in her lap was the only survivor and the cause of the family's murder through the way of accidental quirk use...mostly. "Sometimes, bad things happen to good people, and all we can do is move forward and do our best with what we've got."

He was quiet, his breathing becoming more controlled as he took deep breaths and matched his breathing with Kagome's. "Why?"

"Why?"

"Why do bad things happen to good people?"

What a loaded question. Kagome took a moment before answering. "That's a question people have been asking since the dawn of man. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin was a French Jesuit priest, scientist, theologian, paleontologist, teacher, and philosopher. He was a man of many hats." Kagome stood up and pulled Tenko with her. He followed close as she moved over to one of the many bookcases in the living room. "Pierre...was also a writer. He wrote many books, several influential theological and philosophical books." Pulling from the shelf an old book with a worn and tattered cover that seemed to match the aesthetic theme of most of her books. "Can you..." she carefully flipped through the book before stopping on a page that looked as tired as the book looked used, "read this out loud for me?"

He took the book with careful fingers; his pinkies were both raised away from it. "Which part?"

"Here," Kagome pointed at a paragraph.

Tenko read the words printed on the paper, "In the final analysis, the questions of why bad things happen to good people transmute itself into some very different questions, no longer asking why something happened, but asking how we will respond, and what we intend to do now that it happened."

"I don't know of anyone who's ever been able to answer the question of why bad things happen to good people, but there are many who've chosen to change the question to something else. Now that it's happened, what do I do? How should I respond? Can I make something good out of this situation? Humans can bear nearly any pain or disappointment if we think there is a reason behind it, a purpose, to it. However, the reason or purpose isn't always so clear-cut to us. Sometimes, there's no reason at all. So then, how do we handle the pain?"

"...try and ignore it?"

"That's unhealthy."

"Then what? If I'm going to be a hero...I shouldn't dust things when I'm angry and bothered by something, right?"

"That's certainly true. Still, it would be best to find an approach to your feelings that allows you to lay them out rather than simply tuck them away."

Tenko placed the book back on the shelf where it had been pulled from, careful of what he considered an old relic predated before the first Quirk War. "You wanted to run to the store," carefully changing the topic, feeling lost in his thoughts. It wasn't that he didn't want to talk about things. He did. He just..wasn't sure how to go about it yet.

His eyes followed the ageless woman who had, unbeknownst to her, taken on the role of mother to him. Still plagued with night terrors of his birth mother reaching out to him in her final moments before he accidentally killed her. He couldn't explain what went through his mind or how he felt seeing her reach out to him every night. A vision he wished more and more would disappear the more time he spent with Kagome. But no, he couldn't erase the memories. They were there, and they happened. He happened.

"Tenko, we will work through this. You're not alone; I am here."

She was here. Tenko nodded, leaning into her arms as she held him again. He was safe because she was here. Tenko silently swore that he'd protect her from his Sensei and himself if necessary. A renegade thought surfaced as he melted in her safe warmth. 'Do all heroes say that? "I am here"... I'll say that too one day. For you, Kagome, I'll become a hero who can proudly say that "I am here." Just like you.'

The way Saitama's Shopping District was designed, several small clothing stores outlined the streets, with the grocery store at the start of the long row of shops. Outdoor vendors were also many today as the weather was cool enough to sell and enjoy outdoor shopping. Holding a few different bags, Kagome walked into another store with Tenko beside her. "You said you wanted a few more hoodies," bringing her free hand to his face, she brushed aside his long, scraggly bangs that were hiding his eyes, "you shouldn't hide." She moved the top of his hoodie from his head and pulled him closer, "let's get you some regular sweaters too. It'll be cold soon, and I don't want you freezing."

It didn't take Tenko long to find himself browsing some slightly baggy hoodies. Kagome was at a circle rack looking at a bunch of pre-seasonal sweaters for those more prepared than others.

"Kagome, what time will our guests get to the apartment?" He was unsure how to word it; he didn't feel comfortable saying hero.

Pulling her phone free, she eyed the time. "It's eleven now. We should probably head home in the next five minutes or so."

He nodded, holding up a few of the hoodies he'd picked out; one was solid black. She wasn't even surprised at this point. He had two others that were solid black back at her place, so what was one more? The second one he held was also black, but with a graphic design of a controller, the words IF YOU CAN READ THIS I WAS FORCED TO PUT MY CONTROLLER DOWN AND RE-ENTER SOCIETY scrawled in a bold white debug font. Finally, a mustard yellow hoody with the familiar pinmold font spelling out GAMER MODE, underneath the two words, an on/off switch with ON selected.

"Cute," she laughed, though, in the back of her mind, she thought about all his games left behind in her hurried escape. He'd left them behind. 'I'll have to go and get them. Right now, I can't, but maybe tonight...'

"It's soft,"

She looked at the sweater in her hand. A cream-colored turtleneck that was wider than normal for a loose fit. It was probably big enough to fit two of him, but she hadn't been paying much attention to sizes. Just feeling the material as she browsed. This one was called a Dokotoo Turtleneck Balloon Sweater. She grabbed it and added it to the pile she'd be taking home. Tenko moved on to an open-front cardigan long enough to skim his knees. A soft gray color in a cashmere material. Dark gray stripes were on the bottom and around the cuffs of the sleeves. The last one she picked was a chunky open-front cardigan in a dusty pink color made of incredibly soft popcorn yarn, with long batwing sleeves. It had large pockets that were bigger than the average pocket one would find on a sweater. "I regret nothing."

"Wait, is that one for me too?"

Kagome didn't answer. Instead, dragging him over to the cashier to check out. "Can you hold this for me for a second?" Handing over two of the bags, Tenko took them while she pulled her card out and paid for the clothes, "thank you," she took the bag from the cashier and, together with Tenko, walked out of the store. "We somehow got more than just coffee," Kagome laughed, walking side by side with the boy who kept pace with her. Pausing at a familiar fluff of lavender, Kagome turned and followed the small child as he moved around a fruit stand.

She hadn't even noticed when she'd started moving towards him. Her eyes watched as he peeked over the wooden crates to get a better view of what was available.

"Hey! Not my apples you—"

"Four,"

The woman paused with her hand on the red apple she'd been ready to snatch from the boy. His dark purple eyes stared up at Kagome for a few minutes before recognition filled them, and he moved into her reach. She couldn't do much, her hands filled with bags, but to her surprise, Tenko took his hand and pulled him aside so that she could pay for the apples.

"That kid yours?"

"...yes?"

"Ah, I guess you guys live pretty close, huh? I see him out and about all the time."

Kagome frowned, "I apologize for any trouble he may have caused. He doesn't understand what he's doing, but I will take responsibility. Please, forgive him." Kagome bowed to the older woman who was bagging the apples.

"Hm... it's no problem. I'm surprised, honestly. Not many care to take responsibility for an orphan they don't know."

That had Kagome's head snapping up as she looked the smirking woman over. "Orphan?"

"Not going to deny it? I thought he was yours?"

"You know more than I thought." Kagome blushed as she straightened up. Handing the money over to the woman who passed the bag over to her. "I would like to help him, however." Looking over her shoulder at where Tenko was staring curiously down at the messy head of lavender while the smaller boy clung to his hand. "What can you tell me about him?"

"I can't tell you much, honestly. I know he's orphaned, but that's about it. He stays at the Saitama Children's home down near Minaminakanonishiura Park. I hear the lady that owns the place is one of those...double-dealing types? If you want to know more, though, I know Gita is on a first-name basis with the woman. He owns the Sake stall down the street that opens at six in the evening. Can't miss it. He's got info on everyone," the woman said, "even you, I bet. Oh, but don't think he'll tell you anything for free. Gita's information always has a price, and it's not always money." She waved Kagome off as a few customers stepped up. "Go, go. I told you what I know,"

'Despite how little she said, I'm walking away with more information than I had. So there's that.' Holding a hand out for the little boy, she and Tenko walked the rest of the way with the little boy between them.

"Is he coming home with us?"

"For now...yes. I need to figure out where he's staying, and then maybe, if he'd like, he can stay with us."

"So..." Tenko looked thoughtfully for a moment before looking up with a new spark in his eyes, "would I be like, a big brother?"

The littlest one of the three peered up at Tenko with wide eyes. Kagome couldn't help but coo at just how cute the reaction was. "I think he could certainly use a big brother. I know we have a lot going on, but maybe...you could be his hero too?"

"Me? Kagome, you would be the one adopting him, right? That would make you his hero." He blushed and looked at the nameless child, "can a brother be a hero?"

"Sure!"

"Then, I want to be his hero too!"

Somehow, they had jumped ten steps ahead, and Kagome knew she'd still need to go back to the first few steps, but for now. Yes, for now, she supposed it was fine if Tenko and this little, nameless boy got to know each other. So much was going on, and things were moving too fast, but after one hundred years of standing still, she couldn't bring herself to want to slow down. "Inside," she held the door to the complex open. Little Bit looked curiously up at her before letting Tenko pull him inside. 'He's cautious; that's good.'

When they made it to her apartment, she let Tenko take her keys and unlock the door for her, unable to do so with the bags she held. "Thanks, Tenko."

"No problem. Here," he took a couple of bags and helped her carry them.

A little hand reached out, and Kagome smiled down at Little Bit, handing him the bag of apples, he ran off, and she easily lost sight of him. Kagome wasn't worried, though. He would come out when he was ready. Right now, he probably just wanted to eat the apples.

"Do you know his name?" Tenko asked as Kagome placed the last of the bags on the counter. "He doesn't seem to say much."

"I don't know his name; he's never said anything to me. Just answers yes or no questions with a nod or shake of his head. Here," she held a bag of sweaters out, "can you hang these up? I'm going to get the coffee going."

"You don't drink coffee,"

Her face burned as if she'd just been caught doing something she shouldn't be; looking at the canister of coffee grounds, she shrugged, "no, but our guest does. I'll make some tea for myself. Would you like some too?"

"Can I have coffee?"

Laughing, she shook her head, "when you're older. How about...sixteen?"

"Fifteen,"

"Why am I negotiating this with you. Coffee will stunt your growth and make you jittery as hell."

He shrugged, "I wouldn't know about that." Taking the bag, he ran to the room he shared with Kagome to hang the sweaters and hoodies.

'There's no way I'm letting him get addicted to coffee.' Though she thought that, she inhaled the nutty and smoky aroma that wafted up as she opened the canister. Pulling out a glass coffee maker used for pour-over coffee, Kagome sighed. It wasn't that she didn't like the stuff; she did, the smell particularly. She didn't drink it because she couldn't get past the memories of her mother relaxing on the couch with a cup of coffee. It was a comfort; at the same time, it was a pain she couldn't quite forget. A longing for times before Takeshi and her quirk that kept her kicking.

She rinsed it clean and dried the glass apparatus before placing a filter in it and scooping three spoons tablespoons of coffee grounds into the filter. Pulling her kettle out, she filled it with water and looked back over her shoulder at the sound of footsteps. Little Bit came running up to her, still holding the bag with three apples left. "Do you want to share with Tenko?"

He looked at the bag and took an apple in hand, staring at the apple while holding out the bag for her. Kagome took the bag from him and watched him toddle off to her bedroom, where she could see Tenko messing with the tags on one of his new hoodies. "...is it really okay to be this relaxed and... domestic?" The question was directed more towards herself, so it didn't bother her when she received no answer. If she'd wanted an answer, she would have said it loud enough that Tenko could hear her. However, watching him drop to his knees and take the apple curiously from the much smaller boy, she couldn't bring herself to worry about the future.

Shouta put the blinker on as he waited for the light to turn green. "I don't think I thanked you earlier. You're basically working during the school's off-time...sorry about that, by the way."

"Appreciation and an apology, Aizawa?" Nezu made no change to his expression, looking outside from the passenger seat as he watched the world around him move along as if there was nothing to worry about, and perhaps for them, there wasn't. For them, at least. Ah, but there was always someone somewhere who was hurting...who went unseen or unheard. "From what little you've told me, someone needs help, and they are looking to find sanctuary at U.A. I haven't agreed yet. However, I couldn't possibly say no to hearing them out. We wouldn't be heroes if we turned her away without at least trying to help. While I can't open the doors of U.A. to just anyone...well, we will see, won't we?" He turned back to look at Shouta, who was now pulling into a parking spot. "If the boy were a student and this young lady were a staff member, then I think we would be able to come to an arrangement of some kind. That's not here nor now, however."

Shouta climbed out of the black civic, stretching his limbs a bit before adjusting his button-up; he felt like a fish out of water in these clothes. Still feeling the need to semi-dress nice, he managed to uncover a pair of nice jeans to pair with the dark navy button-up.

"That was a pleasant drive. I look forward to getting to know the young lady who has captured your attention, Aizawa. I think a friendly partnership would be wonderful, though. You know, a confidante that one completely trusts can be difficult to come by."

"You think you could trust her?"

"We shall see!"

The two stepped up to the apartment complex; Shouta pulled his phone out and looked at the apartment number. "Third floor. Looks like apartment three-eleven." Walking inside, the complex was well-maintained and looked more or less like a high-quality, four-star hotel with the details that went into the building's architecture, design, and décor. "This place is amazing."

"It really is." Nezu agreed. "If not for the distance, I might be inclined to relocate my own humble abode. Ah, here we are!"

-KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK-

Dropping his hand by his side, Shouta waited, listening as sounds of light footsteps came from the other side of the door. He could hear footsteps running to the door.

"Ah, Little Bit, don't open the door, sweetie. Tenko!"

Shouta glanced curiously at Nezu, who smiled wider at the chaotic sounds on the other side of the door.

"I got him. Do you want me to let them in?"

"It's okay; I'll get the door. Little Bit, we have guests coming inside. Let's greet them?"

They didn't hear a response, but the door opened to reveal a frazzled Kagome leaning down with a hand on a little boy's head. Dark purple eyes looked up under messy lavender hair. Shouta found himself staring back.

"Little Bit?"

He turned back to Kagome, then moved behind her and brought his hands to her shirt, clutching it as he hid his face in her shirt.

"Sorry, he's a bit shy. Please, come inside."

"Thank you!" Nezu stepped inside, and the two were blindsided by a second child who moved over and took the little one by the hand, guiding him into the living room.

Shouta had only been told about one child; he wasn't even sure which one they were here for, and as he tumbled those thoughts around, he wondered if they were her children. No, that wasn't why he was there, and he wasn't there to toggle the way her hair slipped from her shoulder and revealed her neck. 'The mark is gone.' Still not why he was here. It might be why he sticks around til tonight, though.

"Let me introduce you. This is Tenko, and this...well, I've been calling him Little Bit, but I'm not sure what his name is."

"You don't know?" Shouta looked curiously at the smallest boy, "I feel like this is probably something I should ask about, but we're here for...Tenko?" He was sure she'd given him a different name yesterday, but he'd ask about that later.

"That's right. We can talk in the living room. Can I get the two of you a drink? Coffee? Tea? Juice?" A hand tugged at her shirt; she looked down and smiled, "I'll get you some juice, Little Bit."

"Coffee, please."

"I would love a cup of tea myself."

Shouta and Nezu followed Tenko inside. He watched as he looked them over cautiously. Shouta took in how the boy touched the single-finger glove he wore on both hands. As if making sure they were on. His eyes wandered to Kagome as she gathered drinks on a tray, the lavender-haired shadow keeping at her heels.

"Milk? Sugar?"

"Yes, please,"

She nodded before entering the living room and placing the tray on the coffee table.

No sooner had the tray been sat down had the plastic cup work apple juice gone missing. Shouta was curious about the lavender-haired boy who didn't seem to speak. The boy placed himself on the chair Tenko sat in, curling up next to him.

Once everyone had their drinks, Shouta took a moment to take in the rich smell of his coffee. Taking a small sip, the bold flavors settled on his tastebuds.

"Thank you, Kagome." Nezu started, "now, being that you asked for us, I don't need to elaborate on why we're here." Placing the small plate and cup down in his lap, he smiled. "Can you tell me some about the predicament you're in? From my understanding, you seek protection, but from what, or who?"

For almost two hours, Kagome took the time to explain the situation she and Tenko were in. She answered his questions as they were asked, though... there were a couple she waved off as unimportant and didn't answer. Those questions would have led to her adventures down the well. Adventures she could never relive again.

Nezu never let his thoughts show on his face. Always kept a tight lid on whatever was running through his mind.

Shouta kept looking between Tenko and Kagome as their story was told, fatiguing their expressions and most prominent emotions that would bubble just below the surface, desperately trying not to let anyone see their weaknesses. They both had them but refused to expose them. He could respect that...

"Tenko, could you tell me about that night?"

For the most part, Kagome, who had omitted Tenko's past, only included him as far as she'd been concerned. Her story where Tenko was concerned started when he was introduced to her at the bar in Yokohama City. Little Bit was still curled into Tenko's side as he opened his mouth and took a controlled breath before telling Nezu and Shouta about that night. Whether the small child understood what Tenko was saying or not, Kagome couldn't be sure. However, when he took Tenko's hand and held it in his lap, Kagome's heart constricted painfully. There weren't many who would hold Tenko's hand, knowing what his quirk was. Turning her eyes to Shouta, she was surprised to find his eyes already on her while he listened to the boy's story. He dropped his head, and Kagome took that moment to stand and go to the kitchen. She needed water. Looking away from the two adults and the two kids, she listened to Tenko.

"How was it with your family?"

"I-" Tenko dropped his eyes to his hands, "I loved my mom and my grandparents. I loved my sister. I never wanted to-" his hands were trembling, tears falling from his eyes, droplets hitting the back of his fists. "I never wanted to hurt them. Mama— mama couldn't reach me."

She felt like she was torturing him, having Tenko relive his darkest terror. That dark hour where he'd lost all control over his emotions and had manifested his quirk in that same moment. A quirk that from the very start put him at a disadvantage with society. A quirk that would need time, precious seconds of someone's time, to learn how to control. Sadly, that never happened. His fear only caused his already unstable quirk to flare out of control further. His mother hadn't been afraid to reach out to him and try to take him in her arms... the fact that she had put him before her own fear, ready to hold him and tell him that everything would be okay...if only she could have reached him in time. If only.

Wiping her tears away, she pulled two tissues from a box on her counter and took one more sip from the glass before walking back to Tenko. Sitting on the arm of the chair, she let him lean into her side and held the tissue out to him. This allowed him to breathe and take a break, brushing his tears away with the tissue.

"You didn't mention your dad,"

Kagome watched Tenko carefully.

"Dad hated heroes. I wanted to be a hero, and whenever I talked about it, he'd strike me and yell at me, lock me in a room for hours, and...I just...didn't like him. Mom would tell me that he didn't mean to be the way he was, but that's how it was at home. Dad just...didn't like me. He never did."

Nezu took a deep breath and placed his cup and plate aside, "well, this was a most illuminating meeting, I must say."

"Um," Tenko looked at the rat, and for a moment, Kagome wasn't sure he'd say what he wanted to say. "I know I'm not hero material; I try not to disillusion myself with the idea that I could be one. Still, even if you can't help me, could you, maybe... save Kagome?"

"In all of our talking, neither of you have mentioned just who you both need saving from."

Kagome clenched her fists at her side, feeling Tenko's eyes on her, to let her take over from here. "His name is Takeshi Shigaraki. To explain, I would need for you to understand some things first. Call them footnotes. The first, I was born over a hundred years ago."

"Wait, what-"

"Let me finish," she held her hand up, stopping Shouta, whose eyes had become comically larger than they normally were. While she would love to tease him, she understood that now wasn't the time. "I told you that my situation had me involved with circles that cast a rather poor light on me, and I'm fine with that. However, there are those who I fear in that circle. One such man, Takeshi Shigaraki, was the older brother of Yoichi Shigaraki. Opposites when it came to their points of view. Where Takeshi wants to collapse the world's economy and destroy essential resources, follow that up with using his Quirks to create new resources, ultimately forcing everyone in the world to obey and rely on him..."

Pushing away from the arm of the chair, she stepped over to the window and glanced out. It was sunnier than earlier, and there were fewer clouds out now. Her eyes caught her reflection; she looked a hot mess, but what could she do? "Yoichi only wished for peace." Spinning around and leaning back against the windowsill. "He was held prisoner by Takeshi in their own home, and I was brought in to keep him healthy and alive, but Yoichi had an illness my quirk couldn't help...at the time. Takeshi was enraged; there was a fight, he tried to take my quirk but failed, and I was knocked unconscious. During that time, he'd forced a quirk on his brother. A stockpile quirk for his otherwise quirkless younger brother. Only, he wasn't quirkless. He had a quirk that allowed him to pass on his quirk to someone else. Alone, it was pretty useless, but with the stockpile quirk, it became something else, evolving with every successor of his quirk. In his final moments, as he'd faced off against Takeshi, he passed his quirk on to the leader of the AFO resistance, and from there, it was passed onto the second leader when he died. Then it kept going, evolving, and taking on characteristics of each of its predecessors. Today still, what is called One for All, continues to grow stronger with its current host in hopes that one day Takeshi, or...All for One will fall. After Takeshi killed Yoichi, I tried many times to kill myself but was often stopped by Takeshi. I thought nothing could be worse than being forced to stay by this man's side, day in and day out, like a caged bird. I got pretty close once..."

Shouta was standing now, walking away from the group and then moving back to them. He leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest as he stared down in thought. In anger. He looked so mad.

"I passed out, covered in blood, snow falling around me. That was so long ago; it sometimes feels like a dream than a reality. However, it did happen, and because of that, Takeshi forced another quirk on me. Omni-Healing is a pretty badass healing quirk that's O.P. and would have been better in someone a bit more proactive...but no, it's with me, keeping me breathing, young, strong, healthy, healing my injuries faster than I can make them. He's made me his pet for life. That's... what I thought." Her eyes trailed to Tenko, "I first met Tenko when he was seven, and I had tried to temper my heart and mind to what was happening around me. How many times I'd tried to save someone only to watch Takeshi kill them in the end. I thought his odds of survival were greater if I kept my head down and eyes south of what was happening. But I hated it. I hate not being able to do something! How is this man still alive and causing so much trouble and damage, and no one has brought him down!? I doubt anyone could, though. His quirks are never-ending. He can steel quirks and give them at his leisure. Yet, I still dared to hope that I could do something for Tenko. It wasn't long ago that I met Shouta...and at first, I had no illusions that he might be able to save us. ...I'm not sure when I started to think that... maybe he could help. Maybe...we could save Tenko from what Takeshi had planned for him."

"What exactly was Takeshi's plan for Tenko?"

"I only heard the old doctor talk in riddles about his plans. I guess it all comes down to training him up to become the next super villain in Takeshi's place...and then taking over his body for himself. Mind transfer, if you will. I knew he planned to keep Tenko as his successor and hand down All for One to him, but I'm pretty sure that's only a part of his plans. Taking over his body would give him a fresh start and open a few more doors than previously granted. That's why...Tenko needs to be protected until Takeshi can be brought down."

"You said Tenko, what about you?"

"...I don't want to leave Tenko alone, but I will do what is necessary to protect him."

It was silent for a few minutes, and finally, Nezu gave a small smile. "I think I can help you both. It might take a couple of weeks to get things put together, but for now, perhaps one of my teachers would be willing to open their doors to you while I get everything in order."

"Naturally," Shouta muttered.

"I-"

"No, no," Nezu held a hand up to stop Kagome from arguing. "I would suggest packing your bags for a sleepover, of sorts, and then tomorrow, I'll send someone to move your items into a storage unit until you can properly move. Now...I had one more inquiry before I leave."

"That," Kagome was in a daze, but she shook her head and forced herself to focus on the rat, "what's the question?"

"...who is the little one?"

Me: Here is chapter four! I hope you all enjoy this chapter, I had to rewrite it about three times and each time ended up more different than the last.