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

Little Bit was a whole situation right now. Somehow, Shouta had called in that he wouldn't be able to come in to do his shift on the suggestion of Nezu. That was around four when Nezu called for Hizashi to pick him and Tenko up. Hizashi was confused but didn't argue. Who knew heroes could call in sick. 'I guess it is a paid job now, still...why does it feel like someone just stripped away my rose-tinted lenses.' While Little Bit had spent most of his day with Kagome, Nezu, Tenko, and Shouta, silent as usual but seemingly happy as they gave him their attention, the second the clock turned eight, he was up and running out the door. He was scared of someone, but Kagome would get to the bottom of that soon enough.

"How did I get roped into this?"

"...Tenko will be okay with Nezu, right?"

Shouta nodded. Nezu had left with Hizashi and Tenko. The boy, of course, was starstruck when Hizashi showed up in his costume. He also had to call out because of Nezu, not that either of them would argue with their boss. "Of course. It's just for the week while you and I try and get Little Bit out of the orphanage. It shouldn't be too hard, right?"

"I've never adopted a child before. I wouldn't know."

"Same. What about Tenko, though?"

"I will take both of them in if I can." Stopping in front of a Sake Stall, Kagome took a seat on a stool and smiled at the stall owner lifted his head to acknowledge them but continued setting up. "I'm hesitant, you know? I think it's taken me too long to do something for him. Why should I be allowed to take him in? Besides, I couldn't begin to be a mother to him."

"You could," Shouta tapped the counter to get the owner's attention. Holding two fingers up, "you already are. He trusts you, Kagome. They both do."

"So much, so that Little Bit ran as soon as the sun started setting."

"He's scared."

"He shouldn't be," taking a small o-choko in hand, she turned and finished the drink in one go. Placing it down, she held her hand up and stopped the owner from refilling it, "Gita-san, right?"

"..." he placed the bottle down, "what do you want?"

"Information."

"On who?"

Good, Kagome thought. "Saitama Children's home, I'm looking to adopt." She smiled, "but the boy I'm looking to adopt seems to be scared of someone, so I asked around, and your name came up."

"Listen, lady. I don't know nothin' about the kids."

"Lavender hair? Purple eyes? About this tall," holding her hand out to indicate the child's height. She saw recognition in the man's eyes and smirked, "so you do know him."

Shouta finished his Sake and stood up, "we have no issues with an information broker, as long as that's all you are."

"...what do you got on me?" The stall owner laughed, "I know everything about everyone!"

"...including me?" Kagome asked curiously.

"I'm doubtful he's got anything on me," Shouta murmured, not worried at all. The only ones who had information on him were the fanboys obsessed with heroes and the few he worked with at U.A. and his Agency. Ah...and Kagome knew a bit about him. Nothing he'd ever find himself complaining about.

The man seemed to take the two in with a look of scrutiny. His eyes studied them with uncertainty, and finally, he shook his head. "You two aren't from Saitama."

"He's not; I am." Kagome smiled, "I've had a place here for almost twenty-five years," she watched him stammer, ready to argue how impossible that was. "I keep mostly to myself, but recently, something has made me step out to take care of a few problems. Now, could you help me?"

He looked at her carefully before reaching under his counter and pulling a pad out, "his name is Shinsou, Hitoshi. He's a good kid, quiet, and doesn't speak, but he can. Don't ask me why he doesn't. I'm not about bad mouthin' the boy." Ripping the paper from the pad, he slid it over to them, "Shiomata, Layla owns the home. If you walk in there with interest in the boy, she'll hide him. Not sure what it is with her keepin' him hidden, considerin' all she says about the kid." He shook his head, "pretty face, she's got a Charisma quirk and gets her way, always. Bad past that one, not a bad person, just jaded."

Kagome took the paper; the address scrawled neatly, and Little Bit's name was beneath it. 'Hitoshi...' she smiled, "thank you."

"You really gonna adopt the kid?"

She nodded, "yes, I am."

"Good, he's a good kid. Quiet kid..." he said sadly.

Something about the way the man spoke about the boy had Kagome wondering if he knew more about Hitoshi than he was willing to say. Judging by the contemplative look Shouta was giving Gita, he thought so too. Pulling her purse to her side, she stopped when he held a hand up and shook his head.

"On me,"

Tenko sat next to Nezu in the back seat of a car on his way to U.A. after being picked up by Present Mic. He knew that Shouta was a hero. He wasn't sure who he was, though, and maybe that's why he hadn't been quite as flustered meeting him. Since being picked up, Present Mic had been talking non-stop about U.A. and how he taught English there. Tenko could already read and speak English; Kirogiri had taught him. Not that he'd ever mention Kirogiri to them. He probably should...but... Kagome hadn't either. So there had to be a reason. Or he was reading too much into it, and she simply forgot. The latter didn't sound much like his cleric, but he wasn't going to make any wagers.

"So Tenko, tell me about yourself! I've talked so much; you must be tired of my voice, little listener!"

Tenko shook his head, "Kagome has a radio, and we listen to your show every Friday night before bed." He messed with the drawstrings of his new yellow hoodie. "Kagome said you were good friends with Shouta."

"I am! Rock on, little man!"

Blushing, Tenko ducked his head down, "Shouta seems really quiet, and you're so much more..." scratching at his neck, he tried to come up with a word that wouldn't sound rude. "Vocal?"

"Haha! I am that! Shouta has been my best friend since we were sixteen. We were in the same class in our second and third year of U.A. We may be different, but sometimes, different can attract different personalities. He tried to get through school without making friends, but that wasn't going to happen."

"...will I be able to make friends?"

"Of course you will! Little listener. I don't know the details of your situation, but I do know this. You be yourself, and you'll make friends that like you as you are, ya hear!?"

Laughing, Tenko nodded, "yeah."

"Oh, I have one stipulation to make that happen, little listener."

"A stipulation? What's that?"

"A requirement, to see to it that you make friends!"

Nezu looked curiously at Present Mic, and Tenko asked what the requirement was.

"During the exam, when I yell, can I get a "yeah!" I need you to respond as loud as you can! Same thing when I call out for a "Plus Ultra!" ya dig?!"

Shaking his, he was bubbling with laughter at the hand motions and expressions Present Mic made.

"Homey," Kagome muttered at the cobblestone orphanage with pink and yellow flowers along the perimeter of the building. Walking forward, she knocked on the door. Bringing her hands to the pockets of her new cardigan, she waited until the door swung open.

"Hello there!" The woman smiled, a charming look on her face as she glanced between them. "Can I help you?"

"Ah, we were looking to adopt. I know it's late, but..." Kagome bowed, "I apologize."

The woman laughed, "no, no, don't apologize, please come in! I'm Shiomata, Layla! I am the Matron of Chō o koete Children's Home. We were just about to sit down for a story!"

It was almost nine, so that made a little sense. Walking in with Shouta by her side, Kagome moved quietly behind the woman.

"May I ask your names?" Layla asked, holding onto the friendly disposition she'd met them with.

"My name is Kagome, and this is-"

"Her husband, Aizawa, Shouta. What are the age groups you have here?"

Kagome was flustered as he brushed off her look of surprise and buried one of his hands into her pocket with hers. 'Oh look, I may die after all. Never thought embarrassment would be a contender for my life.'

"As young as three, I'm afraid." Her eyes did look clouded with sorrow. Perhaps she cared some, but there was something misplaced in her acting. Perhaps it was the fact that she was indeed acting. "Our youngest is Chiharu, who's three, but she also is already in the process of adoption. Our young ones tend to go fast, you know?"

"We were looking to adopt a little boy, maybe around six years old. Give or take a year."

"So, a male, five, six, or seven?"

The way her tone shifted gave off the air of a businesswoman. Shouta tensed at the sound of her voice.

"I'll step out and gather those who fit that criterion. Please wait here."

Watching her leave, Kagome leaned into Shouta and lowered her voice, so it went mostly unheard. "Did I imagine that? The way her tone changed, did I say something weird?"

He shook his head, eyes shifting to the hallway for signs of movement, "it wasn't just you." He said nothing else as the sound of children could be heard. Moving out of their way as they all came barreling around the corner into the sitting room where Kagome and Shouta stood. All of them were around the same size, a few with physical quirks that gave them unique physical attributes. Others were less noticeable, and then a few were completely unnoticeable. Unlike Hitoshi, however, these kids appeared healthy, not quite so skinny and malnourished. No blemishes or bruises in sight.

"Well, that's never a good sign."

"I-I'm sorry?"

Layla smiled, "if someone caught your eye, you'd have said something or moved closer to them."

"Ah, I'm sorry."

Shouta sighed, "is there a restroom around? I'll leave Kagome here to get to know the kids, but-" he didn't finish his sentence.

Layla pointed down the hall, "if you take a left and follow the hall down, you'll see the restroom on the right. It's next to the storage room."

He gave a small nod, bending in to kiss Kagome on the cheek. He whispered, "keep her occupied."

Kagome frowned, "don't be too long. This will be a big change in our life, so we should do this together." Bringing her hands from her pockets and wringing them in her dress, she held his eyes with hers.

"Right, right,"

Layla watched him leave and smiled, "what a cute pair you both make. So tell me, how long have you been married?"

Flustered by the conversation, even if it was a lie, Kagome decided to embellish their current circumstance. "We married seven months ago. Would you believe it? Deciding to adopt so soon after being married?"

"What made you decide you wanted a child?"

Kagome got down on her knees, pulling her cardigan around her as she held her hands out invitingly to the children who looked curiously at her.

"I've always wanted children of my own. I can't conceive, though." Sort of true, sort of not. Because of her quirk, she could provide her body with its own defenses against pregnancy. She could also strip her body of those same defenses if she were to want to try for a child. Since her first time with Shouta, she'd been very careful of those defenses. Smiling as a couple of kids sat closer to her, bringing toys to share with her and play with her. They were precious, but none of them were Hitoshi, who she was here for. "What about you? Any kids?" She asked as the woman turned her attention down the hall, staring suspiciously in the direction Shouta had taken.

"I had a daughter..." she responded with a broken whisper. Clearing her throat, she looked down at Kagome before sitting on the ottoman, "she was about seven when the good Lord in all of his infinite wisdom took her home."

"I'm so sorry,"

Layla shook her head, still smiling, though her eyes looked more detached from the conversation than they did before. "She was sickly. Doctors couldn't help her, no matter their quirk or experience. Her father and I had been divorced for years before her death. This was just one more reason why I'd rather see the man rotting in hell. During one of the weeks he had her, she contracted something called Diphtheriae, which can be easily taken care of if noticed soon enough and action is taken to prevent further infection. However, her father wasn't home during the day, and sometimes he wouldn't come home at night, even when he had her. He was out, and it wasn't until the end of his week with her that he realized something was wrong with her, taking her to the doctor too late...he didn't even stick around. Left before he could be pinned with anything. My little girl died a few days after being brought to the hospital..."

By this point, Kagome was fighting back the tears as she tried not to let the story tear at her heartstrings.

"Your husband has been gone for a while,"

"He works nights, so he's taking his vitamins and probably downing an energy shot to keep himself awake. Give him a few minutes. He'll come back."

Layla nodded, "so, do any of these little ones interest you?"

"...they're all precious, I would take them home if I could, but I suppose that's not possible. How often do children get adopted from here?" She was holding a furry teddy one of the kids handed her. Most played together, and others watched her quietly.

Layla heaved a tired inhale of breath, "not as often as I wish they would."

"Kagome,"

Turning her head at the sound of Shouta's voice, she smiled at the sight of him carrying the familiar lavender-haired boy. "Who'd you find?"

"Ah, that's..." the woman seemed to hesitate, "his name is Hitoshi. I'll admit, I'm not very confident about letting anyone adopt him."

"May I ask why?" Shouta seemed bothered at the thought of the woman keeping the boy from finding a home. Kagome could understand the way he felt, though.

"It's his quirk."

Layla stood up and reached out to the boy, who moved quickly and easily into her arms.

Not what they were expecting. Shouta stepped over to Kagome and watched with interest. "What's wrong with his quirk?"

"Nothing," she carried Hitoshi to the ottoman and sat back down. "When Hitoshi came to me, he came with an accessory, more bruises than what he has now, and was skin and bones. If you could imagine him looking worse than he does right now. He came to me six months ago, and I've been working hard to get him to trust me. He eats better now, but the first few months were rough. He wouldn't accept anything from anyone. Now he sneaks snacks whenever he wants, and you won't catch me telling him no. Not now that he's eating so well." She smiled down at the boy, "he's still got a ways to go before he can be considered "healthy," but he's getting there, isn't that right, Hitoshi?"

The boy nodded, smiling as he brought his head down to her shoulder.

'So I saw the remnants of his life before he came here.'

"You said he came here with an accessory?"

A cold look found Layla's face, her eyes narrowing dangerously, "a muzzle."

"What?" Horrorstricken, Kagome couldn't fathom why anyone would muzzle this child. "Why would someone-"

"His quirk, it's called Brainwash, but I've always been a bit more partial to calling it "Persuasion." When he came here, it wasn't because he'd lost his parents; it was because they were afraid of him. They wouldn't let him speak a word. If he did, they placed the muzzle on him. These people brought him with the muzzle on, told me his name, his quirk, and that I could keep the muzzle for whoever wanted him. Since then, that disgusting thing has been boxed away, out of sight, out of mind, and far, far away from Hitoshi. I've had a few people come in here asking specifically for him. Be it they see him out on the streets, or they've heard about his quirk from those horrible people...I would never let them near him, though. Never."

Kagome took a deep breath, "I owe you an apology," Kagome reached a hand up to Hitoshi, who latched onto it just as quickly as he'd come to accept Layla's arms around him. "I've seen Hitoshi a few times. We ate ramen together about a week ago when I took care of an incident involving him and the owner of the supermarket downtown. Then he spent most of the day with me, Shouta, and my son, Tenko. For the most part, playing together, we got to know one another, but we still weren't sure who he was or where to go to find him. That's when a woman told us about Gita, and Gita led us to you. We want to adopt Hitoshi, but I also understand how precious he's come to be to you. When I first met him, I didn't know his name. He never spoke, so I've been calling him Little Bit. I was worried because of his bruises and how small and malnourished he appeared, but I can see that I had nothing to worry about. You've been working hard to help him."

She nodded, "I thought you might be here for him when you gave me your criteria,"

Shouta cleared his throat, "we are still interested, his quirk aside. Kagome has become very attached to the boy, so whatever we need to do to pass whatever tests you have, give us a chance."

"You've been married for seven months, and you want a son...you want Hitoshi, here. Hitoshi," she placed the boy down, "I would never let someone you didn't feel safe with take you away. Do you understand?"

He nodded his head, hand holding her blouse as he looked at her.

"Then, if you feel safe with these people- if you think they could take care of you, and be there for you, when you need them and when you don't...show me."

He seemed to think about her words carefully before letting his hand fall away from her top and moving towards Kagome, who was still on the ground. He moved into her arms and curled up on her lap. His head tucked into her shoulder, eyes closed... he was safe. Kagome was safe.

Kagome smiled down at him, bringing her arms up and around him as she held him close. "I will do whatever I can to ensure he grows up happy, healthy, and safe."

"A challenge that will be, but I'm sure you'll make it work. Right," she stood up and clapped her hands together. The first, truly genuine smile found her eyes, and she waved a hand to an office behind them, "please, there is a lot of paperwork. I will need to have a service worker swing by and check on your house first, and of course, we will need proof of-"

She hated leaving him back at the orphanage, but at least she knew that Layla was nothing like she'd thought. The woman wasn't bad, just jaded. That's what Gita had told them. He was right. He didn't seem much like an informant or gossip, but more like someone who just looked out for people. He did know things but only used the information to keep people safe. In Kagome's head, that's how it was, but she didn't know the man well enough to make that assumption.

"So,"

Kagome looked at Shouta. He was walking beside her with his hands buried in his hair, arms crossed back behind his head. "So."

"How do you plan on convincing a social worker that you and I have been married for seven months?"

"Why do I have to be the one to convince them!?"

Raising a brow, he stopped and looked down at her. It was dark outside, no one could see them, and honestly, without the streetlights, he would have had trouble seeing more than her blue eyes. Stepping towards her, he smirked down at Kagome when she took a subtle step back; this happened as far as the curb when she stumbled. His hand was wrapped around her waist before she could fall. Leaning down, his lips were barely touching hers as he pulled her closer to him. This shy version of Kagome was something he wasn't used to. Shouta found himself feeling much like a predator with his prey. "Move in with me,"

"...what?"

"I'm not saying marry me," he sighed, straightening up with her still held in his arms. "I hardly know you well enough to ask you something like that. I'm asking you to move in with me. We can both take care of Tenko and Hitoshi that way. I-"

Kagome leaned in, brushing her lips against his as he tried to give her sound reasons why she should move in with him. She didn't need any. She would never have said 'no.' The fact that he now knew almost all of her story and still wanted her around... she was honestly shocked. Kagome leaned back and brought a hand to his face, "my age isn't a problem?"

He smirked, "I must have a thing for older women."

Whatever the plan, they would figure it out together. Tonight, tomorrow, and the future that would belong to Tenko and Hitoshi. They would figure it out as it happened.

-THREE-DAYS-LATER-

Kagome brushed her hair from her eyes. She felt so gross.

"Hey now, no breaks!"

Laughing, she waved Shouta off as he came back to grab another box. They were in the process of packing and moving. This was going so fast, and while she had no idea where they were moving to, Shouta swore he had everything under control. Something about putting his friends to work. Again, Kagome didn't know what to expect, but she knew Hizashi would be involved. "I heard from Nezu that Tenko was spending the day with Hizashi,"

"He's a pretty big fan of Hizashi's."

"Yeah, we listen to his show before bed on Fridays." Kagome placed more clothes in boxes as Shouta worked on another box of books. "Then I spoke with Layla too, explaining that we were in the middle of moving. She wants me to call her when we get to our new place; that way, she can tell the social worker."

"We can do that," Shouta picked up a book and looked it over, "you know, you can tell a lot about a person by the contents of their bookshelf."

"I don't think that's how the saying goes." She glanced over, and her heart skipped a beat at the painful memory the book he held called forth. "So? What secrets have my bookcase been whispering to you?" Folding another shirt, the pattern back to back, she filled a box with clothes.

"You had a child... this was a long time ago?"

"Hundreds of years ago, before Takeshi was around. That's," she took a breath and released it in a shudder, "a story for another day?"

"Sure," he placed the book down in the box carefully. An old relic, like all the others. This one was filled with pages upon pages of childish drawings of friends, family, demons, and creatures one wouldn't have been able to create with the most magnificent imagination. A beat passed, and Kagome's phone buzzed from next to Shouta. He reached over and picked it up. Not looking at it, he held it out to Kagome.

"Thanks," reading the message, Kagome cringed and closed her eyes in thought. "I need to run out. Will you be okay for a couple of hours?"

"I'm fine, but what's going on?"

She contemplated for a moment whether or not she should say anything, finally making her mind up. "I'm going to make a quick run to Yokohama City."

"A quick run...you know that's almost an hour and a half away, right?" She nodded, swyping her fingers over her screen. "I'll be back, I promise." A portal opened behind her, and she stepped inside, but not before glancing one last time over her shoulder. A silent prayer in her eyes as she vanished from his sight.

"Thank you," stepping out of the portal and beside Kurogiri; she looked the man over. "He hasn't lashed out at you, has he?"

"No, the Master has been preoccupied as of late,"

"That's never good." Kagome narrowed her eyes, "has he asked about Tomura?"

"...a few times, but then he stopped a couple of days ago."

Kagome considered this. It was dangerous going into a meeting with Takeshi without any answers. "Has he said anything different from normal?"

"He has mentioned the current holder of One for All. I believe he's preparing to fight him."

"...All Might's not stupid enough to engage in a fight with Takeshi, not so soon after receiving One for All."

"Kagome, if I may be so bold, Master has sent out taunts. I'm certain All Might will retaliate to protect his predecessors' honor. Nana Shimura was all he had, from my understanding."

Not wrong. Nana was murdered a long while back by Takeshi. He'd been excited to finally catch up to the new user, only to find she'd already passed it on. Kagome had known, of course. She always did. "Where is he now? He's in the doctors' lab,"

Kagome really didn't want to go to the lab, "take me there."

Shouta wasn't doing well. He had packed all the books, clothes, and remaining bits and pieces here and there. The movers were helping him with the furniture and bookcases, and as he kept himself busy, he realized how worried he was.

"We've cleared out the rooms. Should we head to the new place?"

Shouta looked over his shoulder at the mover. It wasn't that he didn't want to leave, "go ahead. This is the key and the address. I need to wait til Kagome gets back. She shouldn't be much longer." He said it more to himself. Watching the mover take the key and the address he'd written down, he dropped down against the wall of her now empty bedroom. Staring at the bare wall that had divided her room from the living room, Shouta tried not to think about what was happening, where she was, or what she was doing. It didn't matter. He wanted her back where he knew she was safe, but the second she'd stepped through that strange portal, he just knew she wasn't.

His hand moved to his pocket at the familiar vibration, answering it. His voice was heavy with exhaustion.

"Shouta! You and Kagome still vibin!? Need any help?"

He slowly breathed in and exhaled, "I just finished packing and loading the truck up."

"You? Whoa, whoa! Making it sound like Kagome hasn't been there all day helping you? What's rockin? Is everything okay? Oh, relax, kiddo; I'll put Shouta on speaker. You there, Sho?"

He didn't want to deal with this right now, "I'm here,"

"Is Kagome there?"

Right to the punch. Shouta closed his eyes, ready to say something, when a familiar portal appeared, and Kagome was carried through by what looked like a man made up of the same portal-like stuff. Kagome was drenched in blood. "T-Tenko, let me call you and Hizashi back. Kagome is outside, so I'll call you when she returns."

"Auuugh, alright! Make sure you call us!"

"Will do," Shouta was already standing when he ended the call, moving to the kitchen with the man behind him. Kagome was laid out on the counter, and immediately, Shouta removed the shirt he was wearing to help clean the blood off of Kagome.

"Her injuries will heal quickly. I should have stepped in sooner."

"...who are you?" He asked even though he was focusing on cleaning the blood off Kagome. There were injuries, but as he cleared away the blood, he could see thin incisions closing with help from her quirk. Her body was recovering faster than he could clean her off.

"My name is Kurogiri."

He couldn't recall the name, certain that Kagome never mentioned this person. "You are..."

"I am Tomura's caregiver...usually..."

'Tomura...that's, that's Tenko. He's Tenko's caregiver? So he's directly involved with All for One.' Taking a careful breath, he turned the faucet off, seeing that Kagome would be okay. He took a moment to calm down and reassured himself that she would be fine. "What should I do? Are you a villain? You work alongside the man who did this to her, right?"

"...I can't deny that. As a hero, you are obligated to put me behind bars." Even as he said this, he made no move to leave.

"Does she have any clothes back where she was staying before? I don't want to bring her home like this."

"I will return with some clothes,"

He finished into a swirl of black mist. Shouta brought his hand to Kagome's face, "Hey, you're staining the counters." Saying this, he wanted her to respond. She didn't. "Kagome, come on; Tenko is expecting a phone call. You need to wake up." Leaning in, his forehead pressed against her shoulder as he listened to her breathe and waited for Kurogiri to return with clothes. Removing her shirt carefully, he wiped away everything that he could. Leaning away, he turned the water back on and returned to cleaning her; blood was still on her arms.

"I brought a few towels to help clean her, and I thought this would fit you?"

He would have jumped if not for the flutter of Kagome's eyes. "You're awake!"

"...I am?"

He choked back a laugh, "yeah, you are. How are you feeling? Can you sit up? Stand up? Do you need anything?"

"Relax, relax," sitting up with help from Shouta, she looked around nervously as if she was expecting to see All for One standing nearby. When she was sure he wasn't, she met Kurogiri's bowed head. "You're here too?"

"I apologize for not acting sooner."

"You couldn't. He was...blowing off steam. Telling him that Tomura wouldn't be coming back again was probably the worst possible thing I could have done."

"This coming from the same person who's told the Master to "sit on it and rotate"...I don't suppose you've managed to find a place to stay where he can't reach." Kurogiri stepped around Shouta, who watched the two talk and listened to them carefully.

"I regret nothing... well, that's not true. I regret many things, but not mouthing off to that asshat." Kagome moved to slide off the counter, grabbing a towel and pointing to her shower. "I'll be back, you two... don't kill each other."

"Understood." Kurogiri bowed as Kagome left to clean herself. Grabbing her clothes on her way.

Shouta washed his hands and dried them off before pulling on an old baggy band shirt. The words Remember the Urge scrawled across it in metal rock font. It was very clearly used as a nightshirt, even on him, based on how large it was. Shouta wiped the counters down, then double-checked for blood stains left behind. Satisfied that nothing was left behind, he forced himself to relax against the counter next to Kurogiri, who stood there silently waiting for Kagome.

It was nearly eight when Kagome and Shouta arrived at his apartment, where Tenko and Hizashi were waiting for them on the doorstep. Kagome had called after her shower and talked for a bit with Tenko. Then spoke with Kurogiri, who she'd asked to come with them.

"That would be unwise,"

Maybe she was sentimental, or maybe Kagome just wanted to save everyone the way she could back then. Things were much simpler when she traveled down a well and fought off evil demons with her friends. It wasn't so easily a topic to drop, either. Kagome had argued with him. Shouta stood back to watch as she fought with the always impassive villain. He kept mostly quiet, giving a word or two in defense of both arguments, which Kagome found both cute and frustrating. Mainly frustrating.

"If the end goal is to protect Tenko, then my being there would put him in danger."

Did she mention frustrating? How could she be expected to abandon someone when they so clearly cared about Tenko. In his own way, despite losing his memories of whatever life he had before the Doctor and Takeshi got ahold of him, he wasn't inherently bad. Kagome considered purging what made him a Nomu, but she knew better. She'd tried that with others, and it never ended well.

"I can be your eyes and ears. For Tomura, I am willing to do anything. He is my master, and I was made to serve him."

That conversation ended with Kurogiri vanishing in a swirl of black mist and Shouta hugging her from behind. She was a bit surprised that he'd let Kurogiri go, honestly. Glad that he did, her eyes had lingered a little longer on that vacant spot before turning in his arms and resting her head on his chest. That was then. This is now.

"Kagome!"

"Tenko! I heard you got the grand Present Mic tour. Hizashi's been taking you all over the place, right?"

"He showed me around U.A and then took me to his radio station too! He let me goof around inside for a bit, but nothing that went on-air." Taking Kagome's hand, he looked to the car, "where is Little Bit?"

"Little Bit is still at the orphanage. There's a lot that goes into adopting, and the first step for us is to make sure we have a place for you and Little Bit."

"Nezu-Sensei said we would be moving into the U.A. campus's faculty housing. Um...when it's done being built. Construction started almost the next morning; he's been working hard to get things going..." His head dropped, and Kagome sat down on the steps of the apartment complex. Hizashi watched the exchange from where he sat beside her, and Shouta kept an eye out for anything remotely close to suspicious around them.

"Where is your mind, Tenko?"

"Everyone's working so hard to help me, and I'm unable to do anything in return."

Kagome was so happy that he could voice his thoughts, considering everything that was going on. Normally, when things became chaotic, people tended to close up. Rather than getting in the way of those working hard, considering their problems minor compared to what was happening around them, they hid their problems. No, she wanted Tenko to talk openly with them if he felt something was wrong emotionally or mentally troubling. "What do you think would make you feel more included? Today was pretty boring on mine and Shouta's end. I didn't realize how many books I had until we loaded up the truck."

Tenko smiled, "Can I help set up the new place?"

Kagome looked at Shouta.

"That's a negative. The boxes should already be unloaded. As for unpacking, you and Kagome won't be participating in that. However... it's to my understanding that tomorrow you'll be spending the day with Nezu going over some studies and training that both of you will be participating in. I could be wrong," Shouta looked at Hizashi.

"You're not. I'll be busy all day tomorrow."

"Same."

It was Kagome's turn to pout. Tenko leaned against her as he consoled her. "It's not so bad, Kagome."

"So..." Hizashi smiled, "How does it feel to have everything packed and still not know where you're staying?"

It was different, Kagome thought with a small smile. Her head rested on Tenko's as she closed her eyes. "exhilarating. I've always had a place to go, but not knowing what's going to happen next is kind of...exciting?"

"That's good. Trust the process, and you'll get to see your new place by the end of this week. Oh...um, don't mind the apartment."

"Hm?"

Tenko laughed, "it's completely empty right now. Some movers came in and took everything. So everyone's sleeping on air mattresses!"

Me: Here is chapter 5 of Eternal Salvation. These chapters are kind of their own entity.