Chapter 3: Care.

"So that's what happened." Naminé didn't dare to look up at the blond boy sitting on a piece of machinery, knowing his eyes were on her.

She felt the tiny hand holding hers squeezing, a feeling of empathy arising alongside a memory. Naminé pulled back before she could truly see it.

The small hand grabbed hers again. Risking a glance showed ruby-red eyes looking up at her with understanding.

Eri scooted closer and leaned on Naminé's side, trying to provide the older girl some comfort with her presence.

"Who would do something like that?" Olette, the third occupant of the worn and cramped couch, watched the silent and scared girl her friend apparently rescued receiving moral support from the youngest of their group.

"I don't know. But if he tries something…" Izuku trailed off. Now perched on a piece of the town's infrastructure himself. His grip on a pipe coming out of the machine was so strong the poor piece of metal groaned under the strain.

"We'll be on the lookout for the guy." Pence placated his incensed friend or tried to at least. "But more important than that… What now?"

Naminé felt all eyes on her, and she shrunk under their gazes. Every time she had eyes on her, it didn't end well.

"I have a plan." Izuku pushed away from his perch and landed next to Naminé. She calmed down a little, feeling him close.

A funny smell hit her nose, the same one the lightning that covered him early had. She didn't like the smell of lightning before, but now it only brought the memory of the viridescent arcs to her mind.

Better than the yellow ones. And the memories of pain.

"When you say a plan…" The blond boy also stood and Naminé leaned closer to Izuku, grasping Eri's hand a little tighter.

"I mean half an idea that someone could consider a plan if they squint and tilt their head a bit." Naminé thought that wasn't a good start of a plan. She kept quiet though.

No need to say things other people didn't want to hear.

Surprisingly, the blond teen thought the same, "That's a pretty crap way to start a plan, but go on."

Naminé risked a look, seeing the blond with his arms crossed and staring at Izuku with a blank face. She saw how his eye twitched, almost landing on her before he forced them back.

He was avoiding her. No. He was…giving her space? Naminé's eyes darted to the other teens, and she saw they all had put their focus on Izuku and were giving her more room while keeping Naminé on the edge of their sights.

The only one who did differently was Eri, who was half draped on Naminé's side and still holding her hand.

Izuku clapped softly, getting Naminé's attention but not startling her, "Who do we know that has the room for one more person?"

"Clive?"

"Who else?"

"... You're kidding."

"Who we also know can handle things if a fight breaks out?"

"Oh crap, you're serious."

"Hayner, let's be honest here, we don't have any other options." Izuku started to list on his fingers, "You guys' parents won't just take her in without asking questions. Even if I asked for Clive to let her stay in his house, that would put him and the others in danger."

"And what about you?!"

Pencer supported Hayner on that one, "And what about Eri? She'll be in danger too."

"It's fine." Eri was the one answer, making the teens stumble on their train of thought. "If the bad man comes… I know Izuku won't let him hurt anyone."

Naminé felt another flash of memory, something was boiling under the surface that Eri purposefully was keeping from breaking through. Unlike Izuku, she didn't drown it, but she also kept it back. Hidden.

Those red eyes fluttered to Izuku before looking away again. She knew something…

Stop. Naminé pushed questions and inquiries away, distancing her mind from the intrusive thoughts. No one would answer. She didn't need to know.

It was already too much that they wanted to help her. "I can stay somewhere else."

Her voice startled everybody. It was the first she spoke since the others showed up, proof of how raggard her voice sounded.

"No."

She turned to Izuku, seeing his right hand balled. "You have nowhere else to go because you're never going to that mansion again. Sorry, but you're staying with us until…"

"Until?"

Izuku shot Hayner a glare, "I don't know, okay! We need a long-term solution, yes, but while we don't have one this is the best I can come up with!"

"Woah, woah! Okay, I get that, but you can't just go through with this half-baked." Hayner glanced at his other friends, the three of them shared the same quiet resolve. "I'll grab some old stuff from my place, blankets, pillows, towels, the works."

"I have some clothes that should fit you, they're not brand new but they should do." Olette nodded to herself, also determined to help.

"The guy in the grocery store owes me a favor, I'll tell him you're housing one more person and ask for a discount when you buy there." Everybody shot Pence weird looks at that. The portly boy put his hand up and shook his head, "Don't ask."

"Now I really wanna ask."

"No, you don't. Either way, that should keep you afloat for a while."

With all of them helping, Izuku shouldn't feel the strain on his savings. That was great, as taking care of another person would be hard even for an adult, imagine a teen who had no steady job or fount of income.

Naminé glanced at Izuku just in time to see him strangle another memory until every trace of it vanished from his mind.

No. Don't ask, just like Pence said.

She really wanted to though, just like Izuku said.

"So it's settled!"

—

Naminé didn't know people could live above shops. Izuku brought Eri and her to his house after the discussion on the group's little hideout, showing Naminé the way to get to it was by going to a side door on a hardware shop, where a flight of stairs brought them to a second floor. The space was not a part of the store but a small apartment.

"Make yourself at home." He said after opening the door to her, the old slab of wood creaking along the hinges.

Still holding her hand, Eri pulled Naminé inside, "Come on in!"

It was honestly overwhelming, to see the house. Naminé realized it was minuscule compared to the mansion, but…

It was a real home.

From the small living room with the loveseat and armchair with a coffee table in the middle. The kitchen was separated from it by a counter. The ajar door led to the bedroom. The bathroom door had a homemade sign saying 'Occupied, please wait.'

It all made the place feel loved.

"It's not much, but we can make it work." Izuku passed them and went to the kitchen, planning on making them some tea. "I was planning on getting a TV, but another bed shouldn't be too out of its price range. Oh, and with the things the guys will lend us you should be fine for a while."

"What about toiletries?" Eri asked Izuku, making the boy stop his movements to do some quick mental math.

"I still have an extra toothbrush inside the box. And we share the paste already so one more isn't a problem." It shouldn't at least. "Do you think you'll need anything else- Naminé?"

She froze again. Going from having nothing to suddenly having so much overwhelmed Naminé.

How did people keep track of so many things? Where would she put them? What if she broke something by accident?! What if-

A pair of arms circled her. Eri stood on the very tip of her toes to hug Naminé's midriff. "It's okay. If it's too much, we can stop and wait until it isn't anymore."

It stopped being too much with time? That's how people got used to things? Okay, she could try. Naminé stood stockstill for a minute, and another, and another one. After a while, her chest stopped hurting and her breath normalized.

Her hands were still shaking and her forehead was still sweaty, but it was better already.

Partly because Eri was still holding her. Did it also help? Maybe she could try too. Deciding that she would, Naminé slowly returned the hug.

Eri looked up and smiled, "It's okay."

Izuku, who was halfway to jumping over the counter, dropped back to the floor and sighed in relief. He was glad Eri-

Could empathize-

…Was so good at calming distressed people. Maybe she would have a future as a doctor or a therapist

After making sure Naminé was all better, the little unicorn brought the older girl to the loveseat. "Let's sit down. I can show you my drawings! Do you wanna see?"

She did. Naminé never saw another person's art before, and that made her want to see how different it was from her own.

Was curiosity a feeling? Was it fake too? But… Did it change anything if it was?

"Yes." Naminé's answer made Eri smile, was that the right answer then?

While she questioned her actions, Eri brought from the bedroom a bunch of sketchbooks and crayons.

From behind the kitchen counter, Izuku watched with a smile as Naminé and Eri chatted about their art, and then started drawing. He quietly stepped closer and put down the cups filled with steaming tea.

The soft click of porcelain made Naminé look up from the page she had been sketching the start of a scene through the last few minutes. Izuku smiled at her and sat on the armchair, giving space to the two girls who were on the floor by the table.

Naminé once again had a sensation she couldn't identify. The rug under her, the warm but not hot temperature, and the people beside her. She felt… Comfortable? At peace? Naminé couldn't put a word to it, but maybe it wasn't truly a feeling. Would that make it true then?

Her hands moved to hold the cup, feeling the warmth. It was steaming. Was it okay to drink something that hot?

Her answer came in the form of Eri loudly blowing on her own tea. A glance at Izuku showed he was doing the same, just quietly. Taking a page from his book, she brought the drink closer to her lips and blew on it.

Just that was enough for the rich smell to hit her nose. It was… Not only different, but good. It smelled good, like flowers but not quite.

Izuku and Eri chuckled at how Naminé closed her eyes and breathed in the fragrance of her tea as if it was a profound experience that entranced her. That broke the blonde from her reverie, making her focus back on what she was doing.

Testing the waters first, she poked the tip of her tongue and tried out the tea. She barely registered the taste, but the heat was now manageable so Naminé took a proper sip.

It tasted… Huh. It tasted. She hadn't had anything besides water to drink before, so actually tasting a liquid was a first. And it tasted good, a little sweet, and refreshing, and it clung to her tongue even after she swallowed the tea.

"Do you like it?"

"I… I do." Naminé once more had to take a minute to let the concept settle. She liked something she got to drink. It was given to her, no strings attached. It was the first time she experienced something completely new and fully enjoyed it.

All that was a lot. But more than that, the thought of being able to go through such a thing thanks to another person was… Naminé also couldn't name it.

"Thank you."

"No need to thank me. I wouldn't be a proper host if I didn't show you hospitality, right?" Izuku grinned at her, making Naminé open a small smile herself. "And you'll be living with us from now on, so that's doubly so."

"Yeah, we have to show you're welcomed to your new home! That's a big part of moving somewhere else." Eri nodded at herself, glad Jil taught her that too. She got up and made her way to Naminé, "Welcome home."

Now that she was sitting on the floor, Eri's hug went over her shoulders and around her neck. It wasn't like the ones she had given before, but it had the same something Naminé didn't know how to call that made her warm inside.

"I'm… I'm home."

—

"You got everything?" Naminé nodded to Izuku, showing the towel and clothes in her hands.

The gang had stopped by to drop off the items they promised. They chatted for a while, but not long after the others had to leave. It was getting late and they all wanted to rest after a day with high emotions like the one they had.

Izuku and Eri were no different, with the first telling the little girl to take a bath while he put together their dinner.

That led to the extremely awkward conversation of how Naminé didn't have a proper opportunity to clean herself fully in… ever, really. So that's why she was now in the bathroom with Izuku explaining how the tub worked.

"That tab has hot water, the other one is cold. You have to control how much water each gets in the tub until the temperature is good." He hit the side of the hot water one, "This one is kinda stuck, so knock on the side to loosen it before trying to open it."

"Okay?" Was it supposed to be like that? Naminé's only experience with taking care of her hygiene was washing her face and hands, so she had no base to comment. Maybe it was just something that tub in particular did.

"There's soap and shampoo on there." He pointed at a little sack tied to a nail on the wall. "Just remember to put it back after you use it."

"Okay."

"Then, well, I think that's it." He gave her a last nod before turning away. "I'll leave you to it."

The sigh of his back, of him walking away, sent a white-hot stab of panic through her. Naminé only realized she had snatched the back of his jacket in a death grip.

"Woah! Hey, what's wrong?"

What was wrong? Naminé couldn't figure out what made her short of breath and unable to speak, she only knew she was scared. Fear was something she knew well.

Was it fake too? Probably. Still, it helped her stay alive.

Izuku slowly took her hand in his and gently pried her finger open. Now free, he faced her properly and asked again, "What's wrong?"

"I-I… I don't- I-"

"Hey, hey. It's okay. Take a deep breath. I'm here. Everything will be okay. I am here."

The blaze of a memory that was harshly and brutally snuffed shocked Naminé out of her panic attack. Or the start of one at least. Her chest hurt. Her blood pumping was too loud in her ears. Her hands were shaking and sweaty, but Izuku still held them gently.

"I don't want to be alone anymore."

Izuku's eyes softened even more, "You're not alone. I'm here. Eri too. And the others also will have your back." He gave her hand a soft squeeze, trying to reassure her not only with words.

The contact helped. Naminé was still scared it was all a dream, but she couldn't refuse their kindness. Not after so long not receiving any.

"Okay."

"Okay. Remember, you're home now. You're safe here, I promise."

That was the second promise someone made to her. Maybe… Maybe Naminé could believe it too.

"Okay." She let go. Izuku watched her for a moment longer before leaving with a last smile sent her way.

The door clicked and she could swear the air was sucked out of the room. Struggling to keep her breath steady, she went for the bathtub. Her hand had to clutch to the tub's edges to keep her steady.

She wasn't alone. She wasn't alone. She wasn't alone. Please, tell her she wasn't alone.

As if her wish was granted, a loud thud sounded from the living room followed by Izuku shouting "Eri! What did I say about leaving your crayons on the floor!"

Her loud response of "Sorry! Are you okay?" came and Naminé finally was able to breathe again.

They were there. They were fine. Not counting Izuku's probable fall thanks to a sneaky crayon.

Before whatever it was that squeezed her lungs and made her chest ache come back, Naminé opened the tabs and left the tub slowly filling. She got out of her dress and put her sandals aside, noticing they had their soles scuffed.

Did that happen when Izuku faced DiZ? His attack destroyed the mansion's entry hall almost completely so it wouldn't be a surprise if the upturned floor caused some damage to her flimsy footwear. He was so strong, and fast, and bright.

Why? Why was he like that? Why could he do something like that?

No. No questions. Questions only made people angry at those who asked them.

The hot water tab made a funny noise, thankfully alerting Naminé that the bathtub was full. She stopped the streams and hopped in.

It was so good. The water was warm and nice, and the porcelain wasn't hard against her skin. Was that why people took baths? If they all were like that then she would find any excuse to have one, even if she wasn't dirty.

The noise from outside stopped, making the suffocating pressure come back. That made Naminé scramble to clean herself and get back out. The sack was at arm's length, so she put her hand inside and pulled out a… rubber duck?

It was yellow, and the beak was orange, and it had big black and white eyes. Her hand clenched on reflex, making the duck let out a loud squeak.

Naminé was startled by the sound and dropped the toy, then watched in fascination as it floated on the water, calmly bobbing from side to side.

The drumming in her ears subsided little by little, the nice comfort of the water and the presence of something else along with her helped Naminé's nerves settle.

She brought her legs closer and hugged her knees, curling into a ball and maintaining her nose barely above the water, but not for long as she sunk further and got at the merry duck's eye level. Naminé let the air out from her nose, slowly blowing air bubbles and emptying her lungs. When they started to burn she leaned back and took a deep breath.

It stopped hurting.

Just like Eri said, waiting until it wasn't too much anymore was okay. So for a long moment, Naminé just sat on the tub, with a rubber duck as her only company, and waited until everything wasn't too much anymore.

It took a while, and the water got a little colder, but Naminé managed to be fine enough to move and take her bath properly. The soap made bubbles. The shampoo smelled nice. The duck remained by her side like a staunch guardian against the crushing loneliness.

Then she was done. The realization that she could go back to the others, even if they were just outside the door, gave Naminé a rush of energy. She toweled herself and put on the clothes Olette gave her, a blue shirt with white butterflies on the hem that reached past her waist and gray cotton pants that preserved some of the bath's warmth. She put on her sandals and prayed they wouldn't give out on her, then grabbed her things and rushed out.

That almost made her crash on Izuku, if he hadn't somehow caught her by the shoulders.

"Woah! You okay? Why the rush, something happened?"

Naminé looked into his eyes, then to the bathroom, and back, "I found the rubber duck." She didn't know why that was the first thing she said. Maybe the duck deserved recognition for helping her.

Izuku blinked once, twice, "You like rubber ducks?"

Did she? No. Yes. It was fake. She didn't want to be alone. Naminé nodded.

"Well, it's Eri's, but I think she'll be fine with you using it too."

As if to prove his point, the Unicorn poked her head out of the bedroom, "Admiral Quack is always happy to make new friends!"

Izuku let her go and stifled a laugh, "See?" He gave her a look, something she couldn't name passing through his eyes, "If you want something, just tell me. Even if it's silly or hard." He patted his chest, "My specialty is making silly plans happen and getting through hard situations, so I'll make things work out."

Why did he care so much-? Oh, that's right. Izuku was a hero… Her hero.

—

It was dark now. The town had quieted down until it seemed the world itself was asleep.

That meant they should go to sleep too, or at least that was what Naminé got from context clues. She made herself comfortable in the loveseat, which was a great improvement compared to her room's chairs. Or her old room, as Naminé didn't plan on returning to it.

It was still hard to accept she was free from the oppressive white walls.

"Hey, no falling asleep on the couch now." Izuku poked her shoulder, startling her slightly. "Sorry, 'didn't mean to scare you. Let's get you to bed, okay?"

"I have a bed?"

"Well, yesn't? I usually bunk up with Eri, but she's fine with sharing with you." He jabbed a thumb to the bedroom, "You two get the bed while I take my armchair." Izuku made a show of pulling a lever on the side and showing the backrest lowered to be more or less horizontal. "See? It's pretty cool."

"Yes." It was cool, Naminé didn't know armchairs could do that. "Are you sure, though? It's your bed, and I'm used to sleeping on chairs."

She said something wrong. Izuku took in a sharp breath through gritted teeth and his eyes turned steely. He was angry. "That guy didn't even give you a bed to sleep in?" The words were almost growled out.

Naminé lowered her eyes and shook her head. She hadn't watched his reaction but she saw Izuku's clenched hands.

Taking a deep breath, he moved closer and put a comforting hand on her shoulder, "It's fine, you're in a good place now. C'mon, let's get you tucked in."

Risking a glance up, she saw how he smiled. It made her chest ache but in… a good way.

Naminé experienced a lot of good things that day, and it looked like she would finish it by experiencing one more. Tucked in the bed alongside Eri, she got to enjoy the warm comforter, the soft bed, and the fluffy pillows, it was almost like they were lying on a cloud!

The bed was big enough for Naminé and Eri to be side by side with a little bit of space between them, but Eri didn't seem to mind. She actually scooted closer so their arms were touching.

It was nice.

"I'll be right outside, if you two need anything just call." Izuku reminded the two he was still there, having finished grabbing things from the wardrobe, a blanket and another pillow. His hands were clenched tight.

"Goodnight."

"Nighty-night."

"... Goodnight." For the first time, Naminé felt her night would truly be a good one.

—

She should have known better. Naminé awoke in a cold sweat, her hands clamped on the comforter and a cry almost leaving her lips. It died in her throat before she could awaken anyone.

Her insides hurt and she felt clammy and it was dark and-

"NO!" Eri woke with a yell, sitting ramrod and crying. It was the loud and messy type of crying.

Naminé lost the fight against the tears and started crying too. She should have known better than to hope for something good-

"Eri!" To say Izuku burst through the door wouldn't do it justice, the poor thing got cracked from the strength he used to throw it open. His eyes zeroed on them and he was by the bed in a blink.

"Hey, hey. It's okay. Everything is fine now. I'm here. Everything will be okay." He kept speaking reassurances again and again, slowly, gently bringing Eri into a hug and letting her cry on his chest.

They locked eyes, and Naminé also lost the battle against the sobs wrecking her frame.

He understood. He felt something hurting but couldn't name what couldn't know what it was. Like her.

He cared, that was why he opened one arm, beckoning her silently. Naminé copied Eri and crashed on him while crying with everything she had.

"It's going to be okay. I'm here." It hurt him to say that. It made them feel better to hear that. He hurt himself to make others feel better.

Why?

Everyone knew why. Because he cared.

—

The next time Naminé woke up, she experienced a whole lot of new things at once.

First, she was fine, great even, waking up. No nightmares, no pain, no severe discomfort, nothing. Nothing bad, at least. She had a lot of good things going on that would take a bit to parse through.

Second, she didn't remember falling asleep, but it was easy enough to guess how it happened. Eri was buried on her, glomping Naminé with arms and legs, looking so peaceful it was impossible to imagine she had cried herself to sleep the night before. They were also both being held by Izuku, who must also have fallen asleep at some point and was under the two of them in a position that looked like the definition of uncomfortable. Even then, his face was the picture of serenity.

It was still kinda dark, so Naminé woke early. That was okay, she didn't like sleeping very much.

Now that she got her bearings, it was time to figure out what to make of all that.

Would it even matter, if it all was fake? But again, it wouldn't hurt anyone… Some white lies were fine as long as no one got worse for it, right? Would it be so bad to play pretend, even if for a little bit?

No. No, it wouldn't. Naminé deserved at least that much.

So she felt. Felt like people with a heart did. It was a lie, but it was hers.

How did she feel about waking up in a pile with Eri and Izuku, all bundled together? It was warm, with their body heat making up for the discarded comforter. And it was soft, Eri had baby fat that made her nice to hug, and Izuku was sturdy but his muscles weren't hard with him relaxed like that. And it was safe because they were all together and the nightmares kept away from their bundle of comfort.

Strength in numbers seemed to apply to everything, Naminé realized that now that there were people she could count on. It was nice knowing it.

There was just one last thing she wanted to figure out. Why was the coarse sensation rubbing against her arm? Finding the source, she saw Izuku's fingers. She traced them with the tip of her own finger.

The fingers of his right hand were a little croaked, and discolored compared to his other hand, and there were a bunch of scars marking them.

Each scar had a memory carved bone deep into it. Naminé almost reached out to them but pulled away at the last second. She had good things now, there was no need to lose them by pushing her luck.

Eri rubbed her head on Naminé's shirt, which caused a slight stab of pain where her horn poked her. Curiosity picked, Naminé switched to tracing the horn's form.

It was a pale yellow color that Naminé liked, and smooth. Not smooth like porcelain, but also not like teeth. Was that what bones felt like? Was it even a bone?

It also had many memories etched on the almost imperceptible segment lines. They were tightly held by lock and key, hidden away to not get in the way of anyone. Naminé could relate, so she left them alone.

It still was nice, so she kept alternating between Eri's horn and Izuku's scars. Those sensations were new to her, and the feelings… What feelings did she have over them?

She liked it. Happiness? Some curiosity. Appreciation, maybe.

Feelings were complicated.

Naminé just decided that she felt good things about it and left it at that.

—

Izuku was slowly being roused back to consciousness by a gentle touch on his scars. They felt warmer.

Something was writhing under them, wriggling and crawling and digging-

The alarm clock rang, the tiny hammer smashing frantically against the metal plates and making an awful sound that could wake even the dead. Izuku jolted, starting to move before having fully awakened. He threw himself to the edge of the bed and reached out to slap the button and shut up the infernal ringing.

Before he could relax, gravity reminded the boy it indeed existed.

"Woah!" Izuku slipped from the edge, dragging his unfortunate passengers with him to crash on the floor. The three yelped and cried out and ended up in a pile on the ground.

"Ouch."

"Why did you do that?! It's Saturday!" Eri grumbled and tried to bury herself in Naminé, not feeling like waking up still.

Izuku opened to answer how-

They always had school on Saturday in Ja-

He messed up and forgot when he noticed a third person was composing the pile. Glancing at Naminé, who was squished against his side, Izuku went red on the cheeks and chuckled awkwardly, "Sorry."

"What for?"

"I think I fell asleep."

"We did too. It was nice."

"It was?"

Naminé nodded, a smile on her face. Has Izuku ever seen her smile? He liked it. She should have more reasons to smile.

"It was the best night of sleep I ever had."

"I feel like that's not a tall bar to climb."

"Maybe, but I'm still happy you did."

Izuku laughed, a startled and genuine thing that made his chest light and his scars warm. It was great, knowing other people appreciated how he cared.

Eri glanced at Izuku and smiled, it was nice seeing him happy. "If we're not going back to sleep, can we get breakfast?"

"Pancakes?"

"Pancakes!"

They both turned their eyes to Naminé. The girl blinked, twice, then shrugged the best she could in her position, "Pancakes."

The boy rose to his feet, a grin on his face, and offered Naminé a hand, "Come on, it will only be a true welcome home when you have some homemade pancakes!"

"Home…" Naminé hugged Eri tightly, accepted Izuku's hand, and beamed, "I'm home."

Okay, so, a lot happened in this chapter. We have Naminé joining the gang, more or less. We have Admiral Quack, the greatest. We have unhealthy coping mechanisms. We have a lot going on.

Either way, things will get better, worse, and wonkier soon enough.

Also, of course, if you want to support me somehow, go to the infamous site that starts with P and search for Bola8. It's purely a tip jar, but it has helped me a lot, thanks to these wonderful people:

Guipa_, SilverZero90, CBN, Veonix, and kennine.

My most heartfelt thanks to you all!

Also, join the discord and join us in our bloody war against the evil gooses! (Remember to delete the spaces!)

discord . gg / stAGY4V