"Ugh, exams are so close!" I slumped down onto my desk, racking my brain to remember all my grades. "Why are you worried? You're top five!" Kirishima chuckled nervously while I glanced up at him. "What? Are your grades really that bad?" I quirked a brow teasingly, leaning over my desk so that my face was closer to his. He pushed my head away, shaking his own. "Let's just say that I probably should have studied a bit more."

"Well, we still have a couple days before the exams are actually scheduled to start... We should hang out and do some studying!"

"Really?!" Kirishima broke out into a toothy grin, quickly giving me a small peck on my forehead. I blushed furiously, practically hiding my face while he laughed at his antics.

The bell rung after a long day of classes, signaling that it was time to find Kiri. "Ready to go, Chi?" Someone grabbed my hand, their warm palms encasing my own. "Chi?!" I flushed a little at the unexpected nickname and Kirishima shyly chuckled. "Yeah... I kinda wanted to call you something that no one else does. I mean unless you don't like it because if so I'll stop-"

"No! I love it actually..." I shyly glanced away, relishing in the warmth that his words gave me. He flashed his iconic smile at me, squeezing my hand a bit, making my heart leap a little. We walked back to my apartment, mindless chatting about trivial manga plots and the gossip from our classes.

"Hey Chi-chan!" Our conversation was interrupted by an energetic voice as we walked into my apartment building. "Mimi-chan! I haven't seen you in forever!" I noticed the pretty receptionist, running up to her as she came out from behind the desk. After a tight embrace, she noticed Kiri hanging back awkwardly.

"Oh sorry, I didn't mean to keep you away from you... Company." She overtly emphasized the last word, causing both me and Kirishima to start blushing. "I'll see you later Chi-chan!" She waved teasingly as I rolled my eyes and left for the stairs.

"Sorry about that Kiri... Mimi-chan is, well, a lot." I looked over my shoulder to see him walking close behind me, shouldering both of our bags because he wouldn't let me carry my own. "I don't mind. In fact, I'm glad that we look like a couple! I don't want anyone else getting any ideas." He smirked a bit at the end of that sentence, his hand slipping down to the edge of my waist.

"Hey, watch it!" I stepped backwards on purpose, forcing him to jump around and regain his balance on the steps. He chuckled a bit as I began to run up the stairs. "Come back here!" I heard Kiri's clunky footsteps racing after me as I practically tripped over myself as I bounded up the stairs. I made it all the way to my door before Kirishima caught me; he wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me right against his chest.

"You're mine now!" I could feel his breath against my neck, the warmth making my skin tingle slightly. "Stop it Kiri!" I giggled, trying to reach the door, but he kept me right where I was. "I'll never let you go!" We began to fight each other playfully, laughing loudly, when one of the residents walked past us, clearing their throat.

Kirishima and I immediately let go of one another, blushing profusely. I fumbled around with the key, muttering angrily while Kirishima gently rubbed my shoulders. "Calm down Chi, it's not that big of a deal. It's not like we were doing anything wrong." I glanced back at my happy-go-lucky boyfriend with a sigh, my face burning. "You're right..." I finally unlocked the door with a huff. "But they should just mind their own business."

Kirishima heard my snippy retort and chuckled softly as we walked into my apartment. "I'm going to get changed in my room, you can use the guest bathroom if you want." I pointed vaguely in the direction of the restroom as he dropped our school bags near our shoes. "Got it!" Kirishima flashed a smile with a quick thumbs-up before we parted to change out of our uniforms.

I quickly took it off, switching into a baggy shirt that had All Might on it with a pair of shorts. I took out my pigtails and threw them into a pair of low double buns. After neatly folding my clothes, I headed back out to the living room, completely comfortable.

Kiri was already waiting for me, casually scrolling through his phone while laying on the couch. He had his bright red hair tied still spiked up, but there was a white bandanna wrapped around it. His shirt advertised a popular gym and he had paired it with a pair of cargo shorts. I walked up to the couch and tried to nuzzle my way in.

"You could just ask me to move over, you know." Kiri laughed as I managed to fit in between him and the couch. "Well it worked this way too." I smiled into his chest as I snuggled into him. He wrapped his arms around me, his head resting against the top of mine. I felt so safe and peaceful, like I could fall asleep at any given moment.

We cuddled for a bit longer, my breathing becoming slower and my eyelids becoming heavier. I could hear Kirishima's steady heartbeat, my body being warmed by his. "Mmm..." Kiri let out a little sigh, followed by some muttering that I couldn't make out.

"Is he asleep?!" I shifted carefully so that I didn't run the risk of waking him up, glancing up at his face. His eyes were closed, a sleepy grin plastered on his face in an endearingly stupid way. "Kiri?" I whispered, not really surprised when I didn't get a reply.

Instead, he just sighed again and hugged me tighter against him. "I'm going to be here for a while. I guess there are worse problems though..." I giggled softly and gave into the temptation of sleep after setting a timer on my phone; we still had to study after all.

When my eyelids fluttered open, it wasn't to the blaring noise of my ringtone. I was still curled up next to Kirishima on the couch, but my hair was completely undone. I felt fingers gently combing through it, softly petting my head. I rubbed my eyes, sitting up. Kirishima copied my movements so that we were both sitting on the couch normally.

"Morning sunshine." He pulled me close to him again, kissing the top of my head. "How'd you sleep?" I yawned a bit before looking up at him with a sleepy grin. "I slept great! What about you?"

"Best sleep that I've had in a long time." He smiled, getting up to stretch. I grabbed my phone, curious as to why the alarm hadn't gone off; someone had paused it. "Kiri, did you stop the timer?"

"Yeah, I didn't want it to wake you up,"

"Well that was kinda the point..."

"You looked so cute when you're asleep!" I almost dropped my phone at his words. Blush crept onto my cheeks as I quickly retreated into the bathroom. "Aww c'mon Chi! Come out from there!" I listened to Kiri bang against my locked door while I brushed my teeth to rid my mouth of any morning breath.

I dramatically opened the door, flashing a big smile. "Okie dokie, I'm back!" Kirishima immediately hugged me from behind, leaning on me to the point where I was about fall. "I missed you!" He rubbed his nose against the base of my neck, tickling me so I couldn't help but laugh. "I was only gone for a bit Kiri!"

"Too long!" He shouted before I lost my balance completely and we ended up on the ground in a fit of giggles. "You know that you came over to study, right?" I poked Kirishima in the nose while he groaned, hiding his face in his hands. "Don't remind me!" His reaction forced more laughter out of me when I heard a knock at the door.

"COME OPEN THIS DAMN DOOR!" I froze at the sound of that voice. I hadn't heard it in six years, but even after all this time, it never lost it's power. My father was standing right outside of my apartment, wanting me to let him in.

But everything in me told me not to.

"Chi-?" I pounced on top of Kirishima, firmly placing my hand over his mouth. "Kiri, whatever happens from this point on, you cannot leave this room. No matter what happens, don't try and leave this room and don't make a sound. I'm going to lock the door as I leave so you should be fine." He moved my hand from his mouth, scowling slightly. "Chi, is everything alright? You look like you're about to cry..."

I opened my mouth to respond, but closed it after I heard more aggressive banging. "Just... Just stay here. Please..." And with that, I steeled my nerves, leaving Kiri confused and alone in my bedroom. I pulled the door shut, giving my boyfriend one last smile before I left, locking it shut with the key in my pocket.

Each step toward the front door was traumatizing; I knew that I should keep it closed, locked tightly. I should be hiding away with Kiri right now. I should just pretend that he isn't here. But I also knew what he would do. What the monster would do.

"Hi dad!" I flung open the door with a bright smile to hide all my fears. A lean man with messy fawn hair was standing outside with a scowl on his face. The permanent stench of alcohol and cigarettes haunted my father ever since Mom died and it had only gotten worse over the years.

He pushed me aside to enter my apartment, his natural strength almost knocking me over. "Is someone else here?" He was staring straight at the two school bags that were near the front entrance. Ice ran through my veins as I tried to think up an excuse. "Oh no, one of my friends accidentally left theirs in the locker room today, so I just brought it home to make sure nothing got stolen inside. I'm bringing it to them tomorrow."

"Hmph." My father continued through the house without so much as a glance in my direction, but it was better this way. "Make me some tea." His voice snapped me from my thoughts and I quickly bowed. "Yes, of course." I ran into the kitchen, my hands shaking as I made the tea. I took several deep breaths, trying to calm my quaking nerves. "It's gonna be okay... Everything is going to be okay..." I whispered to myself, making sure that my voice wasn't audible to my father.

I walked out with the steaming cup, delicately placing it in front of my father who was sitting on the couch with the television on. "Anything else I can-" I was cut off by a sharp pain across my cheek that threw me to the ground. My father loomed over me, glaring down. "Don't speak without permission." He casually sat back down, taking a sloppy gulp of the tea.

I tenderly touched my face, wincing at the throbbing sting. "It's started... His Quirk his on." My father's Quirk was called Enhance. Basically it was a simple power-up Quirk that made the user both faster and stronger, by approximately twice their normal. Despite the lack of display, it was incredibly strong and helped him greatly in his sports career.

"Get up off the ground, girl." I scampered up at his command, keeping my eyes trained downward. "Are you still wasting your time with that whole hero dream?" The disdain in his voice was painfully obvious, but I didn't let any emotion show on my face. "Yes, I am."

My father let out a dry cackle. "What a waste! Heroes are nothing but meddlesome idiots who enjoy the attention. When have they ever actually benefited society? Most of the time they're posing for pictures instead of actually doing their jobs and saving people." I squeezed my hands into fists, my nails digging deep into my palms.

"You're wrong..." I mumbled too quietly for him to hear me over the T.V. "I'm actually embarrassed to have you for a daughter! How could you want to be what let your mother die?" My father laughed coldly and that's when I lost it.

"YOU'RE WRONG! HOW COULD YOU EVEN SAY THAT?! IF IT WEREN'T FOR HEROES HANA, HARU, AND I WOULD ALL BE DEAD! MAYBE IF YOU HAD LISTENED TO MOM THAT DAY! PAID ATTENTION TO SOMEONE OTHER THAN YOURSELF! THEN MAYBE SHE WOULD STILL BE ALIVE!" I didn't care about what was about to happen. Those words had to be said. I didn't care what my father did to me. But I would never let him hurt my family anymore.

I knew that my mom was a hero. So did Haru and Hana. Mom didn't die because of an assassination; she died protecting us from a villain. I still remember Hana screaming into her phone, begging our dad to come, but he had coldly denied us. If anything, their marriage was a just Quirk marriage, but that didn't stop Mom from trying to love him. She loved everyone...

Now I stood before my father, who looked at me for the first time since he got here. "You little piece of SHIT!" He shouted, grabbing the cup and throwing it at me. I barely dodged, flinching when it shattered against the wall. "YOU WORTHLESS GIRL! YOU REALLY THINK THAT YOU CAN TALK TO ME LIKE THAT?! YOU ARE NOTHING!"

He continued to lunge for me while I evaded his attacks. That is, until he grabbed a lamp that was on a side table and swung it fiercely. I got ready to guard, but he swung higher than I expected and it broke against my left temple. I let out a small cry of pain before falling to the ground. Sticky blood dripped from the side of my head while black and white spots interrupted my vision.

I tried to regain my breath when I felt a swift kick to my stomach. "Ah!" I curled into a ball after retching up whatever I had for lunch. "Stupid child. I hope you know that I never loved you or anyone in this damn family." His words somehow pierced the ringing in my ears. "It was all a setup, a Quirk marriage. The whole point is to make kids. There was nothing that said I had to love them or the person I was making them with." My father let out a sigh, smirking as he looked at my pitiful state. "Although, I must admit, this is kinda fun, huh? A little father-daughter bonding experience."

"I should have used my Quirk. How can I possibly be so helpless?"

I waited in agony as another kick flew my way, but it was interrupted by a loud crash. "Chiho!" I heard my name yelled by the person I needed most. My father paused the attack to look at my boyfriend, half of his body hard and jagged. "No Kiri! Stay away!" I screamed at him. I couldn't let anyone else that I loved be hurt by my father. Not anymore.

I grabbed onto his leg, desperately trying to hold him back from Kirishima. "The hell? Get off my you filthy piece of shit!" My father easily swung me off, throwing me into a wall. I groaned a little when I hit the floor yet again.

Kirishima's Point of View

I twiddled my thumbs anxiously, pacing the length of Chi's room. "Who was at the door? Is she okay? Should I go check on her? It's awfully quiet... Is that good or bad?!" My thoughts were interrupted but the sound of shouting. I couldn't make out the words, but it was definitely Chiho's voice. "This can't be good... I have to go and make sure that she's safe!"

I ran up to the door, jiggling the handle; locked. I heard a loud crash, like something shattering. "C'mon open!" I gave up on the handle and activated my Quirk. "Sorry Chi... But I have to protect you at all costs." Charging straight into the door, I felt it give a little. I grit my teeth and ran toward it again, throwing all my weight against it. This time the wood cracked easily and I tumbled out.

"Chiho!" I was staring at her curled up on the floor, blood trickling from the side of her head and a huge bruise on her cheek. A tall man was standing over her, a sadistic look on his face. "No Kiri! Stay away!" Chiho screamed at me, panic laced in her words. Even so, I saw a sparkle of hope in her eyes. She needed to be saved, even if she would never ask to be.

I ran toward her, my heart stinging with pain as I watched her futilely try to hold the man back, only to get thrown into the wall. "Who the hell are you?!" I yelled at the man, furious that anyone would ever treat her like that. "I could be asking you the same question." The man glared down at me, cracking his knuckles. "Well I guess it doesn't matter. If I were you, I would leave and pretend that you never saw any of this."

"Like hell I will." I growled, hardening my arms. He smirked and suddenly threw a punch, but I quickly guarded, my forearms rock hard by now. I swung back, but he dodged, moving like an experienced fighter. After a few more moves, I had him on the ground with my fist above his face. "I'll ask you one more time, who are you?"

The man spit in my face with a twisted grin, before kicking me in the chest. I was able to use my Quirk in time to avoid any pain, but he still managed to escape my hold. I got back into stance, ready to keep sparring when the door opened.

"Excuse me, Chi-chan? There was a noise- OH MY SHIT!" The receptionist from earlier had poked her head in to see the war zone. "Is everyone trying to get on my fucking nerves today?!" The man yelled, throwing a broken shard of glass at the young lady. She nimbly avoided it and touched something on her ear. "Security, top floor. You know where I am."

The man scowled at the lady while she calmly dodged his shots, moving with experience. "Chiho!" I ran up to my girlfriend who was lying on the floor, eyes halfway closed. Parts of her hair were sticky with blood as it trickled down from her temple. I gingerly picked Chi up, holding her close to my heart. "Eijiro..."

"I'm here baby, I'm right here." Tears stung my eyes, but I couldn't let them fall. She needed a hero right now. A hero that would reassure her that everything was going to be okay. A hero that was going to keep her safe. I leaned down, softly dotting her face with kisses. "Are... Are you okay?" Chiho smiled delicately, her voice so close to breaking and barely audible.

"You're asking me if I'm okay?" She nodded at my question, looking up at me with hopeful eyes. I smiled at her, nuzzling my nose against her forehead. "Don't worry baby, I'm perfectly fine. Everything's going to be fine, okay? Just trust me."

"Okie Eiji... I trust you." Those words meant more to me than anyone could ever know. Security soon left with the man, leaving the the receptionist with us. "Ugh, what idiot let him come up here?!" She sighed, sassily placing both hands against her hips. "Is Chi-chan okay?"

"I... I don't know..." I admitted, looking down at her in my arms. "Let me see her." The lady examined Chi before giving a small smile. "She'll be fine, don't worry. Take her to see Recovery Girl tomorrow if the school's open, though."

"Alright." There was an awkward pause before she spoke up again. "If you don't mind, could you two spend the night at your house? Chi-chan's apartment is going to need some repairs..." We both looked around at the apartment littered with glass and broken objects. "Yeah of course. I'll just make sure that it's okay with Chi when she wakes up."

"Chi huh?" She had a cheeky grin on her face, one that made me blush a bit with embarrassment. "It's just a nickname I gave to her..." I looked down at Chiho who had passed out for a bit, fading in and out of consciousness every couple minutes. "I really tried to protect her... I really did! I didn't want to fight that guy. I just wanted to make sure that she was safe."

"And you did." I looked up at the lady who was smiling at me. "What happened was nothing compared to what could have happened. If anything, I'd say you saved her from some serious injuries at the very least." I grinned shyly, my heart swelling with pride. "Thanks... Umm..."

"Call me Mimi. I'll leave you two be for now. As soon as you guys leave, I'll get the crew up here to fix everything. See ya!" Mimi waved quickly before letting herself out. I looked back down at Chi, her eyes fluttering open. "I saved her huh..."

Miku's (Reader's) Point of View

I opened my eyes to see Kiri softly smiling down at me. "Hey Chi, how are you feeling?"

"Not that good." I answered truthfully with a small giggle. "But hey, I've been worse! Thanks for saving me Kiri." I noticed that he blushed bit, but he would never admit that. Instead he flashed a toothy grin with a wink. "Of course! I'll always be here for you! What man would I be if I wasn't?!"

His energy was infectious, his smile easing my pain like Advil. "Oh yeah, I meant to tell you. Mimi said that she was gonna get your place fixed up, but you wouldn't be able to stay here for the night. So, uh, would you... Would you wanna spend the night at my place?" I sat up in his arms, resting my head against his shoulders as he sat on the couch in the midst of my wrecked living room.

"I'd love to if you'll let me."

"Great! Just pack your stuff and then we'll get going! Well, I mean, if you think you can make it... Sorry, my parents don't really have a car..."

"No worries!" I brought my arms up to represent strength. "I'm strong, I got this!"

"That's my girl!" Kirishima laughed heartily as I slid off his lap to get my stuff ready. I carefully walked into my bathroom, turning the shower on so that I could wash off all the dirt and blood. As the water warmed up, I began to pack my clothes into a small backpack. Luckily, tomorrow was Saturday, so I didn't have to face the class with my injuries.  

I shoved a pair of soft pajamas, my brush, toothbrush, hair ties, and toiletries all into the backpack. After setting out a comfy pair of clothes, I hopped into the shower to quickly get cleaned up. Pale red water pooled on my white tile while I gently tried to wash out all the blood. The spot on my face where I had been slapped was still tender, but the swelling had gone down. I took a deep breath while letting the water run down my body; it was all over. I was safe now.

"Okie! Let's go!" I bounced out of my room, feeling better than ever. Kirishima jumped from off of the couch arm, grabbing our schoolbags with one arm and offering his hand with the other. "Alright! Straight ahead to my house!"

The evening air was surprisingly cool, but not at all unpleasant. We swung our hands, walking the sidewalks toward a new place for me; it was almost like a mini adventure. "Thanks again Kiri... For saving me yet again." I let out a shy giggle at the end of my sentence, a little embarrassed about the whole situation.

He squeezed my hand tightly, rubbing small circles in my palm with his thumb. "You don't have to thank me." Kirishima smiled brightly at me, his crimson eyes staring into mine. "If I have to beat up bad guys and save you from villains, then I will. Anytime." My heart pounded furiously at his words, my mouth going slightly dry. I was also very thankful for the dim lighting that covered up my flaming cheeks.

Suddenly Kirishima stopped walking, simply staring down at the ground. "Kiri? What's wrong?" He looked up at me with a pained expression, an uneasy smile settling on his lips. "Do you remember the whole reason I came over in the first place, Chi?"

"TO STUDY!" I smacked my palm against my forehead while Kiri sighed dejectedly. "I'll just have to study extra hard with Bakugo tomorrow..."I giggled sheepishly while Kirishima groaned about how Bakugo was going to beat his ass. We talked as he lead me down different streets, confidently showing me the way.

"And we're here!" Kirishima pointed at a small house with a yard that lead into a forest. We walked up the steps and before Kiri could even knock, the door flew open. "Hey kiddo! And you must be Chiho!" A black-haired woman forced me into a backbreaking hug, my face shoved into her large chest. "Welcome to your second home! From now one, please call me Suka."