The day passed astonishingly quickly, and I was back at my apartment before I knew it. I was still smiling about what had transpired at lunch, and laughing whenever I thought of it too long. Eijiro got in on my mood, grinning along with me and slinging his arm over my shoulders.

"Hey, (Y/N)? You wanna go to the park tomorrow?" he asks at my door as I unlock it. I turn around and smile at him, my eyes sparkling.

"Sure! Just don't wake me up too earl-"

I cut myself off as I lay my eye on what remained of my house. It looked as though someone had removed the apartment from the building, shaken it, then put it back. Furniture was strewn about on the floor, multicoloured stains painted the walls and floor in a macarbe rainbow.

"Of course. Because I can't be happy for more than twelve hours without something else happening," I grumble, throwing my hands in the air and entering the room, my face a storm of anger.

"What do you think happened?" Eijiro asks, following me inside protectively. My foot brushes something soft and wet, and I draw it away to get a clear look at what I touched. A bundle of fur lay on the ground, its body broken and seeping blood. My veins turn to ice as I recognise the collar around the things neck. My legs turn weak and I almost fall before Eijiro catches me.

"What's wrong-" he asks, then looks down. "Oh."

"Why would anything do this?" I whisper, my face frozen in shock. Joy, the little husky that had lived with me for less than three months, had been slaughtered in my own house.

"Get me out of here... Please, just... Take me out," I beg, and I could almost feel Eijiro's heart hollowing out at my tone. He lifts me into his arms bridal style and I lay my head on his shoulder, still frozen in shock. After we left the room, he didn't put me down, just walked to the front lobby and told the receptionist to call the police. Her eyes flicked to my form in panic and worry, and I couldn't do or say anything to comfort her.

'Funny how, when you let yourself love something, they get taken away and leave you empty,' I told myself, trying to ignore the little, almost non-existent voice in the back of my mind.

"I'm still here, (Y/N). I won't let you get hurt," Eijiro whispered, bringing to life the tiny voice in my head, saying the exact same thing.

"Yeah... You're still here."

~

The police arrived a few minutes later, in all their uniformed and loud siren glory. Flashing lights kept lighting up the sky out front while Eijiro showed them to my apartment. When he put me down, I almost didn't let go. I didn't want to let go. I did anyway, though, because nothing gets done if everyone stays with me. Now though, alone with my thoughts, I was telling myself I could've just asked the receptionist to show them where I lived.

Where I lived.

'Do I not live there now? I couldn't go back there. But if I don't, where am I supposed to sleep?'

I continued this line of thought until Eijiro came back into the room, not wasting even a single moment to take me in his arms again.

"Sir, you don't need to carry her. She's uninjured, and she can walk on her own," a familiar-looking officer said, stepping forwards to take me from him. I would've hissed at the man, but I came back to myself at the last moment and clutched tighter to Eijiro's shirt.

"I feel safer here, if you don't mind."

The officers face reddened and he quickly stepped back, bowing his head in apology. The movement seemed familiar, and so did his face, but I couldn't place it. The red face didn't seem to be embarrassment though. With the way his cheeks puffed, I would almost think he was angry.

"Of course. I'm sorry for making assumptions," he said, then quickly turned on his heel and stalked away.

'That's... really wierd,' I think to myself, watching his retreating back.

"Hey, are you going to hold me in a death grip forever, or are you going to let go?"

I smile and release him, turning my body so I was nestled against him. Being this close was comforting, but now my mind was in turmoil again.

'Where have I seen him before?'

~

After most of the excitement passed, they turned to the issue of where I would be staying.

"I have a spare guest bed in my hous-" the familiar police officer said, then was cut off as an older, female officer smacked the back of his head.

"Idiot. You have a lot to learn. Honey, do you have anywhere you would like to stay? Or with someone you trust?"

I immediately glanced at Eijiro, just for a second, but they all saw it. The younger officer pouted, crossing his arms.

"I'll talk to him for ya'" the female said, walking over to him. As they started talking, the younger one came up to me again.

"So, is he, like, your boyfriend or something?"

I immediately bristled, straightening up and looking him in the eye.

"I believe you're stepping out of line. One of the rules for the police force is not to ask for personal information where it's not required," I say, faintly remembering the rule from an old book I had read once, then never saw again. I wasn't even sure if I was right, but it seemed the man was new to the job and didn't know either.

"Well... I'm making it a requirement now!" he declared, but not loudly enough to alert his overseer, or whatever was the right word for her.

"It's none of your- you know what, I'm not in the mood for this. Yes, he's my boyfriend," I say, glaring at the man before attempting to skirt around him. I say attempting, because he blocked my way.

"What are you doing with a baby-faced idiot like that? I'll show you a good time," he purred, all manner of formality abandoned. I feel my face stretch into a snarl, but before I can move we were suddenly whipped into the air. A strong gust of wind almost blew over Eijiro and the lady as I was essentially kidnapped.

"JARED!! GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE!!!" the lady screamed, and the man I assumed was Jared laughed.

"Make me, you old bitch!" he yelled, sitting in thin air with his hands behind his head. I struggled in the wind vortex around me, trying to find a way down, but to no avail. An idea suddenly hit me and I tried to activate my Quirk, only to have it not respond to me. The corner of Jared's mouth twitched.

"Trying to use whatever useless Quirk you have? Won't work. Not up here. I control the air, and I say you can't use your Quirk."

"You motherfucking Villain," I spit, still struggling wildly like a caged beast. I could hear Eijiro below me, far below, searching for a way up. As it was night, those on the ground could barely see us beyond a thrashing figure and a still one.

"I'm no Villain," Jared said suddenly, scowling, slowly gliding towards me, "But if you call me that again, I may become one."

"YOU MOTHERFUCKING VILLAIN!!" I scream, whipping my forehead into his nose. A sickening crack rose above the wail of the wind, then all noise suddenly ceased, and now the wind was rushing up, past me, into the sky-

'Well, shit.'

I was falling quickly, but I was far enough off the ground to give someone enough time to figure out how to catch me. I couldn't see Jared anywhere above or below me, but then again, I couldn't see much at all against the wind buffeting me from all sides.

'This escalated so fucking quickly my god, can't I have a normal day for once?' I say, crossing my arms and using my sarcastic thoughts to keep myself calm. As soon as I thought about staying calm, I immediately lost all feeling in my arms and legs and panic flooded my system. Only then did I notice I was mere metres from the ground.

"AH SHI-" I cry, then feel my words - and my breath - get snatched away as the wind roughly caught me, my feet just brushing the ground as I was lifted into the air once again. I was brought face to face with Jared, who was holding a very broken, very bloody nose and swearing like a drunken sailor whenever the wind pushed him the wrong way. I realised I had broken his focus, and as a result, his Quirk was now less effective. Focusing every fiber of my being, I tested something small. I tiny spark of light leapt from my palms, flitting down to Earth as we soared away. Every trace of a smile was wiped from my face. This would either save me or kill me. Or it could do neither. I didn't want to think of what might happen if Jared got away with me.

Centering myself, finding my balance, letting go of every conscious thought, that's what it took. And fairy fuck me it was difficult. With all the wind around me, now eve rougher than before, I could barely stop myself from screaming every time the gale missed its hold on us and dropped us a few feet. Just barely managing to stay conscious, I knew it was an immense risk. But I had to take it.

Unleashing every single profanity I had in my vocabulary, I painted a searing, blinding explosion of light, which then exploded into every possible shade in the colour spectrum. The sudden blast caught Jared off guard and we both dropped like stones, him now dazed and disoriented. I painted a light train behind me as I fell, hoping it would be enough for Eijiro to save me.

'For Eijiro to save me? Man, how things change...'

A few months ago, I wouldn't trust anyone to open my fucking door for me. Now I was relying on him to save me from an impossible height? Just as I had that thought;

"(Y/N)!!!"

I open my eye just enough to see him streaking towards me, leaping over obstacles in his way and not once shifting his gaze from the trail I left in the sky. My eye would have widened, but it hurt to even open it this much against the wind. Instead, I let myself fall limp screwing my eye shut and calling his name.

"EIJIRO!!"

He leapt towards me, using a parked car as a ramp, colliding with me and knocking me off course enough for the both of us to skid painfully across the road.

'Pain. I'm alive. I'm alive.'

I pant heavily, now feeling the panic and terror as adrenaline washes away. Eijiro was lying beside me, tears running down his face as he crawled towards me. I notice now that he was covered in scratches and cuts, and that he must have run after us the whole time. Tears of emotion well up in my eyes and, as he kneels beside me, I place a hand on his cheek.

"I love you so fucking much, you know?" I say, dragging him down to me and kissing his lips. His eyes widen momentarily before he returns the kiss. We don't separate until the police officers catch up, dragging a chained Jared behind them. He was screaming, his eyes bloodshot and popping out of their sockets, struggling against his captors every step of the way.

"Are you alright, (Y/N)?" the lady asks, helping me and Eijiro to our feet, "Young Kirishima here went running after you before anyone could do anything."

"It's a good thing he did. I would be a pancake right now if he didn't," I say, trying to smile. Eijiro's face straightens and he places a hand on my shoulder.

"Too soon," he says, and I sigh.

"Well, I tried."

It was only then that everything came flooding back into my mind, the air, the height, the panic as I hurtled through the air to my death, only to cheat it at the last second thanks to a mid-air tackle from the boy I love. My legs crumple beneath me and Eijiro catches me, holding me up, as an ambulance arrives.

"We'll treat your wounds and you'll stay the night in hospital, both of you. After that, Jared will be imprisoned for attempted kidnapping and murder."

"Why murder?" I ask, puzzled.

"He cancelled his wind on purpose the first time, for breaking his nose," she says, nodding at the man being led, kicking and screaming, to a waiting police car.

"Why did he catch me then?"

"We don't know."

'And the mysteries continue,' I think as the lady takes my silence as the end of our conversation. She led Eijiro and I to the waiting ambulance, loading us both on stretchers. As the vehicle rolled away, I tilted my head to stare at Eijiro for a few seconds before tiredness and fatigue overcame my will to stay awake.