LOVE ME TENDER [t. keigo]

-10.0

I remember the first day I met her. The way her eyes seemed to glow in the darkness; the way her hair fell over her face, covering, protecting what little piece of her she had left. While her eyes glowed like the most expensive gems known to earth, I could see the emptiness within them; the echo of a person that was left on her body, on her skin, in the form of bruises and cuts.

She was breathtaking in a way I had never felt before. Not in the way you would react with an attractive person, nor in the way you would lose your breath by seeing all the horrible things I had done with my very own hands. It was the type of feeling you would get when your mom would take your favorite toy, or when she'd hit you to reprimand you. Yeah, like a slap in the face. That's what it felt like to look at her like this; wrapped in bandages, and slouched in a way so her body was nothing but a mystery. And just like a slap in the face, all I felt afterwards was pain.

"Now that I know you guys are serious about our plans, I can finally introduce you to [Name]," Shigaraki put three fingers on her shoulder, pushing her forward enough to move the hair in her face out of the way. Her eyes looked scared, unsure, of the people in front of her, and her hand gripped on to his jacket tighter than anyone being killed. In that moment, she glowed as though she were being taken up to heaven; cursing us to burn in hell. Even afraid, she still looked majestic; her look enough to keep you in place, wondering whether there could be penance for sinners like us.

"[Name] will be our healer. Her quirk converts energy, so she can patch you up with just the air around her. She'll be useful to our organization, so make sure you don't kill her."

For a minute, there was nothing. It was like she was a God for a moment; silencing and passing your judgement over us as we only just came to realize how beautiful the light of life could be. It wasn't until Toga spoke that anyone, or anything, made a single noise.

"Shigaraki," Toga looked serious for once, her eyes looking straight at her with pure desire, "can I, please, for the love of God, cut her a little?"

He raised his brow a little at the plea she made, surprised she would even ask. To be fair, I'd probably ask, too, before I did anything. Looking into her eyes cut me deeper than I'd want to admit; the cut ripped out every stitch in my body, and purified me. It baptized me in hopes of creating an angel from a demon.

I could see Touya in her, and I didn't know whether I wanted to hurt her or love her.

"If you so much as lay a finger on her with malicious intent, I'll make sure it's the last day you're alive."

That made all of us turn our focus on Shigaraki, now. Why was he protecting her so much? Why was she so special—? Well, apart from the fact that she literally took all our breaths away. It seemed like a pretty powerful quirk, yeah, but it didn't seem like enough to threaten a member's life. Not that a dead Toga wouldn't be a good thing, but damn.

"Okay, okay, I won't do anything," she walked off, going to sit on the couch instead, "next time, I won't ask."

With a light 'tch,' he brushed her off and continued his explanation.

"She's not mine. She's sorta like... a down payment," Spinner snorted at his analogy, while Mr. Compress just kept as still as possible, not wanting to provoke Shigaraki, "Listen: Doctor Ujiko gave her to us in order to complete our goals. She might not look like much, but she was created to fight; she's got multiple quirks that will develop over time, so make sure to protect her no matter what."

Multiple quirks? Creation?

"Hold it," I could feel the questioning stare of Shigaraki as I stepped in, "what do you mean by multiple quirks? Is she some kind of mutant, or somethin'? 'Cuz that's not adding up."

I watched him as he paused, looking straight at me. It was like he was trying to decide whether a peasant like me was worthy of answer, and I could feel my irritation grow with every little movement of his eyes. 

"She's more of a monster than a human," I could see her flinch as he said this, but I did my best to ignore the way her body trembled, "she was made; manufactured by the doctor in order to serve my master. Her mind is her own, but the rest of her is constructed through bits and pieces of other human scraps. That's about as much as I can tell you."

I watched her shake; her face completely covered, now, by the vines of hair that surrounded her body. I could see her hand rub up and down her arm, the fingers picking at a scab on her skin as though she were Shigaraki's little sister. In a swift move, Shigaraki pulled her hand away; making her move enough to reveal the face behind the shield.

If we weren't all speechless before, then we definitely were now. It was like looking at a porcelain doll; a face so innocent and young that it made us all feel like trash.  It wasn't until she turned to us that we realized the trouble we were about to be in. She looked at us with worry written all over her face: her brows furrowed in the most alluring way possible, almost as though she were begging us to hold her. To put her out of her misery.

At that moment, I knew that things were not going to be the same. I could physically feel my emotions stir as she opened her mouth to speak, those pretty lips opening up for us; for me.

"I-I won't hurt you," she brought one of her hands to her chest, pulling on the fabric of her oversized t-shirt, "I'm not dangerous, so please don't think I'm a monster."

Baby, you really are a monster. You're already stabbing me deeper than anyone else has in a while.

Shigaraki put his hand on her head, petting her in a way that seemed to soothe her worry. She almost nuzzled into his side as he spoke, her eyes closed and a small smile on her face.

"Toga, go get her some clothes that actually fit her," she huffed as she got up from her spot on the couch, her steps audible as she made her way out of the room, "and Twice."

"Yes boss!" He jumped up at his voice, paying no attention to the seriousness of his voice.

"Make sure she's comfortable in her new home."

"Got it!" He walked off, mumbling to himself about what girls like. Spinner and Compress left in a rush, probably dealing with the aftermath of that meeting. For whatever reason (sarcasm), I felt compelled to stay there. I wanted answers, really. I wanted to know what kind of fucking spellbook she was reading to make me feel all shitty.

"Hey," Shigaraki looked at me, confused at why I seemed to care so much, "who's gonna be in charge of her? You said she's gotta be protected, so who're you gonna make take that job?"

I could see his thought process in that moment, going through scenarios in his head as he wondered what each member would do. He sighed, looking down at her; she was grabbing his hand now, holding it against her cheek. When he finally looked up, I knew the answer.

"I'll be the one in charge," he pulled his hand away from her, putting it in his pocket, "but, if something were to put me out of commission for a while, you'll be the one in charge. Got it?"

"Sure, why not," I closed some of the distance between her and I, lifting her head lightly with the tips of my fingers. Shigaraki watched me intently, his body stiff with anticipation, "let's get along, alright [Name]?"

She was frozen in place, her eyes full of so many emotions in that moment that I could almost see them crash and collide with waves of pleasure, fear, and curiosity. Slowly, she put her chin in the palm of my hand, holding on to my wrist with a light grip. My insides churned in a mix of desire and disgust, but I obliged her needs, putting my hand against her cheek. Immediately, she leaned into me, smiling up at me with such purity that I could almost laugh. 

"Okay."