Then I'll Stay **Tamaki Amajiki**

Chapter Sixteen

It had been about a week and a half since Aika's rescue. She was hopping from place to place, though the chat she had had with Amajiki on her first night made her feel like less of a nuisance. Even though she wasn't staying in one place long, she seemed to have returned to the cheery girl they all knew. For the most part at least.

Her first few nights had been spent with Amajiki, and then with Bakugo, and then Todoroki, and she had just finished her stay with Midoriya. She had managed to learn to compact all of her stuff into a small bag, which was much more convenient to carry. They had all agreed that she should take a break from hero work for now. Instead, Fatgum was training her everyday, usually keeping one of the other heroes behind to help. Bakugo and Midoriya had requested temporary leave from their agency, so they could work with Fatgum and stick close to Aika.

At this point, Aika was leaving to go back to Kirishima's and Amajiki's. They hadn't decided which one she was going to stay with yet. Aika felt a pang of guilt, feeling like they were arguing over who had to give up their privacy for her. Really, Amajiki wanted to ask Kirishima if she could stay with himself, but he didn't want to do it in front of her. And Kirishima was offering to Amajiki that she could stay at his own place because Amajiki had her last time.

"She can just stay with me." Amajiki finally spoke up to both of them. "I mean.. That way she gets to spend time with her cat, right?"

"Are you sure?" Aika asked, turning to face him as the apartment building came into view.

"As long as it's ok with you." He answered, his hand on the back of his head.

"Yeah, that's fine." Aika said, her stomach suddenly in a knot. "Thank you." She added on.

They all climbed the flights of stairs up to Amajiki's apartment. He felt slightly embarrassed. She probably thinks less of him for not being able to afford a place with a working elevator. It was probably hard on her to walk up all of those flights of stairs, after all. Though the sound of her humming contentedly right in front of him seemed to ease his concern.

"Hey guys." Kirishima's voice spoke up. "I think I'll just cut off here and get to my place. I'm pretty tired."

"Yeah, of course." Aika told him. "Rest up."

"Have a good one." Amajiki bid him farewell. The two continued up the stairs and into Amajiki's apartment. Aika froze in the doorway.

"Hey Amajiki, is that a new couch?" She asked, looking at the very clean gray material. A far cry from the old white couch that had turned a light brown.

"Oh. Uh. Yeah." Amajiki answered her, feeling his cheeks heat up a bit. Aika walked over and sat on it, sinking in.

"It's so comfy." She said, leaning back as Rogue jumped onto her lap. "This is gonna be my favorite couch to sleep on."

"Actually," Amajiki said, scratching at the back of his head. "It.. it's one of the ones that pulls out into a bed. I thought it would be more comfortable for you." At her shocked expression he hurriedly continued. "I mean I was in the process of getting a new couch anyway, but since I knew you'd probably be staying here for a while I just decided to add that detail..." It was true. Endeavor had announced that the agency coalition would continue until further notice, not giving them an inkling of an end date. It was assumed, however, that it would be at least until Aika was safe again.

"You didn't have to do that." Aika said, looking at him. It felt like she was looking into his soul, and he thought his heart was going to burst. He shrugged, trying to hide the effects she was having on him.

"I know I wouldn't be very comfortable sleeping on a couch." He said. "And you have to do it for who-knows-how long. I figured it would help."

Aika, who felt the crick in her neck intensify, was ready to cry. No one else would have done this for her. Even if she believed his lie that he was buying a couch anyway, to get a pull out bed would cost quite a bit more. Not to mention getting it up all of those stairs. And while she had done her best not to complain, she couldn't help but find couches less and less comfortable every time she stayed somewhere.