Mind of Mine || ʙᴀᴋᴜɢᴏ x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

chapter 1

Bright fluorescent lights illuminated the empty hallway, not a sound was heard. It felt strange how a building full of horror could manage to obtain such quietness. One would expect for chaos to roam free through the building. The heavy silence was destroyed as footsteps rained down the hall, heading towards the only door in sight.

With a twist of the knob, you silently entered the room and searched for the pale hair. Under the covers, a small head peaked out, their red eyes sparkling in joy. "Y/n!"

Without a moment of hesitation, you climbed onto the bed and laid down next to the small girl. "Missed me Eri?"

She nodded excitedly, happy now that you were there. Her hands rose from under the covers and grabbed onto yours, holding on tightly. "You were gone for so long."

"I know. I'm sorry, but I'll make it up to you. We can spend all day tomorrow together. How does that sound?"

"Can we go outside?"

You would give the small girl the world if you could. She deserved better than this. She deserved to live a normal life with a family that loved her and didn't abuse her. She deserved to have friends her age and a home.

You'd kill to give her that reality. To give her the life she deserved.

But this was no fairytale, and you were both trapped in this hellhole. With a shake of your head, you watched as Eri's face dropped down in disappointment. It hurt to know that you couldn't make her happy. But that was the only request you weren't allowed to give into.

"You know what happens if we leave Eri."

Tears pooled at the corner of her eyes, threatening to fall down her cheeks. "I know, but I want to see the sun."

A simple request really. It shouldn't be a problem. Just a few seconds outside, enough to feel the warmth from the sun. But you couldn't. It was prohibited.

"One day Eri. One day you'll be able to stay in the sun as much as you want. But for now, we stay inside."

You reached up and wiped the few tears that dripped down her face, cuddling her close. It felt good to have her in your arms. After being apart for hours, you could finally relax knowing that she was safe and away for the bad men.

At least for now.

"We're matching."

"Hm?" You looked down and followed her gaze. Her eyes jumped from her own bandaged arms to yours, and in a cruel way, it was true. You both did match. You didn't know whether to shout in anger or cry in despair.

Swallowing back the bile rising up, you mustered a small smile for the girl. "Yes we are."

"What happened?"

"Oh you know, just training. Nothing to worry about angel." You tried to sound nonchalant about it, trying to not scare the little girl. It wasn't a lie. You did spend the day training, if you call being sliced open and beat to the ground training.

Eri didn't need to know the truth. How each day you were pushed beyond your limit in order to become the girl's protector. The big man needed someone to protect his prized possession, and that became your role.

You couldn't really complain. You would take the beating, anything to become strong enough to protect Eri, because right now, you were weak. Each day you failed to protect her from the real monsters. The ones who dissected her for her quirk. The guilt ate you up, every second of every hour.

If you could, you would switch place with her in a heartbeat. And you've tried before, but it didn't matter. You weren't valuable. You weren't worthy. You had no purpose but to protect Eri from those that wanted to take her away.

"Did you have fun training?" You looked down to her wide eyes, the innocence that reflected from those bright crimson eyes. A smile coated your face as you nodded.

"It wasn't so bad. What were you up to?"

"I colored for a bit. And then the scary men came and took me away. But then I woke up here. And now you're here!"

Her voice wavered at the mention of the scary men, but returned to its usual peppiness towards the end. Bless her heart, really. Even in the dark, Eri never failed to look at the bright side of things.

"C'mon angel, let's get you ready for bed."

You stood up and headed towards the closet, grabbing some clothes for the young girl before heading towards the bathroom connected. It's been the same routine for years now. For as long as you could remember, you've always taken care of Eri.

Even if you weren't related by blood, she was the younger sister you've always craved for. Thankful to have someone in this lonely world. Your mind began to wonder as you turned on the faucet. The last couple of months have been hectic lately. There was a rumor going around that the heroes were onto the boss, hence the harsher training.

It sparked some hope in your heart. Maybe the heroes could save Eri after all. There was a chance she could get her well deserved happy ending.

Your thoughts were cut short as the little girl bounced forward and tugged on your shirt.

"Bubbles!"

Laughing, you grabbed the bottle and dropped the solution into the bath, watching as bubbles began to form and coat the water.

You scooped the young girl up, dropping her down into the water, causing it to spill over in a mess. It didn't matter, because the giggles that erupted from Eri were worth it.

"C'mon stinky, play with the bubbles."

Eri splashed around in the water, trying to pick up the bubbles and blow them into your face. For now, you would live in the moment.

Tomorrow, you'd get back to saving Eri from Chisaki Kai and escaping this hellhole.