𝐒𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐅𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 | 𝙈𝙔 𝙃𝙀𝙍𝙊 𝘼𝘾𝘼𝘿𝙀𝙈𝙄𝘼

29

           Aizawa would never admit it aloud but Arisa was precious to him.

          The girl that had become his routine, the girl that he secretly was proud of, especially knowing he had a hand in raising her for three years. When she first came to him, she was a mess, a child that was highly damaged, afraid and angry. He helped her understand that she was worth much more than she could ever imagine, made her understand that it was okay to make mistakes, made her understand that it wasn't a sin for being a child. Everything that she had went through, it wasn't her fault and it would never be. After years, she finally came to understand everything that he had been trying to convey and she became the girl that would wait around corners trying to scare him whenever she had the chance and Aizawa would anticipate her popping up randomly around his house.

          She was healing and growing and the man desired to see her grow even more, to become the hero she wanted to be. Seeing her smile made his long life worthwhile.

          Aizawa sighed, staring at the photo of Arisa and himself on his phone. It had been a while since she was taken along with Bakugou. He was worried but the heroes were doing everything they could to track the two.

          This was an occupational hazard. Arisa would forever be subjected to this danger as a hero in training. All he could do was try his best to protect her, the girl he had come to care about. The girl that had become his routine.

           "Hold on just a while longer, kid."

°°°°

          The human mind was truly extraordinary.

          Upon traumatic events, it blocks the memory as a defense mechanism to protect the host and in the case of Arisa, this happened frequently. Years upon years of violence and terror with three years of subsequent therapy to help her cope in life, she had many events and memories that she couldn't seem to recall. Everytime she recalled her family, she could only say that they were shit. She was sure of it but she couldn't actually remember the details. She remembered fear, the pain, she remembered the saltiness of her own tears mixed in with blood, she remembered the deaths of her siblings but never the details. Everything she remembered of her past was either vague or altered.

          Until now.

          Young Arisa within her mind had shown her most of the obstructed memories. Only the most vital ones and it hurt, it was scary, Arisa was scared.

          "Hayate betrayed the family. That's what you remember but do you remember why?"

          "No."

           And so she showed her.

         

         

          "Hayate, will you come read to me again tonight?"

          Seven-year-old Arisa had grabbed the lapels of his coat as he was leaving the mansion. The girl looked up at her brother with eyes filled with nothing but admiration and adoration. The male was her third eldest brother, the best out of the rest of the siblings and the only one to have ever treated her with care. The male looked down at the child with a small smile as he slipped his phone into his inner pocket before placing a hand on her head, "But you've made me read the same story over and over again."

         "Then, pick another one."

          The male kneeled down and his eyes were smiling but was filled with so much apology, "I don't know if I can make it tonight but if I do, I'll head straight up, okay? We'll read many stories together. Whatever you want."