Eraserhead and Scribe V

Chapter 7

Sorry for the delay. Been a busy day...

Chapter 7

Aizawa woke her when they reached the station, pleased at first that she'd managed to sleep all the way home. But when she opened her eyes, he started backward at the fear and pain in them. "Did you have another nightmare?"

She ducked her head as if to hide what she'd just revealed to him. Not here.

He took her hand and helped her off the train, summoning a cab to take them to the school. The ride was silent, and he was relieved when they arrived that it was dinnertime. They went immediately to their apartment and she turned, looking up at him. "It wasn't a nightmare, Shota. It was...it was Tomura."

"Shigaraki?" He stared at her. "That...that's not possible, is it?"

She shook her head, her expression confused. "I don't know. If Eri rewound me to the point before I could have used my quirk on him, I wouldn't think so, but what if we've been wrong about what caused the connection between me and Tomura? Maybe it wasn't my quirk at all."

"But it has to be, doesn't it?" Aizawa sank onto the sofa. He looked at her helplessly. "Has he been causing the nightmares, then?"

"I think so, but I don't think it's been on purpose. He said he'd try to stop. Shota, he was in so much pain. I don't know why, but...there was blood all over him. And he...collapsed. Twice. He said...when I asked him what was happening, he said it was something he wanted. But how can that be?"

"God, I don't know." He took her hand and pulled her down next to him, putting his arms around her. "Who knows how Shigaraki's mind works? What he could want—besides you, that is."

"Me." She wove her fingers through his. He saw her put her other hand on her chest just above her heart. "I'm sorry, Shota. I wish it had worked. The rewinding. I don't know why it didn't."

He wondered if she even realized he knew how much Shigaraki hurt her. He remembered what she'd told him once about how she felt about him. My heart belongs to you but it breaks for that child.

The fact that she could hurt for Tomura Shigaraki still sometimes perplexed him. Even now after he'd sort of gotten to know another side of the villain—the side that loved Scribe—Aizawa didn't totally understand how she could care about a man who'd hurt so many people she loved. But what was happening with Shigaraki? He could feel how horrified she'd been by his appearance. Was he really going through something painful? If so, who was responsible for it? And what were the nightmares about?

Most important, how could he protect Scribe from it?

***

Aizawa had been silent for so long, Scribe got anxious. She determined to get past the vision of the bloody Shigaraki. He can't hurt me now, but he can hurt Shota. If I let him. She sat up and looked at her husband. "At least we know where the nightmares are coming from, even if we don't know why." She stopped, a thought occurring to her that gave her a sinking feeling. "Oh my God, I can't believe it!"

He gave her a startled look. "What?"

She shook her head in self-disgust. "Why in the hell didn't I ask him about the girl?"

Aizawa stared at her for a second, then snorted laughter. "Only you would think of something like that after a traumatizing experience, my love."

"Well, it would have solved a few problems, wouldn't it?" She groaned, then gave him a mischievous look. "It would have been a rational question to ask, you know."

He caught her around the waist, pulling her back into his arms and kissing her. "I love when you get all rational on me."

The door to their apartment opened without a knock and Scribe scrambled out of his lap just as Eri burst in, her excitement nearly making her levitate. "Scribe-san, Aizawa-san, Ochaco and Momo want to have a sleepover and they're inviting me!"

Scribe gathered the little girl up into her arms and placed her on the couch. "Oh, really? Do Ochaco and Momo know what they're getting themselves into?"

Eri frowned. "What does that mean?"

"Well, nothing much, just that all the noise might keep them awake." Scribe shot Aizawa a little smile.

"What noise? I'm not noisy!" Eri stood and put her hands on her hips.

"Not when you're awake, maybe." Scribe grinned. "But the snoring..."

Eri gasped, still looking outraged. "I don't snore."

"Like a motorboat." Scribe grabbed the little girl and tickled her until she shouted with laughter for Aizawa-san to rescue her.

He did, putting her on his shoulders. "She can't reach you up there, trust me." He grinned down at his shorter wife.

"Ah, but how long can he keep you safe, anyway?" Scribe winked at both of them. "I'll be waiting right down here." She plopped down on the sofa and held out her arms. "With hugs for both of you."

"Oh!" Eri gasped as if Scribe had offered her something irresistible. She clutched Aizawa's head and Scribe saw him wince a little. She knew he didn't mind the hair pulling, though.

He looked up at the little girl dubiously. "You really want to take her up on it?"

Eri grinned. "Let's do it."

Scribe laughed as they both pounced on her, throwing her arms around her family and happy to have the distraction from worrying about Tomura Shigaraki. And she was even happier when Aizawa settled between the two of them, an arm around each one, and kissed her forehead, his promise a whisper in her mind. I'll collect my real hugs later.