Would you catch me? || Chronohaul AU oneshots

Softer

Au: If Eri And Chrono switch roles, including quirks.

Eri's POV

I walked down the halls slowly. My hands touching the sides as I dreadfully walked to Hari's room.

I hate seeing the kid cry. But I couldn't disobey Overhaul. When he wanted Hari, he wasn't about to wait for too long before getting Hari. It was sad. He's miserable, all alone. Boss won't even let me get him any toys. He has the bear he had when he was given to Overhaul, but that's all.

I entered Hari's room, finding him under the covers. He had thin, white covers on his bed. Boss wanted them thin so he couldn't try and hide from us. I figured today, if I went in earlier than normal, I'd have time to calm Hari down, and help him be ready for it, when it did happen.

As I closed the door to his bedroom, I took my mask off. I know it helped him feel safer when I didn't have it on, simply because the mask itself scared the small boy.

"Are you here to take blood?" He asked, peeking his head out.

"Yes," I responded. "But I came early today, so we have time to play. Tengai and Rappa went to a shop on the surface and got you some toys. Just don't let Overhaul see, okay?" He nodded, and I placed out some toys. A few of them were trucks and Star Wars figures, but the couple of dolls Rappa had snuck in were what Hari was most attracted to in the end.

I got him to agree to put the toys away once I knew Overhaul would be coming soon, and I put the box in the corner. Along with such, I made him promise to never get the toys out unless Rappa, Tengai, or I were in the room with him.

Overhaul walked into the room, looking at me, and then to Hari. He scoffed.

"Hold him." I did as I was told, setting Hari onto my lap. He kept trying to pull away from me as Overhaul got closer, and I gave his cheek some little kisses, and held his head over my shoulder.

As boss took his gloves off, I mouthed the word "softly." To him. He rolled his eyes, and put his hand on Hari's arm. I had to look away. The blood always made me queasy. After a shrill scream and reassembling Hari's arm, it was over. Overhaul walked away, and I stayed in the room with Hari as he recovered.

 After about five minutes, he pointed to a few books on the shelf. Boss was kind enough to let us get them for Hari, but we never really read them.

"Do you want me to read you a book?" I asked, which earned a nod from him

"Y-Yes please." He replied. Hari had been taught to use his words early on, though I didn't care. "Could you read Alice in Wonderland, please?" I nodded

"Of course I can, Hari. But if Nemoto or Overhaul comes and gets me I have to leave, okay?"

"Okay!" He ran over to the shelf, picking up the book and running back, cuddling up under the blanket. I knew he'd normally take a nap after we took blood, so the story would help him recover quicker, I thought.

After a good thirty minutes of reading, I put the book down. Hari had fallen asleep. I dog-eared the book though, so we could keep going next time.

Overhaul POV

I knew Tengai and Rappa had bought the toys I told them not to, but taking Hari's blood today was easier than usual. Eri was like Hari's mother. It was amazing, how much he trusted her.

I knew Pops' daughter was Hari's mom, but Hari didn't look anything like either of his parents. It got me thinking, really. Eri was 25 now, and Hari was six. Not long after he had turned one his mother abandoned him with us, and Eri got attached really quickly.

As Eri walked into the room, I shook the thoughts away, planning to ask her about it sometime later.

"Hey." I greeted her, waving and going back to studying Hari's blood.

"Good afternoon, boss. Hari's napping." She replied. I nodded, walking over to her, bring the sample with me.

"That's good, now he won't get into any trouble. Are you hungry? Lunch is passing, Hojo and Tabe just went to a sushi place, I told them to bring the rest of us back some." Eri nodded, getting a microscope. I could tell she was just acting as if she was looking at the blood. Eri had something on her mind.

"Hey, is something bothering you?" She nodded, slowly.

Eri POV

"Hey, is something bothering you?" I nodded quietly, grateful for the mask I was wearing. It hid my tears well.

"Then was is it, I'll listen." Overhaul said, putting his hand on my shoulder.

I took my mask off, wiping the tears away.

"I don't like seeing Hari so sad, he didn't do anything to us. And I know we're doing it for research, but I always think we could always be softer on him, and maybe he'd let us do it. Today was easy because I had time to help him get ready before you came in." Overhaul nodded, pulling out a few files. Copies. Copies of Hari's parents' medical records. He pointed to one spot.

"Hari's parents have completely different blood types than he does. His dad's was O+, and his mother's was O-. Hari's is AB+, meaning he had likely been adopted, do you know anything, Eri?" He asked me. I nodded, rubbing my arm.

"I-" he cut me off with a scoff.

"Why didn't you tell me? If his parents are still alive, they're looking for him! Christ, you've gone and made everything harder again, Eri!"

My hands balled into fists, and before I could think I yelled out:

"I'M HIS MOTHER, OKAY?"

The look on Overhaul's face made it worse, I couldn't think, everything blurred, and I ran off, to my room. I had left my mask in the lab, so anyone in the hallways could see me crying, and likely everyone had heard my yelling too. I wish I could've told them, all of them.

But I wasn't allowed to. Before Overhaul was boss, Pop's found out I was having Hari. He got mad, especially after hearing that one of the bullets was the father.

Nemoto. It was all his fault. He knew, too. I told him, I told him, even though I knew I wasn't supposed to. I stayed in my room for eight months straight, and when I hit nine, Boss sent me to his daughters house, faking a "family emergency" that I needed to help with. 

God I'm such a horrible person. I let my baby get hurt, I listened to him scream in agony far too often.

Nemoto POV

I hadn't heard Eri's yelling, I had only seen her running. but after being told by Tengai what had happened, I found my way into her room.

She was on her bed, crying. I could tell she was only being quiet so she didn't disturb anyone. No other reason. If not, she would've been sobbing

"Eri? Hey, look at me." I said, walking over and sitting on the bed. I knew I should've have been doing it, but I took my mask off, and placed it on the floor. She only dug her head deeper into her knees, though.

"Hey, it's okay. It's all gonna be okay, Overhaul isn't mad. I talked to him, no worries." No I hadn't. I knew it would help her calm down, though. She looked up at me, and only seconds later she was clung onto me.

I didn't mean to. It was just- Eri and I, we finished high-school a year late, meaning we had an extra year of parties. So when Pop's finically agreed to let us go to one, you can only guess we were excited. Of course, some kid brought alcohol. Eri and I didn't get too drunk, we were tipsy at the most. Compared to how wasted everyone else got.

But, still. It still led to things we both regret. Neither of us regret Hari being born, he's an amazing kid, and we both love him. It's just been so, so hard for us to act obvious for so, so long.

A/N

Eri is in her twenties in this AU, so Nemoto x Eri isn't pedophillic. I don't support pedophillic Ships, I didn't know who else would be a better fit than Overhaul, and I refuse to write Overhaul x Eri regardless.