The Fallen (Aizawa x OC)

Ch 28 - Piece by Piece

"DON'T TELL ME TO STAY CALM WHEN YOU FUCKERS KEEP REPLAYING THE VIDEO OF MY SISTER GETTING TORTURED"

The entire room becomes dead silent. Once he calms down and realizes what he has just said, Hawks hangs his head in shame.

"How long have you known?" Nezu is the first to break the silence. Aizawa had also suspected that Hawks may be the mysterious brother that Mitsu had mentioned, but having it confirmed was still surprising. However, he was also wondering how long Hawks has known, and why he never approached her about it.

He clenches his fists and manages to grumble out, "I... I've always known... How could I not recognize my older sister who always protected me..."

Aizawa furrows his brows, "How come you've never tried to contact her?" His voice was slightly accusatory, but mostly out of concerned curiosity. He could tell how much Mitsu loved and missed her brother simply by the way she would talk about him.

Hawks' head shoots up and his face is full of anguish. He grips his shirt over his chest and yells, "She probably hates me! She nearly died because of me! I ruined her life!" Tears stream down his face, "I'm the reason she's a fugitive! I'm the reason she's blind! I'm the reason she lived the rest of her childhood on the streets! I'M THE REASON FOR ALL THE BAD THINGS IN HER LIFE, ALL OF HER SUFFERING! It's all my fault..."

The memory of his sister pressing her hands against her bleeding eyes and screaming in pain flashes through his mind. Bleeding and crying because he had slashed across her face with his feather, causing her to lose her sight.

He bites his trembling lip to try and calm down, but his emotions are flowing out with the confession and feelings he's held locked in his heart for so long. He hides his face behind his hand and continues with a shaky voice, "Meanwhile I get taken in by the Commission. Given a safe place and a roof over my head. Never having to worry about a thing. And now... now she's getting tortured because I couldn't connect the dots fast enough."

Having no energy nor will to stand, Hawks crumples down onto the floor and sadly grumbles out, "I have no right to place myself back into her life."

Everyone in the room is taken aback by the vulnerability that Hawks is showing. Knowing what it feels like to blame yourself for someone else's misfortunes, Aizawa strides over to the younger male and squats down, placing a firm hand on Hawks' shoulder, forcing him to look up.

"You know, Mitsu actually thinks that you don't remember her, or that you think she's dead. Because of this, she hasn't approached you herself, otherwise she would've contacted you within a heartbeat. Trust me, she doesn't hate you." Hawks simply stares up at the ravenette eyes full of doubt.

Seeing his disbelief, Aizawa continues, "Your sister and I are very close and she's talked about you a lot. She always says that she's really proud of how far you've come in life. The reason she never contacted you was because she thought if she suddenly popped back into your life, revealing that she is still alive, that you'd feel guilty and responsible for all the adversities she faced when she was younger. She didn't want to disrupt your success in any way, so she thought it'd be best to simply watch you from afar. She doesn't hate you, far from it. She's immensely proud of the hero you've become and loves that you were able to live your childhood in a stable environment."

Hawks is in shock of hearing Aizawa relay his sister's thoughts and feelings. His mind is reeling, They're close? How close? I heard that she had brought him with her when making the deal with the President... And then he thinks back to earlier, how Aizawa had reacted to everything about her being in danger, and it dawns on him.

"Do you love her?"

His question threw Aizawa off for a split second, but as he thinks of the wonderful memories he has with Mitsu, and all the plans he has for the future, his face softens and his eyes show pure adoration.