Addicted Love

Chapter 3

(Mentions of self harm)

As Arisa made her way through the empty hallway. The chill from the medication wrapped around her like a comforting blanket, dulling the usual anxiety that would have surged at the sight of Shinso who suddenly appeared down the hall as she turned the corner. She noticed him talking with a teacher, the sound of their conversation drifting toward her, but it barely registered in her mind. Instead of feeling the typical flutter of nerves, she felt a strange sense of detachment, as if she were watching a scene unfold from a distance.

The final bell rang, jolting her from her thoughts as she remembered her belongings in the classroom. As she approached, she spotted her brother, Bakugo, who had already gathered her things from her classroom next door. "Alright, let's go," he said, handing her the backpack. Just then, Kirishima dashed over, breathless and holding out a pen. "Hey Bakugo, you forgot your pen!" he exclaimed, his eyes darting to Arisa, who stood there with an unreadable expression.
Concern flickered across Kirishima's face as he asked, "is she ok?" Bakugo quickly interjected, "She's fine. She's just medicated now. Which means she won't talk to anyone for the next several hours." Kirishima frowned, clearly troubled by the implications of the medication's effects. "Uh, that's odd. Why does it do that?" he inquired. Bakugo shrugged, explaining, "It's just how she is on it. It relaxes her and so she goes non-verbal for a bit." Kirishima's expression softened. "Oh... that sounds miserable,"  he murmured.
As they stepped outside, Kirishima offered a suggestion, "You know, there are some all-natural supplements that can calm her. Have you tried her on CBD Gummies? THC-free, that is... They calm you down without wiping out your entire personality." Bakugo shook his head firmly. "Trust me, it's better for all of us if she stays on the medication." Kirishima nodded, understanding that Bakugo must have his reasons. He then waved goodbye to Arisa as they parted ways. "See you guys tomorrow!"

Once home, Arisa retreated to her room, shutting the door behind her, while Bakugo headed to the kitchen. "Was school okay?" their mother asked, busy putting away clean dishes. Bakugo pulled a snack from the cabinet, irritation flashing across his face. "If you ever send her to school without her medication already in her, I'm telling Dad to homeschool her," he warned, his tone serious.
"Why, what happened?" Mitsuki asked, concern etching her features. "Not only did she get into a fight with a group of girls, but I also had to force her to take her stupid pills, and she broke my phone," he replied, sinking into a chair with a bag of chips. Mitsuki's eyes widened. "Oh crap. She didn't go gremlin, did she?" she asked, recalling her daughter's quirk. "No. But I scared her, and she went small," Bakugo said, crunching loudly on the chips, frustration still simmering beneath the surface.

"Here, go get you a new phone. I'll talk with Arisa," Mitsuki said, handing Bakugo a handful of cash, her expression a mix of concern and determination.
Later that night, after the effects of the medication had faded, Mitsuki approached her daughter's room, where Arisa was already cozied up in bed. The glow of a night light illuminated the dark corners, a small beacon against the shadows that still haunted her.
"Hey hun. Rough day, huh?" Mitsuki asked, settling on the edge of Arisa's bed, her voice soft yet probing.
Arisa turned away, avoiding her mother's gaze, the hurt evident in her tone. "Bakugo hurt me..." she muttered, betraying her brother by ratting him out.
Mitsuki sighed, understanding the complexities of sibling dynamics. "Well, kid, he told me what happened. He was just trying to do his job as your older brother. You can't go to school without your pills anymore; it's too risky."
"But I didn't go crazy! I got mad, yes, but I controlled it!" Arisa protested, sitting up suddenly.
"Arisa, your BPD affects your quirk. If Bakugo hadn't been there, could you really guarantee you would have kept your inner beast at bay?" Mitsuki challenged gently.
Arisa let out a frustrated sigh, flopping back onto her pillow. "I just hate taking those pills. They take away my whole personality. Please, Mom... I don't want them anymore."
"I'm sorry, honey. But your quirk can be dangerous if you lose control. You could seriously hurt someone," Mitsuki replied, her heart heavy with the weight of her daughter's struggles.
Suddenly, a vivid memory flashed through Arisa's mind, taking her back to a time before medication. She recalled a fierce argument with Bakugo, both of them shouting in a whirlwind of emotions. Arisa had been furious when her brother forbade her from seeing her crush, a boy whose mother had started to voice her concerns about Arisa's obsessive behavior with her kid. The tension escalated, and in a moment of rage, she had unleashed her quirk, leaving Bakugo with a painful gash on his abdomen.
In a desperate attempt to calm her, he had resorted to dunking her head underwater temporarily suffocating her, knowing her deep-seated fear of nearly drowning from a childhood incident. Even though he didn't want to, It had worked; she froze in terror, the fight of her inner beast leaving her as she gasped for breath after Bakugo and pulled her out of the water. That traumatic memory haunted her, a reminder of how quickly things could spiral out of control. However she never did tell her brother about how much that memory was still haunting her. And how she was fully convinced that her older brother was trying to kill her that day as he deprived her of oxygen in the tub water for a solid 3 minutes.
Arisa flinched, clutching her head as the old fears resurfaced, each recollection a painful reminder of her past.
Mitsuki, recognizing the distress in her daughter's eyes, knew that discussing the potential for harm was a sensitive trigger. She reached out, hoping to provide comfort amidst the turmoil.