This Is Me

Ch 1: Akira

    Hizashi walked towards his front door annoyed. Who the hell was pounding so violently on his front door.  He opened the door and frowned. He was greeted with the sight of his brother-in-law who looked very annoyed and his young nephew who was sniffling and crying. He immediately noticed his nephew's former long blonde hair was now cut short. He also looked a bit roughed up and dirty. Hizashi frowned. He looked up at his brother-in-law. "What's going on?" He asked concerned.

"I can't handle this anymore," the man spoke. He shoved the child forward, who stumbled. Hizashi caught him easily and held him. "First I lost my wife and now this child is incompetent. He is a disgrace and weak." The male growled. 

"How can you talk about your child like that?" Hizashi asked angered. He picked the crying child up and held him comfortingly. "How could you treat her child like this?"

"As far as I am concerned, my child died along with my wife," the male said. 

"You're really going to abandon your child right after he lost his mother?" Hizashi asked surprised that this man could be so cold. 

"This thing can't be my child," The male said. "Much to weak. Hasn't stopped crying since we got his hair cut. What kind of boy wants long hair?" He growled. "Talia coddled him way to much and now he doesn't have a manly bone in his body." Hizashi glanced down at the crying child in his arms. He felt the child clinging to him tightly. "Having a flamboyant uncle such as yourself doesn't help the problem. I wanted Talia and the boy to have nothing to do with the likes of you, but she wouldn't hear any of it. Now he is your problem. I want nothing to do with him." The male tossed a couple duffel bags down at Hizashi's feet and walked away. He didn't look back once. 

"It's alright, little Akira. You're safe now," Hizashi told the child softly. He scoot the bags inside with his foot and then carried Akira inside.  

"What's going on?" A deep voice came from Hizashi's roommate. The had been friends since high school and in recent times possibly a bit more. "Isn't that your nephew?" Hizashi nodded. 

"He will be living with is from now on Shouta," Hizashi said giving him an 'I'll explain later' look. Shouta frowned looking at the sobbing child and nodded. He remembered the happy child Hizashi's sister, Talia, brought over when she visited. To see him in such a state now. Even knowing Talia passed recently. It was heart wrenching. "I'm going to get him cleaned up and ready for bed," Hizashi said. 

"I'll make some hot chocolate," Shouta said heading for the kitchen. Hizashi walked down the hall and into the bathroom. He used a wet cloth to clean the boys face gently. It was difficult because Akira wouldn't let him go. Soon he took him to the bedroom and laid him down. But the child still clung to him. 

"It's alright little Akira," Hizashi said rubbing his back. "You're safe now."

"Zashi? Did momma leave because of me?" Akira asked. A new wave of tears flowing from his eyes. "Because I am weak like daddy said?"

"Of course not Akira," Hizashi told him. He wiped the child's tears away. "Your mother loved you more than anything in this world. All she wanted was for you to be happy. It was just an accident that took her away. She didn't want to leave you. She was very proud of the person you are becoming." His sister, Talia, was hit by a car. A car driven by a villain running from heroes. It was just a freak accident. That's what Hizashi told himself. 

"Then why does daddy hate me?" Akira asked looking up at Hizashi. 

"Your dad is just hurting right now," Hizashi told the child. "He doesn't understand how to live without your mom. He doesn't know how to be a daddy anymore." Hizashi knew he was lying but he wanted to comfort the child. Plus Talia would never forgive him for bad mouthing her husband, especially to their child. The male may not have agreed with Hizashi's way of life but apparently there was some good in him, or Talia would never have stayed with him.