Unstoppable

Enrollment Arc

Clear red eyes watched, transfixed, at the back that busied itself within the kitchen. Small dainty hands were placed on top of her lap as she sat behind a marble top kitchen island. Eri watched as the person who had taken her in - who had saved her - prepared a dish using the fish he had bought earlier in the day. Watching the green haired young man's back, a warmth originating from her chest spread towards her entirety. What is this feeling, she thought as a hand was placed on her chest and a puzzled look appeared on her face.

"Eri-chan?"

Hearing him call out to her, she looked up and saw his worried expression. She felt a painful twinge from inside her chest, and she didn't know what it was. All that Eri knew was that she didn't like him wearing that expression. Wiping his hands on a towel that was in his apron's pocket, her savior walked towards her and kneeled to place them at the same height.

"Is something the matter Eri-chan? Does something hurt?," he asked as he brushed her fringe with his fingers.

It tickles, was what she thought as she felt her chest warm and flutter. Seeing her cheeks pink while a light shined in her eyes, Izuku felt his worries fade. A warm smile spread on his lips as he laid a hand on top of her head and lightly tousled her hair.

"What~ it seems that there was nothing wrong after all?"

"Ehehe," unfamiliar muscles twitched on her face as her lips stretched into foreign lengths. "Stop it, it tickles and your messing my hair."

Izuku's smile widened as brilliant white teeth were exposed. His eyes crinkled in delight as he stood up after seeing the expression on her face. She was smiling, he thought. She was smiling! Since the first time he saw her inside that mini truck container - that already seemed so long ago even if it happened just this morning - he had never seen her smile. If he were to tell the truth, he had been worried as her expression remained blank even as he brought her into the estate. But now, seeing that pure but inexperienced expression, he felt relief that his worries remained unjustified.

The little one will be fine, he sighed in relief. She is strong. She will be fine. He knew how traumatic it was to go through their childhoods without someone to support you. Even if Eri had not talked about it, he was able to make some conjectures on what happened to her if only based on the scars that were present on her arms beneath her bandages. He knew how hard it was to display positive emotions after such experiences as they were usually the first to disappear from the mind, and so the fact that she was able to smile meant that she could recover - that she would recover.

Eri tried to fix her messy hair but had found herself carried in Izuku's arms; instinctively wrapping her hands around his shoulders so as not to fall. Her brows knit in confusion, she looked at his face and saw the peculiar light that lay within his eyes. It was a soft light - it was warm to her senses, and whenever she saw it when he turned to her, Eri felt safe. She felt as if she was wrapped in a warm blanket, and that nobody would be able to harm her, to touch her. It felt as if all the world could try and hurt her and she would be kept safe without fail.

Izuku felt small hands place themselves on his cheeks as their owner looked at him with a cute, confused expression. Chuckling he asked, "What are you doing?"

"Ne, Izuku, what's that?"

"What's what?" It was his turn to be confused as he didn't know what it was his young charge had been referring to. A small pout formed on Eri's face as he was unable to comprehend her question.