Continuation Shota Aizawa x Akemi Yuriemoto (Aizawa)

Chapter 233: These scars make us who we are

Akemi watched as Eri and Emiko played with Hitoshi and Reiko before lunch ended. She smiled softly as her eyes hyper focused on the pink martial arts wrappings around Eri's arms and legs. She remembered the day she beat her students to the ground as a test of her blind reflex training in front of Eri and Shota.

She remembered the conversation they had before school started that day with Eri. The little girl didn't have any long sleeved outfits that were clean to wear so she had to wear a little cream colored dress. The issue was that Eri didn't want to go outside. She didn't want anyone else to see her scars.
----------------------
Flashback...

Akemi and Shota stood outside the child's temporary bedroom door in the teachers lounge. Shota rapped his knuckles against the door to a tune Akemi's heard on a children's cartoon and smirked. Apparently Eri and Shota made it their little door knocker jingle.

(Rapp tada tap-tap Rappa tap-tap)

"Eri don't you want to see Deku and his friends? Can you open up please."

Eri's trembling shout echoed behind the closed door. "No!"

Shota blinked in surprise. "Eri I'm sorry I know you're upset, but we have no other long sleeved shirts that are clean for you to wear."

They heard her sniffling. Akemi squeezes his shoulder gently.

"Sho let me try okay..."

She lightly tapped on the door whispering softly. "Eri sweetie can we come in please?"

Nothing.

Akemi bit her lip and spoke as she leaned against the door. "We're not made of snow but we do like warm hugs. Do you like warm hugs Eri?"

Shota gave her a look. *Frozen. Seriously you used that line Akemi.*

Akemi smirked over that stare from her husband and stated with a smug grin. "Shota gives the best hugs!"

Shota was about to speak when they heard the door open. Eri opened the door with a sad downcast chin to the floor and sad little red eyes staring up at her caretakers. Shota was instantly questioning why he ever wanted to say anything to his wife over that last comment when he saw Eri like that.

She gave them a trembling lip and sniffle.

"He-He does?"

Akemi smiled. "Oh yes, the best Dadzawa hugs are only given to his favorite little girls and that's you and Emiko."

Eri looked up at Shota and sniffled and Shota's 'cold heart' melted as a soft caring smile graced his normally standoffish 'grinch-like' demeanor. He sat upon his knees and pulled her into a hug. "Well, I do like warm hugs."

Akemi smiled brightly down at her husband and this adorable little girl .

Shota spoke up softly towards Eri. "Now Eri can you tell me why you don't want to go outside today?"

Eri backed away and rubbed at her arms before whispering. "It's cold."

Shota's voice was soothing and kind a complete 180 from how most people see him as stern and monotonous.

"Eri I know that's not the real reason. You know you can tell me anything right? I won't get mad at you."

Eri silently stared at her arms scrutinizingly while scrunching her cute button nose.

It made for a very cute scene were it not for the visible scars and the solemn aura surrounding the small girl.

Eri knew she was ugly. Her scars weren't pretty, so she wasn't pretty despite what Mister Zawa said.