Smile for Me

Chapter 57: Leap of Faith

⚠️WARNING⚠️

The following chapter contains suicidal thoughts and themes. If you or  someone you know is experiencing things like this, please contact the  suicide hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). Protect and take care of yourselves. You are loved, and there are people that will talk to you.

-Sarah

⚠️Also play the audio while you read, start at 5:30⚠️

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Aizawa's POV

He ran faster than he had run in a long time. He didn't even know where he was going to find her, but he knew he had to get there fast.

Come on, where are you, Emi?

Okay. Where would she go? How would she...

He really didn't want to think about that, but he knew in order to find her, he had to think how and where she might do it if she left the house. Aizawa kept running towards town, his find racing as fast as he was. Straining his brain trying to think where she could've gone, he finally decided on a few places to check.

He swung on his capture weapon in order to get where he was going faster. In that moment it didn't even register that he should call other Heroes to help find her. He finally arrived at the shop they had gone to when he snuck her out. He asked the woman at the counter if she had seen someone that looked like her and she said no.

He tried a few more places, and every one said the same thing.

Come on, I'm running out of time!

Then it hit him.

The rooftop.

He darted up the nearest escape ladder and ran towards a very specific rooftop. It was the rooftop they would sit on when they were paired up for joined patrol. Of course she would go there. He finally landed on the back of the rooftop and scanned it, chest heaving for air. He prayed he wasn't too late.

Then, Aizawa saw her.

She was sitting on the edge of the roof, watching the night sky with her legs dangling off the edge. He breathed a half sigh of relief knowing he wasn't too late to stop her.

"Emi." he said softly.

The crying woman turned her head to face him without moving from her dangerous spot. Her sad eyes connected with his concerned ones. She looked at him in fear, then sadness and turned back around. Aizawa slowly crept up to the edge of the roof where she was until he was standing a few feet behind her.

"Please, step away from the edge, Emi." He asked softly.

She didn't say anything. She only sat and looked down the six story building at the people walking below them.

"I read the note," He said, cautiously creeping closer. "You're not a burden. You're not a nuisance. I promise that everything we do for you is out of love; not because we feel obligated to."

She chuckled dryly. "You all gain more burdens because of me. I cause stress and worry for everyone. If I disappear, so does the problem." Emi said, her throat raw.

He sat down next to her on the edge of the roof like they used to. However, this time they were a lot closer to the edge, and this was a much more threatening situation.