Work Text:
"Sho'..." Clinging onto him I dug my snot-filled face, sobbing, into his shirt. Soiling it was the least of my worries— for now. I couldn’t care when my heart ached under my collapsing chest as I struggled to breathe. My head grew heavy and my vision blurred. I could’ve sworn I was going to die so in return my grip tightened onto Aizawa like a vice as if he were my lifeline. My saving grace. "Please don't leave me." My throat felt hoarse as I heaved, begging for him to stay, under his breath. Staring up into his worried-filled eyes with my own, tear-glazed, doe ones filled with anguish and terror.
“Hikaru” wasn’t the begging that made him cave in. No, I’d never have to beg for such a request from him to abide. So when I called out for him. Held him in place as I shook. When I stuttered pleas through quivering lips for him not to abandon me. It wasn’t enough to convince him to stay by my side.
It convinced him that I needed him now more than ever.
Aizawa, hushing my whispered pleas, pulled me into his lap, wrapping his arms around my small, fragile, form, and held onto me just as tightly ( perhaps we were each other’s lifeline ). A rough hand ran gentle circles onto my back while the other pulled back strands of my hair from my sweat-sheened face. "Don’t worry, I’m not leaving your side anytime soon."
“You promise?” I stuttered out. The words panged his seemingly cold heart ( though it was never cold, to begin with ). “I promise,” and with those words of assurance and a kiss on the forehead I was lulled into a sense of security. One that made me weep again, but not with tears of despair but relief.
At that moment I couldn’t contain the silent scream that ripped through my chest. The solace was like a key that had unlocked a chest filled with repressed emotions. So I went into hysterics, shouting and thrashing until I could no more.
The entire time he didn’t dare stop me, let alone move. When he took a few punches— that I’ll surely regret— he just held onto me a little tighter. I was grateful for his patience and comforting whispers throughout my childlike tantrum which is only expected from my short-lived youth ( or that’s what he’d tell me at least ).
But soon enough it stopped as soon as it came.
The tears had finished running their course from soothing my swollen cheeks to dampening his shirt furthermore. Only sniffling and jagged breaths filled the room but I stayed clung to him. Afraid he’ll leave once I loosened my grip. So I held on a little tighter. Then a little more till my knuckles grew white and my hand became numb in fear my weariness will do it for me.
A promise will never falter the fear that lingers in the mind of an abandoned lamb.