Bright sunlight filled the room and Amaya awoke disoriented. She stared at her surroundings in confusion before she realized where she was.
"Ahh yep. I'm living with Aizawa now."
Amaya stretched and let a yawn escape her dry mouth. It felt weird for her arms to not feel stiff and sore in the morning, however it was a feeling she hoped to get used to.
A soft meow was heard by her feet and Amaya let out a small giggle. Three gentle knocks made her immediately shut up and she naturally tensed at the door opening.
Aizawa, who looked just as tired as yesterday, glanced at Mochi before eyeing Amaya.
"Breakfast is ready. You have your own bathroom on the right here and it should have all the necessary toiletries, if not let me know." He explained calmly and then left her to her own devices.
Amaya let out the breath she was holding; she thought she was going to be punished for sleeping and not preparing breakfast herself.
"Calm down. This isn't like old lady Reí. Aizawa doesn't seem to be scared or disgusted by you yet. Let's just see how things play out today."
With that thought in mind Amaya nodded to herself before getting ready for the day.
Having changed from the old grey sweats and a wrinkled black tee, Amaya wore black skinny jeans and slipped on a maroon hoodie, making sure to keep her wrists covered.
Walking downstairs, Amaya's ears twitched at the sounds Aizawa made from the kitchen. Her black tail wrapped around her arm as a source of comfort. This would be the first time she had breakfast with someone in three years and her nerves were getting to her.
Looking around, Amaya appreciated the small but homey kitchen and sat down at the four-person table. On display her eyes greedily stared at the breakfast laid out. There were chocolate chip pancakes in a stack on the middle of the table and a bowl of strawberries next to it. Near that dish was a plate of bacon and little sausages that caused Amaya's mouth to water.
Embarrassingly her stomach gurgled loudly, causing an abrupt blush to spread on her cheeks. Trying to keep her face neutral, Amaya cautiously watched Aizawa to see if he'd yell at her for being near the food. She knew that he heard her stomach noises but all he did was fix up eggs on two plates with a grin on his face. Hesitantly she sat down seeing as he wasn't angry at her and her tail slowly started loosening on her arm.
Aizawa placed the eggs in front of her then sat across the table.
"Itadakimasu." Aizawa mumbled before he began eating.
Amaya, still hesitant about messing up, slowly moved her fork to place some bacon on her plate. She focused on Aizawa's reaction to see if it was safe and when he didn't react, she too mumbled her appreciation for the food and began to eat.
Amaya's eyes widened at the taste of the food. She had come to rely on herself to cook the meals while living with Ms. Reí. While she definitely knew the basics of cooking, none of her meals ever looked or tasted so good. Amaya was allowed to eat scraps or leftovers of Ms. Rei's plate, but it was never a lot, so she had accustomed herself to not eating much. Hence why she was smaller than the average 15 year old and got full after eating the eggs and two pieces of bacon on her plate.
"You can eat more. A heroine needs her strength and that requires substance." Aizawa said, looking at the young teen with concern in his eyes.
Amaya nodded and bit her lip in response. She didn't want to anger him, but she knew her stomach couldn't handle that much food either.
Taking a chance, she told him the truth.
"I lived with Ms. Reí for two years and during those years I wasn't really allowed to eat much. The food is delicious, and I want to keep eating but I'm not used to it. Please forgive me. I'll try my best to eat more."
Aizawa stopped eating and stared at the girl sympathetically. He felt his hands clench, knuckles turning white in anger at the old hag. Breathing out deeply he unclenched his hands and gave Amaya a soft look.
"That's okay. We're going to have to build up your appetite because once you start training, you'll pass out if you don't eat enough. You don't have to eat more now but you'll have to start eating snacks about every three to four hours." Aizawa explained looking seriously at the teen.
Amaya felt surprised and something warm built up inside of her. She nodded, gripping at her chest in slight confusion, moving to wash her plate.
She washed the dishes Aizawa used while he cooked. By the time Aizawa finished eating she too was done cleaning. She waited near the sink to clean his plate too.
"Why don't you go sit down and read. I got this. Thank you for cleaning up after me." Aizawa thanked Amaya before starting to clean his plate. Amaya looked shocked at his suggestion.
She was used to doing house chores, it was demanded of her when she lived with Ms. Reí. Although honestly Amaya didn't mind doing them as it gave her freedom to move around and let her mind be distracted. If she wasn't cleaning, Amaya was left with training or studying her school materials. Seeing as it was summer break before her first year of high school, she had nothing to read. And training seemed out of the question. She moved to the living room and sat on the couch with Mochi. She decided to play with her and wait for Aizawa to see if he wanted her to do something for him.
A few minutes later Aizawa emerged from the kitchen and sat on the other side of the couch. He glanced at Amaya and Mochi before turning on the tv.
Amaya immediately looked at Aizawa and gave him a puzzled stare.
"Yes Hitachi?" Aizawa drawled.
"Are there any chores I have to do? You haven't really told me any rules, restrictions or responsibilities you expect of me, so I was curious." She responded as she bit her lip in nervousness.
Aizawa felt like groaning and sighing at the same time.
"What part of 'my house is your house' did you not get? The house is clean and all I really expect you to do is clean your own messes. You don't really have any restrictions but if you go out, I want to know where and for how long and we can discuss a curfew, so you don't accidentally worry me. My only 'rules' are to try your best when you start school and to talk to me if you have any issues." Aizawa explained as he stared at Amaya.
Amaya didn't know how to respond. This was completely different to what she was used to, and she felt so disoriented. Without meaning too, tears welled up in her eyes, but she didn't let them fall. All she could do was nod before hugging Mochi tightly to her chest and watched whatever show Aizawa had on the tv screen.
The day passed on without much happening. Amaya watched tv and snuggled with Mochi which was definitely a first that she could get used to. Aizawa had fallen asleep for most of the day, without noticing he had pulled out and slept in a yellow sleeping bag at one point which surprised her. Amaya had eaten a banana and a few strawberries throughout the day to start expanding her appetite but besides going into the kitchen she didn't move much.
"This is weird. I'm going to start training tomorrow. While this is nice, I can't become too comfortable." Amaya's thoughts warned her as she showered and got ready for bed.
The next few days passed in a similar fashion with the exception of included training time that Amaya had asked Aizawa permission to do. He didn't object so she trained for at least three hours a day outside. Aizawa let her train out in the backyard which was new to Amaya but very enjoyable. She could run suicides at long distances now and the cool summer breeze felt nice. Practicing her speed, increasing her stamina and flexibility outside also gave her new determination to work even harder.
The weeks began passing by, and each day Amaya felt her guard slipping with Aizawa. They were both quiet people, so days were relatively peaceful, but he always reminded her when to eat and asked her how she was doing or if there was anything she needed. He would go out at night sometimes to deal with pro-hero work, but he didn't chain her up or even threaten her about not leaving. He seemed to really care about her, it was disarming.
Aizawa wasn't the most affectionate person and he didn't really mince words, but he always spoke to Amaya in a calm manner and gave her small grins and soft looks. In the last month he had even started giving pats on her head when she made a good dinner for both of them. The first time had taken her by surprise and she automatically flinched at the soft gesture. However, he just patiently waited until she relaxed and showed her, he was thanking her.
Too soon it was only a week before they both started school and Amaya didn't know how to act anymore. Yes, she was still cautious and quiet with Aizawa, but she didn't flinch when he was near her anymore. She stopped trying to hide her misty black tattoo after he saw it but didn't say anything. She actually started to miss his presence whenever he had to leave at night, not that she'd ever let him know that. His quiet company was comforting and without realizing it Amaya had grown a bit attached to this new lifestyle.
Within these last two months she didn't go out unless it was to train outside but that didn't mean she couldn't go. Aizawa gave her that freedom, she chose not to go because she knew what would happen if people saw her in public. If they didn't recognize her immediately then the shock collar would instantly put people on edge so she just avoided public places whenever she could.
Still she was free. In ways she hadn't been in so long and it was all thanks to Aizawa. He was patient and cared for Amaya in ways she forgot were possible. She knew the only reason she was staying with him was because she had to attend U.A. but she was scared about entering. She knew people were going to recognize her and hate her instantly. It wasn't made public news for fear of a protest, but the staff and parents of 1-A knew. Meaning those teachers and probably all those kids were going to hate her before even seeing her. However, she prepared herself and kept reminding herself that she was used to that... was. It's crazy to think that one kind person's attitude could make her forget, if only a little, about just how much the world feared her.
Amaya didn't want to leave the comfort of this home. She wanted to continue having meals with Aizawa, reading for pleasure, training outside where he'd occasionally stop by to give her some exercises to try, watching dumb movies with Mochi while Aizawa slept in his favorite yellow sleeping bag. She knew she could handle rejection but now she wasn't sure if she could go unaffected like she was used to. She also knew if she wanted comfort in Aizawa she couldn't just go to him during school. No one was to know about their living arrangements so that was out of the question.
Amaya sighed, letting the warm water of her bath wash away her worries. She almost laughed at herself now because this was not what she expected to occur when she said yes to Nezu's offer a few months ago.
"So, if I'm understanding correctly, you want to come to U.A.? You want to join the hero course and train to be a pro?" The small white mouse-bear asked Amaya, giving her a smile.
Amaya nodded and gripped at her chains. Even if the world hated her, she didn't care. She was going to be someone that would save everyone in need. 'Hero', 'villain', it didn't matter, anyone that needed help would receive it from her. She knew what it was like to want to be saved. No one was going to save her, no one had, so she needed to step up and save herself.
Nezu partially saved her by giving her this chance. Aizawa saved her too. Be it intentional or not he did. If only partly, she knew she wouldn't be able to form close relationships with her peers but for a long time she believed she'd never form any kind of relationship with another person. Aizawa proved her wrong.
With that thought in mind she clenched her hands in determination. To show her gratitude and make sure Nezu knew he made the right choice she was going to go to U.A. bravely. She was going to save others. Friends or no friends she now had some hope that Aizawa and Nezu placed in her. It wouldn't go to waste.
"U.A. get ready. I'm coming.
A/N: Chapter 1 complete! After this Amaya will finally start at U.A. and meet all the other nerds! I plan to update once a week and the goal is to keep it on Sundays. Thank you again for reading! Please review, I enjoy reading comments and seeing things from others perspectives.