Asuna was in the office filing away reports and setting aside a stack of paperwork that still needed to be finished. She was still kicking herself over her conversation in the elevator with Aizawa. Closing her eyes a moment, she thought she could pretend it didn't ever happen.
"Excuse me," a soft feminine voice pulled her out of her thoughts.
"Yes? How can I help you," Asuna asked as she pulled her attention to the curly pink hair in front of her.
"Aizawa asked if I could drop this off on my way to lunch," she announced happily, sliding the envelope on the counter.
Asuna looked down and felt her heart stop a moment. In very impressive cursive was her name labeled across it and in the corner were the initials of the sender.
"Oh! Yes that's okay. Thank you," Asuna smiled softly, sliding the envelope to the side only to see the pink haired girl grinning still standing there.
"Go on to lunch. I'll let him know I received it," she told the student, smirking some knowing that this student was wanting the juicy details. However, there were none. But instead of disappointing the student, she figured she would play along a bit.
Seeing the defeat on the student's face, Asuna watched as the student left. Giggling softly to herself she then brought her attention back to the envelope. What would Aizawa have to send her?
Opening the envelope she pulled out different articles and then a letter. Reading it over, it now made sense why Aizawa was sending this to her. The letter stated that he had done some digging into Dai, found that he was still on the other side of town and his exact location. Along with a warning from Aizawa that he is keeping an eye on Dai and if anything was to happen he would be sure that Dai never got back out again.
Sighing, Asuna folded up the letter and shoved it into her purse.
"Secret admirer," Kim asked as she entered the office, setting down a stack of folders and pulling the computer chair out.
Asuna simply shook her head as she leaned back in her own chair, crossing her arms across her chest.
"Aizawa just letting me know that Dai is still out and where he is exactly," she mumbled closing her eyes.
"Dai should have never got out," Kim told her with poison lacing her words. "He'd be better off dead."
Asuna didn't say anything. Sure, he hurt her. He hurt her so badly that she temporarily lost vision in her left eye. Even through it all, part of her still loved him. She would never go back but it was heavy on her heart because he wasn't always this way. He used to be kind. He used to treat her like she was the one who hung the moon.
"NaNa, no," Kim warned Asuna, seeing her best friend slip into a spiral.
Asuna looked at her, tears forming as she tried hard to battle them and keep them at bay. Asuna swallowed hard as she got up a moment and quickly turned to the filing cabinet and started to put away some of the folders she had already processed.
"I'm fine. It's fine," she mumbled as she moved back to the counter.
She gathered her purse quickly and gave Kim a hug, "I'm calling it half a day. If Nezu asks just tell him to call me. I'll come back and explain. But I need to go to the apartment. I can't do it today," she told her sniffling.
Quickly leaving the campus, she made her way to the train station. Sitting on a bench she starred at her shoes, tears still threatening to fall. Empty. Alone. Exposed.
FLASHBACK
Asuna rolled over to see the back of her husband's head, his brown long locks cascading over the pillow. It was when he rolled over to face her that she smiled seeing his sleepy expression as he forced himself awake. A giggle broke the morning silence as she leaned over and kissed his cheek.
"Morning," she said softly, moving his hair out of his face.
"Morning," he rasped out, kissing her softly before pulling her close to him.
Another giggle escaped her lips as his beard tickled along her neck. It was mornings like this she never wanted to get out of bed.
"I've got to head into work soon," she spoke to him, snuggling closer to him, revealing in his warmth.
"Yeah yeah... just a few more minutes..."
FLASHBACK END
The loud ding of the doors opening on the train pulled Asuna back out of her thoughts as she quickly dismissed herself from the transporter. She wasn't sure how quickly she was moving but it was fast enough that she made sure she got to her apartment as quickly as her legs would carry her. Once inside her home, she locked the door and slammed her back against it. This is where she let the tears fall. This is where she let her voice out and wailed and screamed as she let her tears fall freely. Her heart was heavy and felt like it had been stabbed again.
She had failed relationships, but the relationship she shared with Dai was one that hurt the most. She remembered when he was kind, their dates, when they got married. However, it was after their marriage that things quickly hit the fan. She watched him morph into this man who was hateful and angry. A man who would rather speak with violence than with words. A man who lied about everything he was to keep her locked down. A man that wasted her time and years of her life. Not only was she scared of being found, she was terrified of what would happen if they crossed paths again.
The banging on her door made her jump and she quickly turned and backed herself away from the door, sliding across the floor towards the living room just in case.
BANG
BANG
BANG
The silence after was deafening.
"Asuna it's Aizawa. Open up," he yelled.
She quickly looked at the clock. That man should still be at the campus. Why was he here? Was Dai nearby? Was something wrong at the school? Was Nezu really mad at her?
So many questions raced through her mind as she swallowed hard and got back to her feet. She wiped her tears, fixing her hair quickly before opening the door. There he stood, his hair pulled back into a bun, his eyes locked onto hers.
He pushed pass her and looked around, clearing the kitchen and living room before looking back at her.
"It was just me, Aizawa. I just needed time," she told him as she closed the door, locking it quickly before turning back to him. "Sorry. I thought you were still on campus," she quickly changed subjects.
"I was. But then I saw you rush off and thought something happened. Next thing I know I hear you screaming," he explained to her, watching as she seemed to be stuck in this spiral she had gotten herself into.
She nodded, crossing her arms over her chest, closing herself off.
"What happened," he asked as he stepped closer to her.
Asuna just shook her head, the tears yet again threatening. Aizawa saw the damage Dai left her with. Physically and mentally. He watched as his coworker was no longer the free spirited and full of life individual he became accustomed to. He remembered as she came back to the school that day. Her left eye busted and red, blood vessels that had popped leaving her vision bloody in that eye. He remembered the blue and purple hue bruises she had scattered across the visible spots of body. She looked like the walking dead.
He watched as she flinched when he lifted his arms to embrace her. He hesitated a moment with her reaction but when she didn't pull away and her tears fell, he continued to embrace her. He let her cry against her chest. He let her wail and wrinkle the fabric in her fists.
"Why," she screamed, her body shaking as she tried to understand what happened wrong in her life. "Why?! First Dai! Now my quirk! And now Dai again?!"
She choked on her sobs and tears as she hit Aizawa in the chest, "What did I do?!"
He simply held her as she let out her frustrations and sadness. He knew the blows to his chest wouldn't leave anything, but he also knew she kept this all pent up and to herself. She was so fragile and much like a bomb, she was ready to detonate.
"It's okay, Asuna," he told her softly as he held her, her cries echoing in his ears as he looked at the ceiling. "No more hiding. Come to me."
