Little Stars

chapter 23

For a few moments, they sat in absolute silence. Keigo didn't dare to say anything, afraid of what Aizawa would do.

A sigh escaped the underground hero and he sat in front of Keigo who was looking at his lap, trying to keep his hands from shaking. "Keigo," Aizawa said softly, his heart breaking as he looked at Keigo and he suspected that the winged teenager was afraid of him.

"I couldn't save him from them, DadZawa." Keigo's voice was barely a whisper, but Aizawa was able to hear him. "I thought I could train more to be better."

"No, Keigo. I am sure you tried everything to help Touya."Aizawa said, remembering what Keigo told him in the morning before about what the villains did to them and how he tried to not let them take Touya to the torture room, but he couldn't stop them and he was punished for getting in their way. It was a miracle to let Keigo open up and tell him everything that happened, the winged teenager was silent the whole day, barely looking at anyone and never leaving Hitoshi's side.

"But it wasn't enough! I should have been faster and smarter!" Keigo's voice trembled despite his very best efforts. He didn't want to cry, crying is only for the weak.

But you are weak — a voice sneered into his mind, reminding him of every single time Mr. Asahi called him weak.

Weak.

Pathetic.

Stupid body, stupid, weak body.

"I should have helped him, DadZawa. I should have!" Wasn't he supposed to be a hero? So, why wasn't he acting as a hero? Why was he such a weakling? "I should have saved him and never let them torture him!" 

It hurt Aizawa when he heard from Keigo that he and Touya were tortured by those sick bastards and Keigo refused to tell him all of the things these bastards did. If only Aizawa could return back in time, he would kill every single one of them, hell, he would even help Shigaraki with killing them. The heavy guilt that accompanied him throughout his whole life about not saving Oboro was worse than ever because after he promised himself that he wouldn't let anyone he cares about suffer, Touya and Keigo suffered. After all, he couldn't save them, because he wasn't fast enough and now Touya is with the league of villains and Aizawa didn't know how they are treating him.

"I should have done more, DadZawa," Keigo said in a broken voice. 

And Aizawa could feel his heart shatter into a million pieces. He cares about them, he fucking cares and it hurt seeing life torturing them like that from a very young age. Both of them deserve everything good in life, but not this - never this. 

He thought by ageing them back he would give them better memories, but it was the exact opposite; new awful memories on top of their memories were made and Aizawa couldn't erase them.

"It wasn't your fault, Keigo." It was his –Aizawa thought. He didn't know how to comfort Keigo, he wasn't used to comforting people, nevertheless, he pulled Keigo closer when the latter tried to draw back as if he was afraid of Aizawa – he pulled him until Keigo can hide his face in the crook of his neck, Aizawa's arms warm and safe around him even if they were trembling. God, he failed them, he let them suffer for the second time.

"Touya is not here," Keigo's voice broke and he gritted his teeth to hold back a sob, lips trembling and nostrils flaring as he struggled to speak. He sucked in a loud breath and exhaled tremulously. When he managed to find his voice again, his breathing was raspier and even more laboured. "I lost him again, DadZawa." Keigo wanted to tell him that he was sorry and that he was destined to ruin everything like how his father used to tell him.

"No, we didn't lose him," Aizawa said, tightening his hold on Keigo as if he was trying to hide him from the rest of the world. "I promise that we will find him." And save him to not be Dabi again. Aizawa didn't know if he would be able to face Dabi on the battlefield after learning that beneath this hating and malice, there is a boy who had been through a lot, a boy who is hurting and afraid. "I will find him." He continued, hoping that he wouldn't be too late and if he had to fight the whole league, he would fight them to save Touya.