Chapter five

It has officially been three months since Chuuya had adopted Myio. Her ability was a still unknown mess but she had more meat on her bones and had grown a few centimetres, her hair was also slightly longer. The girl's skin had gained more colour, she looked more… alive now.

She is now able to hold a pen and is clearer when she is speaking too. However the child has been diagnosed with a case of anxiety (Chuuya wasn't told how severe it was.) Chuuya had gone and organised for a service dog for when Miyo started to go to school. (She is currently homeschooled with the help of Kunikida.)

He had been given a few options but ultimately chose a great Dane… mainly because he wanted to see Miyo riding around on its back. He was told that the dog's training would be over today so he had decided to take Miyo to go meet the animal. That was why they were sitting in a room, waiting silently while the girl played with his hand.

Chuuya rubbed the girl's head, taking a breath. The room was painted with a tan colour along the walls and a lighter shade for the roof, the carpet was a dark grey. There were two chairs and plenty of open space for the dog. (Second chair is meant for Miyo but she didn't want it.)

The door to the room opened and the ginger looked over his shoulder, a smile spreading across his face as a woman with blue hair, purple eyes and dark skin walked in. The dog he had been waiting for Miyo to meet on a lead connected to a black harness. "Mr. Nakahara?"

"Yes, that would be me." Chuuya stood, holding the girl to his chest as he turned around and smiled, something in his chest humming– it was probably Arahabaki. "Miyo, this is Spero." He gestured to the dog.

The small child looked at the animal as she was placed on the ground, her hands shaking violently, clinging to Chuuyas pant leg. The woman and the dog got closer.

The dog was quite large in size– compared to other dogs and Miyo. "This is Spero, we're gonna adopt him." Chuuya crouched down beside his daughter, who has started to warm up to him a lot more. 

Chuuya had found out about the fear the child had for him a few days after their ice cream trip; he had been in the kitchen, making her something to eat for lunch and the girl had started to scream about not wanting to be cut. However, now she was a little bit more open and was willing to tell him how she felt.

"Big…" The small child gulped and teared up, though no one could tell behind the blindfold. Chuuya hugged her close to his side and nodded.

"Yes," he agreed, kissing her temple. "But, he won't hurt you, he's just a puppy." He said gently, maybe calling him a puppy would cheer her up and make things clear like how calling the cat a kitty did.

"Puppy..?" The small child let go of her fathers leg and moved closer to the large animal, slowly reaching her arm out, hand shaking a bit as the dog sniffed it. A squeal left her mouth as the great dane licked her hand. Miyo ran back to Chuuya and hid behind him with a giggle.

Chuuya smiled softly "it's okay, you can pet him as much as you want darling, we are keeping him." he wasn't going to explain what a service dog is to her yet but he would explain that most dogs won't be allowed inside stores and things but Spero is a special case.

"Spero is going to help you feel safe with me and Mackerel." he said gently, taking the lead from the woman and handing it to the small child. "Wanna go take him on a walk?"

The small child nodded heavily, still clinging to her 'mama's side as she hid in his sleeve. "Yea.."

*****

Chuuya had taken both Miyo and Spero on a walk after finishing the necessary paperwork. The walk wasn't that long, just until they got back to Chuuya's car. But with Miyo's low stamina (which Chuuya has been slowly getting her to build up over time, like her muscle strength) she couldn't walk the rest of the way after taking two steps away from the building.

So Chuuya picked her up and placed her on the dog's back, making sure to use his ability to make her lighter and keep her in place. "What do you want for lunch, baby?"

The small child gasped, looking over her shoulder at her mama "Nuggies." her eyes were shining extremely brightly as the word came out of her mouth, Chuuya should have expected it. It was the same with Dazai and crab.

"I should have known." he laughed softly, opening the back door of the car and picking the child up, removing his ability and placing her in the booster seat he had set up for her, doing up her seat belt before closing the door. Chuuya took the dog to the car side which was facing the road and opened the door. 

"In." Chuuya commanded, pointing to the car, watching the dog climb in, onto the seat and lay down with his head in Miyos lap. He released the lead and closed the door, opening his own and getting in, starting the car with a smile. "Let's get Spero some things first, okay baby?"

"Hai!" she said with a smile, eyes bright as she spoke, gently petting the animal's head.

*****

Chuuya was standing in the middle of a food court with Miyo and Spero beside him, doing his best to try and ignore the woman who was marching toward them. He moved forward in the line, Spero and Miyo moving with him. The dog was already an amazing help, Miyo wasn't freaking out this time around and she seemed more relaxed… 

Maybe he should get her a therapy cat too.

Chuuya was up at the counter, ordering himself something to eat while also ordering something for Miyo to eat and drink, he paid and they moved to the waiting area. The small child was playing with the fingers attached to the hand that was holding the lead. "Mama.. there's a scary person looking at us.."

"Is it Ryuu?" Chuuya looked around, not finding the Akutagawa sibling he had mentioned.

"No.. angry lady…" the child gulped, looking away from the woman who had been charging at them, however she had stopped, seemingly frozen in anger or something. 

Chuuya shrugged, "she can't hurt you." He was using his ability to hold her in place. Once they had gotten their food Chuuya decided to leave, taking the dog and his child with him while he deactivated his ability again. He was finished with shopping for the day. 

*****

That night, in bed Miyo couldn't sleep, tossing and turning all night, every time she closed her eyes she would see the faces of them; the people who would always hurt her. Slowly she sat up in bed and climbed out of it, Spero being asleep in the living room with Mackerel laying atop the dog.

Miyo crept to Chuuyas room, slowly pushing open the door and climbing up onto the bed, struggling to get onto the bed for a moment but she succeeded, she was proud of herself. The child crawled over to Chuuyas chest and laid down on it, curling up and seeing if this would help her sleep.

Chuuya turned onto his side, arms wrapping around the child protectively "couldn't sleep?"

"Mhmm…" Miyo hummed with a small nod.

"You wanna sleep with me tonight?"

"Yea.. am I allowed to, mama?"

"Of course you are Miyo, you don't need to ask." Chuuya mumbled softly, a sleepy smile on his face as he hugged her closer and pulled the blankets up.