Chapter Text
Ari banged on the basement door, crying to be let out. She screamed in terror as she saw a figure moving towards her in a very uncomfortable way..She begged them to stop, to leave her alone, but they kept coming closer, and closer..She finally burst out of the basement, only to find the house empty and dark. She grabbed a flashlight, shaking as she did so, exploring the dark creepiness of the house.
“H-hello?”
She calls out, hoping someone responds. She’s met with the same dark figure from before grabbing her wrist and dragging her to a bedroom where she sees a belt..She screams and cries as she’s dragged, begging to be let go and saying she did nothing wrong..as she’s about to be hit by the belt…
She suddenly awoke. She was in a warmer bedroom, much lighter and calmer…and someone was there, shaking her shoulder..
“Ari, Ari wake up!” A male voice said, shaking her shoulder. Ari slowly turned to see Steve, her new big brother, and she yelped and scooted back. Steve looked at Ari with concern, gently reaching to her.
“Hey…it’s okay..Ari…look at me..” He gently spoke to her, rubbing the back of her hand. “Did you have the dream again?” He asked, cupping her face gently. Ari nodded, tears swimming in her eyes.
“He can’t hurt you anymore…He’s not gona hit you ever again, I swear.” Steve reassured her, grabbing her hands.
“It’s not your fault. I know it only happened a few weeks ago..but please remember it’s not your fault.” Ari sniffles, brushing her brown hair away from her face, it taking some tears off of her freckled face as her chestnut eyes looked up at him with sadness and fear.
“Steve..” Ari croaked out, whimpering softly as she sniffles.
“I-I’m sorry for being like this-I-..I don’t know why I’m so…hurt…all the time..it’s just awful and I don’t like it!”
Steve’s heart broke at her words, he reaches out to hug her, but Ari backs away, crying.
“Don’t touch me!” She cried out, starting to cry again. Steve immediately backed away, giving her space.
“Kiddo..do you wanna try those breathing exercises that you were taught?” Steve asked gently, still keeping his distance, making sure Ari wasn’t triggered even further. Ari nods, slowly coming over to Steve and hugging him as she takes a deep breath. Steve notices this and hugs her back, helping her breathe better.
“That’s it kiddo, keep breathing. Keep breathing.”
a few moments went by, and Ari calmed down..
“Hey kiddo,” Steve softly spoke to Ari, combing his hand through her hair.
“You feelin alright?” He asked, his brown eyes softly looking into hers with that look only a big brother can have. Ari then nodded, softly sighing, starting to age regress to about the age of ten.
“Where did you feel it in the dream, if you don’t mind me asking,” He asked, gently letting go of her. Ari swallowed nervously before repling.
“Y-yknow..there,” She implied, her voice quivering. Steve gave a look of understanding, but also confusion…a hint of anger as well before nodding and leaving the room. He walked downstairs and tried to talk to his parents about Ari having the dream again, hoping they’d respond like decent human beings this time.
“Mom. Dad. Ari had the nightmare again…About that shitbag boyfriend-she said she felt it-“Steve started to say.
“Why should we care?” His dad interrupted, huffing.
“She’s just a stupid imaginative kid. Of course nightmares are going to repeat. Deserves it anyways,” Steve’s mom huffs, continuing what his dad was going to say.
Steve’s anger shot up a bit, and he was ready to defend her no matter what.
“It wasn’t her fault, whatever happened to her. She didn’t deserve it! I know she’s got issues, but dammit, I’m gona help her if it fucking kills me!” He shouted with anger, his eyes slightly narrowing. His father huffed at him.
“Whatever. I’m taking your mom and leaving for another business trip.” He and Steve’s mom then turned around and left, to go upstairs and finish packing for his week-long trip. Ari came downstairs, fully dressed in a white-collared shirt, a fall-cottage themed dress, a dark green sweater over it, with leggings underneath, and soft white socks with some boots,and hair up in a ponytail in a green scrunchie. Her ears were peirced and she had froggy earrings on, softly smiling, clearly feeling better.
“Someone’s looking adorable today!” Steve exclaimed, patting Ari’s head, softly smiling.
“I want breakfast!” Ari exclaimed, clearly hungry. Steve nodded.
“Breakfast it is, Ari. What would you like?” He asked, opening the pantry. “We have cereal, bread, and I think Eggos in the freezer,” Steve spoke, giving Ari some options as to what she wanted to eat. Ari seems to be deep in thoughts when he asks this before responding with a “Toast, please!” and a big smile on her face. Steve laughed.
“Toast it is, then. White or Wheat bread?” He asked her, wanting to know her preference. Ari then happily exclaimed “Wheat!”, causing Steve to laugh at her mannerisms.
“Peanut butter?” He asked, getting the peanut butter out for her. Ari nodded, clearly excited for her peanut butter toast. Pretty soon, the tosst was done and she got to eat her toast happily. After she was done, Steve helped her wash her face and brush her teeth, noticing she was in a slight little stare right now.
“Am I one of the cutest sisters ever?” Ari asked as she came back from the bathroom, fixing her dress. By now, Steve’s parents had left, making Ari feel safer to be out in the open of this home she now lives in.
“Top ten cutest little sisters!” Steve softly laughed, grabbing his car keys and Ari’s backpack.
“Cmon, let’s go pick up Robin,” He said, softly smiling at her as they left and got into Steve’s Beemer, his precious car, always clean and pristine despite the amount of times Ari has spilled something, left behind something, or gotten sick in the backseat of the car, wondering where the day would take them next. As Steve wondered about that, he had two thoughts in the back of his mind about Ari’s biological father and her ex-boyfriend: “What the hell else did they do to her? And where the fuck are they…?”
Ari, of course, wouldn’t open up about it easily, but Steve hoped she didn’t mean what he thought she meant when she said where she felt the beatings happening…He didn’t have time to worry now though, he had to focus on making sure Ari didn’t absolutely pass out in the backseat from motion sickness and picking up Robin…He would ask her later, when the two of them could be alone and in a safer space than the car.
{End of chapter 1, see notes for info}