Running on Empty

The aftermath

If the situation was any different, Shouta would have been concerned - his husband was aggressively cuddly at times sure, but punching someone in any context other than a villain fight was totally out of character. This time however, he was torn between being worried about how this could affect their custody of Hitoshi, and disappointed that he beat him to the punch, literally.

Takahashi spluttered, blood streaming from his nose, although thankfully it didn't look broken. Shouta was impressed to realise that Hizashi had exercised some restraint.

"How dare you!" The headmaster's face was turning almost as red as the blood dripping down his chin. "I'll have you arrested!"

Shouta scoffed, "Good luck with that, I doubt anyone's going to take that complaint seriously considering the charges you'll be facing."

"What the hell would I be charged with?!"

Hizashi turned to look out the window and Shouta watched as he took a few deep breaths before turning to Hitoshi.

"Hey kiddo, is this the first time this has happened?"

Hitoshi shook his head.

"You get beat up quite a lot?"

He nodded, signing, "And they call me names and stuff."

"What sort of names kid?" Shouta asked and Hitoshi frowned, hanging his head.

"They call me a villain, freak, criminal and... an animal, among other things."

Shouta's jaw clenched and Hizashi wrapped his arms back around the teen so he couldn't see the tears in his eyes.

"Have any of your teachers ever been present for any of these things?"

Hitoshi nodded again, burrowing into Hizashi's warmth and hiding his face from the others in the room. Hizashi made eye contact with Shouta over his head and bit his lip worriedly.

They turned back to the headmaster, "This is a very serious case of bullying that has been happening with your staff's knowledge."

"But not mi—"

"You didn't know?" Hizashi interrupted, incredulous. "Then why were you planning on suspending Hitoshi without even speaking to him or anyone else involved? The fact that you taped him is enough to warrant an investigation alone."

Takahashi didn't seem to have an answer for that, he just gaped at the two men, slumping against the wall behind him.

"Nothing will ever come of an investigation with a quirk like his."

Hizashi laughed, and it was more intimidating than him punching the guy, "You keep telling yourself that, but as pros we know the best of the best in terms of law enforcement and the justice system. No quirkist asshole's gonna save your career on our watch."

"Someone from the police department will be in contact with you shortly," Shouta sent himself the security footage and glared at the pitiful man who had paled dramatically. "I suggest you start packing up your desk. We're taking Hitoshi home."

"I don't understand," he frowned. "Why do you care so much?"

"Why wouldn't we?"

"You only just got him, you- you must barely know him! Why are you going so far for some random messed up soon-to-be villain that'll probably be moved to a different family in a month or so."

"We don't need to have known him his whole life to see that Hitoshi's a brilliant kid who's got a wonderful future ahead of him as a hero. He's been mistreated for a long time and any decent person would do anything in their power to get him out of that situation."

"Plus," Hizashi piped up, tilting his head to make eye contact with the kid, "'Toshi's staying with us for as long as he wants to, he's not going to get moved."

Hitoshi smiled weakly at that and Shouta saw his eyes well up with tears.

He turned back to Takahashi, "We're taking our son home now."

This time the man stayed silent as the two pros each wrapped one of Hitoshi's arms around their shoulders and supported him as they walked to the door.

Hizashi pushed it open again, and none of them looked back when they heard the headteacher fall back into his chair and start opening his drawers.

As they walked back through reception and out to the car, all three of them felt the eyes watching them. It was like half the school was pressed to the glass to figure out what the heroes had come for.

Present Mic turned and stared back at them for a moment, before very deliberately cradling Hitoshi to his chest, stroking his hair and kissing his forehead.

Shouta watched the faces of the students drop as he did so, and the look of shock that came over them was almost comical.

They helped Hitoshi into the car and left the school gladly, headed to UA to get Hitoshi checked over.

Glancing in the rearview mirror Shouta saw that he had fallen asleep on Hizashi shoulder and he finally allowed himself to relax slightly.

The rest of the drive was spent mentally figuring out a way to word his next phone call to Tsukauchi without giving the man room to tease him about his attachment to the kid.

He couldn't find one.