The King is Dead

Yaoyorozu

His face is still bruised from being body-slammed, and the ice on his face stings instead of soothes. He thought it was supposed to do the opposite but it's biting at his skin.

"I can't believe they tased you. What a load of bullshit." Hizashi crosses his arms as they come to a stoplight. He's been angry and even chewed out the officers who did it for an hour or so. Tsukauchi and Shouto had sat and listened from the other room awkwardly.

Aizawa is mad at Shouto, it's scary. He finds himself waiting for punishment each time Aizawa looks at him.

"I can't believe you let him sneak out without knowing."

"He's sneaky!"

Aizawa's eye twitches and Shouto flinches just from the look he gives Hizashi. "He climbed up the building! We live on the sixth floor of an eight-floor building! How did you not hear him open the window?"

"I was sleeping!"

Oh. Hizashi trusted Shouto not to leave. Shouto broke that trust. He feels worse now.

"Kid, you must really hate ice cream since you're doing so much to get it taken away. You're lucky they didn't hang you right then and there."

What can he say to that? I wish they did? I'm sorry?

"And you're especially lucky you're not expelled. That stunt you pulled with your classmates was reckless."

He feels like he should drift now. But Aizawa's voice is unfortunately too grounding. Too different from father's voice. There's a tone difference in that he's angry but not enraged to the point of hatred. Shouto still doesn't like the sound of it.

"Can you say something? Acknowledge that we're scolding you right now?" Aizawa looks at him from the mirror and starts driving again.

Shouto hasn't spoken since the officer hit his head against the car at the station. Shouto had hardly been present until the car stopped and he felt weak when he was forced to stand. He tripped and the officer took it as an escape attempt. He pushed Shouto up against the car's hood and pushed his head into the metal to ensure he stopped trying. The feeling of his brain vibrating in his own skull was too alike father's teaching and he could suddenly feel the hands at his neck, burning his skin away until flesh showed.

"I apologize," he signs. It's sloppy and shaky but it's there and it's enough to please Aizawa as they come to a stop again. The man has been studying sign for the sake of his boyfriend and his boyfriend's project child.

"Not accepted. I want it written out why what you did was wrong and if you miss even one reason you'll write it again. Essay format. Get going, I want it by tomorrow morning when I come by."

The dorms are awfully big for twenty students to occupy. He supposes it is a living space though, not some kind of motel where you only sleep and shower. It's hard to think he'll be living here for the next few months, maybe years.

He steps out of the car and grabs his bags from the trunk. He only has two, just clothing and a charger. His school supplies and new futon are already in his room.

He slings the bags over his arm, returning the ice pack to his cheek afterward. He needs to please Hizashi. He wants Shouto to ice the bruise.

He'll miss Hizashi. When they told him about the dorms that's what his initial thought was. He shut it down, he's not supposed to have attachments to anyone. He's still attached to father Hizashi is different though. Living with Hizashi made him feel safe but he guesses it was about time he stopped feeling so secure all the time. He doesn't deserve it.