Not Second Best

Summary: A few months had passed since Hitoshi's adoption into the Aizawa-Yamada household, and Hizashi had never been happier. Even though Hitoshi had a higher regard for Shouta, Hizashi was fine – It wasn't like the kid was disobedient, anyway.

Or that's what he had thought, until the day Hitoshi deliberately disobeyed him. Contains parental spanking and lots of Dadmic and Dadzawa.

Been working on this fic for the past couple of weeks, and I finally finished it (mainly because of the SHN...)! It features the Erasermic family and the best purple son, and is about the first time Mic had to discipline Hitoshi. I ADORE Hizashi (like seriously, he's my favourite parakeet DJ), so it's so nice to get to finally write him. This one has a lot of fluff and aftercare - That is my favourite part of discipline fics tbh, the comfort and love.

Again, this contains non-sexual, parental discipline – Please skip if it's not your cup of tea. And to the anon that commented on Heroic Pains, I hope you'll enjoy this. *winks*

"You lied to me!"

Yamada Hizashi, better known as Present Mic exclaimed, hands on his hips. The source of his displeasure was standing in front of him, looking anywhere but at the irate blond.

"I… didn't mean to?" Shinsou Hitoshi said, but the teacher knew that it was a feeble lie. The boy seemed just as aware, judging from his wince.

"You're doing it again." Hizashi sighed, rubbing his forehead. The both of them were standing in their living room, Hizashi in casual sweats and Hitoshi in a hooded shirt and jeans. The reason for the Voice Hero's unhappiness was his adoptive son's subterfuge.

While Hizashi and his partner, one Aizawa Shouta, were generally easy-going with rules, they were stricter about certain others. One of which was for Hitoshi to focus on his studies during the exam periods, which meant no going out. The other was lying.

Even though Hitoshi was a wonderful student, being amongst the top-ranking of 2-A, Shouta and Hizashi wanted him to not get complacent and keep up with his good habits. Their son had been understanding, not wanting to fall behind after working so hard to get into the hero course.

This was until last week, when Hitoshi had come home from school looking unsure.

"Um, Aizawa-sensei, Yamada-san… Can I ask you two something?"

The two teachers had immediately stopped marking, their attention focused on their son. "Of course, kiddo." Hizashi said warmly, moving to make space for Hitoshi to sit between them.

The boy did so, fiddling with the cuff of his shirt. "What is it, 'Toshi?" Shouta asked, ruffling the purple locks.

"I was wondering… If I can go to the cinema with Kaminari and Midoriya next week? They are having a special feature on Underground Heroics, and the both of them had asked me along. I… said yes?" Hitoshi trailed off at the disapproving look on Shouta's face.

"You know the rules, 'Toshi. It's near midterms week, and that means no going out." His husband had said, gently but firmly.

"I've already finished most of my revision, though… And it would only take two hours!" The kid had tried to convince the duo. "Plus, it's a limited showing!"

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. But we came up with the rules for a reason. What about, I could try to get a copy from the film company itself, and we can watch it together when your midterms are over?" Hizashi said gently, wanting to take away the look of disappointment on Hitoshi's face.

"It wouldn't be the same, though…" The boy had muttered, seemingly resigned, "Fine. I'll just let them know that I won't be able to make it."

They had thought that it was the end of the matter, as Hitoshi appeared to be in better spirits by dinner. Hizashi himself had forgotten about the entire incident, until this morning.

Shouta was already out, having needed to discuss a few ongoing cases with the detectives at the police station. Hizashi and Hitoshi were having breakfast when the boy spoke.

"Yamada-san?"

"Yes, little listener?"

"Is it okay if I go to the dorms today? Kaminari asked me to help him with Hero Ethics, since I'm apparently better at the subject. I'll be back to help with dinner." He asked, nervously rubbing the back of his neck and not looking at Hizashi.

It took a lot for Hizashi to not coo. For someone who had openly declared that he was 'not here to make friends', his 'Toshi had ended up being very well-liked in 2-A. He had even made a few close friends whose company he seemed to really enjoy; the resident meme-king included.

Back to topic. "Of course, 'Toshi. I'm so proud that you're helping out the others. Shouta would be pleased too, even if it's just for the fact that Kaminari's paper would be less… painful to grade." He joked, earning an awkward laugh from Hitoshi. In hindsight, Hizashi realised that Hitoshi was acting uncharacteristically jittery.

The kid had left to UA soon after that, and Hizashi had proceeded to work on his own midterm planning. After completing his work a few hours later, the Voice Hero had decided to make his own way to the dorms, to do a quick check-in on the students for Shouta, and also to give Hitoshi a lift home.

"Good afternoon, my dear listeners!" Hizashi greeted cheerily, as he walked into 2-A's section of the Heights Alliance. He did a quick scan of the common room; most of the students were off somewhere else, so the only ones present were Yaoyorozu, Jirou, Ashido, Kirishima and Iida. They seemed to be having their regular Saturday study session headed by the class leaders; all of them happy to see Hizashi when the man entered.

"Hello, Mic-sensei!" They chorused.

"How can we be of assistance today, Sensei?" Iida Tenya asked, eager to help as always. Hizashi internally chuckled at the stark difference between Tensei and his younger brother; while both of them are amazing, competent heroes, the younger Iida was excessively proper in a way his older brother had never been.

"Nah, don't worry about me! I'm doing a quick check in for Eraser; he's stuck with Detective Tsukauchi and his team for the day!" Hizashi said, giving Iida a pat on his back. He came closer to the group, taking a look at Jirou's notebook. "Now… I see that you guys are working on English today, do you want to, you know, make use of your very available English teacher?"

The group responded enthusiastically, Ashido and Kirishima shifting to make space for Hizashi. The teacher spent the next hour revising with the students, before being satisfied with their proficiency in irregular verbs. "Alright, seems like you will be fine for your paper next week, listeners!"

"Thanks for the help, Sensei!" Kirishima said enthusiastically. "Damn, today's session was awesome – Denki would be so upset about missing out."

Oh, right. Hizashi nearly forgot the other reason he came for. "Speaking of which, is Kaminari in his room? I heard that he is studying with Shinsou today."

The red-haired boy blinked. "No…?" He said, looking unsure. "He went with Midoriya to the movies today, apparently the film honouring underground heroes just came out."

"I heard that Aizawa-sensei would be featured heavily!" Ashido gushed, not noticing Hizashi's confusion. "That's so cool!"

"But… Shinsou told me that he was studying with Kaminari today. Which is why he was out of the house so early." Hizashi said.

"Mic-sensei?" He turned to see Yaoyorozu, the vice-president looking unsure, "I, um, saw Shinsou-kun at the gates this morning, when I was out in the courtyard with Kyouka-chan. He met up and left with Midoriya-kun and Kaminari-kun."

Hizashi's heart dropped. He focused on keeping himself calm as feelings of hurt and betrayal struck deep. Hitoshi had lied to him, taking advantage of Hizashi's trust and going behind his back to do the one thing Shouta and him had forbidden him to. He was not successful in keeping the anger from showing on his face, judging from the looks on his students' faces.

"Mic-sensei, are you okay?"

"I'm… quite frustrated, Jirou-chan." He answered honestly, "Shinsou had deliberately lied to me, saying that he came to school to helped Kaminari study. And this is after Aizawa and I had told him that he was not allowed to the theatres."

"Sensei, don't be too angry with Shinsou-kun, please? As Mina-chan had mentioned, Aizawa-sensei's career as Eraserhead would be a key feature in the film; and he is Shinsou-kun's favourite hero, after all." Yaoyorozu pleaded.

Hizashi sighed. "Yes, dear listener, but that did not change the fact that he lied to me." He stood up, ignoring the worried glances. "Do not worry, kiddos. I'll be going down to the cinema to pick Shinsou up… Please do not let them know about our conversation."

He had left after getting the details of the movie screening, making his way to the Musutafu Movie Centre. How could Hitoshi do this? The boy knew that Hizashi trusted him, which was why the teacher never asked many questions regarding his actions. He resolved to talk to Hitoshi once they got home; because there is no way the kid is getting away scot-free.

Since he had reached slightly before the movie ended, he took a seat near the entrance, taking the time to text Shouta. Hizashi knew that Shouta would be furious – His husband was very big on honesty. He almost felt sorry for Hitoshi when he saw Shouta's reply.

'Be back soon. Will deal w the brat ltr. Take care & 3 u'

He was in the midst of replying before hearing a few familiar voices. Looking up, he saw the three boys walking out of the theatre, excitedly discussing what was probably the movie. Hizashi had recognised the moment Hitoshi saw him, the boy's face paling. Hizashi knew he must had looked upset, judging from the wary stares coming from his other students. "Mic-sensei, is everything o-okay?" Midoriya stuttered, looking between him and Hitoshi.

"It's all good, listener! I'm just here to take Hitoshi home, there are a couple of things we need to talk about. But you and Kaminari-kun stay safe and enjoy the rest of your day, yeah?"

Barely waiting for Hitoshi to even say goodbye, he placed a hand on the kid's shoulder, guiding him back to the car. "You are in so much trouble, young man." He lightly scolded.

"Y-Yamada-san, I –"

"I don't want to hear it now, Hitoshi. Not until we get home."

That conversation was preceded by one of the tensest car rides ever, with Hitoshi's nerves and Hizashi's displeasure being apparent. Hizashi had immediately expressed his upset at his young troublemaker the moment they got home, leading to the current predicament.

"Just… go to your room first, Hitoshi." Hizashi said, feeling exhausted. "Pick a corner and face the wall. Let's wait for Shouta to get back before we discuss your actions."

His son looked like he wanted to apologise more, but the mention of Shouta had made him pale and nod. A part of Hizashi sympathised – Serious 'discussions' with Shouta involved Hitoshi's underwear being taken down and his bottom blistered. It had only happened twice before, as the hero-in-training was thankfully a well-behaved kid, but those times had left quite an impression.

The other part of Hizashi was honestly upset. He was well aware that Hitoshi loved him, the boy having grown up listening to his radio shows ever since he was still a kid in foster care. They had met in-person years later, Hitoshi as Shouta's prized protégé and Hizashi as his goofy, friendly husband and fellow teacher.

The pair had hit it off, Hizashi's easy-going nature worming through Hitoshi's defences and into his heart quickly, much like he did Shouta's all those years ago. He also regarded Hizashi highly as a hero, always listening closely to any advice given by the man. When details of the kid's home life came into light, the couple wasted no time in getting Hitoshi out from the dirty and neglectful household.

There was never a question about where he would go – Shouta doted on the teen like a loving father, and Hizashi had adored the boy since their first meeting. Even though they had some initial difficulties adjusting, the three of them eventually managed to build a happy family of their own.

However, he knew that Hitoshi still regarded Shouta as the primary 'head' of the household. Whether it was because of the former's no-nonsense demeanour or Hizashi's happy-go-lucky personality, the man wasn't sure. He was well-aware that Hitoshi would never have pulled a such a stunt with Shouta; not only was he wary of the consequences, but the boy also had too much respect for his Sensei to lie to him.

It was different with Hizashi. While Hitoshi definitely saw him as his parent, he was generally more casual around him. His characteristic cheekiness sometimes bordered on disrespect, and Hitoshi tended to pay lesser heed to him. Hizashi was alright with that, Hitoshi was a teenager, and all those were relatively minor things. However, lying was huge and not at all tolerated.

He only lied because he thought that he could get away with it. Was it because I have been too soft with him this whole time?

Hizashi was still deep in thought when his husband came home, looking as tired as always. Aizawa Shouta removed his hero gear methodically, before pulling his husband into a quick hug. "I got your message," He said gruffly, pulling away slightly. "Where is he?"

"I sent him to his room, he should be in the corner." Hizashi replied. "Shouta, I… don't know what I should do."

"What do you mean?" His husband asked, his hand a pleasant warmth on Hizashi's back.

"I feel that Hitoshi only lied to me because he thought that I was a pushover. I know he loves me, but it's like he doesn't respect me enough to listen, y'know? He wouldn't have done this if he was with you, babe." Shouta sat up, the amused look on his face confusing Hizashi. "What?"

"He's testing you, 'Zashi."

"Huh? Testing me?"

"Maybe not consciously, but I think that Hitoshi was trying to see if you would discipline him for disobeying you. Think about it – I was the one who usually dealt with him when he messed up. Which was fine since I was the one he disobeyed, and because he used to feel safer around me."

"But it's different now, 'Zashi," Shouta continued, "He has grown to trust you over the past few months, and right now he's testing you to see how you would respond."

"You need to show him that you also mean business, Hizashi. Both of us are his fathers; you are not second best."

"Of course! I knew that." Hizashi spluttered.

"So you should not have any problems spanking him, right?" And wasn't that the million-dollar question. Hizashi hated the thought of disciplining Hitoshi – The kid already had a tough childhood, and Hizashi did not look forward to being the cause for his tears.

Shouta, his wonderful husband, seemed to understand. "It sucks, I won't lie to you. But Hitoshi needs to know that you will hold him accountable to his actions, 'Zashi. Kids need boundaries, or they would end up stepping all over you."

He sighed. "I guess that makes sense. I suppose that I don't have much of a choice, yeah?"

"Not really. I'll be around to keep an eye on things, though." Hizashi caught the hidden message.

I'll be there to support you.

Reassured, the Voice Hero reached a hand out, pulling his partner to his feet.

"Thanks, babe. Come on, let's go see our little troublemaker."

"Hitoshi, we're coming in!"

Not waiting for the boy to respond, Hizashi opened the door for the couple to enter. To the man's bafflement, Hitoshi was not in the corner; instead sitting on his bed and frantically texting.

Before Hizashi could even process the blatant disobedience, Shouta was already making his way to the panicked boy.

"Shinsou Hitoshi, didn't Hizashi already tell you to stand in the corner?" Shouta barked, grabbing Hitoshi's upper arm with one hand and laying a few brisk swats with the other, making the boy yelp. "Are you trying to get yourself into more trouble, kid? What are you waiting for? Go, now!"

Hitoshi needed no extra incentive, quickly positioning himself in the corner furthest away from the couple. Hizashi could only wish he could inspire such regard from their kid. He took a seat on Hitoshi's bed, pulling Shouta to sit beside him. "Calm down, darling."

"I'm fine," Shouta said, hand rubbing his forehead. "I'm just astounded by his lack of respect towards you, 'Zashi. I never thought it was this bad."

Hizashi could see the teenager cringe from the corner of his eye. Good. His kid deserved everything he would be getting, as much as Hizashi loathed to discipline him.

"Five minutes, Hitoshi. And you better have an explanation for your actions by then."

"Yes, Sensei."

It wasn't long before Hitoshi was standing in front of the two men, his hands fiddling with his hem. "So, 'Toshi. Can you explain what made you think that was a good idea? Be honest."

"Especially since we already forbid you from going." Shouta added.

"I-I really wanted to go – The showing was something that I have been looking forward to for quite some time… I decided not to tell the others that you and Sensei didn't allow me to. So they would include me in their plans… And I knew Sensei would be away this morning, so I thought that I would be able to get away with it." He confessed.

"So, what you are saying is that you knowingly broke the rules, disrespecting Hizashi's authority, because you thought that he would not catch on."

Hitoshi blanched. "Y-Yes, Sensei."

"Which is precisely why he will be the one spanking you today."

"Huh?!" Hitoshi exclaimed, looking baffled. "Y-Yamada-san? B-But Sensei, aren't you –"

"You lied to me, Hitoshi." Hizashi interrupted. "You took advantage of my trust in you, and did what we told you not to. Let me ask you this, kid – If Shouta was around this morning, would you still have done it?"

"… No, sir." The boy answered, head down.

"And I think that was also partly my fault for making you think that I am a pushover. No kiddo, listen," Hizashi said, cutting off Hitoshi's protests. "I was content letting Shouta be in charge of disciplining you because I thought that you would be more comfortable with it. However, this has made you think that I would allow you to get away with stuff. It ends today, Hitoshi."

Stern green eyes met nervous violet ones. "I take my duties as your father very seriously, kiddo. And I am going to prove it to you right now. Take off your jeans."

Hitoshi obeyed, setting them down neatly before turning back to Hizashi, red-faced.

"You're getting this on the bare, kiddo." His kid whimpered, but did not protest.

Hizashi inserted his fingers into the waistband of Hitoshi's briefs, pulling them to rest around his knees. The man then guided the boy to lie over his lap, ensuring that his upper torso and legs were resting comfortably on the bed. Hitoshi had hid his face in his folded arms.

The Voice Hero could feel the tenseness in Hitoshi's body, and knew he had to calm the child before Hizashi felt safe starting the punishment. He rubbed soothing circles on the teen's back, relieved when he felt the teen relax slightly. "I'll never do you any harm, 'Toshi. I love you way too much; you know that right?"

"I-I know you won't hurt me, Yamada-san. I l-love you too."

"Thank you, sweetheart." He replied, feeling slightly choked up. "Let's get started, yeah kiddo?"

Hizashi saw the kid nod and after steeling himself, gave the first spank.

Smack!

Hitoshi jolted, but otherwise kept silent. Hizashi continued to swat at his pinking bottom, gradually building up a rhythm. It was when Hitoshi started squirming that the Voice Hero began lecturing.

"Imagine how I felt when I was at the dorms today, wanting to check in on my son, when his classmates informed me that not only was he not there, but he had gone to the one place I specifically told him not to."

Smack, smack, smack!

"I was angry, yes, but more upset at the fact that you lied to me."

Aside from the occasional gasps, Hitoshi had stayed silent despite the mounting pain. His stoicism was impressive, but not what Hizashi was looking for.

Time to ramp it up, He thought. He suddenly increased the speed and strengths behind his swats, watching detachedly as the flesh went from pink to a rosy red. The Voice Hero was rewarded by yelping, and more desperate attempts to escape.

"Hold still, Hitoshi." He chided, smacking the boy's thighs as a warning.

"I-I understand what I did wrong, Yamada-san! P-Please stop." Hitoshi pleaded, voice cracking.

"I'll decide when your discipline is finished, kiddo. Not you." Hizashi said, not easing up. "You really let me down today, little listener."

With that, Hitoshi started sobbing softly, the disappointment in Hizashi's voice sending him over the edge. The man wanted so badly to comfort his son, but knew that stopping the punishment now would be doing him a disservice. The Voice Hero could only harden his heart and continue the spanking.

"And what you did was also very dangerous, Hitoshi. What if you were in trouble, and nobody knew where you were? You're training to become a hero, kiddo, you can't behave so irresponsibly!"

"I didn't think things through, Yamada-san!" Hitoshi wept, "I-I'm sorry!"

"You will be." Hizashi said grimly. He then lifted his right leg, exposing the teen's sit spots. The man knew that this part was going to hurt like hell.

Smack, smack, smack!

Hitoshi wailed, reaching back in an attempt to stop Hizashi. His father easily pinned his hand to his back, giving a few extra-hard swats to the sensitive undercurve. "You know better than to reach back, young man." He scolded.

"It hurts!" Hitoshi cried loudly, no longer able to hold back.

"It's supposed to, kiddo," Hizashi said, squeezing his kid's hand in comfort, "I wouldn't need to repeat this lesson, right Hitoshi?"

The boy continued to cry, not responding to Hizashi. He was about to repeat his question when Shouta reached out, giving the child a few almighty swats that made even Hizashi wince.

"Waaaaaaah! S-Sensei!"

Hizashi was about to scold Shouta when his husband spoke, sounding stern. "Hizashi asked you a question, Hitoshi. Remember what we said about respect?"

"N-No, you won't ever have to! I'll be better!" Hitoshi warbled.

"I trust that you will, sweetheart. You're a good boy, 'Toshi," Hizashi said kindly. "You really are. Just a little more and we'll be done, yeah?"

He didn't wait for a response before finishing up the punishment, spreading his spanks all around his bottom so that it was a uniform red. By the time Hizashi was done, Hitoshi was sobbing hard, completely unaware that his spanking had ended.

Hizashi gave the kid a few minutes to settle down, patting his back and whispering comforting words. He then took the time to inspect his handiwork.

Hitoshi's bottom was cherry red, and Hizashi knew from his own experience that his son would be feeling this for the next couple of days. "I'm going to help you up now, kiddo."

Hizashi guided the boy into standing, taking a closer look. Hitoshi was a mess. His eyes were puffy and face streaked with tears and snot, and he was still in tears. But he looked fine, to Hizashi's relief.

He also noted with wry amusement that Hitoshi's underwear had fallen to his ankles. The boy seemed to have also realised, judging from the embarrassed squeak and his hurry to redress.

However, before Hitoshi could pull them up, he was stopped by a gentle swat from Shouta. "Leave those down. You are going to spend some more time in the corner for this to really sink in because we do not ever want a repeat of this idiocy. Are we clear?"

"Y-Yes, sir." Hitoshi sobbed. With that, Shouta guided Hitoshi to the same corner he was in, warning the boy to not rub his bottom. He looked pitiful tucked away in the corner; the well-spanked bottom and soft crying making him seem more like a young, misbehaving child rather than a student in the top hero school in the country.

It honestly broke Hizashi's heart. A part of the man could not help but resent himself for the severe punishment, and all he could do was to tell himself that it was necessary.

"I know," Shouta muttered, hand slipping into his. Since when had he gotten back? "But this is for his own good, we can make him feel better later."

"Yeah," He said, voice low. "I still feel terrible about it, though."

"But you did a good job, 'Zashi. Hitoshi will come to appreciate it too, eventually."

"I hope so. I still wish it wasn't needed, though." He sighed.

Time seemed to pass slowly as the couple scrolled through their phones, looking up occasionally to ensure that all was well with Hitoshi. When the teen continued to sniffle after a few minutes, Hizashi turned to Shouta pleadingly.

His husband only rolled his eyes before conceding. Smiling fondly, Hizashi spoke up, "'Toshi, you can come out now. You can pull your briefs up too, sweetheart."

The teenager reached down and slowly tugged his underwear up, wincing when the cotton fabric passed over his sore bottom. After redressing himself, he hesitantly walked to over to where his parents were sitting. He was still sobbing softly, and Hizashi wanted nothing more but to comfort and soothe his kid. Shouta, however, seemed unmoved.

"So kid, have you learnt your lesson? Or do you need me to give you additional incentive?" He asked sternly.

Hizashi saw a flash of wariness and fear pass Hitoshi's face, before the boy looked down, sniffling and shaking his head. Shouta must had caught it too, because his demeanour softened.

"What should you say to Hizashi, 'Toshi?" His husband asked instead, gently tilting the kid's head up.

"I-I'm sorry Yamada-san, I'll never do it again…" His son whimpered, his lips trembling – And Hizashi could no longer hold himself back. There was no need to, anyway. The blond reached out and pulled the boy into his arms, situating the both of them on Hitoshi's bed. The teenager was desperately holding onto Hizashi as if his father was going to up and leave him. "I'm so sorry!"

"Hey, hey, 'Toshi. It's okay, sweetheart. You're alright, you're safe, kiddo. I love you, Shouta loves you so much. I promise that you're okay, my sweet boy." Hizashi soothed, rubbing circles on Hitoshi's back.

The teenager resumed his crying, blurting out tearful apologises and promises into Hizashi's chest. His kid was generally shy about showing his emotions, even with family; the guilt of letting Hizashi down and the awful stinging on his bottom probably wore down his defences. While the man was glad that he could help make Hitoshi feel better, every sound of distress coming from his kid felt like daggers driven deep into his heart.

Despite this, Hizashi was relieved that Hitoshi did not shy away from receiving comfort. Much like Shouta, there were times when he also had to dole out corporal punishment to his students at UA. That was already hard enough, but he had a couple of students who were actually fearful of Hizashi afterwards. While he'd always managed to soothe and work things out with these students, he didn't think that he could take it if Hitoshi became afraid of him.

"'Toshi-chan, I absolutely hated doing that. Please don't make me punish you again; it really broke my heart." He said gently.

"Uh-huh… I-I promise, I'll behave." Hitoshi said, rubbing at his eyes.

"Babe, can you pass me some tissues?" Hizashi murmured, smiling in thanks when Shouta handed the box over. Taking a few pieces, the man got to work in cleaning the tears and mucus off Hitoshi's face, hushing the kid's whines. The boy collapsed back into his arms once he was done, seemingly content with being held.

Turning his head, Hizashi caught Shouta looking at Hitoshi, his hands twitching like he was yearning to reach out. He internally chuckled – His husband was truly soft for their beloved child. "'Toshi, sweetie?" The Voice Hero asked playfully, drawing the teen's attention. "I think your other father is feeling a little left out; do you want to give him a hug?"

Shouta shot a mild glare at Hizashi, but said nothing before turning to Hitoshi with a softer, open gaze. For his part, Hitoshi was looking at his Sensei with wary eyes, but Hizashi could also see the longing in them. It might be due to Shouta's severe demeanour making him overthink; but the boy was hesitant to reach out.

He looked like a child afraid of being rejected by his parent, Hizashi thought.

Thankfully, his husband knew just what to do, gently tucking Hitoshi against his side and running calloused fingers through his hair. Shouta made sure to keep his movements slow and within sight, and was rewarded by the kid gradually melting into his touch.

"No more of this disrespect, are we clear?" Shouta said, his serious tone offset by his comforting touches.

"O-Okay…" Hitoshi quavered, tears still falling. "I-I'll promise Sensei, I'll be good."

"Hey, you are already good, 'Toshi." Hizashi cut in, because he needed to make that clear. Especially with the boy's history and insecurities. "Just… tone down on the rule-breaking, yeah kiddo?"

"Yes, Yamada-san."

"Good kid." Shouta praised, holding Hitoshi tighter and thumbing away his tears. "You understand that you are forgiven, right 'Toshi?"

His son pursed his lips for a moment before giving an uncertain shrug. Shouta rolled his eyes, flicking his forehead.

"We'd talked about this, didn't we?" He said patiently, "Discipline is meant to correct your mistakes, so that you will be better in the future. It is not meant for us to hold your actions against you. You have already paid your dues, Hitoshi. Stop blaming yourself and move on."

"If not, Hizashi might start crying next. You have no idea just how much hold you have over him, kid." Shouta continued wryly, his amusement apparent.

"Hey!" Hizashi squawked, pretending to be affronted. "Stop saying embarrassing things in front of 'Toshi, Shouta! Not that it isn't true, but you didn't have to put it like that!"

"But honey, Shouta's right. We're good, okay? I don't want you to feel bad about yourself." Hizashi said, eyes full of affection and love.

"O-okay." Hitoshi answered, finally looking relaxed. He then yawned, blinking blearily.

"There we go." Shouta said, lifting a pilant Hitoshi into his arms, "Now, 'Toshi and I are going to have a quick nap in our room. Thanks for making dinner, 'Zashi."

"Excuse me, Shouta, that's unfair!" Hizashi whined, only half-jokingly, "I want to cuddle with my precious son too, that's spanker's rights!" He grinned as he heard Hitoshi's muffled groan.

"Ha, 'spanker's rights', my ass," Shouta snorted, amused. "Why not also make it your right to feed your, in your words, 'precious son'?"

Before Hizashi could retort, a hesitant voice spoke out. "Um… Maybe we can order in tonight instead? That way, we can all… spend more time together?" Hitoshi asked, looking unsure.

Hizashi shared a dopey grin with his husband, positively melting at how thoughtful their son is being. "Well, dearest husband," He began dramatically, "Since our favourite listener has already spoken up, I guess we will have to share."

"Fine, but only because Hitoshi said so." Shouta assented, unable to hide a small smile.

The trio made their way into the master bedroom, Shouta placing Hitoshi on his stomach in the centre of the huge bed before climbing in and tugging the teen close. Hizashi took the time to cover the both of them with blankets, before laying on Hitoshi's other side. The boy's eyes were already closed, his breathing evening out. Shouta, to no one's surprise, was already asleep.

"Rest well, 'Toshi. We love you." Hizashi murmured, kissing his kid's forehead. Placing his arm protectively around his child and husband, he closed his eyes.

Surrounded by the people he loved the most, Yamada Hizashi drifted off into a pleasant sleep.

Thank you for reading, and please stay safe. Reviews are always welcome; I appreciate each and every one of them!