"Zashi?" Hitoshi called him from the bed. "Hizashi, wake up" he repeated.

The boy was totally uncomfortable. Hizashi had fallen asleep with him in his single bed and now the blond man was hugging him in a twisted position. There wasn't enough space to share in that bed. But he understood it. His dad was acting strong and cheerfully because that was what he was. He was acting like that to try and comfort his pain. The man was honestly too selfless. But in reality, he was suffering a lot, maybe more than he was. He was losing his husband, the love of his life. It must hurt.

"What? What's happening? Are you all right?" he jolted.

"Yeah, it's just that you're squashing me. I want to get up, I'm starving and it's already ten in the morning".

"Oh. Ten? Really?" Hizashi freed the boy from his grasp and rubbed the sleepiness from his eyes.

He had slept a lot. He hadn't slept until ten in the morning for a long time. Probably he was exhaust. And the tears that had coddled him to sleep hadn't helped.

"I know, it's quite late. But today you shouldn't worry about anything. I'm cooking breakfast, if you want to sleep some more just do it, I can handle some hard-boiled eggs and a bowl of rice" the kid smiled.

"Are you sure? I mean, I know you can handle to cook, but are you sure that you want to? You don't have to worry for me, baby. I'm sincerely fine" he got up and stretched his achy muscles. Damn it. He was thirty. He shouldn't sleep in those conditions. He didn't have the body of a teenager anymore.

"Dad, don't lie to me, you don't need to. I'm not fine and I'm pretty sure you're not fine either. It'd be surprising if you were. You've always told me that it was okay for me to express my feelings here, right? Because this is my family and therefore a safe space to be free to feel and to show it. I know Shouta is not here with us. But isn't this still a safe space? You shouldn't conceal your pain. I'm suffering a lot too. It's normal that we're not fine right now. But I think we shouldn't hide it" Hizashi's eyes watered. How wise his son had become!

"Okay. I'm going to have a shower then. I'm going to cry a lot. And I accept your offer to make breakfast. Eggs and rice seem just fine. Thank you, kiddo. I really appreciate this. I love you" he was grateful He could spend some times with only himself to cope with his feelings. That horrible sensation of being crushed. It was a game against life. And he was terribly losing at it. He knew it was stupid to complain. Both Shouta and he and chosen the life of heroes. And that life, by necessity, entailed lot of dangers. Including the one of losing their lives. But he had always been ready to accept that risk on himself. He had never been ready to accept it on the people he loved. All of his students, his partner, his son even, they were all at risk. His son. He had worked so hard to get into the hero course. And for what? To put his life in danger? He was so proud of him, but now, the only thing he wanted to do, was to convince him to get back into general studies, to graduate, to enrol into a good college and to find himself a boring, monotonous, well paid and safe job. But he knew he couldn't. He was acting selfishly and his son didn't deserve it.

He closed his eyes and let the water to clean his tears. He had to be strong. He had to be a hero for his son and his students.

He knew that the entire class of Shouta was suffering. And there was someone who was suffering even more. Denki Kaminari was in hell. Not only he was feeling extremely guilty for what had happened to his teacher, but also, he was being accused by the entire school, teachers included, to be the traitor. * They had proposed the idea of a traitor some time before. It was so strange that everywhere they went the villains somehow knew the location, even when it was top secret. They had no suspects though. Until now. Now everyone believed that his son's boyfriend had betrayed them. They thought that that happy, charismatic, cheerful teenager had deliberately put Shouta in danger. They were accusing him to have told them that they were coming. He was being accused of the USJ accident and of every other one. Even his classmates believed those rumours. He had no idea if Hitoshi was aware of it and if he believed them too. He didn't want to overwhelm him more than necessary.

For now, that question could wait.

"Smells good" he commented joining his son in the kitchen.

"Thanks. I brewed some tea. Fancy a cup?" Hitoshi asked already knowing the answer and pouring the black liquid into two cups.

Hizashi's phone ringed.

"Sorry, love. It might be the hospital. I need to answer" he apologized. He always scolded the boy for using his phone while they were eating, he didn't want him to think he was saying one thing and doing something different. Rules were effective for everyone in their house.

"Hello?" he answered the unknown number on his phone.

"Is this about Shouta?" he asked urgently.

"Oh. Oh. I see. I'll come as soon as possible. Thank you": he gulped noisily and paled. He was about to lose his balance. He felt his legs becoming jelly. He was about to collapse.

It was all to save the little kid, that's why they had fought in the first place.

And now this couldn't really be happening.

"Toshi, dress up. You're coming with me. We're going to the hospital" he urged to his son with a monotone, cold and distant voice.

"Is…is Shouta okay?" the kid hesitated.

But Hizashi was already in his bedroom to get dressed.

Hitoshi received no answer.

_NOTES_

*Manga Readers: you know what I'm talking about! I changed the context though.

Hi everyone! Thank you for following me into this journey! BUT as you might already know, I'm too attached to this story so I'll come back here for the second part in September! I hope you'll have some great holidays! See you VERY soon! I hope you're going to be there with me!

Korasan_