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“Are you serious?”
Of all the things for Kazuma to get called for, he had honestly expected a fight to be the last. A fight involving his son, no less.
“Oi, Kazuma. Would I call you in the middle of the day if I weren’t serious?”
Kazuma remains silent, thinking back to every single time he was phoned during work, “Shigure, you mean to tell me that Kyo got into a fight?”
There’s a low hum in response, “He and another classmate. The parents aren’t angry, even though Kyo started it they say, and the other boy is fine but they both got three days suspension for it. The school has me listed as his emergency contact still so I figured I should call and let you know.”
“Kyo…” Kazuma sighs out, glancing at his stack of papers and pushing them aside in favor of grabbing his jacket, “Is he with you now?”
Shigure laughs, “I wasn’t going to just leave him at the school, now was I? Yes, yes, he’s here. Come by whenever you can to get him. He’s a bit… sulky, right now. Oh, and Kazuma-”
Kazuma hangs up before he can hear what else Shigure has to say, simply moving towards the door and slipping his shoes on before walking out to his car.
Honestly, he had assumed things were fine. Sure Kyo was having trouble adjusting, between leaving the dojo and having to move in with Shigure and Yuki, but he at least figured school was fine. He wasn’t sure how many friends his son had, if any, yet anytime he came by to visit he seemed so happy — a soft smile that was rarely seen on his face and eager eyes that always said he was ready for training or even a chance to sit and talk.
Kyo moving out was hard on Kazuma at first, having to go from seeing his son everyday to only about once a week, yet he tried to not let it get to him too much. It worked better for Kyo to be with Shigure, to not be stuck at the dojo, and as much as Kazuma questioned Shigure’s abilities at nurturing he trusted the man enough to help take care of Kyo.
So then what went wrong exactly?
He can’t help but sigh out heavily as he sits at the light, fingers tapping anxiously on his wheel. Maybe the classmate had said something poor about someone and Kyo was defending them; maybe it was an act of self defense; or maybe, the thought that Kazuma tried his hardest to push away, Kyo was going through a phase and was choosing to take it out on everyone around him.
He just hopes it’s not the last one.
The drive feels tense the entire way to Shigure’s and when he finally makes it over and parks the car, Kazuma allows himself to exhale.
“Oi, Kazuma!” He’s barely opening the door to his car before Shigure is outside, that same smile he always has as he gestures to the open door, “I’ll send Kyo out to see you.”
The door shuts, there’s faint shuffling and a muted argument before it opens again and a stroppy Kyo walks outside; he looks so angry , eyes narrowed and hair tossled yet there isn’t any sign of bruises or injuries and it’s almost enough to push away the stress.
Almost.
“What are you doing here?” Kyo hisses out, gripping his bag tightly, “I thought I was staying at Shigure’s from now on.”
“Woah, excuse me.” Kazuma gets out after the momentarily stunned silence, “A ‘hello’ would be nice, or even an explanation as to why I got a call from Shigure saying you got into a fight today?”
The silence is expected, Kyo simply ignoring him in favor of tossing his bag into the passenger seat before he slides in and lets the door slam behind him.
Kazuma releases a deep breath and counts to three. Kyo was just going through a phase, an angsty teenager mad at the world phase. They would just go back to the dojo and talk about it, maybe have some tea before a nice nap. Kyo was always good, despite the attitude he seemed to possess or the arguments he always had with Yuki.
It’s just a phase, he reminds himself once more before sliding into the driver’s seat and starting the car.
It’s just a phase, he reminds himself as he drives them back in a tense silence, the urge to ask about his day — minus the fight — attacking the front of his mind as Kyo glares out the window.
It’s just a phase, he reminds himself for the final time as they make it back and Kyo slams the car door shut for the second time.
So he tries to ignore it, keeping a constant reminder that Kyo isn’t mad at him, he’s just being a teen, yet his final straw is when the shoji slams shut; Kyo stomping in with his shoes still on and bag thrown to the side haphazardly.
“Okay, that’s it.” Kazuma grits out, “Kyo, come here.”
“No.”
Kazuma is moving in an instant, his shoes placed neatly by the door as he first grabs Kyo’s bag and then the boy’s arm, walking them both to the door. It takes no time at all to untie his tennis shoes, holding a tight grip anytime he tries to wriggle away and silently thanking his ancestors for their tradition of martial arts training, before he sets the shoes by his own and lets Kyo’s bag rest in a respectable corner.
“I know it’s been a while, but you should know better than that. Do you walk into Shigure’s home with your shoes on, Kyo?”
Kyo narrows his eyes, “No…”
“Then what makes you think you can disrespect me and my home, son?”
“Fuck off.”
Kazuma always knew Kyo had a sharp tongue, a foul mouth that he had tried more than once to curb, yet it had never been directed at him. Kyo would never dare turn his irritation and foul attitude towards him, he knew better than that.
All the reminders in the car about this just being a part of a phase continue to ring true, and it leads Kazuma to making the most obvious conclusion.
Clearly, Kyo was going through something and wasn’t wanting to talk about it: he doubts his son told Shigure the cause of the fight and knowing his habit, he most likely didn’t tell the full story to the school.
So they would talk now, and Kazuma would get to the bottom of this unbecoming behavior of his one way or another.
“Come and sit down,” Kazuma sighs out, deciding to let go of the hold on Kyo in hopes he’ll finally dial down, “we have a lot to discuss.”
“Shisou, I don’t want to talk. I didn’t want to come with you in the first place but I didn’t get a choice.”
Kazuma’s temples throb . He lets himself lean in a bit closer at that, a small smile on his face that is a mixture of pure frustration and a semblance of hope that the boy will finally cooperate.
“Kyo, brats who get into fights at school don’t get to make these decisions.” The glowering from Kyo in response doesn’t go missed and Kazuma allows himself to continue, “You should be glad that the boy’s parents didn’t press charges and you got off with three days suspension.”
“Whatever, it’s not like it’s a big deal or anything.”
Kazuma finds himself dragging Kyo to the sitting area the second the boy hisses out a response, the tight grip returning and not releasing even as he sits them both down on the cushions in the corner of the room.
“That’s quite enough of your sass, Kyo. Now, I would like an answer as to why you fought this boy and the reason for this attitude problem.”
Kyo glares at the hands folded in his lap but doesn’t respond and Kazuma’s lip twitches.
“ Kyo. ”
His head snaps up at that, eyes no longer glaring but so sad and despondent and-
“Because you didn’t come to parent night.”
Kazuma freezes. Parent night had been the week prior, a chance for students to show their parents around and meet their teachers — it had been a common thing for Kyo’s time in school and since he was entering his first year, he had been so eager about Kazuma going. But he had work, he had told Kyo previously that he may not be able to make it and had to watch his face drop at the announcement, yet he had assumed the boy would have gotten over it by then.
“I am sorry about that, Kyo. But that-“
“You didn’t come!”
“But that does not give you the right to get into a fight with your classmate, Kyo.”
The boy scowls as he turns to stare at his hands again, “It does if he has something stupid to say about you not being there.”
Kazuma sighs, “Did he insult you? Or me, or any of the Sohma’s for that matter?”
“No, but-“
“But nothing. You can’t take your anger out on other people, son. We’ve talked about it in the past several times. I am sorry I couldn’t attend parent night, I wish more than anything I could have gone, but it doesn’t excuse your actions.”
Kyo’s head shoots up at that, “He gave me a smug look when I said you weren’t able to come! He was basically asking for it-“
“Kyo.” Kazuma moved his hand to rest on his thigh, “Have we or have we not talked about anger management in the past? How to handle our emotions instead of lashing out?”
“We have…” All fight gone and replaced with a huff of defeat, “But Shisou, he deserved it.”
“No one deserves to be fought, Kyo.”
There’s another huff but Kyo doesn’t pose an argument and Kazuma takes it as his sign to continue the discussion, the hand on his thigh patting once more before he moves it to reach for the boy’s arm instead and Kyo yelps, “Wait, Shisou!”
Tugging Kyo over his lap is easier than expected, a gentle press against the boy’s spine as he lets his dominant hand swat against his school trousers.
“Instead of resorting to violence, what could you have done?”
Kyo whines lowly in the back of his throat as Kazuma continues to let his hand fall, a persistent and sharp pattern against his pants before he’s met with squirming.
“Shisou~”
“Kyo, what could you have done?”
There’s more squirming and whining at his tone, voice even and serious with each well placed spank, and Kazuma takes a moment to let his hand rest against Kyo’s rear as he waits for a response.
“Ignored him…”
Kazuma nods as his hand swats down again, “Good, ignore him. What else?”
“Gone to sensei!? I don’t know- fuck!”
The swear is met with a sharper swat against his backside and a low whine, “You swearing isn’t fixing the problem one bit, Kyo. I advise you mind your tone and language, understood?”
“Understood…”
Kazuma guides Kyo up at that and reaches to unfasten his belt, ignoring the panicked whimpering and hands trying to push his own away, before he turns Kyo back over his knee. A quick tug has the boy’s pants being pulled to his knees and he lets the boxers follow shortly after as he lets his hand fall squarely on his bared backside.
“S-Shisou~”
His hand falls again, and again, a simple pattern against the pinkened skin as he’s met with pathetic kicks and more wiggling.
“So, let’s talk about this attitude of yours next. Is there a reason you were behaving like a brat earlier, Kyo?”
“I was just mad! Because first you didn’t go to the parent night and people kept talking about it and then Shigure had to pick me up from school and he was being all smug and then you came to get me after I had just been mad at you and… and it was just frustrating, Shisou!”
Kazuma doesn’t swat his hand down during the entire spiel, letting Kyo whine and kick and tantrum from the knee he’s bent over, and when he finally deflates at the end of it, Kazuma meets it with a spank directed at the top of his thighs.
“Well, if you hadn’t fought that classmate then none of that would have happened, yeah?”
Kyo groans, head burying into his arms, “I guess…”
Kazuma lets his hand fall twice more before stopping, moving to stroke the boy’s spine gently as he lets out a quiet hum, “Are you still upset because I couldn’t go?”
“No…” Kyo sniffles, “I’m sorry… I know you had work to do and you told me I just got mad and that stupid kid didn’t help. I’m sorry.”
“I know, Kyo. Let’s get better at ignoring him, yeah? Or going to your sensei? Anything to keep something like this from happening again,” he brings his hand back down at that, starting up again and reaching to hold Kyo’s own hand against his lower back when it begins to inch back, “Uh huh, none of that.”
“Shisou! I said I was sorry!”
Kazuma hums, “I’m sure you are, but that doesn’t mean we’re finished, young man. Fighting is serious, Kyo. You are too good of a kid to be doing something like that.”
“Okay, okay! I won’t get- get into fights anymore. Please , Shisou!”
Kyo whines, feet kicking into the ground below them and face burying against his arms so intensely that Kazuma is almost concerned he’s suffocating. A gentle reach and tug of his head, Kyo letting out a low sob with the swats that move to the tops of his thighs, and then it’s all over; Kazuma guides him to sit on his lap, cherishing the arms clinging on tightly around his neck and hating how broken Kyo sounds as he sobs out.
“Let it all out, son.” Kazuma praises, stroking his back with a gentle ‘shush’, “You’re all done, you’re okay.”
Kyo clings on tighter at that, letting out another shaky sob that turns into a hiccup, “I’m s-so sor-sorry!”
“I know. No more apologies, you’re already forgiven. For now, focus on calming down.”
It takes a while for Kyo’s sobbing to die down, Kazuma simply holding him tight the whole time and not letting his hand stop its gentle stroking on his back, and when it finally does turn from hiccuping sobs to sniffles, Kyo pulls away with watery eyes and a pout.
“Next parent night, you better be there.”
He leans in to press a kiss onto the crown of the boy’s head, smiling softly against it, “I’ll be there. I promise, Kyo.”
I’ll always be there for you is the last thought drifting through Kazuma’s mind as he feels Kyo’s breathing even out, a quiet snore creeping out.
“Sleep well, son.”
It doesn’t take long for Kazuma to join him in a relaxed sleep, the simple sounds of calmed breathing lulling him as he hugs Kyo — his son — close to his heart.