[ He doesn't believe him this time, not really. It's not that he thinks he's lying; he's just far too aware of the excuses people use to justify being mistreated. He's under a lot of stress at work, Shouto. Things will get better. They got worse, and no one ever came to save them. Not the heroes, not his grandparents. Not the monster who was supposed to be his father.
The fact that Allen keeps excluding him specifically ends up making him pull back further. His mother made excuses for Endeavor too.
He grows distant. Distant. Aware of the snowball effect one excuse could have. It turned into another and another still until it became the norm. And when things went from bad to worse you ended up wishing for it like a balm; when things were better. Tolerable. Before his mother cried, his siblings held each other; scared. It all snowballed so quickly, Shouto had no idea how to stop it then, or now.
The only thing he can do is hold this line in the sand. Yet, he ended up crossing it somehow and didn't even realize it. Allen had retaliated just like his mother, and still, he was stupidly clueless. Just like his father. ]
Nothing.
[ Ice creeps up his neck, and he expels a heavy breath filled with chilled air. ]
Not unless you tell me.
[ The mist clues swirling in front of him clues him into his state, and he stills. He doesn't want to reach for the fire but he knows better than anyone that he has too and despite his feelings, he warms himself up enough to melt the ice. ]
no subject
The fact that Allen keeps excluding him specifically ends up making him pull back further. His mother made excuses for Endeavor too.
He grows distant. Distant. Aware of the snowball effect one excuse could have. It turned into another and another still until it became the norm. And when things went from bad to worse you ended up wishing for it like a balm; when things were better. Tolerable. Before his mother cried, his siblings held each other; scared. It all snowballed so quickly, Shouto had no idea how to stop it then, or now.
The only thing he can do is hold this line in the sand. Yet, he ended up crossing it somehow and didn't even realize it. Allen had retaliated just like his mother, and still, he was stupidly clueless. Just like his father. ]
Nothing.
[ Ice creeps up his neck, and he expels a heavy breath filled with chilled air. ]
Not unless you tell me.
[ The mist clues swirling in front of him clues him into his state, and he stills. He doesn't want to reach for the fire but he knows better than anyone that he has too and despite his feelings, he warms himself up enough to melt the ice. ]