CG!Present Mic/Little!Reader
warnings: people being mad and yelling (not at each other), crying, mentions of punishment (Hizashi says he won't punish you when you're worried he will)
The crayon snaps in your fist, and your lip wobbles. Then they press together in a hard line.
Hizashi looks up when you make a small frustrated sound. He crosses the room, bending down next to you. "Oh, hey, you broke a crayon, huh? That's okay, we have more."
But you just look down at the crayon in your fist. It broke because you were holding it like a toddler, and because you were pressing so hard on your coloring page.
"It's not okay," you whisper. Both of your hands are balled into fists and you're starting to curl in on yourself.
"Oh, woah, hey hey hey," Hizashi says, hands waving around. He puts his hand on your back, and you can both feel how you're shaking. "What's up? What's wrong?"
You just whimper, a sound that starts out sad and turns frustrated.
Hizashi rubs your back soothingly, since you haven't pushed him off yet. "Can you use your words, sweetheart?"
"I'm mad," you whisper. The admission scares you, and you curl tighter in on yourself, trying to hold it all in.
"It's okay, baby. Do you think you can talk about it?"
You shake your head. Your teeth feel stuck together with how hard you're gritting them. "No. I wanna scream. I wanna yell and hit things and and...but I can't."
"Because! You'll be mad at me. You'll punish me for being bad!"
Hizashi stands up, trying to pull you with him. When you resist, staying curled in a ball on the floor, he lets go. "Sweetheart, I promise I won't be mad at you. I won't punish you for showing your feelings."
This time when he tugs on your arm, you let yourself be uncurled, and you stand up, even if you're a little hunched over.
"Come with me." He takes your hand and leads you into a room you've hardly been in--his soundproofed studio. He shuts the door behind you, then turns to you with a smile. "Go on. Scream!"
You start to curl up again. "I dunno if I can," you whisper. "I'm scared."
"You can do it! Just start talking, and then get louder." He stands next to you, his hand on your back.
So you try. At first, it comes out as a whisper. "I'm mad."
Then a speaking tone. "I'm mad because I broke my crayon."
A little louder. "And my drawing came out bad because I pressed too hard."
You're not shouting yet, but you're getting there. "And all the pages under it are going to have lines on them!"
"You're doing great!" Hizashi says, nodding enthusiastically. The sight of his smiling face calms your anxiety enough to get even louder.
"And that dog scared me earlier! It was really big and it smelled gross and I was scared! I don't like being scared!"
"There you go!" Hizashi cheers.
Then you really let loose. Now you're screaming, pouring out all your fears and anger out into the cushioned room, all the unfairness of the world, all the things you hate and love so much you hate to lose, everything built up inside you that you've been scared to let out.
Through it all, Hizashi's hand is a anchor on your back, firm pressure. He's not leaving, he's not scared or mad at you. He's not going to punish you.
By the end, your voice has turned into sobs, and you fall to your knees. Hizashi follows you more slowly, kneeling next to you. "Now that was a tantrum," he says, approvingly.
You nod, wiping your eyes and nose on your sleeve.
Hizashi pulls you into his arms, standing up with you. "Let's get you a snack and some juice and a nap," he says, voice going soft. You smile a little, in a tired way. You feel exhausted, but so, so much better.
"Thank you," you whisper hoarsely against his chest.
Hizashi smiles down at you. "Of course, little one. Any time you need to scream, just let me know!"