Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Training with the commission was always intense for Hawks. They expected nothing but the best out of him and gave harsh punishments if they felt he was underperforming. Over the years he had learned to mask any pain or fear he had around them, knowing it would only lead to more punishments or, even worse, conditioning. The days he had to be “re-conditioned” were gruesome and left him curled up in his hidden nest in his apartment, shivering from just the effort to breathe. Said days were mostly for training his bird quirks out of him as his handlers hated that side of him, telling him that they made him ugly and undesirable. The only parts of his quirk that they approved of and wanted were the wings, for obvious reasons, and his high intelligence. As far as they were concerned, the secondary vocal cords, the nest building, the talons, the lessened need for blinking, the dietary need for raw meat, and the blood frenzies that sometimes came out were disgusting and should be locked away. With that in mind, they had his talons trimmed to a ‘normal’ length every other week, gave him a plethora of dietary supplements to try to make up for the lack of iron and other necessary vitamins and minerals that came from the raw meat, and tortured his bird calls out of him. What was left after over a decade of said conditioning and torture was, in their eyes, the perfect hero. This was all Hawks knew before he had gotten the mission to infiltrate the Paranormal Liberation Front, before he met the original League of Villains, before he met Dabi.  

Dabi.   

Dabi had changed Hawks in a way he didn’t know was possible. They had a very rocky start, for sure, but the villain had a way of making him want to do anything in his power to appease said man. Never mind his mission, Hawks was doing things for the arsonist of his own free will, almost enthusiastic to gain his trust and see different sides of him. He had a longing in his chest that he hadn’t felt since he first heard of heroes when he was a child. A longing for a friend, or a family, or even just somebody he could be himself around. His desperate want to be seen overshadowed his self-preservation every time the two of them were together, sometimes taking even Dabi off guard. Half of the time Hawks didn’t realize what he was doing, too content to simply be near the dangerous man.

This was one of those moments of letting his guard down completely, hovering behind Dabi and watching with awe as he lights his arm on fire. They were about to fight some lowly thugs that had gotten too brave and started encroaching in the PLFs territory. Without thinking, Hawks hops closer to the villain to get a closer look at his fire, his eyes wide and pupils tiny as he zeroes in on the pretty blue. He fails to notice just how close he is to the fire and the fact that the man who wields them is currently shooting them at the men at the other side of the empty warehouse. 

“-awks... Hawks!” He’s suddenly snapped back into focus as Dabi waves his hand in front of his face, a slightly amused look on his face. “It’s not like you to zone out like that, little bird. What’s going on in that head of yours?” Hawks blinks and looks around, their opponents nowhere to be seen and scorch marks in the place they used to be. “Hello? Earth to Mr. Number two.” A snap of the others fingers make him jump slightly and flush, embarrassed at being caught like that.  

“Ah, sorry! I was just thinking, nothing to worry about!” He laughs a little and rubs the back of his neck, his wings ruffling slightly. Dabi’s gaze turns sly and he simply nods, choosing to let it go for now despite noticing the way the bird had been so enraptured by his flames.  

“Uh huh, alright. How about you come back to the hideout with me? It’s about time you join us for a game night. Twice has been practically begging me to invite you.” The look of pure joy that overtakes Hawks’ face warms the taller man’s cold heart, though he would never admit it.  

“Really? A game night?” Hawks almost chokes as he holds back a chirp that so desperately wants to escape, not allowing that side of him to see the light of day. He does hop in place twice, his feathers fluffing up before settling again. “I would love to! Although, I’ve never…” He trails off almost sheepishly, not completing his thought but Dabi understands it nonetheless, reaching out a hand to flick his forehead.  

At the little yelp that comes out, Dabi chuckles and shakes his head. “Don’t overthink this, birdie. I can talk you through the rules and you’re smart enough to catch on quick. Now c’mon. I can text Kurogiri to open a gate or you could fly us there, your choice.” As he waits for Hawks to make up his mind, he pulls out a cigarette and starts twirling it between his fingers, catching onto the way the other stills and focuses on the movement. Cute he thinks to himself before shaking away that thought. What the hell, when did I start becoming such a sap? Stupid bird’s not cute .   

“I’ll fly, if you’re sure. I know you get motion sick and I don’t want to trigger that.” Dabi fights the sound of affection that threatens to come out and instead flicks his fingers to create a small flame and light his cigarette. 

After taking a long drag and blowing the smoke into Hawks’ face he smirks, feeling a little smug as the other pouts and swats the smoke away. “So thoughtful, but I wouldn’t have bothered asking if I wasn’t fine with it. As long as you fly without jerkin’ me around, I’ll be fine.” Taking another drag of the cigarette, Dabi lets his eyes wander over the hero’s body, acutely aware of the way his fingers twitch, with nerves or excitement he’s not sure, and his wings shiver with every sound.  

He's snapped out of his daydream when Hawks clears his throat, his head tilting in a distinctly birdlike manner. “Well? Are you going to let me pick you up? I’m assuming you don’t want to stand around here waiting.” His voice is teasing and it causes Dabi to grumble a soft ‘shut up’ before turning around so the blond can wrap his arms around his front. After making sure the villain is secured and that his chest isn’t going to burst from being this close to him, Hawks reminds him to hold on tight before beating his wings a few times to lift them into the air.  

Despite reassuring the avian that he would be fine, he still panics as soon as they’re 10 feet in the air. “H-Hey, uh, Hawks?” Dabi swallows a sound that definitely would have ruined his reputation and grips onto the arms around his chest. “You’re sure you’re not gonna drop me, right?” His voice raises in pitch at the end and he silently curses himself for sounding scared. I’m not scared, shut up.  

“Of course I’m not gonna drop you, hot stuff! You told me you’d help me learn the rules of all the games we play later.” Hawks’ voice is light and he breathes out a laugh. “Kinda need you alive for that, don’t you think?” A faint ‘mhm!’ is squeaked out from Dabi before they’re fully in the sky and all that can be heard is the beating of the strong wings and the wind. The blond hero is having the time of his life, basking in the sunshine and cool breeze, while the man in his arms is doing all he can to not freak out. He told Hawks he would be fine and he’s not going to let it show that he is, in fact, not fine. He just has to tough it out for the last 10 minutes of their flight.  

These 10 minutes seem to stretch on for an hour before Dabi is being gently set down at the entrance to the PLF base. He has to stop himself from keeling over as he takes several deep breaths, his eyes screwed shut. “We... We made it... Safe and sound.”  

Hawks’ feathers fluff up proudly and he grins, bouncing on the balls of his feet. “I told you I wasn’t going to drop you! The ride wasn’t too rough, was it? There were a couple strong wind currents and I was a little worried but I think you handled it well!”  

Once Dabi is sure he’s not going to vomit he slowly opens his eyes and instantly notices the bouncing, a statement coming out of his mouth before he can fully think about it. “You hop around quite a bit, don’t ya? Reminds me of a little sparrow. Thought the only animal trait you had was the wings but I bet you’re a lot more bird-like than you let on.” All of the color drains from Hawks’ face at the observation and he stills, his smile dropping. The villain’s eyes snap up to his and can see the moment panic settles in him at the slight twitch of his jaw. “Woah, hey, birdie. You good?” 

The nickname had never bothered the blond until that moment and he tries to keep his voice light despite his racing heart. “Yeah, yeah, I’m good!” Hawks has to curl his hand into a fist tightly and push his nails into his palm to stop his feathers from giving anything away, his handlers’ voices in his head reprimanding him for the slip up. “I guess I just got too carried away, haha. Sorry if I made you uncomfortable!” He tilts his head to the side and forces his ‘hero’ grin, squeezing his eyes shut so Dabi isn’t able to see how blank they are. 

Something very unsettling swirls around Dabi’s gut as he watches how fast the smaller man put up his mask. He vows to get him to drop it again, and soon, because he hates the painful feeling he gets seeing his the bird act so forced. Deciding to not dwell on that thought too long, he takes a step towards the other and shakes his head. “Nah, you didn’t do anything wrong. I was just noticing a pattern. But let’s not worry about that for now. I bet the others are waiting for us to start.” He jerks his head towards the doors of the mansion and waits for Hawks to take the first step before falling in line with him as they walk to the League’s private wing.

As they pass the threshold, they’re met with the sound of Twice arguing with Compress as well as himself, although they’re unsure as to what they’re arguing about. The instant Hawks steps into the room he’s dodging a knife thrown from Toga and promptly being jumped by her. They tumble to the ground and the blonde girl laughs as she repeatedly tries to stab the hero. “Hiya, Hawksy~! I was thrilled when Dabi told us you’d be coming tonight! Lemme taste your blood!” 

The aforementioned man bodily drags her away from her victim and grabs her wrist when she tries to turn the knife on him. “Let him breathe, you maniac. He just got here. At least let him play some games before trying to slice him up.”  

Toga pouts but gives in anyways, lowering her hand to sheathe the knife. “Fiiiine. But you gotta admit, he’d look so cute when he’s bleeding. I bet you secretly want to see him like that too!”  

Dabi catches the way one of Hawks’ hands twitch at the comment and slides his gaze up to his face, having to repress a shudder at the hardened stare he’s giving him. He glances at the others sprawled across the room and decides they could wait just a little longer. “C’mon, we’re gonna have a chat.” Without waiting to hear a response, Dabi grabs his arm and leads him to his bedroom, giving Twice the bird as he wolf whistles. “Ignore him, birdie.” Once they’re in the safety of the villain’s room, he sighs and crosses his arms while leaning back against the door. “Okay, now spill. What’s up with the sudden personality shift? I thought we had gotten past you using your hero persona on me.” He quirks an eyebrow and waits patiently, watching as the other man shifts nervously from foot to foot. 

Hawks avoids eye contact as he quietly begins, his wings drooped behind him and perfectly still. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I haven’t been treating you any differently than I always have. I’m just a bit worn out from my patrol this morning and the flight over here. I’m not used to flying other people for longer than a minute or two to get them to safety.” Dabi takes a couple steps towards him and his feathers sharpen on instinct, dread creeping into his veins as he watches the taller man catch the movement. He forces his feathers to soften but he fears the damage has already been done, fully expecting to be kicked from the group. He doesn’t realize he’s been holding his breath until the villain steps up into his space and grabs his chin a bit roughly, forcefully yanking his thoughts to the present. His head is tilted back and suddenly he’s staring straight into bright blue eyes that seem to glow.  

“Look me in the eyes and tell me that again. You can’t, can you? Don’t bullshit me, Hawks.” It feels as though all the air in the hero’s chest was punched out and he winces slightly. “Before arriving here, you were all happy go lucky and-” cute his mind supplies, cutting his words short at the thought. He stares for a few seconds and watches with fascination as Hawks’ pupils dilate, then pin, and then dilate again. “Now you won’t even look me in the eyes and your voice is flat. Don’t even get me started on that dead look in your eyes. You might be able to fool the majority of the population but you’re sure as hell not fooling me. Now cut the crap and tell me what’s going on.” 

The blond is left breathless for several seconds as he tries to form words, finally stuttering out a soft “Dabi...” The man doesn’t react at that, still waiting for an explanation. Hawks suddenly finds he can’t look away and he’s forced to continue talking. “I’m not-” Dabi raises an eyebrow but stays silent. “I’m not a ... bird ... I just have wings, that’s all. Anything else that might seem like a bird trait is just my personality. I’m more than just my quirk.” The villain huffs at that and shakes Hawks’ head slightly.  

“Never said anything different, now did I? But having other traits than just the wings is fine, you know that, right? It’s honestly super uncommon for heteromorphs to not have any animal instincts, so I’m not sure if I believe you, birdie.” Panic settles in Hawks’ stomach and he can’t control the way his feathers rustle, his handlers' voices screaming at him in his head as Dabi continues. “And by the way, I never said I wanted you to stop acting like that. I thought we had gotten to a place of mutual trust. I can’t trust you if you’re suddenly gonna switch up on me and lie about your behaviors because you’re embarrassed of them or some stupid shit.” The way he scoffs the last part is what makes the hero finally break out of his hold, flushing a bit with anger.  

“I’m not embarrassed; I’m not some bird-brained idiot.” He internally flinches at using his handlers’ words against himself but he forces himself to move towards the door. “We’ve made them wait long enough, they probably already started without us.” Hawks walks back out into the common area without waiting for Dabi to react, needing to get out of the suffocating situation.

The black-haired man doesn’t follow until they’re halfway through their second game of Uno, a partially used cigarette hanging between his lips. Their eyes meet for a second before Hawks looks away and laughs at something Shigaraki says, his smile not quite reaching his eyes. Compress beckons Dabi to join them but he just waves him off, opting to sit against the windowsill instead so he can watch his the bird from a distance. Every laugh and smile look forced, every comment he makes feels off, and the way his fingers twitch whenever somebody gets too close to his wings sets off more alarm bells. The rest of the League either doesn’t notice or doesn’t care enough to comment on it but the whole situation rubs Dabi the wrong way. Things finally come to a halt when Hawks’ phone and pager go off at the same time, his whole body goes rigid as he skims through the message.  

“Sorry, guys, I gotta dash. Duty calls!” He forces a smile but Dabi sees through it and can tell how panicked the hero is.  

“Hawks, wait-” said man gives him a steely look that makes him stop short before he’s literally flying out of the room and into the night sky. “Shit...” The League glances at him as he turns around to stare through the window, his shoulders tense.  

“What was that about? He only ran off because he was about to lose!” Twice suggests from his spot at the coffee table which gets him a glare from Dabi.  

“Something is clearly wrong with him, but none of you cared enough to notice.” He doesn’t care how it comes off he just wants the stubborn number two hero to be okay. Shigaraki laughs a bit meanly, reaching for his gaming device on the couch.  

“Or, maybe, you care a little too much, Dabs. He is still a hero at the end of the day. We don’t know how much we can trust him. He hasn’t fully proven his loyalty to m-” 

Dabi cuts him off with a sneer and he marches up to him, pulling him closer by the collar of his shirt. “He’s proven himself plenty loyal, Shig. You’ve just been too busy with your head up your own ass to notice! You should see the way he follows me around and does whatever I ask of him, no matter how shady it might be.” The white haired-man opens his mouth to argue but he doesn’t let him. “I can guarantee that he’s not a spy, not any longer, at least. And if I turn out to be wrong about him, then...” Dabi’s grip loosens as his thoughts spiral but then he’s tightening his jaw and glaring down at his leader. “I’ll kill him myself.”  

Shigaraki actually looks a bit shocked at that but he nods and pries the other’s fingers off of his shirt. “Good. But if he really is a spy and you’re not able to kill him for whatever reason, I will.” He narrows his eyes as his lieutenant openly glares at him, not backing down from the challenge. “I’m serious, Dabi. If he’s giving the heroes information then he needs to be disposed of, and I’m not going to rely on you to get the job done, seeing as you have grown very attached to him for whatever reason.”  

The whole room is as still as statues for a full 10 seconds as the two most powerful men in the room have a standoff. Dabi finally scoffs out a ‘whatever’ before storming out of the room to go outside, needing the fresh air. 

Chapter Text

At that same moment, in Fukuoka, Hawks is flying onto the HPSC local branch’s balcony, stumbling in the doors and quickly discarding his shoes. The text he received won’t leave his mind and leaves him shaking ever so slightly. ‘ Hawks. You missed the deadline for giving us more info on the league. We are incredibly disappointed with you. You are expected to be in my office within the next thirty minutes to discuss what’s going to happen now.’ When was the deadline? How did he miss it? How could he have been so careless? He forces his racing mind to slow down and he takes deep breaths as he walks to his handler’s office. Knocking once, he opens the door and bows deeply, keeping his eyes trained on the floor and his wings limp. Show submission. Maybe they’ll go easy on me if I go along with everything perfectly.  

“Hawks. How nice of you to finally show up.” He suppresses the urge to shudder and keeps his body still, knowing he can’t talk yet until he’s given permission. “We had such high hopes for you. You had been doing so well up until this last report. It’s not like you to miss a deadline, especially when you know how much is at stake right now.” Her voice goes cold and he tenses as he hears her stand up, swallowing down the nervous chitter that wants to escape. “Do you know why we chose you for this mission, Hawks?” His handler’s voice is a lot closer than he was expecting and it takes much effort to remain unmoving. He cannot show that he’s nervous. He can’t.  

“I was chosen because of my success rate for dangerous missions and infiltrations.” His voice is almost robotic but she seems to be pleased with his answer, reaching down to run a hand down a few of his feathers. He has to bite his lip to suppress the shudder, not letting her know how scared he is of what she was planning to do. 

“Exactly. You have never failed a mission before, so what I want to know is why you suddenly started slacking off. Surely, it’s not for any good reason. Right, Keigo ?” As she whispers his given name, she grips the base of a feather and watches in smug satisfaction as he flinches and a weak warble slips out. He instantly slaps a hand over his mouth and stares wide-eyed at the floor, not allowing himself to move a muscle, not even to breathe. “Tsk. I thought we had trained those disgusting sounds out of you by now. Seems you’re due for reconditioning.” 

The hand leaves his wing and he struggles to stay calm as she calls another one of his handlers, telling them to get the room ready. He doesn’t want to go to the room. He doesn’t need more conditioning. He can be a good hero. I can be good . He doesn’t realize he’s crying until his head is yanked up by the hair at the back of his neck and the woman is sneering in his face. “I’m starting to think we may have made a mistake by assigning you to this mission. After this round of ‘training’ you will take a week-long break. That should be enough time to clear your head and reevaluate where you stand. You get one more chance with this mission to prove your worth. If you can’t stay focused when the world is at stake then we have no more use for you. You’re a hero , Hawks. So, act like it.” His vision is blurry from his tears and the harsh grip on his hair isn’t helping but he nods as best as he can, his chest heaving as he tries to pull himself back from the edge of a panic attack. The door flies open and somebody comes in to collect him as he’s losing grip on his instincts and gets lulled into a safe headspace, no longer able to form human words. The resulting warbles and chirps earn him a harsh kick to the gut and he doubles over from the pain, vision blacking out around the edges.  

He doesn’t have the energy to do anything other than cry quietly as he’s forcefully dragged to the torture room. The lights are so bright and he’s shoved onto a table, leather straps pinning his arms, wings, and legs to it. “Since you can’t seem to get it through that thick skull of yours that you’re not a bird, we’re going to have to use the collar today.” A shock collar is latched around his neck a bit too tightly but all he can do to protest is let out a strained sound that isn’t quite bird but not human, either. A sharp reprimand is given but his mind starts to float away from his body and he barely even registers that he’s being shocked, his body spasming. With every inhumane sound that passes through his lips, he’s given a shock. Normally these sessions don’t last more than five to ten minutes as Hawks is usually able to force his avian traits to not show.  

Today, however, is a different story. He’s shocked for his usual ten minutes before being given a small break. “Now, Keigo ,” He shivers at the use of his name as they only use it during the most grueling of his punishments, for the purpose of messing with his emotions, “are you done acting like some less-than heteromorph who can’t control themselves?” He opens his mouth to reply with a ‘Yes, I’m sorry, it won’t happen again.’ but his brain and body are disconnected so all that comes out is a soft, choked off caw. A hand is in his hair and his head is being yanked back, seething eyes boring into his. “Just remember, you brought this upon yourself.” The shocks return full forced and his eyes roll into the back of his head with the force of them. Normally, the pain would shut down his instincts in order to protect himself, but for whatever reason it has the opposite effect today. The more he’s hurt, the deeper into his ‘bird’ headspace he goes. Another ten minutes pass and he’s receiving another break.  

“Keigo, dear, this could all stop if you’d only behave yourself.” He wants to behave. He wants to more than anything right now. That thought is all that he hears in his head. Behave. Behave. A pleading trill comes out and instead of a shock he’s being reprimanded with an open-palmed slap to the face. If only he was able to turn the ‘bird’ switch off. “Stop making those disgusting sounds like some animal! You’re a top hero, Hawks, you’re better than this!” The shocks return once again and his chirps and calls morph into sobs as his body does its best to forcefully reign in the noises.  

He fades in and out of consciousness for the remainder of the punishment, only coming to when cold water is thrown in his face. He coughs and spits water out of his mouth, his entire body shivering. “Are you finally ready to start acting like you’re supposed to, Keigo?” His tongue feels oh so heavy in his mouth as he tries to form words, on the verge of blacking out. He’s slapped across the face and held by his hair to look up at his handler. “Answer me.” 

By some miracle he’s able to choke out human speech instead of bird calls. “Y...es-” He winces at how raw his throat is but forces himself to continue. “ma’am. Won’t ... happ..en... again.” His chest heaves with the effort of speaking and staying conscious. His handler seems to accept that and she releases the hold on his hair, his head making a ‘thud’ as it hits the table beneath him. Spots dance across his vision and he can’t make out a word that anybody is saying, his ears ringing.  

The blond, loopy from the pain, thinks it’ll finally be over and he’ll be able to go home as he’s being unstrapped from the table. Instead, he’s being turned onto his stomach and re-strapped. He doesn’t have the strength to fight or protest but he panics internally. This had never happened during training, punishments, or conditioning. Multiple hands reach out to touch his wings and he thinks he whimpers out a ‘wait’ or ‘don’t’ but the people don’t react. One fist closes around a feather at the base and he seizes up. No. No, nonono NO. The feather is ripped out without warning and a scream is torn out of him at the sensation, his wings beating frantically under the straps. His entire body convulses as his feathers are continuously yanked out and thrown to the floor. Make it stop, make it stop, please, somebody. I can’t take this. His mind slips even further and he is finally, finally, lulled into the safety of unconsciousness.  

Keigo Hawks wakes up and the first thing his brain latches onto is the way his body is screaming at him. He forces his eyes open and finds himself staring at the ceiling of his apartment, his brain not remembering what had happened due to sleep fog and the heavy dissociation. He tries to lift a hand but finds his limbs are too heavy and weak. A flash of being shocked comes into his memory and he winces, squeezing his eyes back shut. With a faint whimper, he’s very slowly able to roll to his side, pushing himself up to a sitting position. He glances into the mirror on his left and his jaw goes slack as he looks at the carnage that his wings have become. Every single feather had been torn out and his handlers hadn’t even had the decency to clean him up, so the bare bones are covered in dried blood. Without his shirt on, he also gets a decent view of big, round bruises all across his torso and arms. His gaze then moves up and his eyes fill with tears, a hand coming to gingerly touch the electrical burns covering the entire expanse of his neck. Looking at his hand next, he feels like he can’t breathe anymore. They cut his nails like they usually do, only this time they were cut as short as possible and the ends of his fingers are covered in dried blood.  

He slowly swings his legs over the side of his bed and attempts to stand but his legs are so weak that he crumples to the floor, a sob forcing its way out of his abused throat. It’s at that moment when his phone rings and makes him jolt, blearily looking around to find it. He manages to push himself up into a kneeling position and spies the phone on his nightstand. As he reaches for it, the ringtone stops. He roughly wipes his tears away and grabs it as it starts ringing again. He’s able to see the caller ID this time and he tenses as he sees who it is.  

Dabi.  

Fuck. Fuck . Of course it’s Dabi.  

He can’t talk to him. Not in this state. His heart pangs with a strange ache that he can’t put a name on as he declines the call. With a defeated sigh, he’s about to toss his phone to the floor when it starts ringing once again. Dabi. Again. Hawks lets the ringtone run its course as he unlocks his phone and goes to call history. Three missed calls from three days ago. Was I out for three whole days? It’s never been this bad before. Five missed calls from two days ago. Eight missed calls from the day before. With this call going to voicemail, he has a total of fifteen missed calls from today and it’s only ... 9 am?? He checks his messages next and opens Dabi’s texts. He goes back to the first day he was out and skims through them.  

Three days ago - 7:22 pm  

Hot stuff: Hey, birdie. You took off without notice and kinda spooked Twice. Everything good?  

Three days ago - 10:13 pm 

Hot stuff: We’ve got a meeting tomorrow afternoon, don’t forget.   

Two days ago - 3:19 pm 

Hot stuff: Yo, Hawks, meeting’s in 10 minutes. Don’t be late.   

Two days ago - 5:02 pm 

Hot stuff: You’ve been ignoring my texts and calls, and now you miss our meeting? What the hell is going on?  

Yesterday - 11:57 am 

Hot stuff: Seriously, Hawks, stop fucking around with me. At least let me know if you’re alive, dammit.   

Yesterday - 8:30 pm 

Hot stuff: Birdie, this isn’t funny. Where the hell are you?  

A new message pops up as he reaches the end and Hawks can only stare in horror.  

Hot stuff: Fuck it, I’m coming to your apartment. This shit is pissing me off.   

The blond man shakily sends a reply, needing Dabi to stay away. Seeing him after what he went through would be a disaster. He couldn’t let the villain see him looking this pathetic. 

Hawks: No, dpnt come ober. Im alkve. Stay away. M fine.  

He turns his phone off and throws it to the floor, his trembling hands coming up to tug at his hair. His throat locks up as bird sounds beg to be let out. No, no. Never again. You’re not a stupid fucking bird. Stop being so pathetic. Despite telling himself that, his instincts are screaming at him that he will only be safe in his nest. Nest. Shivering all over, Hawks manages to stand and uses the wall to limp his way to his office. He was able to convince the commission to buy him an extra-large desk so he could, without their knowledge, build a tiny, makeshift nest underneath it. He nearly falls onto his desk as he stumbles over to it, gripping the edge to steady himself. His muscles scream at him as he slowly lowers himself enough to crawl into the pile of blankets and towels. 

Safe. Safe. Nobody can hurt me in here. They can’t find me. Closing his eyes, Hawks clutches part of a blanket to his chest and lets his mind float away, falling in and out of consciousness. 

Dabi stares at the text in anger, worry, and relief all at the same time. His grip on his phone is too tight and steam starts to leak out of his seams, but he manages to keep calm enough to not break it. After pocketing said phone, he storms over to where the warp villain is and tugs on his hair, stressed out of his mind. “Giri, need you to send me to the bird’s apartment. Right now. Something’s wrong with him.” 

“Tomura said-”  

Dabi cuts him off with a snarl, slamming his free hand down onto the counter next to them. “I don’t fucking care what Shigaraki said! I need you to send me to him!” The hand still in his hair accidentally rips some out and he kicks at an empty bar stool in retaliation, toppling it over. “Fuck!” More smoke seeps out and he has to fight to keep himself from catching fire. “Open a gate, right now.” 

Kurogiri waits for a moment before sighing and obediently opening a portal that leads directly to Hawks’ living room. “Do try not to burn anything up while you’re there.” 

Not bothering to reply, the arsonist practically sprints through the portal and into the empty living room. As the portal closes, he takes a look around and steps cautiously towards where he believes the bedroom is. “Hawks? You in here?” Silence . “Hawks?” Still not hearing a sound, Dabi continues on and pushes the bedroom door open the rest of the way so he can enter it, instantly spying the phone on the floor. “Birdie, where are you?” He checks the closet and under the bed before deciding the hero is in another room.  

He looks in the bathroom and kitchen first before finally checking the office. His voice is softer this time. “Hawks...?” A choked off gasp is all he needs before he’s rushing to the other side of the desk and dropping to his knees. “Thank go-” His voice gets caught in his throat as he stares at the broken body before him, all the relief he had flying out of him and being replaced with rage. Rage towards whoever put their hands on his the bird. 

He was going to make them suffer. 

Chapter Text

Bruises litter Hawks’ chest, arms, and back. The burns on his neck from being shocked are dark purple and angry. His nails are cut much too short and covered in dried blood. And his wings... Hawks lets out a pitiful whine which causes the villain to snap his attention to his face. “Hey, pretty bird...” He doesn’t have time to dwell on why that just came out of his mouth, instead choosing to cradle the hero’s face with both hands. “I’m here, now.” Dabi watches with an ache in his chest as tears fill the blond’s eyes and tiny sobs start to fall out. He had never seen this man look anything other than put together, besides right before he disappeared, and watching him break apart like this is too much. “Shh... I’ve got you.” He carefully pulls Hawks into his lap and wraps his arms around him, careful to not touch what was left of his wings. “Nobody’s going to hurt you anymore.” 

Hawks manages to speak through his sobs, although a bit shaky. “Da ... bi ...” The arms around him tighten at that, still avoiding his wings. “Shouldn’t ... be here.” Every breath he takes is more like a gasp for air. All at once, everything becomes too much and his instincts take over, bringing him back into that soft, floaty headspace. Human speech becomes impossible for him, but he’s not allowed to use his secondary vocal cords either so he’s left in a weird limbo.  

“The fuck you mean, birdie? Why shouldn’t I be here?” When Dabi hears nothing in response, he pulls the hero’s head back just enough to look at him and is met with a distant gaze. He quickly realizes what’s happening and shifts one hand to cup the other’s cheek. “You’re not all here with me, are you?” Tears still flow liberally and get Dabi’s hand wet but he doesn’t care, much too worried about the little bird’s mental state. “I gotta get you cleaned up.” He moves to stand up but Hawks’ bird instincts panic as he’s being taken away from the safety of his nest and his body thrashes, making Dabi almost hit his head on the desk. “Shit! Hawks, pretty bird, you gotta calm down. I’m just trying to take you to the bathroom to check over your injuries.” That doesn’t soothe him and he continues to flail, not wanting to be taken away. The villain isn’t able to react quick enough to stop Hawks from hitting the desk, one wing getting caught between him and the wood. 

The sound that gets ripped out of him at that is pained enough that Dabi winces and grips a little tighter. He watches anxiously as his the bird’s eyes flutter rapidly before he goes completely still, the pain knocking him unconscious. The villain mutters a soft apology before standing up and carrying the other to the bathroom, silently marveling at how light he is. Looking at his various injuries is a bit more difficult with him unconscious, but Dabi is determined to patch him up as best as he can before he wakes again. He decides he should probably start with washing up the mangled wings because he’s positive there’s going to be no way to do that with him awake. He carefully maneuvers the shorter man to lay face down in his shower and gets a towel wet. “I’m sorry, birdie, this is probably gonna suck when you wake up.”  

And with that, Dabi starts to gently scrub all the dried blood away. Since he wants to take his time as to cause the least damage possible, it takes him nearly twenty minutes to clean up the wings. Once he’s satisfied with that, he gets another clean wet rag and starts wiping up his fingertips, growing angry again at whoever did this. It takes Dabi another fifteen minutes to wrap up his fingers and wings, being gentler with him than the black-haired man had been with anything before. He glances at the burns on his neck and winces. Shit, they look even worse in this lighting . Dabi stands and starts to look through the cupboards, relieved to find quirk enhanced burn cream. He kneels next to Hawks again and rubs the cream over his entire neck. Once he’s satisfied with his work, he gingerly wraps a bandage around his neck to protect it further. 

Finally done with cleaning him up, he finds a shirt to put on Hawks so nobody else sees the injuries. He then texts Kurogiri for a gate and lifts him back into his arms. A sudden urge to kiss Hawks’ forehead makes him blush and his seams start leaking smoke. Fucking hell, what’s wrong with me? He’s snapped out of his thoughts as a portal swirls before him and he steps through.  

“Dabi, you were ordered to stay away from the hero! Who knows what he’s been telli-“ Dabi cuts off Shigaraki’s tantrum with a burst of flames that stop right before hitting him. 

*I do not have the patience to listen to you right now. Look at the state Hawks is in and tell me that he’s spilling our secrets.” He sends the leader a glare that says don’t you dare open your mouth. “You weren’t the one who found him. You didn’t see the bruises covering his body. You didn’t have the poor bird sobbing in your arms!” It’s then that Shigaraki finally looks at the hero and his glare slowly softens until all that’s left is a slight frown. “His wings, Shig-” Dabi’s voice breaks with his desperation, his hold on the bird tightening. “Whoever did this to him … they mutilated his wings. There’s nothing left but the bones. And they-“ He cuts himself off as he feels the familiar sting of blood threatening to spill from his tear ducts.  

Shigaraki finally sighs and gazes away, unable to look at the battered Hawks any longer. “Okay, I see your point… What’s your plan, though? Surely, you’ve thought about what’s going to happen now that he’s here. He can’t stay here forever. The heroes will look for him.” Twice and Toga slowly peek their heads around the corner to watch, now feeling safe enough that they won’t get burned up or dusted.  

“I don’t know. I saw how messed up he was and all I could think was I needed to get him here.” Dabi glances down at Hawks and his expression melts into one so caring that it makes everybody else in the room do a double take. “He’s stubborn and self-righteous, but dammit … he’s a good hero. I can’t, in good conscience, leave him alone when he’s like this.” When the villain looks back up, he’s met with a knowing smirk from the white-haired man. 

“Now I see why you were so insistent that Hawks should join us. You just wanted to be near him.” Dabi opens his mouth to give him some snarky refute but Shigaraki holds his hand up to stop him. “I don’t care what you do, so long as you can guarantee your performance doesn’t suffer. I still need my right-hand man, Dabs.”  

His coy smirk turns into a soft look and the arsonist can’t help but sigh. “Yeah, I know. You don’t have to worry about me, boss.” Shigaraki waves him off and the two villains hiding around the corner run off as Dabi starts to walk towards his room.  

In the safety of his bedroom, Dabi gently lays Hawks on his bed, on his stomach so his wings aren’t squished. “I promise I’m gonna take care of you, pretty bird.” He brushes blond hair away and strokes his cheekbone softly, staring at him as if he was the whole world. Hawks’ eyelashes flutter at the sensation but quickly still, not quite conscious again. “Just rest, you’re safe.” Dabi almost doesn’t recognize his voice with how soft he’s talking to the other man. But he’ll deal with that at a later time. 

Out in the common area, the rest of the League members are all staring at each other in silence, shocked by the usually grumpy fire user looking at Hawks the way he did. Toga is the first to speak, twirling a knife in her hands as she sighs dreamily. “Our little Dabi is so in love with Hawks, it makes me wanna see Izuku and Ochako.” She grins to herself and clutches the knife to her chest. 

Twice is next and he nods, sprawling out on the floor. “Oh yeah, he’s got it bad. He makes me sick! No, he doesn’t, it’s adorable!” 

Shigaraki simply grabs his handheld game and curls up on the couch, giving a dismissive wave of his hand. “I don’t know about love but he’s definitely into the guy. As long as whatever this is doesn’t interfere with the mission, it’s none of our business anyways. Plus, if Hawks really does join our side, we’ll be a lot stronger. As much as I still don’t trust him, he is kinda OP. we’ll need him for the final boss fight.”  

Spinner takes the spot next to him on the couch and nudges him a little, chuckling. “You say you don’t trust him but you sure softened up when you saw the way Dabi was looking at him. I’m pretty sure Hawks has weaseled his way into all of our hearts in some capacity.”  

Mr. Compress tips his hat and grins, not leaving his spot at the wall. “I do have quite the soft spot for the boy. Something about him is just so captivating.” Toga nods up at him enthusiastically while Kurogiri only hums a sound of agreement. After coming to the conclusion that they all care about the hero in some way or another, Toga takes it upon herself to bring some food to Dabi’s room. 

She knocks on the door and bounces on the balls of her feet as she waits for it to open. Dabi opens the door a few seconds later and eyes the bowl of curry in her hands. “What do you want, Toga? I’ve got a bird to take care of.”  

She grins up at him and holds out the bowl. “I heated up some of the leftovers for you and Hawksy~ Although, I don’t know if it’ll still be warm by the time he wakes up. He looked pretty beat up.” She peeks around Dabi to get a look at Hawks, only for the taller man to block her view. 

“You don’t need to see him right now. Thanks for the food.” With that, he’s closing the door in her face and locking it. He sets the bowl on his desk and turns back to his bed, noticing the way Hawks shivers a little. “Birdie?” Golden eyelashes flutter and a finger twitches, urging Dabi closer to the bed. He watches as Hawks slowly peels his eyes open and looks around, too out of it to focus on anything. He doesn’t want to spook the hero so he stays quiet, allowing the other enough time to get his bearings. 

A soft breath escapes Hawks’ lips and he reaches a hand up to sleepily rub at his eyes, blinking again to get his eyes to focus. “’s not… my apartment…” With a little groan, he pushes himself up to sit back on his knees. “Where...?” He finally notices Dabi standing next to him and he jumps back, almost falling onto his back if it weren’t for said man leaning over to catch him.  

Their faces are close enough that they feel each other’s breath. “Woah, easy there. I spent a lot of time patching you up. I’d be pissed if you went and ruined my hard work just like that.” A slight blush creeps onto Hawks’ face and his pupils dilate the instant they make eye contact. 

“O-Oh, uh.” The blond clears his throat, and his gaze flickers between Dabi’s eyes. “You patched-“ His voice trails off as realization sets in and his eyes widen, shame starting to settle in his gut. “So… you actually went to my apartment? Even after I told you I was fine?” 

“Yeah...?” 

“And you decided to ... help me?” 

“You were a wreck, little bird. I wasn’t going to just leave you like that. I might be a villain but I’m not a monster.” Dabi fights the urge to roll his eyes at how dense the other is being, knowing right now is not the time for attitude. He helps the hero sit back up safely and climbs onto the bed next to him, leaning against the headboard.  “By the way, who was the fucker who did that to you? The burns around your neck do not look like some random attack, and your fingernails… your wi-“ 

“Stop, please.” Hawks’ voice is pleading as he tries to stay calm. “It-It doesn’t matter. I’m fine, so drop it.”  

Dabi reaches back out to him and grabs his chin, forcing eye contact. “Like hell it doesn’t matter. You could barely speak when I found you, then you blacked out from the pain when you smacked your wing into your desk. I let you go without making sure you were okay once and this is how it ended up. I’m not making that mistake again.” His expression knocks the air out of Hawks’ lungs and suddenly the room is too warm. He shifts awkwardly in Dabi’s grasp.  

“Okay, yeah ... maybe it matters, but I promise I’ll be fine. I’ve bounced back from this before.” Hawks doesn’t seem to realize that what he’s saying should be setting off alarm bells so he continues. “This is nothing new. Well, except for my feathers. They’ve never ...” His tone becomes soft and timid almost, as if suddenly becoming aware. “Ripped them out before.”  Dabi releases his chin and furrows his eyebrows as the blond’s expression changes rapidly. First shame, then betrayal, confusion, finally settling on devastation. “My wings .... Dabi, my wings .” His voice breaks and his hands start to shake in his lap. “Th-They- I just- I didn’t-” With each word, his panic grows and he’s bordering on hyperventilating within seconds, his gaze flickering around the room wildly. His fingers clench and unclench almost rhythmically as he attempts to stay grounded, not wanting to float away in front of Dabi. 

The black-haired man realizes what’s happening but he’s unsure of what he should do in this situation. He’s never had to help somebody through a panic attack before. He flips through vague memories of what he was taught as a child in preparation to become a hero before settling on ‘try to get the person to breathe steadily.’ “Hawks, hey, look at me.” He leans in a little bit just to get to eye level and gives a slight grin when the man listens. “There you go. Now, can you breathe with me? You’re kinda freaking out.” 

That was the wrong thing to say, as it turns out, because Hawks snaps at him. “Yeah, no shit!” He winces and curls his knees up to his chest, hands flying to grip his hair. “Sorry, just ... Clearly , I’m freaking out, you don’t have to say it.” His pupils change size rapidly as he starts to lose grip on his instincts. “ Fuck ... Dab, if I dissociate and start acting-” The hero takes a shuddering breath and glances over to him. “Weird, you have to swear that nothing you see or hear leaves this room.” 

“What do you mean by weird? I’ve seen some pretty weird things fro-” 

Hawks grabs onto his bicep and cuts him off, his head starting to swim with the lack of oxygen. “Weird as in weird , okay?” His fingers lock into a stress grip and he feels his instinctual headspace start to fog up his mind. “Just promise me you won’t say a word.” A sharp gasp forces its way out and he gazes up at Dabi with desperation. “ Please, Dabi.”   

Dabi is hesitant for only a moment before he agrees, his expression resolute. “I swear, nothing will leave this room. But I need you to breathe, birdie, you look like you’re about to pass out.” The grip on his arm is bordering on painful, even through the damaged nerves, but he puts all his focus on taking deep breaths, hoping Hawks will mimic him. The hero nods slightly and drops his head, doing his best to steady his breathing. 

With the promise of this moment being kept a secret, he feels a little better about not being able to stay present any longer. He just hopes he doesn’t let any sounds slip. He never wants to take the lock off of that part of him again. With a final squeeze of his fingers, he lets himself fall freely into the warmth of dissociation. The world around him goes fuzzy around the edges and he can’t hear anything anymore, but the heavy weight on his chest floats away. 

  Nest, we need nest. Nest is safe.   

Because of his inability to speak or communicate, Hawks soon gets frustrated when Dabi doesn’t understand his frantic pulling at the blankets and sheets, with one hand since he still has the other in a stress grip.  

The villain just watches with confusion. “Uh, Hawks, I don’t ... I don’t know what you want with my bedding, but why are you trying to yank them off the bed?” His arm that’s stuck in Hawks’ grasp gets shaken around a little as the bird’s frustration grows. “Could you maybe let go of my arm? I’m sure it would make whatever you’re doing a lot easier.” When that gets no reaction, not even a sign that Hawks is listening, Dabi leans over to look at his face. “You can’t even hear me, can you, pretty bird?” The hero’s eyes snap to his lips to watch the movement but he doesn’t respond at all, his pupils blown wide. Dabi’s lips twitch upward and he risks poking the other’s nose, snickering at the little sound of indignation that comes out. “I can see why you asked me to keep this a secret. People would lose their minds over this.” He almost sighs in relief when the death grip on his arm loosens and he’s able to move freely again. “Thanks, now- wha- Hey!” Hawks, now with two free hands, shoves him off the bed and begins yanking the bedding up. “Hawks, what the fuck?” Blankets are being thrown around carelessly it seems, until Dabi stands up and takes a closer look at what his the bird is doing. “Woah ...” He’s speechless as Hawks rearranges everything methodically, wrapping the ends of blankets and sheets together so they stay in place. When he deems it good enough, the hero nods to himself and climbs into the middle of the circle, curling up. “A nest.” Dabi states the obvious once again, looking awestruck. “You were frustrated because you wanted to make a nest.”  

Hawks’ instincts calm significantly once in the nest, relaxing him enough that he doesn’t notice the soft coo that comes out. The villain inhales sharply and holds his breath, not wanting to break whatever spell had come over the room. He steps closer hesitantly and watches as lithe fingers grip the edge of the nest then let go, tracing over the bumps. More little coos slip out as Hawks settles fully. 

Perfect nest. Smells so nice. Wanna stay here.   

Still watching silently from the side of the bed, Dabi can’t help the genuine smile that crosses his lips. Birdie is so damn cute. He doesn’t even flinch at the thought, fully accepting that he finds the hero attract-cute. Cute. Not attractive. Nope. I’m not attracted to him. Why would I find him attractive? It’s not like he has golden eyes that shine like the sun, or those strong, toned arms that easily held me as he flew . And he definitely doesn’t have a laugh that makes me feel like I’m floating. He physically shakes his head to clear that train of thought from his head, not yet noticing that the subject of his thoughts was fully present and staring at him.  

Until he speaks, of course. “Dabi? Hello?” Hawks tilts his head and waves his hand a little. “You in there?”  

Dabi flinches and jerks away, feeling as though he was caught in a scandalous situation. “Wha- Yeah, hey. I didn’t realize you were back.” His healthy skin flushes and he goes to rub the back of his neck. “Sorry, I didn’t want to disturb you and got caught up in my thoughts. I should pay more attention, even though I’m not in a dangerous situation or anything.” He realizes he’s started rambling but he can’t seem to stop. “Oh, Toga brought in some curry for you earlier, but it’s probably cold by now. It’s just leftovers from a couple nights ago. I cooked more than I meant to but I guess that’s a good thing because now there’s some for you. By the way-” 

Hawks presses a finger to his mouth and laughs softly, his eyes glinting in a way they haven’t since before his disappearance. “Dabi, chill. Take a breather. That was sweet of her to do that. I would love to go eat that, being knocked out for three days will make you pretty hungry.” He lowers his hand and glances down at the nest he’s in. “Although, I should probably ... take this apart first.” His fingers twitch a little and starts to reach for it but Dabi stops him, carefully grabbing the outstretched hand.  

“Why does it need to be taken apart? I don’t mind that it’s on my bed, and you looked really proud of it when it was done.” He catches Hawks’ eyes and gives him a half smile. “Why not think it over more while we eat before deciding?”  

Hawks quickly looks away and pulls his hand out of Dabi’s hold. “I’m not a bird. I don’t need a-” He pauses, looking ashamed and angry at himself. “a nest . It’s ...” His voice drops to a whisper and his shoulders curl in a little, trying to look smaller. “Disgusting. Heroes shouldn’t act like animals. I want to destroy it, Dabi.” He clenches the fist that’s on the bed and looks at his nest again, angry tears starting to form.  

“Hey, look at me.” Dabi crouches in front of him and waits until he listens before continuing. “I don’t want to hear another word from you. Wanting and building a nest is not disgusting, and you most definitely are not.” Hawks looks away again, unable to hold eye contact, but the villain moves to stay in his line of sight. “I never said you’re a bird. Yeah, I call you birdie, but that’s just a cute nickname.” Too late to take that back, now. “You are literally the number two hero in all of Japan. Even if you did act like an animal, nothing would change.” 

“You don’t know tha-” 

A hand is slapped over Hawks’ mouth to shut him up and he gasps, appalled. “I said no speaking. Let me finish, damnit.” Dabi glares up at him but there’s no heat to it, only a slight annoyance. “Heteromorphs have just as much of a place in society as anybody does. You wouldn’t dare say that Shuichi making his little chirps and eating raw meat is disgusting, would you?” He raises a challenging eyebrow at Hawks, who shakes his head in response, not daring to open his mouth yet. “So why is you building a nest because you were having a panic attack any different? You were out of it but getting in the nest calmed you down almost instantaneously, so obviously your instincts were happy.” Dabi decides it would probably be best to not bring up the cooing so he leaves it at that, finally removing his hand from Hawks’ mouth. “Why is it only wrong when you do it?” 

Hawks is speechless for a few moments as he tries to gather his thoughts, his brain and heart conflicted. Finally, he fidgets a little and sighs. “It’s different because I’m a hero ... and heroes are supposed to be perfect. Having ... abnormal instincts and traits means I’m undesirable as a hero.” That’s what the commission taught me ... but is that how I really feel? Do I need to be ashamed of my bird traits? He remembers what just happened three days ago and quickly shuts that down. Of course that’s how I feel! Embracing that part of me would get me killed, probably literally. He zoned out in his head for long enough that Dabi has to snap in his face to get him out of it.  

“Oi, stop thinking so hard. I was talking to you.” Dabi sighs and rests his hand on his thigh. “Where did you learn to think like that? Even growing up with my dad, who is the biggest piece of shit that I know, I never heard that kind of talk.” The blond chews on his bottom lip and looks down at his lap. “I’m not gonna force you to talk about your childhood, but I am gonna force you to stop putting yourself down like that. You are not disgusting for being a heteromorph. And I will remind you every day until you get it through that pretty little head of yours.” Well, shit. Didn’t mean to let that last part slip. Dabi rises to his feet and holds out his hand as an invitation. “Now, we’re gonna go to the bathroom so I can check on your burns, and then we’re going to go sit down in the kitchen so you can eat.” 

Hawks’ eyes flicker between the hand and his face a few times before accepting the help, climbing off the bed. “Fine ... food does sound heavenly right now.” 

Dabi snorts and starts to lead him to the bathroom. “Probably because you’re, quite literally, starving.” Once they’re both inside, Dabi turns on the light and spins Hawks around to face him. “I’m far from an expert when it comes to medicine, but I am used to dealing with burns-” He gestures vaguely to himself. “Obviously, and I found your quirked up healing balm so hopefully they look a lot better.” Without even needing to ask him, Hawks leans his head back a little, why is that so damn attractive? so the villain can unwrap the bandage. They’re both pleasantly surprised to find out the cream worked really fast, and all that’s left are faint, jagged, purple lines circling his neck. “Do you want me to rewrap this or are you fine having it visible?” 

The shorter man sucks in a breath, shocked that he would care about his feelings on the matter. “Um ... Could you ... Wrap it, please? I know it’s almost gone, but I don’t really want to feel so ... vulnerable .” Dabi nods, completely understanding, and fishes out his own supply of bandages. 

They finish what they’re doing in a comfortable silence before heading to the kitchen together, making a quick detour to grab the forgotten bowl of curry from Dabi’s desk. Hawks heats up his food as Dabi grabs something else to snack on, chatting as they sit at the table together. Even after they’re done eating, they continue to talk and laugh with each other, the tension from earlier completely fading away.  

Hawks is so glad to be back with his favorite person the man that makes him feel utterly safe. And he has another four days off before he has to be back at the commission so why not spend his break here, with the group of villains that was becoming more like a family to him than he ever had? 

Dabi, although he would never say it out loud, hopes, for the first time in a decade, that he can hold onto this one thing and never let it go. Ever since he woke up from his coma all those years ago, he vowed to himself that he would never get attached to something again. But maybe, just maybe... He could have this. 

Neither of them notices Shigaraki and Kurogiri standing in the entryway to the kitchen, a soft look on the former’s face as he watches Dabi treat the hero with a gentleness he’d never seen from him before.  

Maybe Hawks isn’t so bad.  

Chapter Text

The next evening, after Dabi had threatened everybody with burns if they brought up his bird’s injuries since he and Hawks had removed the bandages, Toga confidently announces that they’re going to have a movie night, and neither Hawks nor Dabi are allowed to back out. The hero wasn’t planning on it to begin with. Dabi, however, does want to back out until Compress pulls him to the side. “Dabi, I really think you should join us. This is the perfect opportunity for you to make your move with Hawks.” 

The arsonist almost chokes on his spit, turning to him with wide eyes, his voice coming out a whispered yell. “Make my move? The hell? There’s no ‘move’ to be made.” He makes air quotes with the word move and quickly glances around to make sure nobody is listening to them, not noticing the subject of their discussion watching from across the room. “There’s nothing between us. I don’t even know if he’s into guys.” He realizes the disappointment in his voice and he’s quick to add on. “Not that I’m into him, anyways! Also, in case you haven’t noticed, the little bird’s all beat up. This would definitely not be the perfect opportunity.” 

Compress gives him a smile and a shake of his head, patting his shoulder once. “Okay, suit yourself.  I’m sure Twice would be more than happy to take your place next to him for the movie.” The magician knows he’s being cheeky but he also knows that will get a reaction out of Dabi. “He’s been telling me all day how much he’s loved having the hero here so they can get to know each other better.” 

Sure enough, as he’s walking away, he hears Dabi grumble a quiet “There’s no way I’m letting him take my place.” The arsonist risks a glance over at Hawks and catches him already looking, making his healthy skin flush a little. He looks away and curses to himself in his head, hoping the bird didn’t notice the blush. You’re not some hormonal teenager, get a grip, Touya. He’s just looking at you, it’s fine. And you’re a feared villain, for fuck’s sake. Stop acting like an idiot.  

Hawks, on the other side of the room, watches the two talk and wishes he had his feathers so he could’ve given one to Dabi to hear what they were saying. The magician walks away and he almost goes to ask Dabi what it was about, but he decides not to. He catches the faint blush on his cheeks when they make eye contact and thinks it’s the cutest he’s ever seen the villain. Wait, cute? I mean, I won’t deny that he is really pretty… he’d probably threaten to roast me alive if I told him that.   

Toga tugs on his shirt to get his attention, breaking him out of his thoughts. “Hawks, let’s go do a little makeover before the movie! It’ll be fun!” He turns to her with a confused look and is about to ask why, but it’s like she reads his thoughts. “It’s a little tradition I started with Jin, and we’ve been trying to rope Mr. Emo into it but he always ignores us.” She pouts and Hawks can’t help but laugh at Dabi’s new nickname. 

“Mr. Emo, huh?” He glances back over at the fire user and catches his gaze, continuing to talk to Himiko. “That sounds like it could be fun, why not?” Dabi quirks an eyebrow at him in question but he only smiles and turns to follow the girl, who is skipping down the hallway.  

Hawks finds himself squished next to Twice, or Jin now that they’re getting to know each other better, while Himiko helps them put face masks on. The two villains ask him a lot of questions about his interests, what his favorite foods are, what his favorite thing about each of the League members is. They’re not surprised when he rambles excitedly about everything he likes about Dabi, giving each other knowing looks. After they all remove the face masks, the girl does her makeup and Jin manages to convince him to let her do his makeup. She promises it’ll just be a little bit, and she stays true to her word. Hawks’ features are accentuated a little with some contour, he’s given a light blush, and the marks on his eyes are extended with eyeliner. The finishing touch is some mascara. He has to admit that he looks pretty good, if you ignore the burns on his neck. 

Hawks thanks her and goes to find Dabi, ignoring the flutter in his chest at the thought of the black-haired man commenting on the way he looks. He finds him on the balcony off of his room, smoking a cigarette. “Hey, Dab.”  

The villain turns to him at the greeting and opens his mouth to respond, but nothing comes out as he drinks in the sight. Dabi shamelessly checks him out and pays special attention to his eyes. “Hey, pretty bird.” I gotta stop calling him that, fucking hell. “ Himiko drag you away to give you a makeover?” 

Hawks gives a little smile and steps up beside him, leaning against the railing. “Yeah, she said she and Jin started a tradition for movie nights.” He nudges the villain and snickers, turning to look out at the view of the forest. “She also said you always refuse to join in. It was pretty fun; you should consider doing it next time.” And hopefully I’ll be able to join, too. I would kill to see Himiko doing his makeup.  

Dabi gives a snort and shakes his head. “Over my dead body. I don’t really have a lot of skin for her to use her makeup on to begin with. And face masks would be kinda pointless, don’t you think?” He glances over at the hero as he takes a drag of his cigarette. I think I’m in too deep. This man should not have this much of a chokehold on me.  

Hawks’ voice is light as he shrugs, still smiling. “Even if you didn’t do a face mask, it would be a great way to relax. Himiko offered to paint my nails. I said no, but next time we could get them painted together.” He hesitates for a moment before adding on quietly, sounding almost shy. “I think black or bright blue, like your eyes, would look good on you.”  

The confession makes Dabi pause, once again starting to blush. Calm down, oh my god. He probably didn’t mean anything by it. “ Hmm ... I’ll consider it.” Hawks’ smile brightens and it definitely does not warm Dabi’s heart. Why would it? “Only if you make her paint yours red, like your wings.” He blows out smoke and leans his head back, staring at the cloudy sky.  

The bird shuffles closer and holds out his right pinky finger, a childlike glint in his eyes. “Pinky promise?” 

Dabi looks down at him without moving his head and smirks, chuckling softly. “You’re such a kid.” Despite saying that, he does reach out and wrap his right pinky around the other’s. “Pinky promise.” Hawks laughs and goes back to leaning against the railing. They stay like that until Himiko calls them in for the movie ten minutes later.  

When the two of them enter the living room, every spot has been conveniently taken except for on the couch, with just enough room for them to sit pressed against each other. Hawks blushes a little as they sit down, trying his best to not touch Dabi too much. All this does is make him tense and after a few minutes Dabi leans over to whisper to him. “Relax, birdie, I’m not gonna bite you if your leg touches mine. Besides ...” The taller man bumps their knees together and snickers. “You look a little constipated right now with how tense you are.” 

Hawks flushes deep and squeaks out a quiet reply. “I do not! And I know you won’t, I was just trying to be considerate. Didn’t wanna get in your personal space without permission.” Dabi laughs quietly again and hides his mouth behind his hand, not wanting to disturb the others. The hero gives him a sharp jab to the ribs and his pout deepens, but he does begin to relax into the couch, his left knee and thigh naturally coming to rest against Dabi’s right. The contact is soothing, comforting. Hawks craves more but at the same time it’s all too much. They stay with their legs comfortably pressed against each other for the remainder of the movie. Neither man wants to move away by the time it ends, too content with the touch, but they have to separate for food and other necessities.

This was how ‘Operation: get Hawks and Dabi together’ started. Compress, or Atsuhiro, Jin, and Himiko were tired of the back and forth from the two but wanted them to work things out by themselves in the end, they simply wanted to give them a little push. The first part was convincing Hawks the only place he could sleep while here was Dabi’s room. It had only worked, somehow, after Atsuhiro came up with the weak excuse of ‘he needs to keep an eye on your injuries, and if you’re in his room it’ll be much easier.’ The second step was getting Hawks dolled up for the movie and forcing the two to sit next to each other. That went very smoothly. Now they have to figure out what the next step it. They don’t want to push too far, but they, mostly Himiko, are getting tired of the two men being so dense. 

On the fifth morning of Hawks’ week-long break, he wakes up to a burning itch in his wings. It’s bordering on painful but he doesn’t want to do anything without looking at them first, as to not accidentally injure himself further. With a sigh, he drags himself up off the floor of Dabi’s bedroom – he had flat out refused to take the other’s bed from him; despite being reminded he’s in recovery – and trudges his way to the bathroom. Through a yawn, he rubs his eyes and turns on the lights with his free hand. Twisting his torso enough to get a view of his wings, he gasps and lets his jaw hang open at the sight. Tiny nubs of feathers are starting to push through, all along both wings. He can’t help the small, shocked laugh that slips out as he reaches behind himself to gently touch one. The touch relieves the itch just barely and he has to remind himself Don’t scratch them, let them push out naturally . He lets another laugh come out as he twists more to get different angle, excited about being able to fly again in the near future. 

Dabi wakes up to the sound of his laughter and his sleepy brain is basking in it. This must be what heaven sounds like. I could listen to him laugh all day. That thought wakes him up completely and he groans, slinging an arm over his eyes. What the hell , Touya, calm the fuck down. He takes a couple seconds to just lie there quietly before sitting up, looking over to where Hawks had been sleeping. He must be in the bathroom, then. He swings his legs over the side of his bed and stands up with a stretch. Before he can walk to the bathroom to see what his bird is doing in there, Hawks comes rushing out, his eyes sparkling.  

“Dabi!” He hops over to him and turns around, showing off the baby feathers. “Look! My feathers have started to grow back in!” The villain obediently listens to him and his eyes widen, a small smile ghosting his lips. 

“Yeah, they have, birdie. This is great.” Without putting any thought into the action, Dabi reaches out and rests the palm of his right hand between the two wings. Hawks stills and almost instantly starts to blush, and Dabi can feel every twitch of muscle. “How long until you’ll be back to flying?” His thumb slowly rubs a small circle on the hero’s back, right next to the base of his left wing. 

Hawks jerks away with a squeak that he covers with a cough, refusing to turn around to face the other. “U-Uh, should be around two to three weeks. I’ll be forced to do work at my agency instead of in the field in the meantime.” Once he feels like his face is a normal shade, he turns to look at Dabi. “I hate all the paperwork, but it’s unfortunately necessary.” His head tilts to the side and he smiles, eyes still twinkling with excitement.  

Dabi nods and lets his eyes roam a bit as he does his daily check of the injuries, first noting the way that the burns on his neck are all but invisible, just a hint of purple if you knew what to look for. Next, he looks over the bare chest and is glad to see all the bruising is healed up, there are only faint yellow spots on his biceps. “How are your fingernails looking?” He holds out a hand and Hawks lifts his hand up, letting Dabi grab it. The nails are still much too short but the swelling is gone. “You’re healing a lot faster than the average person. Is that because of your quirk?” He gazes up at the hero’s face and is met with a soft look, catching him off guard. The hell is he looking at me like that for ... He clears his throat and raises an eyebrow when he doesn’t get a response. “Hawks, did you hear me?” 

Hawks simply smiles again and takes his hand back from Dabi. “Yeah, it’s partially my quirk.” He bounces on the balls of his feet a few times before settling, folding his hands behind his back. “You wanna go eat breakfast? I’m pretty hungry.” Right on cue, his stomach rumbles a little and he bites his lip, waiting for Dabi’s response.  

“Let’s go, I know you can’t be trusted with cooking.” Although the villain rolls his eyes as he turns to leave, he feels oddly warm saying that, and it’s not because of his quirk. Hawks laughs and follows beside him. They easily fall into a light conversation during breakfast and neither of them wants to admit the strange feelings they’ve begun to notice more and more of. 

The last two days of Hawks’ break go by relatively smoothly and he almost wishes he could retire, almost, and spend all his time with the League, despite them being a dangerous villain organization. When they’re at the mansion they’re more like a family than villains. They joke with each other, play games, have a chore list and rotation, comfort each other when needed… The hero longs to be a part of that, but he can’t abandon his morals just to have a family. He can’t. That’s what he keeps telling himself even as he gets ready to head back to the commission building in Fukuoka. Kurogiri is nice enough to give him a portal back to his apartment so the trip is much shorter, and Dabi makes him promise to check in by the end of the day. 

“If I don’t hear from you by 10pm, I’m coming to your apartment, birdie.” Despite it sounding almost like a threat, it makes Hawks’ chest feel fuzzy.  

Now, he stands at the entrance to the HPSC building, nerves racing through him as he remembers the last time he was here. He takes a deep breath to settle himself a bit before putting on his hero mask and pushing through the doors. He greets the receptionist warmly before heading to the elevators. The ride up to the top floor is too quiet for Hawks, letting his mind race. The doors open with a ding and he forces himself to straighten his posture as he walks to his handler’s office.  

It will be fine. They have no reason to be upset with me. I haven’t done anything wrong. I’ve been good. I took the break like they told me to. It’s going to be okay.  

He knocks once and opens the door, bowing deeply like he’s supposed to and letting his wings fall limp. His handler’s voice echoes through the open room, sounding uninterested. “Hawks, it’s good to have you back with us. I see your feathers have started to grow back in. They should be grown back enough for you to go back to hero work in the next couple of weeks, I presume?” 

The blond doesn’t move from his position as he replies. “Yes, ma’am, as long as my feathers are healthy.”  

Her fingers tap against the desk. “That’s too long. I’m going to have the nurse give you a shot to speed up the process after our meeting. I assume you have no complaints about that. You do want to get back to doing your duty, correct?” 

“Yes, ma’am. I want to go back to patrolling as soon as possible.” His voice is flat, but Hawks truly means what he’s saying. Being a hero is the only thing that gives him value, after all. If I’m not a hero, there’s no use for me.  

“Good. You may rise, Hawks.” The hero exhales softly as he stands, glad to not have that strain on his back anymore. “Now, we need to have a chat about your lackluster performance on the League of Villains mission.” His finger twitches but otherwise stays still, waiting for her to continue. “We need to know what they’re planning next, how many people they have on their side, who the biggest threats are.” The tapping of her fingers stops and her expression turns threatening. “I want a report by the end of next week on an estimate of how many villains we’re up against and when and where they plan to make their next move. If you fail to meet the deadline again or don’t meet my standard, the consequences will be much harsher than last time. Am I clear, Keigo?” 

Hawks tenses at hearing his name but stays calm on the outside. “Yes, ma’am. I won’t disappoint you again.” She holds his stare for a solid five seconds before nodding and dismissing him, reminding him to go to the nurse. As soon as the door closes behind him, Hawks lets out the breath he didn’t know he was holding.  

I’m not going to fail. I can’t fail. I can do it. I can show them that I’m good enough. I’ll prove that I can be useful.  

Getting the shot to speed up his natural healing zaps up all of his energy but he manages to make it to his apartment safely. He collapses on his bed without even bothering to undress at all, barely remembering to send Dabi a text before he’s falling asleep. 

Hawks: Made it home. Taking a nap now  

Dabi glances at the text and a little smile quirks up onto his lips. He remembered. His attention is quickly brought back to the situation before him.  

Some random third-rate villain wanted to join the PLF but held a major grudge against Dabi for something that had happened years ago, so he wanted to fight beforehand. Dabi couldn’t care less about it but he agreed anyways.  

Now, the two of them are standing in an open parking lot, early evening, preparing to get this over with. The fire user had better use of his time. The man across from him doesn’t have any features that stand out, and all he knows about him is that the quirk is called Sins. Dabi doesn’t care to think about what it could do but he doubts it’s a physical quirk. He could probably over-power him even without quirks. This should be over quick. 

Chapter Text

Dabi had been acting strange towards Hawks over the past three days, bordering on hostile at times, but he couldn’t focus too much on it as, even without doing hero work, he had almost no free time. His handlers had put him on a strict routine to make sure he stayed focused and kept in shape while waiting for his feathers to grow back. They also upped the number of supplements he was supposed to take, under the guise of them aiding with his natural recovery. He thought they made him feel a bit off but he assumed that was just a side effect of the healing shot. Everything they did was for his benefit, after all. Everything they did to him, or put him through, was to make him stronger. That’s what they always told him. He had no reason to believe otherwise; everything had made him stronger. A bit of pain here and there was nothing to him in the grand scheme of things, and that was the main reason the HPSC held such a tight leash on him. He was blindly obedient and willing to do anything they asked of him. Which is why when they gave him the blank bottle of pills and told him they would help his feathers grow in strong he didn’t question it. Even once he started to notice little changes regarding his avian instincts.   

When Hawks finally has a day off, he chooses to spend it with the League. His wings are back to their full size and this is the first time he’s going to fly since they were ruined. He’s quick to pull on his flight jacket and slip on his shoes, stepping out onto his balcony. He sends Dabi a quick text while he hops in place, visibly excited.   

Hawks: Guess who has some free time and is coming to see you guys?  

Within a minute he gets a ding and the curt reply makes him feel a little anxious, but he brushes it off.   

Hot stuff: I’m in a meeting  

He pockets the phone and pulls his glasses down to protect his eyes. I can’t wait to see him. He’s gonna be so excited to see my wings. Reassuring himself with that thought, he shakes his nerves out and shoots himself into the air. The feeling is overwhelming for him, in a good way, after being grounded for almost two weeks and he can’t help the tiny laugh that comes out. His arms spread out on instinct and he laughs again, more freely. I’ve missed this so much. I’m never taking this for granted again. Hawks takes his time flying to the PLF base, getting high off of endorphins as he spins and dives, and simply watches the scenery zooming past him.  All too soon, he’s landing at the entrance of the mansion. A few of the members are walking around outside and they greet him, whispering to each other as he waves and walks inside.   

As he nears the League’s wing, he hears yelling that sounds distinctly like Dabi. Hawks can’t quite make out what’s being said but then he hears Shigaraki yelling back and it makes him uneasy. Not wanting to bring attention to himself, he quietly opens the door and glances around at the scene before him. Dabi is towering over the white-haired man with smoke billowing out of his seams, flames dancing across the fingertips on his left hand. Shigaraki’s face is set in a hard glare, a gloved hand grabbing onto the other’s throat. Jin is hiding behind the couch, watching them with wide eyes. Atsuhiro is near the doorway to the kitchen, wearing a concerned expression. The other three are nowhere to be seen.   

After a few very tense seconds, Dabi speaks in a low growl. “Get your hand off of my neck. Right now.”  His flames flicker for a second before slowly growing in size.   

Shigaraki doesn’t let go, and instead tightens his grip. “You seem to forget the position you’re in, Dabi.” His voice is dripping with venom and it makes even Hawks flinch. “You heard All For One’s plan, you can’t just do whatever you want anymore. I’m the one in charge, here. You listen to me, or you’re on your own.”   

The mention of All For One makes Hawks’ feathers bristle and he holds his breath. Whatever meeting Dabi was in must’ve been pretty important. The hero doesn’t dare move from his spot as he watches the arsonist clench his left hand, the flames now moving up his arm. “You mean listen to him. I’ve always followed your lead, Shig. You are my leader, not that ancient husk of a man who’s rotting in prison. I will never choose to follow him.” Dabi’s chest heaves with how hard he’s breathing but he doesn’t back down. After a few moments, Tomura finally releases his neck and takes a step back to get relief from the heat.  

“Watch your mouth. And stop burning your arm up.” Tomura gives him one last glare before leaving to go to his room. Jin, Atsuhiro, and Hawks all hold their breaths while Dabi glares at the ground and slowly puts out his flames. The smoke seeping from him gradually fizzes out and he brings his left arm to his chest to rub it, sighing heavily. Atsuhiro clears his throat and announces that he was going to go cook some lunch.   

Jin scrambles to his feet and is about to leave but he notices Hawks peeking in, giving him a grin. “Hawks! Yo! I didn’t know you were coming today!”   

The hero winces slightly as Dabi snaps his attention to him, still scowling. “Yeah, I have a day off before I officially return to work. I figured I’d swing by and see you all. I texted Dabs, but I guess he didn’t tell anybody.” Jin opens the door fully to give him a hug and he notices a tick in Dabi’s jaw as he sees the wings.   

“Man, your wings look just as good as before! They look pathetic.” Hawks gives a polite laugh and pats him on the back before walking closer to Dabi. Jin stops him, though. “I wouldn’t get close to him. He’s been royally pissed off these past couple of days. Nobody knows why. Probably because you haven’t been around.” The black-haired man scoffs and turns to leave, making Hawks jog to catch up to him.  

“Dabi, wait up!” He reaches out to grab his arm but is brushed off, the other man ignoring him. “What is your problem? You’ve been acting weird with me over text and now you’re glaring at me for no reason and ignoring me?” Dabi turns to him and Hawks suddenly finds himself shoved against the wall, an arm pressing against his throat. He gasps and squirms in the hold, wincing up at the taller man. “What the hell?”  

“Why didn’t you mention anything about your wings before showing up? You know how worried I was for you without them.” Dabi’s voice comes out as a quiet snarl and he’s once again glaring. “You didn’t think to let me know ‘hey, by the way, I have all my feathers back!’ ?” The hero continues to squirm, trying to push him away, but he just continues. “You said you had faster natural healing but this isn’t normal. When I asked for updates, I expected you to be truthful. Or was everything we worked on over your recovery pointless?” He pushes harder until tears start to drip down Hawks’ cheeks, his fighting losing its strength as he’s deprived of oxygen.  

The avian manages to choke out a “Dabi-” and brings his knee up in between the other’s legs harshly. The villain doubles over in pain and releases his hold in the process, allowing Hawks to gasp for air, grasping at his throat. “What ... was that for?” He gives a weak glare to Dabi as he looks up, his wings flaring out as a warning. “Me not telling you about my wings is not a good reason for you to assault me!”    

Guilt flashes through Dabi’s expression for a moment as he stands to his full height. “I’ve just been ... on edge. And Jin warned you.” He glances away and crosses his arms at his chest, almost in a childlike manner. “It would probably be best if you stayed away. Or I might hurt you again.”   

Hawks rolls his eyes and pushes into Dabi’s space again despite the second warning, seemingly undeterred. “That sounds like a weak excuse. Now who’s not being truthful?” His head tilts and the sight flusters the villain a little but he does a good job of hiding it. The following silence makes him huff and grab Dabi’s arm, pulling him towards the man’s bedroom. “The silent treatment, Dabs, really? I’ll explain everything but you need to stop throwing a tantrum and talk to me.” He closes the door behind them and goes to sit on the bed, staring at him expectantly.  

The black-haired man sighs and rolls his eyes, but does walk to the bed and sits next to Hawks, turning his body to face him. “I’m not throwing a tantrum. I’m pissed off.” He picks at his nails absentmindedly. “Got into a fight with some idiot who joined the army the other day. Since then, everything has been setting me off.”   

Hawks raises an eyebrow at him. “Okay, what about the fight made you mad? What wa-”  

“I don’t fuckin’ know!” Dabi throws his hands up and his fingers catch fire, making him growl a little. “Stupid quirk has been acting up, too. Makin’ me even more pissed off.”   

“Dabi...” Hawks starts slowly, giving him a once over. “This is clearly not your usual behavior. What was the person’s quirk? Was it an emitter?”   

Dabi pinches the bridge of his nose and exhales heavily, steam coming out as the flames die out. “Probably. He said it was called Sins or something. No clue what it does. I don’t even know if he used it on me. I’ve just been so angry since then.”   

The blond nods a little. “Judging from how you’ve been acting, I’m gonna say there’s a high chance he did use it. We can sort that out later, you wanted me to tell you about my wings.” He mantles them up in a proud display and reaches down to gently stroke on of his primaries, missing the way Dabi’s expression softens at the sight. “My handlers had their nurse give me a quirk-enhanced shot to speed up the recovery, and they gave me some supplements as well. Usually, the molting process can take up to three weeks, and they wanted me back in the field as soon as possible.”   

The villain scoffs and brings one knee up to rest his forearm on it. “You have handlers? Why does the number two hero need a handler? Seems pointless.” Hawks shrugs and looks a bit uninterested, which sets Dabi off again and he lunges forwards to grab the collar of his shirt. “Hawks, I swear. You’re pissing me off.” The blond gasps and holds onto his wrist on instinct, his eyes wide. “I’m trying to talk to you like you wanted! So don’t just shrug me off!” Dabi’s hand and arm starts to heat up as his quirk control slips again, making Hawks wince.   

“Dabi, you’re getting hot, let go of me.” His voice is calm but inside he’s a little scared, the aggression and threat of getting burnt becoming too much. The villain doesn’t let go yet and only gets hotter, causing a pained hiss from Hawks as he lets go of his wrist. “You’re gonna burn me, let go.”   

With each second that passes, the bird panics more as Dabi only gets hotter, smoke starting to spill out of the seams in his arm. “You gonna answer my question first?” He glares down at the hero and pulls him closer, tightening his grip.  

As soon as a tiny flame sparks on the back of Dabi’s hand, Hawks yelps and twists to shove his foot against the other’s chest, beating his wings to help with momentum. “Dabi!” He’s able to break free and he pants, fear showing clearly in his face. “What the fuck?!” His feathers bristle anxiously as the taller man slowly stands up, taking a step back. “If you touch me again, I’m leaving.”  

Dabi’s hands shake with his barely controlled rage. “You were warned ... twice. I don’t know why I can’t control my anger and my quirk, but I can’t. I’m trying my best, damnit.” His eyes have a feral look in them as he makes eye contact with the hero. “Ever since you got here it’s been worse.” He makes a ‘tsk’ and stalks over to his door, giving Hawks one more glance. “Don’t follow me.” With that, Dabi is storming out of his room and eventually the entire building, smoke trailing behind him.   

Hawks exhales deeply with relief and finally lets his body relax, feathers softening. His mood had soured considerably since he first arrived and now, he’s not sure what to do. Whenever he visits, he spends the majority of his time with Dabi so, with him gone, the blond doesn’t know what to do. He could go find Himiko, maybe, but what would they do? Skincare? Makeup? He’s not sure if he’s in the mood for that. He isn’t particularly close with Shuichi or Atsuhiro, and he barely talks to Kurogiri. Jin is a good friend to him but he doesn’t have the energy to talk a lot. That only leaves Tomura, and last Hawks saw of him he was threatening Dabi for an unknown reason. Maybe he could get more explanation out of the leader about the quirk Dabi was hit with. Hawks nods to himself and walks down the hallway until he comes across the room with ‘Tomura’ above it. He knocks three times and folds his hands behind his back.  

“Dabi, if that’s you, I’m going to-” Tomura cuts himself off as he opens the door and sees Hawks instead, a slight frown appearing. “Oh, Hawks. Where’s Dab? You two are so clingy it’s almost irritating.” He rolls his eyes a little but stops when the hero stiffens and rubs the back of his neck nervously.   

“Well, honestly, I have no clue where he is. I was trying to talk to him and he ended up running off.” Hawks shuffles on his feet a little. “I was hoping you would know more about the situation.” The decay user raises an eyebrow, urging him to continue. “He said he got into a fight with one of your new guys, and I’m assuming he got hit with whatever quirk the guy has. But he wouldn’t give me anything other than the name of the quirk.”   

Tomura nods slowly and gives the bird a once over. “Okay, so what’s it called?”  

“He said, and I quote ‘he said it was Sins or something.”  

Shigaraki sighs and scratches at his neck with a gloved hand, his expression bored. “I’ll have Skeptic look into it and see what he can find. Dabi’s been extremely volatile the past few days and I guess a quirk being the reason makes sense. I’ve never seen him lose control of his flames this much.” He catches onto the nervous twitching of the hero’s wings and tilts his head slightly. “He blew up on you too, didn’t he?”  

A weak laugh comes out of Hawks’ mouth and he looks away. “Was it obvious?” He sighs after a few seconds. “... Yeah, he did. Jin tried to warn me about his mood but I didn’t listen so it’s my own fault.”  

“Not your fault.” Tomura shakes his head at that. “I’ll find the guy who did this to him and get him to undo it, or tell me how Dabi can fix it. For now, I’d just keep your distance from him. That’s what the rest of us have been doing. I don’t care what you do in the meantime, just don’t bother me again.” He waves his hand dismissively and closes his door, leaving Hawks in the empty hallway, unsure of what to do again.   

I could always go for another flight. That could be fun.   

He starts to walk towards the living room to leave, but Atsuhiro comes out of the kitchen with what looks like mochi in his hands. “Hawks, my dear boy! Come, let me look at your wings! I didn’t know you were back to tip-top shape again.” The magician gives him a friendly smile and he can’t bring himself to say no. So, he walks over to the older man and holds one wing out for him. Atsuhiro carefully grabs a feather and runs his hand along the rachis. “My, my, they look just as wonderful as before. I’m surprised they’re full again already, though. I read that molting can take up to a month for some avian mutants.”  

Hawks does his best to not shudder at the touch, giving a polite smile. “Yeah, usually it takes around three weeks for my feathers to molt fully, but I wanted to get back to hero work as soon as possible so I was given a healing shot. Today’s actually my last day off.”  

Atsuhiro nods and graciously lets go of the feather, instead holding out a piece of the mochi. “Well then, let’s enjoy it to the fullest. Are you hungry?” After Hawks takes it from him, he turns and walks back to the kitchen. “I just finished cooking some chicken katsu don, and there’s plenty for you to have some.” The hero flushes a little as he stares at the treat in his hand, feeling oddly fuzzy at the caring treatment from the older villain.   

“I am a bit hungry.” Hawks follows the man and is about to ask for some but suddenly remembers the diet he’s supposed to be on. “Oh, but I ... I can’t have that. It looks delicious, though!” He flashes a smile and tilts his head, his feathers rustling slightly.   

Atsuhiro pauses and turns to him. “You can’t have it? Are you allergic to something in it? I could find something else for you.”  

The avian fidgets a little and rubs the back of his neck. “Ah, no, I have no allergies. I’m ... not allowed to eat it. I’m supposed to be on a strict diet.” He reluctantly holds the mochi back out to the other. “I really shouldn’t eat this, either.” His wings droop with disappointment as Atsuhiro takes it from him.  

The villain stares at him with an odd look. “You’re 24, Hawks, what do you mean by you’re not ‘ allowed’ to eat certain foods? Are you okay?” He sounds a bit too concerned for Hawks’ liking and he rushes to reassure him.   

“Yeah, I’m fine! My handlers just want me to stay in shape. I can’t be slacking off as a top hero.” He laughs it off but Atsuhiro does not look amused, only even more concerned. “Once I start work tomorrow, they’ll ease up on my diet a little but it’s still pretty rigid. It’s not too bad once you get used to it.”  

The magician sets the mochi down finally and puts a hand on his hip, his gaze intense. “The only reason you should have a diet plan is if you are choosing to do it or you have dietary restrictions. And having handlers at your age and position is a cause for concern.” Hawks opens his mouth to argue but he doesn’t let him. “If you are being controlled, we could help you get out. I can speak for all of us in the League when I say we would drop everything to get you out of whatever bad situation you’re in.”   

The hero’s feathers rustle uneasily and he avoids eye contact, fidgeting where he stands. “My handlers aren’t controlling me. I have them to help keep me in line, otherwise I might slip up and not be useful anymore.” And to make sure I don’t let anybody see my mutant traits. “ I promise I’m fine, Atsu. It’s for my benefit.”   

“If you insist.” Atsuhiro lets his hand drop and he tosses the little dessert into his mouth with his other hand, vowing that he would inform the others of this discovery and they would uncover the truth. “Alright, I won’t keep you any longer. You will be coming over for our game night next week, yes?” Hawks nods shortly and forces a grin before all but rushing outside, starting to feel suffocated under the older man’s intense gaze. Within seconds of being outside, he’s shooting himself into the air to fly until he’s calmed his mind.  

I slipped up. I said something I shouldn’t have. Now he thinks I’m in trouble. What if he tells Dabi? No, I’m sure it’ll be fine. He stopped pushing, so it’s fine...  

Hawks circles lazily around the forest surrounding the villa as his mind races.  

I still need to work on my report. Once I start work, it’ll be harder to do that. How am I supposed to get that info, though? It’s not like I can just ask them what the plan is, they still don’t completely trust me... Maybe I could get it out of Dabi? No, he’s affected by that quirk and is too explosive right now. Who else?  

He soars up higher until he’s at cloud level, basking in the evening sun.   

Jin. I’m sure if I play my cards right, he would tell me. Next time I visit I’ll try to find a good time for that. I don’t want to break their trust though … Am I really fit for this mission? Am I strong enough to follow through? If I back out, that’s probably the end of me …  

At the edge of the forest, surrounded by burnt trees and grass, Dabi watches his bird flying and frowns, frustrated with himself. I can’t believe I lost it and fuckin’ hurt him. He didn’t even do anything. I need to apologize next time we talk.  

Chapter Text

From a young age, Dabi held a lot of anger. Growing up in the Todoroki household was a nightmare after his fire started to hurt him. And when Shoto was born everything only got worse. Nothing he did was good enough anymore, no amount of power or technique made Enji look at him. He would cry to Natsuo and Fuyumi most nights and beg them to all sleep in the same room so he wouldn’t be alone with his thoughts. They indulged him most of the time but there were some nights that they had enough and would lock themselves in their rooms. And so Touya was forced to lie on his futon and listen to all the anger and hurt in his brain. Once he started sneaking off to train on the mountain, it became a little easier on him, but not enough. He still held so much anger and hate. He hated Rei for being a pushover, he hated Shoto for being born with the perfect quirk, he hated Natsu and Yumi for not understanding. But, deep down, the only person he truly hated was himself. For not being good enough. For having the wrong body for his quirk. For disappointing Enji.  

Rei was only a pushover in hopes that Enji would get tired of abusing her. Shoto couldn’t help that he was born with his quirk. Natsuo and Fuyumi were discarded and ignored from the start because of their weaker quirks, so of course they would never understand. Touya, on the other hand, should’ve just trained better and found a way to not get hurt. It didn’t matter that his body was meant for ice, or that his flames were much hotter than his dad’s. He should’ve tried harder.  

Going back to his house after waking up from his coma only solidified the self-hatred. He was nothing but a mistake, a failure. Otherwise, his family would’ve looked for him. They wouldn’t have pushed him to the side like something to be ashamed of. He was going to become strong enough to make Enji pay attention to him once more, even if it killed him. The pure rage he held for himself is what pushed him forward. It also made him uncaring for his physical wellbeing and what caused him to fall into horrible situations before joining up with the League. He allowed himself to be taken advantage of and pushed around all in the name of becoming stronger and honing his skills.  

Honestly, anger was all Touya knew until he met the League. They showed him for the first time what a family was. What a family should be. He had a hard time accepting it, still does sometimes, but he’s trying his best. He still wants to prove his worth to them despite being shown over and over that he doesn’t need to do that. They accept him for who he is, flaws and everything. He still has a lot of hate for himself, but he does a good job hiding it and burying it under a layer of indifference.  

Then, Hawks showed up and his world was flipped upside down. Touya didn’t trust him at all when the hero had asked to join up with them, and he had good reason not to at first. But he quickly realized that the little bird had switched from his hero persona to being his genuine self. He saw how Hawks truly wanted to please him, get to know him, be close to him. It caught him off guard if he was being honest. Touya knew that the hero society was corrupt but he never expected a top hero to agree with him. He figured it was due to his childhood, but he wasn’t going to pry and scare him off. He never wanted to admit it, but the cheery hero had started to work his way into the his cold and bitter heart.  

Hawks made Touya want to be Touya again, and not Dabi. He wanted to be a better person and that thought scared him. The only thing he had wanted for the past eight years was to destroy himself in order for Enji to acknowledge him. He wasn’t supposed to want anything else. He wasn’t supposed to crave somebody’s company. And he most definitely wasn’t supposed to care so deeply about anyone.  

When did he let himself get so comfortable? 

He wasn’t sure. He never had the answers when it came to his feelings. 

When he first found Hawks in his tiny nest, shivering and broken, he didn’t know why the need to protect arose. He never protected anybody, not even himself. Taking care of him gave Touya a new sense of purpose but, honestly, he didn't know what to make of it. It was confusing and a bit irritating if he thought about it for too long. And then he watched as the little bird made a nest in his bed and heard him coo ... He knew he was doomed.  

As badly as he wanted to let his walls down, he couldn’t risk trusting someone again. He wanted nothing more than to be able to keep Hawks for himself, to be able to touch him, hold him whenever he wanted, wake up to him in his bed. But he wasn’t going to let himself get hurt again. He didn’t deserve to let himself love someone, much less be loved by somebody. 

When he got into the fight and got hit with the quirk, it felt as though his anger was doubled. Every fiber of his body was humming with rage. He didn’t like it. He didn’t want to be angry, despite being comfortable in it. A normal text with Hawks would set him off and he would end up burning something accidentally. An innocent comment from Himiko had him yelling at her, his flames barely controlled. He hated himself for losing control, and that only seemed to make it worse. Then Hawks showed up with full wings, without telling him about them, and he hurt him. He had no reason to lash out the way he did, he was just upset that the bird didn’t let him know that he was fully recovered. And that frustration came out as wrath, hate, flames.  

When he almost burnt the hero, he knew he had to get away before he seriously injured him. He would never forgive himself if that happened. So, he went to the edge of the forest surrounding the mansion, where the trees weren’t as dense and his fire wouldn’t spread easily. He channeled his anger into fire and watched as the trees and grass went up in blue flames and smoke. He thought about their brief conversation in his room, the fear in Hawks’ eyes, the pit in his stomach seeing him back away from him like that. 

I fucked up so bad. I wouldn’t blame him if he leaves after that. This is exactly why mom couldn’t stand to look at me, why dad gave up on me. Everything I touch ends up burning. I’m gonna end up burning Hawks, too. I don’t deserve anything.   

After getting most of his pent up rage out, he stands in the middle of the destruction and pants from overexertion, not noticing his fresh burns yet. He doesn’t feel better and it pisses him off all over again. Maybe Hawks was right in thinking that asshole did use his quirk at some point during their fight. It would explain everything, if he really thinks about it.  

Fuck. Now I’ll have to apologize and admit I was wrong. This sucks.  

Once he calms himself enough that he thinks he won’t blow up as soon as somebody so much as looks at him, he makes his way back to the League’s kitchen. Atsuhiro is still there after hid conversation with Hawks, washing dishes. He turns at the sound of Touya entering and pauses what he’s doing. “Dabi, were you aware of Hawks having handlers?” 

Dabi huffs out a sigh and has to clench his fist to keep his quirk in check. “Not until about an hour ago.” He rolls his eyes and grits out. “Another thing he failed to mention to me.” 

The magician tactfully chooses to ignore the snide remark and fully turns to him. “It’s very concerning. Any way you look at it, there’s no good reason for him to have any. No pro heroes have any outside of specific situations. The way he was talking, it appears they’re permanent. Another thing he mentioned is the fact they have him on a very strict diet.” Atsuhiro quietly gauges his reaction, drying his hands. 

Dabi’s fingers twitch and his eyebrows furrow as he processes what he’s hearing. “… What? Why would he need to be on a diet?” He suddenly remembers carrying Hawks while he was passed out and how light he was. “That’s why-“ He feels his body heating up and goes to the sink, turning on the cold water. “Damnit! I knew something was off, he’s way too light for how tall he is.” His flames constantly scream at him just under the surface and it’s starting to drive him crazy. “Where’s Shig? I need to talk to him.” 

Atsuhiro silently hands him an ice pack and puts the chicken katsudon in the fridge. “In his room, I believe.” As Dabi turns to leave, he reaches out and gently touches his shoulder. “You know all of us have your back, Dabi. If you find out anything about the hero’s situation, we will all jump at the chance to help.” 

The arsonist doesn’t turn as he sighs out a soft ‘I know’ before leaving to go find their leader. He knocks on Tomura’s door and shoves his hands in his pockets while he waits for an answer. 

The door opens a few seconds later and Shigaraki narrows his eyes, their argument still fresh in his mind. “What?” 

Dabi looks away and glares at the wall, forcing himself to stay somewhat calm. “I’m not here to argue with you. I’m here … to ask a favor.”  

“A favor?” The shorter man raises an eyebrow. “After earlier, that’s pretty bold. But ask away.” 

Dabi grits his teeth and breathes deeply. “I think … I’m under the effects of some quirk. And I need help finding the bastard.”  

Tomura huffs out a small laugh. “Yeah, your boyfriend already-“ 

“He’s not my fucking boyfriend!”  

“-stopped by to ask me if I could find him. Skeptic should know who he is by now, go ask him.” He moves to shut the door but Dabi slams his hand on the door, his jaw tight. “Yes, Dabi?” 

*Wait.” Tomura stares at him blankly until he continues. “I’m … sorry … for earlier.” The black-haired man clicks his tongue and storms off, leaving him stunned in the doorway. 

Dabi finds Skeptic easily; he’s almost always holed up in his room. He doesn’t even knock before he barges in, too impatient to wait. “Hey, Skeptic, please tell me you know the guy I fought the other day and where I can find him.”  

Tomoyasu glares up at him from his spot at his monitors. “You could’ve knocked. And yes, I do know who he is. His name is Anzai. I checked all the cameras and he’s currently in the gym-” He tries to say something else but flame user is already slamming his door shut with a ‘thanks’ and heading towards the gym.

The gym at the villa is spacious and fairly diverse with what can be done. There is the usual weight lifting area, a lap pool off to one side, a sectioned off area with several sparring mats, fireproof dummies against one of the walls for practicing aim, and some pull up bars. Dabi walks in and looks around at the people using different equipment, realizing he forgot to ask what the guy looked like. Nothing stood out to him during the fight so it was going to be difficult to spot him. Several pairs of eyes turn to him as he scowls at everyone, already starting to get irritated. He decides the best bet would be to simply call his name, so that’s what he does. “Oi, Anzai!”  

A smaller man with long, messy, black hair and white irises turns to him with a bored expression, lowering the staff he was using with the training dummies. “What? You want a rematch? You beat me already.” Dabi scoffs and marches up to him, barely resisting the urge to yank him up by his shirt. 

“What does your quirk do? And why the fuck has it affected me for this long?” The villains around them quickly look away and go back to what they were doing, not wanting to be on the receiving end of the fire user’s wrath. 

Anzai gives him a lazy smirk. “You haven’t figured that out yet? What a shame.” Dabi clenches his fist to control his fire and is about to respond when the shorter man laughs. “Oh, you poor thing. Let’s go somewhere quieter before you light something on fire, yeah?” The taller man grits his teeth and follows him reluctantly, knowing it’s a wise decision. 

They walk in silence until they’re in an empty hallway, away from the busy parts of the villa. Dabi had managed to calm down during their walk and is able to speak without yelling or sneering. “Answer my questions, now. Something is wrong and I know it’s because of your bullshit quirk.”  

Anzai simply stares at him for a few seconds, debating internally. “Answer this for me, first. What is your biggest vice? What is your deadly sin?” His white eyes seem to stare directly into Dabi’s soul and it unsettles him deeply. 

The fire user sighs dramatically but decides to humor him. “Probably greed? I don’t know. Why is this important?” 

The other man raises an eyebrow, unimpressed. “Really? That’s what you’re sticking with?” 

Dabi rolls his eyes and runs a hand through his hair, tugging lightly to ground himself. “Yeah? Now are you gonna answer me? Or do I need to beat you up again?” 

The shorter man snickers quietly but complies. “My quirk is Sins. If I touch you, which I did during our fight, I can take your deadly sin and amplify it. It affects your thoughts, your actions, and even your quirk if it’s tied to your emotions.” He steps into Dabi’s space and tilts his head, a taunting smile on his lips. “So, I’ll ask again. What is your deadly sin?” 

The arsonist instinctively steps back and his face drops into a scowl again, dropping his hand from his hair. “Just undo the quirk, damnit. I don’t have to tell you jack shit.”  

Anzai full on laughs at that and folds his arms in front of his chest. “If you want it gone, you have to confess. Which means you have to be honest with yourself. If you’re gonna clam up, fine, but it’s not going away until you come clean to someone.” There’s a glint in his eyes that Dabi really doesn’t like. “And you can’t half-ass the confession, either. I can’t tell what sin or why it is that, but I can feel when you’re dishonest about it. So, you might wanna take a journey of self- discovery if you’re truly convinced yours is greed. I don’t need to be a mind reader to know that much.” Anzai gives him a once over and smirks one last time before walking off. 

The arsonist stays in his spot and quietly seethes. He pisses me off so much. Acting all high and mighty like he’s better than me.   

He kicks the wall and grumbles to himself, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans. I hate that he’s right. I know it’s not greed. Anybody who’s known me for more than ten seconds could figure it out.   

He begrudgingly heads back to the LOV wing of the building. I can’t just … confess that to somebody, if that fucker is being honest about needing to be specific. That’s way too personal. I can’t let anybody see that much of me. I do want this to be over with, though. Damnit.  

He zones out for long enough that he blinks and suddenly he’s standing in his room, his thoughts coming to a halt. He glances around at the clothes that are haphazardly thrown around his room and sighs. Should probably clean this up.  

After cleaning and heating up some instant ramen, he finds himself standing on his balcony with a lit cigarette between his lips and his phone in his hand. It’s unlocked and has Hawks’ messages pulled up. He hasn’t texted since this morning, when he told Dabi he was going to visit. The villain isn’t sure why he was hoping the bird would text, he did assault him, twice, earlier. Honestly, he’ll be surprised if Hawks does message. Maybe he can cool off enough tonight that they can talk tomorrow. Fuck! I forgot he starts his patrols again tomorrow. It’s fine, I can call him during his lunch. The black-haired man nods to himself and stands out in the night cold as he finishes the cigarette. He doesn’t bother changing or even taking off his jeans before he falls onto his bed and stares up at the ceiling. Tonight is gonna be a long night.

Dabi wakes up to the sun shining in his face through his window, feeling far from well rested. He blindly reaches for his phone, missing several times before finally gabbing it. Blinking away the sleep so he can focus, he lets out a groan as he sees the time – 6:49 am. Why the hell am I up this early? He notices a text notification from twenty minutes ago and moves to open it. Hawks. He stills and stares at the name for nearly ten seconds before opening it.  

Pretty bird: I’m about to head in for my first patrol back. I haven’t forgiven you for yesterday, but I do want to talk about it. Have Kurogiri warp you to my apartment at 11:30.  

The flame user stares dumbly at the message as his brain slowly wakes up. He wants to see me, even after yesterday? He shakes the self-doubts away and sends a simple ‘okay’ before getting out of bed. After spending a full minute stretching, he goes to the bathroom to wash up, stripping himself of the clothes he slept in on the way. He goes to wash his face and that’s when he finally notices the burns he got from the day before, reaching up a little past the staples along his cheeks and his left shoulder, and even some on his fingers. They’re not too bad but the faint pink makes anger swell up inside. 

I should’ve been more careful. I shouldn’t have lost control. This proves that dad was right in tossing me to the side. Hawks won’t want to look at me with even more burns. He stops himself immediately at that last thought, anger dying out and being replaced with fluster. Why does it matter if he looks at me? It’s not like I want him to look at me, anyways. I don’t want him. I don’t.   

After brushing his teeth, he decides it would be nice to go to the gym and let off some steam. He’s still so pent up from the quirk that nothing he’s done to get his anger out has helped. It almost feels as if it’s just made it worse. Maybe that bastard didn’t tell him everything about his quirk. He brushes that thought to the side and throws on a tank top, not bothering to put any pants on over top of his boxers. He’s one of Shigaraki’s lieutenants; nobody would dare say anything about it, anyways. He makes his way to the gym and settles on strength training. It’s a good distraction, if nothing else.  

Dabi does several sets of bench presses and dead lifts, then switches to the pull-up bars. He goes until failure and checks the time as he sips from his water bottle – 9:36. Shit, I’ve still gotta eat breakfast and shower before our meeting. Stretching out his sore body, he lets out a soft groan. With a sigh he starts the long walk back to his room, ignoring the side eyes and quiet whispers. He takes his time in the shower, using extra soap in hopes of getting Hawks to notice how good he smells, not that he cares about that. Because he doesn’t. Once out of the shower and fully dried, he combs his hair in an attempt to make it look neat, to no avail. He notices a tiny band of white at the roots and makes a mental note to buy hair dye before he comes back home.  

He takes his time picking out the perfect outfit, subconsciously wanting to impress the hero. A pair of white, ripped up jeans, a black compression shirt, black combat boots with chains on them, and a black leather jacket. I want to see my pretty bird get flustered- stop, stop , Touya, what the actual fuck? He’s not my bird, and I don’t care if I make him flustered or not. He shakes his head to forcefully shut out his, frankly, embarrassing thought train. He still needs to eat. With one last glance in his mirror, he trudges out into the kitchen. Nobody else is out in the common area, which Dabi is grateful for as the silence helps keep him calm. He pulls out the katsudon that Atsu had cooked yesterday and heats up a serving. By the time he finishes eating and cleaning up after himself, it’s nearly 11am. He doesn’t feel like waiting longer so he sets off to find Kurogiri. It doesn’t take him very long; the warp villain doesn’t need sleep so he’s usually awake in his room or in the common area. Knocking several times, the arsonist doesn’t wait for a reply. “Giri, need you to warp me to Birdie’s place!”  

Kurogiri doesn’t complain, he never does, as he opens a portal for the other.

Dabi steps through into the hero’s living room and comes face-to-face with a surprised Hawks who is only in a towel, looking fresh out of the shower.  

“Dabi, you’re early.” He flushes under the villains intense gaze, fidgeting in place. “Uh. I wasn’t … I’m not ... prepared to talk yet.” 

Dabi’s brain is short circuiting as he stares shamelessly, every thought leaving his brain except for fuck.  

Chapter Text

Dabi stares at the mostly naked Hawks with widened eyes and a slightly opened mouth, not a single respectful thought in his head. He’s seen him shirtless before but he’d been focused on injuries. Now he’s able to really look at the sculpted body of the number two hero. Freckles are scattered across his torso and arms, along with some scarring that the villain hadn’t noticed before. His abs are defined but they look so soft, and Dabi swears he can almost see the bird’s ribs. Hawks is all too aware of the way the taller man is eyeing him up and it makes his feathers twitch.  

The blond clears his throat and rubs the back of his neck. “Um- I’m gonna… go get dressed. You can wait here for me.” Before waiting for an answer, he dashes to his bedroom and all but slams the door, incredibly flustered and beet red. He leans against the door and places his right hand over his heart as he pants, feeling it pound wildly. “What was that? You’re acting like an Idiot, Keigo. Get a grip.” He lets out a groan and smacks his head against the door, not caring about the slight tingle that rushes through his body.   

Dabi stands in the same spot and stares at the closed bedroom door, slowly getting more and more flustered. Great job, Touya, you made yourself look like some horny teenager. That’s really gonna make your apology so much better. He rolls his eyes at himself and decides to explore the apartment, as he didn’t get to the first time he was here. The place is pretty bare and it feels off somehow, like the bird doesn’t even live here. The villain remembers the nest he found Hawks in and goes to the office, wanting to get a better look at it. He walks around the large desk and is surprised to see nothing under it. He took his nest apart? He doesn’t notice Hawks enter until he speaks.  

“Hey, what are you doing in here? I thought you were gonna wait in the living room.” Dabi opens his mouth to respond at the same time he looks up and the words die in his throat, too busy taking in the view. Hawks had put on some light grey joggers and a pastel yellow tshirt, and the black-haired man is struggling to function. Fuckfuckfuck why does he looks so good in that?   

He finally manages to peel his eyes away from the bird’s outfit and makes eye contact. “Yeah, I was exploring. Didn’t get a chance when I came to get you last time. What did you want to talk about?” He leans against the desk and watches smugly as Hawks tries to subtly check him out.   

“How you treated me yesterday. I know it’s probably just the quirk, but I didn’t like it.” The hero’s voice gets smaller and quieter as he reaches the end of the sentence, and something about that makes anger flare up in Dabi.  

The taller man stands up straight and takes a step towards the other, eyebrows furrowing. “And you think I did? You think I enjoyed hurting you?” Dabi doesn’t miss the way his feathers bristle and he tenses up, preparing to run if he needs to. “I know I’m a big, scary villain, but I don’t get off on hurting you! I’m fucking pissed at myself for it!” His fingers light up with tiny flames as he takes another step forward.   

The bird backs up and his gaze flickers nervously between the flames and the arsonist’s face. “No, I don’t think you liked it. But I’m not gonna lie and say I’m not … on edge.”   

Dabi sees the fear in his eyes and it only makes the flames grow, despite him trying to put them out. “Yeah, you’re not very good at hiding it, or I’ve just gotten better at reading you.” He shakes his hand and finally gets the flames to die out, smoke floating away from his hand. “I’m sorry, okay? I’m trying my damn hardest to fight this but the quirk is bullshit!” Dabi scoffs and reaches up to pull on his hair, keeping his gaze on the twitchy bird. “I …” I need to tell him. I can’t let this go on.   

Hawks tilts his head and takes a cautious step closer. “You?” He lowers his wings to try and appear less threatening.   

Fuck it, here goes nothing. “ I have to confess in order to release the quirk... I’m angry…” Dabi trails off as his throat locks up but the bird’s patience urges him to continue. “I’m angry because I’ve never been good enough for anybody.” He feels the sting of blood trying to come out of his tear ducts and he slams his hands to the desk, hunching his shoulders up to his ears. “I’m angry because no matter what I do, my father will never look at me.” The tight grip of the quirk starts to loosen and the villain can feel the anger slipping out of him. “I’m angry …” His healthy skin turns a light pink but he forces the next words out anyways. “Because I want to keep you in my life but I don’t deserve it.” By the time he finishes, he feels so drained and he’s mortified as blood starts to drip down his cheeks. He refuses to look up at the hero, still hunched over the desk and breathing raggedly.  

“Dabi ...” Hawks’ voice is soft but it cuts into the villain’s heart like a steak knife through butter. The taller man’s body starts to shake as more bloody tears spill over, desperately holding back his sobs. The blond takes slow steps towards him and tentatively reaches out to lay his hand over top of the other’s left. He doesn’t do anything beyond that, unsure if words will help in this moment.   

Dabi stands there crying for close to ten minutes before it slowly dissolves into sniffles and hitched breathing. There’s blood on the desk and his hands, even some on the bird’s hand, but the shorter man doesn’t seem to mind. When the black-haired man finally speaks, another five minutes later, his voice is raspier than usual. “I’m sorry... I’m sorry for not being honest about things, and for hurting you.” He winces and curls in on himself even further. “You don’t have to forgive me, I’m not expecting you to... But I need you to know that I never want to hurt you again.”   

The hero’s voice comes out gentle and hesitant. “Can I touch you?” The question makes Dabi flinch but he slowly nods after giving it some thought. Hawks pushes his way between the two arms still resting on the desk and wraps his arms around the other, hugging tightly. “Deep pressure helps. That’s what I was told, anyways.” The bird presses his face into the villain’s shoulder and breathes deeply, hoping to help him to relax. Dabi falters at the warm embrace and dumbly realizes that this is their first hug. They’ve known each other for several months and only now are they hugging. He takes a shuddering breath before returning the hug and pulling Hawks even tighter to his body, pressing his nose into his hair.   

The two of them melt against each other and they stay like that until the taller man feels like he can safely talk without breaking again. Dabi is the first to pull away, albeit reluctantly. The blond slowly pulls back as well, looking up at him with such affection that it takes his breath away. “’m sorry for getting blood on your desk. I can clean it up.” He makes a move to leave but Hawks stops him, placing a hand on his forearm.  

“Don’t worry about it, you should sit down and drink some water, or you could wash up in the bathroom. I can deal with this, promise.” He gives Dabi a warm smile that has his insides turning to mush. “We can talk about this more after I’m done, or something else if you’d prefer.” The villain nods a little and glances down at the empty space under the desk where Hawks’ nest used to be. I should ask him about that. The bird ushers him out of the room and he silently obeys, glad to have some space after breaking down like that. He goes to the bathroom and grimaces at the dried, smeared blood on his face. While he’s washing his face, Hawks wipes down the desk thoroughly.

They both head to the kitchen when they’re done and get a glass of water, Dabi sitting on the counter and Hawks on a stool. They sit in silence for a few minutes before the black-haired man breaks it. “Where’s your nest? It’s not under your desk like before.” The avian stills and stares at his glass as if it’s the most interesting thing in the world, not wanting to answer. The villain watches him momentarily before sighing softly. “Alright, I won’t push. What did you want to know about ... what I said earlier?”   

The change in topics makes the hero visibly relax as he glances up to make eye contact. “Did you really mean that? That you ...” Hawks looks away quickly and fidgets with his glass, his wings twitching with the urge to hide his face. “Want to keep me in your life?”  

Dabi flinches at the question and debates lying, but decides against it as the statement was already thrown out there. “Pretty fuckin’ sure I made that clear already.” His voice drops to an embarrassed grumble. “Don’t know why you want me to repeat myself.”  

A small, shy smile graces the bird’s lips. “Maybe I just wanted to hear you say it again.” I want to hope for a little longer. Please, Dabi. He hears shuffling from where the other man is so he looks over once again only to lean back in shock when he’s leaning down to get in his space.   

“I want you in my life, pretty bird.” The villain stares at him with sincerity and a hint of something else that Hawks can’t put his finger on. The nickname makes him flush a deep red and his breath hitches slightly. Dabi’s gaze flickers between two golden eyes. “I’m not gonne live a long life but I haven’t wanted something this bad since I was a kid.”   

The accidental confession gets a worried look from the hero and he tries to back track but he’s stopped. “What do you mean?” Hawks jumps to his feet and doesn’t even bother to hide the nervous twitches in his wings. “Dabi, what are you saying?”  

Dabi sighs and stands up to his full height. “It’s not what you think, Hawks.” The reassurance does nothing to settle the blond’s anxiousness but he tries, nonetheless. “I just mean that, with everything that’s happening in Japan right now, I can’t guarantee my future.” I’m sorry, little birdie, but I can’t give up on my goal. The taller man reaches out to run his hand along the top of Hawks’ wing, earning him a shudder. “I meant what I said, though.”  

The hero’s gaze is calculating for a few seconds before he slumps, not wanting to press the issue. “Alright. And...” His voice trails off as he shifts his weight from foot to foot, wringing his hands together. “I want to keep you in my life, too.” He risks a glance up and locks eyes with a wide-eyed, blushing Dabi. They stare at each other in a charged silence for several moments, neither one willing to make the first move. Hawks finally breaks the silence, his voice barely above a whisper. “I don’t ... I don’t want what we have to change.” I want more, so much more. But do I deserve it? I’m betraying him...   

And just like that, the spell is broken and the villain looks away, shoving his hands in his pockets. “That’s fine. I-” He clears his throat and nudges the other with his elbow. “I like what we have.” If I let him in, he’s going to get hurt when I face Enji... But I want this so bad. Please, let me have this.  

The hero nods a little and suddenly finds he has no clue what to do now. This is not at all how he expected things to play out. He has free time until 4pm when he goes into his evening patrol, but what should he do with it? He glances at the clock – 11:54 – and debates ordering takeout for the two of them. It’s not as if they could go out to lunch together, the other is a wanted criminal after all. “Hey, Dabs. You want some takeout?” He bounces on the balls of his feet and cocks his head to the side.   

Dabi finally musters the courage to say what he thinks every time the hero tilts his head. “It’s cute when you do that.”   

The blond blushes and pushes him lightly. “I’m not cute , I’m a highly skilled and powerful hero.”  

The taller male laughs and swiftly takes his hands out of his pockets to drop them on the counter and trap the hero, smirking down at him. “Just because you’re strong doesn’t mean you can’t be cute, birdie~” Hawks’ pulse quickens as he stares up at him, unable to form words suddenly. ”Nothin’ to say? You act all cocky and confident, but I think deep down it’s all just an act.” Dabi leans down until his breath is fanning across the other’s lips. “I want to corrupt you so bad, pretty thing.”  

Hawks leans back instinctively, pushing more into the counter, and squeaks out a response. “ Corrupt me?” He’s way too flustered by the position they’re in and how close the villain is to his mouth. “What-“ He swallows thickly and squirms a little. “What do you mean by that?”   

Dabi reaches a hand up to grab his jaw and grins even wider. “You’re a good boy, Hawks. I bet you’ve never broken any rules, have you?”   

The blond swears his heart stops for a moment at hearing ‘good boy’ come out of the black-haired man’s mouth, directed at him. “N-No.” He winces a little at how squeaky his voice is but it only spurs the other on.  

“Then how about we break a rule right now?”   

Hawks’ breathing is unsteady and hard, his head swimming with the treatment he’s being given, but he steels himself and grips onto the counter. “What did you have in mind?” I’m gonna faint, oh my god. How is he affecting me this much? What does he want to do??  

Dabi pretends to think about it for a few seconds even though he already has an idea. “What is something you really want to eat? Doesn’t matter if it’s not in your diet plan, just anything at all that you want.” He watches the hero’s face fall at that but he holds his gaze.  

“… What?”  

“You heard me, tell me something you want to eat.”   

“Dabi, this isn’t-“  

“Hawks, I’m serious.” Dabi raises an eyebrow and leans in closer, his smirk falling. “This isn’t even that bad of a rule to break. You’ll enjoy it, I promise. Now, tell me.”  

Hawks stares up at him silently for ten seconds before sighing and letting his body relax. “Fine.” The villain releases his chin and leans back slightly to give him room to breathe, while still keeping him trapped against the counter. “I really want… raw beef.” The smile that Dabi gives him makes him practically melt. “I haven’t been allowed to eat it since I was five. I was told I was disgusting for eating it and I shouldn’t want it.”   

The arsonist frowns then. “Birdie, who told you that your mutant traits are something to hide and be ashamed of? You’ve said way too many things for it to be a one time thing.”   

“Dabs…” Hawks shifts in place and his wings go limp, uncomfortable with the question.  

“No, Hawks. I let it go before, but I’m not this time.” Dabi drops one arm from the counter and uses the other hand to cradle his bird’s face. “If you’re forced onto a diet, being constantly belittled and made to be ashamed of natural habits and wants … I don’t believe you when you say you’re okay.”   

The hero lowers his chin to stare at his shoes. Atsu said something similar… Maybe I can trust them. Maybe I could tell him. I don’t want to be stuck in a cage forever. But- the mission. They’re villains. I can’t just let them continue with their plan. Dabi did say he doesn’t agree with All For One, though. Maybe the others feel the same? If that’s true… I could help them take him down. And then maybe they could help me get out from the commission. Maybe I can finally be free. He doesn’t realize he’s been zoned out until his head is being lifted back up to make eye contact.  

“Birdie, you’re spacing out again. Can you answer my question, please? I want to help you.” The expression Dabi wears is so sincere that any hesitancy the hero has goes flying out the window.   

“My handlers. The Hero Commission.”  

The taller man falters and his expression slowly darkens. “What?” The hand on Hawks’ face twitches slightly. “The people who are supposed to be protecting you?” I’m not surprised, given what I know… but, fuck, it’s still messed up.   

Hawks gives a wry smile and his feathers rustle in agitation. “They do protect me, and help me get stronger. They never do anything that isn’t for my benefit. Well-“ They ripped out my feathers because I used my secondary vocal cords… “ Most of what they do is.”  

Realization slowly dawns on the villain and his eyes widen, his voice breathless. “They were the ones who did that to you two weeks ago. Aren’t they?” I’m going to find each and every person who put their hands on my bird and give them a very slow, painful death. They have no right to put their hands on him.  

Hawks sucks in a breath and is horrified to feel the sting of tears forming. “Dabi, I-“ Before he can finish his sentence, the tears start to fall and he’s being pulled into a tight hug.  

“It’s okay, you don’t have to answer. Just nod your head if I’m right.” He feels a tiny nod and that’s all he needs. “They’re never going to lay a hand on you again. I’ll burn them to the ground.”   

The shorter man grips tightly onto his jacket and lets out a wet laugh. “They’re pretty powerful, it’s not going to be easy.” Taking a deep breath, he melts into the embrace. He smells so nice.   

“You’re forgetting that I’m pretty powerful, Hawks-“  

“Keigo.” His given name slips out of his mouth before he can think about it. Fuck.   

Dabi stills and pulls back to look down at him. “Keigo?”  

“Keigo Takami…”  

A smile slowly forms on the fire user’s face. He really trusts me… “A pretty name for a pretty bird.” Keigo frowns and pinches his side, startling a laugh out of him. “What? I’m just telling it like it is.”  

The blond huffs and shoves him away playfully. “Shut up.”   

Dabi’s smile turns into a feral grin. Make me. “And what are you gonna do if I don’t?”  

The hero’s brain short circuits for a moment. I want to kiss him so bad. “I’ll-“ His gaze drops to the other’s lips for a split second, but he still catches it. “I’ll use my feathers to stuff your mouth.”  

There’s a pause before the black-haired man doubles over with laughter. “Kei, what the fuck ?”   

A smile breaks onto Keigo’s face as he watches, his heart bursting. Kei… He called me Kei without any hesitation. “I’ll do it, don’t think I won’t.” Dabi continues to laugh for a minute before standing up and giving a dramatic sigh, pretending to wipe tears from his eyes. “Now, are we gonna get raw beef for me, or not?” The shorter man’s eyes practically sparkle at the thought.  

After a quick trip to the store, Keigo flies onto the balcony and chucks his shoes off, not caring they land. He’s much too excited about the beef. Dabi sits on the counter waiting for him, a soft smile on his face. The blond was a bit hesitant at first to have him there, but he reminded himself that the other had been nothing but encouraging and safe.   

He’s not gonna tell anyone. I won’t get in trouble. He wants me to be myself. He’s a safe person.   

Keigo grabs a plate and takes the steak out of the packaging, placing it in the middle. “You’re sure it’s okay for me to do this?” He glances over at Dabi just for one last reassurance, still a little unsure.  

“Kei, birdie, hawks are carnivores. Raw meat should be a big part of your diet.” He raises an eyebrow at the bird, as if daring him to try to refute it. When he’s met with silence, he smiles. “C’mon, just take a bite already.”  

The blond sighs and sets the plate down on the counter next to him.   

It’s okay, you can do this. He’s right, this is good for me.   

Swallowing down every last bit of hesitation, Keigo picks up the steak and bites into it. Oh, fuck , this is good. He can’t stop the little moan of satisfaction that comes out or the fluttering of his wings. Beside him, Dabi watches with fascination while he quickly chews it up and takes another bite.  

Within minutes, the entire steak is gone and Keigo is sighing contently, his wings rustling more than usual and a slightly feral glint in his eyes. He has blood on his hands, mouth, and chin but the villain doesn’t think he’s ever seen him look so hot. His eyes snap to Dabi’s and the taller man swears he looks like an angel, as fucked up as that might be. “If all of my rule breaking is gonna turn out this good, I think I’ll willingly let you corrupt me.”  

The villain leans in with a smirk. “That’s all it takes to ruin the perfect little hero? I’m gonna have fun with this.” Keigo takes his fingers into his mouth to suck off the blood and keeps eye contact the entire time, his feathers making a sound similar to a hiss as they rub against each other. Fucking hell, he knows exactly what he’s doing. I’m so fucked. After licking his fingers clean, the blond wipes the blood off of his chin and licks that as well.   

“I’m not as perfect ss you’d like to think.” His pupils flicker a little and he feels his instincts trying to claw their way to the surface. Huh, haven’t felt this in four days. That’s strange. Why have my instincts been so quiet? And why are they coming out only now? He shakes away those thoughts and tilts his head at the other. “I’ve got some blood on my hands, too.”  

A ringtone startles the both of them out of the trance they’re in and Keigo reaches for his phone, seeing his 1pm alarm for taking his supplements. Dabi catches the notification and snatches the phone away before he can get it, dismissing the alarm. “There should be no reason for you to be taking any supplements. If you ate the way you’re meant to, you would be perfectly healthy. Do you even know what you’re taking?”   

Keigo shrinks a little and glances between his phone and the fire user’s face. “... Yes, and they help me maintain my weight.” He opens a cupboard and takes out six different pill bottles. The villain reads the labels; iron, vitamin b12, vitamin b3, zinc, magnesium, and a blank label.   

He grabs the last one away from the hero before he can open it. “What even is this? Why is it blank? Isn’t that illegal?” The bird tries to take it back but he raises it high above his head. “Keigo, I’m not giving this back to you if you can’t tell me what this is and why you need it.”  

“I don’t know what it is, but they told me it was to help my feathers grow back stronger.”  

“So why do you still need them after your wings are full? I don’t believe a word they tell you, based off of what I know already.” Dabi gives him a stern look, the hand holding the bottle heating up. “I’m destroying these, and you’re going to start eating more meats. I don’t care if you have to sneak off to the villa to do it.”  

Keigo huffs and rolls his eyes, gritting his teeth. “You’re not my father and those aren’t yours to dispose of.”  

The black-haired man’s face drops at that comment and promptly burns up the bottle and pills inside it, letting the melted plastic fall into the sink. “Oh well, too late.”   

All the hero can do is stare at him in shock, not believing he would actually do that. After five seconds of silence, he manages a weak “What the fuck, Dabi?” The two of them hold eye contact for several more seconds, neither one willing to back down. “What am I supposed to tell the Commission?”  

“Nothing?” Dabi hops off the counter to get in his space. “You don’t have to tell them shit about what happened today, despite what you may believe. And if, for some reason, they ask, just make up a lie.” He flicks the other’s forehead. “You sure are dense for being so fucking smart.” God, he’s so smart but he’s such an idiot sometimes.   

The blond frowns and rubs the spot that was flicked. Maybe he’s right. I guess I technically don’t have to let them know... And they didn’t even tell me exactly what the pills were so who knows what they’ve been having me take. Maybe they’ve been what’s messing with my instincts. “Fine, you’re right. I’m still going to take the vitamins, though, and you’re not going to stop me from doing that.” He sends the taller man a weak glare before filling a glass with water and taking said vitamins.  

Dabi simply watches quietly and leans back against the counter. After a few moments of silence, he asks the same question from earlier. “Can you tell me what happened with your nest now? I thought we had worked past you being ashamed of it.”  

Keigo’s wings droop and his face falls. I had hoped he would forget about that... “ After I returned from my break... My instincts seemed to shut down, and I had no use for it. So, I took it apart.” He gives a noncommittal shrug and reaches for a primary feather, smoothing it out.  

“What do you mean, they shut down?” The villain folds his arms across his chest and frowns. “I don’t think that’s normal.” When he came back, they gave him the shot ... And the- “ Kei, the pills. They were unlabeled, the Commission wasn’t clear about what they were for, and your instincts shut down after taking them.” His eyes grow wider with each realization and he reaches out to cup the hero’s face with both hands. “Quirk suppressants.” He watches his bird’s face go from blank to shock and hurt almost instantly. “They hate your mutant traits, so it makes sense.”  

The blond’s mouth opens and closes several times as he struggles to find words. “But- They said-”  

“Pretty bird-” Dabi leans his head up to make eye contact, his gaze soft but intense. “They have been lying to you. They mutilated your wings, for fuck’s sake! Do you really think they wouldn’t resort to suppressants?” They stare at each other for a few moments before Keigo slowly shakes his head, looking defeated. “I know you want to believe they have your best interests at heart, but they clearly don’t. You’re simply a pawn to them, a weapon, a means to an end.” He watches as the blond winces and tries to curl in on himself. I need to come up with a plan to get him out. He could thrive outside of that hellhole. First step is getting him to eat properly. “ You shouldn’t have to put up with this treatment. Join the League permanently.”  

Keigo’s eyes widen and his wings shudder. “What?”  

“Join us. Leave the Commission entirely.” The villain is hopeful as he strokes his right thumb across the other’s cheekbone. “We all care about you, birdie.”  

The hero wants to, he really does. But the issue of One For All... I can’t just ignore that . “Dabi... I can’t-”  

“Why not?”  

“Because One For All is trying to destroy this society. I can’t come to your side if he’s still in the picture.”  

“Then help me kill him.” Keigo falters at that and looks up at him in shock. Dabi slides his hands down to rest on the other’s shoulders. “I don’t agree with what he’s doing, either. All I want is to show Japan how corrupt the hero system is and be able to live freely.” It takes several moments but the bird starts to relax, chewing on his lip in thought. “I’m not gonna force you to make a decision right now, but you will always have a place with us.”  

The shorter man nods and sighs, leaning to rest his head on Dabi’s chest. “Okay. I’ll... think about it.”  

I could have a family... I could belong somewhere... We just need to kill All For One.  

Chapter Text

A week goes by after the conversation about Keigo leaving the commission and joining the League and he’s still conflicted. He had been sneaking little bits of raw meat into his diet, curtesy of Dabi borderline threatening him if he didn’t, and having him send pictures as proof if he wasn’t at the mansion when he ate it. And he had felt a lot better after not taking the assumed suppressants. With those two things combined, his talons grew in faster than normal and thicker, so he had to have them trimmed a week early. His feathers are also glossier.

Maybe Dabi was right about everything... If this is how it is with just a little bit of meat, I can only imagine how pretty they’ll be when I’m eating a strictly carnivorous diet.

The day arrives of the game night with the League and Keigo is practically vibrating with excitement during the last hour of his patrol. Nothing dampens his mood. Not the thief he catches that tries to run off with jewelry, not the wind villain that he stops from destroying an entire block of the city. He’s on a dopamine high- until he gets the reminder for the report he’s supposed to turn in by tomorrow.

I almost forgot about that. Shit. I really don’t want to turn against them... But I can’t fail again, she said the punishment will be worse. Will they completely destroy my wings so I can’t fly anymore?

He roughly lands on the top of a building with unsteady feet and almost stumbles over. I can’t lose my wings. I have to give them the report. I can be good. The bird feels the beginnings of a panic attack and falls into a crouch, putting his head between his knees. I’ll be good, they won’t need to punish me. I can follow orders. His breathing turns into sharp gasps and he grips onto his hair tightly, almost ripping it out from the force of it. I can be useful. I can’t let them down. I won’t disappoint them. I’ll be good. Sobs force their way out of his throat along with strangled warbles, as he’s unable to control them due to his panicked state. His mind repeats the same phrase over and over – I’ll be good. Everything fades from his focus as the attack worsens and his wings instinctively wrap around himself, shielding him from the outside world. His patrol isn’t supposed to be over for another half hour but he’s stuck on the rooftop, unable to do anything other than cry and pull at his hair. I’m sorry, Dabi. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.

Nearly forty-five minutes later he resurfaces, still hunched over in the crouch surrounded by his wings. His head throbs from the crying and tugging at his hair, his legs feel weak from crouching for so long, his fingers are sore from grabbing his hair so tightly, and his throat feels raw. The tension in his body leaves all at once and he crumples to the rooftop, a sad coo slipping out. Haven’t had an attack that bad in a long time. I wish Dabi was here. The thought doesn’t even phase him anymore, he simply accepts it. He takes his phone out of his pocket to check the time and winces, he was supposed to check in at his agency fifteen minutes ago for the end of his shift.

With shaky legs, he pushes himself to his feet. After this I can see Dabi, it’ll be okay. It’s with that thought that he takes off flying, headed to his agency building.

Thirty minutes later, he’s landing on the balcony outside of Dabi’s room. He had told Keigo earlier in the week that he could come in through there so he wouldn’t have to deal with the rest of the PLF, and the hero was not going to argue. He leaves his shoes right inside the doors and shrugs his flight jacket off, leaving him in his hero compression suit and his signature beige pants. The blond walks towards Dabi’s bathroom to make sure his hair isn’t too messed up. At the same time that he reaches for the handle, the black-haired villain is swinging the door open and smacks his face in the process.

“Shit!” Keigo yelps and his hands fling up to cradle his forehead and nose. “Kei, fuck, I’m so sorry.” The arsonist winces and closes the door before reaching out, his hand hovering between the two of them awkwardly. “Are you good?”

The hero nods a little through a groan, though he stills when he feels something warm dripping out of his nose. He gingerly pulls the hand covering his nose away and whines at the sight of blood. “Daaabi you gave me a bloody nose!”

Even though he does not find it funny, Dabi can’t help the snicker that comes out and he covers his mouth to try and stifle it. “I said I’m sorry! C’mere, let me help you clean it up.” He grabs the blond’s arm and leads him into the bathroom, turning on the light. “I should put a bell on you or something, you’re so quiet sometimes. I didn’t even hear you come in.” Keigo’s face heats up at the implication as he’s getting a rag wet. The villain turns to him and pauses, his eyebrows scrunching up in confusion. “What’s with that face? You good, pretty bird?”

He wants to put a collar on me? No, no, of course not. He means something different. “Y-Yeah-” The bird clears his throat and wills his blush to go away. “I’m fine, besides the bloody nose, obviously.”

“Okay...” Dabi gazes at him suspiciously but hands him the wet rag. “Here, clean up your nose.” Keigo obeys and wipes away the blood carefully, wincing a little. “Why were you coming in here to begin with? You gotta piss?”

The hero shakes his head and sets the rag down when he’s sure he’s not bleeding any longer. “I wanted to make sure my hair wasn’t too wild after my flight here.” He reaches a hand up to fix it but is stopped by the taller man, taking his hand into his own. “Wha-” The fire user silently reaches up to comb his fingers through his hair, making his question die in his throat. He’s- his hands- in my hair- Keigo is mortified when his eyes flutter shut at the sensation and a satisfied, tiny coo slips out. Fuck, fuck. This is bad. He jerks away and his eyes snap open wide, his feathers twitching anxiously. His breathing picks up as he makes eye contact with Dabi, his instincts starting to creep to the surface. “You- You didn’t hear anything. I should go-” As he turns to run out, the black-haired man grabs his arm and pulls him into a tight embrace.

“You’re not going to run away just because of a sound you made.” Dabi feels the way he stiffens and it makes his chest ache. “I want you to feel safe with me, Kei. I want you to be unapologetically yourself.” I guess this is a good of a time as any to tell him. “Also, this isn’t the first time I’ve heard you coo, pretty bird... When you went into your bird headspace, or whatever you wanna call it, and built the nest on my bed, you were making lots of those cute sounds.”

Keigo swears his heart stops beating. Nonono, I’m going to be in so much trouble. I don’t wanna go back to the room. I won’t make those sounds again.

He’s snapped out of his thoughts as the villain drops his head to his shoulder. “I can feel you overthinking. Quit it. You’re not in trouble. I’m not going to tell anyone. I just want you to feel comfortable to act the way your body wants to,” Fuck it, I’m done hiding. Dabi’s voice lowers as he continues. “I want to hear more from you. I want to find out all the different pretty sounds I can get you to make.”

The bird shudders in his arms and a faint whimper spills out. “Dabs... I-” He takes deep breaths to calm himself. “I won’t run off, so you can let go.”

Instead of releasing Keigo like he suggested, Dabi turns his head towards his face, his voice barely above a whisper. “I don’t think I want to.” He’s so fucking cute, I want to see him wrecked.

The hero shivers again and leans his head back instinctively, his eyes falling shut. What is happening? How did we get here? “We should really go... It’s game night.” His voice betrays him with how shaky it is.

The black-haired man hums for a few seconds and then lets go and backs up completely. Keigo has to quickly catch himself before he falls backwards and it makes him smirk. “Yeah, you’re right. I’ll see you in there, pretty bird~” He leaves the bathroom without another word and heads to where everybody else is, leaving the bird panting and flustered out of his mind.

What. The. Fuck. Was that?! What just happened?? He’s going to kill me one of these days. What the hell?

Keigo stands there for a few minutes as he slowly manages to calm himself down, forcing himself to think about anything other than Dabi. Once he’s back to normal he checks his hair once more he did make my hair look nice... and goes to follow the villain to the rest of the group.

Dabi catches his eye when he walks in and gives him a smirk and a wink, to which he immediately looks away to avoid getting flustered again. He chooses to sit between Atushiro and JIn, folding in his wings to take up less space. “Hawks, my man! I can’t believe you actually showed up. We’re about to play Cards Against Humanity.” Jin bumps his shoulder into Keigo’s and gives him a grin. “It’s pretty self-explanatory so I’m sure you’ll catch on real quick.”

“Yes, although it is not my favorite, it’s quite simple and I think you’ll enjoy it.” The magician comments with a small smile.

Keigo has never before been so grateful to have the two of them to distract his mind. And they’re both right, it’s a very easy game and he has a lot of fun.

I need to get Jin alone somehow to talk to him. How do I do that?

After the game ends, he makes an excuse of needing Jin’s help to find something and that’s how they find themselves in the bathroom. “What did you need help finding, man? I won’t let you defile me in here! Sorry! I did not mean to say that.”

The hero gives him a forced smile and waves him off. “Nah, don’t sweat it. I was just wondering about some things.” I need to just rip off the band aid and get this over with. Get the bare minimum information. “I’m curious, since I’m not here as often as you. How many people are here, do you think? I’ve seen a lot but I’ve been thinking about rooms. Does everybody get one? Or only certain people?”

Much to the bird’s relief, the other doesn’t seem to be suspicious yet. “Oh, yeah, we have so many here! There aren’t enough rooms for everybody though, unless some choose to share. We must have close to fifteen thousand at this point!”

Fifteen thousand?? How did this many people forming a group go unnoticed?

“Oh, wow, sharing rooms? You think I could get my own room here?” I have to throw in other questions to make sure he doesn’t catch on.

“Of course! Hell no! Dabi’s been asking Shig to let you have a room with us.”

Keigo falters at that and hesitates asking the next question. Do I really need to do this? They trust me... And I’m shoving that in their faces. No, I have to for now. I can’t fail. Just do it, get it over with. “That would be sick, Jin, thanks for letting me know. Speaking of Shigaraki, when do you think he’ll let me join in on the fight? I’ve been itching to show what I can do.” Technically not a lie.

Jin still seems oblivious to the bird’s true intent. “Ah, Hawks, you didn’t hear this from me but next month we’re planning on showing the heroes we mean business. They won’t know what hit them. Gonna storm a few news stations. You should totally join us!”

The hero gives him another smile and claps him on the shoulder. “For sure, man.” Make up an excuse to get him to leave now. “I’ll come back out and join you guys in a minute, I just gotta piss.” Jin gives him a thumbs up before leaving, letting Keigo slump over. “Shit...” He sighs heavily and pulls out his phone to call his head handler, turning on the fan to hopefully drown out his voice from the outside. After one ring, she picks up and greets him coldly. “Hello, ma’am. I’m calling to report to you on what you asked for ... Yes, I managed to get some info out of Twice ... No, I don’t think he suspects anything ... Fifteen thousand ... Yes, ma’am ... Next month, a few news stations ... No, ma’am ... Yes, ma’am.” The line goes dead and Keigo drops to a crouch, cradling his head between his knees as he feels the telltale signs of a panic attack. His phone dropping to the floor covers up the sound of the door opening.

Dabi had followed the two of them to see what his bird needed help with and was confused when they went into the bathroom. When Jin came out without Keigo, he was even more confused. So, he waited outside the door for him. And then he heard the call. He heard everything the hero had said. He was seething. Was he wrong this whole time? Was he still a double agent? He opens the door, ready to start yelling, and pauses as he sees his bird having a panic attack on the floor. The other doesn’t seem to notice him yet so he just watches quietly. His chest aches at the sight but he refrains from going to hold him.

He’s not on our side. He ratted us out. I can’t believe I let myself get attached. Of course, the fucking hero isn’t going to be sympathetic to our cause. No, stop, Dabi. You saw how they treated him… He probably had a good reason… What good reason could he have, Touya?? We offered him a home, a family, a place to belong. And he’s throwing it away for his abusers!

A sharp sob breaks him out of his thoughts and he focuses back on Keigo, who is hyperventilating and tugging on his hair roughly. “’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m s-sorry. Sorry. ‘m sorry, Dabi.” His sobs mingle with trills and hiccups. His wings are shivering and trying to cocoon himself completely.

The apologizing is what breaks the villain and he reaches down to roughly yank his bird up by his shirt. “You’re sorry?!” Keigo’s eyes go wide and he flails a bit, trying to get away. “I heard your phone call. You are a fucking traitor! Shigaraki was right!”

The sobs increase and the hero goes limp in his grasp. “Plea-“ A hiccup cuts him off. ”se, Dab.” He flinches when the taller man slams him into the wall, still holding him by his shirt. “’s not- not what you thi-ink.” His head starts to feel dizzy from the lack of oxygen but Dabi doesn’t seem to care.

“Oh, really?! Asking Jin about our plans and then telling the commission?! It’s pretty fucking obvious what’s going on!” The villain’s heart is breaking with every second that passes but he’s angrier than he is hurt. “I can’t believe I let myself get attached to some hero.” He sneers in the bird’s face and starts to heat up his hands with his quirk.

Keigo panics even more and starts to struggle again. “No, n-no, Dab, please- please listen.” He’s babbling at this point, desperate to be heard. “I didn’t wan-“ Another hiccup. “t to! Th-They said-“ A sharp sob and warble slips out. “They said if I d-didn’t give them … m-more info-“ He grips onto Dabi’s shirt and starts to lose the energy to fight. “They were gonna punish me! W-Worse than last time!” He goes limp again and sags against the villain’s chest. “Please-“ His words die off as he only has the energy to cry.

Dabi can only glare at him as he starts to dissociate, conflicting thoughts in his head. “Keigo, you still told them! You could’ve come to me! You could’ve lied! You could’ve done anything else!” There’s no response from the blond, only whimpers and chirps. “You need to leave.” The black-haired man drops him and he falls to the floor in a heap, curling in on himself. “Get out, Hawks.”

Keigo flinches at hearing his hero name, his hands locking into a stress grip. “Please, please, d-don’t make me go…” Dabi backs away from him and clenches his fists, his fire begging to be let out. “I don’t wa-anna-“ I failed, I’m useless. He doesn’t need me anymore. I’ll have to go back to being alone.

“Hawks.” Dabi’s voice is low and threatening, his right hand lighting up with blue flames. “Get the fuck out. Right now.”

Despite still being in the middle of an intense panic attack, Keigo forces himself to stand on unsteady legs. His entire body is shaking with the force of his sobs, but he manages to exit the bathroom. The villain glares at him as he watches the blond stumble down the hallway and out of sight. The hero ignores all of the concerned questions from the rest of the League and leaves the mansion, shooting himself into the sky.

I messed up. I don’t deserve a family. The commission is right. All I’m good for is being a hero. I don’t deserve anything good.

Keigo somehow makes it to his apartment and crashes onto his balcony. I’m gonna be sick. He doesn’t make it through his doors before he’s vomiting, black spots swimming across his vision.

Back at the villa, Dabi stares at the bird’s phone in his hands. He’s no longer burning but still seething. I can’t believe after everything he still went and turned his back on us- on me. If I see him again, I’m gonna light his ass up.

Toga cautiously pushes the door open, her voice soft. “Dabi … what happened with Hawks?” She flinches back as he slams the phone onto the counter.

“He’s a fucking traitor. Shigaraki was right the whole time.” The man lets out a bitter laugh. “After everything, he went right back to the commission. We trusted him, Toga-“ He swears as blood starts to seep through the staples around his eyes. “I trusted him, damnit.” He turns his whole body toward the counter and slams a fist onto it. “I told him to get lost.”

The girl just stands there in shock, her eyes welling up with tears. “He-“ She sniffles and rubs at her right eye. “He wouldn’t. Hawks cares about us. He wouldn’t hurt us like that.” Even though she says that, her voice is shaky and lacks conviction. “You’re lying… You have to be.”

Dabi sneers at her and shoves the phone in her face, showing the text from Keigo’s handler that confirms his report. “I wouldn’t fucking lie about this! I cared about him, Toga! I thought-“ His breath hitches and he starts to lose his steam, letting his hand drop. “I thought I might even have a chance with him…” He laughs again but there’s no mirth in it, only anger. “That’s what I get for letting someone in again.”

Still in the doorway, Toga cries silently and pulls him into a hug. “It’s gonna be okay. We’ll make sure he pays.”

In Keigo’s apartment, the bird is curled up in his newly remade nest, deep in his instincts. ‘m never gonna be free. I don’t deserve to be free. I should just tell my handlers that I was planning on betraying them. Get it over with. Maybe they’ll go easy on me if I promise to stay away from the League. Or maybe they’ll rip out my wings so I’m stuck on the ground forever. I would deserve it.

He stays in his nest for days on end, his brain turned off to protect himself, and only leaves, reluctantly, to use the toilet.

By the time he comes back to himself, it’s midday and he has no clue what day it is. Did I really stay here the whole time? Did I sleep? Did I eat? I probably missed so many patrols... I don’t even want to go. I should just stay here. There’s no point in showing up now, anyways. I’m sure they got somebody to take my place. I’m not needed. I wonder how easy it would be to drop off the grid. He doesn’t hear the banging on his front door, too lost in his thoughts. What if I just killed my handlers? I’m stronger than them, it would be so easy.

A large crash snaps him into focus and he quickly shoots over to the door of his office, hovering right above it. He hears multiple pairs of footsteps as they stomp all over his apartment, most likely looking for him.

His office door is kicked open several moments later and one of his handlers steps through the doorway. Something inside of Keigo suddenly snaps and he launches himself onto the man, taking a sharpened primary and slicing his neck. He watches as the limp body falls to the ground and a sick satisfaction washes over him. Oh ...That felt good. Red swarms his vision and he sinks back into his instincts, the predatory part of his bird quirk craving more bloodshed. HIs pupils pin and he crouches into an attack stance, his feathers almost hissing with the way they rustle. He follows the sound of another pair of footsteps and finds another of his handlers in his bathroom. The woman turns around at the sound of him but he’s quick to stab his feather-blade into her stomach, something primal inside of him preening at the sound she makes as she crumples to the floor.

From that moment on, it’s pure chaos as Keigo zips around his apartment, killing everyone in it. By the time he’s the last one standing, he’s panting and covered in blood splatters, but he has a feral grin on his face. I liked that ... a lot. I don’t need to let anybody cage me. I am number two for a reason, after all. Nobody is going to control me ever again.

Chapter Text

Four days pass and nobody has seen Hawks at all. His phone had been left at the PLF villa so the Commission hadn’t been able to get a hold of him. When his handlers never returned from raiding his apartment, they sent over a few heroes to check the situation. They were met with one of the bloodiest crime scenes they had ever witnessed, but there was absolutely no sign of the winged hero. The report the Commission got back on Hawks’ disappearance made them secretly panic. If he had slipped off of their leash and was set on revenge, they had little to nothing to stop him. The only card they had was to somehow convince other top heroes that he needed to be stopped. Endeavor was easy to get on board, but he’s all they have so far. It’s a good thing Hawks’ biggest weakness is fire.  

There had been news reports of him going missing since the second day, though they left out the gory details. The League had seen a few of them and, even after Dabi had told them all what the bird had done, they were worried. It was so out of character for him. The fire user had a feeling that Keigo knew his phone was with them, so why hadn’t he come to get it? Something didn’t sit right with him. He’s still pissed at the bird for what he did, but a part of him is worried that he had been taken in by the Commission and they were covering it up by saying he went missing. Guilt swirls in his stomach as he watches another news caster talk about the missing hero and to report to the HPSC if they see or hear anything about him. He better fuckin’ be okay. 

In the middle of the night on the fifth day since he had been mia, Dabi wakes up to his balcony doors being opened. He shoots up out of bed and rounds on the intruder, coming face to face with a feral looking Keigo. He pauses, shocked and relieved to see he’s okay, and that gives the bird more than enough time to tackle him to the ground and pin his hands above his head. He opens his mouth to say something but is immediately cut off.

“Dabi, shut up and listen to me.” The taller man obediently snaps his mouth shut, still half asleep and, to his horror, turned on. “I killed my handlers. Most of them.” He giggles and it borders on insane sounding. What? “I’m planning on going after the Commission president next, and I want you to watch me.” What the fuck ? The look of absolute shock that falls over the villain’s face makes him giggle again. “Then I can finally be free, and you won’t have to worry about me being a double agent. And maybe...” Keigo leans in close and drops his voice to a whisper, the feral look morphing into something softer. “You could love me.” With that, the blond is leaning down and pressing his lips to Dabi’s in a hesitant kiss.  

The black-haired man goes slack and his eyes fly wide open, his brain fully awake now. Keigo- fuck- he's kissing me?! He tries to reciprocate but as quickly as it started, it’s ending and the bird is rising to his feet. “Kei, wait-” He scrambles to his feet to pull him back in but he’s too quick.   

Keigo jumps back and gives a sad smile. “I know you’re still mad at me, so I want to make it up to you. I want to make things right. Killing the president means I won’t have anyone ordering me around. I promise I’ll come back, Dabi.” As Dabi reaches out again to grab him, he turns and flies back out through the balcony doors.   

The villain is left staring out into the dark night, his chest rising and falling rapidly. “Did... he really just kiss me and then fucking leave?” He doesn’t sleep again that night.  

Dabi hears nothing of Keigo for three more days, until he walks into the common area to the tv being turned on to the news. His heart drops to his feet when he sees what’s happening. In bold letters at the bottom of the screen, it reads: Previously MIA Number Two hero, Hawks, in a heated battle against Number One hero, Endeavor. Fuck. Shit! I need to get to him.  

That morning, Keigo had made sure he was fully prepared to take down the head of the HPSC. He went over his plan multiple times, needing to iron out anything that seemed off. At eleven sharp, when he knows the president will be in her office, he smashes through her window with two primaries sharpened and ready to kill. A burst of flames comes flying at his face and he has to dive quickly to avoid being hit. He rolls and jumps to his feet, eyes wide and focused.   

A helicopter hovers outside, having been tipped off by the president about her knowing Hawks would come to assassinate her. As soon as they saw the red blur they were in the air and going live.  

“So, it’s true.” A deep voice grumbles from the other side of the room. When the fire dies out, Keigo’s face hardens at who he sees. Endeavor, his childhood hero, the current Number One. The president is nowhere to be seen. “I was told you had turned against us and had hoped they were wrong. I’m disappointed in you, Hawks. You had so much potential. Why are you throwing everything away?”  

The bird’s voice is harsh, his hands gripping the ends of his feathers. “I’m finally setting myself free, Endeavor. You have no idea what I’ve been through at the hands of the Hero Commission. Did you know that they bought me when I was only five years old?” The flame hero’s face falls slightly and he continues. “They paid my mom in exchange for them to own me, raise me, train me to be the perfect hero. They indoctrinated me, made me hate everything about my quirk.” He slowly stalks closer to Endeavor, looking very much like the predatory bird he is with his wings fanned out behind him. “They tortured me for over a decade...” Before Keigo has the chance to get close enough to fight, the older hero is shooting another ball of flames at him and he has to jump to the side to avoid it.  

“I was also told you would try to make up lies in order to gain sympathy. I’m not believing a word that comes out of your mouth.” The bird laughs bitterly and launches himself at the other, one of his blades barely grazing his arm before he has to, once again, dodge flames. The room is burning and quickly becoming too dangerous for the smaller hero to fight in.  

“I can’t make you believe me, but I will not be caged any longer.” He sends out some smaller feathers as a distraction and tries to get in close, but Endeavor wraps himself in his fire and Keigo has to retreat.   

“Just turn yourself in, Hawks! I don’t want to fight you!” Endeavor bellows at him from across the room, having not moved from that spot the entire time.  

Keigo gives a lopsided grin. “I don’t want to, either, but if you’re gonna stand in my way then I have no choice.” It’s getting too hot in here. I need to get out. I can’t let my wings catch fire. “ How about we take this outside so you don’t burn up the whole building, yeah?” Without waiting for a response, he flies out of the window he came in through. Sure enough, the flame hero comes after him, using his quirk to propel himself. He tries to shoot a few fireballs at the younger man but isn’t fast enough.   

Keigo dances around him gracefully, dodging all the fire but not getting any hits in, either. He’s not holding back but it’s not enough. Every time he gets close enough to maybe get a clean hit in, Endeavor increases the flames covering his body.   

Fifteen minutes go by and neither man is injured, save for the little scrape Keigo managed to get in near the beginning. They’re both breathing heavily and becoming exhausted, but neither will back down. Keigo refuses to be silenced any longer and Endeavor believes he’s had a psychotic break and needs to be rehabilitated. They fall to a rooftop to catch their breaths, both eyeing the other warily.  

“Endeavor! You have children, don’t you?” The older man stiffens and hardens his gaze, but doesn’t answer. “Would you ever sell one of your children to be groomed, abused, and manipulated all in the name of becoming a hero?!” Keigo catches the way his right hand twitches before clenching into a fist and he grins. I hope I hit a nerve with that.   

“Hawks, you need to stand down and come quietly! We can get you the help you need!” The fire user glares at the young hero. I need to change tactics. This is going to be a stalemate until I start overheating, and I can’t have that happen. He slowly powers down his flames and relaxes his stance. “I don’t want to hurt you.”  

Keigo gazes at him suspiciously and doesn’t loosen his grip on his feather blades. “I don’t need help! I need to get out of this system!” He takes slow, threatening steps towards the other man who simply stands there, not moving an inch. What is he planning? I don’t like this. After closing the gap by several feet, the bird lunges with his blades aimed to kill.  

At the very last second, when he has no time to dodge or change to defense, Endeavor steps to the side and grabs his arm, slamming him to the roof on his stomach. He pins the smaller man’s arms behind his back and turns on his flames again. Underneath him, Keigo lets out a feral screech at a pitch that is distinctly birdlike. He wails and beats his wings to get out, distressed screeches and caws coming out nonstop. He sobs and flails as he uses all his strength to fight against the hold.   

I’m gonna die. I'm not strong enough. I’ll never get to be free. I’ll never get to tell Dabi how I feel.  

He does everything he can to get out of the position he’s in but his vision starts to go black around the edges as Endeavor continues to sear his skin. The heat is too much and he can’t think straight, but every fiber of his body is screaming at him to fight. Even as his vision goes completely fuzzy, he continues to kick and writhe and beat his wings as hard as he can.  

I don’t wanna die. Please, please . I want to see Dabi one last time- I don’t wanna die!  

Endeavor presses into him harder and yells over his fire, his grip on the smaller man’s arms tightening even more. “Give up, Hawks! It’s over!” Keigo doesn’t stop struggling until his vision goes completely black and he’s knocked unconscious, going limp under the bigger man.   

Only once the bird stops moving all together does Endeavor turn off his fire and let go, grimacing at the burns all over his arms and back. “It didn’t have to turn out this way…” As he’s about to stand up, a flash of blue erupts in his vision and he has to jump out of the way.  

At the mansion, Dabi had been glued to the tv along with Jin, Atushiro, Shuichi, and Himiko. None of them knew about him being Touya Todoroki so they didn’t understand why he was so panicked besides the fact Keigo was in danger. When they stopped on the rooftop and Endeavor had seemingly stood down, Dabi ran to Kurogiri as fast as he could to demand he send him to the fight. The warp villain hesitated until Dabi turned on the tv and they watched as Keigo was forcefully pinned down and burned ruthlessly. The news reporters hadn’t been able to pick up any sounds until that first screech, and the fire user’s blood turned ice cold at the sound.  

On the rooftop, Dabi now stands before his father with a murderous look in his eyes and blue flames blazing around him. “Get the fuck away from him, right now. ”   

Endeavor scoffs and gets ready to attack, not caring that Keigo is still lying next to him unconscious. “Why are you here, Dabi? What do you want with Hawks?”  

A dark grin forms on the villain’s face and he takes slow steps forward. “That’s my birdie you just burned. And I really don’t think you want to get in between me and what’s mine.” The blue fire grows and flickers wildly as Dabi starts to lose control of his emotions. “Now, get the fuck away from him before I kill you. ”   

Endeavor frowns and turns on his own flames surrounding his body, finally getting away from the blond so he doesn’t get caught in the crossfire, “He’s a hero, he’s not yours .” The maniacal laugh that comes from the black-haired man almost makes him stagger. “Dabi, I’m warning you, leave.”  

“Alright, we’re doing this the hard way, then.”  

Dabi launches himself forward and makes a wall of flames behind the other man, making him decide between facing the villain head on or back up and having to go through the fire. Endeavor seems to think a head on battle is the better choice as he jumps at him. The two of them land blow after blow on each other, Dabi with flames and Endeavor with his fists.   

The hero was already starting to overheat from his battle with Keigo so he’s the first to start easing up. The other takes full advantage of that and manages to land a punch directly over his eye, shooting out flames at max power through his fist. Endeavor screams and forces his flames to the max in return, trying his hardest to protect himself. Dabi has to jump back to avoid getting caught in it. He takes a few seconds to catch his breath before he’s ready to attack again. Red wings twitch in his peripheral and suddenly nothing else matters.  

Without thinking, he stops his quirk and rushes over to Keigo, gently cradling him to his chest. “It’s gonna be okay, pretty bird.” He quickly sends a text to Kurogiri and glares up at Endeavor as he holds his now burnt eye. “You’ll regret ever laying your hands on him, Enji.” A portal swirls open behind him and he steps back into it, watching as the other can do nothing to stop him.  

The second that Dabi steps through the portal, he’s being swarmed by the rest of the League and somebody they found in the PLF that has a healing quirk. Shigaraki made sure to clear the couches away so there was enough room to lay Keigo down and get him checked out. Said man is whimpering softly and his eyelids flutter, not quite conscious but in so much pain.  

Dabi ignores his own injuries in order to make sure his bird gets taken care of. He peels off Keigo’s shirt and lays him on his stomach, resting the man’s head in his lap. Smoke pours out of his seams all over his body as he watches the young healer grab the burned areas and secrete a pink substance that melts into the skin. Everyone else backs away to give her room to work.   

Himiko stands off to the side, crying into Atsuhiro’s arms. The magician has a dark expression on his face that none of them have seen him wear before. Shuichi is pacing next to the wall, a stressed look on his face. Tomura is awkwardly trying to comfort Jin while scratching at his neck. Kurogiri stands silently in the doorway, his smoke flickering agitatedly.  

Dabi gently combs his fingers through his bird’s hair and breathes thickly through his nose, trying to keep his quirk calm. I’m so sorry, pretty bird. I wish I could’ve gotten there faster. I should’ve never pushed you out. I should’ve listened. Heard you out. Helped you. I’m going to kill him. I don’t even care about exposing him anymore. He’s going to suffer for what he did to you.   

Keigo’s breathing picks up and his eyebrows scrunch together. “Kei, baby, can you hear me?” Instead of words, a whine slips out, his eyes still shut. “Shh, you’re gonna be okay. We got some kid with a healing quirk fixin you up.” Despite his arms screaming at him, he shakily reaches up to grip onto Dabi’s pants, a sad warble slipping past his lips. “Don’t push yourself.” The arsonist’s free hand rests over top of his and runs his thumb over the back of his knuckles.   

Keigo lets go of his pants in order to grab his hand, pulling it to his face. “Dabi ... Are-” His voice is gravelly and faint. “Are you ... real? I didn’t die?” His eyes are still shut and his face is scrunched in pain. The girl healing him finishes letting the cream melt into all of his burns and silently stands to leave, not wanting to overstay her welcome.   

Dabi uses his free hand to brush his hair out of his face. “I’m real, I promise ... You have some third-degree burns that might not fully heal, but you’re still alive.” A shaky breath escapes and he grips the blond’s hand harder. “You’re alive.” Blood starts to seep through his burnt tear ducts and his voice breaks. “I was so scared he was going to kill you. I ... I saw on the news that you were fighting him ... Keigo, I was terrified.” HIs body shakes with choked sobs and he curls around his bird, all the tension leaving his body now that he’s safe in his arms.   

Keigo warbles underneath him again and he clutches onto Dabi like a lifeline, his body trembling. “I thought ... I was gonna die. Hurt so much.” Hot tears spill over his lashes and he can’t hold back the little whimpers. “Thought I would never get to see you again...”   

The rest of the League looks on the verge of tears around them, besides Himiko who starts openly sobbing.  

After several minutes, they’re calmed down and Dabi begins rubbing small circles into the back of the other’s hand. “Don’t ever fucking scare me like that again.” His voice is hoarse but so gentle.   

Keigo lets out a soft laugh and slowly pushes himself up to lean against Dabi, wincing at the movement. “Okay. ‘m sorry.” He carefully reaches up and cradle’s the other’s face. His voice comes out as a soft whisper, as if sharing a secret.  “Can I kiss you?”   

Everyone around them leaves quietly to give them some privacy as the hand in his hair slips to the back of his neck and warm breaths fan over his mouth. “Baby, you can do anything you want to me as long as you stay here.”  

The blond gives a shy smile and pushes into him, pressing their lips together.  

For the first few seconds, neither of them move as they just enjoy the contact. Dabi waits for Keigo take the lead while he slides one hand to rest over the man’s hip, his other hand still holding the back of his neck. After a slow inhale through his nose, the shorter man hesitantly tilts his head slightly to the left to deepen the kiss. It’s soft and slow, but so incredibly perfect. It’s everything either of them could’ve asked for. Keigo gets bolder as the kiss goes on and he shifts so he’s fully in the other man’s lap, moving carefully to not irritate his injuries further. He raises the hand on Dabi’s cheek into his hair and gently grabs at it, flushing a deep red at the soft groan he gets in response.  

Dabi slowly pulls away and leans his forehead against the bird’s, both of them panting softly. “I’ve been wanting to do that for weeks, pretty bird...” Keigo keeps his eyes shut for a while longer as he smiles, his wings fluttering a little. “Gods, you’re so perfect.” The coo that comes out at the praise makes him chuckle. He has ruined me for anybody else. “ Best kiss I’ve ever had, and I’m not just saying that to say it.” He leans back in to kiss at the blond’s jaw.  

“I’ve got nothing to compare it to, but it was perfect.” The way Dabi suddenly pulls back jostles him a little and he winces at the pain that shoots up his back, opening his eyes to look at him in confusion. “Hm?”  

“... What?”  

Keigo tilts his head and frowns a little. “What?”  

“Kei, baby-” Dabi breathes out sharply and cradles his face with both hands. “Are you saying that I was your first kiss?”  

The shorter man flushes and a tiny chirp escapes. “... Yes. Is that a bad thing?”  

“No, no.” The villain laughs a little and leans their foreheads together again, his eyes sparkling. “I’m just-” So in love with you. He closes his eyes and takes a few deep breaths, smiling when he feels sharp talons lightly scratching at his scalp. “God... I’m never letting you go.”  

Keigo hums and kisses him again briefly. “I don’t want you to.”

For several minutes, the two of them sit there on the floor in a comfortable silence and share soft, unrushed kisses. No words are spoken but neither man seems to mind as they soak in the touches. When they finally do part, Keigo’s face seems to glow with adoration. His feathers are fluffed up and his cheeks are dusted pink, slightly swollen lips quirked up into a smile. Dabi can only stare in awe at the angel in front of him.  

I can’t believe he’s here, in my lap, all shy because we kissed. We kissed- Holy shit, I got to kiss Keigo. He laughs softly, unable to hold it in, and drops his head to the blond’s shoulder. “This goes without saying, but I’m all yours, birdie, for however long you want me.” The hand on Keigo’s hip slides around to his lower back, avoiding the burns, and pulls him flush against his own body. From this position he can feel how wildly the other’s heart is beating and it makes his chest swell with pride.  

“I want you until you get sick of me, or one of us dies.” Keigo’s voice is light and teasing as he presses his face to the black-haired man’s neck, breathing in his scent. Home… He smells like home. His wings flare up momentarily before wrapping around the two of them, as if they could keep them in this moment forever.  

Chapter Text

As soon as Dabi taking away an unconscious Hawks was seen all over Japan on live television, the public was in an uproar. The Commission released a statement saying Hawks had turned on the heroes and was now on the run. Half of the people were calling for Hawks to be punished for being a traitor, the other half were outraged at Endeavor for his heartless behavior, having heard the avian’s pained screeches as he was being burned. Only Keigo and the League know the full story.  

Over the next week and a half, Keigo makes a near-full recovery with the help of the young girl who had healed him when he was first brought back. She came every morning for the first five days to help speed up the process. The burns were bad enough that they scarred over, but he’s not in pain anymore. He and Dabi spend almost every minute together as they figure out the new dynamic they have and where to go from here.  

The older man encouraged him to build a nest on his bed again on the third day and he gave in, no longer ashamed but still a bit shy about it. Jin and Himiko each donated a blanket to help make it bigger. Keigo insisted Dabi wasn’t allowed in the room while he made it, and he graciously listened. When the bird opened the door to let him back in, his wings were tight against his back and he refused to make eye contact. He was so worried that the other man wouldn’t like it. He was tense until Dabi pulled him into a kiss and praised him for how good it looked. Now, he happily curls up in it every night.  

He’s still learning to not repress his instincts, with gentle reminders from the entire League. Some days are easy. He’ll coo when Dabi touches his feathers or plays with his hair, eat raw meat in the kitchen in front of others, and perch on the backs of chairs or edges of tables instead of sitting down. Other days are near impossible. He’ll barely eat, force his wings to stay completely still when he’s not using them, and refuse to let anything other than human speech out of his mouth. On those days, everyone is a lot gentler with him. They don’t walk on eggshells or baby him, but they show him more love than usual.   

Almost every night since his fight with Endeavor, he wakes up screaming from a nightmare about the fight and being almost burned to death. The first time it happens, Dabi almost lights the bed on fire out of his own panic before he realizes what’s happening and is able to bring Keigo back down.

Tonight is no different. In his dream, Keigo’s lying on his stomach while Endeavor pins him down and shoots his fire all over, including his wings. He screams and thrashes in the hold, while actively doing that in the real world too. Dabi shoots up in bed, chest heaving, and calms his quirk before reaching out to gently touch the hero’s arm. “Keigo, baby, wake up.” The thrashing slows a bit as he continues the light touches. “You’re okay, it’s just a nightmare.” Screams slowly taper off into whimpers as he starts to wake. “You’re doing great, dove. Almost there.”  

Golden eyes snap open and flicker around wildly, soft gasps filling the room as Keigo pants hard. His brain finally catches up to the present while Dabi rubs circles into his back. He turns onto his side and locks eyes with the villain, and he can’t help the way his bottom lip quivers. “J-Just ... a dream.” Dabi nods and the dam breaks. The blond curls in on himself, wings included, and sobs while the other gives reassurances and gently scratches his scalp, helping to ground him.

It takes nearly half an hour before Keigo is calm enough to uncurl and he crawls into Dabi’s lap, clutching onto his shirt.  

“Dabi ...?” A soft hum above him urges him to continue. “Would you tell me your real name?” He feels the other’s pulse quicken and tilts his head up to meet blazing cerulean eyes. A warm hand cradles his cheek and he coos at the contact. Pretty eyes...  

“Kei, I don’t ...” Dabi sighs and presses his lips to his bird’s forehead, staying there for several moments. He won’t run away. It’s okay to tell him. “I haven’t told anybody this, and I’m not exactly ready for anybody else to know.” He pulls away and kisses the other’s lips briefly. “My name is Touya.”  

Keigo gazes up at him so softly it takes his breath away. “Touya.” His lips slowly turn up into a smile and he tugs the other back in for a kiss.  

The black-haired man’s heart feels like it might burst and he kisses back almost reverently. I could die happy now that I’ve heard my name come out of his mouth. He grabs at the hero’s waist with his free hand and folds his knees up under him, not breaking apart. He slides his other hand from his face to the back of his head and leans forward until Keigo’s back hits the mattress. A little gasp slips out and red wings flutter against the blankets. Touya carefully lowers himself until his full body weight is pinning the other down. The deep pressure makes the bird shudder and coo repeatedly as he relaxes.  

The taller man breaks the kiss and grins down at him, scratching his scalp again. “You’re too fuckin’ cute, pretty bird.”  

Keigo’s eyelids flutter at the sensation and he chirps, blushing. “’m not cute.” He exhales softly and pulls Touya back down for a kiss. “It just feels really nice.” He has to pull away for a yawn. “Can we go back to sleep now?”  

The villain presses kisses across his face. “Of course.” He starts to climb off of the other but is pulled right back.  

“No, stay. The pressure … feels good...” His voice trails off as he quickly falls asleep, going boneless under Touya.  

I don’t know what I did in my past life to deserve this but I’m going to do everything I can to keep him. He’s making me want to be better… Keigo, I won’t make you regret giving me a chance.  

With those thoughts, Touya presses his face into the other’s neck and is slowly lulled to sleep by his steady heartbeat and breathing.

When he wakes up in the morning, their positions are swapped and Keigo is spread out with half of his body on him and the other half on the bed. His left wing is in the villain’s face while the right is draped over the side of the bed. A yawn forces its way out and he almost chokes as he gets a mouthful of feathers. He sputters and pushes them away, carefully moving the wing further down without waking up the sleeping birdie. He doesn’t want to get up- the rise and fall of Keigo’s body with each breath is grounding in a way he didn’t know he needed- but the need to piss slowly gets more urgent. Several minutes pass and the urge finally overpowers his desire to stay in bed.  

He leans over to kiss Keigo’s cheek, his voice a soft murmur. “Baby, can you move? I gotta get up.” A small coo comes out but there’s no movement. So cute. “Keigo, I need you to get off of me.” The blond’s feathers twitch and his breath hitches for a second as he stirs a little, but he doesn’t fully wake up. I didn’t wanna have to do this. Touya leans closer to his ear and nips at his jaw. “Birdie, if you don’t want me to piss all over you, you need to move.”  

The bite makes Keigo jolt awake with a startled trill, blinking sleepily at the other. “Hm? What’d y’ say?” His voice is thick with sleep and he slurs his words.   

Touya chuckles and bites again, slightly harder. “I said – if you don’t want me to piss all over you, you need to move.” The blond’s eyes widen almost comically and he scrambles to get off of him. He laughs at how frantic the movements are and swings his legs over the side of the bed. “Thank you~”  

As he walks across his room to his bathroom, Keigo sits and stretches his arms up, his back popping in multiple places. A satisfied sigh comes out and he climbs off the bed, fanning his wings out to stretch them as well. I slept so well, I should ask Touya to lay on me every night. He smiles to himself at the memory of the night before. Touya… It fits him.   

Usually, the mornings after having a nightmare are a bit rough for him but today is off to a good start. Touya sits on the bathroom counter while he showers so they can talk, then they swap places so he can file his talons while the villain showers.  

He’s pulling on a black shirt when the other steps out of the shower in a towel. Giving him a once over, he gasps a little at the bits of white growing in at the roots of his hair. “Touya, is black not your natural hair color?” He walks up to him and pulls his head down to run his talons through the damp hair, ignoring the sound of protest.  

“No, ‘s not.” The taller man relaxes his stance so it’s easier for Keigo to preen his hair. “Used to be red when I was little, now it’s white.” Little chirps slip out as the blond fixes the hair until he’s content with it.  

“White?” Once he’s done, Keigo pulls his head back up and smiles, his eyes twinkling. “You’d look so pretty with white hair.” Like an angel.  

Touya flushes at the comment. Pretty? Never been called pretty before. “Maybe I’ll get some dye remover then. You can help me with it.” Red wings poof up and he grins, leaning down to kiss his birdie. “Cute~”  

“ Not cute.” Keigo bites at his lip and jumps back when large hands try to grab at him, laughing. “I’m gonna go get food. You should put on some clothes.” Without waiting for a reply, he smiles one last time and turns to leave the room.  

Touya stands in the middle of his room and smokes out of his seams a little, still red from the ‘pretty’ comment. When did I get so soft ? I’m supposed to be the cold villain, set on revenge. What the hell? He huffs out a sigh and walks to his dresser, pulling out black sweats and a white T-shirt.

When he makes it to the kitchen, Keigo is sitting on the counter with a plate of scrambled eggs and an entire raw fish. When the hell did he get that?   

The blond chirps at him with a mouthful of said fish, his wings fluffing up in greeting. Himiko sits next to him and chews on a piece of toast, her legs swinging back and forth. “Morning, Dabi! Kei-chan was telling me you two are gonna undye your hair? I didn’t know your hair isn’t naturally black!” She pouts and waves her toast at him accusingly. “I can’t believe you would hide that from us.”  

Touya rolls his eyes and opens the fridge, scanning it for food options. “Yeah, I hid it for a reason. But I think a change would be nice.”   

Keigo swallows the fish and grins, his cheeks rosy. “I think he would’ve kept dying it if I hadn’t noticed the white.” The black-haired man closes the fridge and sets down a cup of yogurt next to him, standing between his legs.  

“Probably. I think the black makes me look hot.” He tilts his head to the left and places a hand on his thigh. “Wouldn’t you agree, birdie?” He gives a light squeeze and a teasing smirk.  

Keigo’s face heats up embarrassingly fast and he shifts in place. Oh my god, why is this turning me on? Himiko giggles and watches with amusement, tossing the last piece of her food in her mouth.  

“I asked you a question, Keigo. Aren’t you gonna answer me?” Touya quirks up an eyebrow in question and the blond almost chokes on his saliva.  

“Y-Yeah! Um-“ His gaze flickers between the villain’s hair, eyes, mouth, and the hand on his thigh multiple times, trying to calm his racing heart. “You look good with the black. But I think you’d look really pretty with white.”  

Touya makes a small ‘tsk’ and leans in close to his mouth, the smirk still plastered on his face. “Didn’t ask if I look good. I asked if I look hot.” I love messing with him so much. He’s so fucking cute when he’s flustered.  

Keigo almost whines , much to his shame, and tightens the hold on his plate, very thankful that it hides his growing erection. “Y-You look … very hot.” Beside them, Himiko cackles and jumps down, saying something about going into the city in disguise before she leaves. “Can I finish my breakfast now?” His voice is high and breathless, making the other raise an eyebrow once again.  

“Pretty bird, is this doing things to you?” God, I hope so.  

Keigo does whine this time and it makes him lean back enough to wrap his wings around himself, hiding his face. “ Touyaa ...” He bites a chunk out of the fish and chews purposefully on it, desperate to take his mind off of what his body is feeling. Touya’s face peeks through his feathers with a shit-eating grin.  

“So it is~” He sneaks a bite of the scrambled eggs and ignores the look of betrayal he receives. “You’re making this way too easy.” He grabs the plate out of Keigo’s hands and before the bird realizes what’s happening, he’s being pulled flush against Touya.  

The pressure on his bulge makes him keen and his wings mantle behind him, hands flying out to grab the taller man’s shoulders. “Fuck- Tou, w-wait- stop.” He can’t concentrate on anything other than where their bodies are touching, and it’s too much for him.  

Touya pulls back slightly and rubs soothing circles into his thigh. If he’s already affected this much; I wonder if he’s even touched himself before. “Too much, baby?” The nod he gets in response has him smiling. Oh, I’m going to ruin him.   

Keigo’s mind is so fuzzy and full of cotton, he almost doesn’t notice when Tomura walks in and stops dead in his tracks at the sight before him. “I swear, if you two defile the kitchen counters I’m going to dust them and have a whole new kitchen installed.”   

Touya completely steps back from him and laughs, reaching for his forgotten yogurt cup. “Sorry, boss man. I’ll behave.” He glances over at the bird as he eats a spoonful and has to do a double-take. Maybe I pushed a little too far.  

His hands are gripping his pants, talons almost ripping the fabric, his wings are shivering ever so slightly, his mouth is parted as he breathes heavily through his mouth, his cheeks and ears are bright red, and his eyes are teary and unfocused.  

I barely touched him and he’s practically falling apart- poor little birdie’s so touch-starved. I should probably make it up to him later.  

The white-haired villain lets out an exasperated sigh and trudges over to grab a slice of pizza out of the fridge. He gives the two a side eye as he takes a bite. “Try not to be too mean to him, Dabi. He looks like he’s about to pass out.” Life seems to smash back into Keigo and he grabs the fish off of his plate to take a bite, giving Touya a half-hearted kick. The flame user snickers and gives a mock salute to Tomura. He mutters something under his breath before walking away, once again leaving the two alone.  

Keigo quickly finishes the fish and tosses the bones into the garbage can, not leaving his spot on the counter. Wiping his hands on a paper towel, he glares at the other but there’s no heat to it. “You’re gonna regret teasing me like that.” The taller man laughs again and rests a hand on his left thigh, yogurt cup in his other.  

“I doubt that, your reaction was priceless.” Touya gives a lazy smirk and dumps the rest of the yogurt into his mouth, his other hand rubbing the bird’s thigh lightly. “What do you want to do today? I have a meeting this evening but we have plenty of time until then.”   

The blond hums in thought and swings his legs as he eats the rest of his breakfast. What do I really want to do … It’s not until he’s washing his hands does he answer. “I want to go flying.” His voice is quiet and unsure, but he turns to Touya with a smile. “I know it’s not safe for me to be seen in public, but I wanna fly so bad, Tou.” He tilts his head for a moment and his wings fluff up. “Being stuck in the same place for so long gets boring. It’s pretty here, but I want to see somewhere new.”  

Touya puts the dishes in the dishwasher and pecks him on the lips. “I know you don’t like being grounded, baby, I’m sorry.” He reaches up and twirls a stray strand of hair around his finger. “I’m sure we could get Kurogiri to warp us somewhere secluded so you could stretch your wings. I do miss seeing those pretty things in action.” The way his pretty bird blushes makes his heart skip a beat. I would burn the world down for him.   

“ I would like that.”

Twenty minutes later, they’re stepping through a portal onto the side of a forested mountain. Keigo chirps excitedly and hops around a little as the gate closes behind them. “Let’s find somewhere there’s a clearing, that way you can watch me!” He doesn’t wait for a reply before he grabs Touya’s hand and starts running. The other stumbles slightly but manages to keep up, a little smile on his face.

They find a a small clearing pretty soon and the hero is quick to release the hand and shoot up into the sky, trills and chirps coming out.  

Touya stands below him and watches with a fond grin. He’s meant to be free, just like this. He looks so happy. I need to destroy the Commission so he can be this way all the time.  

Keigo shows off all his tricks for the villain, too excited to reign himself in. He spins, does loops, and dives at him only to fly back up at the last second. At one point he even flies up several hundred feet before dropping into a free fall. He laughs, carefree, and shoots his wings out to gently land in front of a panicking Touya.  

“Kei, what the fuck?! You can’t just do that! ” His eyes are wide and wild, grabbing onto the bird’s arms. “You scared the shit out of me!” The blond just laughs again and nuzzles into his chest, content chirps and coos slipping out. “Fuck, Keigo. Almost gave me a heart attack.” He sighs and pulls him into a tight embrace. “You look beautiful when you’re flying like that, though. Like you don’t have a care in the world.”  

Keigo’s feathers rustle with the praise and he can’t make himself stop smiling if he tried. “God, firefly, you have no clue how much I needed this. It feels so good to fly freely. I wish I could do this whenever I wanted.” I feel like I could burst- I haven’t felt this happy in a while. He’s too full of dopamine to control his bird sounds and Touya seems content to just hold him and kiss his head.  

“I promise you’ll be free soon. Just gotta hold out a little longer until we can come up with a plan.”

Chapter Text

“I promise you’ll be free soon. Just gotta hold out a little longer until we can come up with a plan.”  

Keigo is overcome with emotion and pulls back just enough to grab his face and bring him down into a bruising kiss, sighing against his lips. The black-haired man is quick to slide his hands to his hips and pull him closer. He gasps at the contact and it turns into a soft whine as he feels blood rush south. The hands on his hips squeeze before one moves to grab his ass, drawing out another whine. His wings twitch and flutter behind him as he loses himself to the sensations.  

Suddenly, Touya breaks the kiss and pants against his lips, his voice thick with want. “Kei, can I make you feel good?” His birdie’s eyes are watery and dilated so much there’s barely a ring of gold. Fuck, he’s so cute like this.  

When Keigo opens his mouth to speak, a warble comes out instead. He flushes with embarrassment and chooses to hide his face, giving a small nod instead. He feels the other’s body heat up with his quirk and he shudders.  

“As cute as you are, I need words, dove.” The villain gently pries away the hands covering his face and presses kisses all over. “I may kill people in my spare time but when it comes to this, I need verbal consent.”  

“Please …” The blond’s voice is all but a squeak and his face is flushed. “I-“ His chest heaves but he manages to speak somewhat calmly, though his wings betray him with how much they’re moving. “I have no clue what I’m doing, but I want you to touch me. Please, Touya.”  

He takes pity on the bird and pulls him back into a kiss, nipping at his bottom lip. When he gasps, Touya uses the opportunity to force his tongue into his mouth. A sharp trill comes out and Keigo yanks his head back, his eyes a bit feral looking.  

“Do you-“ A hand grips the taller man’s jaw and forces him to open his mouth. His tongue lolls out as if on instinct and the full body shudder from the bird makes him grin. A tongue piercing. Holy shit- that’s so hot. He’s so hot. “Oh my god…” His voice already sounds wrecked and he’s almost ashamed.  

“You like it, baby?” Touya chuckles and wags his tongue a little, watching his birdie’s jaw go slack and pupils pin and dilate again. Oh, he loves it.  

Keigo full on whimpers. “ Shiny.” He dives back in for a kiss and slides a hand up to tug on black hair. Their breaths and groans mix together and the blond shivers every time that silver ball brushes the top of his mouth. His thoughts are becoming jumbled way too quickly as he turns to putty in the other’s hands. His body is being overloaded with pleasure and he’s helpless to do anything other than whimper and chirp. When a hand trails down his chest and slips under his shirt, his hips buck on their own and he has to break away for air. “Touya, Touya-“ His body trembles and his eyes are full of unshed tears.  

“Shhh, dove, I’ve got you.” Touya leans down to kiss and lightly nip at his jaw. “Just relax and lemme take care of you.” He nods shakily and his knees buckle when a thigh is pressed between his legs. “You’re so sensitive, pretty boy~” A chirp forces its way out. “You’ve never been touched before, have you?” The bird shakes his head, too overwhelmed to speak. Can’t believe I get to be the first one to watch him fall apart. “You ever touched yourself?”  

Talons grip the white shirt and another chirp comes out. “N-No … Never … ha- fuck -had time or-“ Keigo chokes on a sob and his head starts to feel floaty as the thigh starts to move lightly. “Privacy.”  

Touya grabs his throat and forces his chin up to make eye contact. “I’m gonna take it nice and slow for you. If at any point you want to stop, I need you to say red.” A hard press to the blond’s erection makes him keen and accidentally rip his shirt from how hard he clenches his fists. “If you can’t speak, tap me twice. Got it?” Keigo can’t answer so he lets go and completely removes all contact to let him calm down. “Words, baby.”  

He takes shuddering breaths and presses the palms of his hands into his eyes, his feathers twitching nonstop. “Y-Yeah. I can ... I can do that.” Once he’s calm enough, he lowers his hands and looks up at Touya. “Okay, I’m ready.”  

The fire user smiles and pulls him into a soft kiss, not pressing their bodies together again just yet. The sigh and chirps that come out go straight to his dick. He pulls back just enough to whisper against soft lips. “Do you want to go back to the base or stay out here? If we go back, you’ll have to make sure you stay quiet.”  

Pants fan across his lips for a few seconds as the hero thinks about it. It would be pretty hot to get off in the middle of nowhere... “Stay here. I don’t know if I’ll be able to control my volume.”  

A feral grin spreads onto Touya’s face and that’s all the warning Keigo gets before he’s being pulled back onto the taller man’s thigh. Pleasure shoots up the blond’s spine and he has to grab onto the arms holding him so he doesn’t lose his balance, a breathy moan slipping out. “I want you to let me know how good I’m making you feel, baby.” The villain slips a hand into the back of his pants and boxers to squeeze his ass. “Whether that’s with words, kisses, or whatever sounds you want to make.”  

Keigo whimpers at his words and lets his head fall forward. “’s good. So good.” He grinds up into the thigh experimentally and a sharp warble comes out. Fuck, I’m not gonna last. “T-Touch me, please.” A slow, languid pace is set as Touya gropes and kisses and whispers praises. All he can do is cling onto the strong arms and let his bird song fall out of his mouth. Heat starts to coil in his gut and his sounds become more frantic and whinier. Am I really gonna cum in my pants without him even touching my dick?  
 
 
Slowly, the pressure comes to a stop and Touya lifts his chin up once again, kissing away the tears he didn’t realize were falling. “Do you want to cum like this, or do you want me to use my hand?” Feral, unfocused eyes flit around his face and neck as he tries to form words. Nothing comes out except a choked off whine, so he grabs at the hand on his chin instead, hoping to get his point across. “My hand?” A desperate nod and a sharp inhale. “You want me to wrap my hand around that pretty little dick of yours until you’re fucking into it and crying for release?” Keigo’s eyes almost roll back into his head as he ruts back into the thigh still trapped between his legs and moans, long and needy. “Fuck, god, yeah okay.” 

I’m already so close, I don’t think I’ll be able to handle his hand for very long. He almost shrieks when Touya snakes his hand down the front of his boxers and closes his hand around his pulsing dick. Fuck fuck fuck- oh god. A sob slips out and he buries his face in the junction of the other man’s neck and shoulder. “Please, I can’t-” Since he didn’t say ‘red’ or tap out, the villain gives a slow tug and runs his thumb over the head. The sensation actually does get a shriek out of him and he instinctively jerks away, his wings flapping behind him. “Red! Red- fuck.”  

Touya immediately retracts his hand and cradles Keigo’s face instead, smiling at the soft coo. “Breathe, pretty bird. You’re okay.” Two shaking hands reach up to cup his face, little warbles and trills coming out instead of words. “Too much?” The little nod has him nuzzling their faces together and pressing a kiss to his lips. “Would you rather stay standing or lie down? With how sensitive you are right now, I think lying down would be safer, so you don’t fall and hit your head.”  

It takes a minute before the blond is able to think clearly but when he is, he lowers himself until he’s lying on his back and stares up at the other. “You can touch me again.” Within seconds, Touya is hovering over him and stroking up and down his side, his left forearm resting on the ground to keep him up. Little, satisfied chirps come out. “You’re always so warm, Touya.” Red wings flutter under him as the other’s right hand moves to start tugging his pants down his thighs.  

“I know this is a lot for you, but you gotta let me play with you if you want to get used to it.”   

His breathing picks up again as the hand reaches for his boxers next. “I know ... I want you to.” Touya gives him an affirming hum and captures his lips in a kiss as his erection is finally freed, springing up to hit his abs. His body shudders with the cold air and he sucks in a gasp.  

The black-haired man breaks away and pulls him up slightly, holding out a hand below his mouth. “Spit.” Golden eyes flick up to blue and the bird opens his mouth, holding eye contact as he lets spit fall from his tongue. “ Fuck, baby, that’s so hot.”  

Keigo gives a little smirk and boldly takes the index and middle finger into his mouth, not bothering to hide the way his feathers fluff up. Touya curses but can’t tear his eyes away from the sight. The blond lets his eyes roll back slightly as he sucks and swirls his tongue around the digits.  

With a wet smack, the hand is being yanked out. “You’re driving me crazy.” Keigo giggles a little but it gets cut off with a keening whine as the spit-wet hand wraps around his dick. “I’m gonna make you feel so good, pretty bird.” The villain sets a slow pace and sits back on his heels to watch as the man below him falls apart.  

“Touya-“ His back arches up off the grass and his wings beat uselessly, a song of bird sounds falling out. Every time the scarred hand moves up, a thumb is pressed right under the head of his cock. It’s too much, way too much. It’s addicting. This must be heaven. All he can focus on is the hand stroking him lazily and the cool grass underneath him.   

Touya grins at the sight of his bird losing his composure all because of his hand. “I could watch you like this all day.” He speeds up his movements and squeezes his hand a little tighter, drinking in the moans and sobs. I don’t think I can hold off touching myself for much longer. Blond eyelashes flutter and tears fall down flushed cheeks. “Shit, Kei, you’re so gorgeous. I’m gonna jerk us off together, okay?”   

Keigo warbles and bucks his hips up, his talons digging into the dirt. “Please-“ A whimper slips out as the hand on his dick lets go and he bites down hard on his bottom lip.  

Touya chuckles a bit meanly and reaches for his own sweats, pulling them and his boxers down at the same time. A soft hiss comes out through clenched teeth at the cold, mountain air hitting his aching erection. “Relax, I’m gonna have my hands on you again soon enough.” He grips onto the blond’s shirt and yanks him up, holding out his free hand. “Can you spit again for me, baby?”  

The hero shudders and obeys, gathering up as much spit as he can before letting his tongue fall out. A small puddle forms in the middle of the palm and he chirps at the sight, his eyes going hazy. Everywhere is burning up. It’s so cold out here but my body feels like it’s on fire.  

Above him, the fire user licks his lips and watches hungrily. “Good boy~”  

Oh, fuck. His cock twitches between them and leaks precum, a desperate moan coming out.  

Touya pulls on his shirt until their lips are brushing against each other. “Does my little bird like being called that~?” He gets a whimper in response and he makes a ‘tsk’ sound. “Use your words, Kei.”  

Keigo flutters his eyelashes and gazes up at him heatedly, his chest heaving. Two can play at that game. “I like it, a lot. Wanna be your good boy, sir .” He watches the taller man’s jaw go slack and has to suppress a smirk when his cock twitches.  

Didn’t think I had a thing for that but holy fuck do I like the sound of it coming from him. Touya’s hand moves from gripping his shirt to wrapping around his neck and steam starts to leak out of his wrist. “You’re makin’ it real hard for me to take it slow.” The smirk that slowly creeps onto the blond’s mouth makes his stomach flip in a good way.  

“Maybe I changed my mind and want you to wreck me.” He pushes forward into a kiss and ruts his hips into the other’s, drawing out a moan from both of them. The longer this situation draws out, the bolder and more comfortable he gets. Not that either of them is complaining. Touya pushes him onto his back again, hand still on his throat, and bites at his lip. He mewls and bucks up, earning a chuckle.  

“I’m not gonna fuck you this time but if you’re sure you know what you’re asking for, I’m not going to hold back.” The way the hero’s wings beat against the ground and he arches up almost makes him dive in and make good on that promise. Almost. But he needs to hear his birdie confirm. He tightens his grip on the slim throat and grinds his hips down. “I need words, pretty thing~”  

Keigo gasps and tilts his head back, baring more of his throat in a show of submission. “Please, please, sir, I want it.” He’s rewarded with Touya spitting onto his free hand, as some of the previous spit had dried up, and grabbing both of their dicks. Cold metal pressing against his erection makes him choke on a whine and he arches up again. “Fuck- T-Touya-“ He can’t look down to check if his theory is correct, since there’s still a hand pinning him down by his throat. “Do you have dick piercings too?”  

The arsonist smirks and thrusts against him, groaning at the sensation. “You got a piercing kink or something?” The bird below him trills sharply and his body shakes, tears quickly forming in his eyes. So perfect. Just for me. “I’ll let you look at them after I’m done taking you apart.” The drag of his jacob’s ladder is a touch too rough without lube so he only thrusts a few times before stilling and moving his hand instead.  

Those few thrusts were enough to turn Keigo into an absolute mess. His wings can’t stay still, tears flow freely down his face, the only sounds he’s making now are purely from his secondary vocal cords, and his talons are digging into the ground so he doesn’t make the other bleed.   

Too much, too much. Want more. Oh my god. Heat starts to coil in his gut again and it makes his head swim. He wants to warn Touya, ask for more, ask him to stop, he doesn’t know. No words come out, though, only a symphony of chirps, warbles, and trills. Close. I’m so close. Gonna cum. The pressure builds more and more until he can’t hold it back any longer.  

With two more quick strokes of the scarred hand, Keigo’s body goes taut and he sobs hard as the string snaps, his orgasm completely wracking through his body. Thick, white ropes paint his lower stomach and parts of his shirt before the black-haired man has time to catch it all. His entire body shakes with the force of it. Touya continues to stroke him through it and showers him with praises of “good boy” “you look so good like this” “you’re taking it so well” and “pretty bird.”  

The pleasure quickly falls into overstimulation and borders on painful. Keigo tries to safe-word out but his brain is disconnected and won’t form human speech. He flails a bit and chokes out weak chirps, yanking talons out of the dirt. Two shaky taps to the hand around his neck has the pressure on his softening dick finally easing up. His wings give a few weak flaps before going limp, his mind blissfully full of Touya. Said man gently taps his cheek using the hand on his neck to get his attention. When they make eye contact, he brings up the other hand and slowly licks off all the drying cum. A weak “fuck” slips out, his voice gravelly from overuse.  

After cleaning his hand thoroughly, Touya leans down to press a kiss to his lips. “How was your first orgasm, baby?” A delirious giggle from the bird has him smirking a little.  

“Really fuckin’ good. I feel ... high, almost.” He coos and brings a hand up to cradle the other’s face. “That was like a religious experience for me.”  

The villain turns to kiss his palm, his gaze softening. “I still can’t believe I get to have your firsts. I don’t ...” A soft sigh. “I don’t deserve this. You’re so warm and good.”  A sharp chirp halts his downward spiral, turning his focus to the golden eyes below him.  

“Touya, stop. I’m willingly giving these to you, you don’t have to do anything to earn them.” Keigo pushes on his chest to get him to sit and follows him up. His gaze travels down to the still hard dick and he almost chokes on his spit as he sees the ladder. It’s better than I imagined. With his pupils pinned and drool quickly filling up his mouth, he whispers. “Fuck, baby, can I touch? You’re so shiny. So pretty.”   

Touya leans back on his hands and rolls his hips a little, his smirk coming back. “You can do anything you want to me.” A coo comes out before the blond is scooting back and lowering himself until he’s eye level with his cock. He watches intently as birdie swallows thickly, his feathers rustling. “You like what you see?”  

Keigo giggles breathlessly, his gaze never moving. “You have no idea ... Seeing you with shiny staples and earrings was good enough, but on your tongue? And now these? ” He tentatively presses forward to kiss the highest stud. “The things you’re doing to my bird brain-“ Growing bolder, he chirps and licks a stripe up the entire underside of the pierced dick.  

Touya groans and his legs spread a bit more automatically. “Don’t force yourself, Kei. I can get myself off later.” Not that I particularly want to do that. I’d love to feel his mouth on me. The blond looks up at him through golden lashes and opens his mouth, a big drop of drool falling onto the head. Holy shit. “Fucking- God , baby. Are you sure you’re a virgin?” He tries to sound nonchalant but it comes out high and needy.  

“Pretty sure I’d know if I’ve fucked or not, hot stuff.” He gives a lazy smirk and swallows the head of his cock, drawing out a moan. Licking up the beads of precum, his eyes roll back a little and his wings flutter. I think I could get addicted to this. A string of curses from above spurs him on and he experiments with slowly bobbing his head up and down.  

Touya’s control is hanging on by a thread that is slowly unraveling with each drag of the hero’s tongue. He’s so confident for having no experience. He’s gonna be the death of me. “Keigo, you are doing absolutely- haaah- everything right.” His head falls back with another moan and he brings one hand to blond hair, tugging lightly. The whine that comes out sends delicious vibrations through his dick and he bucks up accidentally. Keigo gags and his wings flare out, tears forming in his eyes. “Shit, sorry, baby.” He gently wipes the tears away and forces his hips to stay down.  

Slowly lifting himself off of Touya, the shorter man grins through his panting. “I kinda liked that.” There’s a slightly feral glint in his eyes and it sparks something in the villain. “Do it again.” He leans back in and swallows as much of his cock as he can, his hands gripping onto his thighs.  

“ Fuuck- You’re perfect.” The hand that was wiping tears moves back to grab his hair and he thrusts up slightly. Keigo gags again but this time he moans. The sensations feel heavenly. “If you keep that up, I’m not gonna last long, birdie.”  

This time when he moans, he flutters his eyelashes up at Touya innocently and pulls up so just the tip is in his mouth. He swirls his tongue around the head and laps up more precum. The hand in his hair tightens and yanks, making his eyes roll back with a warble. His own dick twitches between his legs. When did I get hard again? Sliding back down again until the tip is at the back of his mouth, Keigo swallows around the head and chokes on it. His airway gets cut off but all he can do is moan helplessly.  

Touya’s body jerks at the feeling and gasps, his head falling back again. “Oh fuck, shit , Kei-“ His orgasm is rapidly approaching and it’s making his whole body feel like it’s on fire. He can’t remember the last time he felt this good doing anything sexual with someone.   

His past encounters were always just a one-night stand. Simply a way to get release. But this? This is different. He has something he can keep. This winged angel of a man chose him. The emotions that thought brings up make his release crash into him. “ Fuckfuckfuck-” He has just enough warning to pull the blond off of him before he cums, quickly jerking himself to completion.  

Keigo whines at the loss and opens his mouth right as hot cum coats his tongue, lips, and cheeks. Both of them are panting hard and flushed. He gazes up at the villain with his tongue still out, showing off the white with a dazed expression. The man swears under his breath while he makes a show of wiping his face clean with his thumb and sucking it into his mouth. He moans and swallows it all, his wings flapping weakly behind him.  

After a good two minutes of them catching their breaths, Keigo slumps against the other, satisfied coos and warbles slipping out. “That was ...” Perfect. Incredible. The best experience of my life. “ Great.” A quirk-hot hand rakes through his feathers and he goes boneless, a faint whine coming out. “’m glad it was with you, Touya.” His voice is a bit rough but it warms the man’s heart.  

Touya pulls him up to sit in his lap and kisses him, hoping to get his intense emotions across. The movement of being yanked around causes the blond’s once again full erection to drag against him. He whimpers and shudders a bit. “Pretty baby ...” The arsonist chuckles against his lips and sneaks a hand around to grab his ass. “Did you get all hot and bothered just from blowing me?”  

“Yes.” Keigo doesn’t even try to sound ashamed, he simply pushes back into the rough hand. “That was the hottest thing I’ve ever seen.” He exaggerates a moan and licks at his lips. “Want you to make me cum again, please~” He flutters his eyelashes for good measure and bites his lip to hold back a smug grin when he’s manhandled onto his back.  

“You’re gonna be a menace more often now, I can already tell.”  

The villain pushes his shirt up and leans in to bite at his chest. He gasps out a little laugh. “I have no clue what you mean.” His laugh fades into a yelp when warm lips close around a nipple, giving a harsh suck. “ Ahhh.”  

Touya glances up at him and smirks, lifting off of him with a wet smack. “I love it when you give me sass.” He trails down Keigo’s chest and abs, leaving wet kisses and bites. The man under him whines and squirms, his neglected cock twitching between them. “I’m gonna give you the best head you’ll ever have.”  

With that promise hanging between them, the black-haired man makes eye contact and swallows him down to the base. A bird-like shriek gets punched out of him and his wings beat frantically as he arches up. Stars dot his vision. Holy shit- His mouth is so hot. Is this what he felt like? Oh my god.  

Touya gives him a few seconds to get used to the feeling, rubbing his thighs soothingly. Once his birdie is relatively calm, he hums softly and slowly bobs his head up and down.   

Hot, hot- Too much- Touya. His eyes roll back and his hips shake with the effort of keeping them still. I can’t. After a few moments of just his head moving, the villain starts sucking as he slides up. The metal ball of his piercing rubs against the slit when he licks over the head and it causes Keigo to sob, throwing an arm over his mouth to bite into it. Oh fuck, oh my god. I’m gonna cum way too fast if he does that again.  

Touya pulls off completely when he feels his dick pulsing and wipes spit off of his chin, panting softly. “I want you to cum in mouth, baby.”   

The blond can’t form any coherent words so he just nods vigorously, still sobbing into his arm but no longer has his teeth in it. His brain blue screens when, instead of the other going back to what he was doing, he inhales deeply and takes him all the way into his throat, choking a bit. The fluttering of Touya’s throat around the tip, the heat of his mouth, the choked sounds, the way he’s staring up at Keigo with hazy eyes- it's all too much and it pushes him over the edge. He bites down hard on his arm, his other hand flies to tangle itself in black, messy hair, and his hips buck up into the burning heat as the pleasure makes him see white.  

Touya hold his hips down in a bruising grip and moans at the feeling of cum shooting down his throat. Black starts to creep around the edges of his vision as the lack of oxygen threatens to make him pass out but he keeps his head still to milk every drop from the blond. After the pulsing stops and the fire user’s eyes start fluttering, he finally pulls off of the softening dick and immediately starts heaving in breaths, coughing hard. The hand that’s in his hair slowly loosens its grip and starts to comb through it instead as weak coos fall from Keigo’s lips. He drops his head to a tanned thigh and lets his eyes fall shut as he evens out his breathing.

Several minutes pass in silence, save for their breathing and rustling of the leaves, before he crawls up to pepper kisses all over the blond’s face. Said man scrunches up his face a little at the affection and chirps. “That was even better than the first one.” He smiles wide and slides his arms around the villain’s neck. “I could get used to that.”  

Touya laughs and oh, his voice sounds so wrecked. “ As much fun as that was, don’t expect that every time.” He turns to the side and coughs into his arm. “I quite enjoy being able to talk.” Turning back to look at Keigo, he nips at his nose and smirks at the sound of disapproval. “You wanna fly some more before we head back? Or are you sufficiently worn out?”  

The winged man seems to think about it for a few seconds before rolling the two of them over so he’s on top. “Lemme just stretch out my wings and then we can go back.” He’s quick to tuck himself back into his boxers and jeans and pull his shirt down. He hops off of the other and shoots himself into the air, groaning softly at how sore his back and shoulders are. As he circles the clearing a few times, he glances down to see the taller man watching him with a soft expression. Something inside him clicks into place at that moment. I love him- His eyes widen at the realization. I love Touya ...

Chapter Text

Touya sits at a large table, arms crossed and a bored look on his face, while Re-Destro drones on about something. The arsonist couldn’t care less so he’s not paying attention. He glances around and everybody else seems to be listening, so if he really needs to know he could ask one of them for a summary. 

 
 
Shigaraki had told him earlier that there had been new developments with Ujiko and his nomu and that this meeting would be important, but he didn’t join the League to sit here and listen to some high and mighty CEO rant about whatever. After what feels like an hour, that was probably only ten or fifteen minutes, The ginger finally sits down and lets Tomura take over. Touya sits up a little straighter and tunes in, not wanting to miss what his boss is going to say. Their leader talks about the high end nomus that the doctor has in his lab and how they’re going to be a big part of their attack on the heroes. Even though their plan had been leaked to the Commission, they’re still planning on going through with it.  

Tomura then starts talking about how there was a prison raid being planned, so All For One can be released. The arsonist does a good job of hiding his disdain but he can’t ignore the dread that settles in his gut. Ever since he woke up from his coma and heard that grating voice talking down to him and promising things in return of being experimented on, he’s hated the guy with every fiber of his being. He had never brought up his past with Tomura, or anyone for that matter, but he’s starting to think having an in-depth conversation might be needed. He wanted to bring down the hero society, not let some over-powered pyscho out and have him take over.

After the meeting, he pulls Tomura to the side before he can leave with the others. “Shig, I need to talk to you.” 

The white-haired man crosses his arms and raises an eyebrow, expecting an argument. “About what? You need more clarification?” 

Touya sighs and frowns at him. “No. It’s about All For One. I don’t think it’s a good idea to break him out.” 

Tomura tenses up and his mouth becomes a hard line. “And why not? You know everything he did for me. I owe him my life.” 

“Maybe, but he’s insane and only wants to destroy everything. Including what you’re trying to achieve.” 

“That’s not true.” The younger man openly glares at him and his fingers twitch, wanting to scratch at his neck. “Master has told me that my dreams will be a part of his plans.” 

I don’t want to do this, Tomura. I don’t want to shatter everything you believe in. I have to, though. “Have you considered that maybe he’s lying to you? Maybe he’s been using you this whole time and doesn’t actually care about you.” He doesn’t mean for his voice to come out so accusing and he’s struck with guilt as he watches the other flinch slightly. “He sure as hell doesn’t care about the rest of us, so what makes you any different?” 

Tomura gives in and scratches at his neck, still glaring. “Watch your mouth, Dabi. He raised me, took me in when heroes ignored me. Of course he cares about me.” He doesn’t want to think that the taller man could be right. His master has to care for him, otherwise his whole reason for living and getting stronger is gone. 

“He took you in so he could manipulate you to be the perfect vessel for him.” Touya does his best to keep his posture non-threatening and his voice calm. “Look, I know this isn’t what you want to hear, but it's the truth.” I guess it’s time to spill some of my past. “When I was sixteen, I woke up from a three-year coma in some hospital. Your master spoke to me while I was there.” The memories come flooding in and he has to clench his fists to keep his quirk in check. Shigaraki wears an unreadable expression but quietly listens. “He wanted to give me more power, experiment on me. He wanted to use me as a vessel.” Shut up, brain, not now. “The whole reason for that hospital was to raise children as candidates for him-” 

“Stop.” Tomura curls in on himself slightly and scratches until he bleeds, his voice pained. “That’s … That can’t be true. It was always-” His eyes flit around the room anxiously. “He always told me I was special, different ... That I would become something great.”  

“And you have . Tomura, you have started something incredible.” The fire user shifts in place, uncomfortable with the intense emotions hanging in the air. “But that was all you . All For One had nothing to do with the League sticking together. All of us look to you, not him, for guidance.” He reaches forward and flicks the middle of the white-haired man’s forehead. “We don’t need him. We’re strong enough, especially with Kei on our side now.” 

The way Touya never shies away from physical contact from him makes his chest feel tight. It makes him feel almost human. Most people steer clear out of fear, but never him. Goddamnit, Dabi. Quit making me get all emotional. His glare returns, not wanting to get caught up in feeling sappy, and he points to the door. “You should leave. I need to ... Think about things.” 

Not wanting to push him any further, the older man nods and leaves quietly. I really hope he comes around. I don’t want things to go downhill if he continues down this path.

For the next three days, Tomura stays holed up in his room. Nobody sees him or hears from him at all. The only sign of life is the occasional curse or thud coming from behind the closed door. With their leader out of commission and not giving them orders, the rest of the League takes to doing odd jobs: mostly stealing or debt collecting. 

Keigo follows Touya around wherever he goes and even lets himself get seen by cops before flying away with his boyfriend? Lover? Friends with benefits? They hadn’t exactly talked about what they are, they kinda just kissed and then continued to kiss each other frequently. And then, of course, there was that time they blew each other in the middle of a forest. They haven’t gone farther than light grinding and teasing since then, but neither one seems to care. 

They’ve set a new routine of going to the villa’s gym in the mornings, showering together, eating breakfast, going into the city to earn some money or recruit more people, sometimes they’ll have Kurogiri warp them to the mountain again just so Keigo can fly to his heart’s content before dinner, then they’ll make out cuddle until they go to sleep.

In the early hours of the fourth day, while the blond is still sleeping, Touya memorizes every detail of his face he can. His freckles, the black markings around his eyes, the slight cupid’s bow he has, a faint scar on his left temple, near his ear. Sometimes it’s hard to believe he’s allowed to see him like this and hold him while he sleeps. He knows Kei has made his stance and defected, but it still amazes him. The golden boy, fastest hero in the world, gave up everything to be with a villain. 

As Touya starts to runs a warmed hand through the red feathers, Keigo stirs and lets out little coos. He presses into him further and sighs. “Morning.” Kisses being pressed to his face makes him giggle a little. “Your breath stinks.” 

The villain hums and smirks. “Don’t care.” He pushes the bird onto his back and straddles him, capturing his mouth in a kiss. They both melt into the kiss despite their morning breaths. Keigo surprises him by rolling his hips up, his erection straining against his boxers. “Mmm, hello. You wanna skip the gym and have some fun before we start our day?”  

“Mhm.” He bites at the scarred lower lip and flutters his eyelashes. “Please?” 

Forty-five minutes and one shower later, the two of them are eating in the kitchen when Atsuhiro walks in. The magician turns to Touya with a couple marbles. “Oh, Dabi, I got that stuff you asked for.” 

The younger man takes them and gives a thumbs up, putting them in his pocket as Atsu un-marbles them. “Thanks.” Keigo gives him a questioning glance but he waves him off. “I’ll show you after breakfast.” 

“Okay.” 

After breakfast, they find themselves in the bathroom with the things Atsu had given them. A box of dye remover, a piercing gun, and small red earrings. Keigo’s pupils dilate at the jewelry and his feathers rustle. “Earrings?” 

“Mhm. They’re for you, if you want them. But I was thinking you could help me with my hair first.” Touya takes the dye remover out of the box and starts reading the instructions, not noticing the awed look his bird is giving him. “Okay, so I just spread this all over my hair and wait fift-“ His gaze moves to the other and he stops short. “Kei?” He’s pulled down into a kiss and little chirps come out. 

Keigo pulls back after a few seconds and smiles, his eyes full of excitement. “I want them. Thank you.” 

The adoration on his face makes the villain blush slightly. He clears his throat and looks away in embarrassment, turning his attention back to the bottle in his hands. “Do you want to help me put this in my hair? I have gloves in the cupboard.” He points to a door and the blond grabs a pair of latex gloves, pulling them on. 

“You said I just lather this all over?” Keigo tilts his head and waits for the other to nod. “Okay, gimme the bottle and sit on the toilet, facing the shower.” Once Touya complies, he opens the cap and starts to pour the liquid on his head. 

The two of them talk about nothing in particular, just happy to be in each other’s company, while Keigo carefully massages the dye remover into his hair. They wait fifteen minutes before he takes the removable shower head and rinses it out. 

The winged man stares unabashedly while the other dries his hair with his quirk. His mouth hangs open slightly and he doesn’t blink, too entranced with the white hair. “You look like an angel.” 

The comment makes Touya’s healthy skin flush dark red and he avoids eye contact. A fucked-up angel, maybe. “Do you want me to pierce your ears now or later?” 

I’m gonna have shinies just like him! “Now!” Keigo chirps and hops in place. 

The villain can’t help but stare. God, I love him so mu- love? Do I love him? He stays silent for a few moments as he mulls over that thought. Fuck, I do. Not wanting to voice that realization, he leans down to kiss him instead. The blond coos and presses into him more, his wings flapping a little. He pulls back after several seconds and grabs his chin, reaching for the piercing gun with his other hand. “You’re gonna have to hold your hair away from your ears for me.” 

Keigo nods and pushes his hair back from his right ear, turning his head to the left to make it easier. “You don’t have to worry about it hurting, I’m used to pain.” Touya frowns at that but doesn’t say anything, instead lining the gun up to his earlobe. 

“Ready?” 

“Mhm.” 

The needle pushes into his ear and he barely flinches, though his wings shiver a little. “I’m going to replace this with the red stud now, okay?” He nods and the black-haired man expertly switches out the earring, wiping away the little bit of blood with toilet paper. “You’re doing great, baby.” 

Once both ears are pierced, Keigo looks in the mirror to see them, little trills coming out. “I love them so much.” He bounces on the balls of his feet and grins, locking eyes with the other in the mirror. “Thank you, Tou.” 

The taller man smiles back at him and leans down to press a kiss to his neck. “They look really good on you.” The soft sigh he gets in response encourages him to leave more kisses. “We just have to make sure to disinfect them regularly so they don’t get infected. I already have the spray, too.” 

“Mhm!” Keigo spins around and jumps to sit on the counter, pulling him between his legs. “A few years ago, I really wanted to get my ears pierced so I researched the healing process and everything.” His wings droop a little as he continues. “But the Commission wouldn’t let me. Said it would ruin my image.” He gives a sly smirk to the other and pulls him down by his shirt. “But now that I’m no longer a hero, my image doesn’t matter anymore, right?” 

Damn, I really did corrupt him. “Imagine what they’ll think the next time they see you. Pierced, a bit feral, and holding hands with one of the strongest villains.” The way his bird’s pupils dilate and he licks his lips tells him all he needs to know. Fuck, he’s so hot. “You like that thought, baby?” 

The blond nods and leans in to whisper against his lips. “They’re gonna wish they never let me off their leash.”

Fifteen minutes later they emerge from the bathroom, flushed and a bit disheveled. They walk hand-in-hand to find Tomura, as Touya had said he needed to discuss something since he had finally stopped hiding in his room. He’s sprawled on the couch with Shuichi while they play together on a switch. “Hey, boss, did you manage to get the USB I asked for?” Shuichi does a double take at the white hair and nudges the other, but he doesn’t budge, too focused on their game. 

Tomura never glances away from the screen as he answers. “Yeah, Skeptic sure is useful. It’s in my room on my desk. You can grab it but don’t touch anything else. And I’ll know if you did.” 

“Yes, sir.” Touya gives a mock salute and tugs the bird along with him to the younger man’s room. “I can feel your eyes burning a hole in my skull, birdie. I’ll tell you everything soon. I just need to make sure it’s all going to go smoothly.” 

Keigo simply hums in acknowledgement and squeezes his hand. “I’m here to support you in whatever way I can. I wouldn’t be here without you so this is my way of repaying you.” 

Damnit, Keigo, making me go all soft again. “Things are about to get really messy.” That’s all the explaining he does before he grabs the USB stick from the leader’s room. 

Later that night, after Keigo had fallen asleep, Touya sits at his desk and goes through all the files in the USB. All the files Skeptic had been able to get on Enji and the Todoroki family. It had taken weeks to obtain them, given how tight the security was on everything, but it was worth the wait. 

There was nothing on Fuyumi or Natsuo, and very little on Rei. Shoto and himself are a different story. Most of it is doctor’s notes and pictures of injuries. The plethora of pictures that showcase Shoto’s injuries from when he was a small child makes his skin crawl. They’re too similar to his own, minus the self-burns. Broken bones, black eyes, bruises, welts. 

The doctor Enji took them to was paid to keep quiet and not report anything, so everything was swept under the rug. They were all homeschooled so there wasn’t even a teacher for them to go to. Their maid was also paid to keep quiet. All four children were isolated until they were old enough to enter high school. Except Touya. He burned before he could make it that far. 

That night on Sekoto peak was the most alone he had ever felt. More alone than when Shoto was born and he was discarded. He should’ve died on the mountain, and he used to wish he had. Then he became set on revenge. Now with this ex-hero in his life, sleeping in his bed every night, he wants to live for the first time in over a decade. He’s still trying to figure out what having a future might look like. 

He has to finish his plan before he can allow himself to dream. Everything might go up in flames in the end. 

As he’s sorting through all the medical records and photo evidence of the abuse he went through, he doesn’t notice Keigo walk up behind him. “Touya?” 

He jumps and spins around so fast he almost feels sick, panting heavily. “Fuck! Jesus, Kei, scared the shit outta me!” He does his best to cover his screen while trying to calm his racing heart. “Did I wake you?” 

The blond yawns and rubs an eye with one hand. “I got cold without you. What are you doing up? It’s like-“ He glances to the clock on the wall. “One in the morning.” He raises an eyebrow in question. 

Touya sighs and pulls him into a short, sweet kiss. “I’m sorry, pretty bird. I’m trying to sort some things out. I can take a break for tonight and come to bed with you.” As he turns around to close down everything, Keigo stops him. 

“That’s you ... isn’t it? You're Touya Todoroki.” The way the other instantly freezes answers the question for him. “This doesn’t change anything between us, you’re still you.” He wraps his arms around his midsection and presses his face to his back. 

“Kei...” His mind races with a million different things and he can feel himself start to spiral. “I-“ 

The blond turns him back around and cradles his face with both hands. “Angel, look at me.” He waits for Touya to obey before continuing. “You are not your family. You are not your father.” Red wings twitch as his mind flashes back to being burned. “You are more than whatever happened in your past.” 

There’s a sting in the villain’s eyes as he takes a shuddering breath, trying to not cry. “I know that… But I can’t just ignore it. I’m trying to set things right. Enji doesn’t deserve to live the life he is.” Blood starts to seep out of his seams. “The things he put me through … He burned you, Keigo.” His hands reach up to gently trace over the burn scars on his lover’s arms. "I want to ruin his reputation."

Soft coos come out as Keigo wipes away the blood. “I know. I don’t know what happened when you were a child, but it’s obvious he did a lot of damage to you.” He leans down and presses a kiss to the other’s right hand. “And after he did that to me without hesitation, I’ll believe anything you say that he did.” 

Touya takes a few more shaky breaths and slides a hand up to the avian’s jaw. “I’m not ready to tell you everything, but I promise I will soon.” 

The shorter man nods and turns to kiss his palm. “I won’t rush you. But how about you put a pause on this and come to bed? It’s really late.” Slowly, the fire user deflates and leans his head against his. “We can do whatever you want tomorrow, all I’m asking is you get some rest.” 

“Mhmm…” Touya gives his cheek a little squeeze before dragging them to bed. “I wanna be the little spoon tonight.” He rolls onto his side, facing away from the other. 

Keigo curls around him and drapes a wing over the two of them, pressing a kiss to his neck. “Like this?” 

The black-haired man’s entire body melts into the mattress and he hums in affirmation, letting his eyes fall shut. Kei is safe. I can trust him with my past. I’ll tell him everything tomorrow. Soft coos and talons combing through his hair lull him to sleep within minutes. 

Keigo can’t fall back to sleep so he just closes his eyes and listens to Touya’s steady heartbeat, still playing with his hair. I’ll help him with exposing Endeavor and then we can work together to take down the Commission. Then we’ll both be free to do whatever we want. Maybe we could move somewhere quiet together.  He finally passes out just as the sun starts to peek through the windows, clinging to Touya. 

Chapter Text

“He sure as hell doesn’t care about the rest of us, so what makes you any different?”  

That sentence rattles around in Tomura’s head for days. He won’t lie to himself and say he never had doubts, but one of his closest friends saying that was like a slap to the face. There had been times in the past where his master had said or done something that made him doubt his worth but who was he to question the one who saved him? He was important to All For One, he knew that much, but maybe for the wrong reason.  

He spends three days locked away, digging up as much info as he can on Ujiko. There wasn’t a lot that pointed towards what Dabi had told him about, it was mostly just normal hospitals and some orphanages, but he was determined to find something . He barely sleeps, doesn’t eat, only drinks water because he has a stash of water bottles in his room.  

The morning of the third day is when he finally finds evidence of the group of children that were being kept as back-ups in case Tomura had failed in any way. There were ten of them, each with fairly mediocre quirks. He doesn’t recognize any of the names or faces, though a sixteen-year-old named Touya catches his eye. He looks way too similar to Dabi to be a coincidence. Huh, so that’s his real name. I probably shouldn’t go around using it until he officially comes clean . They all grew up together in the facility, held a makeshift school there, trained, everything. The records state that a fire had burned down the building eight years ago. Maybe that was Dabi’s, or Touya’s doing? This proves that he really has been replaceable all along.  

Tomura ends up destroying his room that afternoon. Nothing gets decayed because he has better control of his quirk than to do that on accident, but everything is a wreck. His desk is lying on its side, his bedding is strewn across the room, there are pieces of broken glass everywhere from picture frames and empty beer bottles being smashed, and a hole in his wall with some blood splattered around the edges from when he punched it. Getting out his anger, betrayal, and hurt is really cathartic but he only feels empty afterwards.

He sits in the middle of the destruction for almost twenty minutes before there’s a hesitant knock on the door. I told everybody to not bother me. This better be important. Standing on shaky legs, he makes his way to answer it and steps on multiple pieces of glass along the way. The glass cuts into his feet but he ignores it to open the door instead, his face impressively blank with his feet bleeding.  

Shuichi stands on the other side with a worried expression. “Uh, hey, boss. I know you said to leave you alone, but I heard a lot of noise in here and I was-“ He clears his throat and looks behind the other at the mess of a room, his voice barely above a mumble. “Worried.”  

He's worried about me? Tomura stands there with a dumbfounded look on his face for several seconds before responding. “The noise was me throwing things. I’m … having trouble processing some stuff.” That’s an understatement.  

“Can I- I mean- I don’t want to pry-“  

“Spit it out, Shu.”  

The nickname makes the mutant pause, and if he could blush he would be. “Could I help you clean up? I… want to do something for you.” Red dots on the floor catch his attention and he follows the trail to where Tomura is standing. “Are you bleeding? Did you step on the glass?” The other shrugs and he grabs his arm. “Let me clean you up.” He doesn’t want for a response before dragging him to the shared bathroom.  

“I’m fine, you don’t need to do this.”  

Shuichi shushes him and makes him sit on the toilet, grabbing a pair of tweezers. “I know I don’t need to, but I want to. And you’re not fine, so don’t bother lying to me.” He sits on the floor between Tomura’s legs and grabs one of his feet. The other’s resolve to hold it together breaks with each piece of glass pulled out.  

You’re the strongest villain in Japan, do not cry in front of him. Despite his best efforts, Shigaraki does start to cry. Not the kind of cry that wrecks you or bares your soul, just silent tears falling as his best friend takes care of him with a gentleness he hasn’t experienced since his mother. What have I ever done to deserve these soft touches?  

“I’m going to wrap your feet with bandages.” Shuichi doesn’t wait for a response once again, simply informing him of what he’s going to do. Once both feet are disinfected and wrapped, the mutant lifts his gaze to meet his eyes. He doesn’t mention the tears, not wanting to embarrass him. “I’m going to go sweep the glass up before you go back to your room. Stay here.” He rises to his feet and leaves Tomura alone with his thoughts.  

Why is he doing all this? He doesn’t seem to have an ulterior motive. But if there’s nothing to gain, he has no reason to help. Why is he making me think so hard? After all the thinking I’ve done these past three days, I want a break. My head is killing me. Tomura sighs heavily and leans his head back against the wall, closing his eyes. I guess I just have to wait here until he comes back.  

Shuichi sweeps up all the glass and sets the broken picture frames to the side. He picks the desk back up and puts it back in its place. The white-haired man was smart enough to set his laptop and gaming consoles to the side so they wouldn’t get broken. They get set on his desk along with the picture frames. The chair was thrown to the side but miraculously unharmed. The mutant takes one look at the bedding and decides it needs washed, so he takes it all to the laundry room. Once he’s satisfied with the cleaning, he returns to the bathroom to get Tomura.  

Said man had fallen asleep and is leaning halfway on the wall, halfway on the counter. Shuichi lifts him up and shushes him when he starts to stir before carrying him to his own bedroom. He figured being in a different room would help take his mind off of whatever was plaguing him. He lays him on the bed and glances around, suddenly unsure of what to do. I don’t want to leave him in case he wakes up while I’m gone, but he needs food. Maybe if I’m quick he’ll still be sleeping when I get back. He likes oatmeal, that won’t take long.  

Five minutes later, the scaled man places a bowl of oatmeal and a glass of water on his nightstand. Good, he’s still sleeping. Who knows how much he’s gotten over the past few days? His gaze travels over the sleeping man and he notices how worn down he really is. His neck has red lines from scratching, which he has just recently broken that habit. The dark circles under his eyes are more pronounced. His left hand is busted up, with dried blood on his knuckles. His hair is very tangled, bordering on being matted. Maybe he’ll let me brush his hair, too.  

Shuichi ends up sitting on the floor after he cleans up Tomura’s hand, with his head against the bed, and falling asleep. The two of them sleep until nearly 6pm.

When the older man finally wakes, the first thing he notices is that he’s not in his room. He’s a bit disoriented so it takes him a few moments to confirm whose room it is. Huh. Didn’t realize I had fallen asleep. Why did he bring me in here and not my room? After sitting up the second thing he notices is the oatmeal, having long since gone cold. He even got me food. When he grabs the bowl to eat it, he finally notices the other man sleeping next to his bed. Of course, the idiot gave me his bed and slept on the floor instead. He’s probably gonna be sore when he wakes up. He folds his legs to sit crisscross and hunches over slightly as he eats the food. It doesn’t taste great since it was cooked hours ago, but he doesn’t complain as it’s the first food he’s had in days.  

As he sets the empty bowl down, Shuichi finally stirs and little chitters escape as he stretches. He cranes his neck to look up at the other and a faint smile appears on his lips. “You’re awake.” He eyes the bowl and turns more towards him. “I’m glad to see you ate.”  

Tomura huffs and looks away, his voice a grumble. “Well, you took the time to look after me and cook, even if it was just oatmeal, so I didn’t want it to go to waste.” When the younger man stands up and stretches his back again with a wince, he carefully kicks at his leg. “Maybe don’t sleep upright on the floor next time. You didn’t have to give up your bed for me.” His cheeks flush a little as he’s not used to this treatment.  

“Well, yours doesn’t have any bedding on it, and I figured having a change of scenery would help.” When Shuichi gets a questioning look, he smiles slightly again and reaches for the bowl. “I threw it in the wash. Which needs to be swapped over, since we slept for-” A glance to the clock has him huff. “Four hours. You don’t have to come with me if you’re not ready to face anybody else yet, but I’m going to go wash this bowl and put your sheets in the dryer. Then, I’m going to come back and you can decide where we go from there.” He clicks quietly and glances over to the white-haired man for acknowledgement.  

Tomura stares at him for a few moments before nodding. “Sure, just don’t expect me to suddenly open up about everything.”  

“That’s fine, I don’t expect anything in return.” The mutant gives a short nod before leaving to do what he said.  

When he comes back, the two of them sit in silence for a while before Shuichi hesitantly asks to brush his hair for him. Tomura surprises him by saying yes. They end up sitting shoulder to shoulder and playing on an old gaming console for a couple hours before the older man says anything about what had happened. He doesn’t sugarcoat his words or divulge everything, but he gets across how betrayed and lost he feels. Shuichi listens quietly and lets him speak for however long he wants to. By the end of it all, Tomura has his head on the other’s shoulder and the back of his hand is cautiously leaning against a toned thigh. Neither man comments on the intimacy but there’s a silent understanding of – maybe we crossed the line of being just friends but I trust you with my life.

Warm sunlight seeps in through the glass balcony doors and a soft glow falls over the room. Touya slowly wakes up to the light and soft breathing against the back of his neck. A strong arm is wrapped around his waist, holding him flush against a sleeping Keigo. Damn, being held like this is actually really nice. I wouldn’t mind accepting I’m becoming softer if it meant I could be held more often. His right hand travels down to cover Keigo’s, stroking the calloused knuckles with his thumb. After we eat, I’ll tell him. The warmth from the sleeping man and sunlight almost lulls Touya back to sleep, but one glance to the clock urges him to get up. The gym will be getting busy within the next hour and he doesn’t really enjoy being around a lot of people. As he tries to slip out of the bird’s grasp, said man groans in his sleep and tightens his hold, pressing his face into the back of his neck. “Dove ...”  

A soft sound emits from the blond’s chest and Touya swears it sounds like he’s purring. He tries to turn around but a red wing curls around the two of them and a sleep-thick voice cuts through the almost-silence. “Jus’ fell ... sleep ... don’ wan’ ... get up.”  

He just fell asleep? We went to bed hours ago. “ Alright, pretty bird, you can go back to sleep. But can you please let me get up? I’d like to get my workout in before it gets busy.”  

“Warm ... don’ wanna.” His voice is slurred as he starts to fall back to sleep already.  

“I know I’m warm, but I’d like to get up.” With careful movements, the villain peels the arm off of him and slowly scoots towards the edge of the nest.  

“Tou-” Keigo’s voice comes out as a wet warble and his half-asleep brain doesn’t process anything other than he’s leaving me. A sad coo comes out before he’s being kissed on his forehead.  

“Go back to sleep, baby. I’ll bring you some breakfast after I work out and shower, okay?” The blond hums softly and is fast asleep before he can answer. Touya climbs out of bed and turns to stare at the other for several moments, watching the way his chest rises and falls rhythmically. I’m corrupting him but he’s healing me in the process... What a turn of events. He shakes his head of those thoughts and changes into gym clothes.  

His work out is pretty boring without Keigo there to flirt with or tease, but it still leaves him sore in the best way. Returning to the League wing, he’s surprised to see Tomura sitting on the kitchen counter while Shuichi cooks what looks to be enough food for both of them. First, they were cuddling on the couch yesterday and now this? That’s new. It’s about time they stopped skirting around each other awkwardly. Only once he’s in the shower does he realize the irony of that last thought. It took his father burning Keigo until he passed out for him to finally accept his own feelings. That’s why Atsu said what he said when we had that one movie night. Oh my god, I’m an idiot. He laughs to himself in the cold spray of water. He spends a bit more time in the shower than usual to put off waking up the bird. Once his skin starts to prune up, he finally gets out and gets dressed.  

Keigo is still fast asleep in their nest, on his stomach now with his wings spread out and his left knee hiked up to his chest. His hair has grown out several inches since he doesn’t have a stylist cutting it every other week and it’s almost down to his shoulders now, splayed messily around his head. There’s a small drool spot where his mouth hangs open and, as gross as it is, Touya can’t help but think he looks adorable. He walks over to the side of the bed that the blond is facing and pushes the hair out of his face. Fuck, it should be illegal for him to be this beautiful. He leans down and presses a kiss to his temple, smiling at the quiet coo in response. I’m gonna let him sleep a bit longer. I’ll just cook him something when he gets up.

In the kitchen, he’s cooking omurice when Toga walks in and jumps up to sit next to him on the counter. “Why don’t any of you ever sit at the damn table? Kei, Tomura, you ... learn some manners.” He huffs with indignation but the girl just giggles.  

“Calm down, Dabi, no need to get your panties in a twist. I like sitting up here so I can watch you cook.” She leans over to prove her point before a sly smirk makes its way onto her lips. “By the way, I can tell you and Kei-chan have gotten to know each other more.” The laugh she lets out at the irritated and choked off sound makes him want to strangle her.  

“The fuck?!”  

“I can smell the lust coming off of you two from across the room.”  

Touya turns to her with chopsticks in his hand and raises them like he’s going to stab her, so she hops down and backs away, still giggling. “You don’t need to know anything about what we do in private. Don’t go running your mouth to anybody, you hear me?” She covers her mouth to try and stifle her laughter and he gives her a glare before turning back to the pan. Can’t have any privacy with her and her stupid quirk. Dammit, why does she get the ability to notice things like that? Also how does that even work? Do love and lust affect blood somehow?  

He’s so wrapped up in his thoughts and making sure the omurice is cooked to perfection that he doesn’t hear somebody walk up behind him. As he's plating the food, he physically jumps and almost drops the pan when a warm body is draped against his back and soft, red wings wrap around him.  

“Morning. angel.”  

Touya sets the dishes down and turns around, grumbling a bit but wrapping his arms around his sleepy bird. “You’ve gotta stop sneaking up on me like that. I should get you that bell I mentioned that one time. I don’t know how many more jump scares I can take. “  

Keigo’s sleep deprived brain has words spilling out of his mouth without a filter. “If you’re gonna collar me, at least ask me to be your boyfriend first.”  

Toga chokes on her rice and stares up at Touya with wide eyes, whisper-yelling to him “You guys aren’t even officially together?”  

The older man glares at her and waves her off before refocusing on the other man. “I figured we didn’t need the formalities after everything we’ve been through.” A sad warble has him sighing. Himiko is never gonna leave me alone about this. He lifts the bird’s chin up and kisses him softly. “Keigo, be my boyfriend.” The blindingly bright smile he gets makes him care a whole lot less about their audience.  

“Okay.” The winged man pulls him down into another, not as sweet, kiss and chirps into his mouth.  

Touya tries to not let it get too intense, as Himiko is still watching them as she eats, but his boyfriend fuck, I get to call him that now apparently has other plans. He gets pushed against the counter and swallows the groan that threatens to come out. Finally getting the strength to break away, he pants softly against the other’s lips. “You’re sure bold today.” He gives the girl a side-eyed glare before she makes a comment and caresses the side of Keigo’s face. “Is it the lack of sleep or something else?”  

The touch makes the blond coo and melt into him. “Probably a bit of both. But you’re my first boyfriend. Well, my first relationship in general.” His eyes shine with adoration. “I’m just excited.”  

The girl fake gags as she puts her bowl and spoon in the dishwasher. “You two are oozing with sickly sweet love and lust. Ochako’s love smells way better than yours. I’m gonna go bother Jin, you two lovebirds have fun.” She sticks her tongue out in a childish display before skipping away to the older man’s room.  

Touya takes the opportunity to grab his forgotten plate. “You want some? Or would you prefer some sort of meat?”  

Keigo’s mouth, once again, has no filter as he flutters his eyelashes up at the other. “Are you on the menu?” The black-haired man’s eyes grow wide and he opens and closes his mouth several times as he struggles to answer. He snickers and leans down to take a bite out of the omurice. “I was just messing with you. This is good, but I don’t wanna take your food from you. I can find someth-”  

“Take it.” Touya pushes the plate into his hands, ignoring the sound of protest. “It’s easy to cook, so eat this and I'll just make another one for myself.” The blond pouts but listens and goes to sit on the counter before he’s stopped. “If you’re gonna eat off of a plate at least sit at the table. Or use a stool. I know you like to perch, but omurice isn’t exactly finger food.” He cooks himself another serving expertly and watches Kei out of the corner of his eye sit down at a stool, still pouting.

They eat together in a comfortable silence before going back to the privacy of their room. With the knowledge of what’s about to be talked about, the air turns thick with anxiety and tension, mostly from Touya. The two of them sit in their nest with his laptop turned on, showing nothing but the desktop.  

It takes a few minutes before Touya is able to speak. “You’re correct ... I am Touya Todoroki. I’m Enji’s oldest.” He swallows down the uncomfortable pain rising in him and forces himself to continue. “My father was never able to surpass All Might, so he bought my mother-” Bile threatens to climb up his throat and he has to stop, taking several deep breaths. “I was born from a quirk marriage, for the sole purpose of becoming the number one hero.” He lets out a humorless laugh and Keigo reaches for his hand, rubbing small circles on his palm. “Ironic. I was barely a year old when my sister, Fuyumi was born. When my quirk showed, Enji was thrilled. A fire quirk meant he could teach me all of his moves. Yumi has a weaker version of my mom’s ice quirk, so she was quickly cast to the side. At four, a doctor explained to my parents that I had inherited my mother’s ice resistance.” He takes a shuddering breath and squeezes the blond’s hand for reassurance. When he gets a squeeze in return, he continues. “My body wasn’t made to withstand my quirk... It started to burn me. Enji stopped all training with me and forced Rei to have more children. I was five when Natsuo was born. Like Fuyumi, he has an ice quirk. So, he was also neglected.” Talking about his past so openly like this feels like being sliced open, and Touya hates the feeling.  

He must pause long enough that Keigo gets worried. “Hey, you’re okay. Take as much time as you need. I know it’s not exactly ... easy ... to revisit old memories.” He leans in and presses kisses to his shoulder. “You don’t have to carry this on your own.” Without any warning, he’s being pushed onto his back and Touya slots himself between his thighs. “Tou, what are you-” He’s cut off with a bruising kiss.  

Fuck, this is harder than I thought. I need to distract myself if I want to get this all off my chest. The villain kisses Keigo breathless and ruts his hips shallowly. Pulling away with a soft gasp, he hides his face in a warm chest. “I- Kei ... This is too hard to talk about. Can I please touch you? I want to tell you, but i need something to distract me.” His hips don’t stop their slow movements, drawing out quiet trills.  

“ Ah - If this is what you need. I’m all yours, angel.”  

Touya kisses his clothed chest as thanks and swallows thickly before continuing where he left off. “All I was taught was to be a hero so when I was told I couldn’t be one due to my defective body, it broke something in me. I never stopped training, even though Enji refused to train with me and would beat me whenever he would see new burns. He just forced Rei to have another child.” His movements stutter and his breath hitches. “Shoto...” Talons gently scratching his scalp help him relax. “I was eight. As an infant, his quirk was already strong. I was-” His hands grab onto Keigo’s biceps. “So angry. It was supposed to be me. I ... I tried to kill him, you know.” A wet laugh comes out. “Couldn’t stand the thought of being replaced. Enji had him isolated after that, and Rei neglected the rest of us in order to attempt protecting their little golden child.” His voice is full of spite but he only grinds down more purposefully and nips at the exposed collarbone. “I had to watch him get dragged away for training every day. Even though he would emerge with new bruises and occasional broken bones, all I could think was ‘that should be me.’” Soft pants fill the room between sentences. “Pretty fucked up, but I can blame Enji for that. I continued to train in secret and got really good at controlling my flames. Still got burnt, but the pain was worth it to have him look at me again.”  

Keigo arches up into him slightly and lets a quiet, breathy groan out. “Haah- You wanted to be worthy so bad you willingly hurt yourself ... No child deserves that.” Scarred hands travel down his waist and slip under his shirt.  

“When I hit puberty, my flames turned blue. The heat got even more intense. My hair also started turning white... I was born with red hair.” Touya sucks a hickey into the soft skin of his lover’s neck. “I was thirteen ... I told Enji to come watch me on his next day off. He found fresh burns on my stomach-” He laughs bitterly and feels bloody tears forcing their way out. “He broke my arm. Didn’t even look the tiniest bit remorseful.” Kei tenses under him but doesn’t say anything yet, just chirps and coos and lets him do whatever he wants. “That next Saturday, I went to Sekoto peak, where we used to train. I waited for him for hours.” His wandering hands become more frantic as the memories flood his brain. “When I realized he wasn’t going to show up, I caught on fire. My quirk is tied to my emotions, and back then I didn’t know how to stop burning. I ... I burned for so long.” His voice begins to shake and his hips still. “Managed to fall into the river to try and put out the flames. Woke up three years later in some hospital.” Fuck, I can’t- It’s too much. He finally breaks and starts to sob, clinging to Keigo.  

The blond holds him tight and cards his talons through his hair, whispering softly to him. “I’ve got you. Let it out.” He uses his hero training to keep his voice calm and steady despite his heart breaking. The man in his arms cries until his throat is raw, soaking his shirt with blood.  

After five minutes of lying in silence, Touya finally manages to speak again. “I went back home after I woke up ... I wanted to apologize to everyone ... Wanted to give mom a hug and promise her I would be better...” His voice is small and shaky, but he doesn’t cry again. “She wasn’t there. Enji was in the dojo with Shoto, standing above him while his masterpiece was curled up on the ground, throwing up and crying with bruises all over his arms... I never looked back after that.” He sighs and pushes himself up to sit on his knees, his eyes wandering over the blond’s body. “I lived on the streets for nearly seven years... I stole in order to eat, broke into houses to take showers.” He grabs onto Keigo’s hand and squeezes tightly, the next words tasting like bile on his tongue. “Sold my body just to have a bed to sleep in for the night.” The man’s eyes go wide and fill with tears, but he interrupts him as he opens his mouth to speak. “I did what I had to in order to survive... Then I met Shig through a contact over a year ago. He gave me a place to live and a purpose. And all he asked for in return was that I help him achieve his goals.” He hesitantly moves his gaze to Kei’s face to make eye contact. “And now I’m here, with you... And you make me believe I can be okay again.”  

The blond sits up and cradles his face, not caring about the drying blood coating his hands. “Touya, what you went through-” He has to take a deep breath to keep calm. “You didn’t deserve any of that... I will do whatever I can to help you. If you need me to hunt down Endeavor, I will. If you need me to kill someone, I will. If you need me to be a stress reliever for you, I will be one.” He gently bumps their foreheads together.  

The villain kisses him hard for a few seconds before pulling back to grab his laptop. “I might take you up on that last offer, but first I want to show you this.” He opens up the folder he made of every picture that was taken of him as a child, showcasing his broken bones, bruises, burns, and welts, and turns the screen to the other. “If it’s too much for you, you don’t have to look. But I’m going to use these, along with Shoto’s, to take down my father.”  

Keigo inhales sharply at the documented abuse, but he looks at every photo. “How did he get away with this? Even being the number two hero at the time, there should’ve been no way for him to avoid consequences.”  

Touya laughs, but it’s full of anger. “He bought people’s silence. And we were homeschooled until high school. Well, everyone but me.”  

The winged man is silent for a long time before he gently closes the laptop and sets it to the side. “So, what’s your plan?”

Chapter Text

Over the next week, Touya and Keigo put together a plan for taking down Enji. The fire user gets a dna test done, thanks to Giran and his connections, so he has irrefutable evidence that he is who he says he is. He prints out some of the more graphic documentation of abuse and puts it all in a folder for when he needs it. There are too many uncomfortable emotions welling up in Touya that he doesn’t know how to deal with, so he turns to smoking and drinking to cope.  

The ex-hero openly states his dislike of the older man falling back into his old habits and does his best to help. When he offers to do anything for him when he gets the urge to use substances, he’s not expecting the ‘anything’ to be getting his dick sucked. Keigo doesn’t complain, it feels incredible, but he does feel a bit awkward when his offer to return the favor is refused multiple times. Touya tells him it’s because he’s too in his head to get off and he takes him at his word.  

Tomura has been a bit more open than usual, and Touya has a feeling it’s because of Shuichi. He’s not sure what they are, but he decides they’re good for each other. The young leader sits the whole League down at one point to let them know he wants to break ties with All For One and if they want to leave then they can. Nobody does, as the arsonist had suspected. He goes on to explain that he’s going to need everybody’s help to carry out his assassination plan and they all jump on board immediately. Keigo is possibly the most excited, but all of them express how relieved they are.  

Whenever Keigo has free time, he breaks into HPSC buildings to get as much evidence as he can to expose how corrupt they are. He manages to get almost every file they have for himself, as well as several on Lady Nagant. There are too many on the Legacy program to get them all but he is able to steal a few. The last time he goes in, he almost gets caught.  

The whole building goes into lockdown and several heroes show up. Endeavor is not among them and he’s genuinely surprised at that. He incapacitates two of them before he’s hit with a quirk that makes him go blind. Masking his panic, he sharpens his feathers and send them flying around the room wildly. I will not let myself get taken in. I don’t want to kill any of them but they brought this upon themselves. Eventually, the screams fade and everything goes quiet. I need to get out. I need to get home. He feels around the walls until he finds a door. Once it’s open, he sends out a few small feathers to find an exit. He gets outside and shoots into the sky before he can think about it too hard. I can make it, I don’t need help. Even with his feathers helping him scout out his surroundings, it’s extremely difficult to fly without his sight. He keeps several smaller feathers ten feet away from him in all directions so he doesn’t run in to anything, flying back to the mountain villa using pure muscle memory.  

He manages to make it to Touya’s balcony with minimal trouble and calls his feathers back to his wings. The issue arises when he, quite literally, runs into Touya. He moves to open the door, planning on sleeping the quirk away, and instead smacks into the white-haired man as he opens the door from the inside. “Ah-!” Keigo snaps back and throws his hands up to feel for him.   

“Kei?” Touya sounds thoroughly confused as he watches the blond. “What are you doing?”  

The younger man grabs onto his biceps and coos softly, the tension in his body finally fading now that he’s home. “I can’t see. Got hit with a blinding quirk.” The villain makes a sound that’s a mix of a curse and a snarl as he being pulled into the room.  

“And you flew? Are you insane?!” How is he so smart but such a fucking idiot?  

Keigo laughs a little and lets himself be manhandled. “This isn’t news, hot stuff. Don’t act so surprised.” He’s set on the bed and his lover pulls his jacket off before checking for injuries.  

“Yeah, I’ve known you’re a bit feral. But flying while blind? Keigo, you could’ve killed yourself!” Touya huffs and shakes his head, thankful that he looks unscathed. “You’re incredibly lucky you even made it here in the first place, much more so without a scratch on you.”  

The ex-hero smiles and tilts his head to the right. “I’ve been flying here for close to a year now, plus my feathers are more useful than you know. I can use them to pick up sounds, vibrations, and I can use them like extra hands. Whatever they feel, I can feel too.” To prove his point, he detaches a feather and holds it out for the other to take. “Here, do something with this and I’ll tell you what I feel.” A hot hand closes around the shaft and he can’t help the trill that comes out.  

Touya does nothing for a few seconds as he thinks of things he could do. I could have a lot of fun with this. What could I do to fluster him? … oh . A grin slowly forms on his face before he puts the feather to his mouth and licks it.  

“Tou!” Keigo shudders and chirps, reaching for where he thinks the man is. “Don’t do that!” His cheeks are burning and he can feel his heartrate raise. “Pervert. Give it back.” He finds the villain’s hand but it’s yanked away before he can grab the feather.  

“You’ve just given me so much power, pretty bird. I’m gonna ha-“  

“Nope!” The blond calls his feather back to him and scrambles back on the bed. “You are not doing anything to me while I’m blind!” He sticks his tongue out in the direction of Touya. “Choosing to be blindfolded during intimate settings is one thing, but I didn’t consent to this.” He feels the bed dip and his hands fly up on instinct, ready to push the other away.  

“Keigo, relax.” Touya’s voice is uncharacteristically soft and he watches as his birdie slowly lowers his arms. “I was just messin’ around with you. I’m not going to do anything you don’t want me to.”  

The younger man takes a deep breath and allows himself to fully let his guard down. His entire body goes limp and Touya catches him. “I know you won’t … I’m just- I’ve been on high alert for the past two hours.” A chorus of soft coos and chirps spill out once he’s safe in the arms of his boyfriend. “Went into Tokyo today, hoping to get files on the previous Commission president. Got ambushed.” A hand combs through his hair while he continues. “Six heroes. None of them even in the top thirty. Their quirks were a decent counter to me, though, and it would’ve gone a lot worse for me if they were any good at combat.” He giggles a little. “Only good thing that came from being raised by the Commission. Even without my sight, I’m a damn good fighter.”  

Touya sighs and rests his forehead against the blond’s. “You are, but you’re not invincible. If something like that happens again, text me.” Soft lips press against his and he lets out a hum, pushing into it more.  

“I will. Promise.”  

Keigo convinces the older man to take a nap with him, and, when they wake up a couple hours later, his sight is back. They kiss and whisper to each other for a while as they fully wake up.  

Touya rolls over to straddle him and pins his hands beside his head. “Tomorrow I have to do that live recording.” His gaze drifts down Keigo’s body as he continues. “I’m finally going to get revenge … Maybe not justice. Not yet, at least. But everybody will see what he did to me.” He gives a wry smile and looks back up to make eye contact. “It’s gonna suck, but it’ll be a whole lot worse for him.” A chirp has his chest tighten. I have him, it’s going to be fine. “You’ll be there while I do it, right?”  

The blond brings a hand up to play with white hair and he kisses the other man’s nose. “Of course. I’m so proud of you for doing this. And I know your inner child will be celebrating.”

Touya sits on a leather couch in a private room with a camera in front of him, shirtless to show off more of his scarring. Skeptic and Keigo sit behind the camera; the former to record and livestream, the latter for moral support. His gaze shifts between the camera and the blond several times as he tries to calm his nerves. His anxiety has nothing to do with Endeavor, but rather Rei and his siblings. He doesn’t want them to see him like this, but there’s no other option. This is the best and only way to show the world the true nature of their beloved hero. Everything depends on this video.  

With a deep breath and a shaky nod to the man controlling the camera, a red light starts flashing to let him know he’s live. He leans forward to rest his elbows on his knees and clasps his hands in front of himself. “Hello. You may know me as Dabi, a wanted murderer and member of the League of Villains. I’m here today to show everybody the truth behind your beloved hero society, one man in particular. See, my real name is Touya Todoroki.” The white-haired man pauses to let that sink in and slowly grins. Skeptic’s eyes widen and he looks between the two other men several times in shock. “Your number one hero, Endeavor, is my father. If you don’t believe me, here’s a dna test.” At that moment, Keigo uses a feather to deliver the piece of paper to him and he holds it up so everyone can see. “I am his firstborn, but I bet none of you even knew he has four children. That’s because he was so ashamed of what happened that he covered it up and swept everything under the rug.” He lets out a laugh and leans back into the couch, crossing his arms over his chest. “Isn’t that right, dad? I know you’re seeing this.”  

Keigo sits quietly next to the older man and watches Touya with barely contained excitement and want. He didn’t expect his boyfriend to be so hot while exposing his father, but it’s definitely affecting him.  

Touya continues, his mind completely focused on his speech. “I know you and the rest of the family thought I died, and by all rights I should have.” Another laugh comes out as he spreads his arms, as if offering himself up. “But here I am! And I’m about to tear down your legacy.” He reaches for a folder that’s next to him, which is full of the photos from the usb. He printed out all of his and some of Shoto’s just for this moment. “I was born out of a quirk marriage. Enji Todoroki paid my grandparents to marry Rei Himura, my mother. He wanted her ice quirk.” His eyes drift to meet Keigo’s and he grins again, a crazed giddiness bubbling up in his chest.  

The blond meets his eyes and smirks back at him, feeding off of his energy. He’s never looked so good.  

“I only got my father’s quirk, and once my flames started to burn me, we discovered my body was made to handle ice and not fire. I was deemed a failure and tossed to the side. Enji forced my mother to bear three more children, two of whom he neglected simply because of their quirks, before he got the perfect child. You all know him very well; Shoto Todoroki.” His grin fades a little and he focuses his attention back on the camera. “Have you ever wondered how this sixteen year old boy has near-perfect control of his quirk?” As he’s talking, he pulls out a few of Shoto’s pictures. One showing a broken arm, one showing a black eye and bloody nose, one showing hand shaped bruises on his upper arms. “The man you all adore isn’t who he says he is. He’s a monster, and he deserves to rot in Tartarus. These are all from the hands of Enji, in the name of hero training.” He holds the photos up long enough so everyone can get a good look at all three.   

Keigo has to look away, unable to see them a second time without feeling sick. He was barely old enough to go to school…  

After several moments, the villain puts the pictures down, a hardened expression on his face. “He was only six. And Enji saw nothing wrong with the way he was training him. Shoto isn’t the only one to suffer at the hands of this man.” The folder in his hands suddenly feels very heavy and he has to swallow down bile threatening to come up. “When I was five and was told I had to stop training to become a hero … my brain was already too fucked up at that point. I wanted to prove to my father that, despite my body rejecting my quirk, I could surpass All Might just like he wanted me to.” He pulls out four of his own pictures, one has a hand-shaped burn mark on his face when he was twelve, one of a broken nose when he was nine, one of a broken wrist at six years old, and one of welts covering his lower back at eight years old. Silence fills the room for ten seconds before he manages to show them to the camera.  

Keigo catches his gaze again and manages to give him a shaky smile. He whispers just loud enough that Touya can hear but the mic doesn’t pick it up. “I’m so proud of you, angel.”  

“Every time my father found out I had been training by myself, he would beat me in hopes that I would give up and pursue something different.” This set of photos stays up for longer than the last just to let the public soak it up. “How was I supposed to give up the only thing I had ever been taught to want? Being a hero was ingrained into my brain since the day I could walk.” With a heavy sigh, Touya finally sets down the pictures and leans his elbows on his knees again. “At thirteen years old, my fire turned from orange to blue and all I wanted to do was show Enji. I wanted him to be proud of me for once. I wanted him to just look at me.” He leans forward and stares directly into the camera. “I asked him to come watch me train one day. He didn’t, like usual, and I ended up burning alive on Sekoto Peak. The only reason I’m alive now is pure spite and hatred. You’re watching me now, aren’t you dad? Look at what your biggest failure has become.” He holds his right hand out and sets it on fire. “You will never have power over me again, and I get to watch as your life crumbles around you.” A crazed grin forms on his face, pulling at his staples a bit. “I’m going to enjoy that.”  

He glances up to make eye contact with Skeptic and the man nods in understanding, cutting off the camera. Touya shuts off his fire and lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding, dropping his head into his hands.  

Keigo immediately rushes over to him and kneels, taking his hands into his own. “You did so well, Touya. I’m so proud of you.” Little chirps and coos slip out as he nuzzles into the hands. “You’re so brave for doing this.” A chirp turns into a gasp as Touya grabs his face and hauls him up into a kiss.  

“At least wait until I’m gone before you two put your hands all over each other!” Skeptic groans and rushes to grab all of his equipment before practically running out of the room.  

Touya chuckles against the blond’s mouth and pulls him up into his lap, his hands running all over his body. “That felt so good to get off my chest. I feel …” Pulling away finally, he pants softly and settles on holding the man by his waist. “Lighter. Free. Like I could take on the whole world.”  

The ex-hero smiles down at him and cradles his face, his left thumb stroking over staples. “Now everyone knows the truth.”  

“I just wish I could’ve seen the look on his face. That would’ve made this even better.” Keigo laughs and he can’t help but chuckle with him, his body relaxing after finally being able to get that out of his system. Their laughter fades out as they hold each other close and simply enjoy being close.  

After several minutes, Keigo leans back slightly and looks at him with a heated expression. “Touya …” His hands find their way to white hair and he leans down to whispers in his ear. “I want you to fuck me.” He bites down on the other’s earlobe and preens at the gasp.  

“Kei, baby.” His head gets pulled back as the younger man starts to bite at his neck, despite the scars making it difficult to feel anything there. “Are you sure?” Fuck, I want him so bad.  

The blond slowly grinds down and lets a soft moan out at the friction, feeling his cock start to fill out. “ Please … watching you give that speech was so hot. When you looked at me while you were talking about your quirk, that look in your eyes-“ He kisses up Touya’s neck and jaw and stops right before his lips. “Made me want to drop to my knees for you on the spot.”  

The villain bites back a groan and runs a hand up his side to grab his throat. “I can arrange that. We should go to our room first, though. Don’t need anybody walking in on us.” He gives a squeeze and smirks as the bird’s eyelids flutter a little. “Should probably make sure nobody’s gonna be around for a while, too. You’re not exactly the best at keeping quiet.” When the other man pouts, he just laughs and kisses him.  

“C’mon, let’s go, then.” Keigo climbs off of Touya’s lap and grabs his hand, pulling him to his feet. “If we wait much longer, this boner is gonna be really difficult to hide.” He snickers and the two of them make their way to their bedroom, only stopping to make sure the other rooms are empty.  

Touya sends a text to Tomura, warning him to keep everybody out for the next hour, at least. The younger man’s response is a middle finger and an eye roll, but then he assures him that they’ll be in the clear.  

The blond’s nerves are apparent despite his arousal and having been naked around the other plenty of times. Oh god, this is really happening. I’m finally gonna have sex with Tou. He stands in the middle of the room, twisting his hands, and watches as the taller man pulls his belt off. I love you . Blue eyes snap up to his and he realizes he said that out loud. “Uh…”  

The room is silent for a few seconds before Touya lets out a soft, breathless laugh. “Pretty bird-” He takes a few steps forward and cradles the younger man’s face with both hands, his eyes shining. “I love you so much.”  

Oh. That one sentence calms Keigo’s nerves instantly and he can’t help the coos that come out. He closes his eyes and leans into the touch, his wings fluttering behind him. “I love you.” A smile breaks onto his face and he opens his eyes again to look up at the other. “I love you, Touya.” The white-haired man smiles back at him and kisses him repeatedly, each one just a moment longer than the last.  

“Wanna take you apart slowly and make you feel so good, baby.” Touya slides one hand down to grab the bird’s waist and leads them backwards to the bed. “Do you still want to use that pretty mouth to get me off, or will you let me have control and spoil you?” He sits on the bed and pulls him onto his lap. Red wings flap a little as he latches onto a collarbone and sucks.  

“ Mmh- I wanna make you feel good.” Keigo slides a hand into white hair and tugs on it, shivering at the responding groan.  

“You always make me feel good, no matter what. I want your first time to be all about you.” The older man sneaks a hand down to the waistband of the blond’s pants and runs a finger along it. “C’mon, pretty bird, lemme take care of you.” He slips two fingers under the band and tugs lightly.  

Keigo shudders and pulls on the hair between his fingers until he can make eye contact with the other. “Okay, but next time I wanna do stuff for you.” As soon as the go-ahead is given, Touya turns with him and pushes him onto his back in the middle of their nest. His legs are pushed apart just enough for the man to slot between them. A warm hand pushes under his shirt and he coos, melting into the bed.  

“All you have to do is lie here and make those pretty sounds for me.” The fire user slowly heats up his hand until it borders on being painful and slides it up to brush his fingers against a hard nipple. The man whines and throws his head back, his wings beating under him. “Feels good?”  

“ Mhmm” Keigo rolls his hips into the other’s and chokes out a moan. “I love it when you use your quirk like this.” A sharp chirp comes out as his nipple is suddenly pinched, his back arching up. “ Ah-“  

Touya smirks and withdraws his hand, ignoring the sound of protest. “ Good boy , using your words and letting me know what you like.” The man under him flushes a deep red at the praise and throws an arm over his face out of embarrassment. Grabbing both wrists, he pins them beside the blond’s head. “Don’t hide from me. Where’s that confidence from earlier?”  

The shorter man squirms slightly and bites back a whimper, his head pleasantly fuzzy. Good boy … I’m his good boy. “I got nervous when I realized we were actually gonna do this.” He blinks and suddenly his shirt is on the floor and Touya’s mouth is on his chest, leaving bites and kisses. “Touya- haah - want my pants off.” His erection is throbbing at this point and straining against his boxers and pants.  

“Who am I to deny what my pretty bird wants?” The white-haired man slips two fingers from both hands under the waistband of the other’s jeans and slowly tugs them down his legs, leaning back on his knees to remove them completely. A small twitch catches his attention and he moves a hand to the man’s boxers, lightly rubbing the wet spot on them. “You’re leaking so much, baby~” His voice is teasing as he leans back down to kiss him.  

Keigo whimpers and chirps, his hips bucking up into the touch. “Stop teasing me, ‘s not nice.” Touya stills his movements and he panics. “Wait-“ His protest is cut off with a moan when the hand closes around his shaft, tight enough that it’s almost painful. “Fuck-“  

“You’re finding your voice finally.” Touya gives a few slow strokes before pulling off the blond’s boxers. His own dick twitches at the sight of precum pulsing out of the smaller man’s tip. “ Cute .” He can’t help but swipe a finger over the slit to taste his lover.  

Kei bites his lip hard at the sight and breathes out heavily through his nose. “If you don’t hurry up and get naked, I’ll pin you down and tear your clothes off myself.” The shocked look he gets in response is enough for him to feel smug, but he keeps his face as neutral as possible.  

God, I haven’t even fucked him yet and I’m already thinking about letting him fuck me ? He doesn’t even know I switch, he has no clue what he did to me with that sentence. “Easy, birdie, I’m working on it.” Touya sits back up on his knees again and unbuttons his jeans. The blond pushes himself up on his elbows to watch, pupils pinning. I don’t know how I keep forgetting he’s a bird of prey. The older man suppresses a shiver at the heated look and slips his jeans and boxers down to his thighs, letting his own, weeping cock spring free.  

Keigo lets out the breath he was holding and stares at the piercings, unashamed. “I’ve changed my mind. I want you to fuck my mouth, first.” He glances up to make eye contact and bites his lip. “Please? It’s been so long since you’ve let me taste you.”  

There’s the confidence I love so much. Touya smirks and kicks his pants and boxers to the floor before straddling the bird’s waist. “Yeah? Wanna choke on me before I fuck you stupid?” He reaches down and gives himself a few, slow strokes as the other man starts to scoot down so his face is closer to his dick.  

“Please, sir ~” Purely to spur the villain on, Keigo tilts his head back slightly and opens his mouth, letting his tongue fall out. Touya curses and grabs the back of his head with his free hand and carefully slides into his mouth, groaning at the feeling. I love him I love him.   

Touya pushes in until the head nudges the back of the younger man’s mouth. “God, you feel so good. Fuuck. ” He wants to throw his head back but he fights the urge to instead watch where they’re connected as he gives shallow thrusts. “You always take me so well.” The other moans at the praise and he tightens his grip on blond hair. “Gonna fuck your mouth now, tap out if it’s too much.”  

Keigo stares up at him through his lashes and nods as best as he can, taking a deep breath in through his nose. He relaxes his throat and a muffled whine comes out as his airflow is cut off. The first thrust makes him gag and his hands fly up to grab the white-haired man’s thighs. Talons dig into the soft flesh as he’s used like a toy and his eyes roll back, his wings flapping weakly. Getting used like this makes his mind go blank in the best way, the only thing on his brain is Touya.  

Groans, curses, and the obscene noises coming from the blond’s mouth fill the room as Touya sets a brutal rhythm. He gives a second to let the man breath after a minute so he doesn’t pass out before forcing his way back into his throat.  

When the grip on his thighs starts to loosen and his bird’s eyes flutter as if he’s going to pass out for the second time, he pulls out with a wet ‘pop.’ Keigo immediately starts heaving in breaths and coughing hard underneath him, tears spilling over his lashes. “You did so well, baby. Such a good boy.”  

Hands grab at the younger man’s face to wipe the tears away. He goes boneless and basks in the praise, giving a loopy smile. “Thank you.” He’s moved back up to the headboard and a pillow is shoved under his lower back. “You gonna fuck me now?” The taller man gazes up at him from between his thighs and his entire body shudders at the pure want in those eyes.  

“I’m going to make you cum with my fingers first. Then, and only then, will I fuck you.” Touya runs a finger up the length of Kei’s neglected cock and smirks at the whimper. “You wanna use a feather to get the lube? I don’t exactly want to take my hands off of you.” The other man nods eagerly and sends a feather to their dresser, gasping as Touya pushes his legs up to his chest. “So pretty, all for me.” The bottle of lube is hastily thrown to the bed within reach and he wastes no time in dripping some onto his fingers. “This is probably going to feel weird at first, but I’ll take it as slow as you need.” He heats up his hand so that the lube isn’t cold and rubs around the twitching hole.  

A finger is slowly pushed in past the rim and Keigo chirps at the feeling, his back arching slightly. “Ah-“  He involuntarily clenches around the finger, earning him a light slap to the back of his thigh.  

“Relax, or I’m not going to be able to stretch you enough to take me.”  

“Sorry.” He nods and inhales deeply, relaxing his body on the exhale. A kiss is pressed to where he was hit and he coos. “Okay, you can continue.”  

Touya twists his hand as he pushes his finger all the way in, curling it to find the blond’s prostate. A yelp and wings beating against the bed are a dead giveaway and he chuckles, continuing to rub lightly. “Feels good, doesn’t it?”  

Keigo pants heavily and writhes a little, tears once again forming in the corners of his eyes. “F-Fuck, more, more .” The pleasure fades as the hand is pulled back, but soon a second digit is pushing against his hole. “ Please-“  

The villain places his free hand on the winged man’s lower abdomen and slips both fingers back in, scissoring them gently as they go further in. “You look so fuckin’ pretty like this.” The avian whines and trills as they’re pushed in to the hilt. “Taking them so well, birdie.”  

The blond tries to buck into the touch but he gets pushed back down and held firmly in place. “ Touya, s’ good.” Both fingers press up into his prostate and he sobs, his hands scrambling for purchase on the headboard. “ Fuck!” Tears spill from his eyes as the pressure doesn’t stop and the older man thrusts his hand. “Need more-“  

Touya abuses his prostate for several more seconds before easing up and pouring a little more lube onto his fingers. “I’m gonna add a third, and then I’m going to make you cum untouched.”  

Keigo whimpers softly and glances down to watch, his talons digging into the wood of the headboard. Having three instead of two isn’t too much of a change until they spread apart, the middle finger pressing up again. Oh my god, fuck, that’s intense. A high-pitched keen slips out and his thighs try to close.  

Touya leans forward to stop them from closing and changes the angle of his hand, ramming into the blond’s prostate every time. “Look at you, falling apart just from my fingers.” He watches intently as his lover sobs and writhes as he’s brought closer and closer to the edge. “C’mon, pretty boy, wanna watch you cum all over yourself.”  

“Touya, Touya-“ The younger man bucks up as much as he’s able to and his wings beat wildly underneath him. “Close- haah - gonna cum.” The fingers heat up as the white-haired man uses his quirk and that’s what pushes him over the edge. “Oh fuck- shit- cumming-“ The hand on his abdomen is lifted off of him and he arches up, white splattering onto his stomach and chest. The ringing in his ears covers up the sound of his cries.  

Touya stills his fingers and lets Keigo ride out his orgasm, holding his hip with his free hand. Once the red wings still and his arms fall to the bed, he leans in to kiss him. The blond coos softly and blinks up at him, his eyes glazed over. “Baby, that was so hot. You look so good when you’re falling apart.”  

Keigo hums and reaches a hand up to tangle it in white hair, blushing. “That was the most intense orgasm I’ve had.” He pulls the villain back in for another kiss.  

After making out for a few minutes so Keigo can catch his breath and get hard again, Touya hoists his legs over his shoulders and presses the head of his lubed dick against the blond’s entrance. “I’m a bit thicker than three fingers, so I’m gonna take it slow while you get used to the stretch. Remember to safe-word if you need to.”  

The younger man reaches up to grab the headboard in preparation and pouts a little. “I want another kiss, Touya.” The villain laughs but leans down to kiss him anyways.  

“You’re insatiable.” He sits back on his knees and slowly pushes into Keigo just a couple inches, drawing out a moan from both of them. His eyes flutter shut and his grip on the other man’s thighs tighten. “Kei, you feel so fucking good.” Giving the blond a few seconds to get used to his size, he pushes in a little more.  

His piercings – oh my god. Keigo warbles and he forces himself to relax around the other man, watching where Touya’s cock disappears. “How does this feel so much better than your fingers?” He tries to buck his hips to get him to move faster, but, halfway in, the villain suddenly stops. No, no, why? “Touyaaa, why’d you stop?” His legs get dropped from his shoulders and he whines in protest.  

The white-haired man leans down a bit and strokes up and down his sides. “I’m trying to let you get used to it. It can be a lot the first time, especially with my piercings.”   

“Hurry up, I can take it.” His voice is whiny and breathless, and the look he gives the other makes him curse under his breath.  

“Don’t want to hurt you, pretty bird.”  

Keigo lets go of the headboard with one hand and reaches up to yank his head down closer. “If you don’t start fucking me right now, I will flip us over and ride you.” His voice softens and he flutters his eyelashes at the older man. “You said you wanted to take care of me.”  

Touya grunts when he’s pulled down and has to throw an arm out to steady himself, resting it beside the other’s head. “You’re being a brat.”  

The shorter man smirks and rolls his hips a little. “And you’re enabling it~”  

Touya ‘tsk’s and leans back to hoist his legs up over his shoulders again, grabbing onto his waist with a bruising grip. “You better not complain about being sore later.”  

Keigo opens his mouth to respond but it gets cut off with a shriek as the white-haired man slams into him fully, his eyes rolling back. Oh, fuck. He doesn’t get a chance to catch his breath before he’s being fucked hard and deep. The drag of the piercings short-circuits his brain and all he can do is cling to the headboard as he moans and trills. So full, so hot.  

Touya leans down to fold him practically in half and angles his hips to drag against the blond’s prostate with every thrust. “Not so mouthy anymore, are you?” Groans and soft curses spill from his mouth. He can’t tear his eyes away from the fucked-out expression his birdie wears. “You just need to be fucked so good you can’t think anymore. Can’t be a brat if you can’t even form thoughts.”  

Whimpering, the younger man clenches around him at his words and attempts to pull him into a kiss. Need him, more, need more. When warm lips press against his, he chirps and pushes into the kiss. It’s messy and uncoordinated but so hot. Every thrust causes his body to shift a bit higher on the bed. His brain goes fuzzy from the pleasure and he barely recognizes his own voice as he begs. He doesn’t even know what he’s begging for, just that it feels right.  

Touya pulls back enough so he can watch the way his bird falls apart on his cock. The way his wings shiver, the tears spilling over his lashes, the way his eyes have glazed over, his mouth hanging open as a constant stream of sounds are ripped out of him. Mine mine mine, he’s all mine.  

With the constant pressure on his prostate, Keigo’s sure he won’t last much longer. His entire body tingles. I’m gonna cum. Fuck, so close. He opens his mouth to tell the other man, but only warbled moans come out. He must get his point across, though, because Touya curses hard and picks up speed.  

“You’re pulsing around me, pretty boy. Gonna cum?” When he gets a shaky, frantic nod, he grins and starts chasing his own end. “Fuck, baby, want to fill you up. Can I?” Keigo arches up and a string of ‘yes’ and ‘please’ fall from his lips. God, I love him. “ So perfect.” Touya presses his face to the blond’s neck and bites hard enough to leave a mark.  

“T-Tou, I’m –“ Keigo’s voice breaks into off into a sob as his orgasm rushes into him, his body taut and wings beating hard. As he’s riding it out, the villain pushes in fully and stills as he tumbles over the edge of his own, spilling into the tight hole with a deep groan. The sensation makes him twitch and whine.

Chirps and heavy breathing fill the room as they both slowly come down. Neither of them wants to move or has the energy to, besides Touya letting the bird’s legs fall to the bed. He puts his full weight on Keigo and nuzzles into his neck, humming softly. “You with me, pretty bird?”  

Keigo presses kisses to the older man’s unscarred shoulder, his voice rough from overuse. “Do I have to be?”  

Touya chuckles and turns to kiss his lips. “We gotta shower. After that, you can take a nap. I might nap, too. I’m exhausted.”  

The blond sighs dramatically and bats his eyelashes up at the other. “Carry me? I don’t think my legs work right now.” He gives a sheepish smile.  

The taller man rolls his eyes and pushes up onto his knees. “I’m gonna pull out, now.” With a nod from the man under him, he slowly pulls his softening dick out. Both of them shudder at the feeling. “C’mon, get up.” Touya lightly smacks the other man’s thigh twice before climbing off of the bed. “If your legs really don’t want to work, I might carry you. But you’re gonna try before I spoil you even further.”  

Keigo sighs again but obeys, sitting up with a wince. “God, my ass hurts.” The white-haired man laughs, causing him to glare weakly up at him. “Don’t laugh at me. Maybe next time I’ll fuck you and see how you feel afterwards.”  

“Maybe next time I’ll let you.”  

Oh. “I’ll hold you to that.” He swings his legs over the side of the bed and carefully stands up, chirping quietly as he stumbles forward a little. “My legs feel like jelly.” His wings flare out slightly to help him balance as he takes a hesitant step towards the bathroom. Touya doesn’t help, but he does walk at his pace.  

The time spent in the shower is mostly heated kisses, roaming hands and a lot of ‘I love you’s’, but they do eventually wash up once the water starts to run cold. They’re both worn-out by the time they’re done and they agree to dealing with the aftermath of the reveal in the morning. Touya does not have the patience or emotional capacity to talk to the League until he gets a full eight hours of sleep. With a silent promise of having a sit-down conversation with the others in the morning, they cuddle up in bed and fall asleep to the sound of each other’s breathing.  

Chapter Text

“Touya! I can’t believe you never told us!”

“Makes sense why you hold such a grudge against Endeavor. Let’s kill him!”

“Carrying all of that for so many years must’ve been so draining.”

Everyone is talking over each other and it’s giving Touya a headache. He slides down in his spot on the couch and glances over to Keigo, wincing. I knew they were going to freak out like this. Which is partly why I never told them. The blond only smiles sympathetically and pats his thigh. He sighs heavily and turns his attention to Tomura, who hasn’t said a word since they all sat down in the living room. Their leader isn’t known for being a big talker, but his complete silence is a little unsettling. The man stares back at him with calculating eyes; arms crossed over his chest.

After letting them all get over their shock, Tomura finally speaks up. “Everyone, shut up.” He waits for them to listen before directing his next words to the arsonist. “Do you want us to do anything with this information, or would you prefer for things to continue on normally?”

Touya rests his hand over Keigo’s and runs his thumb over his knuckles. “I’m planning on confronting Enji at some point, but I don’t want any of you involved. You can call me Dabi or Touya, I don’t really care, but I’d prefer if you don’t start acting all weird around me.”

“As long as this doesn’t interfere with defeating All For One, do whatever you need to. And if anybody does treat you differently, tell me and I'll deal with it. I would like to have a private conversation with you later to discuss some things, though.” Touya straightens his posture a little and nods at him. He then turns his attention to Keigo, making the blond go tense. “Keigo, I want to know what you plan to do moving forward. I already know you’re with us but what are you wanting to get out of this?”

The ex-hero shifts a little and flips his hand to grab Touya’s, his wings fluffing up slightly. “I’ve been gathering information against the Commission this past week. I want to kill the president and release everything to the public, so everyone knows how corrupt the Commission really is.” His eyes flick around the room and he has to stop the nervous chirps that want to come out. “But I promise I will still give my everything for your plan, Tomura. I just want to live in a world where I’m free to be myself.”

The decay user seems to be satisfied with the answer and stands up to leave. “That’s good enough for me. I’ll hold a meeting to inform the entire army about my decision within the next few days and give more details.” He walks to the hallway before pausing, turning back to them momentarily. “Oh, and Himiko-“ The young girl perks up at hearing her name. “We’ll have a movie night tonight, since you keep begging me.”

“Hey, Touya?” Keigo leans back against the kitchen counter, his arms crossed lazily at his chest, as the older man cooks ramen for the both of them. When he gets a hum in response, he continues. “I want to remake the nest today.” Touya turns to look at him with a slightly surprised look.

“Oh? What spurred this on?”

The blonde shrugs and rakes a hand through his hair. It’s getting so long, I should cut it soon. “I was just thinking about how Jin and Himiko’s scents have faded. It might sound weird to non-heteromorphs, but to me it was a huge comfort.” His cheeks flush a little and he absentmindedly taps on his arms with his talons. “Also, we did kinda make it... uhm... a little dirty last night.”

A smug grin forms on Touya’s face before he turns back to the ramen, turning off the stove so the noodles don’t overcook. “Why would it be dirty? Pretty sure I came in you and not on the bed.” Keigo chokes on his spit and leans forward to smack him on the arm.

“Touya!”

The fire user only laughs at his reaction. “It’s true!” After getting another half-hearted slap, he manages to stop laughing and dish out the ramen. “Fine, fine, I’ll stop.” He hands Keigo his bowl and continues with a softer tone. “Also, I don’t think it’s weird that having their scents being comforting to you is weird, baby. They smell like family, like home. I get it.” He presses a chaste kiss to the others’ lips and turns to get his own bowl. “Your scent is comforting to me.”

The last comment makes the shorter man’s feathers fluff up and a smile forms involuntarily. “I want to ask the others for a shirt or blanket or something after we eat. And we should probably wash the blankets we already have on the bed. Would you help me remake it?” Being careful to not spill his food, Keigo hops up onto the counter and begins to eat.

Touya sits on a stool next to him, giving him a smile. “I would love to. I know it’s something that’s personal to you, so I’m glad you trust me with helping.”

Keigo hums softly in thought as he takes a few bites. “You know-” He nudges the villain’s thigh with his foot and tilts his head to the side. “It’s not just my nest. It’s our nest. So, I think it’s only fair that we make it together.” A few strands of hair fall into his face, but, before he can reach up to push them back, Touya leans closer and gently tucks them behind his ear. The air around them seems to still as they gaze at each other. A soft calmness fills the room, blocking out every background noise from the rest of the league going about their day.

The trance they’re in is broken as Tomura enters and stands near the doorway, staring at the back of Touya’s head. Keigo nudges him gently as the leader clears his throat to make his presence known. “Touya-”

The arsonist turns around with his ramen, taking a larger-than-needed bite and causing Tomura to grimace. “Hm?”

“First of all, can you please eat with some decency? Second-” Touya flips him off as he continues. “I would like to have that talk.” He glances to Keigo, fighting the urge to scratch at his neck. “If you wouldn’t mind giving us some privacy. It’s nothing against you, I’m just not quite ready to be sharing this info with anyone else.”

The ex-hero gives an ‘ok’ sign and hops off the counter, putting his empty bowl in the sink. “You’ve got it, boss.” Walking back to Touya, he gives him a quick kiss. “I’ll be in our room when you’re done.” As he turns to leave, he gets pulled back in for another kiss that is not quite as innocent and sweet as the first. Tomura loudly clears his throat, which gets him another middle finger from Touya. Keigo breaks the kiss and gives an apologetic, awkward smile to the younger man before leaving to go find Jin or Himiko.

Shigaraki sighs and goes to grab a can of beer from the fridge. “You two can do that all you want, in the privacy of your room. I don’t particularly want to see you sucking each other's faces off.” Opening the can, he leans against the counter and takes a large gulp of it.

Touya places his empty bowl on the counter and turns to fully face the other. “You’re just pent up.” The leader opens his mouth to refute but he waves him off. “I’m teasing, relax. What did you want to talk about? Does it have to do with the hospital?” When his friend pauses and his right hand twitches as if he wants to scratch his neck, he knows he hit the bullseye. “Look, Tomura, you don’t-”

“I do.” Tomura stares at his drink for several seconds, trying to gather his thoughts. “I know everything. I know master-” He winces and corrects himself. “All For One gave quirks to all the other children to see if their bodies could handle it. I know you all were backups ... for if I failed him.” You can do this, Tomura. You’ve been working with Shu on opening up. He’s your best friend, you’re fine. Taking another drink of his beer, he finally raises his eyes to look at Touya. “I know he saved the both of us for selfish reasons. I was never more than a means to an end for him.” Saying it out loud made it finally click for him and he has to turn away to try to keep his composure.

Touya stands and takes a step closer, careful to keep enough space between them for Tomura to be comfortable. “I know it’s not an easy thing to accept.” I was only a means to an end for Enji. “Thank you for believing me and looking into it for yourself.”

Silence fills the room for several moments before Tomura finally speaks up, his voice hesitant. “Do you think we stand a chance against him?”

Do they have a chance? Are they realistically strong enough to take down the most powerful man in Japan? It’s just one man against thousands. Well, one man, Ujiko, and who knows how many Nomu. But what if the army turns on them when Tomura announces the change in plans? So many unspoken doubts fill their minds.

Almost a full minute passes with nothing being said. Touya eventually reaches out to place his hand on the younger man’s shoulder. “The League is behind you no matter what.”

Although meant to be comforting, those words only make Tomura’s doubts grow.

After Keigo left the two of them, he went straight to his and Touya’s room so he could take apart the nest and wash everything. Now, he sits on Himiko’s bed while she styles his hair and tries to get details about his love life.

“Himiko, I’m not telling you anything.”

“But why not? We’re family, aren’t we?” She leans forward to give him her best puppy eyes, to no avail.

“We are, but I’m pretty sure most families don’t go around sharing what they do with their partners in private.” She ‘accidentally’ tugs a little too hard on his hair while trying to get it in place, causing him to hiss and glare at her the best he can without moving his head too much.

“Oops~” Sounding not sorry at all, she ties off the small braid she was working on and pulls the other one in so they can be tied into a ponytail. She hums to herself as she jumps off her bed and stands in front of him, tugging out a few face-framing hairs. “I already know you two have gotten intimate. But I guess the details will have to be left up to my imagination.”

Keigo’s eyes widen in horror and his face flushes red. “You shouldn’t even be thinking about that, you’re still a kid.”

She pouts at him and pulls a knife out of her sleeve, pointing it at his neck. He’s so used to this and so trusting of her that he doesn’t even flinch. “Is that all you see me as? Some kid? I’m hurt.”

Keigo tilts his head slightly and gives her a soft smile. “You’re not just some kid, you’re like a sister to me. But, you’re still only 17 and don’t need to be worrying about things like this. I know it’s natural to be curious at your age, I was too.” He reaches up and cautiously lowers the knife. “You should hold onto whatever innocence you have for as long as you can.”

Himiko sighs and reluctantly puts her knife away. “Fiine, I’ll leave it alone. For now. I thought you had given up the whole ‘hero’ act.” Her voice is lighthearted and she playfully kicks at his shin, letting him know she’s only teasing.

“I can’t help the fact that I want to protect all of you.” Keigo stands and rubs the top of her head, despite her sound of protest. “Thank you for doing my hair.” He stretches his arms up, sighing as his back pops in multiple places. “So, is it okay if I have another blanket from you?”

“Oh! I almost forgot about that.” Himiko runs to her closet and pulls out a soft throw blanket. “Here!” She holds it out for him and grins.

Taking it from her, he coos quietly. “Thank you. I’ll give it back in a couple weeks after it’s been washed.”

Jin gives him a small blanket and a sweater when Keigo explains the situation to him. Atushiro overhears the conversation and ends up also contributing a blanket of his own. Now, the blonde sits on his and Touya’s bed with the blankets from his friends and their own freshly cleaned blankets, waiting for the fire user to finish his talk with Tomura.

The door opens after several minutes and Touya enters with a lost look in his eyes. Uneasiness swirls in Keigo’s stomach at the sight, and he jumps up to go to him. “Everything okay?” Not saying a word, Touya pulls him into a tight hug and buries his face in his neck. He returns the embrace and reaches up to comb through white hair. “How can I help? What do you need right now?”

I need you to stay with me. I need to know that I’m not going to lose you. “Just let me hold you for a little.” Keigo nods and continues to run his fingers through the villain’s hair, gently scratching at his scalp. We can beat All For One. We have to. If we fail … No, I can’t be thinking like that. Just focus on right now. The way Kei fits in my arms, the way he smells, the feel of his talons on my head. Successfully distracting himself from that train of thought, Touya breathes deeply and lets himself relax. “Did you get all the blankets you need?”

“Yep! Atsu even gave me one.” Keigo smiles and kisses the side of the older man’s head. “Do you want to make the nest now or do you need another minute?”

Touya hums softly and pulls away to stand at his full height. “I’m good. Just needed a moment after that talk.” The blonde nods in understanding and uses the hand in his hair to pull him into a kiss. It’s short and sweet, and just what he needs for his mind to be completely present. As they break apart, the first thing he notices is the difference in Keigo’s appearance. How does he keep getting more and more attractive? It’s hard to focus when he looks this good. It's not fair. “Baby, who did your hair? You look incredible.”

Keigo’s face lights up with the praise and he spins around to show the back, Half of his hair is down, the rest is braided and pulled into a ponytail. “Himiko did! I didn’t realize she could do this sort of thing.” Oblivious to the way Touya is fighting with his self-control, he starts to ramble a little. “I was thinking about cutting my hair soon, but if she can teach me different ways to style my hair, it would be fun to experiment a bit first. When it’s down, it can get in my eyes a bit while flying and that’s annoying, but putting it up like this keeps it out of my face. Do you really like it that much?” He turns back around and yelps as Touya grabs him by the hips and tugs him close.

“You have no idea how much I like it.” He would look so pretty on his knees right now, crying on- stop, stop. We have things to do, no getting distracted. “But I believe we have a nest to be building, right?”

The blonde flushes a deep red at the comment and sudden closeness. I guess I really should learn how to fix my own hair. “Yeah, let’s do that.”

After explaining how to make it not fall apart and showing Touya, the two of them work together to wind the blankets around each other. It takes very little time for them to finish and they’re soon cuddling in the middle of it.

Touya runs a heated hand through Keigo’s feathers and drinks in the soft coos and shudders. “Kei ... Do you think we can actually win against All For One?” The blonde goes still for a moment too long and he tries to play it off. “Ah, forget I asked that. I was ju-”

“I don’t know.” The hand in his feathers stops and he raises his eyes to look at the other. “The heroes also want him gone, but they won’t kill him. They want him in Tartarus, for whatever reason. If we could get them to help us kill him instead of only locking him up, then I think we can.” He lifts his right arm to show his burn scar. “Although ... I doubt we’ll get some of them on our side. Especially with the Commission still around.”

Touya brings his arm closer and presses kisses over the scar. “The good news is probably all of Japan has seen my video. Bad news, who knows if they’ll believe a villain over their precious top hero.” His grip starts to tighten without meaning to but he quickly lets go when the blonde winces. “Sorry.”

The atmosphere shifts as Keigo pushes the white-haired man onto his back and straddles his hips. “We’ll give them no room for doubt. We’ll get him to show his true nature to everyone. They’ll have no choice but to believe you.”

“If Shoto can be convinced to give an interview…” Touya trails off as he gazes up at the blonde, his hands resting on his waist. “The public trusts him, he could help destroy Enji’s reputation even more.” What I wouldn’t do to see the look on that bastard’s face as his masterpiece tells the world what happened in that house. That thought gives him a giddy feeling, and he can’t help the way his hands heat up again out of excitement.

Keigo hums quietly and slides a hand under the other’s shirt, resting it on his stomach. “I hope he does. That would help a lot.” There’s something so intimate about the way they touch each other so gently but purposefully. The quietness has him opening up before he can second guess himself. “Have you heard of the thief Takami?”

 “I remember Enji talking about his capture when I was around 6, I think. What about him?”

“He’s my father.” The blonde’s voice goes quiet as he continues, old memories resurfacing. “I lived with him and my mother, Tomie, for the first five years of my life. Our house was an old, worn-down shack. I wasn’t allowed to go outside because he was paranoid that I would tell the cops where he was.” The thumbs on his waist start to gently rub circles and he coos to express his thanks. “Both my parents abused me, but my father was definitely worse.” A humorless laugh slips out. “We’re similar in the fact we both have daddy issues.”

Touya frowns at that, not finding it even the slightest bit amusing. “Baby…”

Keigo sighs and gives an apologetic smile. “Sorry. Anyways, when Endeavour had caught him, that was the best day of my life. I hadn’t realized heroes were real until then. It almost felt like a dream. But then my mom and I ended up homeless. She complained that I was useless because I wasn’t using my quirk to make money.” Some of his feathers detach and he flares them out for emphasis. “I ended up saving people from a car crash soon after.” His feathers go back to his wings as they go limp, his resolve to keep talking slowly fading. “That’s how the Commission found me.” A minute passes before he is able to speak again, his voice tight. “My mother signed away all rights to me so she could live a comfortable life. I was forced to give up my name, my childhood, my autonomy...” He takes a shaky breath and leans his head back to stare at the ceiling, trying to keep his emotions in check.

“They raised you.” Touya wants to sit up so he can hold his bird, but he waits, not wanting to force the other into anything. Instead, he continues to rub small circles on his waist.

Taking two more deep breaths to make sure he won’t cry, Keigo lowers his head back down and gives a wry smile. “They did. For thirteen years, they shaped me into their perfect hero through various means of abuse and torture they called training. All they cared about was turning me into a loyal dog and making sure once I debuted that I would rise in the ranks.” His left hand pulls Touya’s right hand off his waist, instead grabbing it and locking their fingers together. “And rise I did. I gave them everything they asked for, and more. But I was nothing more than a shell.” Pausing for a moment, Keigo tilts his head slightly and squeezes his hand. “Until I met you.”

Touya squeezes back and shifts to be more comfortable, bringing his knees up so his thighs are pressed against the blonde’s back. “You’re saying I changed you? That’s pretty cheesy.”

“It’s true, though!” Keigo huffs out a laugh. “I never thought I would disobey orders simply because I liked getting your approval, but here we are.” He shrugs and bites his lip to hold back his grin.

“I never thought I would fall for a hero, but here we are.” Touya snorts and tugs on his hand. “Now, c’mere and let me kiss you.”

“I’d like to think I’m more of an anti-hero these days.” Moving his free hand to rest beside the villain’s head, Keigo leans down and bites at his lip. When Touya clicks his tongue in annoyance, he snickers and finally gives him the kiss he asked for.

“Suicide Squad!”

“No, Iron Man! I hate that movie!”

“Now You See Me is a great film.”

Tomura groans from his spot on the couch and stands abruptly, his patience running out. “If you all don’t stop arguing over a movie, I’m going to pick one without any input from any of you.” Touya lets out a snort and rests his chin on Keigo’s shoulder, who is currently on his lap with his feathers detached and in a pile off to the side.

Jin and Atsuhiro back down, while Himiko crosses her arms and pouts. “That’s not fair, we were only sharing what movie we want to watch.”

Keigo quietly raises his hand to speak, not wanting to interrupt. When everyone gives him their attention, he gives a suggestion. “We could do a vote? Everyone chooses one movie and then we all vote on what we want to watch, but we can’t pick our choice.”

Shuichi speaks up for the first time since they gathered for movie night. “That’s a really good idea. Makes things more fair. As long as nobody complains about the outcome.”

Everyone agrees and writes down what they want to watch on a single piece of paper. Then, it gets passed around for voting. Keigo doesn’t know any of them so Touya explains the premise of each.

Iron Man, Jin’s pick, gets 1 vote

Scream, Touya’s pick, gets 2 votes

Now You See Me, Atsuhiro’s pick, gets 1 vote

Jumanji, Shuichi’s pick, gets 1 vote

Suicide Squad, Himiko’s pick, gets 3 votes

Himiko is thrilled about the outcome, Keigo is a bit excited, Touya is just glad he doesn’t have to sit through the girl being moody for two hours because her movie didn’t win.

An hour into the movie, Keigo’s phone rings with an unknown number. Only the League has his number, so he shrugs it off as spam and declines the call. Ten minutes later, it rings again. Same number. Keigo declines again and silences his phone.

Touya gently squeezes his thigh and speaks softly so he doesn’t disturb everyone else. “Who is that? I thought you got a new number so nobody could contact you?”

“I don’t know.” The blonde leans back into him and kisses his temple. “Probably a spam caller.” The villain hums and turns to kiss him, accepting the answer.

Unknown to either of them, as the phone is silent, that same number calls four more times before the movie ends. On the fifth and final try, they leave a two minute long voicemail.

Chapter Text

“Touya, at least wait until we’re in our room.” Keigo gasps out in between heated kisses as the two men try (Keigo more than Touya) to get to their bedroom. Touya ignores him in favor of sneaking a hand between them and groping at his quickly forming bulge. A muffled groan escapes at the same time that he tries to push him away. “C’mon, it’s just like ten seconds.”  

“Everybody already went to their rooms, it’s fine.” Although he says that, Touya does back off long enough for them to get inside and shut the door behind them. Their clothes quickly litter the floor as they make their way to the bed.  

An hour and one shower later, Keigo lies in his nest and stares at his phone while Touya takes his own shower. The unread voicemail stares back at him, as if taunting him. He thought it was a random spam call. Why did this number call him multiple times? Who is this person? How did they even find him? What if it’s the Commission? He only ever told his family, and they wouldn’t tell anyone. It was probably a hacker, then. Swallowing down his last bit of hesitation, he hits play.  

Touya walks out of the bathroom in just his boxers, ready to climb in bed, and stops in his tracks at the sight of the blonde staring at him in a mixture of shock, disbelief, and confusion. “Uh … Hey, baby. What’s with that look?”  

Keigo forgets how to form words for several seconds before clearing his throat and holding out his phone. “Those calls I got during the movie … Not spam. They left a voicemail.”  

What?? “Who was it? How did they find your number?” The villain moves to stand in front of him and grabs his phone, his brows furrowed.  

“I don’t know how, they didn’t say. But…” Keigo nervously rubs his hands up and down his thighs. “You need to listen to it.” He scoots over to make room for the other.  

Touya sits next to him, nervous due to how Kei is acting, and plays the voicemail.  

“Hawks, or whatever name you go by now that you’re no longer a hero, I need to ask a favor of you.” Touya’s eyes go wide as a familiar voice comes through the speaker. “Don’t worry about how I got this number, I promise it won’t get spread around. I’ve been trying to find Touya non-stop since he did that livestream, and I’m assuming you’re with him since he’s the one who saved you from Endeavor.” There’s some shuffling in the background before it goes quiet. “I would like to talk with him, please. I have so many questions for him. If you could pass this on to him, I would really appreciate it.” The message goes silent for a few seconds, as if it’s over, before the voice comes back. “Oh, I apologize, I never said who I am. I’m Shoto Todoroki, Touya’s youngest brother.” Keigo glances at the villain to see his reaction and is met with a dazed look, his eyes unfocused. “I’ll end this here. You can reach me at this number whenever you are able to get back to me. Thank you.” A beep signals the end of the voicemail and silence fills the room for several minutes.  

“Kei.” Touya’s voice is quiet and uncertain, his hands shaking ever so slightly.  

“Yes?”  

“I can’t … I can’t talk to him.” He drops the blonde’s phone on the bed and leans his elbows on his knees. “I tried to kill him … He probably doesn’t remember since he was a baby when it happened. But I still tried.” He sucks in a breath and buries his face in his hands on the exhale. “How was he even able to contact you?”  

“Can I touch you?” When Touya nods slightly, he drapes himself over his back and wraps his arms around his waist. “I’m guessing he’s friends with somebody who knows how to hack, or he paid someone. But right now, that’s not our biggest priority. You don’t have to talk to him.” Keigo hums softly and presses kisses to his shoulder. “But if you want to hear him out, I will talk to him for you.”  

A whispered ‘fuck’ slips out as Touya reaches up to tug on his hair, trying to ground himself. “I wasn’t planning on talking to any of them, especially not this soon after my reveal.” His chest feels too tight as a wave of memories floods into his head. “What if he wants to see me? I really can’t do that. Last time I saw him, it was when we attacked the kids’ training camp and kidnapped Bakugo.” He probably hates you. Just like the rest of the family.  

Before he can spiral too far, Keigo pulls him back and onto his side so he can hold him closer. “Hey.. Touya, listen to me.” He waits a moment before continuing. “You don’t have to do anything in regard to your family that you don’t want to. Nobody is forcing you to see or talk to Shoto.” He brings a hand up to comb through the older man’s hair, trying to calm him. “It’s your choice.”  

Touya’s vision goes blurry as he tries his best to stay grounded. “It is… I know it’s my choice. But I owe him some answers.” And mom. Especially mom. But I doubt she’ll want anything to do with me now… I need to do something with my hands or I’m going to lose it. He sits up abruptly and peels the blonde’s arms off of him. 

“Where are you going?” Keigo sits up with him, concerned.  

“I need to go burn something. Or punch something.” The next breath he lets out has smoke in it, and it catches both of them off guard. “Gonna go to the gym. You can come if you want. It’s late, though, so sleep if you’re tired.”  

Keigo ends up going with him, mainly to keep an eye on him and make sure he’s not being reckless. The gym is mostly empty, as it’s almost 2 am, so Touya feels safer to let loose more than usual. The fireproof dummies are his first target. He starts out fairly mild, not wanting to overdo it too early. Keigo chooses to run on a treadmill as he watches.   

Within a few minutes, Touya’s fire starts to hurt the healthy parts of his hands. He ignores it and pushes himself farther, the flames growing bigger. Why is he trying to talk to me? And why him ? Natsuo used to look up to me… He doesn’t realize he’s giving himself new burns until Keigo’s voice breaks through his thoughts.

“Touya!”  

Snapping back into the present, he stops his fire. The smell of smoke and the pain of his burns register as he turns to look at a panicked Keigo. The gym is now empty besides the two of them, the few people that were there having left once he started to lose control. The blonde frantically checks him for injuries. “Baby, I’m fine.”  

“No, you’re not. Don’t even try lying to me.” Keigo scowls at him and lifts up his hands to show the burns. “You’re burning yourself.” The villain tries to pull away, but he doesn’t let him. “Talk to me. What’s going on in that head of yours?”  

Touya sighs. “Kei-“  

“Don’t ‘Kei’ me. Clearly, that message from Shoto is negatively affecting you. Bottling it up will only make it worse.” The taller man succeeds in pulling free, partially due to the avian loosening his grip a bit. “C’mon, work with me here.”  

Something inside Touya snaps. “I’m fucking upset because it’s Shoto ! Natsuo and I used to be so close, but instead of him trying to reach me it’s the fucking golden child who replaced me!” He shoots a ball of fire at the dummies, needing to release some of his energy. “What could he possibly want from me? Out of everybody in the family, it had to be him!” By the time he’s done, his chest is heaving and his seams are smoking.  

The two of them stare at each other in silence for several moments, the air around them thick with tension. Keigo breaks the silence, his voice soft. “I’m sure Natsuo would love to talk to you as well. Why don’t I text Shoto and tell him you want to talk to him first? Or at least have both of them there.”  

Blood slowly starts to seep from the seams under the villain’s eyes. Damnit, why do I have to cry whenever I get angry like this? He takes a few deep breaths and wills himself to not cry, and Keigo wipes the blood away “If I end up talking to Shoto I’m probably going to blow up on him.” Fuck, I really need to be held right now. Several seconds pass before he speaks up again. “I just want to sleep.”  

Keigo nods and holds out his hand. “Let me put burn cream on your hands, and then we can go to bed.” The older man grabs his hand and they walk to their room together, the silence almost suffocating.  

Once his hands are done, they climb into bed. “Pretty bird..?”  

“Hm?”  

Touya avoids eye contact, feeling shame after the way he lost it in the gym. “Could you… hold me, please?” He fidgets with the blonde’s fingers as he waits for the answer.  

“Of course. I love being the big spoon.” Keigo smiles and gives him a kiss. “Turn around for me?” Once the villain rolls over, he curls around him and drapes a wing over both of them. “I would do anything for you. All you have to do is ask.” A snicker comes out as he nuzzles into the other’s neck. “Hell, I’ve killed for you. And that was before we were even together. So don’t feel ashamed for asking me to do things for you, okay?”  

Touya closes his eyes, his body starting to relax. “I’m … sorry … for yelling at you.” The blonde stays quiet, so he continues. “My family is such a difficult topic for me. But that doesn’t give me the right to yell at you.”  

The room goes silent for a few seconds as Keigo chooses his words carefully. “Thank you for apologizing. I could’ve handled the situation better as well. We’re gonna figure this out together, okay?” He presses a gentle kiss to the white-haired man’s neck. “Let’s get some sleep and we can talk about this tomorrow.”  

Keigo wakes up before Touya, which is unusual. The sun is barely peeking over the mountains. The birds outside are singing so beautifully. He can hear someone in the kitchen, probably Tomura. He doesn’t sleep much. Touya’s on his stomach, his hair stuck out in every direction. He’s so cute when he’s sleeping. He reaches out to carefully grab the villain’s hand, wanting to check on the burns from the night before. His knuckles are a bit red, but otherwise his hands look fine. He kisses the back of his hand and rolls onto his side so he can hold him a bit longer.  

Twenty minutes pass before Touya eventually wakes up, slowly. The first thing that registers is the warmth to his right. Next are the fingers combing through his hair. And finally, the hand under his shirt resting on his lower back.  

Keigo notices the change in his breathing and pulls him closer. “Good morning.”  

“Mmm.”  

He smiles at the groan and leans his head back to look at him. “Comfy?” When Touya nods, he smiles wider. “It’s nice holding you like this. Although, I am kinda hungry.”  

Peeking open his right eye to look at the bird, he gives a cheeky smirk. “If you’re hungry, I’m right here~” He meant it mostly as a joke, but the blonde decides to roll with it. Within the next few seconds, he finds himself on his back with his hands pinned beside his head.  

“Yeah?” Keigo gazes down at him with a gentle adoration, despite the sexual tension. “Would you let me have control?”  

Touya lies beneath him, completely relaxed. “Baby, do you remember what I told you before our first kiss?” When the other shakes his head, he moves his hand, not to free it but to interlock their fingers. “I said you can do anything you want to me as long as you stay. There are definitely things we need to discuss before doing anything too intense, but I trust you.”  

Keigo has to pause for a minute to process the depth of those words. Blindly giving up control to me… It feels like he’s putting his life into my hands. With that last thought, he leans down to kiss the villain.  

He takes his time practically worshipping every inch of Touya’s body. By the end, it becomes too much for the fire user and he ends up crying, completely overwhelmed emotionally. Nobody had ever treated him, especially his body, with such reverence and he doesn’t know how to handle it. His orgasm is intense and drawn-out, and Keigo helps him come down with soft-spoken praises and gentle caresses.  

After a shower and a much needed breakfast, the two of them go up to the roof. “Do you want me to call, or text and see if Natsuo is able to talk?”  

Touya is sitting on the ledge and staring at the horizon; trees as far as the eye can see. “You can call. But tell Shoto that I’m not going to be speaking.”  

Keigo nods and sits down next to him, offering his free hand to hold. The villain does grab his hand, but he ends up fidgeting with his fingers. Bringing out his phone, the blonde dials Shoto’s number and hits call before putting it on speaker. It rings three times, each time making Touya more nervous. It’s finally answered on the fourth ring.   

“Hello?” Touya stills completely, going as far as holding his breath.  

“Hi, Shoto, this is Keigo.” He glances over to the older man and gives a gentle squeeze to his hand, trying to reassure him. He gets a squeeze back a few seconds later.  

“Ah, Keigo. I assume that’s your real name. Thank you for calling me back. I do apologize for calling so many times, but, like I mentioned in the message, I’ve been desperate to get in contact with my brother.”  

“Speaking of Touya-” Keigo rubs the back of his hand with his thumb. “He is here with me, but he’s not ready to talk to you. So, I will be relaying what he wants to say.”  

There are a couple seconds of silence before Shoto speaks up again. “I don’t mean to be so skeptical, but is there a chance you could send a photo for proof? Or maybe he could say one word. I just want to be sure.”  

Keigo starts to say something, but Touya cuts him off. “Fuck off, Shoto. He said I wasn’t going to talk to you.”  

“Oh.” Shoto’s voice is a bit quiet, sounding almost appalled at being cussed out. “Well, there’s no need to use such language, but thank you for confirming that it’s actually you.”  

Touya rolls his eyes at the way his brother is speaking and leans back until he’s lying down. The ex-hero does his best to hold in his laughter. “Yes, he is actually here. Now, what did you want to talk to him about?”  

“I went to see mom yesterday.” A sharp inhale comes from the villain and his grip on Keigo’s hand goes stiff. “She saw the video. She cried while talking about you, Touya.”  

Touya’s voice comes out small and shaky, his free hand moving to cover his eyes. “Why is he bringing her up?” Keigo repeats the question for Shoto to hear.  

“I’m bringing her up to let you know that she still loves you and misses you. Your crimes are unforgiveable, to me at least. But you’re still family.”  

Keigo turns to the older man to check in with him and pauses when he sees a single drop of blood falling down the side of his face. He mutes the call instantly. “I can hang up if this is too much for you.”  

Touya lets out a wet laugh and takes a deep breath. “What the fuck is wrong with me? I used to be so indifferent about everything… before you came into the picture.” He sighs and drops his hand to the roof, staring up at the clouds. “Don’t hang up. I can handle this.”  

The blonde nods and unmutes. “And what are your thoughts on all of this, Shoto?”  

“Well… I don’t know how much Touya has told you about our past, but I wasn’t allowed to be around any of my siblings until high school, so I never got the chance to even talk to him. I would like to get to know him. But I do think he needs to be sent to jail and therapy, along with the rest of the League. I don’t think villains should be allowed to roam free.”  

Touya flips off the phone and mumbles under his breath. “Let’s worry about that after All For One is gone.” Keigo nods in agreement and mutes again, briefly.  

“I’m not bringing that up with him, but is there anything you want me to ask him for you?”  

Touya turns his head to look up at the avian. “Can you ask him how mom is doing? Besides … being upset because of me.”  

Unmuting again, Keigo gently squeezes his hand. “Touya would like to know how your mom is doing.”  

There’s a bit of shuffling on the other end, as if Shoto is moving on his bed or a chair. “She’s doing well. Her doctors said she’ll be able to come home soon. Endeavor went to see her-“  

Touya sits up at the mention of their father and cuts him off. “Don’t fucking talk about that piece of shit. I don’t want to hear anything about him unless it’s that he’s dead.”  

“I would appreciate if you stopped cussing at me.” Shoto huffs out. “I was going to say, mom had security remove him from the building. He’s not allowed to go back to see her at all.”  

That makes the older man’s jaw drop. “Holy shit-“  

“Language.”  

Touya turns to Keigo with wide eyes, almost starting to feel hopeful. “She finally stood up for herself.”   

“She told me you gave her the courage to do something about it. And she hopes that one day you’ll be able to visit her. She wants to see you more than anything right now.” Shoto’s voice gets quieter, almost hesitant. “I also want to see you.”  

Ignoring the last comment, the villain sighs. “Unfortunately it’ll be pretty hard to see her. Unless she gets released and we can meet somewhere privately.” He glances down at his lap and picks at a staple on his face mindlessly. “I miss her…”  

“Come home. Just for a couple hours. Natsuo and Fuyumi have been staying home with me for the past two days. I think being together is helping us process things since Endeavor has been getting a lot of backlash. My teacher, Mr. Aizawa, even let me stay home as long as I continue to turn in my homework.”  

Touya scoffs. “Fuck no. I never want to go back to that house again.”  

Despite the cuss words being thrown around every other sentence, Keigo smiles at the interaction. I hope this is healing for him.  

“ Endeavor won’t be here, though.”  

 
“That’s not the problem. The problem is the house.” 

“What’s wrong with the house?”  

Touya gives Keigo an unimpressed look, becoming exasperated with his younger brother. “Shoto, are you actually this dense?”  

“My friends do tell me that I am quite dense. But what does that have to do with this conversation?”  

Touya groans and drags a hand down his face. “It seems I have to spell it out for you. I was abused in that house for ten years. Going back will bring up so many bad memories and possibly trigger me. You were also abused in that house. Does it not make you uncomfortable to be there?”  

Shoto is quiet for a while and when he speaks again, he sounds unsure. “Doesn’t everybody deal with that? I assumed it was normal to feel this way being at home.”  

This poor kid. “It’s not normal, no. Being home is comforting to most people.”  

“Oh...” There’s the sound of a door opening and a muffled voice. “I’ll come eat soon. I’m talking with Touya right no-” Shoto gets interrupted with a loud gasp and suddenly there’s a woman’s voice coming through the speaker.  

“Touya?!”  

“Fuyumi, give me my phone back.”  

The villain winces at the volume and gives Keigo a panicked look, as if asking him to take over. “Ah, sorry, this is Keigo. I assume you’re Fuyumi, his sister?”  

“Yes. But where is he? Shoto said he was talking to him.”  

Keigo glances at Touya and the older man sighs, accepting his fate. “I’m right here.”  

“Oh my god, it’s really you! How dare you! You never tried to contact us! Not once!” Her voice starts out loud and strong, but it soon turns shaky. “If I had known you were still alive...” She sniffles. “I don’t want to be the oldest child anymore, Touya. You left me to raise Natsu and Shoto all by myself.”  

Guilt settles in Touya’s chest at those words. “I’m sorry, Yumi. I tried to come home. I promise I did.”  

“And why didn’t you?”  

He takes a few seconds to choose his words carefully. “When I went home... Mom was still in the hospital, my room was empty, Shoto was in the dojo with him and he was on the floor, throwing up...” He hears her breath catch as he continues. “I knew if I tried to come home, nothing would change. I wanted to get stronger and prove that I could make a name for myself.”  

 
A muffled sob comes through the speaker. “Natsu and I cried for you every night for the first month. We prayed at your shrine every day, until dad told us we couldn’t go in there anymore.” 

“I’m sorry.” There’s nothing else I can say to her right now. He brings his knees up to his chest and folds his arms on top of them, laying his head down. “I didn’t mean for things to turn out this way...”  

Keigo mutes the call and reaches out to him, resting his hand on his head. “Would you like me to hang up now?” Touya thinks for a few moments before nodding, so he unmutes. “I’m going to hang up, Touya is done talking.”  

Fuyumi sniffles again. “Okay. Touya, please keep in touch. I know you’re a criminal, but you were my big brother first. Here’s your phone, Shoto.”  

Shoto’s voice comes through as there’s the sound of a door closing. “You have my number, so whenever Touya is ready to talk again please don’t hesitate to call me.”  

“Sure thing, Shoto. Bye.” Keigo hangs up and gently scratches at the villain’s scalp. “C’mere, let me hold you.”  

Touya uncurls from his position and climbs into the blonde’s lap, hiding his face in his neck. “Thank you for being here with me for that. That was more ... emotionally intense than I was expecting.”

They stay in that position for almost an hour before they decide to get some lunch.  

In Shoto’s room, he stares at Keigo’s contact on his phone screen. So many emotions are swirling around in his chest though he can’t put a name to any of them. Fuyumi told him lunch was ready, so he stands up to go eat. Without any warning, his door flies open. “Who were you talking to just now?”  

Chapter Text

“Who were you talking to just now?” 

Shoto stops in his tracks as he comes face to face with his father, a frown forming. “What are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to be in custody for interrogation.” 

Enji stands in the doorway with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face, an eyepatch over his left eye and burn scars surrounding it. “I’m not allowed to be in my own house anymore?” 

That’s not what I asked.  “Actually, no, you’re not. I heard the officers tell you that you had to stay at the police station until the investigation was over.” 

“Well, they didn’t find anything against me, so they let me go.” 

Shoto’s frown turns into a glare. “Or you just paid them to keep quiet, like you’ve done my whole life. Move out of my way.” 

Enji doesn’t budge, still scowling down at his son. “You didn’t answer my original question. Who were you talking to on the phone?” 

“A friend from school. Now move so I can leave.” 

“A friend from school made Fuyumi cry? I saw her leaving your room before I came to talk to you.” Shoto freezes so he pushes harder. “What is your friend’s name?”  He’s hiding something, and I’m going to find out what sooner or later.  

C’mon, Shoto, think of something. “ His name is Kei. And I don’t know why Fuyumi was crying. She came to tell me lunch was ready and then she left.” 

He’s definitely lying to me. “ Fine.” Enji huffs out and finally steps out of the way, his eye never leaving Shoto as he walks down the hall towards the kitchen. He takes out his own phone and sends a text to his most recent contact.  Let’s see how long he can keep this up.  

Shoto grabs a plate of food and glances around to make sure his father isn’t near before turning to Fuyumi. “When did he get here? Did he say anything to you?” She forces a small smile but he can tell she’s uncomfortable. They sit across from each other at the table. 

“I don’t know. He didn’t say anything, though. He ignored me to go straight to you.” She takes a deep breath and closes her eyes momentarily, keeping herself calm. Opening her eyes again, she reaches out and places her hand over Shoto’s. “What did he talk to you about?” 

“Who I was on the phone with. I made up a lie about it being a friend from school.” 

Before either of them can say anything else, Natsuo walks in with an angry expression. “Why is  he  in our house? He’s not supposed to be here.” 

Shoto frowns and picks at his food. “He probably paid off the police.” 

Natsuo grabs a sandwich from the counter and sits next to Fuyumi, setting his hand down on the table a little too hard. “I’m sick of him acting like he can do whatever he wants just because he’s the number one hero and rich. I want him out of my life.” The other two nod in agreement as they eat. 

It’s quiet for several minutes before Enji walks in and tries to eat with them. Natsuo storms out of the room, Shoto glares at the man before calmly walking away, Fuyumi freezes and stares intently at her plate as she slowly finishes her food. The rest of the day in the Todoroki household is filled with tension as the siblings do their best to avoid Enji.

Shoto lies on his bed that evening with his phone in his hands, his thumb hovering over the call button. After debating with himself for a minute, he finally presses it. It rings twice before a soft voice comes through the speaker. 

 
“Shoto?” 

 
“Hi, mom.” 

“Hi, dear. Did you eat dinner?” 

Shoto smiles to himself and rolls onto his right side. “I did. Natsuo and Fuyumi didn’t want to cook so they had curry delivered. Did you eat?” 

There’s a soft laugh. “You know my doctors won’t let me go without a meal. I had chicken stir fry.” 

“Mhm. That sounds good.” He goes quiet for a minute before hesitantly bringing up the reason he called. “Dad came home today.” There’s a sharp inhale but otherwise his mom doesn’t say anything yet. “He told me the police didn’t have any evidence against him so they let him go, but ... I don’t believe him. There’s more than enough evidence to have something done about him.”