Work Text:
April 25th, 20XX
There’s a new guy in our class, a transfer from UA. Seems rough around the edges and like he doesn’t want to be there. He sits right in front of me and never does any of his work. I already hate his guts.
The least he could do is try to pay attention. He makes it harder for me to focus when he’s tapping his pencil on the desk and staring out the window when the teacher calls his name.
It’ll be a long year if he stays in this class.
Future Hero,
Hawks
The first thing Keigo notices when he walks into class the following morning is Touya’s legs stretched out onto the desk in front of his, and his head leaned back onto Keigo’s desk. It’s not a great start to the day. It doesn’t come as a surprise, but it’s not exactly pleasant either. He wants to reprimand him, as the class representative, but he already knows it’s pointless to try. Instead, he sits at his own desk, staring down into Touya’s eyes as he makes absolutely no effort to move from Keigo’s desk.
Keigo places his elbow on the table next to Touya’s head and rests his chin in his hand. They keep eye contact.
“Todoroki-san, right? What’s your deal?” Touya quirks up an eyebrow.
“Why is that any of your business?”
“Mm, maybe because your face is where I normally put my notebook right about now?” Keigo smiles. “Besides, I’m class rep. Might as well get to know our newest addition. It’s been, like, three days, and I know nothing about you, ‘cept for the fact that you’re a huge fan of the window to your left.”
He gets an eye roll from Touya. He doesn’t move his head until class actually begins.
What he does is routine. He slouches across the desks before class starts, doesn’t pay attention during the lessons, leaves to who knows where for the entirety of lunch, and proceeds to somehow give even less attention when they come back. He’s always the first one to leave the room at the end of the day, too. They don’t have to share too many days worth of classes for Keigo to figure that much out.
Touya doesn’t speak all too often, and when he does, it’s crude jokes and snide remarks. It’s annoying. Everything about him is. If Keigo could, he’d lift him up with his feathers and carry him out of the class, ensure that he could never return and disturb the rest of them. It’s a miracle he made it into Shiketsu.
Despite Touya being a distraction, Keigo does his best. He’s top of the class, right next to Rumi. He refuses to lose his place up there.
Nothing much changes in the next few days. Keigo doesn’t talk to him, and Touya doesn’t change his behaviour.
It’s interesting watching him, though. There’s no one in the class quite like him. Everyone is already close-knit, friendly, and loud with each other, but he’s… not. He doesn’t seem very willing to make things work either.
Yeah, the year will definitely be long at this rate.
May 1st, 20XX
He’s finally started talking to our other classmates. Not a whole lot, but it’s better than how it was in the first few days. It doesn’t seem like anyone likes him right now. Honestly, I don’t blame them.
Does he care that he’s in another top school? I don’t understand why he’s here.
Future Hero,
Hawks
Their first major English exam is the upcoming Friday. Keigo's still been studying, competing for the number one spot with Rumi as always. Meanwhile, Touya doesn’t seem to be doing a thing. He actually feels a little bit of concern for the guy. He doubts that Touya pays enough attention to get a very high score.
Maybe it’s the reason he’s a former UA student.
...No, that felt rude to assume. There are far more classes to get into, rather than just the hero course that most try to enroll for. Maybe he transferred to Shiketsu’s hero course because the hero courses were already filled over there.
Everyone had their own circumstances that lead them to getting where they were now; Keigo's no exception to the rule. He shakes off the thought and goes back to studying. He can’t let Touya get into his head like this.
And yet, it doesn’t feel like he can. He’s off his game for this exam, and the concern he once felt turns into frustration. During the test, it’s all he can think about. He looks up to see Touya in front of him and wonders every passing second how he can know anything on the paper when he never pays attention.
It’s not a shock to him when Touya finishes first, but he keeps the bitter thought to himself. He has to finish his own test; he can think about Touya later.
He finishes, and no surprise, his mind falls right back onto Touya. It stays there for the rest of the day, too. Touya and his apathy. Touya and his silence. Touya and those blue eyes that never seem to stray from the window. Keigo gets the chance to breathe and focus on something else when the weekend finally comes. He’s given some time out of the classroom and away from the only thing that seems to be on his mind.
Until the results of their English exam come in that Monday. Touya got the highest score.
Keigo doesn’t know what to make of it. He watched Touya enough to know he didn’t cheat during the test, so maybe he did know all the material. It’s not the conclusion Keigo wants to come to, but it seems to be the most likely. That frustration dissolves into guilt.
While everyone’s discussing what they got, he makes a point to get Touya’s attention. It would be embarrassing to apologise for thoughts he never expressed, but...
“Hey,” Keigo says, “Congrats on your score.” Touya looks at him. He seems surprised by the comment.
“Thanks.” All the tension fades right out of him. It’s not a smile on his face, but it’s something. Keigo's heart skips a beat at the sight of something softer than what he’s seen from Touya before.
Maybe it’s the nice comment that sets their relationship off in the right direction, or maybe it’s something else. All Keigo knows is that it’s easier to talk to him after that. The brief feeling of guilt is completely gone.
They start by talking in the mornings before class. Touya’s snarkiness never fades away, but Keigo quickly learns that it’s just part of his personality. He ignores the people he doesn’t want to speak with, and he’s not particularly kind to those he does want to talk to. Once he gets past that, it’s easier getting along with him.
Those morning conversations turn into lunchtime chats and talks on the way home. It turns out that they don’t live too far from each other. Keigo always turns on a street a few before Touya’s, but Touya mentioned once that he lives another two blocks down.
It’s only been one school week, but it feels like it’s been longer. He’s already gotten used to Touya’s body language and nonverbal cues, a few of the subtle things that others probably haven’t picked up on yet. It’s easy to understand him with a bit of effort.
By the end of the week, they’re already getting along far better than Keigo hoped. He’s starting to get used to Touya by his side, so it’s almost strange in the moments that they’re not together. It’s no exception when, that Friday, Touya walks out of the classroom and turns away from him.
“Aren’t you coming?” Keigo asks.
“I have to make a quick stop. I’ll meet you there.”
“Ah, I’ll grab your lunch.”
“Thanks.” Touya smiles a bit and walks off. Keigo's left walking alongside Rumi to the lunch room.
“You and Touya are looking awfully close.”
“And? He’s my friend.”
Rumi raises an eyebrow. “Friend, huh? Whatever makes you happy, Keigo.” She places a hand on his head and ruffles his hair, a smile blooming on her face.
Friends. It does make him happy.
May 10th, 20XX
This guy’s not so bad. He’s actually pretty smart, despite the way he acts. He hasn’t shown off his quirk though, always absent during our training. It makes me wonder whether or not he wants to be a hero.
Anyway. He’s kinda funny, in his own way. My mornings are better when I hear his jokes. I think I’m starting to like him more. He’s a good friend.
Future Hero,
Hawks
Their classmates start to pick up on Keigo's favouritism, regardless of how hard he tries to hide it. He doesn’t care, really; it only means that he has more attention on him than usual. As long as Touya doesn’t mind, he’s happy.
Sure, at first Touya seemed like the typical uncooperative rebel, but the more Keigo gets to know him, the more he realises he’s more of a troubled, timid kid. He doesn’t know anything about his past or why he’s at Shiketsu instead of UA, but none of that matters in the moment. What matters the most is the fact that he’s here next to Keigo, now.
Rumi’s the first person to say something to him, in a rare moment that Touya’s not around. He said he had to meet with one of their teachers about an assignment, so Keigo was left without him for lunch. It doesn’t come as a surprise that he’s the topic of conversation though.
“He’s kinda rude.” She says.
“That doesn’t mean he’s a bad guy.”
“True,” Rumi pauses, looking at him. “I guess you and your massive crush would know better than I do.” Keigo nearly chokes on his food.
“My what ?!”
“Don’t act surprised now, little birdie.” Her grin is devious. Keigo refuses to look at her for the rest of lunch, as she goes on and on about all the reasons why, of course, he would have feelings for Touya. He shoves it all away for the time being.
He doesn’t think about it for the rest of the day. Not even when Touya is right in front of him, taking notes during the lecture in their next class. He makes a point to stay entirely focused on his work until the very last minute of the day.
Then, like a switch, his attention is immediately back onto Touya. The first question on his mind—and what he asks—is why he was away for lunch. It turns out Touya had met with their hero ethics teacher about the essay they had due at the end of the month. It required a fair amount of research and a good grasp on the concepts they had learned so far.
“We should grab a meal and work on that essay together.”
“I don’t know about that.”
“C’mon! Food and studying is the best combo out there. We can go to the McDonald’s down the road.” Touya rolls his eyes and shoves Keigo's shoulder.
“But McDonald’s? Their food isn’t that good.”
“Yes, McDonald’s. That’s all I’m willing to get.”
“Fine.”
So, they go to McDonald’s. Touya isn’t exactly pleased on the way there, but he ends up ordering more food than Keigo does. They spread out their books and food on a table and start getting to work.
It’s relatively quiet for a while as they go through all the material chapter by chapter, asking each other review questions as they progress. In the moments of silence, they’re back to eating food, Touya enjoying his meal more than Keigo thought he would. Maybe that’s the reason he’s not entirely focused on what he’s grabbing.
“Hey! That fry was mine.”
“Are you kidding me?” Touya raises an eyebrow. “It was on my side of the tray.”
“But it fell from my fry pod. Sides of the tray don’t matter. It’s about where the fry came from.”
“Yeah, whatever.” He reaches over and takes a fry from Keigo's fry pod. He eats it without breaking eye contact.
“You’re mean, Todoroki-san.”
“Just call me Touya. I hate being called by my family name.” The remark catches him off guard.
“Oh. Touya then.”
They fall back into a cycle of bickering and studying, and to Keigo, it feels perfectly right. Sure, he got a nice review of the material they went over, but spending that time with Touya felt more important than any ethics studies. He goes home hopeful that day.
May 21st, 20XX
I’m starting to like Touya’s company. It’s like every time I show up to class, I expect him to be there, right in front of me. I get panicked when he doesn’t show up to class early. I miss him during training too. I don’t get why his presence matters so much.
I don’t get it.
Future Hero,
Hawks
They have a math exam the next week. With break less than two months out, it seems that all of their teachers are pushing them harder and harder. It’s difficult keeping up between quirk training and typical teaching, but Keigo tries to keep himself up at the top with Touya and Rumi nonetheless. He has no doubt in his mind that he can accomplish it.
Touya, however, feels differently. It’s the end of the school day when he expresses his worries about the exam in the form of a muttered ‘how the hell are we supposed to remember all that by next week?’. Keigo sees that as an opportunity.
“You can come over and study for the exam at my place.” He asks before he can take it back. Touya looks over at him, a little surprised.
“Really?”
“Of course. Are you busy for the rest of the afternoon?” Keigo watches him pack up all of his things. Touya thinks on it for a moment, then replies with a soft ‘no’. “Cool, you’re coming over today.”
Is his heart racing? Yes. Is he almost certain he’s stopped breathing? Also yes. But, on the plus side, at least Touya is coming with him.
The walk to Keigo's home is peaceful. The sun is high in the sky, and with summer quickly approaching, it’s perfectly warm out. The cherry blossom trees had already lost a majority of their petals, but Keigo notices the occasional spot of pink here and there. It’s a lot easier to notice the smaller details of their surroundings with the quiet between them.
It’s hard staying silent on the walk, though. Touya seems content in the quiet, but Keigo gets restless. He attempts to strike up a conversation with what’s on his mind.
“So… do you like anyone from our class?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, is there anyone in our class that you’d consider a, uh, friend?” He tries not to look over at Touya while he answers. He doesn’t want to see the look on his face. He should’ve thought of a better question to ask.
“Aside from you and Usagiyama? No.” His heart skips a beat, even with the mention of Rumi in there. He did ask about friends alone.
“Maybe you should meet Tatsuma-san? Rumi’s girlfriend. She’s pretty cool.” Touya hums, and their conversation ends there.
It’s silent the rest of the way to Keigo's house. Silent as they walk into his house and Touya gets a look around, too. Complete, utter silence while they walk down the hall and into Keigo's bedroom, setting down their things. Touya takes his jacket off and sets it down on the floor, by the bed. He starts going through his bag while Keigo sifts through his own.
“Sorry, I forgot my textbook. Can I borrow yours?” Touya finally asks.
“Oh, sure thing.” Keigo digs through his bag until he finds it. He sets it down on the bed along with the rest of the study materials he needs. He sits down, motioning for Touya to sit next to him.
They sit close to each other on the bed, textbook balanced between their legs. It’s not too bad like this, Keigo concludes. They effectively start going through the material bit by bit, taking notes once everything is fully understood.
Keigo's not sure how long they actually study like this. It’s efficient, smooth, and Touya’s admittedly a great study partner. He recites what they’d gone over in class, talks about parts of the book that Keigo hadn’t bothered to read quite yet, and his notes are cleaner than anything he’s seen before.
They both reach to turn the page in his textbook. Their fingers accidentally touch, and Keigo's heart nearly jumps out of his chest.
He can’t make it through a study session alive now, can he?
“You alright, Takami?”
“Y-yeah, of course. And, uh, call me Keigo.” He keeps his eyes trained on the book in front of them. The words have all turned into hieroglyphics. Even as they sit in silence and look at the textbook in front of them, it feels impossible to focus. All Keigo wants to do is watch him instead.
So he does. It’s just a quick glance up, at first. Nothing Touya would notice, and then he’s looking right back to the book.
...and then back at Touya again. Purely to see how concentrated he is on studying, of course. It’s important that they’re both taking in the material at hand, yes?
One more look, just for good measure. He’s focused. That’s good.
And another, thirty seconds later. Still very much on task.
But maybe-
“Keigo, what are you doing?”
“What?” He locks eyes with Touya. Shit.
“Why do you keep looking at me?” He needs to find an excuse. He takes in all of Touya’s features before he decides on a reason.
Slowly, he reaches over and pushes Touya’s hair out of his face. His breath catches in his throat, but the thought in mind stays the same. I can’t see your eyes when you cover them with your hair like that.
Keigo has to swallow, avert his gaze, then bring his eyes back up before he can speak properly.
“How can you see with your bangs in front of your eyes? We uh… you need to see to read the textbook, y’know.” He asks. Touya’s pale; it makes it easy to see the red that creeps up over his cheeks and matches the shade of his hair.
“Oh…”
Neither of them can focus after that. Twenty minutes pass, and the textbook stays on the same page. Keigo keeps trying to write down notes and solve equations, but it’s pointless. He’s not getting anywhere with Touya next to him. Touya’s warm enough that he can feel it even with a bit of distance between them. He’s overly aware of the smell of his cologne, the near-silent sound of his breathing—everything about him is overwhelming.
Only when it starts to get noticeably dark outside does Touya clear his throat and move away.
“It’s getting late. I should probably head home.” He looks reluctant, but Keigo helps him pack up his things anyway.
They didn’t accomplish all too much at the end. It was more like an hour of awkwardly sitting next to each other and trying to read, despite how well they worked together directly before that. Keigo at least has the courtesy to walk him to the front door.
“I’ll see you tomorrow?”
“Yeah, see you tomorrow, Keigo.” Touya actually gives him a smile as he walks away. He was unsure at first, but that couldn’t have been anything other than a smile. It leaves his heart racing as he makes his way back to his bedroom.
He doesn’t want to overreact to something that could barely be qualified as studying, but this has to be a step forward, right? He flops down on his bed and thinks it over.
After a fair bit of staring up at his ceiling and trying to calm his thoughts, he gets up from his bed to get change into his nightwear. It’s when he stands up that he feels something under his foot. He picks it up and immediately feels his heart stop again.
Touya left his jacket in his room.
Why is he so fascinated by this? Why does he lift it up and take a deep breath in, knowing it’ll smell like the cologne he always wears? Why does the scent make him so happy?
Maybe he does like Touya.
June 4th, 20XX
Touya didn’t show up for class today.
Concerned Hero,
Hawks
The day without him was unbearably long. Rumi was there, sure, but something about the lack of Touya was… unsettling. Keigo doesn’t like it. He was uncomfortable without the friend he’s grown close to in such a short amount of time. He still has hope for the next day, at the very least.
Keigo walks into class the next day with his hope in tact.
Touya’s sitting upright at his desk, with his notebook and pen out in front of him. It’s the first thing that Keigo notices, then the bandages covering his arms and neck. His hair is black now. No one has the audacity to comment on it.
It’s not easy paying attention that morning. Touya’s sitting in front of him, taking notes in class for the first time this term. The sight has his stomach tying itself in knots.
He’s silent. Not once does he look out of the window to his left. Not once does he interrupt the lesson or mutter something disrespectful under his breath. When their teachers swap so the next class can begin, he doesn’t leave his seat, nor does he turn to talk to anyone. He sits there like a doll.
Lunchtime finally comes around. He gets up, and Keigo follows him out of the room.
The number of questions in his head is endless. He doesn’t know where to start, but he has the decency to bring it up to Touya when they’re tucked away in the corner of an empty room with their lunches, away from anyone that could hear them. He waits a short moment before asking the first question that comes to mind.
“What happened yesterday?”
“It’s nothing that concerns you,” Touya sighs, “Not everything has to be your information, Keigo.”
“I know, but-” Keigo cuts himself off. He bites down on his lip. Touya looks at him, knowing he’ll finish off what he has to say. “I care about you. I don’t know what happened, but it scared me when you were gone yesterday. It wasn’t reassuring to see you like this today either.”
They don’t touch their food. It’s sitting on the desk as a reminder that it’s lunchtime, but that’s it. Eating is too hard. The time continues to tick by without them doing anything or progressing in their conversation. Keigo can’t ask the questions that seem a bit too difficult to answer, and Touya doesn’t want to talk about what happened. The hour is spent anxiously taking in each others’ presence.
When they both get up at the chime of a bell to return to their room, Keigo manages to ask one last question.
“Can you come over again today? Please?” Touya’s silent, but he doesn’t open the door just yet. He turns to look at Keigo. He can’t read the look on Touya’s face, even after he says yes and makes his way back to the classroom.
It’s harder focusing then. All he does is toss around all the questions in his head another eighty times. He doesn’t know what he’s getting himself into by making more time to talk to Touya about his situation, but his only hope is that it does something for the good of them both.
The walk home at the end of the day is tense. Keigo's anxious to get into his house and start asking Touya everything he thought over in the privacy of his room, but he knows Touya doesn’t feel the same.
Is he being too pushy by doing this? Or is it not too much, considering Touya agreed to this happening? But was that under the assumption that Keigo wouldn’t be asking him anything else? He doesn’t know.
He still doesn’t, even when they’re both sitting on the edge of his bed. Touya is silent, and Keigo is unsure of what to say, after all the hours of contemplation. It takes a little while, but Touya is the one to break the silence between them.
“My quirk’s too strong,” he starts, “I don’t want to hurt anyone, but clearly, it doesn’t always turn out that way. My father was upset that I hadn’t been training at Shiketsu, so...”
Touya trails off, leaving Keigo to respond in some way. He’s speechless, but he knows he needs to take the pained look off of his face.
“Can I… check on your bandages?” He forces himself to swallow down the lump in his throat and wills himself to watch for Touya’s reaction.
“I guess.” His expression doesn’t change, but he seems hesitant when he sticks his arms out for Keigo. Slowly, Keigo starts to take off one of the bandages.
He’s careful unravelling each one, watching to be sure that he doesn’t hurt him. He slows when they’re almost off, gently setting them aside.
The burns are horrific. His skin is no longer smooth, marred by dark red and deep shades of purple. It’s hard to take in the sight, but nonetheless, he goes and grabs some fresh bandages from his bathroom, coming back and redressing his wounds. If he’s in any sort of pain while Keigo works to cover his wounds, he doesn’t say. He’s completely speechless, right through the end.
Keigo takes Touya’s hand into his own, thumb barely brushing over the edge of his bandages. He’s not always the best at words, but...
“I’ll protect you.”
June 12th, 20XX
I think we’re getting somewhere. Touya talks to me more now. He seems more comfortable.
He hasn’t been late or absent from class since that last time.
I hope this means something good.
Future Hero,
Hawks
Keigo doesn’t return his jacket, despite being with him that night. He’s not so sure why he keeps it at first, but he finds that it brings him comfort. It smells like Touya, and it’s warmer than his own jacket. He doesn’t do anything too strange; he holds it when he’s upset and could use a bit of reassurance from someone—or in this case, some thing.
He starts fantasizing after that. All that’s ever on his mind now is Touya and every possibility of what he could do.
Would it be too much to pin him against the wall with one of his feathers? Maybe? Probably. Yes.
How far is too far with quirk-related pick up lines? At what point will Touya start to find him creepy? Jokes about burning hot love are definitely too far for the time being, but that doesn’t mean he can’t joke about the way Touya makes his heart soar… right?
He wants to ask Touya to come back over to his house, but at what cost?
“Takami. Answer to number twenty seven.”
“Huh?” He snaps his head back to the front of the classroom. He hadn’t even noticed they were going over homework questions.
When did he become the one failing to pay attention in class instead of Touya? The boy in front of him is the one to raise his hand and answer questions, offer to write things on the board, talk with their classmates between classes. It’s completely different from the Touya he’d met just some weeks prior.
Even so, he finds that he likes this Touya. He wants to spend time with the one that talks with their other classmates, that jokes and pokes fun at Keigo, that casually shows off how incredible of a student he is.
That doesn’t mean he’s unwilling to be around any version of Touya, though. It’s the end of the week when Keigo feels something is off again. Touya’s in class, but he doesn’t seem to fully be there with everyone. When Keigo brings it up during lunch, he avoids the topic. He refuses to talk about it.
At the end of the day, Touya stops him on the way out the door. He doesn’t make eye contact, but he doesn’t need to for Keigo to know how serious he is about what he’s going to say.
“I don’t want to go home.”
“Come home with me. Stay the night.” Keigo suggests. Touya’s debating on it. He shifts from foot to foot, then finally lets out a deep exhale.
“Okay.”
Their walk home is different than normal. The reason is clear, but it doesn’t ease the mild discomfort Keigo feels, knowing something is wrong. He doesn’t want to pry, force any uncomfortable information out of Touya, but if it’s anything like the last time he saw him like this, it’s nothing good.
There’s no stop at the front door when they get to Keigo's home. They walk right into his bedroom. Touya visibly relaxes the moment he sits on his bed; he already looks more exhausted than he did seconds before.
“You can stay the night as much as you need to, Touya,” Keigo tells him, before he can stop himself from speaking, “It’s not like my parents are around, anyway. If you ever need a place to go, you can always come here. You don’t have to tell me why.”
He reaches over and tucks a lock of that black hair behind his ear. Once again, that bright shade of red blooms over his cheeks. Keigo can’t help but smile.
“Don’t you only have one bed?” Touya asks.
“Yeah, but it’s fine. We can share.” No, it’s not really fine, at least for the sake of his heart. There’s no way he’s going to pass up the opportunity to be physically closer to Touya, though.
He yearns for that comfort he’s been feeling by keeping his jacket. He wants to keep Touya by his side, even if the reason that he’s staying isn’t quite the best. This is a way to protect him.
“You can worry about grabbing your stuff from your place tomorrow. Just stay here with me tonight.” He adds on. Quietly, Keigo sits next to him on the bed, placing his hand over Touya’s.
Touya doesn’t try to keep himself awake. It’s not close to evening yet, but that doesn’t matter; he clearly needs the rest. As much as Keigo wants to let him sleep on his shoulder, he manages to lay him down on the bed. He finds the jacket that he left and lays it on him, brushing his hair off of his forehead.
“Good night, Touya.”
It takes all his willpower not to keep Touya in his arms the entire night.
June 19th, 20XX
I haven’t slept properly in days.
Help me.
Sleep Deprived Hero,
Hawks
It’s an adjustment having Touya stay at his place most of the time, but it’s not a bad change.
He gets used to an increasing amount of Touya’s clothing in his closet, the other toothbrush in the holder next to his, the added food in the kitchen, the extra pair of shoes by the door. It doesn’t take long before he starts making sure everything of Touya’s is right there next to his.
Keigo begins to notice other details about him, now that they live in the same space. It starts with the little things. He’s not much taller than Keigo and only a little heavier, but the difference is a lot more clear when they sleep side by side. His body temperature is always above average and leaves a warm spot on the bed, and he sheds a lot of hair on the pillowcases. The distinct scent of his cologne makes Keigo reluctant to wash the sheets, even though he knows they’ll start to smell like him again in a night’s time.
The blue of his eyes is brightest at the earliest signs of daybreak. When the sky is fully up in the sky, you can notice the freckles along the bridge of his nose and faintly along his cheeks. His hair always sticks up in all directions, no matter what amount of effort is put into taming it. It’s worst (best) when he has bedhead and towel drying it after a shower.
Touya’s a picky eater, on a separate note. He’s particular about the way his sushi is prepared. He likes hot soba exclusively, never cold. What Keigo least expected is how much of a sweet tooth he has. At first, it was a bit confusing to see how quickly the sweets in the kitchen were disappearing until he started catching Touya eating them while studying. He’s reminded himself now to grab more from the store for him.
Keigo's also found out that Touya isn’t much of a morning person, but he always wakes up after Keigo makes him a cup of coffee. He likes it with far more sugar and creamer than Keigo assumed he would, but it’s less of a surprise after linking him to the disappearing sweets.
They walk to and from the school together now. There’s no point in walking separately when they always have the same places to go. They spend every waking minute of the day together, even inseparable at school.
It seems like Touya is oblivious to Keigo's observations. He never asks about it when Keigo is staring at him throughout the day. The only time he ever averts his gaze is right after a shower, but he’d be lying to himself if he thought it wasn’t a struggle.
In class, it’s near impossible to pay attention with Touya sitting right in front of him. He’s been a distraction before, yeah, but this is different. Now Keigo knows things about him. He knows all about his eating habits and the fact that he can’t wake up quickly in the mornings. Keigo knows that he always holds something in his sleep, and that he has a bit of an issue with privacy too.
When they’re not in class, he’s going through Keigo's belongings, bit by bit. He’s not very fond of Keigo's Endeavour merch, but they’ve started to move it to a spare room, at least. He asks a lot about the few family pictures he has around along with other items from Keigo's childhood. He doesn’t mind the constant questioning. Well, for the most part.
“What’s this?”
“That’s my hero journal- don’t open it!” He launches himself at Touya, snatching the book from him the moment he opens the front cover.
“Whoa, why’re you getting so defensive?” Touya raises an eyebrow, hands up in the air.
“It’s none of your business. You can look through anything else in this place, but my hero journal is for me alone. Okay…?”
“Okay, sorry.” Touya leaves it at that.
It’s almost endearing how curious he is. A little anxiety-inducing when he finds some of Keigo's more private belongings, but even in those times, it’s cute.
They went from casual friends to whatever they have now which, granted, is undefined but most definitely appreciated. Keigo is grateful that they have this unique friendship thing going on, absolutely. It keeps him from thinking of Touya in any other way.
Because they’re just friends.
Friends, living together, sharing a bed and a shower and meals together.
Close friends without any attraction.
Keigo's pretty secure in this fact. Why in the world would he question what they have?
“Sorry, forgot to bring my clothes with me.” Keigo looks up from the bed, snapped out of his endless stream of thoughts. There’s nothing but a towel wrapped loosely around Touya’s hips. He gapes. He doesn’t mean to, but it’s the first reaction his brain can come up with.
Touya is… hot. He was always attractive, but this is different. He’s all toned muscle, and even with his injuries, his skin looks flawless. He wants to soak in the sight in front of him for as long as he can, but it’s then that he notes that Touya hasn’t moved. His eyes snap back up to a considerably more red face.
“Are you alright, Keigo?”
“Um, yeah, sorry.” He manages to look away. He can hear Touya walking into the room and grabbing his clothes. Every ounce of his strength is dedicated to keeping his eyes away from Touya.
“Shower ’s all yours if you need it.” He finally looks back over. Touya’s pulled on sweatpants, but he’s still shirtless.
Keigo doesn’t need to clean himself, but suddenly, a cold shower sounds wonderful.
It really, truly is an adjustment living with Touya.
June 28th, 20XX
I’m going to ask him out to the festival next week. We’re off from class, and it’s the perfect opportunity to show him that fun is something that people can actually have.
Future Hero,
Hawks
He’s not quite sure what piqued his interest in Tanabata in the first place. He never really was a festival kind of guy, but there’s something about the thought of going with Touya that has him determined to make it happen. The only issue seems to be that Touya hasn’t brought it up at all.
Keigo tries to find a decent time to talk to him about it. His first try is over breakfast, after Touya’s had his morning coffee.
“You know there’s the festival next week?”
“I’ve never been to one of them before.” Touya shrugs. The news is music to his ears. Keigo figures it’s the perfect time to take the dive.
“Maybe I could take you.” Touya’s face snaps up towards his.
“What? Why?”
“A way to spend some free time?”
“We should probably be studying, you know,” Touya doesn’t seem impressed. “There’s another English exam coming up soon.”
Keigo deadpans. “All we ever do is study.”
“Nothing wrong with that.”
Attempt number one: failure.
They go to class that day with Keigo getting nowhere. He’s fine with that for now; he has a fair bit of time before he definitely has to ask Touya. As long as they have time to prepare, it’s okay. That thought alone is what makes him keep his hopes up as they make it to Shiketsu.
Walking into their classroom is like a slap to the face. Of course the class is talking about the festival too. Why wouldn’t they?
Keigo doesn’t bother bringing it up right then. He’d already tried once earlier. Trying again in the same day felt desperate. When Rumi brings it up to him over lunch, he plays it off. He needs to be casual about his approach.
He waits until he’s cooking one night, in the middle of the following week. Touya’s playing some phone game, sitting in a chair not all too far from him. Keigo clears his throat and says something.
“Ever try the takoyaki they have at festivals?”
“I’m not a fan of octopus.” Of course he’s not. That could barely count as another attempt at asking him.
Would it be bad to ask Rumi for advice? Maybe. He weighs out the options in his head while they eat. He’s always prefered to do things himself, after all. Rumi would be a last resort for sure.
And yet, the days pass by faster and faster. He’s running out of time to ask, and Touya doesn’t seem to be getting the hint. Every time he mentions something about the festival, it goes right over his head. He’s shut down again and again and suddenly, it’s the night before. He’s getting ready for bed when he finally snaps, turning to Touya and blurting out the question.
“Will you please go to the damn festival with me tomorrow?” Keigo's face burns red.
“Why didn’t you just ask me directly?” If he couldn’t fly, he’d jump out the window. Touya turns away from him to respond, and he’s grateful for that. “I’ll go with you.”
Thank God.
July 7th, 20XX
If I never write in here again, assume I died of a heart attack.
Maybe Not Future Hero,
Hawks
Keigo wakes up early the morning of the festival. It’s no surprise that Touya is still asleep then. While he’s sleeping, Keigo makes him coffee and cooks a decent breakfast. He wants to make it a good day for both of them, right from the start.
It’s nothing fancy, but Touya is appreciative when he wakes up. They eat in peace, having a casual conversation about what to expect from the festival when they go for the evening. Touya seems happy. That’s all he can ask for.
The afternoon goes smoothly as well. Touya gets a bit of time to study, and that gives Keigo time to breathe and convince himself that the night will go well. Before long, the afternoon is over, and it’s already time to leave.
He leaves Touya alone in the bedroom while bringing his own change of clothes into the bathroom. He splashes cold water on his face and convinces himself to stop panicking before he can start doing so. There’s no way the night could go wrong when the entire morning and afternoon has gone according to plan.
Everything will be fine. He feels good and looks good too, wearing all red to compliment his wings. Unless a meteor comes to strike their exact location, there’s nothing that could possibly go wrong.
Keigo's mostly reassured of all this when he leaves the bathroom. He knocks on the bedroom door for Touya and watches him open it. He’s in a soft blue yukata, white flowers running up along the side of it. His hair is pushed back, showing the red roots that have started to grow back in.
It steals his breath away. He’s seen Touya in his uniform, in casual clothing, bundled up to keep warm, and in next to nothing. Seeing him in something so gorgeous is a new sight, and—
“You’re perfect…”
“Wh-what?” Keigo's eyes widen. Definitely not his intention to say that aloud.
“I-I said are you ready to go?” Nice save. Touya doesn’t ask anything about his previous statement. He nods, and with that, they leave the house.
It’s not a long trip to the festival grounds. They walk side by side, but Keigo keeps his mouth shut on the way there. He lets Touya enjoy the peace of a quiet stroll, knowing it’ll probably be crowded and noisy by the time they make it.
The first sign that they’ve made it is the lanterns hanging in the trees. Keigo didn’t plan on rushing right in initially, but he takes Touya’s hand and pulls him along anyway. Seeing the warm lights is enough by itself to get him excited.
They start walking by all the vendors. Touya says that he doesn’t want to eat anything so far. He’s happy enough walking with Keigo and checking out the scenery. Beyond the decorations are happy couples, holding hands; there’s families with their children, trying to keep them occupied as they walk. A few people wander through the festival alone, but even they seem lively on their own.
“Are you sure you don’t want any yakitori, Touya?”
“Very sure.” Touya looks happy like this. Even so, Keigo makes sure to stop and get him something sweet as they walk. As much as he might deny wanting something to eat, it doesn’t take much convincing to make him accept a dessert.
Coloured paper and bright lights surround them. The chatter of other people becomes pleasant background noise. He feels at home here with Touya, but something is missing. A minute later, it clicks. He stops by some of the bamboo decorations with a smile.
“Here, write a wish with me. Then we can find a place to sit down.” Keigo hands him a piece of paper and a spare pen, turning away from him to write his wish. He doesn’t have to think about what he wants. While Touya keeps writing, he hangs his paper onto the tree, letting out a soft breath.
They walk along the street when Touya is finished placing his paper. It’s not all too long before they find a lake to sit beside. It’s an hour before the fireworks will start, but away from the constant commotion and bustle of people, Keigo knows he’ll be more than fine with silence for as long as Touya is.
Touya’s not the most talkative guy he’s met. He’s gotten used to that much in the last couple months. Hearing the hustle of the festival behind them is enough for him. It’s a fair amount of time before Touya says anything.
“You want to be a hero, right?” Touya asks him, “What’ll be your hero name?”
“Hawks!” Keigo spreads his wings out wide, feathers casting shadows over Touya. “I’d like to think I’m already pretty far ahead of the game, but I’m sure I’ll be a pro in no time.” Touya shifts closer to him, just enough to touch the feathers behind him. It makes Keigo's breath catch in his throat.
Touya’s comfortable here. Relaxed, leaning back against his wing, staring out at the lake in front of them. The sight nearly makes Keigo forget how to speak. He’s quieter when he finally finds a question to ask Touya.
“What about you? Aren’t you going to be a hero?”
“I don’t think so. My quirk isn’t fit for it.”
“You can always get support items if you want to,” Keigo looks at him. His heart races as he continues, “I want you to be a hero alongside me.”
“I don’t need to be a hero,” Touya pauses, meeting his eyes. “I think I’ll be happy enough watching you, Keigo.”
“Really?” He’s grateful that the dark of night can hide how red his face must be.
“Really.”
Silently, he places a hand over Touya’s. Touya opens his mouth to say something more, but whatever he’s about to say is cut off by the first, loud clap of the fireworks above them. Keigo can feel the boom of them right in his chest. It melts into the rhythm his heart is already beating as he intertwines their fingers.
They don’t speak to one another through them. It’s enough being in each other’s company for those minutes. The show of lights is gorgeous, but Keigo can’t put aside the meaning. All that’s on his mind is the story of the two star-crossed lovers, allowed to meet on this one night. They might not have a happy beginning, but in this moment, they’re at peace. His heart pounds harder in his chest at the thought.
He looks back to Touya when the fireworks end. He can almost see the reflection of the night sky in his eyes like this. He lets Touya have his moment, not wanting to disturb him. Still, it’s a surprise when he looks over to Keigo with a smile brighter than anything he’d seen in the months before.
“Thanks, Hawks. For… tonight.”
He’s speechless. Whether it’s the name he used or Touya himself, he’s not so sure. The festival lights dance across Touya’s face, softening his features and everything else around them. He doesn’t need a camera to remember the sight right in front of him.
Slowly, carefully, Keigo pulls him into a kiss. He feels Touya gasp against his lips, but he doesn’t pull away. His hand lightly shakes when he rests it on the back of Keigo’s neck, pulling him in closer.
He’s warm, and Keigo commits the feeling of his lips to memory. All he’s capable of thinking of is Touya and just how perfect he is.
Hero or not, a future with him sounds incredible.
July 7th, 20XX
I told him I love him. He loves me too.
I guess my wish came true after all.
His Hero,
Hawks