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Fuyumi didn’t start drinking coffee until she met Hawks.
She almost always had tea first thing in the morning while she prepared breakfast and went through her morning planner for her classes. Even when she was younger, she spent her morning with tea and homework. It was a familiar, comfortable routine. The only person in their house who drank coffee was Touya, and he drained the pot before anyone could have a cup. Everyone else drank tea, even Shouto, who often sat at the table with her while she did her work until his quirk manifested.
She wasn’t sure where Hawks got the idea that she was a coffee drinker, but he was very persistent in bringing her one at least once a week. Not in an annoying way, of course – if she wanted him to leave her alone, he would step back immediately – but she didn’t understand what he was doing. It wasn’t like she needed caffeine first thing when she woke up since she was a morning person. Yet there he was, showing up to her class and knocking on her door with a smile on his face and coffee in his hand.
“Don’t you have somewhere else you need to be?” Fuyumi asked, not meanly.
Hawks leaned against her desk and shrugged carelessly. “I’ve been working twenty hours straight, so I figured I could do with a break, and I was in the neighborhood.”
Fuyumi’s eyes widened. “Twenty hours? Hawks, you need to rest!”
“Eh, I’ll be fine,” Hawks replied, holding out the coffee to her.
“You sure you don’t need that?” Fuyumi asked tentatively.
“I drank mine on the way.”
Considering he still had the energy to be this chipper, he must have had one big cup. Despite her reservation and concern for him, she took the coffee and murmured her thanks. The cup was warm in her hands but not unpleasantly so. The fly here must’ve cooled it off somewhat. She took a sip and sighed in contentment at the sweet drink. He’d learned through trial and error that she preferred her drinks on the sweet side.
It was another twenty minutes before kids would be arriving. She liked to get to school early so she could set things up. Sure, it might’ve only been a kindergarten class, but she tried to pay special attention to each child. This was a strange time for many of them with their quirks manifesting at random. She knew their quirks, their strengths, their struggles. She spoke with them individually if it seemed like there was a problem.
(If only someone had done that with Touya or Shouto, then maybe…)
“You really should take care of yourself more,” Fuyumi said, setting the coffee down on her desk.
“Worried about me?” Hawks grinned. “I’m flattered.”
“Well, it’s hard to do hero work when you’re sleepy,” Fuyumi pointed out.
Hawks chuckled. “Touche.”
Fuyumi eyed him carefully. There didn’t seem to be anything wrong with him. He didn’t look especially tired, but there was a hint of shadows under his eyes. It didn’t look like exhaustion so much as… Stress? Flippant as he might be, he still held the title of Number Two Hero, and it was not an easy job. Maybe he really did need a break, although she wasn’t sure why he would want to come here for it, even if these mornings were quite nice.
“Seriously, what are you doing here, Hawks?” she asked point-blank.
“Is straightforwardness a Todoroki trait?” Hawks countered.
Fuyumi didn’t respond, but she kept her face soft. It might’ve been one for all she knew. She was better about it than her brothers, but she also had a habit of putting her foot in her mouth at times. It was not a trait shared by Hawks, who might’ve been the most indirect person she ever met. Sometimes, she wondered what he was really like – if he really was as carefree as he seemed or if it was just an act – but it was hard to pinpoint. He was so fast that he rarely gave her time to think about it for long.
Hawks stretched out his wings and leaned back, holding onto the edge of the desk. “Would you believe me if I said this is one of the highlights of my week?”
He sounded so sincere that Fuyumi blinked in surprise. “What?”
With a sheepish smile on his face, Hawks rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m always so busy, always on the move, always going. It seems like it’s never gonna end, and when it does–“ He cut himself off, shaking his head. It wasn’t like him to be serious; it really did sound weird. “But you’ve got such a grounding, comforting presence. No wonder your students love you so much. You even manage to mellow out your dad, which, by the way, no one else can do.”
“I couldn’t always do that,” Fuyumi muttered, fiddling with her fingers. She connected eyes with Hawks, a curious look in his eyes, and cleared her throat. “I mean, um, thank you?”
“I noticed it right away – that first time we met at your dad’s agency. Stuck waiting for him to come back and just...talking. I hadn’t even realized I’d spent nearly an hour waiting there. Normally, I’d consider it time wasted, but it didn’t feel like that, so I wanted to thank you.”
Fuyumi nudged her drink. “With coffee.”
“And maybe I wanted to see you again,” Hawks added. “I was curious.”
Rolling her eyes, Fuyumi huffed. “Most people are once they realize whose daughter I am.”
“I was curious about you,” Hawks continued.
“Why?” Fuyumi couldn’t help but ogle him. Hawks was, well, Hawks. He was one of the most popular heroes. With the way his track record was going, give him a few years and he’d be close to reaching Endeavor’s level of solved cases and villain takedowns. That wasn’t an easy feat. Her father had worked tirelessly to get where he was, sacrificed everything (including his family), but Hawks was young and full of life.
And she was… She wasn’t anything. She wouldn’t be a pro hero like Shouto or a doctor like Natsuo. She wouldn’t become a professor at a prestigious university or teacher at a famous school like UA. She worked with four and five-year-olds, cleaned up after them, colored and painted, glued rice on paper, taught them letters and numbers. She wouldn’t make the same impact that they did, and she was okay with that. She was happy where she was now.
Hawks pushed away from her desk, walking over to a wall filled with art she liked to describe as creative. He brushed his fingers against one that looked like it might resemble him, bright red splashed across the paper. “I never went to school like this. It’s fascinating.”
Fuyumi startled. “You never went to school?”
Shaking his head, Hawks continued carefully, “The year I was due to attend school, I was…” He took a breath. “I wouldn’t say I was recruited since I was a kid, but I was taken in by some very forward thinkers. I guess you could say I was homeschooled, but I used to dream about attending school with other kids. It seemed...nice.”
“That’s…” She didn’t know what to say. Was it sad? He didn’t seem upset by it. That was just his life. The feeling echoed in Fuyumi, making her heart skip a beat.
“I’ve seen the way you’re with your students,” Hawks said. “You’re attentive, kind, understanding.” He looked back at her and winked. “Makes me wonder how you turned out like that. It’s cute.”
Fuyumi blushed. “Fl-Flattery will not get you out of being honest.”
“I am being honest,” Hawks insisted in a tone that was far too innocent. Hm, perhaps, but she wasn’t sure what to think about that either. Why did he have to be so confusing? “Do you mind me coming to visit?”
“No, I…” Fuyumi swallowed down her nervousness. “I like it. I enjoy your company. I feel like…” She struggled to find the right words, afraid that he would skitter away if she was too serious. “I feel like I get to see a side of you that you don’t show other people often. You’re almost quiet – still.”
Hawks tilted his head. “And that’s a good thing?”
“Yeah, I mean, it feels–” Fuyumi held onto the cup, but she couldn’t meet his gaze and dropped her eyes down. “It makes me feel, um, special or something.”
“Oh, you’re definitely that,” Hawks quipped cheerfully.
He was good – too good. She hadn’t met anyone this good at redirecting conversations. Growing up, she’d learned to do just that, but she stumbled through it. Everyone else simply didn’t respond or answer certain questions. She had figured out that dodging unpleasant or uncomfortable questions was the easiest thing to do, but Hawks blew through a conversation like it was nothing, deftly moving from serious and personal to light and distant.
“Why don’t you stay for a little longer?” Fuyumi suddenly asked. “I’m sure the kids would love to see you.”
This time, Hawks was the one to blink in surprise. Even Fuyumi was shocked by her own straightforwardness, but he had pointed out that it might be a Todoroki trait. The question had popped into her head, and she’d found herself asking it before she could think it through.
“I-I mean, if you’re not too busy!” Fuyumi rushed to add, waving her hands frantically. “And if you’re comfortable. Gosh, sorry, I know not every hero wants to waste their time with a bunch of civilians or kids, but–”
“No, no, I’d–” Hawks beamed. “Of course I’ll stay. I can make some kid’s day.”
“Pretty sure you’ll make their week,” Fuyumi said with a giggle.
Hawks wandered over to her again, a grin tugging at his lips. “And yours?”
Fuyumi bit her lip. “Well, if you come back next week with coffee…”
“I can do that.”
Warmth spread through Fuyumi, but this time, it had nothing to do with the coffee. She still didn’t really understand why or how this routine had started, but maybe these little visits were one of the highlights of her week too.