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At first, it didn't seem out of the ordinary. Fuyumi was always doing something in his kitchen: cleaning it, cooking something, kissing him, etc. However, Hawks couldn't help but raise his eyebrows when Fuyumi pulled the small ice tray from his freezer and ran it under the water, filling each of the small squares up.
"What are you doing?" Hawks asked, pushing his chair out to hover over her shoulder.
"Hmm?" she hummed softly. "Making ice."
"With water?"
A small snort slipped from her lips, and she peered over the rim of her glasses at him. "Yes, Keigo, that's how you make ice."
He frowned, his golden gaze staring down at her hands, watching as the water sloshed about in the tray. Sure, it was the way normal people made ice, but Fuyumi was different.
"Fuyumi, why didn't you just... use your quirk?" he asked.
Her eyes widened, and she took a step back, one hand holding the tray, the other awkwardly reaching for the freezer door. Shakily, she placed it down, not caring when some of the water poured over the side. "It's fine," she said, shutting the door. "It'll freeze in no time."
He reached forward, grabbing her wrist gently to keep her in place. "Fuyumi-"
"I... I'm not a hero like you," she stammered. "I can't use my quirk whenever I want-"
"You can use it in my kitchen."
She swallowed, turning her gaze down toward the floor. He hated how upset she looked, her eyes trembling as though she was holding back tears.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you; I’m just a little surprised." He raised his hand up to brush his fingers across her bangs.
"It's okay," she said, her voice small, like someone had stolen it from her. She sighed, wiping her hands on her apron. "I think I'll go take a shower. After, maybe we can watch a movie before bed?" A smile pulled across her lips, shoving her previous emotions aside.
Hawks nodded, watching her head toward their bathroom. He was tempted to follow her, kiss her, and hold her and make her pain go away, but decided she clearly wanted some space.
They had been dating for quite sometime now and living together for a few months. It was honestly the happiest Hawks had felt his whole damn life, and he had grown used to her little habits. She always cleaned up the kitchen immediately after they ate. She wore her hair in a ponytail when she went to bed. For some reason, she had to be on the right side of the couch when they snuggled and watched movies. She preferred to be cold, keeping the place at a low temperature at all times.
However, now that he actually thought about it, he couldn't remember her ever using her quirk. He supposed there weren't as many uses for it on a daily basis, but he never even saw her try and make her drink colder.
It was baffling.
He had learned many things about Fuyumi through the years of loving her... but there were a few things she still kept close to her chest. This was one of them, and it didn’t sit right with him.
She stepped out of the bedroom, wearing her button-up pajama top and matching flannel pants, both light blue with snowflakes on them. Her hair was pulled back into her signature nightly ponytail, and she smiled, making her way over to the couch.
"You ready?" she asked once she sat down. Her voice was chipper, and she folded her legs together, looking excited to have downtime.
"Yeah..." he said, hesitation in his voice as he took a seat with her.
"What? What's wrong?"
He folded his own legs together, facing her on the couch. "Fuyumi, I know you didn't want to talk about it, but... Tell me what just happened in the kitchen."
Immediately, her eyes fell. She tucked a rogue piece of hair behind her ear. "I don't... like using my quirk. I've never been good at it."
Hawks raised an eyebrow. Was that really the truth? Or was that just what someone had told her? He didn't know the full story of what happened when she was little, but he didn't need to.
"What do you mean?"
"Keigo..." she sighed.
Scooting forward on the couch, he brushed his fingers over her cheek. "Fuyumi, I won't force you to tell me anything you don't want to, but you know I care about you. I don't like seeing you hold yourself back."
She stared at him, her turquoise eyes shimmering, then pulled in a long breath, sighing as she moved closer. "Keigo... your quirk..." Her hands reached up, gently stroking the red feathers protruding from his back. Her touch, as always, was gentle, her fingers brushing the tips. "It's a part of you. It's something you live with, an extension of yourself. My quirk... is awkward, and I would probably just make a mess." Her fingers moved to his cheek, her thumb brushing over his skin. "I appreciate the concern-"
He stopped her, covering her hand with his as he pulled it away from his face. He held out her palm, leaving it face up, his fingers touching hers. "Fuyumi, your quirk is a part of you too. I'm sure you're stronger than you realize. Heh." He chuckled softly. "Maybe that's what you're afraid of?"
"I-I'm not afraid. I just… It’s weak. It doesn’t really have much of a use, and I have no idea how to use it, and admittedly, I don't need to use it," she babbled, her gaze fixated on their hands.
Hawks stared at her, his golden gaze intense, unable to let this go. "Don't you want to? Doesn't it feel like there's something inside of you that just wants to try? If I don't fly, my wings ache. Doesn't your heart hurt?"
She clenched her jaw, her brow furrowing. "It's... It's been years since I've done anything..."
"Just try it!" He spoke eagerly, his wings fluttering as he leaned forward. "It's just you and me. There's no pressure. I can handle whatever happens."
"Are you sure?" she asked.
"Positive. I wanna see it."
She took another long inhale and nodded. "Okay. I'll try."
She looked down at her hand, resting it on his palm. She closed her eyes, her fingers twitching. He could feel her palm grow colder, her breath like a soft winter breeze blowing in his direction. Ice began to twinkle on her fingertips, glistening on her palm. A shiver ran down his spine, his wings fluttering from the cold seeping into his skin from her hand.
Suddenly, it stopped. Panting, she looked down at her hand as the small particles began to melt. "See?" she sighed. "I can't do much."
"No!" He clasped his hand over hers. "You should be proud of what you can do. It's amazing. Fuyumi, you’re amazing."
A smile pulled across her lips. "Well, I'm nothing like the number two hero."
"And for that, I'm glad," he chuckled, leaning forward to brush their lips together. He kissed her softly, before pulling back, lacing his fingers with hers. "I could help you if you want - with your quirk."
"Keigo, you really don't have to."
"I want to! If you want to. Doesn't it feel good to let the ice be free?"
She giggled, leaning forward to kiss him again. "You're such a bird sometimes."
"A... bird?" He snorted, brushing her cheek with one of his feathers. "Can't deny that."
"Nope. But... maybe we could try some... training," she said.
"It'll be fun. I promise." He smirked, excitement bubbling in his chest.
~~
Though Fuyumi claimed she wasn't strong, Hawks sensed something dormant inside of her. Untapped potential energy she wasn't using simply because no one showed her how. He’d learned so much growing up. Half the things he did with his feathers now were things he never expected to do until he started his rigorous training. Of course, there was no need for Fuyumi to go through anything so torturous, but training with her was fun.
Currently, she was staring at a glass full of water, trying to freeze it solid. They both ignored the remnants of previous attempts, scattered across the counter.
"I don't know, Keigo," she muttered. Her fingers were gripped around the bottom, clutching the glass tightly.
"I believe in you. Once you can do this, you can try and freeze... I dunno... A bathtub full of water... and eventually the whole damn ocean."
"Very ambitious," she laughed. "I dunno if that's possible."
"Yeah, but I made you laugh, and now you're more relaxed, so just try it."
"Right." She nodded, clutching the glass as the sides began to frost up. The two of them had learned it wasn't good to let Fuyumi get in her head or she performed poorly. Though after a week or so of doing little practice exercises at night, she seemed to be more comfortable with using her quirk.
The water in the glass solidified, stopping its movement. She let out a cold breath, shivering as she pulled away. The water was frozen in the glass, even wrapping around the front surface in a snowflake pattern.
A huge smile appeared on her face, and Fuyumi lunged forward, wrapping her arms around Hawks. "I did it! I did it!"
"I knew you could!" he chuckled, keeping one arm wrapped around her as he reached to touch the icy cup. "It's frozen solid. I told you you were getting better."
"I guess," she giggled, nuzzling her nose against his cheek. She pulled back and wiggled her fingers. "You're right, you know... There's something... oddly satisfying about... using it."
"Mhm." He took her hands in his own. "I don't know what he told you, but your quirk is amazing, Fuyumi. You should be proud of it. I'm happy to keep helping you."
She nodded. "I know... My mother has the same quirk, and she rarely uses hers. I guess I just always followed suit."
Hawks gestured to the glass. "I bet she would be so impressed with you now."
"I hope. I'll have to show her next time we visit." She smiled, looking excited.
"She'll love that." He smirked, kissing the top of her head. No girl of his was going to hold herself back, not when she was so incredible.
~~
"Alright," he whispered, his forefinger brushing over the back of her palm. "Focus."
"I'm t-trying," she muttered, her back pressing against him. They were standing in the bathroom, both looking at a tub full of water. His arms were wrapped around her, his hands gripping her wrists to hold her steady.
She took a few deep breaths, staring at the still water before releasing the ice from her palms. It shot forward, hitting the wall of the shower and covering the entire surface before shooting down to the large pool of water. The surface froze first, and Hawks felt Fuyumi trembling against him. Her arms were cold, and ice began to cover her fingertips, trickling back up her arms and covering Hawks' fingers as well.
He stood in place, watching as the water in the bath began to freeze through, crackling and sticking to the side. It could've ruined the tub, but Hawks was more excited to let Fuyumi experience her own strength.
Panting, she fell against him. "Oh gosh... your fingers," she mumbled, looking at his hands.
"I'm fine!" he said. "They're cold, but you didn't deep freeze me."
"Thank goodness," she breathed.
"You did it," he said, kissing the side of her cheek.
"I did?" She paused, staring at the frozen tub in front of her. "I-I did it!"
"I knew you could!" he laughed, stroking over your arm. "You're so damn strong, Fuyumi. You don't even see it."
She was layers of strong, keeping herself so positive for her family all these years. Even now, for him.
"My father... He wanted Shouto," she explained quietly. "That was strength to him. My brothers and I were quickly tossed aside."
She turned around to face him, watching as small droplets of water began to drip off her fingers, the ice quickly melting against the warmth of her skin.
Inhaling slowly, she rolled her fingers toward her palms and clenched her fists. "It’s hard," she whispered.
"You don’t have to say anything you don’t want to," Hawks said, reassuring her. He never wanted to pressure her into anything.
"It’s not that." She moved to sit at the edge of their tub. She let her fingers brush over the ice, unbothered by the freezing temperature. "Things are a lot different now. I guess it changes when you’re an adult."
"What do you mean?" he asked, taking a seat beside her. Her turquoise eyes were locked on the frozen tub.
"You work with my father. You’ve always respected him. I’d hate to sully your opinion, and it’s silly. Lately, he’s been trying so hard… for the past few years, I mean. It doesn’t make up for things, but… he’s trying."
"Is that why you don’t talk to me about him? Fuyumi, you’ve told me enough, and I’ve figured enough out on my own to understand some things," he explained. "I know how Endeavor can be."
Hawks had come into their lives far later on. He saw how Todoroki Enji was trying to make amends with his family. He experienced firsthand the man being rather overprotective of his daughter when Hawks had started taking her out.
But he knew of the sinister things that went on in Fuyumi’s childhood. She had spoken of a few things and he had inferred others.
"Besides," he whispered, cupping under her chin. "I can respect the Hero Endeavor and dislike your father, Todoroki Enji." In a way, they were very different people.
She sighed, nuzzling her cheek against his palm. "I know." She pulled in a long breath, exhaling audibly. "My father never chose me," she began slowly. "I don’t know if it was because I was a woman or because I only had ice… Maybe I reminded him of my mother, but he never used me like he did my brothers. I guess you would think that was a good thing. I watched him torture Touya. The flames were always too much for his body, and it tore him apart. That’s why he… well… you know."
Hawks did. The two of them had talked about Dabi extensively, especially after Hawks’ mission as a double agent. "Right," he muttered, squeezing her hand between his fingers, comforting her. He wanted her to take his time.
"He skipped over me - never once brought me into the training room. Then, Father’s obsession with Natsuo didn’t last long. He also only had an ice quirk. Father tried to push him, but Natsuo was stronger than Touya, and he fought back… argued.
"Then there was Shouto," she continued. "Shouto was his perfect project, his prodigy. I saw how hard he pushed him. Shouto always just took it. And Shouto is… an amazing hero… I don’t want to deny him that, but I know how awful it was. Even just watching from the shadows. There’s a part of me that’s always blamed myself. I was never strong enough to help them. I could never bear their pain because Father never used me. My quirk has never, ever been good enough. Not for my father, not to help my brothers."
Tears flowed down her cheeks, the rush of emotions overwhelming her. She pressed her palm against the ice, leaning towards Hawks.
"Fuyumi," he began, but she shook her head. "I hope you realize your quirk is good enough. You are good enough. Amazing even."
She swallowed, pulling in another deep breath while she nodded. "I never felt strong enough. Not until... we started doing this. I finally feel like maybe my quirk matters, maybe it’s okay to use it, even if it’s just… to cool down our drinks in the summer."
"Yeah, your father is insane," he muttered, looking at the tub. He turned Fuyumi to face him and leaned down, pressing his lips to hers. "You shouldn’t blame yourself for anything your father did. I’m sure if you asked any of your brothers, they would all be happy he left you alone. All this is his fault." He cupped her cheeks, brushing his thumbs over her skin. He would never let this girl go.
"I know that… "
"You’ve been through so much and you work so hard. Seeing you happy and in my life, makes me happy. I don’t ever want you to worry about your father, and what you did and didn’t do. You’re an amazing sister and woman." He loved her, and he would never let her feel like she was useless again.
"I know. I really try not to worry. It’s been years and things are better now, with my family… with you." She smiled. "With my quirk even."
He smiled back, pecking her lips once more "I hope you realize how amazing you are - how strong you are."
She smiled, small tears glistening down her cheek while she kissed him back. "I'm starting to have a slight idea."
"Good," he muttered, brushing his thumb over her cheek, wiping the tears away. "I'll tell you over and over until you believe it."
Sniffling, she blinked as she let out a little chuckle. "I think it’s going to take awhile for this to thaw out."
"Oh well, guess we’ll have to be dirty."
"Keigo," she snorted, gently laughing as she playfully shoved his shoulder. The mood was lifting, and he was thrilled to see her looking happy again. He didn’t want to bring her down. Her training and using her quirk was supposed to be fun. He didn’t want her father to be a ghost in this house, not when the man’s shadow had been following her for so long.
He would erase those awful feelings if he could.
And he didn't care if he had to tell her every day. He’d always tell her how much he believed in her.
~~
Fuyumi stood in the living room, a large smile on her face. She never had the best poker face, so immediately Hawks could tell something was up.
"What's going on?" he asked, smirking as he stepped toward her, taking her hands in his.
"Mm, I just wanted to surprise you. I've been working on this for a little bit," she said, rocking back and forth on her feet. Since they’d started training, she had been far more energetic, like some part of her had been revitalized. It was as if using her quirk and speaking candidly about her father had lifted the ice trapped around her heart.
"Oh?" He tilted his head, his feathers spreading out in anticipation.
She took a step back, cupping her palms hands together. Ice began to swirl around her fingers and palms, consolidating into a solid form. More particles flew around her hands and up her wrists, ice beginning to cover her fingertips as the shape in her palms took form.
A tiny heart sat resting in her hands. She smiled, a cold breath slipping between her lips and disappearing into the air between them.
"A heart," he said, reaching forward to pick it up.
"I wanted to thank you," she said. "For helping me with my quirk. I never thought I could control it this much, but you've really helped."
"Fuyumi," he said, holding the frozen heart in his hands, "you know I would do anything for you."
"I-I know, and I want you to know how much you've shown me and how I really appreciate you believing in me and listening to me." Her cheeks flushed a gentle shade of red.
Holy hell, she was so cute.
He rushed forward, wrapping his arms around her.
"I love you, Todoroki Fuyumi," he said, nuzzling her.
"I love you more, Takami Keigo," she replied, giggling quietly.
Hawks felt the heart slowly melting between his palms, their bodies close together. Somehow he knew Fuyumi was going to keep getting better and better.