Archive of Our Own

‘’I’ve had the time of my life…’’

Natsuo blows his nose on a tissue, loudly, as the last scenes of Dirty Dancing play on the screen. He ran out of tears to cry an hour ago, his eyes now puffy and stinging - otherwise he would be bawling his eyes out by now for heartbreaks are just as devastating as they are in the movies. 

This, Natsuo learned earlier when his boyfriend of three months broke up with him with the excuse of ‘it’s summer break and we should live a little and enjoy the summer’. How was he supposed to do that when he gave him the perfect ingredients for sad girl summer?

In a way, the break up came at perfect timing. Fuyumi was out with her friends for the night, celebrating summer vacation and his crappy dad was on hero duty, working late. Had his entire family been home, Natsuo wouldn’t have been able to bawl his eyes out while watching Dirty Dancing in the living room with all the lights off until he passes out on the sofa. He has a reputation to hold as the cool brother, after all.

‘’Natsuo? Why are you still up?’’ Shouto asks, flipping on all the lights in the room, blinding Natsuo momentarily. 

Natsuo yelps in surprise and drops his bowl of popcorn on the floor, cursing under his breath at the mess. In an attempt to hide his blotchy face from Shouto, Natsuo ducks down and picks up the popcorn, not looking up even when Shouto sits down next to his previous spot. 

‘’I could ask you the same question, isn’t it past your bedtime?’’

‘’I don’t have a bedtime, I’m not five anymore.’’ 

‘’Don’t you have school or anything?’’

‘’It’s summer vacation,’’ Shouto reminds him. 

Natsuo could feel his neck flush hot under Shouto’s intense stare as if he was observing his every single move, trying to look for clues for his older brother’s odd behavior. Natsuo draws in a deep breath, readying himself to put together the act of a lifetime to hide the fact that he had been crying the past two hours. As much as he loves his brother, Shouto wouldn’t be his first choice for consoling after a break-up. 

Shouto is still staring as Natsuo sits straight on the couch and makes eye-contact with him for the first time.

‘’Natsuo,’’ Shouto places a hand on his shoulder, tone deadly serious, ‘’have you been smoking weed? I won’t tell mom, just be honest.’’

‘’What?’’

‘’Your eyes are red. It’s because of weed, correct?’’

‘’No, not correct,’’ Natsuo shrugs off his hand, and Shouto stares at him with a dumbfounded expression, his hand frozen midair. ‘’I’m just going through a break-up. Not a big deal. Leave me be.’’

‘’Ah,’’ Shouto snaps his fingers. ‘’I know what you need.’’

Natsuo raises one doubtful eyebrow.

‘’A rebound.’’

Natsuo’s eyes widen to the size of dinner plates at the suggestion and his ears turn bright red. Had he been drinking something, he would’ve spat it out. 

‘’Where did you learn that term?’’ he hisses, looking around as if to make sure no one would hear them despite being alone. 

‘’Girls from my class were talking about it the other day - when you go through a bad break-up, all you need is a rebound.’’

Natsuo side-eyes his brother. High schoolers and their dumb high schooler advice - does Shouto even know what a rebound means? Natsuo would bet his money that he doesn’t. 

‘Then again,’ Natsuo reminds himself, ‘he does have a long-term boyfriend. Maybe I should take his advice?’

Shouto waits, patiently, as Natsuo battles with himself, listing all the pros and cons of letting his brother help him before deciding that his life can’t possibly get worse than it is, so he might as well. He’ll consider it as a bonding brother moment. 

‘’Fine, what’s the plan here?’’

That night Natsuo went to bed exhausted after talking to Shouto about his ideal type and what he considers a deal-breaker in a relationship amongst other things Shouto considered important. He was taking his role as a wingman seriously, writing down everything Natsuo told him in a tiny notepad. When Natsuo asked him how exactly Shouto was going to get him a rebound, he had fallen deadly silent before saying ‘don’t worry about it ’ and bidding Natsuo goodnight. 

Needless to say, Natsuo was incredibly worried about the future of his love life. 

‘’Shouto is that Tinder you’re swiping on your phone?’’ Fuyumi hisses, hurrying to her brother’s side. If he was cheating on his sweet boyfriend, Fuyumi was ready to give him an earful about respect and how cheaters go to hell.

‘’Oh, it’s not mine,’’ Shouto assures her, sipping tea while swiping away with his other hand.

‘’If it’s not yours then whose is it?’’

‘’Natsuo’s.’’

She is gone for one day and her brothers are up to something idiotic. She should've known better than to leave them to their own devices.

Fuyumi sits down next to Shouto and realizes he is generously swiping everyone right without as much as reading their profiles. 

‘’Let me see that.’’ She grabs the phone out of his hands and opens Natsuo’s profile which was clearly made by Shouto without any supervision. ‘’ Looking for a person with a good heart. I like the sea, sashimi and the movie Dirty Dancing .’’

Fuyumi looks at Shouto, narrowing her eyes in confusion. ‘’Natsuo doesn’t like that movie.’’

‘’Wrong, he was watching it last night.’’

‘’You can watch a movie and not like it,’’ Fuyumi argues and wipes out the bio Shouto had written despite his quiet protest, ‘’he will never get a proper date with a profile like this, trust me.’’

Shouto peeks at the screen as Fuyumi types in a new, much better version of their brother’s dating profile. She changes all the pictures Shouto had chosen as well, adding the best shots from Natsuo’s Instagram - there weren’t many as he used social media the least out of the siblings. 

‘’ Family oriented, active, kind, and funny. Looking for the one - no one night stands. ’’ Shouto reads out loud in a monotone voice, pauses, and types something.

‘’ If you like pro hero Endeavor, we won’t work .’’ Fuyumi reads, furrowing her eyebrows but she doesn't wipe away the text. ‘’Shouto that isn’t nice.’’

‘’It’s true, though.’’

‘’What are you two doing?’’ 

Fuyumi nearly drops Shouto’s phone at the sound of Natsuo’s voice, but lucky for them, Shouto has quick reflexes and catches the phone before it hits the floor.

Fuyumi turns to Shouto, hoping he has the situation under control - she had never been a good liar. 

Shouto gives Natsuo a thumbs up.

‘’Don’t worry about it.’’

‘’You know, every time you say that, I just get more worried.’’ 

‘’We are not swiping on Tinder with a fake profile,’’ Fuyumi blurts out, bringing her hands in front of her mouth when the words escape between her traitorous lips. Damn her and her big mouth.

‘’You’re swiping through Tinder with a fake profile of me?!’’ Natsuo snaps.

"She just said we aren't."

If Shouto has learned anything in hero training, it was to sense danger when it was near. And Natsuo is the epitome of danger as he leaps towards his brother, only for him to run away with the phone, still swiping feverishly. Fuyumi yelps, head whipping from side to side as her siblings chase each other around the kitchen table.

‘’Delete the profile now!’’

‘’I’m trying to help you.’’

"Boys, stop running or you’ll bre — "

‘’I want true love, not some Tinder hook-up!’’

Shouto stops on his tracks and Natsuo crashes to him, sending them both down on the floor with a thud. Natsuo never realized how bony his brother is until he had one of Shouto's hipbones digging into his side.

‘’You should’ve told me,’’ Shouto grunts, trying to wiggle free under Natsuo without any luck, ‘’I thought you just wanted some.’’

‘’Shouto!’’

‘’I’m not exactly a hookup kind of guy,’’ Natsuo admits as he gets up, pulling Shouto with him by the arm. He dusts off his pants and sighs. ‘’Maybe I should just give up on relationships for a while.’’

‘’No.’’ Shouto tugs his sleeve like he used to when he was younger but with more strength now. Despite the lack of emotions in his expression, Natsuo recognizes the familiar glint of his eyes all too well to know that Shouto has an idea and it’s useless for Natsuo, or anyone for that matter, to say anything at this point. 

‘’I know the perfect date for you.’’

Shouto has a mission and to get it in motion, he needs to get through the final boss - his scumbag of a dad. And by getting through him he means he has to survive through one lunch with him. 

The things he does for his siblings and their love lives. He truly is a hero without a cape. 

‘’To be honest Shouto, I’m surprised you wanted to join us for lunch,’’ Endeavor tries to fall into a step with him but every time he catches up on him, Shouto speedwalks further. His old man will give up, eventually, he figures.

‘’I’m not doing this for you,’’ Shouto reminds him as he presses the elevator button which takes them to the highest floor. A heavy sigh escapes between Endeavor’s lips as he studies his son, trying to read what’s going through that head of his.

‘’I still don’t understand why you requested a lunch with —’’

‘’Is age finally catching up with you, Endeavor?’’ Hawks asks, hands on his hips and head cocked to the side with an ever-present grin on his lips, ‘’It’s rude to make your guest wait, you know.’’

‘’Shut it, Hawks.’’

All three sit down at a table Endeavor had reserved for them ahead of time - two of them were pro heroes after all and had no time to waste waiting to get a table. Both Hawks and Endeavor knew what to order as soon as the waitress came up to their table and Shouto decided to take whatever the winged hero was having to save time (and spite his dad). 

‘’So, Shouto,’’ Hawks speaks up as soon as Endeavor excuses himself to the bathroom. He leans over the table slightly, elbows on the table as his chin rests on top of his intertwined hands. Shouto hadn’t noticed before but the man has a hint of mischief in his smile at all times. ‘’What do I owe the pleasure to dine with you? Surely you’re not here to chit-chat with the top two heroes.’’

‘’Perceptive as always, I see,’’ Shouto replies. Hawks chuckles and gives him a sardonic bow. ‘’I’ll be forward with you then. Are you single?’’

Hawks squints at him suspiciously, furrowing his eyebrows.

‘’I’m asking for a friend, not for myself.’’

‘’That doesn’t make me feel any better, all your friends are teenagers.’’ Shouto cocks his head to the side, waiting for an answer. Hawks sighs. "Yes, I'm single."

"Fantastic," the corners of Shouto's mouth tug up slightly - things were proceeding smoother than expected. "I have a proposition for you. One you can’t decline."

Natsuo fiddles with his shirt, tucking and untucking the hem in his pants and worrying about the stubborn strands of white hair on his forehead. Shouto didn’t reveal anything considering his date, not his identity or what they would be doing. All he knew was that it was a guy who would fetch him from home around 7 PM.

Natsuo glances at his watch for the millionth time - it was ten over seven already. His date would be here any minute now, unless he bails on the date last minute. 

Now that would be embarrassing.

The doorbell rings and Natsuo jumps out of his skin, heart thudding against his chest with anticipation. With a shaky hand, he grabs the doorknob and twists it. 

Behind the door stand the current number two hero, Hawks, in casual attire instead of his hero costume. Just his dad’s coworker, not his date. 

‘’Oh, Hawks. I was expecting someone,’’ he steps out of the hero’s way, pointing towards the long hallway leading to the training room in the back. ‘’If you’re looking for the old man, he’s in there training.’’

‘’Actually, I’m here for you,’’ Hawks says with a smile, ‘’you are Shouto’s older brother, aren’t you?’’

‘’I...yeah, I am.’’

‘’Good,’’ Hawks nods his head towards the street, ‘’Let’s get going then?’’ 

Natsuo wipes his hands on his jeans, suddenly aware of how sweaty they are. What if his date wants to hold hands and gets disgusted by his sweaty hands? Before his brain gets the chance to fall into a deeper state of overthinking, Natsuo shuts the door behind him and falls into step with Hawks who hovers above the ground beside him. 

Shouto really should’ve told him he was setting him up with possibly the most popular hero in Japan at the moment - Natsuo would’ve worn one of his nicer shirts on the date. 

Hawks lowers himself to the ground and Natsuo measures him with his gaze. ‘’You’re shorter than I imagined,’’ he blurts, instantly regretting his choice of words when Hawks shoots him a blank stare.

‘’Not everyone is blessed with superior Todoroki genes, you know.’’

‘’No, I know,’’ Natsuo turns scarlet under Hawks’ stare, ‘’I didn’t mean it like that!’’

He shuts his mouth and takes a deep breath, trying to collect his thoughts and act like a normal person. If his sweaty hands won’t ruin the date then his inability to speak properly will. 

‘’What I meant to say is that it’s nice. I like it.’’

‘’I was just messing with you, kid.’’ Hawks grins.

They wander out of the neighborhood towards downtown, agreeing to decide their date plan there - turns out neither of them had bothered to think of one beforehand. 

Luckily, Hawks fills the silence with questions about Natsuo - what he studies and what are his hobbies to which he happily answers, thankful that none of the questions concern his family. Especially his dad.

More often than not, his dates have taken an unpleasant turn as soon as people learn who his father is. Afterward, it's all about Endeavor and if they could meet him, and Natsuo is forgotten in the sidelines - not that he stays for long in any setting where he has to discuss about his dad.

‘’There’s an arcade nearby, do you want to check it out?’’ Hawks points towards a building with his thumb. Inside, Natsuo can see several different games he recognizes from his childhood, and the inner child in him awakens. ‘’My intern said he went with friends and had fun.’’

‘’That sounds gre—’’

‘’Oh my god, is that Hawks?’’

Hawks’ entire body tenses up but he still manages to keep a welcoming smile as a small group of teenage girls approach the pair with phones in their hands. Natsuo doesn't like where this was going.

"I hope you don't mind heights," Hawks whispers, arms wrapping around Natsuo’s chest. His breath brushes against Natsuo's sensitive neck and he has to hold back the urge to squirm. "If you're scared, close your eyes."

And with that, they are up in the sky. 

Natsuo wants to scream from the top of his lungs but nothing comes out. Instead, he puts his hands on top of Hawks' and squeezes. He'll have to put his faith on the winged hero.

"The takeoff is a bit rough but it gets better," he hears Hawks say. His voice seems lighter, somehow. 

When they are high enough for Hawks to fly comfortably without too many citizens recognizing them, Natsuo understands what the hero meant. The setting sun casts a pink-hued golden light over the city, swallowing everything in its magic.

The scenery around them was out of this world.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

Natsuo nods dumbly, not trusting his voice to carry after being stuck in his throat. He'd rather stay mute than have his voice crack in front of his date.

"This is what I do when I need to calm my nerves," Hawks confesses, "Just fly around the city."

Natsuo understands why; it's oddly calming, flying above everything and everyone.

"I used to run to the shore," Natsuo hears himself say before he can swallow the words. "I'd stare at the sea and listen to the sound of the waves for hours ."

"You mean run as a hobby?"

Natsuo bites his tongue. The bitter memory of running away from home to escape the screams and crying flashes clear in his mind. A memory he’d rather forget. He tries to shake his head; as if that was going to detach the unpleasant flashbacks from his brain. 

‘’Yeah, something like that,’’ he replies. 

For a while, they fly in silence before heading towards the city. Natsuo’s arms ache for being carried in such an awkward position, but he is uncertain to let the hero know. He tries to adjust himself better in Hawks’ arms but the squirming ends up making Hawks’ flying unbalanced. 

‘’Are you uncomfortable like this?’’ Hawks asks and tightens his grip around the man. 

‘’It’s just a bit...awkward.’’

‘’Say no more.’’

Natsuo lets out the most unattractive squawk when Hawks lets go of him and lifts him into his arms with his feathers, carrying him like a damsel in distress. Natsuo wraps his arms around his neck as if it’s the most natural thing for him to do. 

Hawks doesn’t seem to mind; he beams at Natsuo like a child about to show off a magic trick and speeds up. Natsuo buries his face against the hero’s shoulder to shield his eyes from the wind slapping against his face (and to avoid the golden eyes watching him curiously). 

Before he knows it, they are back on solid ground but Natsuo is unwilling to let go. He manages to move his head enough to look at Hawks who, surprisingly, meets his gaze with an amused smile playing on his lips.

‘’You can let go now. The ground won’t swallow you.’’

‘’I don’t trust my legs not to turn into jello after that ride,’’ Natsuo argues.

‘’I’ll catch you if you fall,’’ Hawks chuckles, cocking an eyebrow. ‘’If I didn’t know better, I’d say you enjoy being in my arms.’’

Natsuo jumps out of his arms, cheeks heating up at the suggestion. He nearly trips on his way down, but catches his footing in time; he doesn’t miss the way the hero’s hand lands on his waist to steady him, but decides to ignore it. 

The waves of the sea are loud and restless. They crash against the shore and splash water all over the rocks, only leaving wet marks on them afterward. Natsuo closes his eyes and breathes in the familiar scent of salty breeze, opening his eyes only when he feels Hawks’ stare on him. 

Natsuo turns to Hawks and his heart does several backflips inside his chest. The setting sun behind the hero makes his hair look as if it was made of gold. It reminded him of Rapunzel. But it’s not the seemingly golden hair that makes his heart go haywire; it’s the wings. Fiery, bright red wings that almost look as if they were made out of fire against the sunset. For once the association with the element doesn’t make Natsuo cringe.

‘’What’s on your mind?’’ 

Natsuo shakes his head and brings a smile on his lips. ‘’Just admiring the view.’’ Hawks looks over his shoulder to search for the said view, blissfully unaware he is part of it. The realization makes Natsuo chuckle. All this time he had thought all heroes are self-centered and conceited but spending time with a hero that’s not his dad has proved him wrong.

‘’Wanna walk back to the city?’’ Hawks asks, stuffing his hands in his pockets. ‘’We could grab a bite - I’m starving.’’

Natsuo’s stomach rumbles at the mention of food so he nods before following him. The city isn’t too far from where they are, but it should take at least fifteen minutes for them to walk there. Natsuo takes one last glance of the sea; by the time they reach the city, the sun has probably set. 

‘’There’s a great chicken place pretty near, should we go there?’’ Hawks suggests. 

Natsuo stops on his tracks, eyebrows furrowed in a confused frown. ‘’Isn’t that like...cannibalism?’’

‘’Just because I have wings doesn’t mean I’m a chicken, Natsuo.’’ Hawks deadpans. For a moment Natsuo worries he might have insulted him, but the playful smile on Hawks’ lips tell him otherwise. 

‘’In that case, chicken sounds great.’’

They make it to the quieter part of the downtown where the city comes alive at night. Natsuo steps closer to Hawks’ side, not wanting to stray too far from him in case something happens. 

It’s unlikely, but never impossible. 

Natsuo didn’t expect the hero to be so familiar with the run-down part of the town but amazingly enough, Hawks knows exactly what turns to take and what shady narrow streets were great shortcuts to the busier part of the city. It was almost like he spent a lot of time there.

Just as he expected, the sun has set by the time they make it to the center with a wide range of restaurants and shops. People come and go at a fast pace. For Hawks’ sake, Natsuo hopes no one recognizes the winged hero - being bothered while off duty seems to be something Hawks is uncomfortable with. 

The winged hero seems to be on alert and Natsuo can’t figure out why, until something explodes on the other side of the road and people begin to scream in panic. Smoke fills the streets and the smell of fire fills Natsuo’s lungs. He brings his arm in front of his mouth in an attempt to block the scent. 

Hawks grabs Natsuo by the waist, hauling him up in the air. His stomach drops as he looks down to the sidewalk that’s getting smaller and smaller with every flap of Hawks’ wings. They are much higher than earlier. The mixture of smoke in the air and the speed Hawks flies in makes Natsuo feel sick in his stomach.

‘’I’ll get you somewhere safe and then I’m heading back there,’’ Hawks says with a stern voice, all the amusement and carefree attitude from earlier gone. Natsuo can tell that he’s worried about the chaos below them - he is too. He can still smell the fire even though they are high up in the sky. 

It can’t be a good sign.

Hawks doesn’t fly too far but far enough for Natsuo to be away from immediate danger. The moment Natsuo’s feet touch the hard surface of a building’s roof, Hawks speeds off towards the smoke and flames without saying goodbye. Natsuo stands on the roof and watches the red wings on Hawks’ back fly further away until they are completely out of sight. A sigh escapes between his lips and he looks around, trying to figure out how on earth he can get down from the roof. 

Seriously, couldn’t he drop him off near a taxi stop or something?

Natsuo spots an entrance nearby and tries the handle. It gives in easily. The employees in the building give him puzzled glances as he passes the hallways until he is finally outside again. With a little help from technology, Natsuo finds out he is on the other side of the city which means he has to take a bus back home but because of the chaos downtown, none of the busses are moving. He ends up taking a taxi back home and paying with Endeavor’s credit card which Shouto gave him before the date. 

All the energy leaves his body as soon as Natsuo arrives at the front door. He opens the door, kicks off his shoes, and makes a beeline to the couch where Shouto is already seated with a phone in his hands.

‘’Oh, you’re back early,’’ Shouto greets him, ‘’How was the date?’’

 Natsuo slumps down next to his brother, head hanging against the back of the couch. 

‘’It was good until some villains showed up,’’ Shouto quirks up his eyebrows. ‘’Yeah, I know, I didn’t expect it either.’’

‘’Did you get hurt?’’

Natsuo shakes his head. 

‘’Good.’’ Shouto pauses. ‘’I’m sorry about the date.’’

‘’Don’t be. You were trying to help.’’ Natsuo musters a reassuring smile on his lips and reaches to ruffle Shouto’s hair. The action catches him off guard and Shouto’s cheeks redden at the sudden contact, unfamiliar with such closeness from his brother. 

Natsuo stays with Shouto in the living room and they end up watching a rom-com together. It’s not the best one but Shouto’s company is enough to lift his spirits and get his mind off the failed date. After the movie, Shouto gets a call from Midoriya, and Natsuo takes it as his cue to leave. He’s not going to sit through the ordeal of his brother being disgustingly sweet with his boyfriend even if it means he has to be alone with his thoughts.

Natsuo heads upstairs to his room, not bothering to turn on the lights. He opens the TV but as expected, nothing is on. Nothing he wants to see, at least. He was hoping to be greeted with Hawks’ face on the screen to inform the public that the villain has been defeated and he is safe and sound. Of course, he gets none of that.

Natsuo pulls his knees against his chest and rests his chin on top of them. Is this what it would be like to date a hero? Running late for dates and then getting interrupted by villain attacks...Natsuo wasn’t sure what to think of it. 

Not that he needs to worry about it, he reminds himself with a pang of disappointment. They didn’t even get to exchange phone numbers. It’s unlikely they’ll ever meet again, especially after the interrupted date. Yet, if he could, he would go on a second date with Hawks; only this time they would go somewhere private where it’s just them two. 

No villains, no fangirls threatening to interrupt their date. 

Just the two of them. 

At some point, the quiet white noise from the TV lulls him into a deep sleep. He has a disoriented dream about Shouto running a matchmaker company with Fuyumi which causes him to wake up in the middle of the night, sweaty and still wearing his date outfit. Despite his best efforts, sleep does not come again and Natsuo spends the night tossing and turning, worry gnawing at his guts. 

At 7, he finally gives up and heads downstairs to prepare breakfast. Like most mornings, Natsuo digs out some leftovers from the fridge and flicks through the news headlines. Only this morning he stops at the first headline, heart sinking as he reads the words on the screen.

‘’Winged hero, Hawks, hospitalized after a villain attack in the city’’

Natsuo is certain he was going to throw up. Was he hallucinating? He must be. The headline had to be a scam or a sick joke. Natsuo rolls through the article, trying to find out more about the hero’s current condition, but the article doesn’t reveal any of the information he wants.

With shaky hands, he opens an old message thread with Fuyumi back when Endeavor was hospitalized. She had told Natsuo the name of the hospital he stayed in, hoping he would show up with the rest of the siblings. He never did.

But he might have an idea where to find Hawks.

The ride to the hospital takes a bit longer than he anticipated but it doesn’t bother Natsuo. At least he has time to collect himself before possibly facing Hawks in God know what state. On the drive, Natsuo went through all the possible horror scenarios in his head, preparing himself for the worst. 

The building is a large one with the usual white walls and matching white floors, but it was the silence and smell of antiseptic that made Natsuo remember how much he dislike hospitals. He made his way to the info where a bubbly old lady helped him with directions after he lied about his relationship with Hawks. 

A tiny white lie couldn’t hurt, right?

Nurses and doctors greet him with a smile as Natsuo makes his way on the hallway, head whipping from left to right as he tries to find the right room. With directions from a nurse, he finally makes it behind Hawks’ door. He knocks on the door softly and opens it before he changes his mind. 

Hawks is sitting on the bed with a white bandage wrapped around his head. When he notices Natsuo by the doorway, he sits up straight and runs his hand through the ash blonde hair, trying to tame the bird’s nest he was currently rocking. 

‘’I, uh...I saw the news,’’ Natsuo walks beside the bed, unsure whether he should stand or sit down on the chair. ‘’Are you okay?’’

‘’Yeah, I’m fine.’’ 

‘’People don’t go to the hospital if there’s nothing wrong with them, Hawks.’’

‘’I’m fine. Really, I am.’’ The hero insists, ‘’They wanted to keep me here because I got hit on the head, that’s all. I’m free to leave tonight if I’m lucky.’’

‘’That’s good, then,’’ Natsuo slumps down on the chair, the tiredness from a sleepless night catching upon him as soon as the wave of relief washes away the worry he was harboring. He had to be careful or else sleep would claim him. 

‘’Since you bothered to come all the way here to see me...’’ Hawks says slowly, a smile dangling on the corners of his lips. ‘’Does this mean I get a second date?’’ 

The not-so-subtle suggestion catches Natsuo off-guard and he can’t stop the redness spreading across his cheeks. He didn’t expect Hawks to even want a second date with him, let alone be the one to suggest it.

‘’I guess it could mean that,’’ Natsuo replies, laughing when Hawks lets out a quiet cheer of ‘hell yeah!’. 

They both fall silent quickly when the door opens and Shouto walks in with a deadpan expression, flowers in his hands. His eyes drift from Hawks to Natsuo, then back to Hawks again.  

‘’Am I interrupting something?’’

‘’No!’’ They deny in unison.

‘’That’s too bad,’’ Shouto sighs. ‘’Does that mean the date was a fail?’’

‘’Not exactly,’’ Hawks replies. Natsuo tries to shoot him a warning glance but it’s too late. Shouto’s eyes widen in the same way as they did when he got the idea to fix Natsuo’s love life. Whatever idea was forming inside that little head of his, Natsuo dreaded it. 

‘’There’ll be a second date?’’ Natsuo nods slowly and Shouto digs up his phone, frantically typing out a message. Before Natsuo can ask him who he is texting, Shouto speaks up again. ‘’That’s great. Midoriya will be so excited.’’

‘’Excited? For what?’’

‘’We’re going on a double date,’’ Shouto replies, ‘’I already told Midoriya so you can’t say no. He’d be so upset.’’

Shouto turns to Hawks and gives him a pointed look as if he was accusing him of a crime. ‘’Do you want my boyfriend to be upset, Hawks?’’

‘’No?’’

‘’Then it’s settled. We’re going on a double date.’’ Shouto slaps his hands together, closing the topic. ‘’Can’t wait.’’

Not exactly the second date Natsuo had planned out in his head, but he was still looking forward to it. At least, until Shouto suggests they all prepare dinner together - Natsuo has experienced the horrors of Shouto’s cooking before and if he wants Hawks to make it to the third date, homemade dinner by Shouto Todoroki was out of the question.

And for some reason, he believes there’ll be plenty of dates in the future.