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Truth be told, Hawks himself wasn't sure how this happened. Well, actually scratch that— he knew exactly how it happened, the night when he came back home to Dabi waiting for him.
His point is, this was not supposed to happen. As a matter of fact, Hawks didn't even know it was possible. But life gives you surprises, even if this one came in the shape of an egg, oddly enough.
So now here he was, pacing around his living room and waiting for Dabi, the villain he was sure was going to murder him the night they first encountered each other and that now was also somewhat of his not-so-enemy-with-benefits.
Fun.
Hawks apparently was so busy freaking out and pacing around that he didn't even notice Dabi slipping in through the window.
"What's up with you?"
Hawks almost jumped out of his skin, which, as the (now former, with hero society sorta falling apart and all) number two, it was weird to ever manage to surprise him.
So, of course, instead of being subtle or anything, he just blurted it out:
"We're having a kid."
Dabi blinked. Then he rolled his eyes. "Right. Good one, birdbrain."
Hawks took a deep breath.
"No, I'm dead serious, Touya."
Dabi actually straightened up at the mention of his name.
"You can't be serious, though."
Hawks took another deep breath before launching into his explanation: how apparently no one at the HPSC considered to tell him his mutation was more related to a female bird instead of just having wings, and as such, apparently he could lay eggs now. And apparently, it was also Dabi's fault.
"Ok, wait—you're telling me that this…" Dabi paused, pointing at the egg now laying on the sofa next to them. "... It's our kid or whatever."
"... Yeah, pretty much."
Dabi shifted his weight from one foot to the other.
"Well, maybe it's like, infertile or something? Isn't that a thing?"
Hawks rubbed the bridge of his nose, already feeling a headache coming.
"I checked. Very much fertilized."
"Shit."
"Yes, shit. What are we going to do?! I'm shit with kids!"
Dabi grimaced, taking a step back. "I… I need some time to think, birdie."
Hawks finally stopped his pacing, only to stare at Dabi.
"What?"
Dabi didn't answer, and instead he turned his back and pretty much left.
Hawks hated to admit how bad that felt, but he didn't stop him.
Dabi seemingly disappeared off the face of the earth for the next few months. Not like he hadn't been laying low since the war, but at least he'd bother to answer Hawks' texts then. Now, it has been radio silence for months.
So Hawks is just facing the facts now: he's most likely going to have to learn how to raise a baby on his own.
Japan's most wanted bachelor, now a single dad. What a headline that would make.
And he was really freaking out, because he knew next to nothing about babies, and he'd honestly considered just putting the kid up for adoption. But it was one lonely, cold December night when everything changed.
His son was born on December 18th, and it was the day that Hawks' life officially changed.
Funny how now looking back, Hawks considers his son to have been the best early birthday present ever when he'd been thinking so much about whether to give up the kid to someone way more capable or not.
But as he sat alone in his living room, a fuzzy baby with a mop of white hair and a red onesie on babbling in his arms, he realized he just couldn't. He'd always been lonely, and even if the feeling did get away whenever Dabi was with him, it would only get worse if he dared to give up his baby. Because since Dabi was apparently gone now, he would be completely alone. And how could he go on, knowing that he had a chance to have someone, anyone, and he gave that up?
Besides, his son didn't deserve it. As a hero, Hawks had been involved way too many times in cases of abuse for kids in foster homes, and if there was any chance he could get adopted into a bad family when Hawks could protect him if he stayed with him… He decided not to take his chances.
So he was immediately attached to his son. And the rest of the day he barely let go of him, except for when he finally fell asleep and Hawks took him over to the makeshift nest-like spot full of blankets and pillows he'd made on his bed.
He really was a mess, he hadn't even gotten a crib yet, and he only got a few clothes for the baby since he was so convinced he'd be dropping him off at an orphanage's doorstep.
He decided to busy himself with starting to look for parenting books and advice online. Surely, the internet had some answers.
But just as he was in the middle of reading an article about 'everything you have to know when you have your first kid', the window to his place slid open.
Hawks didn't have many visitors, and with Dabi seemingly disappearing, no one ever stepped into his place except himself. So it was mere instinct when he whirled around, a sharp feather already pointed at the throat of whoever dared stepped inside.
"Relax, it's me."
Hearing Dabi's voice definitely didn't make him relax. He kept the feather pointed at this throat.
Dabi didn't seem amused, but Hawks wasn't about to make it easy for him after he disappeared for months.
"Okay, you're not happy. I get it. But can I please sit down to explain myself?"
Hawks thought it over for a second, finally lowering the feather and returning it to his now fully grown back wings. Dabi took it as a good sign and went to stand in front of Hawks, now allowing for the dim light of the room to really hit him.
He looked tired, like he'd barely gotten any sleep at all. His hair was even messier than always, and surprisingly enough, it was also almost completely white now.
"Nice of you to finally show up," Hawks said, sarcasm clear in his tone. "I was starting to think you fled the country or something."
Dabi grimaced. "Understandable. But I did tell you I needed some time to think…"
"Yes, Touya, some time! Not literal months! You didn't even bother to text back!"
"I'm sorry, alright? I was freaking out!"
"Like I wasn't! I have no experience with kids, but I was getting used to the idea of raising this kid on my own already!"
Dabi took a deep breath. "I came back, I wasn't even planning on actually never coming back! I'm not like my shitty father-!"
Just then, a sharp cry coming from the bedroom interrupted him. Dabi shut up immediately, whirling around to look in the direction the crying was coming from.
"Is that…? When…?"
"Yes. And today, so don't worry, you didn't miss much." Hawks answered, sarcasm once again lacing his tone as he passed by Dabi, making his way to the room.
He went straight to the bed, awkwardly picking up his crying son and rocking him a little.
"Hey, buddy. What's wrong? Are you hungry? Did Dabi wake you up?"
The baby, predictably, answered with more cries.
Dabi, however, made his way over too, taking a deep breath before daring to enter the room. Hawks sent him a glare over his shoulder, still awkwardly cradling the baby and trying miserably to lure him back to sleep.
Dabi moved from hovering by the doorway, not caring about the glare Hawks was sending him and getting closer.
"You woke him up." Hawks said, accusingly.
"Maybe…" Dabi wrinkled his nose. "But maybe that's not the only reason he woke up. Have you changed his diaper yet?"
Hawks paused, looking at Dabi as if he just realized something. Dabi realized it too soon enough.
"... You didn't even put him in a diaper, did you?"
"I…" Hawks quickly closed his mouth, and that was enough of an answer to Dabi.
"Did you even buy diapers?"
"Of course I did!"
"Well then hand him over and go get them."
Hawks paused again, but this time he held the baby closer.
"You're not even holding him right, and I doubt you even know how to clean a baby and put him in a diaper, so hand him over. I'm not going to hurt him."
Hawks finally reluctantly handed the baby over to Dabi. "Good, now bring me those diapers, some baby powder and some washcloths and warm water."
Again, Hawks hesitated, but finally left the room in a hurry to retrieve the items Dabi requested.
Meanwhile Dabi busied himself with striping the still fuzzy baby of his now dirty onesie. Hawks, honoring his title as the fastest hero, was back merely a minute later, fuzzy feathers carrying everything Dabi had asked for.
Dabi immediately got to work, cleaning the baby with the warm water and the washcloth before quickly putting him in a diaper. Hawks wordlessly handed him a new onesie, which Dabi took and started putting on the Dabi right away.
They didn't talk, Hawks too busy watching Dabi go through the motions of putting the baby in a diaper and apparently taking mental notes while Dabi just busied himself with his work.
Finally, the baby was clean, and apparently was starting to fall asleep, so Dabi put him back into the mess of blankets and pillows, making sure he was all snugly before stepping back. It was then he broke the silence.
"Have you named him yet?"
"No… Didn't think of a name, I… I was actually thinking of putting him up for adoption."
Dabi turned to look at him so suddenly his neck cracked uncomfortably.
"I won't." Hawks finally said. "I just don't think I can… Not if there's a chance he might end up growing up like I did, or like some of the kids I've had to save."
Dabi let out a sigh of relief. "What are you naming him then?"
"Me? Won't you help?"
"You mean like I helped before he was born?" Dabi answered. "No, I just… He might be ours but I don't think I have the right to. You should name him."
Something inside Hawks felt really warm and fuzzy upon hearing Dabi refer to the baby as theirs, but he ignored it, instead looking at said baby as he tried to think of a name.
"... Ryu." he finally decided.
Dabi smiled a little, watching the now sleeping toddler. "Alright. Welcome to the world then, Ryu."
Hawks had many doubts about how things were going to be from now on, but for now? This was alright.
Taking care of a baby was a tough job, especially if you were the now former two hero, society was falling around in shambles, and the other father to your son was an ex villain wanted all across the country.
But somehow they made it work.
Once Hawks could no longer excuse his absence as him recovering from his injuries, he had to go back out to take his job as a hero, especially with so many heroes resigning left and right after the war. Luckily, Dabi had promised not to leave again and while Hawks was away, he was the one looking after Ryu. He was also the most capable one between the two either way, considering Dabi had taken care of his siblings when they were kids, but it was still a little bit of an odd feeling to come back home to see Dabi, rocking their son back to sleep.
And just like that, Dabi became a constant around the apartment. Hawks had to admit he didn't mind at all.
Before the war, there had been nothing but fuckbuddies, maybe they even bordered into friends with benefits territory. But now? Hawks didn't know what they were.
He knew Dabi's name, and his story, since one stormy night they just spilled it out to each other: the reason why deep down, they were both scared of raising Ryu. Because neither wanted to end up like their parents, they didn't want Ryu to grow up like they did. That had been also the reason Dabi disappeared in the first place: he didn't want to become his dad, and he was freaking out about the possibility of him out of all people becoming a dad.
Dabi knew his name now too, although they still only referred to each other as Hawks and Dabi.
Nights spent together became more frequent, but where before the war there were only heated nights, now there were soft goodnights whispered as they curled together in bed. Neither knew how it happened, but there was something in the air. Something changed.
And it was Dabi the first one to bring it up, one restless night as they curled together in bed after Ryu woke up crying in the middle of the night.
They had finally managed to get him to sleep again, but they were both lying awake now, Hawks resting on Dabi's chest as he played with his hair.
"I think I love you." Dabi blurted out all of a sudden.
And it scared Hawks. But it also gave him hope, because no one had ever told him they loved him before.
"Well, how do I know I love you back? I don't think I've ever loved anyone before."
Dabi hummed, still playing with Hawks' hair.
"You love Ryu, don't you? But this type of love is different in a way. You want to spend every moment with that person, and you'll do anything to see them happy and safe, although that goes for our son too. But… Your heart just beats really fast when they're around you, and you're happy with just seeing them smile. You want to keep them all for yourself, and can't stop thinking about them. That's how I feel about you."
"Hum…" Hawks paused for a moment, half sitting up to look at Dabi, causing him to stop playing with his hair. He smiled. He was definitely scared, but… "Then I think I love you too, Touya."
Dabi smiled too, gently grabbing Hawks by the back of his neck to gingerly kiss him.
It tasted like love, and longing, and Touya. Hawks felt like he could get drunk on that feeling.
And the next day, as he was coming from a particularly hard day at work, Dabi was there, greeting him with a peck on the lips and a soft 'Welcome, Kei' as Ryu babbled and made grabby arms in his direction. That's when he knew, he definitely loved his family.