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Sometimes not even a Hawk's fluffy jacket could keep him warm from his night patrols.
He shivered as the cold light winds hit every surface of his body, slowly turning him into a chicken popsicle while flying home after a long patrol shift.
One of his sidekicks called sick at the last minute and there was no one who could covor at the time. As a result he made dinner hastily, which was probably going to bite him later, and he didn't eat nearly enough food so he was absolutely starving.
The hunger only made his itch to get home stronger, as well as the fatigue weighing on his bones. Apparently crime decided tonight was a good night to show itself, and Hawks had to deal with it all.
Everything from muggings to illegal drug deals to villains attacks, Hawks did it all with a near empty stomach, and he may or may not have become a little more snippy then what fans would usually describe him as.
To add to the bullshitry that was Hawks covering the last minute shift, he already did morning patrols on his own then afternoon patrols with tokoyami as well as went to a photoshoot.
After the main parts of his day were done Hawks then did paperwork that hadn't been done yet and needed to be submitted that day. So exhaustion pulled at his body so much he considered taking the day off tomorrow just to recuperate.
Who was he kidding? The commission wouldn't allow that so easily.
Crime doesn't rest so why should he?
He wasn't a person after all in their eyes. Exhaustion wasn’t a reason to skip a day of work.
By the time his sidekick came for the next shift of night patrol, Hawks was ready to go home. He didn't even say hello to his sidekick, just acknowledged his existence and flew off into the sky without saying a word.
The cold winds fighting against Hawk's frame helped a little to keep him conscious while flying home. The street light below was illuminating the already dark sky, and in turn further hiding the stars that decorated it.
Actually landing on his balcony was the best feeling, Hawks had let out a sigh that made his body feel ten pounds lighter. He opened the balcony door to be greeted with his dark, empty, and open kitchen and living room.
He didn't pay attention to the looming lonely feeling of the empty first floor and half hazardly chucked off his heavy jacket that had been cold to the touch now.
He left it on the floor along with his gloves before more carefully taking off his shoes. Soon Hawks was dressed in just his flight suit and baggy pants.
He was so tired the stairs leading to the bedrooms felt like too much to climb. Maybe he should just crash on the couch for the night. It’s not like he hasn't done it before.
Before he could fully make the decision, Hawks heard the faintest sounds of weeping that were from up the stairs.
He sighed out heavily.
Exhaustion be damned, his muscles screaming at him as he climbed the stairs be damned.
Fatherhood comes before sleep.
The weeping turned into full on sobbing as Hawks got to the top of his staircase. Then it only got louder as he walked down the hall and stopped where the main source was.
A placard was drilled into a white door, the engraved kanji read ‘Hayato’, softly Hawks gripped the golden knob. He pressed his free palm into the door as he opened it, as he didn't want to scare his Dove with the Action
The room was dark except for a single night light sitting on the nightstand closest to Hawks. It shows a flock of singing birds that would move slowly across the Dove ceiling right above that medium sized circular bed covered with pillows, blankets and plushies. And circular bed was the shaking sobbing form that was his son.
A foul and sour smell hit his nose as he frantically felt the wall for the light switch, when he did he flicked it on and a boy that was near identical to Hawks jumped out of his own skin and shot his head around towards the elder of the two.
Bloodshot golden eyes wide with terror stared at Hawks, tears ran down the boy’s freckled cheeks, and little red wings fluffed to double its size, his nose was rully an snot covered, then there was an interesting discolorationg down doves throat and font.
Hawks noted all the odd details of his chick that was definitely not there when he left for patrol
He first looked at the boy concerned when the foul smell reminded him of its existence. Then he looked around the now brightly lit room. Eventually he stepped closer to the disevled chick, his gaze landed on the bed his son slept on and everything made sense.
Hayato threw up on the bed.
Hayato sobbed harder as Hawks walked even closer to the bed, getting a better look at the damage. He saw the vomit had gotten on a handful of the blankets making up the nest Hawks had made, as well get onto the comforter and the sheets.
Luckily all in one place making cleaning up a little easier, but the idea of Hayato sitting here not being able to get out of the hazard area and risk getting sick, made Hawks feel sick himself.
If Hayato had thrown up, That means he is already sick right?
Hawks turned his attention back to his distressed son, who up until this point forced his sobbing to hyperventilation. As he locked eyes with the terrified almost petrified boy.
A hard and painful looking sob broke through his lips. His bandaged arms came up to wipe the tears away frantically, messing up the careful wrappings.
“I'm sorry, I'm sorry,” Hayato sobed out, the vomit had left a trail on Hayato’s face and clothes. “I'm sorry, I'm so sorry.”
The chick curled into himself and tried to hide as best he could, though Hawks imagined that was difficult when Hayato was missing most of his left leg.
The reminder of Hayato's amputations added to Hawk's guilt.
Dove can't move on his own, not well at least. His Dove wasn't able to get away from a hazard area, and he could be even more sick than he probably is. He didn't think of when accidents happened and Hayato having to sit in it because he couldn't move without help. He should have predicted this and taken action way before it happened.
Dove kept sobbing apologies as Hawks moved closer to press the back of his palm to Dove’s forehead. He kept it there for a few seconds before tuning his hand just to make sure.
Luckily Dove’s forehead wasn’t hot, so that much ment it was just a stomach bug right!?
He should check Dove’s temperature with a thermometer just in case right!? The parenting books never prepared him for these kinds of nights.
Not knowing what to do, he went into an auto maternal bird mode, getting Hayato out of the mess and walking towards the place to clean up. Hawks picked up his chick, placing him on his hip and ignoring the terrible breath and grose texture of soiled Pj’s against his skin tight suit.
Hayato still sobbed out apologies after apologies even when the boy pressed his head into the crook of Hawk's neck, both wrapped arms clinging onto hawks for dear life
“Hey hey.” Hawks said softly, “Look at me.” Hawks had to hide the grimace he felt in his body when Hayato looked at him lacking the vomit on his chin, he would have to wash his suit now too.
Hawks rubbed his hand through the 7 year olds hair in the way he found Hayato liked it. “It was an accident, you don't need to apologize.” His words didn't seem to ease Dove’s woes in the slightest.
Hawks' insides twisted with every sop that broke out, and Hawks wanted so badly to just kiss them away, but he couldn't. Hayato wasn't used to that kind of affection. Even the simple act of picking the boy up took a couple of months to be fully okay with.
Hawks moved away from the soiled bed and walked across the big room into the equally large bathroom. He turned on the bathroom light as a couple feathers detached and floated off into the shower room to start setting up a bath.
While that was heating, Hawks moved over to the sink in the bathroom and placed his crying chick onto the cold counter. Hawks took a hand towel hung up off the wall and wetted it under the running faucet.
Then he took the wet towel and, gently as he could, ran the cloth across Hayato's mouth, cleaning the vomit from his chin, and what skin was exposed on his neck.
Hawks felt bad that Dove had to go through this without him there immediately, and he wondered if the small boy had gone through this situation before but didn't get help of any kind. Forced to sit in his own filth, susceptible to all kinds of illnesses until someone found him by chance and punished him for making a mess.
Just the thought made Hawks want to both sob uncontrollably and rip a door off its hinges. Preferably the commissions..
Hawks put down the now soiled rag and moved to take off Dove’s pj’s when he stopped and thought for a moment. His eyes unfocused and small fidgeting hands, a righ one with two less fingers then usual
What did his doc say about trauma victims again?
He couldn't remember at the moment, but just going ahead and taking off Dove’s soiled clothes didn't seem like the correct course of action, both logically and morally.
Hawks went through his memories with the doc who mainly took car of his chick, and who really had no business giving him psych advice. But hawks remembered she said raising Hayato was going to be difficult because of just how much trauma Hayato has experienced both physically and mentaly. It's exactly why Hayato doesn't go to school of any kind, not public school, not private, not even homeschool, not yet at least.
Hawks remembered calling the doc and getting advice when Hawks didn't know what to do. He rarely does that now as he found out the commission can listen into his calls.
He also remembered the many many lectures advising Hawks to get Hayato started on therapy.
That's one of the few pieces of advice he ignores.
Hawks bit the inside of his cheek and furrowed his eyebrows trying to remember what the hell he was told to do. It was something about building confidence, Hawks remembered.
It was on the tip of his tongue but Hawks couldet fully remember. He was supposed to build confidence, but how was he told to do that again?
The answer he needed hit him like a drum, and Hawks felt stupid for forgetting to do soemthing so simple. So easy to do, you never even really think about it until you have to do it.
“Hayato.” he called the boy's attention softly. Hawks must've been in still silence for too long as Dove’s expression of terror turned into distinct, petrifying horror.
He could tell Hayato was holding back every sound and holding it in his throat, he was waiting for Hawks to react negatively, violently even. “May I take off your clothes and wash them?” The thing the adult was forgetting was consent.
Any kind of distress in Dove washed away and borderline confusion replaced the overwhelming emotions Hayato wasn't used to. Another sob ripped out of the chick.
“Wha-?” tears fell down Dove's cheeks, breaking his question short.
“I am asking for permission to remove your clothes and wash them.” Hawks explained. “May I do that?” The doc said Consent was crucial for Dove as of this moment, as it was a way to encourage individuality and create confidence within Hayato, and a way to do that was asking simple questions about preference, and teaching about basics of a healthy relationship with an authoritative figure. How could he be so stupid to forget a fundimental think about basic life.
He knew the process would confuse Hayato now but it would help him later in life. Hopefully.
“Why?” Hayato asked, his voice was small and meek. As if it was illegal. Hawks felt his heart squeeze violently.
“Because it’s your pajamas on your body,” he explained calmly. He couldn't show much emotions during this process either, despite his age Hayato was crazy skilled at reading body language as hawks were skilled in masking them. Showing off the tsunami of hawks' emotions at the monet would only make things worse.
The gears were tuning in Hayato's head, and the chick was trying to figure out the intention of Hawks' actions. When the boy became visibly frustrated at not being able to find the answer, he asked in the same small voice that squeezed the hawk's heart painfully.
“May I ask a question?” Hawks nodded. He held himself back from grinning, Hayato never really asked questions to expand his knowledge. And he jsut asked two in a row, Hayato was making progress right now, and Hawks was getting to experience it.
“You can ask me anything Hayato.” Hawks waited patiently for his question to come, knowing exactly what it was going to be. Hayato hesitated and contemplated. For a moment Hawks thought Hayato was going to back out, and lose the great progress he was making.
“Why….um...Why do my clothes ….need to be taken off?” Hayato finally asked. Hawks smiled with pride filling his chest that Hayato was slowly gaining confidence.
“Because your clothes are dirty with throw up.” Hawks started to explain. “If we leave them on there's a risk of you getting sick, and I don't want you to get sick, because being sick isn't fun.”
His chick's already been through the ringer in terms of physical health. Hawks had a deep fear that if Hayato got any kind of infection or sickness the chick wouldet get through it. An irrational fear Hawks knew but it still terrified him nonetheless.
“Oh.” it really didn't come across as a word, but more of a sound, a very tiny sound.
“I'm going to ask again, May I remove your dirty clothes?” he asked. After a moment Hayato hesitantly nodded. Hawks smiled again, this was amazing progress.
A month ago Hayato wouldn't even respond before Hawks inevitably just said he was going to change his clothes. Hawks was quick to unbutton the front of Hayato's pajama top, then reached around to unbutton the ones under the boy’s wings
The vomit covered top was removed and revealed healthy mostly tan freckled skin underneath. Hawks tried to ignore the boiling anger that rose quickly under his skin when his gaze caught on the faded tattoo permanently inked into his child's skin.
It was the commission symbol that was placed on his torso, on the same side where the boy was missing a leg.
When Hawks first discovered it he couldet help himself but asked about it, furious that an adult thought tattooing a child would be a good idea. But that experience earned him a crying child shying away from him and the fun triple combo of regret, shame and guilt hitting him for a week afterwards.
The second time the Hawks asked about the tattoo, he remembers Hayato flinching and hesitantly saying he didn't remember how or why he got it.
It was just there.
It wasn't the only thing branded on Hayato's body either, there was also a black diamond permanently embedded into Dove’s ear and wire connecting to it in his neck.
That was discovered during one of the meny skin graft surgeries Hayato went through. One exploratory surgery later revealed the erring to be something more that couldn't be removed.
When Hawks asked about the erring he got the same answer. Dove didn't know how or why.
It was just there.
Hawks suspected it was new technology that the commission wanted to test out, and because Hayato didn't know how to say no, he was the perfect candidate.
A candidate with no thought of their own, a puppet in training, no actual way to revoke his consent. No choice but to obey the only adults in his life.
Not only that but Hayato was too young to give consent.
Both brands made Hawks' blood boil whenever he got a glimpse. It just showed how dirty the commission was willing to go in order to keep their soldiers in their grasp.
Poor Hayato.
“After we get you cleaned up in the bath, will you get new ones? Is that okay?” Hawks asked after removing the soiled pants and the compression garments that were prescribed by his doctor.
He waited for Dove to nod his head again before Hawks picked him back up. They walked out to the shower room, where the bath was ready to go.
The water was warm enough for Hayato to enjoy without going into a panic attack, it was also only filled halfway for the same reason.
Hawks often wondered silently if there was a way he could just look into the Dove's mind and find the main sources about some of his son’s fears.
Not just the ones that were understandable for a child, like not wanting to sleep in the dark. But fears like being touched, eating in front of others, breathing in front of others, even flying!
That one Hawks learned about the hard way.
He wondered silently, as he took the wet washcloth set next to the tup and ran it over the boy’s freckled heaving chest, He wondered about just what could cause such intense negative reactions Hayato now experiences.
Hayato was a child for fuck sakes! He shouldn’t even have full debilitating panic attacks at the thought of flying. Hell he shouldn't have needed an amputation either.
Yet here the boy was, sitting in a half filled lukewarm bathtub washing the late night events away, missing his left leg and his two middle and ring fingers on his right hand, while Hawks changed directions and started shampooing the boy’s blond locks, taking advantage of their situation.
Hayato didn't like baths Hawks found out, and yet again he didn't know why. All he knew was that Hayato would rather act out, and use his vocal cords for the first time in a long time, to scream loud and cry before ever getting into the bathtub for basic hygiene. It looked like the chick was going through some kind of violent death each time hawks brought up the subject itself.
Hawks focused on remodeling Dove's feeling for bath time, making this time pleasurable by scratching lightly at Hayato’s scalp while scrubbing the dirt and grease away slowly. He watched with a small smile as Dove was having a hard time keeping himself from enjoying the ministrations.
Another thing Hawks was trying to slowly incorporate in his teachings. Getting Hayato to embrace the bird side of his quirk. Hawks had Hayato’s old file, and he read it through over and over in the late nights when he couldn't sleep.
There wasn't as much information as his own file had, the majority of the big stack of paper being plans on what the Commission would do with ‘Falcon’ a handful had to do with the bird mannerisms attached to the quirk's fierce wings.
Cosmetic Surgeries like removing Dove’s talons and replacing them with fake nails, root canals on his canines and replacing them with fake teeth. Plucking extra feathers that were in odd places.
There were even surgeries back to back planned to permanently alter Hayato’s vocal cords and trigger a faster blinking response. Of course, all of this was theorized to work, none of the poedured actually being done to people.
At first it took Hawks two months to read through the damn file and he wanted to burn the thing to ashes, erase the last bit of Hayato’s past. But that wasn't a smart move. He might need the evidence later, if the commission ever tried something.
The commission never liked animalistic quirks, Hawks knew that from personal experience. So he knew Dove had big insecurities about the bird side of having wings.
Even then the unconditioning happened naturally, Hawks didn't even notice he was smiling whenever Dove accidently chirped out loud. Then Hawks became aware and tried to pull some method out of his ass without research and play a video of birds chirping on the living room tv.
It kinda worked, but not really.
So he backtracked and went slow, giving the same smile’s to the chirps that would make themselves known. And every chance he got to bathe Hayato, simulate preening by scratching lightly at Hayato’s scalp with his talons.
That one worked a little.
Hawks tipped Dove’s head back slightly when it was time to rinse out the shampoo, not enough to freak out the boy but enough so soap doesn't get into his eyes, he grabbed a plastic cup in the tup to wash away all the shampoo from Dove’s head and repeated the process of shampooing again before doing the same with conditioner. His maimes hand finds purchase on his wrist, an instinct to not fall over.
Actually cleaning the boy’s body was a different battle entirely. The act of caring touches on Hayato's body was so foren to his chick he, always thought something bad was going to happen.
Hawks could just go ahead and scrub Dove's body, then Hayato would start to hyperventilate after a while then neither of them would be in the right mindspace to properly think.
But at the same time Hawks couldn't just let Dove wash himself either because Hayato wasn't able to grab the soapy towel. The damage in his arms would prevent that from happening for a while.
In the end, not wanting this already stressful night to turn into a rickly, untimely hospital visit, Hawks stopped the bath there, hoping rinsing away traces of vomit was enough for now, he picked up Hayato once again.
He wrapped the boy in a towel that was commissioned to be as soft as possible, as well as sit on Hayato's head like a hoodie. The only thing for Hawks' pleasure was the embroidered beak and eyes on the hood to make it chick themed, Hawks found it adorable seeing his chick wrapped up all cozy in a chicken themed towle.
He couldn't help but smile wide as he rubbed Hayato’s blonde locks dry, the sight was really stinking cute. Hayato’s cute chubby face with his big golden eyes and the pale yellow hooded towel propped on his head, that made Hawks feel all kinds of warm and fuzzy.
“Be right back.” he said, after Hawks rubbed Hayato's hair dry. He left Dove on the floor for a moment. He left the room to locate the medical kit on the counter. The kit was just a basket filled with prescribed ointments, lotion, Backup compression garments, and even a first aid kit. A simple thing that Dove’s doctor told Hawks was necessary and what to put in it.
Hawks walked back with the basket and placed it on the floor before sitting down himself. He grabbed the lotion first.
“May I see your arm please?” Hawks showed the bottle to Hayato. “I want to put lotion on your scars.” Quicker than previous attempts, Hayato gave the Hawks his arm.
A pinkish hand, lacking freckles and instead had a rough texture of burn scars, coated everything up to just past his elbow and even connected to a similar scar on his back. They were third degree when Hawks found Hayato almost 8 months ago. Now they have healed somewhat nicely. There were patches of skin where the scarring created large shallow craters within Hayato skin while the rest looked like netting from the multitude of skin grafts Dove received.
Hawks lathers Hayato's arm in lotion making sure to rub all of it into the graph and even a few inches above healthy skin. Then Hawks grabbed the compression garment for Hayato's arms and put it on the boy to help keep his skin in shape to heal over time.
Hawks repeated the process of asking for permission tethering each full working limb in lorain before focing a carmen on Dove, even getting to a little of his back. Then Hawks repeated it all again for Hayato’s leg stump except instead of putting lotion he just put some ointment on before the garment.
In about 6 months Hayato had a consultation appointment for a prosthetic, until then Hawks was advised to keep Hayato’s stump in a compression sock to keep its shape. And to get his kid used to the feeling of it.
This process was wash, rince, and repeat until ALL of Dove’s scares are healed.
When medical care was all said and done for the night, Hawks put the basket back in its spot and washed the leftover lotion from his hands. He went back to the shaower room with the new goal of Hayato getting into clean pj’s.
Hawks set Hayato on a chair far away from his bed and left him to go snoop in the closet. Over the past couple of months Hayato's been released from a 6 month stay in the hospital Hawks had taken a new liking to getting the bird in question clothes and possessions.
Currently the closet was filled with a lot of clothes Hawks have spent not enough money getting custom made. And Hayato in the end only wears about a quarter of what he has. Hawks gives him options on what to wear for the day, and he thinks Dove’s a little overwhelmed with the idea of having so much stuff. So hopefully just letting Dove choose between two options helps his brain process.
Hawks locates the pajama drawer, and sifts through it pulling out two he’d think Dove would like. One just had a bird pattern on them and the other one was the hero Hawks themed, yet another thing Hawks found Dove slowly liking, he thought at least, maybe it was his ego talking. Hawks showed the two options to Dove.
“Which one do you want to wear?” Hawks asked, giving Hayato a choice was important to build individuality. Hawks remembered Hayato might become stressed at choosing the “correct one” so he quickly added. “There's no wrong answers”
Hayato sat on the chair slowly looking at one then the other and back again. He was calculating which outfit wouldn't get him in trouble.
The thought made Hawks sad and frustrated that Hayato didn't trust him enough not to be hurt. But healing takes time, he reminded himself.
After a while of silence Hayato pointed with a clumsy hand at the Hawks themed one. Hawks had to form smiling wide at the pride he felt blooming in his chest. Instead he nodded, putting away the option Dove rejected and getting closer to the boy wrapped all cozy in his towel.
“May I put this on for you?” Sometimes asking felt like a pain, but it would be worth it eventually right!? Most of the parenting he was doing was on the fly.
Hawks watched Hayato nod again and He was quick to work, slipping on the adorable Pj’s swiftly but carefully. By the time that was over he could see the fatigue in his chicks body.
Meaning Hawks had to change the sheets quickly and re-build the nest.
And just like before, Hawks was quick to undo the nest and seperate the clean blankets and pillows from the ones covered in vomit. He couldn't keep himself from grimacing at the smell of it. Hawks practically rushed out of the room every time he had to take out things and put them into the wash.
Afterwards Hawkes was left staring at the big stain of vomit on the bare mattress he had no clue how to get out.
He stared at it trying to figure out what to do.
The only mattresses in the penthouse that were circular like this were in Hawks' bedrooms and Hayato’s, and not only was it too big for the fram but Hawks didn't feel like going through the trouble of swapping the two until he could get a new one.
Maybe he can just flip the mattress over?
“I'm sorry.” Hayato said again in that heart wrenching small voice Hawks wanted so badly to go away.
“It's fine, Dove, you're not in trouble.” Hawks are assured once again before starting the process of flipping the mattress over on its back. When the mattress was on its side is when Hawks remembered the power of telekinetic feathers and decided to exploit them once again.
“Why?” Hayato brought the hawk's attention back to him.
“Why what?” he asked. The mattress hit the boxspring with a loud thud, making Hayato flinch hard and look at the successfully flipped over mattress with weary eyes. Hayato gulped.
“Why….why aren't you punishing me?” Hawks froze at the heavy warbling in Hayato's voice. He felt his heart shatter into pieces, he didn’t know what to say.
Tears came back to the corners of Dove’s big golden eyes. “I ruined the bed, ….Why aren't I being punished for it?” His first instinct was to hug Dove tightly, peck kisses all over his face showering him in love and wrap them both in a cocoon of feathers. And he wished so hard he could do that!
Hawks shoved his desires down, opting to walk very slowly towards his Dove and crouch down so Hayato was taller than Hawks at that moment. Then he rested a reassuring hand on the boy's side, and made direct eye contact with the child he adored so much.
“Because I care…” he started in the softest voice he ever talked in. “Because I care about you Hayato, I care about your mental well being and physical health. I care a thousand times more than the commission ever did.” Hawks saw the confusion in his chick, the conflict of emotions he never experienced running wild.
His gaze shifted away from Hawks onto his pajamas. But Hawks wanted Hayato to know just how much Hawks loved him, so to get the seven year olds attention back, Hawks brushed his hand through his now damp locks.
The action got the reaction Hawks wanted, bright golden eyes he adored looking back at Hawks. “ A punishment is used to hurt and control, as your father I don't ever want to see you hurt or inflict pain.” he explained, the beautiful golden eyes made themselves more visible as its owner had his mouth agape. “Now that's not to say you'll never experience a consequence. A punishment is deliberate and planned out, a consequence happens naturally. For instance…. I am assuming you had some kind of food poisoning or stomach bug, probably caused by my rushed cooking, which in turn resulted in you throwing up, and that turned into the bed sheets needing to be washed and replaced.”
Hawks explained, and with that idea of him being rushed tonight washed a new wave of guilt. “So in reality all of this was a consequence of my mistake, because every human makes mistakes, and sometimes does not cook food properly. Does that make sense, Dove?” Hayato slowly nodded his head but otherwise stayed silent.
Hawks moved up from his crouch position slowly and kissed Hayato’s forehead without thinking, the boy underneath his lips froze, Hawks back away slightly and pressed their foreheads together, then he whispered “when I signed up to be your dad I vowed to help you in any way you need me, and because of how much I care about you Hayato, I will never ever harm you with malicious intent. You will never experience another punishment as long as you are my son.”
Something in that last sentence broke something in Hayato as he sobbed again. Although this time it felt different, Hayatos sobs didn't feel like sobs of terror or sadness, they sounded like ones that happen when someone is overwhelmed and their brain is on overdrive.
Or maybe it wasn't as dark as that and Hayato’s sobs were of relief. Either way, Hawks felt Hayato's sobs weren't a negative reaction in the slightest.
And for the first time in 8 months since meeting Hayato, Hawks was able to hug his son and bring him physical comfort like this. Hawks kept his excitement to a minimum as well as his desire to shower Dove with all the affection Hawks had in his body. He channeled all that energy into just being a rock for Hayato in the moment, and continuously ran his fingers through soft blond fluff Hawks adored so very much.
The father son duo found themselves in a bed with new clean sheets looking at the birds that circled around the son’s ceiling.
Dove admitted he didn't want to be alone in the dark again and Hawks obliged, after he changed into sweats and a t-shirt, when his son asked to sleep together.
After a long moment of silence Hawks realized Dove was having a hard time sleeping and started to tell stories, somewhere made up from his mind, like how a magical monkey traveled across the world and pissed of gods, to stories about his day, going into greater detail about how dark shadow took all of tsukoyomi’s apple slides and left the poor intern to pout in the corner.
To every story he told he heard it.
It was faint but he heard it.
Little chirps and coo’s that would escape at the parts Hayato liked.
They were breathly and broken, probably the instinct trained out of him by the commission just like Hawks. But he didn't pay any mind to the small sounds, he silently enjoyed them as he talked and talked until he heard the breathing of his chick slowly even out into calm slow motions.
Hawks went into silence for a while. He didn't do anything when his son moved closer to Hawks and clumsily attempted cuddles. Though Hawks thought it was adorable and went to rub at the fluffy hair on his chick’s head as he closed his eyes.
Exhaustion from the day's events finally catching up to him.
“Good night, dad.” Hawk's eyes shot open again, he watched in shock as singing birds from the night light on Hayato's nightstand danced on the ceiling, illuminating a small amount of light in the overwhelmingly dark room.
Hawks grinned from ear to ear and he couldn't help himself but giggled like a child in the silent room when he felt Hayato breathe softly into Hawks skin.
‘Dad’
Dove called him dad. He called Hawks Dad , not anyone else, just him. Hawks was Dad in Hayato’s mind. Hawks got the official role in Hayato’s life.
Oh how his heart wanted to explode.
His cheeks felt hot like burning coal, as soft warm breaths hit exposed parts of Hawks skin, the weight next to him becoming pleasantly warm.
He was Dad now.
Hawk’s grin became so wide his face started to ache. Dad sounded nice, Hawks thought to himself. Especially when it came from Dove.
Fuck the comission and their work and their ridiculous schedual and hours, Hawks wasn’t going to work tomorrow. If the commission didn't like it, they could kiss his ass.
Tomorrow was going to be spent cuddling with Dove.