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Gentle waves brushed against the shore, the crystalline water glittering against the warmth of the sun. Amazing how much TVs can capture these days. Hawks could almost imagine himself lounging in the soft sand, soaking in the tan with a cool Piña Colada in hand.
As a hero, Hawks never had the chance to stop and pause, think about something other than constant on-the-clock responsibility. What would it be like to rent a small bungalow on a far-off deserted island just the two of them? No concerns, only relaxing under the sun and having fun under the stars.
Oh well, lazy Saturday mornings would have to do, and Dabi’s thigh was warm enough.
Draped over Dabi’s lap as his husband read the morning paper was something Hawks would never have thought possible for them. With everything the two of them went through from war to recovery, Hawks still caught himself sometimes admiring the little moments. Watching how Dabi laughed a little too loudly when Hawks had standoffs with the cats for his attention. And learning that ‘Mr. Big Bad Villian’ loved cheesy low-budget romance movies. They were all the tiny parts that completed the whole complicated image of who Dabi had become in the years since his release.
Blinking up, Hawks turned his thoughts back to the present. Pointing at the screen Hawks nudged Dabi for his attention. “Hey. When are you going to take me somewhere nice?”
“Sand and sunburns. Really birdie, that sounds awful.” Dabi’s blue eyes didn’t even blink from behind the thick lenses — those had been a fight and half. Between everyone from Hawks to all the Todoroki siblings, it was Rei’s quiet request that got Dabi to the optometrist and landed Hawks an easy hundred when Dabi came home with glasses. “Is our couch not good enough for you anymore?”
Hawks let his face go slack as he stared back, years of being with Dabi at least did wonder for his wit. And at this point, he learnt deadpan sarcasm was the only language Dabi understood. “Geeze, Dabi, I can’t think of anything more romantic.”
“Besides, every time I want to go somewhere nice, you want to stay at home.”
“Dabs, I hate to break it to you, but your idea of a nice date is taking me to a three-dollar noodle place and not the convenience store.”
“Five-dollar noodle place?”
“See this?” Hawks held a part of the finished crossword in front of Dabi’s face, scrunching it up and letting it sail towards the recycling bin. It missed by a solid margin, pattering to the ground with a sad couple of bounces as if to rub the insult in further. Damn, at least Dabi hadn’t looked up to see where it landed. “That’s the point sailing past you.”
The infuriating smirk as he flipped the page was the only sign Dabi even noticed. “Heh, you missed.”
“Thank you for proving my point.”
It was a wonder that Hawks still put up with him. Honestly, he was doing society a favour. Someone should give him a medal for keeping the menace that was Dabi off the streets. And as if sensing his thoughts, Dabi let a gentle wave of heat roll over them, brushing away the cold Hawks hadn't realized had settled. Life was a real struggle cuddled next to his own personal heater.
Between the TV in the background filled in the gentle silence and the heavy pressure and the soft purring of a fat cat curled around his legs along with the Dabi’s cozy warmth threatened to lull Hawks to sleep. “And I do nice things.”
Not bothering to open his eyes, “For our anniversary, you let a stray cat follow you home.”
Hawks had come home, ring in his pocket, fully prepared to propose on their fourth anniversary of being together since Dabi started his parole. Nervous energy pooling as Hawks mustered all his courage to open the front door, only to find his boyfriend holding the scruffy orange kitten with a nicked ear. Getting back to their apartment in the early hours of the morning with a bucket of fried chicken after a rush to the twenty-four-hour vet, Hawks had been too tired to do much more throw the ring at Dabi. Needless to say, it had not been the romantic get down on one knee pop out the ring proposal, but the “ya sure” from Dabi was all that counted in the end.
“What’s your point?”
“My point is,” cracking an eye open, Hawks attempted to shoot a Dabi a glare, but if Dabi’s growing grin was any indication, he failed. “I hated cats.”
“Chicken Nugget was free, and now we have three.”
Hawks couldn’t argue with that. Or apparently, when Dabi brought home another mangy-looking cat with sad eyes. Hawks supposed his buying spree for cat beds, toys, and an engraved collar every time hadn’t helped to dissuade Dabi in the slightest.
“Don’t forget we have that dinner with your family tonight.” Hawks flicked the corner of the paper because as much as he would like to lay on Dabi for the rest of the day, they did have things to do. The weekly dinner with Dabi’s family being one of them.
“Joy.” Stale sarcasm partially oozed from Dabi’s voice.
“Stop being an ass.” Hawks snorted.
Still, Hawks understood Dabi’s misgivings. Dinners with the Todorokis were always something else.The meal passing in gentle teasing as the group filled each other in on their hectic lives, while Hawks showed them pictures of their cats to Dabi’s never-ending exasperation.
Things were still a bit awkward between Dabi and Shouto, but the two of them held a tentative peace agreement most of the time. At least until Shouto brought up his latest theory that had the siblings bickering in ever-increasing sound volumes. Hawks doubled over, ribs aching as Dabi turned to Shouto, face blank as he delivered the single rebuttal “Bitch I was the conspiracy.” That threw any hope for logical conversation out the window, as the two brothers each threw the wildest theories they could think of.
Fuyumi’s cooking never failed to be delicious, and Hawks enjoyed the rare blush that spread across Dabi’s cheeks as Natsuo never failed to provide more embarrassing stories of Dabi’s childhood. On one notable occasion, Dabi spun Rei to the sound of Fuyumi playing the piano. The others cheering and clapping as Hawks watched transfixed, as his husband smiled as freely as the sun. Dabi’s hoarse laugh matched Rei’s softer tinkling of bells, and, well, if Hawks shed a tear, he blamed it on the wine.
But even after all the years of therapy, of healing, of them being together, Dabi still had a short fuse when it came to Endeavour. Just mentioning the retired hero risked a Todoroki family feud, and it didn’t take much for Dabi to slip back into that dangerous mindset. Hawks politely apologized and took Dabi to go cool off. The familiar frenzied grin that haunted their past made a frightening reappearance when blue flames threatened to rage like furious snakes, stripping away any progress they had made over the years.
Instead, Hawks wove his fingers around his husband’s scorching hand, ignoring the sharp prickle of heat until Dabi could come his back to Hawks. Self-hatred and guilt writhing behind blue eyes as apologies fell like tears from Dabi’s lips. Hawks guiding Dabi back to the apartment with practised ease. As he walked him through the steps and turning the aircon on max as they watched low-budget romcoms and ate ice cream straight from the tub.
“You just want my mom to gush about you. Keigo this Keigo that. I swear they love you more than me.”
Hawks poked Dabi, grinning at the little pout that graced his face. Hawks had seen enough of Dabi’s baby photos, and he wished he had his phone on him to take a picture to show Natsuo. “Oh! Are you jealous?”
Dabi flicked the paper as he turned the page. “If you ask my therapist, they would say this is a healthy way to talk out my feelings.”
Hawks grinned, “as opposed to arson?”
“Or world domination, it’s hard to tell.” Dabi flicked the paper at his nose, making Hawks laugh at the bland words. “Really should be more specific.”
Hawks sighed, carefully lifting himself from Dabi’s lap, cautious not to leave too much of his weight on the fragile seam of staples that ran along Dabi’s thigh. His arms gave a loud pop as he stretched, a flash of white and orange fur hissing quietly as Hawks disrupted his sleeping spot.
Oops, sorry Steven , Hawks would bribe him for forgiveness with treats later. Dabi slowly folded the newspaper, slender fingers tracing the crease of the pages, bending a corner to keep his place. The small silent assumption that they will be back later warmed Hawks’ heart more than any fire from Dabi’s quirk ever could.
“So no beach?” Hawks leaned forward, letting Dabi meet him halfway.
Dabi’s smile curled around Hawks’ lips “I think we’ve been burnt enough.”