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Dabi was in a bad mood.
His scars had been aching all day, Shiggi had ‘accidently’ eaten his part of lunch while he had been busy applying pain numbing cream, so now he was very hungry, the game some league members where playing on the TV was blaring loudly in the background and gave him a headache, and Toga was annoying him with her constant gushing about how cute one of the UA kids was.
All in all Dabi was having a shitty day.
Oh, and had he mentioned how it was his birthday?
He had always hated his birthday. Even as a child the day would be spend miserable, ignored by the piece of shit he had to call father, who only ever paid attention to his little brother.
Dabi groaned lowly and let his head drop against the back of the couch as Toga shook his shoulders with a way too high pitched squeal. “Oh, oh, and did I tell you about that one time when I saw Izuki bleed during a fight?! It was sooooo cute and pretty~”
The fire villain closed his eyes and rubbed at his throbbing temples. “Only a thousand times...” he grumbled, “Now fuck off. Your voice’s giving me a headache.”
The few seconds of blissful silence that followed his words almost let him hope Toga had actually listened to him for once. But when he cracked one eye open, she was pouting down at him. “Why are you being so grumpy today?” Her face twisted into something that could have been described as excited had it looked slightly less crazy. “Uhhhh, are you missing your boyfriend~” She squealed excitedly, while Dabi pushed himself up with an angry huff.
“How many times do I have to tell that I do not have a boyfriend!”
She just grinned at him. “You smell like love when you return from meeting him.”
Dabi let out string of very colourful curses, while she violently tugged at his arm, trying to get him to admit to what wasn’t fucking true. “I am not fucking in love.” Dabi growled dangerously, letting his hands ignite in blue fire for a moment to get her to back off, and pushed himself of the couch. “Least of all with that damn chicken.” And without acknowledging her or any of the other group members in the room any further, he left the bar.
He let the cold evening air hit his face and cool him down – his skin had been reaching dangerously high temperatures. He needed a smoke. He pulled one out from his coat and lit it with a flick of his fingers. After a few puffs of smoke had left his mouth, he felt calmer.
He tried not to think about anything as he stood there, but as usually it was in vain. This day always brought the carefully buried memories back to the surface (mostly of the siblings he denied missing and buried the guilt of leavening), no matter how set he was on ignoring that it was his birthday.
Obviously no one in the league knew, something like this could connect him to Touya way too easily – and Touya had died in that fire years ago. Even through Dabi was certain the birthday of Endeavour’s oldest son – hell, his existence even – wasn’t public knowledge, he wouldn’t take that chance.
Besides, it didn’t matter. He was Dabi now, and to Dabi this day wasn’t anything special.
He put out the smoke and debated weather he should take out another one or head back inside, when his phone vibrated with a notification. Grateful for any kind of distraction, he pulled it out to check who had texted him. He tried to ignore the happy flip his stomach did when Hawks contact name stared back at him.
You free this evening?
Seconds later another message arrived.
I know it’s kind of sudden, but could we meet up? Please?
Dabi blinked and reread the last message. That...was uncharacteristically polite for the chicken. Why the hell would he want to meet anyway? He almost never initiated a meeting, Dabi always being the one to do that. Maybe Hawks had important new intel? Dabi should let him wait for at least a day before accepting any kind of meeting, just to remind the bird who was in power here. But...Dabi had wanted a distraction, right?
He threw an uncertain look back at the door to the league hideout. A loud crash and an angry shout were heard. It sounded like Shigaraki had lost another round of Mario Cars. Yeah no, he was not dealing with that.
Dabi shoot a quick text back.
Where?
Hawks sent him a location.
Not even twenty minutes later Dabi was climbing up the fire escape outside of a modern apartment complex. He carefully avoided the light caused by the windows he passed to avoid being seen. When he finally reached the balcony he knew belonged to the winged hero, he quietly opened the window – unlocked as usual, the chicken probably used the window more than the damn door – and glanced around the room. It was dimly lit and when he couldn’t make out any movement, he slipped in.
As soon as his boots hit the floor, quiet footsteps emerched from the kitchen. Dabi was taken aback by the sight of Hawks, not only was he in casual clothing instead of his hero uniform, but it was entirely black. The dark colour looked... wrong on the bright hero. His usual easy-going smile as nowhere in sight.
“Thank you for coming,” Hawks said, gesturing Dabi to the small kitchen. The fire quirk user followed him. In the dim light the apartment of the number two hero looked even more barren and impersonal that usual. “I’ve been cooking,” the winged man stated as he returned to the stove, while Dabi dropped into a chair at the counter.
“You can’t cook for shit.”
At Dabi’s dry comment, Hawks let out a huffed laugh. “Yeah, but I know how to make these. Used to make them for him all the damn time.”
He tilted the pan slightly to show Dabi the pancakes inside. Dabi’s breath caught at the comment and his eyes widened slightly. Memories of perfectly backed pancakes and happy smiles threatened to invade his brain, and he pushed them back forcefully. He schooled his face back into neutrality and asked, “What did you call me here for, birdie?”
Hawks let out an embarrassed little squawk at that, that Dabi refused to call cute. The blonde turned back to the stove to evade his gaze. “Uh... I needed some company this evening. Rumi is on patrol today and I don’t really know anyone else I could have asked...” he trailed off.
“What the fuck!?” Dabi stood from his chair, hand lighting up in blue flames as he pinned the other with a threatening stare. “If you made me come here just ‘cause you felt lonely, I’m incinerating you.”
Hawks let out an alarmed sound and leaned away from the heat. “N-no..” he stammered. “It’s just...it’s...” He took a breath and looked of to the side. “It’s January the 18th,” He said like that would explain everything.
Dabi was careful not to show any reaction to the date being thrown into his face. “So what?” he barked out aggressively.
“I...” Hawks sent him a quick look before his gaze returned to the floor, “I can’t really be alone on this day.”
Dabi waited for him to continue, not moving, but the flame in his palm extinguished. They stood for several seconds before Hawks said, voice cracking a little, “It was the birthday of my best childhood friend.”
Dabi actually did flinch at that, though Hawks, who was still looking at the floor, didn’t seem to have noticed. The black haired man tried to calm his racing heart as he tried to figure out how to respond to that.
“What happened to that friend?” He finally asked, his own voice sounding scratchy in his ears.
Pain flashed it Hawks eyes as he looked back up. “He died.”
Dabi swallowed thickly. As his eyes were locked with golden ones he couldn’t help but see the younger version of them. Hawks usually acted so different from the Keigo that it was easy not to see his childhood friend in him. But in this moment there was an open vulnerability in Hawks eyes that looked to much like Dabi remembered, that it left him frozen.
He couldn’t believe Hawks still remembered his birthday, still honoured it by making his favourite food like he used to. The sadness that still lingered in those eyes, even after all these years, hurt and warmed Dabi at the same time.
He forced himself to swallow and turn his eyes away. At that moment he was ridiculously grateful that his tear ducts were burned shut. “And you still celebrate his birthday...” he muttered quietly.
Hawks gave a helpless shrug and a sad half-smile. “Kinda? It’s not much of a celebration, just me moping around and making pancakes. They were his favourite,” he added quietly, like an afterthought.
I know, Dabi almost answered, but he caught himself just in time. He had to remember that Touya was dead, even if a small part of his heart whished he wasn't, at least for Keigo.
When he didn’t say anything Hawks continued to talk, mostly muttering to himself. “It’s just that I can’t really be alone today. To much time to think. Usually I try to spend it working or with Rumi. The one time I was left to my thoughts all evening I got so drunk I couldn’t get out of bed for two days after.”
Hawks blankly stared at the wall, absentmindedly turning the pancake in the pan.
Dabi cleared his throat. “Um, would you...like to talk about him?”
Hawks startled eyes snapped back to him. For a moment he stayed quiet, then he let out an obviously fake laugh. “Ah, I’m sorry I made you come over for something as stupid as this. Can I make it up to you with some pancakes?”
He was shoving a plate in front of him, before Dabi could even get out a response. He grinned as he dug in. “I’m not saying no to that.” When the taste of pancakes baked to perfection hit his tongue, he rolled his eyes theatrically and groaned lowly. They tasted as good as he remembered.
Hawks laughed at the sound, the first generous laugh he had let out that night, and Dabi had to suppress a grin. He swallowed pointedly and said, “You make the best pancakes, birdie.”
“Yeah, Touya used to say that as well.”
Dabi almost choked on his next bite at hearing his old name. He hadn’t heard anyone say it in such a long time and something about it being spoken by Hawks sent a warm feeling through him.
While he sputtered to get air to flow through his lungs properly again, Hawks seemed to get the completely wrong idea about his reaction. “Sorry,” he said as he turned his head away slightly, “you probably don’t want to hear me blabbing about him.”
Dabi gulped down a glass of water that had been placed next to his plate and drew in a shaky breath, before he shook his head. “No, it’s okay. I’d like to hear you talk about him.”
Hawks stared at him like he had just announced he was in love with Shigaraki. After a few moments in which Dabi didn’t crack up, claiming to have been joking, Hawks hesitantly began talking.
“Well, Touya was this moody teenager, always annoyed or irritated at something. His attitude sucked, to be honest he was kind of a brat. But we always had fun together.” Hawks tilted his head as his eyes became distant, looked in memories. “He seemed much happier whenever we were together. We were often training together, he was one of the few people able to keep up with me... His quirk was blue fire, kinda like yours. His hair was white and his eyes were the most beautiful blue.”
Dabi’s breath hitched at Hawks’ words. The hero’s gaze swiped back to him. “You kinda remind me of him, to be honest. Maybe that’s why I like you so much.”
Hawks seemed to snap back to awareness of what he was saying when Dabi’s face turned bright read at that. “Uh, I mean...” he trailed of, not meeting his eyes.
Dabi tried to will the blush away. They had yet to address where they stood with each other. Sure, they had been engaged with each other a few times, but none of them really did the whole feeling thing. So the thing between them, whatever it was, had stayed unnamed.
“Sure, pretty bird. Everyone loves the guy that’s stapled together. Sure it’s not just your bird brain liking the shininess of the staples?” Dabi tried to overplay the situation with sarcasm.
He fought not to let his eyes flicker to the other’s lips. This wasn’t the right time for that. And that time would probably never be.
Hawks let out a indignant huff, jumping at the opportunity to overplay the tension hanging between them. “Shut it, hot stuff.”
Dabi just laughed. “You mentioned something about getting drunk earlier. I’m sure you’ve got some liquor around here. You better pay me with some for getting over here.”
A few minutes later they both had a small glass with whisky sitting in front of them. Dabi drowned his in one go, making a face at the burn down his throat. “Ugh, this stuff is strong. I think I need some more food for this or I’m gonna be wasted in no time.”
The winged man huffed out a laugh only to gag when he drowned his own glass. “I’ve still got some pancakes.”
He shuffled the last three on Dabi’s already empty plate, before busying himself looking around the fridge. When he returned, he carried an half-empty container of KFC. Dabi snorted at the sight. He could already feel the alcohol starting to kick in. “Do you ever eat anything else? I’m sure by now they could rename their place to Keigo’s Fried Chicken with how much of their sale goes to you alone.”
Hawks froze halfway trough sitting down. It took Dabi a moment to realise. He crooked an eyebrow at the other’s shocked expression.
“What?”
“Where did you get that name?”
Dabi’s eyes widened. Shit, he had slipped up. One shitty glass of alc and he slipped up. He wracked his brain for any kind of explanation he could give to cover up his mistake.
"Uh, the rabbit hero! She’s your friend, right? I overheard her call you that.”
Shit, shit, shit! The longer Hawks silence lased the more panicked Dabi grew.
“Rumi doesn’t know that name. There is only one person I ever told my real name to... and that person is supposed to be dead.”
Well, shit.
Dabi let out a long breath. “Look, birdy, I can explain...”
Before he could react, he had an arm full of feathers. For a moment he thought Hawks was attacking him, before he registered the hero has hugging him while simultaneously shaking him violently.
“How? How can you be alive? I went to your fucking funeral.”
All Dabi’s useless brain could come up with at that moment was, “Oh, wow, the old man actually bothered to hold a funeral.”
Suddenly, Hawks drew back. His eyes burning with unshed tears.
“Touya Todoroki! Explain yourself!”
For some reason, that had nothing to do with his hatred for the last name, his stomach did a little flip at hearing Hawks say his name. With a sigh he resigned himself to his fate.
“Well, as you can see I’m not dead. Though I got close.”
He explained the whole story - the true story, not the one the commission had fed Hawks as a kid. When he was finished Hawks looked equally ready to commit murder and break down crying. Instead he pulled Dabi to his chest, wrapping his wings around them protectively, like he feared the world would rip the other away from him again. “Touya,” he sighed into the other’s hair.
The warm feeling in Dabi’s chest grew. He gently run a warm hand along Hawks feathers, causing him to shiver slightly.
“Why did you never say anything? You could have let me know you’re alive.”
“Well, the whole point of creating a new identity kinda was to cut all connections to my old live.”
Hawks was silent for a moment before he asked, “What about later? When we met again? You must have recognised me.”
Dabi snorted slightly. He had recognised him the moment he debuted as a hero. After all, there weren’t to many heroes their age with bright red wings, trained by the commission.
“I’m not the same person I was back then, Kei,” was what he said instead.
His only answer was a pointed look that clearly spelled that that much was obvious. “I don’t care.”
Dabi blinked in surprise. Hawks, number two hero, that he very much knew was trying to spy at the league of villains to take them down, didn’t care that his childhood best friend was a villain working to bring down the society he protected.
“I missed you,” Hawks whispered as he nuzzled into Dabi’s neck.
Something in his heart shifted at that and he felt his carefully built walls crumble a little. “I missed you too,” he mumbled into the red feathers. He almost hoped the other hadn’t heard him, but of course he had forgotten about Hawks’ wing being able to read vibrations. The hero’s face lit up.
Suddenly, he gasped as if something had just crossed his mind. “You’re Touya!”
“Yeah...?” Wasn’t that he whole point that had gotten them into this strange hugging situation. For a moment Dabi wondered if he had broken the bird.
“Do you know what that means?” Hawks beamed and Dabi warily shook his head. What was the bird brain on about now?
“It’s your birthday!”
Dabi blinked. In all of this shitty drama he had actually forgotten about that. A shit-eating grin spread over his scarred lips. “Yeah, it’s my birthday and you didn’t even get me a present. How rude!”
He crossed his arms in mock outrage. The expression on his face fell a bit, when he saw Hawks’ considering gaze. Before he had time to react, there where soft lips on his.
His breath caught and after a moment he leaned into the kiss. When Hawks pulled back, he instinctively chased after him. His brain was filled with cotton and his heat was racing in a satisfyingly warm way.
“Happy birthday, hot stuff.”