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It’s been 10 years since Keigo lost Touya and it’s been almost one year since he found him again in Dabi. Of course the boy Keigo knew isn’t the man Hawks contacted to infiltrate the league, but the same can be said about Hawks. He isn’t the boy that Touya knew either.
The second Hawks saw those damn blue eyes he knew and maybe he saw some type of recognition in Dabis eyes too, even if that thought feels a little too much like wishful thinking and misplaced hope as Touya had promised a young Keigo to rescue him and run away together before he died.
In that moment he wanted to scream and cry and make his grievances clear in any way possible. Keigo mourned Touya for years and even if Hawks has been trained out of any emotions that could hold him back as the commission so deemed, Keigo never completely died to make room for the obedient little soldier the commission hoped to get out of him.
However, they had trained him so well that nobody knew Keigo was still alive, no matter how little, Keigo was still alive and kicking. The commission thought they killed the little boy years ago but when they buried Touyas death along with the apparently empty casket, Keigo resurfaced and waited for an opportunity to break out.
That opportunity it seems was given to him by madam president herself by telling him to contact Dabi of the league of villains ,who was in charge of recruiting new members ,without knowing she was doing it. Hawks is sure that if she had known his mission wouldn’t have been to infiltrate but to kill.
Once he recognised Dabi as the boy he knew and loved all those years ago every line in the well crafted speech he had been given by his handler and rehearsed until he knew he’d be able to convince even the commission, who was in on the mission, that he had turned coat, went flying out the broken warehouse window he had flown in to meet his contact.
“When Giran said he’d found an interesting potential new recruit I had no idea he’d be bringing me a hero, much less the commissions’ little pet bird” Dabis voice sounded little like Touya and the words held a type of venom that Keigo had never heard his friend use, but there was no mistaken this was Touya- Dabi?-
Hawks was frozen. He couldn’t move a muscle fighting Keigo not to take over his body, to ruin his mission and earn him the type of reeducation that’d definitely kill whatever of Keigo Hawks has left. He needed to come up with a plan first. A plan to confront Dabi- Touya- and then run away together like he’d been promised they’d do.
“What, no speech ready ? I’m sure your owners made sure you were ready to lie your ass off to get an in”
Hawks had to say something quick before Dabi lost interest. He needed time to properly come up with a plan and until he had that plan he’d have to keep Dabi interested and the commission happy enough to not get on his ass and interfere with his mission.
But his mind kept blanking. He couldn’t think of anything but Touya- Dabi- and how he looked both dead and alive at the same time. Of how skinny he looked. Of how angry he looked.
Was he angry that Keigo had become Hawks ? Had he followed his career ? Had he seen how fast the little crybaby he knew climbed the ranking only to be stopped by his father ? The man Touya expressed both hatred and love for ?
Hawks turned off his brain, letting years of training and punishment take over to get the ball rolling at least. The speech he delivered that night wasn’t as convincing as he’d wanted if Dabis expression was anything to go by, but he’d still played along. Hawks had let Keigo believe that it was Touyas influence.
Now, almost one year later on Touyas birthday, Keigo has his plan almost completed. The only thing missing is convincing Dabi- Touya- to go along.
He is waiting for Dabi a block away from the cemetery Touya was supposedly buried in. He hopes that Dabi never visited the grave and wouldn’t know that’s where he is taking him. Hawks is 80% sure that if Dabi suspected anything before they arrived at Touyas grave he’d bolt not wanting to confront his past.
In the past few months Hawks had witnessed quite a few instances where Dabi just up and ran if anyone, not just Hawks, tried to ask him about his past. Even during league team bonding nights when Shigaraki shared how his father, both biological and adoptive, hurt him. When Toga started crying at how the lonely feeling of being an outcast and being shunned made her turn to villainy. When Hawks and Spinner talked about different kinds of discrimination based on their mutation.
But for his plan to work Hawks needed Dabi to at least hear him out.
However Dabi is late. Which in itself isn’t anything new, Dabi is always late but today Hawks- Keigo- needs everything to go smoothly.
Right when he starts to feel angry at Dabis blatant disrespect for his time he can see Kurogiris warp gate open and Dabi step out.
“Birdie, I really hope that your intel is worth my time today. I really didn’t want to see anyone much less you today”
“Don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll hate it enough to finally make good on your promise to kill me” Hopefully love it enough to make good on his promise to save Keigo.
That pulls a laugh out of Dabi and give Keigo hope that he’ll succeed. No matter how much Dabi denied it, he had always had a soft spot for Hawks. From cooking meals when he started to break into his apartment to both letting Hawks patch him up and patching Hawks up after fights. It was as if he knew Hawks wouldn’t take care of himself if left alone- and he knew, Touya knew, Keigo has always been too reckless with his own safety and well-being.
Hawks- Keigo- leads Dabi to the cemetery. Both of them not saying anything further. Only when they arrived at the entrance Dabi halted for a second as if realising where he was being lead and what day it was. Hawks, however, just kept walking not even checking if Dabi followed.
Hawks comes to a stop in front of a small headstone, only the name and birthday engraved in it. It was a sad sight. It seems like Touyas siblings haven’t visited yet. Good, so he has time to talk to Dabi uninterrupted. They’ll probably be later in the day.
“I wanted to introduce you to someone. He made me a promise a long time ago and I e come to collect today. You think he’ll be willing to al least hear me out ?” Hawks can’t physically cry but his voice was already shaking. He doesn’t look at Dabi. He can’t. Afraid to see anger, rejection or even hatred.
Dabi stays silent. He can’t even pick up any movement with his feathers. It’s like Dabi is frozen like he was all those months ago, realisation hitting him hard.
“I didn’t think you’d recognise me. Or even remember Touya” Dabis voice is small. If he hadn’t concentrated on listening for any kind of reaction, he’d have missed it.
“How could I not? You were the most important person in my life. Nobody in that fucking building showed me any kind of love but you. I can’t forget you. I’ll always find you”
When Hawks finally turns to look at Dabi he sees nothing he initially feared he’d see. He sees grief and sadness. He sees regret.
“I know you have your plan for revenge but I really want that promise you made me come true. I have everything planned. Money, housing, every conceivable method of hiding but still living. I want to be with you. Get away from being a hero, being a villain. Holding onto grudges”
This time Hawks’ practised speech is completely true. No lies for any mission. No mask to hide behind. Just pure emotions for Dabi- Touya-
But it seems he said entirely the wrong thing because instantly Dabi tenses and looks angry.
“You think I’m just holding a grudge? That I can’t just let go off? To what? Go play house with you on an island or something? I don’t know how much you know of what happened in that house, but it’s not just me holding a grudge. What I want to do is get revenge for the boy he killed, the woman he repeatedly raped to produce an heir, the kids he neglected because they weren’t what he wanted and the baby that never had a chance to be anything but his masterpiece. He has to die for me to get peace, for me to be able to even think of honouring my promise. So no it won’t be today I’ll do that. I don’t know when or if but I can’t rest until he pays”
With that Dabi turns around and leaves Hawks behind. He can’t move but he has to. He has to convince him. He has to keep him at his side.