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He knew that Natsuo and Shoto were next. He’d been preparing. Mentally, at least, there wasn’t much he could do physically. Write a card? That would be weird.
He was gonna do it soon, have Fuyumi organize a dinner and have them meet up at Hawks’ place. They’d get to have dinner with the number two pro hero and a S rank villain at the same time. How lucky.
In the meantime he still had errands to run. Hawks had been swamped with work lately, and as much as he tried to delegate and take off, he couldn’t change too much without the commission getting pissy. Or worse, suspicious.
Which is how Dabi, bundled up from head to toe in black civilian clothes including a mask, sunglasses, and baseball cap was out in broad daylight, a baby strapped to his chest, ended up out in public running errands.
Hotaru was happy to be in the baby carrier against his dad. They’d gotten him a new pacifier recently and he’d been inseparable from it.
Dabi had originally gotten it as a joke, it had a chibi version of Hawks stamped in the center, but Hotaru had grabbed at it and held on tight since. It bugs Hawks though, so Dabi loves the thing. Besides, the kid in little Hawks merch was always cute.
He browsed various milks.
“Why do you think they got so many kinds of ‘em?” Hotaru didn’t respond, just wiggled a bit.
He ended up grabbing the smaller whole milk and calling it a day. With a few other groceries including a chocolate bar for Hawks later and a coffee for Dabi now, he managed to check out without any weird looks or judgemental stares.
Luckily, most people had more important things to worry about than why some guy they passed on the street was dressed a little too warm for the weather. Besides, a cute baby distracted from most everything else, and he just so happened to be lugging around the cutest baby on the planet.
He still tried to stick to less populated areas on his way there and back. Today it was gonna be a short series of increasingly less populated alleyways, but unfortunately by the second turn he was met with a giant wall of ice being formed a foot in front of them.
“Neat,” Dabi grumbled.
Some hero was yelling about pursuing and getting civilians out of the line of fire.
“No, no, no, no, no-” He turned ready to sprint out of there on his own, but too little too late and he had a teenager escorting him out.
“This way, sir. Please evacuate immediately, there’s a villain emergency nearby.”
Dabi almost laughed at that, but covered it with a cough. The kid sounded too big for his britches, almost like he really was all grown up.
There must not have been many other people in the area during the attack, because Shoto took it upon himself to escort Dabi and Hotaru all the way back to the main road.
“Also, uh, sir, your baby is very cute. Have a good day.” With that he was running back to the scene, off to keep being a good child soldier.
Dabi laughed out loud. “Hotaru, did you hear that? Your uncle thinks you’re cute.”
Hotaru finally let his pacifier fall against his shirt and babbled happily.
“Yeah, maybe that’s a good sign. Your aunt says it helps people get past my ugly mug.”
They made their way back to the apartment without further interruptions, luckily.
It was a pretty late brunch, but the omelets came out good. Hotaru enjoyed his formula as Dabi enjoyed his coffee.
He got a phone call about the time he assumed Fuyumi got off of work. “They said they’re all free in a week. Don’t let Hawks near the stove and I’m sure everything will go smoothly.”
“In a week? Man, ‘Yumi, you could get them both that quickly?” Dabi groaned.
He could practically hear her eyes rolling. “You’re lucky it’s that long.”
Dabi huffed as he cleaned the bottle. “What if they react poorly? Sho’s in the hero program. What if he tries to arrest me and I have to burn the apartment down?” He groaned again. “Fuyumiii I don’t want to move. Do you know how much stuff this baby has? You would think he’s more than a foot tall all those boxes we’d have to fill.”
“I don’t know what you’re so worried about. If you burnt the place to the ground all your things would be burnt, too.”
He snorted before he could act offended.
“In all seriousness - it’ll be fine. Just because it’s been so long... Well, it’s not like any of us stopped missing you, Touya. They’ll just be happy you’re alive. It’s just eating me up not telling them.”
“Sorry, ‘Yumi. And thanks.” He let out a long breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. “I’ll man up. And cross my fingers that this doesn’t ruin everything.” He had a lighter tone, but the sentiment wasn’t totally gone.
“God, you’re such a drama queen!” He heard a muffled sound of someone talking. “Anyways, Rumi’s here, so I’ll let you go. I’ll be checking in with Hawks later so if you’re wallowing I’ll know! Love you.”
“Love you, too. Give Rumi my worst wishes.” He hung up before she could yell at him and laughed to himself.
Hotaru started laughing as well, clapping in his booster seat. It brought a smile to Dabi’s face that lingered a while after he’d stopped laughing.
“What do you think, dove?” He put his head against his hand propped up against the table. “I want you to meet your uncles. Heck, I want to meet your uncles. The last time I saw them...
“Well, it’s been a long while. They’re probably a lot different now.” He picked at a staple on his hand. “I’m a lot different now.”
Hotaru chirped. It was a sound he made when he was happy, but usually only to Hawks.
Dabi smiled. “You tryna cheer me up, sweetheart?”
Hotaru babbled and wiggled in his chair.
“Yeah, yeah, let’s get you out.” He picked him up out of the seat, bouncing him on his hip as they made their way to the living room. “Maybe you can go down for a nap soon.”
He picked up the burping towel he’d left on the couch earlier and tossed it over his shoulder.
He was burping Hotaru, bouncing him gently while walking around a bit aimlessly when Hawks came in through the patio door.
“You’re home early.”
Feathers whizzed past carrying bits of Hawks’ uniform away and more comfortable clothes towards him. “Hey, hot stuff.” He kissed him on the cheek before stepping in their room to change.
He didn’t close the door, so Dabi could still hear him just fine. “Yeah, let the sidekicks get in a little more time, took off early today. It’s been slow, anyways, nothing more than purse-snatchers and rowdy teens.”
“So, more like you didn’t want to be stuck in the office doing paperwork?”
Hawks fluttered his wings as he walked back in the room and Dabi felt like his heart skipped a beat.
“I’ve been stuck at that desk all day, I swear my vision was going blurry.” He placed a peck on Dabi’s lips before taking Hotaru and the cloth. “Hey, baby, how’s your day with Daddy been?”
Hotaru cooed happily and flapped his little wings.
“We saw Sho today.”
Hawks looked surprised but only hummed in question.
“Not intentionally. And not villainously. Obviously.” He waved to the kid. “We were ushered away as civilians.”
“From a villain attack?”
“Yeah, but don’t worry. Not a scratch on either of us, didn’t even have to do anything myself. Looks like the kid was helping keep things under control pretty well.”
Hawks was still holding Hotaru in the air looking for any signs of injury or distress. Once he was satisfied that the happy baby was safe, he let his attention wander back to Dabi.
“Well, that’s good, I suppose. How’d Fuyumi’s call go?”
Dabi narrowed his eyes. “I knew the two of you would be worse together.” They made their way to the living room and settled on the couch as had become routine. “It went fine. I’m not convinced everything won’t go up in flames - and ice, but ‘Yumi seems confident enough for the both of us.”
“So we’ll see them for dinner...?”
“In a week.” Dabi groaned and buried his face in his hands. “I’ve gone out on battlefields where I could’ve died and the only time I felt this nervous was when I was gonna tell Mom.”
“But that went well. This will, too.”
“He’s a hero.”
Hawks shrugged. “In-training.” He bumped his knee against Dabi’s. “Besides, you have a track record of pulling heroes to your side.”
Dabi cracked a smile before leaning in and falling into a lingering kiss. “I hope you’re right.”
The week went by quicker than he’d hoped and all too soon it was the day of and he was once again out shopping. He’d found time to meal plan but not to go out and get the ingredients, so he and Hotaru found themselves in almost the same place as a week ago.
He was turning a corner in the store when he almost collided head-first with another customer. Luckily, years of reflexes built for very different situations kicked in and he instead just embarrassingly stumbled back a few steps.
“Oh sorry sir I didn’t see - oh! What a cute baby, what’s his name?”
In front of Dabi was once again someone he wasn’t expecting to see. White hair and blue eyes, he was the spitting image of the first-day-of-college photos Fuyumi had shown him.
“Hotaru.” He replied almost totally on instinct, still feeling a bit stunned.
“What a beautiful name.” Natsuo smiled at them before moving on past them towards the cash register.
It took another second for Dabi to gain his wits and start moving his feet again. He stared at the food in front of him for quite a few more before realizing he didn’t need anything in that section.
He was checking out and leaving before it really set in.
“He’s grown up to be taller than me.” He barely muttered it to himself on their walk back.
It was what he thought about most while he prepped dinner. Which was good, as it distracted him from thinking about everything else that could go wrong about tonight.
Hawks came home at the usual time through the patio.
“Need any help in the kitchen?”
Dabi scoffed. “Nah, but Hotaru could use some entertainment, he’s been stuck just watching.”
“On it!” It only took him a minute to clean up after work and then Dabi cooked to the sounds of a happy baby and Hawks’ chatter.
His current more personal burner phone started buzzing and Dabi could’ve stopped breathing. God, he was getting soft. What would the Dabi a couple years back say to this? He stilled his hand and picked up the phone.
“Heyo! I’m with the boys, we just picked up Shoto and are heading your way.”
Dabi intended to say something but it came out more as a vague grunt.
“We’ll be there in five, ‘kay?”
He made a kind of humming sound that seemed to be good enough for Fuyumi because she hung up a moment later.
“Was that your sister?” Hawks asked over his shoulder.
“She said they’ll be here in five.”
Hawks gave him a soft smile that made his eyes droop in a pitying way Dabi hated. “Are you okay?” His voice was soft, too - practically a whisper.
Dabi didn’t realize until just then that his breathing had become erratic. He tried to take a couple slower ones to calm down. “I’m fine.”
“No, you aren’t. But you will be. It’s gonna be ok. Shoto’s a sweet kid, and you know your brothers have missed you.”
Dabi’s face still felt hot. His breathing was a little better as he tried to focus on the food again. Maybe if he didn’t think about WHO he was hosting for dinner he could trick himself into not sprinting out the nearest exit before they got here.
Hawks was next to him, Hotaru in one hand and the other rubbing slow, calming circles against Dabi’s back.
“What if they scream.” Dabi hated how small his voice sounded. “I don’t know if I can take it if they scream.”
“The only screaming that’s going to happen is if you ditch and Fuyumi finds you afterwards.”
Dabi chuckled a little but even that sounded choked and wrong. He wrung his hands hard enough to hurt.
“Hey,” Hawks said in that sickly sweet voice of his. “Look at me.” He used his free hand to gently cup his chin and pull it towards him.
Dabi moved with his hand like they’d never been anything but lovers. Like he wasn’t a villain being touched by a hero but a man being guided by another man.
“I love you. I’m proud of you. And I promise it’s going to be okay.”
Dabi wanted to tell him that he loved him too. He wanted to tell him that it was possible that Hawks was the only person in the world that could tell him that and make him believe it right now. He wanted to say that he was only strong enough to do this because Hawks was by his side to do it with him.
He opened his mouth and the buzzer rang.
Hawks sent a feather to buzz them in and gave Dabi a quick smile.
They both busied themselves making everything neat and tidy quickly before getting into positions. Hawks at the front door and Dabi and Hotaru just out of sight.
Dabi heard the door open and thought his heart stopped.
“Please, come in, make yourselves at home! Natsuo, right? I don’t think we’ve met, I’m Hawks.”
He could hear Natsuo laugh. It made him smile. “I know, I don’t live that much under a rock.”
They all exchanged hellos and pleasantries as everyone took off their shoes at the entryway.
“I was surprised to be invited to the home of such a prolific hero, I mean I know you and ... Endeavor worked together, and have met Shoto, but how do you and Fuyumi know each other? Through Rumi?”
Hawks coughed a bit awkwardly into his hand. “That... That’s actually the reason I had Fuyumi bring you both here for dinner. You see, well, I can’t really cook if I had invited you - it would’ve been to a KFC. There are some people I want you to meet. And ... um ... well don’t scream he’d be sad about that.” He was gonna kill that bird.
“Scream?” He heard Shoto question.
He took a deep breath and somehow willed his body to move forward.
The moment they could see him their whole bodies changed. Shoto barely had a moment of shock before he was in a fighting stance. Natsuo lingered in his shock and tensed.
Hawks and Fuyumi stood in between them, their hands up in a calming motion.
Everyone spoke at once.
“Why is the villain Dabi-” Shoto started.
“The baby!” Natsuo yelped.
“I’d like you to meet your brother and our child-” Hawks had his feathers ready just in case.
“Guys, it’s Touya!” Fuyumi’s voice pierced through everyone else’s.
Shoto dropped his hands and looked downright shocked. Natsuo’s mouth dropped open so wide Dabi could hear their mother telling them they were gonna catch flies like that.
“Hi.” Dabi’s voice sounded small and uncertain, but he was just happy he’d managed to say anything at all. The only reason he wasn’t smoking was because of Hotaru still in his hand.
“You-” Natsuo looked like he was going to cry. Shoto still didn’t look like he could process what was in front of him.
Hawks turned and grabbed Hotaru from Dabi, just as Natsuo and Shoto started towards him.
Smart, Dabi thought, protect our baby. He winced, expecting ice or fire or maybe just a fist.
Two pairs of arms enveloped him and he heard sobbing. Slowly, he opened his eyes. He almost couldn’t believe what he was seeing. His brothers, all grown up, and hugging him like there was no tomorrow.
It was only a second before Fuyumi was with them, wrapping her arms around them all as best she could. Dabi was the shocked one now, listening to all three of his siblings cry. Shoto’s was the quietest, but little sniffles came through his probably now drenched shirt.
Dabi’s face contorted of its own volition and his throat got clogged up. He didn’t cry, but only because he physically couldn’t anymore.
“I’m sorry I left you. All of you.” He didn’t sound like himself between the not-tears and the emotion wrecking his voice.
“Touyaaa...” Natsuo sounded like a kid again through his own tears.
“I’m sorry I almost attacked you.” Shoto’s voice was muffled against his shirt, and he could feel his fists ball up the fabric under them. “But you did kidnap Bakugo, so I really should. Maybe later.”
Dabi wrapped his arms around them as best he could, but they were all squeezing the life out of him.
“Sorry about that.” He laughed a little and so did Shoto.
They all laughed and cried a little while longer, not really having any words. Eventually they pulled apart, all wiping at their eyes and trying to compose themselves.
“Oh my god and there’s a baby!” Natsuo exclaimed.
“Yeah. Our baby. His name is Hotaru.” Dabi wiped a sleeve across his nose.
“You have a -” Shoto’s eyes looked as wide as saucers looking between Hawks, Hotaru, and Dabi.
“Oh thank god! I was going to die if I had to keep it a secret any longer!” Fuyumi threw up her hands.
Natsuo glared. “You knew?!”
“Only for a couple weeks! Rumi knew before I did!”
“Mom knows, too.” Dabi helpfully interjected.
“C’mon!” Natsuo exclaimed.
“Rumi?” Shoto muttered to himself before looking back up. “May I ... Introduce myself to him?” He motioned towards Hotaru.
Dabi almost laughed out loud, but managed to nod his head instead.
Hawks waited patiently as Shoto and Natsuo came over a little slowly and cautiously.
“Wait, I’ve seen him before!” Shoto and Natsuo said at the same time, whipping their heads back to Dabi.
He scratched at the back of his head awkwardly. “Yeah.”
“Oh.” Natsuo looked down at his feet. “Well I suppose... Well I just thought that if I ever saw you again I’d... I mean I didn’t even really on tv and everything, but I thought if I saw you in person I’d...” He looked... ashamed?
“I was wearing clothes head to toe, Natsuo. And besides,” He motioned with his arms to everything. “I look a little different than the last time you saw me.
Shoto’s brows were furrowed. “Your fire... I should’ve...”
“Touya was dead. And Dabi was born. And I did everything I could to separate the two.” He shrugged. “Well, until now.”
They both let out long breaths before turning back to Hotaru.
“Is he why?” Natsuo asked.
“Yeah.” Dabi said quietly.
“And Rumi.” Hawks added helpfully. Dabi glared. “And Fuyumi.” Fuyumi beamed with a thumbs up.
“Hello. My name is Shoto Todoroki.” Shoto looked at the baby before bowing slightly.
Hotaru babbled happily and held out his arms, reaching towards the boy.
“Do you want to hold him?” Hawks asked.
Shoto’s eyes were wide again, but he nodded and accepted the child, bringing him to rest on his hip. He looked down at him, incredibly quiet and involved.
“Oh, Touya, he has your eyes!” Natsuo whisper-exclaimed.
“He has Hawks’ quirk.” Shoto observed.
“Yeah, he chirps, too, just like the hero.” Dabi said with a teasing smile. A while ago Hawks would have been mortified for anyone to know his quirk did anything more than his wings. Now, he just rolled his eyes.
“I’m sure everyone has a lot more to talk about, but would we like to do it over dinner? Dabi made cold soba.” Hawks motioned to the kitchen.
Shoto’s head shot up.
“I’ll take that as a yes.” Hawks took Hotaru back to take him to his booster seat while Dabi went to serve everyone.
Fuyumi grabbed his sleeve to stop him for just a moment. “Told you so.”
Dabi rolled his eyes and swatted at her hand. “Yeah, yeah. Whatever.”
She squeezed his arm with a smile before they turned to join everyone. His family.