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Hawks stared at the city scape from his balcony window.
He did this a lot more than he’d like to admit, just staring out at the city below and the sky above. His high-rise apartment was a blessing and a curse, reminding him of all the ways he once could soar through the clear and bright skies. He could once watch the streets light up from his aerial view as he flew past. Now he just watched from his window, letting the solemn feelings wash over him.
He rubbed his hands together, the cold chill getting to him despite being safely inside. The holidays were hurdling closer at lightning speed, and with it came the cold. Even Fukuoka was feeling the chill of winter, though Keigo didn’t think it would snow. The city below was alight with Christmas decorations. With only 3 days away, celebrations were in full swing.
Keigo’s own agency had hosted a Christmas party earlier, but he had declined to go. He didn’t really go out anymore, still recovering from the war and still getting used to life without a quirk. Most of his work he kept at home with him, only going to the agency when necessary.
That didn’t mean he was completely isolated, however.
“Oi, you gonna keep staring at those stupid buildings, or are you gonna help me bring the snacks inside?”
Keigo turned around to see Touya, his good arm carrying far too many bags. He was certainly a sight. A too-big hoodie hanging on his frame, with the right sleeve flopping around as he bustled into the room. His overnight bag was strapped to his back, making him look extra bulky. Keigo hoped he hadn’t come all the way from Musutafu with all that stuff.
“Are you ever going to learn to knock?” Keigo teased him, moving to help with the bags filled with various snacks and treats.
“Shouldn’t have given me the lock combination, then,” Touya shot back. He gave a sigh as all the bags were finally off his frame, and then he tipped onto Keigo’s couch dramatically.
Not for the first time Keigo thought that Touya was far too comfortable in his apartment for his own good. Yet, after all they’d been through, it felt right, too. Despite everything, they’d managed to reconnect. The war had left scars on them both. They’d left scars on each other.
And yet they’d found their way back to each other as…
Well, Keigo didn’t really know.
Friends? Former enemies? Former Fuck Buddies? Both felt far too distant for what they had going on. And their shared intimate history meant that now the two of them were in this grey area, neither knowing if it was okay to go further.
So for now they were just… this. More often than Keigo would admit, Touya would come over to his apartment and they’d just… hang out. They’d check out a movie or a TV show neither of them had seen, their childhoods and trauma not giving them the space to see most entertainment. They’d gorge themselves on junk food and sometimes even attempt to cook a meal together.
More often than not, Touya would stay the night in his guest bedroom. In the morning they’d have breakfast (usually too sugary cereal or pre-mixed pancakes), and Touya would take the train back again to Musutafu.
It was simple. It was easy. It was nothing Keigo had experienced before. Currently, Touya was complaining about taking the train ride, lightly scratching at the reddish-pink scar tissue on his arms. And Keigo was swatting his hands in warning as he passed. It was light conversation, never pushing further, but so domestic in a way Keigo had always craved.
Keigo once again rubbed his hands together to chase away the chill as he put the snacks on the table. He ought to start wearing mittens inside at this rate. Even though his more bird-like traits were gone, it seemed his aversion to cold was still ever present.
Before he could move further, a large-warm hand covered his. Keigo looked up into amused blue eyes and felt the Touya’s callused hand heat up further.
“Your hands are freezing,” Touya commented as he heated them up with his quirk.
“Someone’s gonna catch you one day, you know that?” Keigo retorted.
“What, a little birdie gonna tell them?” Touya teased.
“Maybe he will,” Keigo teased back.
Despite Touya having to wear a quirk suppressant brace on his ankle 24/7, his quirk was simply too strong for the brace. If Touya concentrated enough, he could even still make his bright blue flames. Touya hadn’t told anyone about it, unwilling to give up any more control. Keigo hadn’t said a word either. It felt like their little secret. Another thing for them to share all to themselves.
Besides, Keigo kind of liked still having a personal heater to himself.
Touya held his hands gently, rubbing to heat them up more, until they were thoroughly toasty. It was Keigo who broke free first with a tepid ‘thanks.’ His face was warm, and he tried to tell himself it was because of Touya’s quirk.
This night, Touya had brought in a baking mix for brownies that the two of them were going to tackle. Along with the nice sugary treat, Keigo had already called in for pizza before Touya had shown up.
It was shaping up to be a good night.
In the kitchen, they worked with practiced efficiency. It was almost like a dance. Keigo handled mixing while Touya poured in the ingredients, occasionally standing over Keigo to make sure he was doing it right (and sometimes cheekily guiding him into the right position with his good arm). Keigo would swat Touya’s hand away every time he’d try to get a taste of the batter, but as always, he’d eventually win. They’d bump each other’s shoulders as they worked, and make silly jokes.
Soon enough, they were on Keigo’s plush couch, surrounded by pizza, popcorn mix, and fresh brownies. Despite no longer having his quirk, Keigo was still fond of blanket nests, and the couch was piled with all kinds of fuzzy pillows and blankets, most of which were actually Touya’s that had somehow ended up in Keigo’s possession.
The put on the latest show they were binging, an American show called Glee, and just… breathed.
It was a little crazy, hanging out like this. And not just because it was his ex-villain situationship. Keigo never thought he’d be here, relaxing with a bottle of shochu and a million snacks piled up. All with his… special person.
Yeah, Touya was Keigo’s special person.
His special person with bright eyes. Happy eyes. His special person who was smiling, laughing without a care in the world. He was so relaxed like this, arm thrown over the back of the chair, bundled up in blankets. It was so different from how things used to be. Eyes that once held pain and rage were now bright and almost at peace.
It made something in Keigo’s heart swell.
Touya was also incredibly warm. Keigo hadn’t known when it happened, but some point in the middle of season 2, he’d made his way closer to Touya, and was practically cuddled into his side now. It usually happened like this. The low buzz of alcohol lowered his inhibitions, and the warmth and food made him sleepy.
Touya didn’t seem to mind when Keigo’s commentary became less, and slower. Didn’t call him out when Keigo closed his eyes for just a second, he swore. Didn’t push him away when he fell heavier on Touya’s chest, and accidentally dozed.
He was roused gently by a warm hand rubbing up and down his back. Sleepily he buried his face further into his human pillow and heard Touya chuckle.
“Come on, birdie,” Touya said. “I wanna show you something.”
Keigo grumbled but acquiesced, blearily opening his eyes and reluctantly pulling away from the warmth. Through tired eyes, he could see the TV still on, but paused on the main menu screen. He stretched out to wake up further and turned to look at Touya, who was rummaging through his bags for something.
Before he could ask what was up with him, something was shoved into his hands. Looking down, he realized it was a present, wrapped in festive wrapping paper. The holographic golden paper winked at him in the lowlight of the TV.
“What’s this for?” Keigo asked him.
“Christmas present,” Touya murmured. The healthy skin on his face was tinged red, and he wasn’t looking at Keigo.
Keigo looked at him funnily. “It’s not Christmas yet,” he said.
Touya grumbled. “Would you just open it?” he said. And he looked so cute with his blush and pout, Keigo couldn’t deny him.
“Alright Stardust,” he said.
They both stopped in their tracks.
Keigo hadn’t used that nickname in years.
It was Keigo’s turn to blush and turn away. He busied himself with opening the present, gently taking off the wrapping paper, making sure it wouldn’t rip.
“God, you’re taking forever,” Touya grumbled. “Even my grandma goes faster than this.”
Keigo didn’t think Touya even knew his grandmother, but he just chuckled and started unwrapping faster.
Beneath the wrapping was just a plain box. Keigo looked at Touya in question.
“Open the box, Birdbrain,” Touya said impatiently.
Keigo did, lifting the lid gently. The first thing he saw was red fabric. Tentatively, he touched the materials with his fingers. It was soft, and felt knitted.
“Did you make this?” Keigo asked.
Touya blushed more and nodded. “Take it out and look at it.”
With careful fingers, Keigo did so, holding it up in the dim light. He grabbed the remote for the lights and turned the main lights on to view Touya’s creation.
It was a shawl. It shone a vibrant red in the light as Keigo turned it every way. It looked like…
“Wings?” Keigo asked him.
Touya wasn’t looking at him, busying himself with messing with a string on a blanket.
“I figured you’d like something like that,” Touya said. “You’re always so cold all the time. And I know you miss your wings… I know it’s not the same thing, but I thought you might-”
He was cut off by Keigo practically bowling into him. Keigo squeezed him tight and buried his face in Touya’s shoulder.
“It’s perfect,” Keigo said into his shoulder.
“Y-yeah? You like it that much?” Touya asked, sounding flustered.
Keigo pulled back to look at him. His blue eyes were shining with nervousness and hope.
“I love it,” Keigo said.
And then he was kissing him.
Keigo was kissing Touya.
Touya was caught in surprise before reciprocating, deepening the kiss and putting a palm on Keigo’s cheek.
They pulled back and looked at each other, and Keigo was thrilled to see the love and adoration in his special person’s eyes.
“Stay the night,” Keigo said dazedly.
Touya cracked up, giving a raucous laugh.
“I’m already staying the night, Birdbrain,” he said still laughing.
“Stay the night. In my bed,” Keigo said.
Touya stopped laughing at that, looking pensive. “Kei, I don’t know about-”
“I don’t want sex,” Keigo told him. “I just want you there. With me,” he told him honestly.
Touya looked back at him for a moment, before going in for another kiss, this one longer, more passionate, and much less surprised. The texture of his bottom lip was so different now. It was much softer from the quirk therapy Touya had been undergoing. The passion from long ago, however, was still there, and Keigo found himself breathless after Touya pulled back.
“I want that, too,” Touya said, sounding just as breathless as Keigo felt.
Keigo beamed at him, going in for another breathless kiss.
The night was spent with lots of kisses, lots of laughter, and lots of snuggles. And in the morning, when Touya asked Keigo to accompany him to his family’s Christmas party, as his boyfriend…
Keigo said yes.