Work Text:
The lights are so bright
But they never blind me
Not too bad, he thought looking at his mirror in the small bathroom. His white hair looked really good even though he hadn't washed it for two days. He had forgotten to buy shampoo, and because of his laziness, he didn't want to move from the house all the more.
Home...
Touya didn't know if he could call this place home. After all, he moved in here two weeks ago. He strenuously tried to tell himself that he had done well not to return to Musutafu to the family home, although they were waiting for him there. Mom, Shoto, Natsuo, Fuyumi... And even father. But he needed a new start. A new place.
That's why he was now here, in Kyushu. In a small cramped apartment. But he didn't dream of anything more for this time. Peace of mind, security. Those were his priorities.
Some time has passed since the end of the conflict. Japan has begun to rebuild society. Although it was an arduous process already changes were evident. Politics had also taken a new course, so to speak.
Touya sighed while patting his hair once more. He checked the contents of his small backpack before leaving. Inhibitors, keys, wallet, documents, water... All the essentials. With a small smile, he opened the door and walked out of the apartment with hope.
I must succeed!
The buses took rather poor routes, but there were always crowds waiting at the stops. Therefore, Touya bravely squeezed in the vehicle around the multitude of people. Why couldn't he walk? He wasn't sure of the answer himself. One evening when he was thinking about it, it occurred to him that he felt a bit of normalcy on the bus. Walking next to rubble in a destroyed city is not a pleasant feeling. And the bus...
He was reminded of his childhood years. He reflexively smiled slightly. He heard laughter. Nearby sat a family with three children. The puppies were merrily prancing around, sitting on their parents' laps. The youngest was cuddling at his mother's breast.
The family...
He was snapped out of his musings by a turn the bus took on a stretch of road. Immediately they were driving through a short tunnel to find themselves in a somewhat rebuilt part of the city. That was his destination. He got off along with more passengers.
Many people had come to work. There was still a shortage of people to help. Everyone was welcome. It was strengthening ties for everyone, too. After all, all residents wanted the city to have its former glory. For local businesses to once again stand open for them and tourists.
At that very moment they heard the loud screech of a megaphone.
"Hi!" resounded a warm, pleasant voice. At the sound of it, several naive omegas shuddered and drowned in adoration for its owner. Touya rolled his eyes. "Today we have another day of hard work ahead of us, but see how our city already looks pretty good! Let's keep it up!" cheered the winged hero, appearing in the sky.
The white-haired man smiled gently as he looked at Hawks, who looked in good shape. The blond's wings were back to their former state and Keigo could be really proud of them.
After so much hard fighting for the coveted country, the position of the heroes was once again in the good graces of the locals, who gave them real respect. Now, despite the victory, they were still working a lot to make things right.
People reacted positively to the hero's words. They made a brief applause, and then several men full of verve shouted with confidence:
"Let's show how it's done in Kyushu!"
Kyushu... How melodious does that sound, eh? Todoroki crossed his eyes with his acquaintance for a moment. The truth was that it was thanks to the bird hero that he was now here. He was the one who helped him find an apartment and provide him with a decent living, at least for a few months.
And it was all out of goodwill. Keigo didn't want anything in return. He was doing it out of goodwill.
Looking at the blond man, who was hanging in the air with his unfailing smile, he remembered how much he had argued with him about his good heart.
"No way! Are you a birdbrain?"
"Technically yes, that's right. Thank you Touya, you're very kind," he replied nonchalantly as he picked up two cans of jasmine tea from the machine. He handed one to the white-haired man as they sat on the curb at the bus stop.
"I'm serious. Now savings are important, and you want to give me quite a bit of cash. With the most necessary expenses, even if I make money while helping to clean up the city's neighborhoods I won't give you the money quickly..." he replied, fiddling with the can in his hands and looking at the colorful packaging. He did not look at it, his gaze was fixed on the ground.
"You're an omega, aren't you?" he replied directly and looked at him, then leaned back a bit, holding the open can of drink "You need your own corner where it's safe. And inhibitors. They may not cost much now, but still," he added and fluttered his wings slightly "I would invite you to join me, but-
"To the hawk's nest?" he asked with a bit of a joke "No thanks... I don't want to disturb your amorous conquests. I'd have to buy a lot of earplugs," he said as his mood improved and he finally took a sip of his drink "And the fact that I'm an omega and you're an alpha means nothing."
"Doesn't mean anything? Can you hear yourself?" he asked looking at him in shock "After all, if we were both in the rui-
"Theoretically. Don't think I don't know anything about puberty and life. I'm not stupid, birdbrain" he stood up already tired of his convincing "Fine. I accept the offer. Just don't say anything anymore. I'm sleepy, I had an emotional rollercoaster today"
"Couldn't wait to finally meet me again?" he asked with a wry smile, causing him to receive a nudge from the omega in the side.
"Good for you... It's just... It seems like it's been a while, but people still look at me in such a way that I feel like disappearing" he replied, and then he felt Hawks' hand between his shoulder blades. When he lifted his head he saw the sympathetic expression on Keigo's face "Anyway, I don't know why I'm telling you this... It's none of your business," he replied and stepped back wanting to push the limits.
"There's nothing wrong with confessions. It helps... And Touya" he said his name so softly "Kyushu is a really nice place to live... And although people may still have many conflicting feelings, one day they will pass" he replied, exuding confidence. He sent him a gentle smile.
For a moment, Touya felt his heart stop beating for a moment and then wheeling with dizzying speed. However, giggles from approaching pedestrians cooled Blueflame's emotions.
"Whatever," he replied inarticulately, and then bid him farewell as the bus was coming.
He gently waved him off as a way of saying hello. The blond man waved back, and then someone accosted him. Hawk was helping a lot with the rebuilding of Kyushu.
Homeowners usually helped each other clean up debris and repair their houses together. Lucky it took really fast. Those who were less fortunate and had half their homes wrecked sought help at public facilities where there was emergency assistance. It was possible to eat and sleep there.
Touya helped with the rubble at first, but once most of it had been discarded or moved to a suitable place for it Keigo asked him to help with repairs to apartment blocks. The former villain didn't know much about construction, but he helped the experts by doing maybe not much, but he was always on the move. He was the backbone of the team. You could say he did the dirty work, but someone had to. Besides, he would be of no use without practical knowledge.
When the day's work was over he always received a small salary. Where did the money come from? The country's authorities found the funds and each city received an equal share. In the case of Kyushu, the city government still found money saved. The reconstruction was handled by a local company run from generation to generation. It took half its share, as many civilians like Touya also helped.
Just at this moment, he was washing his hands at a hydrant and watching people return from the construction sites. It was quite late, but no one wanted to waste time and do as much as possible.
Todoroki was an omega, but he worked just as hard as the alphas. He did not feel physically inferior to them therefore he worked of his own accord and willingness. In addition, the gain of any money was a promising vision.
He didn't want to return to the apartment just yet. Instead, he sat on the pier in the harbor, passing through a very dilapidated part of Kyushu.
There was no one here. He thought so until he smelled a strong scent and a gust of wind.
"Aren't you coming back yet?" Keigo asked, crouching beside him with his wings spread.
"I wanted to take a breather. And here it seems pleasant," he said impassively.
"And a dangerous road you chose... It's easy to hurt yourself here."
"As if my body doesn't look like a burnt-out pet anymore," he chuckled with sarcasm.
Takami replied nothing to this. They sat in brief silence. Touya finally wanted to say something, but felt hands gently around his waist.
"I'll give you a tour of Kyushu... Eventually you have to get to know all the districts," he replied and lifted him flying high into the air.
Reflexively, Touya grabbed tightly onto his jacket, feeling his hair blowing in every direction.
"Just don't let me go."
"Trust me, flame," he winked at him, and Touya snorted softly.
You found yourselves at the height of the clouds. Omega froze in stillness. He had never been so high. It scared him a little, though he didn't want to admit it outright. Instead, he gripped the alpha's jacket tighter.
Keigo could understand the omega without glancing in his direction. He stroked his hip very gently. He flew gently forward.
"Below us is the center, but you know these areas," he replied and flew even farther, this time gently to the west, "Here is the part where families with children live. There is also one of the schools and a kindergarten nearby," he said and pointed to the buildings flying a little slower for him.
The white-haired man looked at the rather large establishments with functional space all around. Fortunately, they had not been heavily disturbed by the battle with the villains.
"Charming," he replied quietly. Keigo smiled softly.
"There are many social and service places in the center. You already know the port" he replied and changed course to the east "There are many neighborhoods like this around the center. Neighborhood stores, bars... Schools, parks..."
"And is there anything this city will surprise me with?" he asked, looking at him with a puzzled expression. Alpha couldn't read what he meant at the moment, but he found it a challenge. He longed to show him something interesting.
Having bypassed several similar neighborhoods and learned something about them, Takami reached the port again, but from the other side. This one didn't look inviting either. Much of the rubble still lay chaotically, and the grass was overgrown to the knees with the worst weeds.
"There's a port here, too," he said.
"Yes... But there are atmospheric places in inconspicuous places," he replied and gently widened the gap between two bushes, "Omega forward," he said nonchalantly, to which he heard a quiet snort and a gentle poke with his shoulder.
"Say that again and I'll bite your dick off."
"Oh, fawn, if you wanted to have it in your mouth, you could have said it directly," he said.
"Don't make it up, birdbrain," he replied gravely and stopped, seeing a light in the half-bombed building.
On top of it hung a red signboard from which one could barely understand anything. It wasn't until he got closer that he noticed an older man shuffling inside and setting glass bottles on a shelf. The stranger turned around, and an uncertain smile hovered on his face, which immediately widened.
"It's Keigo!" he called out, and the alpha walked in front of Touya greeting him warmly.
"Hi grumpy... Are you still cleaning out your inventory?" he asked while looking at the contents of the shelf out of the corner of his eye.
"What's left..." he replied, then looked at the omega still standing in front of the threshold "Ah, you're on a date" he remarked to which he received a categorical denial.
"No"
"No"
"You're in sync" laughed the pub owner as the two looked at each other somewhat surprised. Touya raised his eyebrow slightly.
"At least we agree on one thing," the omega finally spoke up, and Ryota smiled and grabbed a bottle of Japanese rice vodka.
"Your friend is resolute and confident... You're an interesting eater" he stated and handed Keigo the bottle "On the house. Have a drink" he replied and pushed the hawker out of the middle "And come back here, Takami in the morning! After all, you have to work off that bottle!"
Touya looked at Ryota, who waved them away heartily. Omega briefly reciprocated the gesture as the alpha laughed quietly.
They sat down on the bridge. Touya put his feet slightly into the water, pulling up his pant legs. Hawks sat propping his head up with his knee. They had already drunk half a bottle of alcohol, looking at the night sky. The moon was reflected in the sheets of water.
"You know..." began the white-haired man quietly "Indeed, Kyushu does not seem so bad."
"And I told you so! I knew you'd like it!"
"What I like most is the taste of that alcohol"
"I might have guessed" he replied amused "Ryota makes it himself. The recipe has been passed down from generation to generation."
"Have you known him long?"
"Royta? Mhm..." he pondered a moment "It will be about five years. When I started as a pro hero and had to think about a lot of things I would often sit here and Ryota would slip me a meal. As he said, a reward for sacrificial service" he tilted another glass of rice vodka.
"You know, you kind of impressed me," he added.
"With my diligent work" he smiled broadly.
"No"
"Ouch..."
"You'll have to get used to my directness" he stated slightly amused "I didn't know anyone but me was calling you by name. After all, you are a pro hero. Hawks" looked at him.
The blond man mused, and after a moment a blissful smile affected his face.
"For such a moment I think I wanted to live. Someone was able to distinguish between Hawks and Takami Keigo. Because you see... Hawks is a strong fighter in the air, and Takami Keigo is a man broken by childhood and a victim of his own stupidity."
"What the fuck are you speaking? Have you gotten drunk yet?"
"I'm telling the truth, Touya," he looked at him, "Hawks is a hero who did everything he could, and Takami Keigo? Did he do everything he could?"
"Oi, bird top" he began rather sharply "First of all, after all, it is known that Hawks and Takami Keigo are the same person, so you are contradicting yourself, drunkard" he replied and took away his access to the bottle "Secondly, no one is perfect, but I think some people forget that. Even a pro hero like you, hawk. You judge yourself harshly, and yet thanks to you, the residents can now repair what has been damaged in peace," he concluded his argument.
There was silence for a long moment. Touya thought Keigo shrugged off his words. Instead, he saw the blond man lying on the bridge, sleeping. He thought he was about to gobble him up.
"You have a weak head, birdbrain," he replied quietly, and as he stood up to pick up the alpha he saw for himself how shaky his legs were.
Ryota's alcohol was really strong. He may not have felt it right away, but he was aware of it now. When he trusted his gravity, he confidently grabbed his sleeping companion's arm and lifted him with quite a bit of force. He began to pull himself slowly toward land. When they were finally on safe ground he leaned the hawk against the wall of Ryota's pub and sat up himself, feeling the world slowly spinning before his eyes. He felt baked goods on his cheeks. What strong alcohol, he thought.
"Oh, you're not badly beheaded" he laughed beta and looked at the two of them "And, buddy... Let me do what Keigo should do" he walked over and poured himself a small glass of alcohol "Welcome to Kyushu, buddy" he replied, and Touya smiled slightly before closing his eyes like his benefactor.
After that night, Touya knew one thing. Maybe two things.
Kyushu was really cool.
And Ryota's alcohol was the strongest he had ever drunk.