Chapter Text
Takami hated the month of christmas.
He hated seeping his thin shoes into snow and freezing his toes over every step. He hated the blue that hung over everything like grief.
He hated the memory of his little bird's birth.
His bird was a chubby baby, born with fluffy wings that looked like two woollen balls attached to his shoulder blades. His hair was as gold as sunsets, falling in little waves.
When Takami had first gazed into those golden eyes, his breath had hitched and he had to stop himself from crying like a school boy.
"Keigo." Takami made sure to not let the tears fall on the baby. "Keigo Takami."
Now, sixteen years since then, Takami stubbed his cigarette. "Fucking winter."
He grunted, scratching his ears. "Makes me all googoo-gaga."
His gaze landed upon the man shaking before him. His men had done a number on the poor fellow.
Cuts and burns ran across the shivering man, his pants were wet from piss and sweat. They had cut of the tendons too, as if this small fry deserved that. He was on his knees, blabbering some stupid shit that Takami didn't give a rat's ass about.
"Oi." Takami yawned. "I will ask you one more fucking time, okay?" He crouched down to the man's level and met his eyes.
A grin ripped across Takami's face. "Who sent a sorry-ass assassin like you? Cops? Some hero wanna-be?"
The man whimpered.
Takami clicked his tongue. Something razor sharp impaled the man's shoulder and zipped over Takami's head.
A blood coated feather.
The man wailed, thrashing around his binding.
"Who was it, fuck-face?"
"C-commission."
"Huh?"
The man gulped. "It was the HPSC."
Takami rolled his eyes. "The fuck. Again?"
God was he bored with this cat and mouse with those pissants. He stood up and dusted his pants. "You resisted all that for those lame-ass cucks? Really?"
"Please! Please- I-" snot ran from the man's nose.
Takami groaned. "Boys."
Two big men, clad in tacky old suits that matched in pattern, stomped inside and held the screaming man.
He snorted, eyeing his men. "Stupid fucks. Why you gotta dress like this? You look so comical."
They stood like statues but Takami knew them better. He could see one's eyebrow twitching and the other resisting the urge to open his mouth.
He snickered before waving them away, tuning out the animalistic pleas of the man who was dragged away to his death.
He cracked his knuckles and stretched his back. A long-held groan escaped him. "Damn, I am literally just an old fuck. The hell."
Like always, he chuckled at his own joke.
It had been a long day. He moved towards the window and sighed. Snow had piled up around his warehouse and an intense urge suddenly crept upon him to build snow figures.
He sneered. "Fuck."
***
Around three in the morning, a snow-haired boy would wander through the nooks and corners of slums.
He had eyes the colour of the ocean, death and decay hung from them. He never walked, only stumbled like a wounded prey.
Some said his body was a mocking combination of skin and burns. Takami had always wondered which one was more.
He had been hearing about the snow boy for three months now, from every direction of his turf. Everytime he would just roll his eyes.
His little snow figure was clumpy. He sighed, making the wings again. Bits of snow filled into his boots, making him pout in annoyance.
He wiggled around, gathering more snow. That's when he spotted the mop of white hair.
And he already knew it was the snow boy.
The kid was crouching behind the gates of his warehouse, sneaking a peek every once in a while.
Takami grinned, feeling something in his chest.
He gathered a snow ball on his hand and swung it in the direction of the kid. A yelp came as a response, making the old man giggle.
An eerie silence followed, lasting for a minute before a snow ball hit right at the nose of Takami.
He staggered back and spit out the snow. "Damn, kid."
His gaze followed back to the gates. Blue eyes gave him a death glare before hiding away.
Takami sneered. "Oh, you are not getting away now, kiddo."
Snow cannons were fired from both the sides, followed by Takami's grunts, sighs and laughter.
It went on, till the pink sky was turning to black.
Takami broke their unspoken rule and walked towards the kiddo. With each step, he could see the kid was frozen in contemplation, blue eyes took in every single movement Takami made.
When he reached the boy, he could feel his chest tug at him. The boy was barely skin and bones, almost half of his body was covered in burns.
He was shivering, wearing only a transparent hospital gown. No shoes, gloves or anything remotely warm.
Blue eyes burned through Takami, holding a million questions in them.
He removed his coat and threw it on the kid. "Wear it."
The boy blinked before scrambling into the coat and wrapping it tightly around himself.
Takami knelt down and took out his boots. "It's a long walk, from here to my home."
He placed them before the boy.
Something crossed the child's face. His breath hitched as he put on Takami's boots.
Takami grinned. "You a hug person?"
The boy blinked before a soft pink bloomed upon the tip of his nose. He looked away, scowling.
The old man chuckled before putting an arm around the kid. "Look, I hate hugs too. But look at yourself, kid! You are so scrappy and pathetic that I want to put you in a blanket and feed you yakitori."
"Yakitori?"
Takami blinked and lit up like an explosion. "So you talk! Fuck yeah. I don't wanna yap to myself kiddo."
The boy blinked before rolling his eyes, but Takami was fast enough to catch the little bastard's quick smile.
He chuckled, taking the boy inside.
***
Takami's home was the secret basement of his warehouse. It was a cozy, little burrow gleaming in warm colours.
Jingles hung everywhere, some walls had cartoon stickers and most of the cupboards were lined with little wooden toys, some unfinished.
Little scribblings and doodles littered over every wall, written in all colours.
And a lot of them seemed to be scratched out, though one can make out a faint outline of a child with red wings.
The snow boy was slumped on the sofa. His hand trailed over the coat that Takami had thrown at his face. He couldn't bear to remove it.
Clothes were flung at the boy's head. "Ah!"
Takami cackled from behind. "The bath's ready. Wash up and put them on, kiddo."
The kid pulled the clothes into his arms, scowling like a stray cat. "Where is the bath?"
Takami shot his thumb towards the left. "Take your time. After that, come to the kitchen."
***
Takami could feel the boy standing at the kitchen doorway, staring holes into his back.
He grinned, turning around. "Feel good?"
The kid shrugged.
"Well," Takami pointed at the chair opposite to him. "Come on then."
After a few minutes, the kid finally caved in. It was an unusual dinner for Takami, mostly he skipped eating or gobbled up instant ramen.
But now, his eyes lingered upon the child in fondness that he only felt for strays. The snow boy had a speck of rice on his cheek, his eyes were round and stuck upon the remaining curry.
Takami pushed the rice cooker towards the boy. "Have more! Kids need to eat to grow up strong!"
Pink dusted on the kid's nose. He took his fill while Takami poured more curry onto his plate.
For a starved kid, he was much more civil then the older man.
Takami was gobbling up like it was his last meal, giving the kid close-eyed smiles that were adorned with dimples.
It truly was a weird night for the both.
After dinner, Takami had put two mattresses on the floor of the hall. He put a mountain of blankets on each one, they were in all sorts of colors and fuzzy pattens.
A dim streak of yellow light flickered across the room.
The snow boy could hear the soft humming of the older man. Somehow that small sound reminded him of hiding his face in the crook of his mother's neck and falling asleep.
When his blue eyes found the man again, he was already laying down on one of the matresses, buried below the blankets with only his face out.
His grin was laced with sleepiness. "Sleep, kid."
A sneer pulled on the boy's lips before it morphed into a splitting grin. The blue in his eyes seemed to burst like a nebula. "What do you want in return?"
Takami's grin mirrored the boy. "What could a half-starved mutt like you offer me, huh?" He snorted. "Shut up and sleep."
The boy's grin faltered. "Something." He ran his hand through his white hair, before clutching it like it was his lifeline. "You must want something."
"I grew up in an orphanage." Takami sat up, his grin turned in a small smile. The gold in his eyes were stuck upon the boy's blue.
The older man patted the other mattress. "Bedtime stories are only fun when you are cozied up in a nest, kiddo."
It maybe took a minute or an infinity, but the boy finally moved and settled inside his own 'nest'.
It was like being cradled by his little siblings, warmth crawled over every inch of his skin and he let go of the strain that he didn't know he had.
Takami watched his face, huffing to himself. "As I said, I was an orphan. And, there was this one guy...a caretaker."
He scratched his cheek, almost looking like a child. "This guy abused me." He shrugged. "A lot."
Takami could see the boy's eyes widen, the way his blue gaze burned with unshed tears and a storm of emotions.
The old man smiled like the setting sun. "I killed kim. Ran away."
The boy's breath hitched.
"I am just that. Haruo Takami." He tilted his head. "And you are?"
"Touya."
"And Touya," Haruo's gaze was warm. "I know a fellow dog when I see one. We both clutch life by our fucking canines even if we are stoned for just breathing."
Touya huffed.
"You think I would betray my own?" A grin split through Haruo's face. "So, shut the fuck up, and let this old man get his beauty sleep."
***
It must have been three, when Takami was stirred from his sleep by a sound. Oh.
He turned around. The kid was whimpering in his sleep, clutching the blanket. Sweat covered him, trickling over his furrowed eyebrows.
But Takami's gaze was pinned on the little flicker of blue fire on the boy's palm. It was so small, dying before even taking form.
Fire quirk.
His gaze moved to the burns on the boy's face.
So, your own quirk hurts you.
He grunted before pushing himself to a sitting position. He reached out his hand and halted before the soft, snow hair.
His fingers grazed through the boy's hair as he hummed. It was something he used to sing for Keigo. His little bird would smile through chubby cheeks, even in sleep.
Touya leaned into his palm. Takami huffed.
***
Touya had run away.
When Takami had felt that coldness creep upon his skin as he opened his eyes from a soundless sleep, he knew.
The little thief had run away with some clothes, a blanket and some coins that Takami had put on the kitchen counter.
"This idiot." Takami sighed, sipping his coffee. "He could have atleast taken more."
***