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“What the fuck are you doing?” Dabi asked, glaring at Toga as she pulled out a box full of glitter. There was no way this could be a good sign.
“I’m decorating my solar system for school!”
“You don’t even go to school.”
Toga looked at him for a solid three seconds, clearly debating strategy on how to get him to help, before pouting and putting on her best devastated pouting face.
“But I wanna! I’m always so lonely and I don’t get to learn what the other kids learn so I wanted to try it,” Toga whined, looking close to tears and Dabi groaned inwardly because he was a softy when it came to kids despite everything, and he knew it. He was weak and he could already feel himself getting dragged into this. Great. Just great.
“Fine, do you need help?” Dabi asked, begging internally for her to say no. Let him be safe. Let him be far away from the glitter.
“Yes! Could you hold this?” Toga asked happily, holding out the box of glitter (which of course was also coated in glitter on the outside) and a sphere.
So basically Dabi was fucked. He groaned tiredly and slid down onto the floor next to Toga and taking the two items, wincing as he felt the glitter already beginning to stick to him.
How Toga managed to do this and somehow stay completely free of glitter, Dabi didn’t know. What he did know was that his pants (where the box sat) hands and forearms were coated in glitter. It was fine though. None of it was in his hair, it would wash off, it was fi-
He had spoken too soon. Of fucking course.
The glitter bomb Toga had gotten sidetracked to make had exploded as she put it in his hand, coating his face and presumably hair and the rest of him in one dramatic go.
When he finally managed to open his eyes without glitter immediately going into them, he glared daggers at the somehow STILL glitter free Toga, before groaning in dismay as he caught his reflection on his blank phone screen. He was fucking COATED.
He pushed himself up off the ground, fully intending to go have a shower and desperately try to escape from the glitter when the door opened with it’s normal bang- normal because none of the League were discreet enough to open a door quietly. It took less then a second for Hawks to bound into the living room where Dabi was now standing, and even less time for Hawks’ eyes to dilate as he zeroed in on Dabi, head cocking to the side, mouth twisting into something halfway between a grin and a frown- Dabi didn’t even know where to begin describing that insanity but there it was, stood in front of him, frown-grinning at him like that was normal.
“What do you want?”
“You’re… shiny…” Hawks muttered and with a soft giggle and a quiet farewell call, Toga dashed out of the room. What the fuck? What was that about? Not important. What was important was the almost predatory, desperate, needy expression on Hawks’ face- again, how he could manage the dichotomies in one expression, Dabi didn’t know, but it was terrifying.
“Toga spilt glitter on me. I need to go wash it off. Goodbye.”
“NO!” Hawks screeched, grabbing onto Dabi desperately, startling him into stopping.
“Are you… ok?”
“I’m fine- just- you can’t- don’t.”
“What?”
“Don’t get rid of the shiny- the glitter.”
“Why the fuck would I not get rid of the glitter, Birdbrains?”
“It’s pretty?”
“So what?”
“Keep it! I need it.”
“What the fuck?”
Hawks hesitated clearly fighting some losing battle inside his head- what it was about though, Dabi had no clue.
“I’m going to need you to chill out Birdy,” Dabi groaned, “What the fuck do you want?”
“Y-you’re shiny,” Hawks repeated.
“No shit Sherlock. Toga dumped glitter all over me, what does that have to do with… this?” Dabi asked, stressing the last word as he gestured at Hawks’ whole manner.
“You’re…”
“If you fucking say I’m shiny again like that explains shit I will punch an actual wall. And probably you too.”
“It’s- it’s stupid-”
“Just spit it out Birdbrains.”
“I like that you’re shiny, it makes me want to collect you!” Hawks rattled out quickly, not so much as pausing for a breath or as he sprinted through the answer.
“You… want to… collect… ME?” Dabi asked, incredulous. What the fuck was the bird going on about?
“Yes,” Hawks sighed, almost sounding defeated, “It’s my stupid bird brain. It likes shiny things.”
Huh. Dabi knew logically that everyone has a weakness but he hadn’t expected one of Hawks’ would be shiny things…
“So you’re a hoarder?” Dabi asked, half mocking half genuienly curious.
“I do not HOARD!” Hawks cried indignantly, feathers fluffing up dramatically in clear annoyance, “I collect! There’s a difference!”
“Yeah and that difference is whether or not you’ll let me wash the glitter off. You hoard.”
Hawks looked about ready to stomp his foot indignantly before practically catching himself and settling on glaring at Dabi instead.
“Don’t look at me like that Feathers, you’re the one who wants to collect me for your hoard!”
“I don’t have a hoard!”
“You so do! You have your silly little shiny hoard,” Dabi mocked, eyebrows raised, practically daring Hawks to argue. Maybe that’s why he was so startled when the hero… didn’t.
“I- whatever. Pretend this never happened,” Hawks snapped, but the words weren’t spoken in their normal bantering tone, and Dabi could see how the man practically shrivelled away, shrinking his wings in tight behind him and pocketing his hands with his slightly too long nails that he hated so much.
The hero turned and vanished into another room, leaving no trace he was there to begin with- especially unusual considering the bird almost always left at least one feather behind.
“Birdie?” Dabi called after him in confusion. What had happened? Sure he had been mocking Hawks but that was what they did? It was banter, and Hawks knew that. He had never reacted like this before, so what the hell had happened? Was he… sensitive over it? Shit. Dabi had to check on him, didn’t he?
With a sigh, Dabi went through the base, looking for the bird, finding absolutely zero sign of him anywhere. Eventually, he turned to Compress, the only other somewhat functional league member who was here- Kurogiri was out gathering supplies or something, Dabi really didn’t care.
“Where did the Bird go?” Dabi asked, glowering at the man over his newspaper- who still reads the newspaper?
“He said he had to head back to his apartment for something, just left now.”
Of course he fucking did.
“Thanks,” Dabi grunted noncommittally, heading to his room to pull out the mask and sunglasses he relied on to hide his identity in public, before grabbing his hoodie and heading to the door, “I’ll be back in a bit!”
He didn’t even wait to make sure someone had heard him before stepping outside and heading towards the bus that would take him towards Hawks’ apartment. It wasn’t too far, but the bus was distinctly faster, and Dabi really hated running.
He did climb up the fire escape to get to Hawks’ apartment though. He knew there was no chance he would get into the apartment building through the front doors.
When he finally got all the way up- was the penthouse really necessary Hawks? Really?- he knocked loudly on the window, glaring in. When no one showed, he continued knocking, obnoxious and continuous and insistent. Eventually Hawks would have to show up, if only to tell him to leave.
Sure enough, the man stormed out of his room, flinging the window open and glaring at Dabi.
“What’s your fucking problem!?” Hawks snapped, but Dabi just stared at the man whose eyes were red and face was stained with tears.
“What happened?” Dabi asked, voice soft, more gentle than he could remember ever being before. He stepped inside, closing the window behind him and facing the hero, watching him carefully.
“It’s nothing, leave me alone.”
“It’s not nothing, and I’m stubborn as shit so you know I’m not moving. Talk to me Birdie.”
“It’s stupid! I know it’s stupid! I know! I tried to stop it, I try to make it go away but I CAN’T!”
“What?”
“I’m supposed to suppress the stupid bird instincts. I don’t need them. I don’t want them. But the stupid shiny things- it’s so AGH! STOP IT!” Hawks screeched, covering his eyes and almost scratching at them in desperation.
It was only then that Dabi realised he had trekked across town covered in glitter. Well that was embarrassing. Not important, but embarrassing.
With a soft sigh, Dabi stepped forwards, gently tugging the hero’s wrists and pulling Hawks’ hands away from his face.
“It’s not stupid Pretty Bird. It’s cute and harmless and adorable. You can collect as much shiny things as you want. Anything that makes you smile. It’s ok. It’s ok to like shiny things. It’s ok. I promise.”
“But it’s a stupid bird thing!”
“No. It’s a bird thing. Nothing stupid about it. You have bird instincts, and that’s GOOD. It’s those instincts that help you fly. It’s those instincts that make you as fast as you are. It’s those instincts that when some kid in a pile of rubble desperately flashes his torch in an attempt to call for help that only you and your amazing bird brain will notice. Understood?”
“But… but the bird traits are bad…”
“No, they aren’t dumbass. Without bird traits you wouldn’t be the number two hero.”
“But the commission said-”
“Fuck the commission.”
“What?”
“You heard me. Fuck. The. Commission.”
“Dabi you can’t say that!”
“Sure I can. They were the ones to give my father the idea of playing with genetic experiments to get me. They were the ones to tell him to throw me out when a better kid with a better quirk came along. They were the ones who would never have stepped in to save me from that cursed fire. So yeah. I can say that. Fuck. The. Commission.”
“But… but they are good?”
“Birdie, what part of the commissions abuse strike you as good? Was it how they treated me? Was it how they treated you- and don’t pretend that shit was ok, you know damn well it wasn’t. No. They aren’t good.”
“But the bird traits are stupid! No body likes them!”
“I like them.”
“What?” Hawks asked, blinking and taking a startled step back at the words. Dabi took a step closer, keeping them the same distance as they were before, just one step further from the window.
“I. Like. Your. Bird. Traits,” Dabi repeated, punctuating each word with an insistent expression. He would get this through to Hawks if it was the last thing he did.
“But I was literally being so weird only minutes ago? I was all ‘I want to claim you’ like a freak?”
“You can claim me all you like Pretty Bird, as long as you never let the stupid commission convince you that your adorable traits are bad.”
“Adorable?”
“Adorable,” Dabi nodded emphatically.
“You don’t think it’s weird?”
“Nothing you could do is weirder than some of the wild shit I’ve done Birdie. That, I can promise.”
“But-” Hawks gestured at himself almost frantically, seeming thoroughly confused as to how Dabi could possibly think he wasn’t the weirdest person ever.
“Relax Pretty Bird, relax. Just… breathe, ok? You are not that weird. Your bird traits aren’t bad, the commission just has some stupid beliefs. You are amazing, you are talented, you are strong, you are funny. You are not a freak. Not more than anyone else at least.”
“But… but…” Hawks flailed around, clearly searching for an argument and finding nothing. He practically flopped back where he stood, giving in. Dabi was almost surprised when the motion didn’t cause the man to fall over- only for a light flutter of his wings to keep him upright.
“Why do you like them?” Hawks asked, his voice barely audible with how quietly it was whispered, but it was there, broken and uncertain and more than a touch desperate.
Dabi hesitated, trying to gage which way to handle this and calm the man down would be the best. In the end it was his selfish need to see the bird smile- Hawks hadn’t smiled at all since Dabi got here and he hated that- that won out.
“Maybe I just like the fact that with just one motion,” Dabi smirked, flicking his wrist in a way that would catch the light in the glitter and sure enough it dragged Hawks’ attention immediately to it, “I get to have your full attention on me. ”
“What?” Hawks squeaked, his attention suddenly going back to Dabi’s face, seeming to search his expression for something.
“You’re pretty, Pretty Bird,” Dabi smirked, “I would be insane not to want your undivided attention on me, even if it was only because I’m… shiny.”
“You- I’m- you think I’m pretty?”
“Birdie, that was never a question.”
“But I’m… not?”
“You’re literally a part time model, you are obviously hot as fuck, and I literally call you Pretty Bird half the time. What could possibly make you think you’re not pretty?”
Hawks gestured pathetically at himself as though that would give Dabi any sort of answer to his question. It did not. Dabi, in turn, raised an eyebrow, not bothering to be anything other than incredulous at the idea.
“I thought… I don’t know…”
“Sometimes I think you might actually be an idiot,” Dabi groaned, burying his face in his hands and suppressing a snort as he noticed the way Hawks’ eyes dilated slightly when the shine of his staples hit him. He had never noticed it before but it was so damn cute.
“I might be… yeah…”
“If it makes you feel better, I came all the way from the leagues base covered in glitter because I was too distracted to register it so I would argue I’m not the smartest either,” Dabi snorted, and that FINALLY got a laugh out of Hawks. Took long enough.
“It’s pretty, though,” Hawks pointed out, seeming way too happy with himself over that comment.
“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up,” Dabi grunted.
“Matches your staples.”
“Ahh yes, the full shiny ensemble,” Dabi snickered, “Sorry girls though, this shiny guy already has a bird’s claim on him.”
“You have my claim on you?”
“Of course I do, Dove.”
“Just while you’re shiny or…” Hawks questioned, seeming deeply uncertain.
“How about for as long as you want?” Dabi offered.
“Forever?”
“Sounds good to me Pretty Bird. Does this make me officially part of your hoard?”
“If you’re… if you’re ok with that?” Hawks agreed hesitantly, seeming to search Dabi for any sign he might not mean it. Dabi in turn did his best to make it obvious just how much he meant it.
“As long as I’m the prized piece.”
“I think I can make that work,” Hawks agreed with a soft smile, finally starting to relax a touch.