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Hitoshi knows he's being tailed right now.
He knows it.
He's been tailed a lot.
For three months now.
Hitoshi has an idea, a pretty clear one, of who it is, too.
Dabi.
Or, well.
Touya Todoroki is who he goes by now, not that Hitoshi will ever say that name to his face without permission.
Since he's been rehabilitated and all that.
But now, after a good three months of just letting him do it, Hitoshi's boredom and curiosity decide to merge because Touya's stayed in the shadows, hidden.
He still is.
But now the itch to ask why is stronger than it has been.
So, Hitoshi is careful as he maneuvers while the older man is on the phone.
"Ya know, I don't even like my own shadow. So, why is it that I have another one?" asks Hitoshi as he hangs upside down using the capture weapon, his lips right next to Touya's ears.
"Jesus fuck!" yelps Touya as he jumps backwards onto the roof he was perched on. "Who the hell taught you how to be silent like that?"
"Eraserhead," replies Hitoshi with a snort as he flips down, tugging the capture weapon back into place around his neck. "Now, answer the question before I take you to him. He's very curious about your accompaniment on my patrols as well considering he's the one monitoring your movements."
"If he's that curious, why didn't he bring it up himself during our weekly check-ins? Or the daily lunches?" asks Touya as he arches a white brow that matches the white patches of hair coming through from the black dye he used.
Shouto had mentioned that his brother was going through a phase right now.
He was proud to tell everyone about how Touya is letting his natural hair color come through again to decide if he wants to keep dying it or not.
"Ask him yourself when you see him tomorrow," replies Hitoshi with a shrug as he settles on the gravel rooftop next to him. "As far as I'm aware, he was leaving it to me, but maybe there was an actual reason besides how lazy he likes to be nowadays. Why did you choose this rooftop to stop on? These idiots put gravel down on the damn roof. Who the hell do they think they are? This shit is uncomfortable to run on and nap on dammit."
"Why are you napping on rooftops?" asks Touya as his brows furrow in confusion before he shakes his head. "No, hold up. I have several other questions that need answered, actually."
"I mean, you can ask them, but it's not likely that I'll answer 'em," replies Hitoshi with a shrug as he lays down, one arm cushioning his head.
"Little shit," snorts Touya before he lays next to him. "Fuck, you're right. This shit is uncomfortable. They clearly don't come up here enough because this would be a bitch to walk on."
"And yet, there are at least five rooftops just like this in my patrol area," sighs Hitoshi with a shake of his head. "Though, to be fair, three of them have greenhouses and a bonfire set up with chairs that are very comfortable to fall asleep in. So, those actually have places to rest without these damn things in the way."
"So, only two of them are crappy, got it," huffs Touya as his head twists to the side to look at Hitoshi. "Now, for my questions. How long have you just been letting me follow you around? Why was tonight the night for you to be nosy about it? Did you tell Aizawa or did he tell you? And why the hell are you patrolling with cracked ribs and an ankle that needs to be fixed by a healer?"
Hitoshi sits up, turning to stare down at Touya in surprise.
"What the fuck?" asks Hitoshi seriously as his eyes narrow on the amused smirk that's now curving the man's distracting lips. "How the fuck do you know about my ribs and my ankle?"
"Answer mine first," replies Touya as that smirk becomes too cocky for Hitoshi's liking.
"Would you rather be cuffed for following me out of your limits?" asks Hitoshi as he narrows his eyes on the older man.
"I stopped here for a reason, Doll," replies Touya with a wink as he sits up on his elbows. "Answer a question."
"Three months," says Hitoshi quickly, knowing the only way to get an answer now is to give in or use his quirk. Touya isn't a villain anymore, so using his quirk is out. That's not the only reason he won't use it though. "Now, how the fuck do you know about my ribs and my ankle?"
"Three months? Damn, you caught me a month in," grumbles Touya as he shakes his head before he lays back down. "I've been following you, NightHide. That shit just happened two weeks ago, and you refused to get medical attention. Which I'm irritated about by the way because I told Zawa to send a healer, then you decided to act perfectly fine until they all left, Doll."
"Wait, a month in? I didn't catch you for a fucking month?!" yelps Hitoshi as he immediately starts searching his mind for other moments before the first time he caught Touya following him. "Oh, you're the one who had Zawa send a healer? That was dumb, Dabi. I don't let anyone with a healing quirk touch me except for Recovery Girl and her protege. I'm dealing with it tomorrow since they'll be back at campus."
"Yeah, I managed to stay off your radar for a month," replies Touya with a half-smirk as his eyes fall closed. "I'm surprised you didn't notice me before that. I was not doing a very good job of following you then. It took me some time to get a hold of the rooftop running without using my quirk to keep me moving. Also, Recovery Girl has been back for three days. Tell me you know that and only chose to wait because it's supposed to be your day off tomorrow because otherwise I am definitely calling Aizawa in the morning to tell on your ass.."
"It's because tomorrow is my day off, and I'm supposed to have the weekend off too because of the tournament at UA. I'm scouting for my Agency," says Hitoshi softly as he lays back down with a hidden wince. "Huh, I can't even think of a time where anything seemed off before three months ago. Well, you'd probably make a pretty good underground hero, if you ever wanted to try to help Zawa like your friends are."
"I've talked to him, but being a hero isn't something I want to do. I'm going into social work. Started classes for it last week," replies Touya softly as Hitoshi turns to look at him properly, surprise by his choice. "It won't be the way I'd like, with the actual closeness and ability to see it all for myself properly, but I can help with decision making and doing interviews over the phone and/or video call. Some of the kids you've dealt with in the last four months, I've followed their cases. I talked with Aizawa a lot, then with Monete when I was pointed in his direction. I've helped as best I could from the position I'm in."
"That was you?" asks Hitoshi breathlessly as he turns to look at Touya, eyes wide and filling with tears. "You saved Milea."
"That was me," murmurs Touya as he meets Hitoshi's eyes, lips curved into something almost shy. "I saw how close the two of you were, so I called in a lot of favors to be able to speak to the right people, then I got the proof needed to help her situation. It was all legit, there were stake-outs and everything. Do not ever stake-out someone's house with Shouto. That brat had me ready to tear my hair out twenty minutes in, and I live with him."
"Yeah, I could've told you that," snorts Hitoshi as he shakes his head and lays back, ready to tell the story that he tells at least once a month. "Did he make you do all the note taking? I wanted to hit him last time because not only was I dealing with the note taking on what we were saying, but I also had to do the reporting to Aizawa. I swore that I would never pull another stake-out with him after that. He thinks it's funny still, to this damn day, to fuck with me about doing a stake-out with him. It's a running joke at this point."
"Oh, yeah, I saw him cackling last week over some email thing he said he had to send you," Touya sounds vaguely amused as Hitoshi lets his eyes fall closed. "He's definitely a little shit."
"That hasn't come yet, so that sounds about right. I'll probably get the text tomorrow. It happens at least once a month," replies Hitoshi with a chuckle because he knows it's coming. Shouto doesn't plan it for a specific day or week. He bounces around like a damn bunny, but it's entertaining nevertheless. "I get a text from him with a laughably, not-genuine stake-out email, and he wait maybe two minutes before immediately sending laughing emojis at me. For the first five months, I double checked with Aizawa every time because he arranges all stake-outs or undercover missions for my Agency. Aizawa threatened to put us together for two years if I didn't leave him the hell alone over a joke, so I'd look for the mark that he adds to every email, and Shouto never adds them. Eventually, that's going to bite us in the ass, but for now, it's all good."
"I think he ended up more like me than he should've with my absence," murmurs Touya quietly, voice holding something akin to guilt that has Hitoshi looking at him again. "But that sounds like something he would do."
"Yeah," sighs Hitoshi as his eyes close. "So, you had other questions. Let's see if I can answer them without asking you to repeat 'em. I told Aizawa, but he already knew, obviously. As for that other one, well… It's a quiet night, so my curiosity took control."
"Why were you so curious though?" asks Touya in a tone that's all amusement.
"Probably because it's you," offers Hitoshi quietly, going as close to the truth as he can without actually saying why.
He's interacted with Touya before.
His friendship with Shouto has ensured that they're in the same space at least three times a month, even if it's only for fifteen minutes.
They've had conversations, quick ones, quiet ones, the kind that has Shouto asking Hitoshi if he enjoyed his brother's flirting so much that he just has to come early every time he's supposed to come over.
Hitoshi doesn't think he's being flirted with, Shouto calls him an idiot every time he argues that, but there's just no reason that Touya would flirt with him, okay?
He knows he's hot, that's not why he's saying that.
But Touya has no reason to see him in that way. What Touya sees is Hitoshi in ratty clothes that are either stained or practically ripped to shreds because the only time he goes to Shouto's place is for a movie night thing they do.
So, Shouto's wrong, and Hitoshi knows it.
"That means something," Touya's voice is quiet in a way that Hitoshi isn't sure he likes. "Because I shouldn't make anyone that curious. Not me. I should be the one you run from, not run towards."
"I haven't run from you once, Dabi," replies Hitoshi with a chuckle that hurts his chest. "I sure as hell don't plan on running now."
"Well, maybe you should," mutters Touya as he sits up, the rocks moving noisily with him. "And call me Touya. This Dabi shit from someone I see way too often is getting annoying. You're at Sho's place too often to keep calling me by a name that I'm starting to leave behind."
"Okay, Touya," replies Hitoshi as he lets his eyes open and sits up as well. "Follow me then, yeah? I'll let Aizawa know you'll be out of your limits tonight. You can crash on my couch with me since I'm still waiting for my new mattress. The couch is huge, so don't worry about it being a problem. I'll message Sho too, so he knows."
"Inviting a villain to your condo? That sounds a bit dangerous, NightHide," Touya's voice holds amusement and surprise.
When their eyes meet, Hitoshi feels heat spread through his cheeks.
He said Touya wanting him was impossible, not the other way around.
Having a crush on Touya feels like it should be a rite of passage, and Hitoshi knows Hawks would agree.
Except it's been two years of this, and Hitoshi knows that it's deeper than a crush now.
"Touya, I've known you for two years," replies Hitoshi as he crosses his arms over his chest and arches a brow. "You're not a villain anymore, that's what reformation means. So, let's stop with that label because it no longer defines you. The deal is this. You will either go home to your room at Shouto's, or you will come to my place, crash on my couch, and I'll have breakfast ordered for whenever the fuck we wake up in the morning. But you keep looking at me with this look in your eyes that makes me think tonight shouldn't end with us going our separate ways like it usually does."
"Free food is nice, but not a concern," says Touya as he leans forward, the distance between them closing. "You pay too much attention to your surroundings. I don't want to sleep on one side of the couch while you sleep on the other, Hitoshi, and I think you know that. I don't want this to be a sleep-over that's solely exhaustion and space either. So, I'm going to head home."
"No, you're not," replies Hitoshi as he leans forward too, letting their noses brush. "Because I don't want that either, Touya. Maybe you don't realize how easy it is for someone to fall for you, but I'm pretty damming proof."
"You fell for me?" Touya's breathless as his lashes dance against his skin when his eyes fall closed.
"Immediately," replies Hitoshi with a laugh that's all disbelief. "How could I not have? Have you not seen you? Besides, the first thing you did was tell me not to listen to your brother when he tries to tell me that you're actually a people person. It was pretty fucking entertaining because that wasn't what Shouto was trying to tell me."
"What was my brat brother trying to tell you then?" asks Touya quietly, not opening his eyes yet.
"You keep those eyes shut, I'm going to kiss you before I answer that question," replies Hitoshi seriously as he nuzzles their noses together.
The sight in front of him is too fucking tempting, and his training is not helping him focus on the task at hand.
Convincing Touya to come home with him so that he can, maybe, make him breakfast in the morning and ask him on a date.
"Do it then," whispers Touya as his lips curve into a half-smirk that makes Hitoshi groan before he leans in.
Their lips brush gently as Touya lifts a hand, fingers tangling in Hitoshi's capture weapon as the kiss slots into something more. Hitoshi's hand raises to gently wrap his fingers around Touya's wrist as his bottom lip is scraped over teasingly.
Hitoshi groans as those teeth sink in, then Touya pulls away.
"Well fuck," whispers Hitoshi as their foreheads press together firmly. "He wasn't wrong. You're exactly my fucking type."
"Good because I think breakfast should be an intimate date on your couch," replies Touya sweetly as he pulls away. Hitoshi's eyes open slowly to see a shy smile curve those puffy lips. "As long as that offer to sleep on your couch with you is still on the table."
"Oh, it's never going off the table. Not until my bed arrives, then it'll just switch," says Hitoshi seriously as he presses a gentle kiss to those lips again. "I'll ask you properly in the morning, but you realize this means that you're mine now, right?"
"That's a label I'm happy about," replies Touya as he knocks their noses together before standing. "Let's get outta here before that new underground hero that you're not a fan of, shows up."
"Let's go," says Hitoshi with a smile as he takes the hand that's offered to him.
The run back to Hitoshi's apartment isn't long because his patrol ends within three blocks of it.
Hitoshi sends texts as soon as they land on the roof his building, and then a hand clasps in his own. He drags Touya into the stairwell and down two flights of stairs to the floor of his condo.
As soon as they're inside, shoes off, they get comfortable.
Hitoshi strips down to the basketball shorts he wore under his uniform today, while Touya just hangs his coat up on the coat rack.
He's wearing sweatpants and a plain blue tee.
Hitoshi loves how hot he looks in them, though he rolls his eyes and mutters, "How the hell have you kept up with me on patrols wearing such baggy clothes? Those pants are practically falling off your hips."
"I usually keep them tied tighter," replies Touya with a snort as he's lead over to the couch. He curls up against Hitoshi's back, arm holding him securely. "You ready to sleep, Sweetheart?"
"Beyond ready," murmurs Hitoshi as a gentle meow reaches his ears before a patchy orange, brown, and white fluff-ball appears in front of his face. "Get comfortable, Jelly, it's bed time."
"Oh, this is the whiny baby that Shouto always mutters about wanting to steal," snorts Touya as Jelly curls around Hitoshi's head, her front paws pressing against his own head.
"Yes, this is my whiny gremlin," replies Hitoshi as he reaches up to pet the cat he adopted a year into his underground hero career. "She's a piece of work, but I adore her. If Shouto thinks for a second he's gonna get the chance to steal her away from me, then he's in for a battle."
"You know he won't," chuckles Touya as he nuzzles at his ear. "He's actually planning to adopt a kitten from the cat cafe that he spends most of his time at."
"Oh, great, that's why I was invited there for lunch tomorrow," sighs Hitoshi in amusement as he scoots back into Touya and properly closes his eyes. "You're coming too."
"Sure, Sweetheart," Touya whispers the response as Hitoshi starts to drift.
Curiosity got Hitoshi a boyfriend, and now he gets to sleep in Touya's arms instead of imagining it every night.