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The restaurant is loud when Hawks walks in. He's grateful for it. Otherwise, the bunny ears he's keeping an eye on might notice him. He left his wings at home today, and as much as he hated it, it was necessary for the mission.
Sitting at the bar, he pretends to look at a menu even though he gets the same thing every time he's here. From his seat, he can see his best friend nervously bouncing her leg as she waits for her date. No one would believe him if he said Pro Hero Mirko gets more nervous for dates than villains.
That's why Hawks is here, making sure her date goes perfectly without her knowing. Because he's a good best friend.
That, and he's heard her talk about this girl for weeks. If the date didn't go well, Rumi would be devastated, and Hawks is worried he won't have enough time to binge the movies they usually watch after heartbreak. It's not his fault. He just has the Commission breathing down his neck, the League watching his every move, his fans swarming him every time he tries to get some fresh air—
He just needs this to be the best date ever so he doesn't have to lose sleep doing damage control.
The drink he orders gives him something to do. He sips at it as his eyes scan the crowd filing in for brunch. A few people take the seats next to him at the bar, here for the bottomless mimosas rather than the food.
That's when he sees her.
Rumi jumps to her feet the second the girl walks in.
Hawks' lips quirk into a smile because he totally guessed it.
As much as he tried to pry the girl's name from Rumi, she wouldn't give it up. But Hawks bet money—with himself, but still—that Rumi's crush was Fuyumi Todoroki.
He grins to himself, rolling the colorful straw between his teeth. "All that observation training was good for something at least."
The man next to him speaks up.
Dread settles in Hawks' stomach the moment he recognizes the voice.
"The spy training wasn't. Seriously, your disguise is so fucking obvious it's disgusting."
Hawks chokes on his drink, hiding the noise with a confident chuckle. "Oh, you're into fashion now?"
A tsk. "Fuck off. Whatever you're wearing is a far cry from fashion."
"Right. Your usual jacket is much closer." Hawks whistles obnoxiously because he knows it'll piss him off. "But do all villains get dressed up like this for brunch on Saturdays?"
"It's for a mission."
"So, it's a disguise?"
"A better one than yours."
"Maybe you're just good at finding your favorite new recruit in a crowd." Hawks shoots him a smile. "Or maybe I'm just so pretty you can't help looking for me. Which one is it, Dabi?"
Dabi gives him a deadpan stare. "Neither. You're just obnoxious with or without your wings."
Hawks bats his eyelashes. "So why are you sitting by me, then?"
Flipping him off, Dabi nods toward the packed restaurant. "You see any other seats?"
Hawks is about to answer when Rumi's laugh reaches him from across the room. Fuyumi is blushing, a hand over her mouth to hide her smile while Rumi tries to catch her breath.
"Yes!" Hawks fist-pumps to himself. It looks like the date is going well so far.
Dabi scrunches his nose like Hawks' happiness is contagious. "What the fuck was that?"
"Uhhh." Hawks shrugs. "My mission is going well."
"Your mission, hm?" Dabi glances over his shoulder to where Hawks' eyes are still locked on the potential couple. "And what is that exactly?"
Worried Rumi will recognize him if he stares too long, Hawks turns back to the bar and orders another drink before answering.
"Show me yours and I'll show you mine."
"You're annoying."
"You still want to know, though, don't you?"
Dabi sighs. "Fuck it. Fine. I'm chaperoning, but... from a distance."
Hawks raises a brow. "So, stalking?"
"Nope." Slamming back the rest of his drink, Dabi shakes his head. "Tell me yours now."
"I guess I'm doing the same?" Then Hawks clarifies, "But actually chaperoning. Not stalking."
"I'm not—" Dabi groans in frustration. "Whatever. Who's your target?"
Oh. This is about to look really weird—Hawks spying on another Pro Hero—
Huh. Maybe Dabi would appreciate that, actually. Seeing as how he's Hawks' way into the League and all.
Hawks clears his throat, then leans in to whisper. Rumi's insane hearing might end his self-proclaimed mission if he speaks too loudly.
"See the bunny over there?" Hawks holds up a hand and points behind it. He's nailing this secretive thing. "That's Pro Hero Mirko. I'm keeping tabs on her."
Dabi squints. "Why?"
"Fine! She's my best friend and she's on a date. I'm making sure it goes well."
"Oh."
"Oh?"
Dabi pauses, and Hawks glances back at the two women still deep in conversation. A feeling settles in his gut. One he's not sure he likes.
"Dabi, does your mission have something to do with the date? Because I swear, if the League is planning something today that would ruin it—"
"Her date's my sister."
The wheels turning in Hawks' head come to a screeching halt.
"I'm sorry, what?"
***
They're following behind Fuyumi and Rumi now, the restaurant long behind them as Hawks tries to make sense of everything Dabi has told him in the last hour.
"Correct me if I'm wrong." Hawks starts counting on his fingers as he lists the mind-blowing revelations. "Fuyumi Todoroki is your sister. Your name is Touya Todoroki—or was. Sorry. Sensitive topic, I know. Anyway..."
They weave through the crowd together, staying far enough behind their targets to remain inconspicuous.
"Dabi, the big bad villain, got sick and tried to break into his sister's house looking for the recipe to the soup he grew up eating—cute, by the way—and she caught you, expediting your reunion."
Hawks turns the next words over a few times, knowing they'll taste weird when he says them.
"So now you're doing big-brother duties and secretly protecting her while she's on a date?"
Dabi refuses to look at him. "When you say it like that, it makes me wish I didn't get out of bed for this shit."
Hawks laughs at Dabi's scowl, nudging him playfully as they walk side by side. "Aw, c'mon, man. It's swe—"
"Don't finish that sentence."
Suddenly, Rumi turns around, checking the shops around them.
Scared of being caught, Hawks grabs Dabi's arm and yanks him into an alley.
Smoke seeps from between Dabi's staples because, of course, he's pissed off now. "What the f—"
Hawks smacks a hand over his mouth, eyes wide as he peers around the corner.
Rumi and Fuyumi disappear into a building Hawks is pretty sure is for roller skating. He smiles when Fuyumi's pale skin flushes as Rumi holds the door open for her.
Looking back at Dabi, Hawks forgets to move his hand, realizing how similar the siblings look. How didn't he see it before?
A searing tongue swipes across his palm, pulling a weak yelp from Hawks as he jerks back. "Unnecessary."
"Says the guy who shoved me against a wall." Dabi glances around the corner, trying to figure out why Hawks felt the need to manhandle him. "You always that forward, hero?"
Hawks sputters, trying to defend himself. "Wha—she—she would've seen us!"
Dabi wears a smug grin. "Uh huh."
"Besides..." Stepping forward with false innocence, Hawks makes sure he's just barely leaning into Dabi's space. "I'd make sure you knew when I was making a move."
"Your flirting skills need work."
"The blush on your cheeks says otherwise."
Hawks laughs when Dabi drags him out of the alley, the villain trying his very best to look angry.
"Do you even know where they went?" Hawks brushes off his arm, getting rid of the tingling in his skin where Dabi's hand had been.
"I can't do all the work." Dabi gestures ahead of them. "Lead the way, hero."
So Hawks does, leading them to the shop decorated with giant roller skates and a disco ball on the sign. He winks at Dabi as he holds the door open for him, earning a flash of blue fire as a reward.
Music blares from speakers in the ceiling, colored lights flashing across the room darkened by the tint on the shop's windows. There's a snack bar in the corner, and Hawks realizes he hasn't eaten yet today. He'll have to fix that.
Dabi smacks him lightly on the arm, leaning over so Hawks can hear him above the music. "There they are. Rink 3."
Following Dabi's direction, Hawks finds Rumi and Fuyumi skating gracefully together, racing around the rink and giggling so hard their faces must be sore from smiling.
He gets a great idea—
One that he acts on after grabbing a snack.
And it turns out maybe it wasn't such a great idea because Hawks forgot he'd never learned to skate.
They're on Rink 5, close enough to the girls to make sure everything is going smoothly, but far enough away to stay hidden. Hawks is clinging to the edge of the rink with a death grip—white knuckles and all—trying his very hardest not to break something when his feet refuse to go where he tells them.
Oh, and Dabi's yelling at him.
"What the actual fuck are you doing?!" Dabi tries to pry Hawks off the wall. "It's not that hard. Stop exaggerating!"
"Exaggerating?!" Hawks lets out a small scream when Dabi successfully peels one of his hands away from its guaranteed safety. "This is torture! I'd know, trust me. Who wants to play mind games like this for fun? This is a horrible idea—"
Dabi kicks the back of Hawks' skate, sending another spike of fear down his spine. "Just keep your feet pointed out!"
"They are!"
"Then let go!"
"Stop yelling at me!"
Dabi laughs at Hawks' whine when he starts to slip again. "Fine, birdbrain. You can stay there, and I'll just—"
Hawks relaxes, sighing in relief. "Oh, good. I was worried you—AH!"
His hands scramble for a grip on Dabi's body, clothes, anything, as he's torn away from the safety of the wall. The ground immediately tries to take him down with it. He's bracing for the fall when Dabi yanks him around instead, readjusting Hawks' stance with a firm grip on his forearm.
Dabi's jaw is clenched, obviously annoyed, but the quirk of his lips makes Hawks smile.
"Chill. The fuck. Out."
Hawks huffs a laugh. "I'm trying! Shit—!"
His feet start sliding in opposite directions, and he grabs Dabi's sleeves like they're the only things keeping him from breaking a bone.
Dabi clicks his tongue, complete with an eye roll. "Just push off that foot—not that one, idiot—no—wrong. You're supposed to glide like—goddamn it, Hawks, relax!"
Hawks is laughing so hard he can barely breathe. "Fuck! Wait, I think I got it."
He does his best to follow Dabi's clipped instructions, rolling on one foot before switching to the other when his momentum dies out. It's a lot easier once he relaxes his knees and starts leaning in the direction he wants to go. He still doesn't know if he's doing it right, but he feels significantly less likely to do the splits.
"Okay, that's... not as bad." Dabi's still looking at him like he's embarrassing them both, but Hawks thinks his eyes look almost sparkly when the colored lights hit them.
"Wow, thanks, Dabi." Hawks straightens a little, trying to look more confident. "I think that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me."
"Yeah, don't get used to it. You almost blew our covers." Dabi glances toward Fuyumi and Rumi as they skate past the rink, making their way toward the snack bar.
Hawks coos. "Awww, look at them! They're adorable!"
"I guess Yumi looks pretty happy." Dabi adjusts his grip so Hawks can start to let go. "Shame. Guess we're stuck teaching you to skate until they leave. Ready, chicken legs?"
Hawks gasps in offense—because one, he's not a chicken, and two, his legs are amazing—and his skates take that as permission to do whatever they want.
Somehow, he takes off.
He shoots across the rink with no direction and entirely too much speed.
He barely has time to flinch before slamming into the wall with a loud thunk. When he opens his eyes, Dabi is laughing his ass off beside him, trying to haul Hawks back to his feet.
"I wish I had that on video." Dabi's laugh fades, but his smile doesn't. "You can't join the League if you can't skate."
Hawks groans when he shifts and discovers that, yep, his hip is definitely bruised. "I would've never tried to join if I knew that was a requirement."
"Shut up, you're fine." Pushing off the wall, Dabi drags Hawks back toward the middle of the rink. "Let's teach you how to stop before you do that again and kill somebody."
Hawks hides his embarrassment behind his hands, covering his face while Dabi guides him along.
***
"Did you see me do that spin at the end?!" Hawks walks backward out of the roller rink, trusting Dabi to keep an eye on their mission a few feet ahead of him. "That was so cool. Maybe I should skate professionally."
"Sure, birdie, you do that." Dabi points to warn Hawks he's about to walk into someone. "It'll look perfect on your villain resume."
Hawks nods excitedly, falling into step beside him. "See?! All thanks to you, hot stuff."
"I—oh, wait. Where'd they go?"
A flicker of panic shoots through him as Hawks spins on his heels, searching for any sign of their targets.
"You had one job, Dabi!"
"Stop your whining." Dabi shoves him hard enough to make him stumble. "I found them. Look, you can see Fuyumi's hair through that window."
Clutching his pearls with a relieved sigh, Hawks follows as Dabi leads the way toward the movie theater. "Scared me for a second there. What do you think they're seeing?"
This time, Dabi opens the door for him, making Hawks' heart skip a beat—which is stupid because it's a door. It must be the "date atmosphere" giving him heart palpitations.
"Let's find out." Grabbing Hawks' hand, Dabi pulls him into the ticket line, making sure there's a good amount of people between them and the couple.
It's been years since Hawks has gone to the movies. He's looking over the listings when he hears Rumi buy the girls their tickets. Catching only the end of the conversation, he hears the theater worker tell them they'll be in Theater Four.
When it's his and Dabi's turn, Hawks confidently says, "Two tickets for whatever movie's in Theater Four."
"Sure." The worker smiles as the tickets print. "Two tickets for Cradle of Whispers."
Beside him, Hawks feels Dabi freeze. He brushes it off, taking the tickets with a thank you.
It's only when Dabi falls behind as they're walking to the theater that Hawks thinks to question it. "You good?"
Dabi nods while glaring at absolutely nothing. "Fine. Surprised you don't want popcorn."
How stupid could Hawks be?
He'd almost forgotten the most important part of the movie-going experience.
So they wait in line again, ending up with more snacks than just popcorn before heading back to the theater. Except Dabi falls behind again, dragging his feet this time.
Hawks glances over his shoulder with a teasing smile. "What? Did we forget something else?"
Dabi grinds his teeth, staring at his shoes. "It's a horror movie."
"Yeah?" Hawks blinks. "Cradle of Whispers doesn't exactly sound like a romcom."
He walks back to where Dabi has planted his feet. "We lucked out, huh? Good thing Rumi likes the extra scary stuff."
The villain doesn't look up, but he does swallow audibly. Realization dawns, and Hawks barks out a laugh.
"Don't tell me you're scared of horror movies."
"'M not."
Trying not to smile at the response, Hawks bites down on his bottom lip and rocks back on his heels. "So you're gonna be fine? Promise I won't judge if you scream. It's okay to be scared—"
Dabi growls at the taunting tone. "Fuck you. Let's go. We both know you'll be the one shaking with fear."
"I'm sure." Hawks takes the lead again, but not before rearranging the snacks so he has a free hand to grab Dabi's wrist. Just in case he wants to escape.
He giggles when Dabi keeps dragging his feet.
***
Unsurprisingly, Hawks wasn't the one shaking with fear. From the first toddler with blacked-out eyes and a knife to the final scene when the baby screamed from the cradle, Dabi had his face buried in Hawks' chest, shoulder, the crook of his neck—anywhere that could be considered a decent hiding spot—with his eyes screwed shut.
The villain didn't scream, but Hawks had felt the need to wrap an arm around him when Dabi jumped at every single jumpscare, even the obvious ones.
It was the single cutest thing Hawks had ever seen in his life.
But that didn't mean he couldn't tease Dabi about it.
They're following Rumi and Fuyumi again, staying behind in the zone Hawks deemed safe from being caught. At some point during the movie, Rumi had slung an arm over Fuyumi's shoulders, and now Fuyumi's hand is raised to meet hers, their fingers laced together.
Perfect.
This was going perfect.
Maybe he should take notes for whenever he goes on a date.
He glances at Dabi, breaking the silence between them with a fake cough. "So, if you ever attack me, I'll just scream like that baby did. Or, if there's a TV nearby, I can pull up the Top 10 Horror Movie playlist—"
"Keep talking and I'll roast you."
"Awww, but Dabi." Hawks takes a step back in preparation. "Who else would hold you during the jumpscares?"
As expected, Dabi lunges for him, and Hawks grins when he's just out of reach. Once he's sure it's safe, he falls back into step beside Dabi, only for the villain to trip him.
Hawks lets out an indignant squawk. "Rude!"
"It's what you get for being annoying."
"I wasn't annoying when you were scared."
Dabi's voice tightens with warning. "Hawks—"
"Oh, look!" Hawks grabs Dabi's hand, pulling him along toward the aquarium Rumi and Fuyumi entered. "There they go! Hurry up!"
"Slow down!" Dabi yanks his hand back despite Hawks vibrating with anxiety over possibly losing their targets. "We have time. Fuyumi's going to look at every possible fishy—"
Pursing his lips to keep from smiling, Hawks freezes. "Fishy?"
"Yeah, fish—fishy—same thing." Dabi must see the glint in Hawks' eyes because he immediately tries to justify himself. "Look, it's—she calls them that, okay? Fuck you. Leave me alone."
"But then you won't get to see the fishies, Dabi."
Dabi storms off, heading for the aquarium doors with Hawks cackling behind him. His cheeks are pink when he throws a threat over his shoulder.
"That's it. I'm telling Shigaraki you're a bad bet."
"No—I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Hawks catches his breath as they scan the aquarium for bunny ears and icy hair with red streaks. "Here, how about you get to pick what we look at first? My form of an apology."
"Your form of an apology can burn." Before Hawks can protest, Dabi takes off toward the manta rays. "But we're going this way."
Even though he has to hurry to catch up, the flutter of Hawks' small wings beneath his jacket tells him he hasn't had this much fun in a long time.
***
"What do you mean it's my fault?" Hawks is walking quickly, checking around corners and down hallways in the aquarium because they somehow lost their targets.
Dabi blinks. "Hawks, what's in your hand right now?"
Slowly, and with mounting guilt, Hawks turns to face him. "A bag."
"Huh." Dabi steps closer. "And what's in the bag?"
Hawks lifts it slightly as if checking, as if he didn't already know, as if he hadn't begged for them to buy it. "Water."
"Fine. Better question, birdie." Leaning closer, Dabi smirks. "What does the bag say?"
Shifting on his feet, Hawks meets Dabi's gaze.
"…Fishy 1 and Fishy 2…"
"Right. And how long did it take us to buy Fishy 1 and Fishy 2?"
Hawks sighs in defeat. "Twenty minutes."
"So we lost our targets because someone absolutely needed to buy dumbass fish with dumbass names—"
Hawks breaks into laughter. "But you can't tell me they're not cute!"
Dabi snatches the bag, careful not to jostle it too much, and looks the fish directly in the eyes. "They're hideous."
"Well." Hawks starts toward the exit, deciding not to point out that Dabi is taking his time looking at the fish's long, pretty fins. "I got that one because it looks like you."
"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Dabi gently shoves the bag against Hawks' chest, the smallest pout pulling at his mouth, involuntary like the villain doesn't realize he's doing it. "I don't look like a fish, asshole."
"No, you don't. You're too hot for me to pretend you do." Hawks grins when Dabi's face flushes. "But if you did, you'd look like Fishy 2."
That earns him a smack to the back of the head, but then they spend the entire walk home talking and laughing.
Well, the entire walk to Hawks' front door, which he only realizes the weight of as he's unlocking it.
He stills. "Hey, um, if I let you in, you won't try to kill me, right?"
Dabi seems to think about it. Hawks doesn't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing.
"Nah," Dabi finally says. "Not while Fishy 1 and Fishy 2 are watching. I just need somewhere private to ask Kurogiri to warp me back to the League."
"Oh, good." A small wave of relief passes through him as Hawks opens the door. "Killing me would make it kind of hard to co-parent."
A groan follows when Hawks lifts the bag again, and Dabi pushes past him into the apartment. The villain whistles in appreciation. "This place is nice, hero."
Hawks snorts. "Please. Like you haven't snuck in before."
"Didn't know you noticed, but it's different walking in through the front door."
Hawks smiles as he adds the fish to the tank in his living room. Before he realizes what he's saying, the words slip out.
"You can walk in the front door more often if you want."
Dabi freezes, hands stilling mid-text to Kurogiri. "What?"
Heat springs to Hawks' cheeks. "Huh? Oh, um, for the co-parenting of Fishy 1 and Fishy 2."
"Right." There's a soft click as Dabi sets down his phone. "No other reason?"
Hawks distracts himself by arranging the decor near the tank, doing everything he can to avoid looking at Dabi. "I mean, you're cool. We can hang out and stuff if you're not busy."
His heart is beating so fast Hawks is half-convinced he might have a heart attack. "And it doesn't have to be here either. We can do whatever, go wherever, I just—fuck, I don't know—what am I saying—"
He turns to find something else to focus on and finds Dabi standing right behind him.
The air between them feels so heavy Hawks might suffocate.
Dabi lifts a finger beneath Hawks' chin, forcing his gaze up. "Birdie, are you asking me out?"
Hawks gulps. "I think so? If I am, would you say yes?"
"Maybe." The smile on Dabi's face is devastating. "If I ask to kiss you, would you say yes?"
Oh, man. Hawks is dying. There's a flutter in his chest and a nervous shake in his hands.
His voice is barely above a whisper. "Maybe."
Neither of them moves until Hawks gets some of his confidence back. "You remember when I said I'd make sure you knew when I was making a move?"
Dabi's eyes drop to his lips, and suddenly they both lose their patience.
It's the simplest touch, but their lips slotting together makes Hawks' knees weak. His skin tingles as he tries not to fall over, lightheaded from being catapulted to cloud nine. It's so much gentler than it has any right to be, and Hawks has a sneaking suspicion he'll never get enough.
Dabi chuckles as he pulls away, the steady flutter of Hawks' wings making his smile linger. "Careful, birdie. If you had all your feathers attached, you might be hovering right now."
Hawks watches Dabi pick up his phone and finish his text to Kurogiri, leaving much too soon. "Sorry. They're annoying sometimes."
He barely finishes the sentence before a warp opens in his living room. Dabi walks over, stopping beside him. "But so are you. I guess I don't mind it that much."
Hawks presses one last quick kiss to Dabi's lips before the villain steps closer to the warp. "Mission: Take Dabi on a Date is a go."
Dabi flips him off, rolling his eyes as he disappears into the black and purple.
***
Later that evening, Fuyumi texts her girlfriend who had been a secret until today.
Yumi
Guess what I just heard.
Rumi
WHAT
DID IT WORK
Yumi
They kissed <3
Rumi
Fucking finally!!!
I couldn't listen to the pining anymore
Driving me crazy
Yumi
Same! They were hopeless
Rumi
Babe.
You're a genius.
Yumi
Lol
Love you too