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“Because you’re a sell out.”
“How am I a sell out?”
“You’re a corporate capitalist prize pony shiel who’ll endorse anything even if it’s bad for fuck ass people.”
“…that doesn’t really answer my question, hot stuff.”
Dabi groaned, rolling his eyes keeping his arms closed over his suit bringing the cigarette back up to his mouth to inhale.
Hawks enjoys messing with him like this, it’s all in good fun, he knows what Dabi means. He’s just got the wrong idea about Hawks, he isn’t really an empty shiel cash cow… a bit of a modeling poster boy. But that’s how his team branded him, he didn’t have any control over that and he could tell Dabi that all he wanted but it wouldn’t change the others attitude.
He looks back down from their position on the five story, they’re on surveillance only- no action. The target was a fenced off warehouse that used to belong to a meat packing company, however they moved out of the country leaving heavy machinery equipment behind. It left the Hero Public Safety Commission curious, with some rumors elevated by underground Heroes, that lower levels were being used for Nomu’s and weapons trafficking.
Hawks focuses in on his senses around them mostly hearing traffic from further in the city lull down by how late it was, along with the wind and Dabi’s lips meeting the tobacco inhaling and exhaling smelling the smoke everytime.
“Those are gonna kill your lungs.”
“Wouldn’t my fire do that first?”
“You know, a vape would smell nicer, more discreet for surveillance missions.”
“So I can crystallize my lungs?”
“Is that what they do? Huh…no wonder I don’t see people use them as much anymore.” He wasn’t actually against Dabi smoking, in a perfect world he wouldn’t have to smoke or feel the need. But in the moment he was a bit envious that the other Hero had something to do with his hands even if it was his third one in the last four and a half hours.
“You don’t think this is stupid, birdie?”
Hawks looks over his wings and shoulder from his squatting position seeing the cerulean eyes, looking down at him from a couple of feet away.
“Not entirely. There’s enough chatter that the factory is still active, the outside property lights are on so someone’s been around.”
“Two people for 12 hours. This is the third night we did this, this week.”
Hawks firms his lips hating that he’s right, this is more of a newbie job. They’ve got the fastest guy in the city watching a quiet building at night.
“The rest of our shifts this week are normal patrols.”
“Hmm..”
Another pause in the conversation.
“Why did you choose to be a Pro Hero?” Hawks questions without thinking, he’s so bored and seeing his own feathers float around him can only entertain him for so long.
“…cause there’s no other point.” Hawks looks over at him again seeing the white haired man squat down holding his nearly empty carton of cigarettes to pull out another. “-only reason we were born.”
“We?”
Dabi and him?
“My siblings.” He slides his thumb over his finger out of habit lighting the new stick inhaling deeply. “Why do you think Endeavor stopped at the kid with fire and ice?”
Hawks had never given that much thought, some people are just family oriented and want big families… doesn’t seem the case.
“So you’re not close with the other Todoroki’s.”
He might be pushing it a bit now, but he isn’t going to take it personally if Dabi decides to take an hour by himself in the most boring shift they’ve had together. Along with reminding himself that he can say Touya’s name in his head, but not aloud. Since he seemed to get irritated that Keigo knew his name but Touya didn’t know his.
“Natsuo…with him. Endeavor was pretty mad when he saw he didn’t have any quirk at all.” The white haired man replies, taking another breath in. Seeing the avians golden eyes nearly glow by how focused they are on the small light at the end of the bunt, and piercings reflecting light.
Hawks hums cupping his cheek feeling the rubber glove against his chin hairs pull.
“What about your dad, birdie?”
Hawks hopes the darkness conceals how his wings had stiffen just the tiniest bit under Dabi’s attention to detail.
“Sorry hot stuff, that’s classified.”
“So you can ask but I can’t?” Dabi scoffs, moving his hand away from his mouth still holding the cigarette tilting his head watching him. “Thats hardly, fair.”
“Throw another question at me.”
“I did.”
“Classified, partner.”
“What are you? Made in a lab?”
Hawks let out a hardy laugh, a lot of other Heroes are catty and a bit starstruck. But at least Dabi was fun to talk to because he would say the most sarcastic ridiculous thing or just what he thinks. He didn’t bother with sugar coating or lying unlike Hawks himself.
“You know that’s not possible.”
“Might as well be, red-tail.”
“Red-tail?”
“That’s what you are- or do the wings not match the drapes?”
“Ahh that’s so intimate, wouldn’t you like to know.”
“Not really. I’m not into bestiality.”
“Are we going to question each others anatomy now?” Keigo asked grinning looking back over his shoulder to see if Touya was staring at him any certain way.
“If you would answer a single one of my questions.”
The blonde thinks for a second looking up at his visor sticking on top of his head. “I told you about our patrol schedule.”
He sees Dabi roll his eyes again before standing up.
“Where are you going?”
“Looking for a change of scenery.” The Hero throws his cigarette towards the blonde walking forward standing at the ledge of the building. He stepped off letting himself fall using blue flames at the bottom of his boots, slowing him down and landing without injury, surprisingly quiet.
Hawks was a little impressed by the graceful landing, element based quirk users never experimented much with their quirks. Much less trying to fly, Dabi tells him he’s just avoiding falling but he’s seen in person and clips online how the other launches himself just on firepower alone. He stays staring at the dark empty building missing the presence of the other man, just to have someone to talk to is nice enough.
It also helped that Touya was a tad attractive and had a personality he wasn’t ashamed of.
About an hour passed before the other returns, it’s completely quiet until he hears boots land on the roofs surface causing Hawks’s wings to go sharp.
“Jeez- chill out, big bird. Are you letting me get this close to sneaking up to you?”
“You were gone for a while, started thinking you bailed mid shift.”
“Abandon a twelve hour shift? Never, I yearn to sit on a roof outside in the dark with you.” Dabi replied walking over, giving a slap to Hawks’s upper back avoiding touching his feathers. Taking a squat next to him, taking off his white jacket letting it fall to the ground between them.
“Where’d you go?”
“I told you a change in scenery, I ended up making an arrest for attempted carjacking outside a bar. Some fans were around, took some pictures, one gave me a victory shot if that’s what you’re smelling.” The white haired man joked, instinctually Hawks leaned forward sniffing the man smelling the tobacco, his more natural patchouli smell along with the hint of alcohol on his breath he mentioned. “Enjoying the smell?”
“I’m the coolest Pro Hero around but not even I can condone drinking on the job, Dabs.”
Dabi purses his lips at him squinting tilting his head. “Even you have to admit this was a waste of a shift.”
“…something useful will come form it, you stopped a carjacking.”
“That’s my doing, you haven’t done anything. You can’t even answer any good questions I have for you.”
Hawks pouts at that, his mission report is going to be pretty boring and short. Furrowing his brows groaning letting his feathers fall around him shooting a glare at Touya: “…Alright, ask me a question I can answer anything, hot stuff.”
Dabi doesn’t roll his eyes this time and thinks, now that they’ve gotten through the first half of their shift, he's one arrest, four cigarettes, and a shot in.
“Are you this easy to talk to when you’re on dates? Or are you always just Hawks?”
“I am Hawks, Dabs and I’m a good time for all the dates set up.”
“Set up?”
“PR.”
“Ahh so no one’s pecked your wood for authenticity.”
“I didn’t say that!”
“Will you?”
“No. Okay my turn.”
Dabi nods grabbing his white jacket between them, pulling out his crushed pack back out of his pocket.
“Have you ever….” Hawks looks around the area like a kid playing iSpy, trying to come up with a good question. “ -set anything on fire on a date?”
“Ha! Of course.”
“I knew that was too easy. Let me try again. Have you…”
“Can you grow a beard?” Dabi interrupts getting his turn in the lit cigarette already in his mouth as he looks at Hawks staring at his mouth. He points over trying to get a better look in the dark but he’s stared at his face enough to know. “You have bushy brows, but your chin hair is struggling.”
“I can, I just don’t want one.”
“That’s good, you look like you already have a receding hairline when your hair gets pushed back, your eyebrows just make it look worse.” Dabi moved his hand from the avians forehead pushing his hairline back, Hawks was okay with the subtle face touch but feeling his visor and hair get pushed back more was starting to feel a bit much.
“Rude- you probably have one!” Hawks returns quickly, moving his gloved hand to push back the white bangs pushing back his head in the process, however he quickly sees his hair line isn’t far at all. Meaning Hawks did have the bigger forehead and receding hairline.
“Jeez rough already, you must be flying during sex if that’s how you’re moving coworkers around.”
The white haired man pushed the gloved hand away from his face after having his head pushed back. Hawks can feel his feathers vibrate at that either from annoyance or maybe something they found true.
“Sorry hot stuff, the layers hide a lot of muscle. Gotta mind my own strength.”
“Yeah, your ankles are super skinny though. Your pants always sag off your ass. Are you hiding chicken legs under there?”
“No!”
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen them.” Dabi quips squinting his eyes at the blonde.
Hawks can’t help but smirk by default, given any awkward or high tension situation he was taught to apologize and smile. He stands up moving his left leg closer to the other hero before pulling up the cargo pants, revealing his calf muscles, flexing for him so that he could see the definition through the skin tight flight suit he wore underneath.
“Aww they’re just normal man legs.”
“Disappointed?” Hawks grins falling back down before completing letting his butt just rest against the paved roof, allowing his legs to rest leaning back feeling more relaxed.
“A bit, I’ve never seen a chicken's legs so up close and personal before.” Touya thinks bringing the cigarette up to his lips inhaling, holding it in before nodding. “Yeah, that may apply to mutant quirks in general for me- except Gang Orca.”
“You’ve been up close and personal with Gang Orca?!” The blonde tries to hold back but his wings flaring and voice give way, as there is no way he could ever imagine Dabi with Gang Orca.
Dabi shakes his head thinking about what it must be like to be with Gang Orca, the smell, texture… ugh the taste.. he sticks his tongue out, piercing catching the light of the moon.
“Huh? No! Ew- I hate fish- eating them. He’s not even a real fish! Ugh! I mean- I teamed up with him once when I was nearby…. You think I would have sex with Gang Orca?”
“No- No! It just sounded like you were implying sex.”
“In general for people with mutant quirks-! I’ve just never had sex with anyone with that kind of quirk. Not the Gang Orca situation.” Dabi emphasizes to clear up the misconception, cringing bringing his hand back to his mouth holding the smoke.
“Ah- haha! So you’re scared of sex with my kind of people?” Hawks chirps grinning leaning forward to actually see some red on the tip of his pale ears visible by moonlight.
“No. The opportunity just hasn’t presented itself and I’ve never seeked anyone out with one- don’t make this into a mutant quirk thing.” Dabi shakes his head waving his cigarette in Hawks’ face to bug him.
“You kind of did.” Hawks grins resting his elbow on his knee cupping his cheek with the palm of his glove.
“You’ve hardly got a mutant quirk anyway. Just wings for all anyone can see. You never wondered why there’s never been a Pro Hero with a real mutant quirk in the Top 10 besides you and bunny girl? Only pretty quirks allowed for the Top 10 JP Charts.”
Hawks stays staring at him pouting because he did have a point, Hawks himself was groomed to like the way he does now. If the HPSC had never groomed him from childhood to now he’s not sure how he would look as an adult, maybe bigger wings, talons…
“….My bad if that offended you.” Dabi shrugs, inhaling his smoke again. “Can hear how loud you’re thinking from here, birdie.”
“Nah it’s fine. I’m not one to offend easily and thanks!” He gives Dabi a wink, grinning letting his wings spread and touch his back feeling the heat radiating off him.
“Thanks…?”
“For calling me pretty, I get it a lot online and from my makeup artists but it’s still nice to hear it in person, hot stuff.”
There’s a flash of something in Dabi’s eyes before he grits his teeth, twitching his eye. “Ugh, you’re such a flirty ass virgin.”
“Wanna place a bet on it?”
He didn’t mean to say it out loud but he knew that if he quipped back fast, Touya would follow syncing up with him. Making for more interesting banter that seemed to come easily for the older one.
“Aha! On your virginity? Hah bet!” Hawks got caught up in the moment because seeing Dabi squinting his eyes grinning at him is a really nice visual to have even at his own expense.
“Ahh okay, you win.”
“You? Ha! Hawks- Why?” Dabi laughs crossing his legs, his knee now touching Hawks. While the other was bent so he could rest his arm against it and watch Dabi’s reaction.
“I’m a busy bird, always working, training, photoshoots, and brand deals.”
“Aahhh fuck you, you suck, that’s all the Enterprise shit I hate about… well…that shit sucks, you should stop.” Dabi shakes his head breathing out, trying to avoid insulting the Hero after he loosened up. Turning his hips slightly to face the blonde holding the smoke out.
“Here.”
“I don’t smoke.”
“I’m getting the vibe your capitalist handlers never gave you a childhood, just try the cigarette. We don’t have to talk about how you’re not deflowered if you do.”
“Peer pressure.”
Hawks chuckles, taking it from his fingers mimicking how Dabi has been smoking for the last six hours. When putting it in his mouth he accidentally put his tongue against the nub getting him to cringe, before breathing in too hard and coughing, his wings expanding like they need air.
“Baby bird, relax! Why are you trying to take it all at once?”
Dabi took it from Hawks’s mouth, tapping it on the opposite side away from them before turning back.
“Watch, don’t eat or try to take it all at once.”
He stares down at it, before looking back up to stare Keigo in the eyes. Putting it back in his mouth inhaling softly but audible enough for the blonde to understand he doesn’t need to try swallowing it. He waits a moment before taking it out of his mouth and blowing in between them so he can see how to casually smoke.
“I think you just look cooler doing it cause your hairs white.”
Hawks admits, leaving out the part where he thinks it’s making him look pretty at night. The way the moonlight is reflecting off his hair and how muted in color he seemed, it made his eyes and nicer features stand out a lot more.
“Try again, don’t bite it.” Dabi hands it over once again, Hawks this time trying again at a slower pace breathing in, feeling his mouth start tasting weird before exhaling. The tobacco lingering in his mouth afterwards causing him to lick around his mouth and lips.
“Not bad. You’re lucky I don’t have weed.”
“Dabs…”
“It’s a joke, bird brain. I would never partake in an illegal plant that grows from the ground we walk on. That the Earth gives us- Oh! But only if our government could profit off it, I'm sure they would be selling us a lot of it.” He replies, putting his hands up in mock surrender keeping the cig in between his teeth. Hawks stares at him as Dabi goes back to smoking, looking ahead at the old factory, leaning back on one arm.
“In another life you could’ve been a hippie terrorist.”
“I want to say this could count as one of the worst dates I’ve had, but that would be a lie.”
Hawks unintentionally pouts leaning back copying Touya looking ahead, his wings folding behind him. “-could?”
“I’ve had worse.”
“That’s good.”
Hawks grins to himself smug, seeing from the corner of his eye Touya turn to stare at him grinning, taking another drag. He has to bite his cheek because he can feel his wings vibrate from the stare he’s giving him, he also just likes feeling his eyes on him.