Author's Note: This chapter is gonna be a bit darker then some of the previous chapters. As I said, there's no proof the Commission abused him in the manga and they are trying to work around the legalese of his contract since Soji is a slick SOB. But this will show some hints of what Keigo/Hawks DOESN'T have to go through, as well as push the storyline forward. It does skip a few years but I'd rather get the story moving then write the same stuff for 10 chapters. Also this leaves openings for short stories later as I think of them. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own MHA or its characters. Original characters are mine but that's it. This story contains spoilers for the manga and anime. It is also rated for content that could cause triggering gor rape, assault, abuse, drugs, torture and more.
Chapter 26 - Losing the Moon
Jin left Fukuoka amidst hugs from his new friend Toya and best friend Keigo, tears from Sion and Azumi and with one of three new phones from Soji as a way for all the boys to keep in touch. The phones could text and call as well as take and send pictures. His father, Shin was grateful for a way to help Jin keep in touch with Keigo. Everyone helped load the U-Haul with their belongings and waved goodbye as they drove off early on a Saturday morning. It wasn't until that evening that Keigo cried tears of grief instead of goodbye.
Toya had taken to coming over almost every weekend, instead of staying at the Commission like he used to. He was slowly becoming a member of the family with Azumi helping to treat his burns, asking how his week went and even making sure to include him on chores around the house. Soji seemed to be just as accepting of Toya coming over, because the third weekend after Jin left, Keigo had a new bed with a pull out built into the bottom so that Toya had his own bed. Toya was so stunned by the thoughtfulness that he threw himself into helping Keigo with his training and loneliness over Jin.
This became the normal way of life for almost four years. Jin came back for holidays and the summer. Keigo and Toya continued their training and education at the Commission while Soji continued his work as a lawyer. Azumi slowly grew her hair back until it was almost at her shoulders. Despite his best friend being gone, Keigo was happy with the way his life was going. He had loving parents, two best friends that he cared about deeply, and was training to be a hero. He even had a growth spurt and was now up to Toya's nose, preventing the scrawny teenager from looking down at Keigo more than he usually did.
So when Spring arrived after his 12th birthday, Keigo wasn't prepared for the changes life gave him.
Toya and Keigo were sparring in the training room. They had time to kill before Agent Bend was going to take them both to the lobby to be driven to Keigo's for the weekend. Yet again, Toya declined the idea of going to his house this weekend, and Keigo wasn't about to let his friend stay in the dorms alone so here they were. Phones in their bags, Jin was scheduled to come visit at the end of the month, and they all were going to show off new moves and techniques when he was over. That led to the sparring match while they waited and now had Keigo flying through the air to avoid the curve of blue flames that was charging at him, almost like a serpent opening its mouth.
Fire was one of his weaknesses, and the main reason the two were often paired up to fight. Better to teach Keigo to handle it early then to be surprised. Something felt off with Toya all day though, and the viciousness which he was going after Keigo seemed to prove that concern as the younger boy dispersed every feather in different directions. His body may have been light and athletically built, but he was still a 12 year old boy in the air without wings, and he dropped to the mat covering his head as the flames engulfed a small amount of his feathers. He felt the heat of them and failed to suppress a chirp of fear before the flames went out.
"Shit! Kei, I'm so sorry!" Toya was by his side trying to help him up, a hand on his shoulder as he looked him over for any burns or damage other than the skinned knees from hitting the mat. Keigo blinked his wide, golden eyes at Toya while nodding. With a thought, all the feathers returned to his stubby bare wings and he flexed them a moment to ensure he would still have balance. "Not too many burnt. No harm done." Tiya frowned and pulled Keigo into a one armed hug. "I still burnt some of them, you bird brain. I'm sorry I was too angry and took it out on you a bit."
"If that's angry I don't want to see you pissed off. What's wrong?" Keigo cocked his head curiously and received no response. Toya was looking towards the door as his arm dropped Keigo's shoulder, turquoise eyes on Agent Bend as she smiled from the doorway. "Time to go. I'll tell you at Aunt Zumi's." Keigo followed his gaze and smiled brightly, bowing to Agent Bend. "Hello Miss Bend! We were just practicing since I need to get better against fire quirks." She motioned for them to follow as she focused her attention on Keigo.
"That's fantastic, Keigo. Exactly the kind of commitment we want to see from you on a daily basis." He grinned and shot Toya a wink as the older teen carried his weekend bag to the elevator, ignoring Keigo's handler. Toya didn't like the Commission and since he started hanging out with Keigo on, his own handler had been avoiding him and had eased up on the punishments and reprimands. Something he continually thanked Keigo for. They were led to the lobby and Keigo saw pink and white cherry blossoms flying all around outside, his eyes wide.
When they got to Keigo's apartment, Azumi was standing outside waiting for them both, a smile and wave to Guen as normal and then she rested an arm around each of the boys. "Hello you two. I was going to go for a walk out back to see the cherry blossoms falling. Did you both want to come with me?" Keigo nodded quickly and hugged Azumi while Toya watched the black Commission car drive away. His distraction was interrupted as Azumi planted a kiss on his forehead. "Are you alright Toya?" The redhead nodded and smiled at the sign of affection.
"I am now Auntie."
/
Keigo and Toya were sitting on the back balcony watching the full moon. It was late that night and both boys were in pajamas and hoodies because it was a bit cool out. The moon looked huge and gave off a soft blue glow. Keigo had his arms crossed at forehead level and his forehead was resting on his arms as he stared at the bright view through the balcony railing. He was sitting cross legged and his wings were wrapped around him like a blanket. Toya was standing and leaning on the railing with his head tilted up and eyes glowing under the moonlight. Soji and Azumi haf let the boys stay up making Keigo promise to keep the front door locked. But the moon had been so enticing they ended up putting on their jackets, slipping outside to enjoy it. Faint noises of the worst part of the city filtered up to them, but were ignored as Toya spoke softly.
"I'm sorry I went all out today. I know you aren't good against fire and I was angry." Keigo glanced up at his friend. "You said that earlier and I already forgave you. Do you want to talk about it?" The redhead was silent, actually thinking that over. Did he want to confide in Keigo? Would he be able to even tell him what was going on? Sighing, he nodded slightly. "I want to tell someone, but I don't know how. No one would believe me, and if they do I don't think they could do anything about it. And I don't know how to even start." Keigo thought about that and kept his voice down. "Is it your family?" Toya nodded.
Keigo glanced back to the sliding glass doors. "We could go somewhere private if that will help." Toya looked at him curiously. "Like?" Keigo stood and stretched his wings to the sides, then up before shaking them out. "The roof." Toya laughed as if Keigo was playing around. "c
Come on, You think you could carry me up there?" Keigo smiled as he zipped up his hoodie and pulled the hood over his head. "Well yeah. I need to be able to carry people when I'ma hero, and I plan to carry my mom when I graduate. I've been building muscle." Toya blinked at him before sighing defeat. "Ok, sure."
Keigo grinned again and held out his arms."Walk backwards into me." Toya turned around, feeling like an idiot as he turned his back to his friend and slowly walked backwards. Keigo was shorter than Toya by half a head. He also always looked like he was building muscles for speed, not strength. So when he felt arms underneath of his own, and felt the warm body behind him pull him to a tight chest while locking his arms aroundhthe red head's chest. And then they were in the air. Toya sucked in a breath as the ground dropped away from them and he was rising further into the air. It was much more smooth than he thought it would be. No jerks or near drops from Keigo flapping his wings.
It was smooth and fast as if he were simply floating up to the roof as he saw floor balcony after floor balcony drop below them. Then his feet touched the flat surface of the roof and Keigo let go. Toya stood stunned before he turned to see Keigo watching him, apprehension in his eyes because he hadn't really carried anyone before, but his wings were spread out in all their ruby and crimson glory under the moonlight and Toya let himself breathe.
"That was- Keigo that- wow." His friend grinned in delight and stuffed his hands in his hoodie pockets before pulling a wing around to inspect. "Dang Toya, you weigh nothing. Either that or my wings are stronger than I thought." His red headed friend could only nod his surprise before looking around the roof to see what it was like. It had some benches and chairs, but the plant boxes were fresh tilled and plants seemed to be just budding for spring. It probably looked gorgeous in the summer and a tall metal railing around the entire edge gave him a spot to lean and watch the moon.
"This is damned nice. Why haven't we come up here sooner?" Keigo rubbed the back of his neck and bit his bottom lip. "I don't know. I think it belongs to the landlord and his family. Mom never comes up here." Toya nodded as he stayed at the railing looking up at the moon. Keigo moved to lean next to him, his wings slowly relaxed to fold onto his back. There was a comfortable silence before Toya spoke, saving Keigo the embarrassing task of asking, again, what was troubling his friend.
"My dad is Endeavor. I told you he married my mom for her quirk, and thinks we're all failures because we either have bodies weak to fire and a fire quirk, or can't even manifest flames and ice." Keigo looked at the moon rolling that around as Toya continued. "My little brother Shoto manifested his quirk last month. He can make both and they seem to balance each other out. No weakness." Keigo breathed in awe, pictureing that combination on a hero, and his feathers rustled. "That's awesome that he could be super dope with his quirks." Toya shook his head and tightened his grip on the railing.
"It's not. Dad is personally training him since I am here at the Commission. He's working Shoto to the point of exhaustion. You know the other day I actually went home to try and make sure Shoto was ok. I played with my siblings in the yard and around the house like everything was fine. But then I heard him yelling at my mom because she was begging him to give my brother a break because he's only a kid. And he hit her. Beat her until she hid in her room so we wouldn't see her face " Keigo stared at Toya with a lead ball in his stomach.
Endeavor was his favorite hero, his idol and reason for becoming a hero. And he was just like Keigo's own birth parents. Keigo couldn't imagine Toya lying about this, and Toya had cautioned even if someone believed him, what could you really do against the number two hero in all of Japan? Toya looked down, curling into himself as he tried not to cry. "I want him to stop hurting my brother, my mother. We're his family and we'll give it our all to make him happy, but he's a monster. And I'm not there! I'm here. I'm at the Commission. Even if I wanted to stop him my flames burn up my own body to the point that it's more scars than skin."
Keigo watched his friend go quiet before gently moving a wing to rest around his shoulder. It was chilly up here because of the height and wind, but he also knew Toya was resistant to cold temperatures, so it was more for comfort than anything else. They were silent, enjoying the comforts of having someone to just be there. Toya leaned into the wing and ran his fingers along the inside, his palms and fingers much warmer than the rest of him and Keigo shuddered at the feeling. Toya turned to follow the contour of his wings and paused at the thin scars right where they met his back. Keigo glanced over, eyes wide as Toya ran his warm hands along the edges, ignoring the hoodie and holes that were cut for the large wings.
"You've never told me what happened here. Why you live with Aunt Zumi and Uncle Soji, instead of your birth parents? You listened to me and I know you understand to some degree what I've said. I noticed your breath hold during it." Keigo looked away and his wings seemed to loosen, allowing Toya to see the scars better under the glowing moon. "You should know before I tell you anything, my parents are in jail. They're drug addicts and they were the ones that beat Azumi to the point she needed brain surgery." His voice sounded stern and angry as he looked down over the railing. "I don't really even consider them my parents anymore. Maybe I'll forgive them one day, but not right now."
Toya watched Keigo's eyes harden as he spoke. "When I was three, my parents felt my quirk was disgusting and tried to remove it. They took a kitchen knife to my wings and feet. The only reason they failed was a neighbor called the police. They didn't want me, they barely took care of me and they never cared if I didn't come right back when they kicked me out of the house. When I was five, my parents beat me for taking a slice of bread because I was starving. I ran away, flew until my wings wouldn't fly and collapsed in an alley. That's where Azumi found me. Even when the police took me back home, she was willing to leave the balcony door unlocked. And when I was kicked out again during a blizzard, I had nowhere else to go. She took me in and has been taking care of me since."
There was silence before Toya spoke. "That's why the balcony door is never locked as a house rule." Keigo nodded. "It's never been locked as far as I know. Not here or the other place. Just in case." Toya looked up at the moon and leaned back into the wing that was still around him. "I think you're better off here. I would have burnt your parents to a crisp for hurting Aunt Zumi though. I have anger issues like my old man. I'm trying not to." Keigo hm'd, and rested his chin on his arms watching the moon from the railing. "Maybe you should try talking to your siblings and mom next time you're at the house?" He looked over at Toya and held his breath.
Toya's hair looked pale blue, almost white in the moonlight as everything around them was cast in the same pale colors. His eyes were practically glowing with half lidded softness as he smiled gently at Keigo, shaded under his large bright red wing. "I'll try that chicken butt." Keigo beamed at the confirmation of his idea, then realized what he was called and made an affronted noise as his feathers puffed up. "Did you just call me chicken butt, bacon breath?" The taller teen grabbed the blonde in a headlock and began to rub his knuckles into his head like a noogie as the younger boy squawked and swatted at him with his arms.
"I did. What are you gonna do about it, birdy?" Keigo tried to swat at him one more time before the rooftop lights came on and both boys heard the access door unlocking. Before Toya could even look back, Keigo had grabbed him and dove off the roof, wings flared out as they glided down to their own balcony. Toya gripped onto Keigo's arms as they landed a bit hard on the balcony, but held their breaths as they pressed themselves up to the door listening for any sign they had been caught. When none came, and the lights went off, they began to giggle and then laugh as the sliding door opened to reveal Soji in pajama pants and a robe instead of a shirt. He looked down at both boys with a look that said he was trying not to laugh before speaking quietly.
"Get back inside before you wake up your mother." They scurried inside, out of breath from laughing as Soji closed the sliding door, leaving it unlocked and turned off the kitchen light as he headed back to the bedroom, leaving the two tweens to flop on the sofa and look for a movie.
/
The following weekend, Toya told Keigo he was going to go home and spend time with his mother and siblings. Keigo gave him a big hug before throwing him a peace sign and getting into the car alone with Guen to go back to his own apartment. The two chatted about cookies and baked goods. Guen had a soft spot for Azumi's baked goods and was always politely grateful when she shared. Soji was outside the building today in a light suit jacket and black suit, waving when he saw the car pull up. Keigo said his thank you and goodbye and darted from the car to tackle Soji's waist in a hug. "Hello!" He chirped as he closed his eyes, beaming up as his dad.
Soji smiled and rested a hand on Keigo's shoulder as he bent down a bit to address the winged blonde. "I was going to walk to the bakery to order a special dessert for your mom. Her birthday is coming up. She's going to have dinner at Sion's tonight so I figured we could have some Father and Son time." Keigo's wings fluttered in excitement as he nodded. "Yeah! Can I help pick it out?" Soji nodded and began to walk towards the main street since the sun was up. "Of course, I was thinking something with strawberries since she loves them so much." Keigo agreed and walked with the tall silver haired man as he was asked about his week. They passed a few shops, the area having cleaned up a little in the last two years.
Before they hit the bakery, Keigo glanced at a shop window and paused, his eyes seemed to tunnel on a cut of chicken breast in the window. Juices were pooled around it to show freshness and he felt his mouth water as his stomach felt sick. He didn't register the hand on his shoulder, or the voice of his father trying to get his attention. It looked so delicious to him, but since when did he want to eat raw meat?! He finally looked away when he saw Soji had crouched down and out both hands on his chin, turning it away from the window to face his worried blue eyes. "Keigo?"
Soji had never seen Keigo look like this before. His pupils were blown so that his eyes looked black with a thin yellow ring around them. He was panting as if he was thirsty, his wings poised as if he were going to leap through the glass to get to the meat on the other side. Soji gently stroked one of his cheeks with a thumb to try and bring his focus elsewhere. A trick he had seen Azumi use on Keigo, and thankfully Keigo's eyes began to return to normal. Keigo's eyelids widened as his face flushed in shame and he tried to grab Soji's wrists with both of his hands to pull them away, his wings coming around them both to hide the raw meats and people around them.
"Hey, none of that. Keigo? You did nothing wrong, understand me? Nothing. This is normal." Keigo squeezed his eyes shut as his instinct caused him to stress grip Soji's wrists. The older man said nothing about it, keeping his attention on the young boy. "It's wrong!" Keigo croaked out as Soji shook his head, letting Keigo stress grip as he spoke softly to coax his eyes open. "It's not wrong. You did nothing wrong son." And just like that, Keigo's eyes opened and stared at the man in front of him. This man always spoke to him with respect, treated him as if he were his own true blooded son. Keigo valued Soji's opinions as much as his mother's and was in awe at how easily Soji understood him. Tilting his head, Soji spoke softly so Keigo could hear him as his wings relaxed back to a folded position on his back.
"How about we do this. We'll go order the desert for your mom. Then we'll come back and pick up the chicken and a steak for me and we'll have dinner when we get home. I'll cook the chicken however much or little you want. If it works out, we can talk to your mom about it. If it doesn't, no one will know but you and me. Ok?" Keigo nodded as he slowly let go of Soji's wrists. He flexed them a bit before standing up, positioned between Keigo and the window to block the view. "Better?" He nodded and moved to hold his father's hand, a small smile on his face as they began to walk.
"You're the best dad. Thank you." Soji grinned down at him and pointed to the cakes and pastries in the bakery window. "You can be the best son and help me pick a cake for Azumi."
They went with a medium strawberry shortcake with multiple layers of strawberries, whipped cream and cake. It would be decorated with strawberry cream flowers and Soji gave them the date to have it ready for pick up. They stopped at the butcher's to buy the cut of chicken that had attracted Keigo and a large steak for Soji. Once back home, Keigo parked himself at the kitchen table and watched Soji prepare sides and toppings for their meal, the cut of chicken being warmed up in the oven, but not cooked fully. Keigo glanced at his phone, a text from Jin talking about plans for the weekend had already gotten a reply but he'd gotten nothing from Toya. Soji leaned on the counter as he stirred the sauce for Keigo's uncooked chicken.
"Everything ok?" Keigo nodded and lifted the phone. "Jin's going to an indoor flying park this weekend. Toya was going to spend time with his family this weekend, but he hasn't sent me anything. not a picture or message of how it's going." Soji looked thoughtful as he turned on the overhead fan and began cooking his steak. "The Todaroki estate is a bit further from the Commission's main building. Maybe he hasn't had time to text you since he got home and is probably spending time with his family." Keigo bit his bottom lip before looking at his dad plating food. "I feel like something is wrong."
Soji paused and looked at Keigo before moving to finish putting their food on the plate. "Well. If you still feel concerned shoot him a text now and if you haven't heard from him after dinner, go ahead and call him." Keigo smiled thankfully sending a simple "Miss you, are you ok?" Before looking at his dad and a plate that was set in front of him, causing his mouth to water. Veggies and mashed potatoes with the cut of warm uncooked chicken with sauce. He dug in, unable to stop the chirps and chittering as he did. Soji smiled and they enjoyed a quiet dinner together until they had just finished their plates. Soji was starting to clean up and asked for help when Azumi walked in the front door, worry on her face and followed by Sion.
"Soji? Keigo?" Soji walked from the kitchen as Keigo ran to Azumi and gave her a big hug, chirping happily. He stopped when he realized she was holding him tight as Sion turned on the TV to the news. A house on fire filled the large screen as Keigo watched and stared. Soji moved to rest an arm around Azumi as she held Keigo and looked at the TV. The apartment was silent as the announcer spoke.
"They're waiting for a rescue hero to arrive and help put out the flames as some of the flames are blue and almost white. This means they are too hot for rescue personnel to get near without serious injury. Again, we don't know why or what happened, but the Todaroki estate is on fire. The main building and at least one of the smaller buildings are currently engulfed in flames-"
Keigo broke out of Azumis grasp and ran for the balcony sliding door. She yelled after him as Soji tried to reach out and grab him, but Keigo was built for speed, and was out the door soaring through the sky away from the apartment before the newscaster had finished their sentence.