The collision of his chains echoed through the silent room.
He stretched out his hand towards the figure in a final attempt, the soldiers surrounding the general immediately drew their weapons and pointed them at him. He suppressed a startle and stopped on the way, his arm outstretched.
Those eyes seemed unfamiliar, they had lost all the warmth they wore and his posture was rigid, far from the one he knew. There was no longer the tenderness that Takami loved so much in his gestures, he didn't recognize the man standing in front of him.
Takami seemed lost in the face of these unknown figures and he searched his lover's face for a trace of comfort, a reassuring word. He wanted to talk to him, ask him for an explanation but nothing came out, his voice had disappeared.
Regardless of the tension that had built up, Takami crawled to the general's foot and tugged firmly on the fabric of his pants with one hand and the other on his throat. The latter lowered his head slightly but made no gesture, his eyes on him, with one hand he motioned for the soldiers not to move.
Takami continued to pull on the sleeve but seeing no reaction he made a move to take his hand, hoping this time he would understand. The reaction he received froze the time, his gaze looked frightened, it had surprised his men too.
"Touya?" Takami's tiny voice broke the silence, full of questions
He trusted him, he knew there was an explanation for it, he just had to wait for it to be confirmed.
One day passed, then two, then a week. Boredom slowly killed Takami's resolve. He had too much time on his own and he wasn't used to it. He wasn't used to being left alone with his thoughts, he wasn't ready to face it.
Keigo didn't know when the morning was leaving and when the night was returning, there was no hole or anything to see the outside world, just a torch that was lit for a while, every day.
Sometimes he stared at the wall for hours, with a lost gaze, as if he saw something that others did not see. He knelt in front of the wall and looked up at the beauty of the sky that was torn from him. He piqued the curiosity of the guards who liked to chat about what he could see in the dark of the ceiling. And he spent his day, lost in the stars he could no longer see.
When at last, after what seemed like an eternity, the general came to visit him, he jumped on his knees, the energy returning immediately. A big smile forming on his lips, his eyes wide open, losing all traces of fatigue or boredom. Takami had difficulty getting up, the cell being small, he didn't have much room to stretch his legs.
Touya always had his cold mask on, accompanied by his gray-haired subordinate, who accompanied him everywhere. He was a little jealous that he was quickly replaced by the soldier.The latter did not seem to have the slightest interest in him, he watched the gestures and reactions of his superior like a curious animal.
Takami hesitated before approaching Touya, his reaction to his touch still fresh in his memory. But seeing his lover raise a hesitant hand towards him, his face brightened even more, his eyes and lips stretched with joy.
His warmth had missed him terribly, his rigid hand still felt the same. Takami stroked his cheek against the hand that was offered to him, he closed his eyes to enjoy more of the softness that had invaded him. Opening his eyes, he noticed his mate's surprised expression and the sadness that had shone in his lover's eyes.
"Tou? Are you OK ?" His voice a little hoarse from not having used it for a while.
He didn't answer him. His eyes locked with the general's, Takami felt himself drown in his tender gaze. Bewitched with the scene before his eyes, Takami let out a chirp. Immediately his cheeks warmed, embarrassed by the noise he made.
A tender smile breaks out in Touya's mouth, and Takami finds himself as shy as a child in front of a stranger. But he was no stranger, he was not no one, he was the man he and his bird side had chosen as their companion.
"Touya ..? ", Only silence answered him, he continued all the same; "Why am I here?" ". Takami knew the answer, but he wanted to hear it from his mouth.
Seeing Touya's expression darken, Takami accepted the latter's mute response.
" It'll be ok. I trust you and I don't blame you… I love you, " Takami tried to put all his feelings into his last words, keeping his smile until it was time for him to leave.
They lived in a time where social rank made all the difference and they were unlucky to have been born at the bottom, where freedom was limited.
All night long, the general's pained expression occupied his mind. Takami knew it hurt to have to do this, to betray his lover for his safety. His heart clenched at the thought of knowing Touya alone, suffering a fate he did not want.
Morning was announced by the arrival of the Lord.
This surly man was greedy for power, money, the good of the poorest. He always wanted brighter, more beautiful. Nothing satisfied him and this time he was asking for Keigo's legendary wings.
Its wings were said to be red like blood, an intense color that glowed in the light. Of immeasurable value, they only appear in the eyes of those whom the bearer deemed worthy and the Lord, desirous of such a privilege, ordered the imprisonment of Takami and Dabi, general of the Lord's army, had no choice but to obey.
No one knew about the intimacy that Takami and Touya shared. Some had doubts about the nature of their relationship but nothing came close to the reality. They were both Takami and Touya, while in the world they were known as Hawks, the Firebird, and Dabi, the Crimson Fire Man.
The Lord of the land, having heard of the rumors, gave him the task of catching the legendary bird, hoping to break the bond that had existed between them.
The man stared at his new addition to his collection with hungry eyes, Takami shuddered in disgust, Dabi's hand tightened.
Touya's second, whose name Takami learned was Shigaraki, eyed the scene curiously.
The man had an extravagance that stirred the curiosity of people who crossed his path. People wondered where this curious came from
An interest that had no logic, the people from the same social rank as him had as much difficulty understanding him as the poor who could only dream of having only a dust of what he had.
He didn't say a word, the adult stood there for a good ten minutes, not moving a bit, and kept his eyes riveted on his prisoner.
Takami felt naked in before his eyes, he felt uneasy, uncomfortable, and struggled to hide the fear that the thought of spending time with this man. Touya, on the side, could do nothing but watch and wait for his superior to act. He knew deep inside that his Lord was having delight causing him and Hawks distress, but he couldn't show it.
When, at last he was satisfied, the Lord walked away as if nothing had happened, without explaining his more than strange behavior, without saying or doing anything bad except staring at him.
Touya stayed a few more minutes, staring at the animal in the cage. Takami also kept his gaze on his friend, fear leaving place to tenderness. The two didn't have to say it out loud, their eyes showing all the feelings they couldn't reveal.
The next time Takami heard from her lover was through a young girl and her partner who claimed to be Himiko Toga and Jin, just Jin.
No one really knew their place in the clan, they had once appeared alongside Shigaraki and only obeyed his and Dabi's orders. It was rumored that they had lost their sanity when their family was massacred at the Lord's hands, no one understood why he was staying under the command of the man, but they were just rumors.
It was not, however, that Hawks was not afraid of them, like the others, he saw in them something that made them interesting and acceptable to his predatory side, if he didn't take into account his instinct always in alarm. with them.
They had told him stories over and over again, never getting to the point and Hawks had listened to the end. He could see they were testing him. It was fun, Takami liked to see the different sides of his lover's hidden life, he wanted to know more about his daily life, to be omnipresent in his life and Jin had a loose tongue. He could speak and speak without filter, it was amazing to see but he liked his sincerity. Unfortunately, and although their conversations have no forbidden connotations, the content was still restricted by the Lord's men, those who are sincerely loyal to him, good men who were unlucky enough to be caught in the nets of the man.
It was hard at first to put his predatory instinct on hold in the presence of these two, but little by little his bird side had taken them under his wings without him even realizing it. It had happened so suddenly that it had stuck him to the ground, literally, and it was the first time that he was as close to another person as Touya… but it was also a good thing because they were friends of the latter, despite Touya's protests, and seemed to be loyal.
Several weeks passed before he actually got a concrete answer from them, but Keigo was patient, and besides, this little cell wasn't so bad. He saw Touya more often, he didn't have to go into hiding anymore and he made new friends. The humans weren't as monstrous as he thought; there were still a few people looking at him suspiciously, but most of the soldiers he encountered were friendly or just fascinated.
Dabi came from a noble family, he had a sister and two brothers, he was no longer in contact with his parents. He really liked red and birds. He had always wanted to become a Royal Guard soldier as his father was one but after their relationship deteriorated he had to run away to protect himself and his siblings. It was little, it was so general, but it was more than Dabi had ever revealed to him. Gradually he discovered things about his lover he had never known and frankly he was a little jealous to see that Dabi's subordinates knew him better than him, his lover and childhood friend practically.
Sometimes Dabi would come along with his subordinates / friends and they would spend the day talking all day. Jin and Toga would tell anecdotes about their lives as soldiers, Dabi would protest all the time, throwing hollow threats here and there, and Shigaraki would stand in a corner and watch them. It was surprisingly a good life for a prisoner but Keigo didn't complain, he was glad that the Lord continued to ignore his existence. But the more time passed, the more Touya's face lost its joy, its hope, it turned back to the one Hawks had met at the start of his imprisonment and that scared him. Something was coming, something big, Hawks could smell it. The guards were getting restless, there were rumors here and there about a coup d'etat
Jin seemed less talkative than usual and Toga was no longer smiling, even Shigaraki seemed affected by his boss's mood. And then, just one day nothing came, everything disappeared. Keigo, meanwhile, had no choice but to go back to his old habits of staring at the ceiling from morning to night. Think about his life before the capture, the forest he had to leave unattended, the view he had right flying in the sky, the wind that caressed his cheeks and especially the unexpected picnic he often had with his lover.
Day may pass by, he still had a little flame shining inside him that assured everything will be. One may think he was being foolish, waiting for a human, trusting not one but numerous people at same time, it was a shame for creatures like him. Centuries of slavery, of massacre and still to this days humans attacked the "outsiders" despite the treaty of peace. Hawks should be wary of them, hostile and even aggressive with them, but it was the complete opposite. He was snuggling with one of them, being friendly with two and having a strange love-hate relation with another.
Keigo should have been ashamed but he didn't. He was in a tiny winy cell that assaulted his nose everyday, in the nearly complete darkness with only a bed that looked full of bed bugs and a toilet that was covered of a yellow-greenish liquid, but his flock came for him at least three times a week. With new games everyday, new stories and legend about him, he was in a disgustingly coated heaven.
It was annoying him, scaring him and mostly angering him but couldn't do anything. Dabi didn't want him to be involved so he decided to not meddle in human quarrel. He was going to "watch" it with his feather, or more like feel it but he wouldn't do anything. Not Takami Keigo, the name his father gave him before leaving, but Hawks.
Hawks is ferocious, he can be as dangerous as harmless and more than anything Hawks was very possessive of his things. Jin was his, Toga was his, even Shigaraki and he would do anything to protect his flock but Dabi. Touya was the one and only thing that no one will ever get to touch because Hawks was fiercely protecting of his other half. He didn't need to be by his side to get rid of the bugs that came too close to his mate; he had his feathers and they were sharp enough to slice through the air and flesh.
He had to wait like he promised, he had to wait and wait and wait and die inside because no matter how much he trusted Dabi and his power he was still scared for him, so scared and stressed to see Jin or Toga delivered by one of them instead of him. And what had happened to him ? Where was he ? Was he okay ? Why isn't he coming ?
So much "what if" in his head, he felt like exploding, like being crushed from the inside. There is something in him that made him difficult to breathe everytime he thought of Dabi outside, fighting in this useless war. It was terrifying how just the thought of losing him made him go insane. Sometimes, he felt so close to breaking everything, crushing his own bones, ripping his wings just to not feel this fear, the terror. Just to be able to protect his love.
There was no god. Foolish and pitiful humans, only, believed in them to appease their suffering. So if it meant faith could quieten his heart then he prayed to the god(s) out there to spare his love, his heart, his life or he will tear this world apart.
As days went by, nobody came. None of his flock, no guards to guard him, no spy to spy him and no friends. No love.
His feathers were falling one by one, losing it's beautiful color, going from red to blue. But no one was there to see it; the falling of a legendary bird. Them, who wanted to see his wings so much, weren't there anymore. There was no more light, no more noise, juste the silence ringing in his ears or was it his heart, beating gentfully slowly. Like a song that has lost its power. He was gradually fading into nothing.
There wasn't hope anymore, they shouldn't but there it was. Light. From the hole that exploded in the wall, the debris that fell hard on him. He was seeing the sun, the sky and him. Smile as bright as ever, eyes never doubting a bit, full of love and softness that was replaced with something else anger maybe ? relief ? Pain ? Disgust..?
There was nothing between them, there was nothing around them but then there was. Scream. Blood. Curses. War. There was everything. There's his everything ! His love was there, arm wide open.
"It's okay, just drown yourself in the warm of my body, I will hold you."
Finally when he fell into his arms, he felt like the world that became so cold to him suddenly became warm again. It was like he found his place into his embrace.
The same arm, same warmth, same embrace, same love. There he was to finally free him.
The world was painted in red, screams were heard everywhere, a metallic smell wandered in the air but in the middle of everything, they were there in the arm of each other, trying as hard as they could to take back all the time they lost being apart
Future will bring peace to their life and spring will bloom in their heart but Past will stay burned in their mind.