Yes, I am aware that the parents never came with their kids to move in and that there was a whole scene where the kids walked around marveling at how big everything was. But! I ignored it. Cause we don't have enough paternal interactions (not even hinted ones!) in Canon, not even with Izuku. It must be done!

Hawks is paranoid

Kamakiri Hideo is doing his best

Honenuki Juzo is a big ol' crybaby

Baby birds

Hawks finds awkward, flustered teen interactions hilarious

Iida has some things to say

Kamakiri Togaru is trying his best

It's all fun and games until someone scrapes a knee

Hawks feels bad

Hawks needs to stop trying to kill All Might

-00-

Dog Days

-00-

The crowd of families was sizable. When it came time to split off to the two different dorms the groups would be smaller, but there were still a lot of people considering the parents, students, and the siblings all gathered to help.

Hawks wasn't really surprised when, after finishing their stories, Rui and Eiko took shelter beneath his wings once they realized exactly how many people were near them. He kept his wings wrapped around their shoulders as they gripped his pant legs, reminiscent of the first night he met them.

"Your homeroom teachers will direct you on where to park. Please do not worry about any heavy lifting, Hawks has graciously offered to help move everything requiring more than two people to carry once all the students have seen their rooms and know where they want their things put."

Hawks waved cheerfully when the families turned to look at him, his free hand brushing carefully over Eiko's head when she flinched back from peering over the edge of his wing.

"Happy to help! You might want to measure everything beforehand, just in case it won't fit through," he grinned.

He recognized all of the 1-B families, the majority of them had waved at him when they first arrived, but 1-A was full of strangers. He could make some accurate guesses, and he'd seen a few of them on his flights over their neighborhoods, but it was different meeting them in person.

Hawks scratched at his nose to get rid of the itch building there. Nezu started speaking again so the parents all turned back to listen. Hawks winked at the kids that were more interested in staring at his wings than paying attention.

"Hawks," Keiko said softly, stepping back to join him while still facing Nezu. "Ava and I want to offer an apology. We knew Rui and Eiko would be nervous coming here but we couldn't find anyone to watch them that they trusted and they were very excited to see you."

"Don't worry about it," he said back, just as softly. He rested a hand on the kid's heads. His grin melted into a smile when they both leaned into the touch. "Honestly, this is probably the best place to start getting them used to being around strangers again. We know everyone here and I can vouch for the safety of this place. They'll be safe here and they can approach everything at their own pace."

Rui reached out around Hawks' wing with his other hand, grabbing for Keiko. She bent over so she could hold his hand. Her eyes were warm.

This was a good family.

"I love seeing them too," Hawks assured, ruffling their hair. They laughed, batting at his hands. "I don't mind some tagalongs. I have a few tours today so if they start getting too rambunctious I wouldn't mind taking them off your hands for a bit. I could introduce them to some of the other kids here too."

"Thank you," Keiko said sincerely. "You've been a huge help in getting them to open up. More than you probably realize."

Hawks scratched the bridge of his nose, clearing his throat. He'd only been at the right place at the right time. Rui and Eiko held a special place in his heart, but he knew they were attached to him because he was one of the first people to show them genuine kindness (and wasn't that a kick in the teeth).

"It's my job," he deflected, shrugging modestly. "Speaking of jobs, I think Monoma-kun is looking rather impatient right now."

Nezu had finished up his directions and the families were returning to their cars. Monoma and Ava were waiting by theirs, one patiently and the other not so much.

Keiko laughed. "Rui-kun, Eiko-chan let's go see your brother's room."

"Aww," they grumbled, peeking around Hawks' wings.

"I'll see you soon," Hawks promised. He bent down and extended a pinky. He kept his gloves on, he didn't want to scare them. "I can show you around the school later, if you want."

"Yeah!" they cheered.

Hawks waved at them as they left. He looked down the line of the other teachers, wondering who would go help with what class. They were all talking to each other, smiling and happy. It was good to-

Hound Dog was staring at him.

Hawks let his gaze skim over him like the others, not making eye contact at all, before smoothly turning his attention back to the students.

How long had Hound Dog been looking at him? More importantly, why was he looking at him? He didn't know the man very well, but he knew enough to know that he wasn't really the staring type. He was action-oriented and singularly focused the majority of the time. If he was looking at you then it was because he had something to say.

Had Hawks done something to upset him? That didn't make any sense, they didn't live on the same floor and Hawks' room wasn't directly above his. No noise complaints, and even if there were they would have been directed at Hizashi well before Hawks.

Hawks usually used the windows to get in and out of the dorms so he hadn't run into Hound Dog at all except for around meal times and even then they were just in the same room. They never really interacted.

Maybe he jumped to a conclusion. Hound Dog could have been looking in his direction coincidentally. Or something behind Hawks caught his eye. Maybe it was Rui and Eiko, they were adorable kids. Hawks glanced at him from the corner of his eyes, thankful for the loud shouting of Tetsutetsu nearby to create an excuse for his line of sight.

Hound Dog was still staring. Was he… sniffing the air, too?

Hawks froze.

Could he smell the dye? Or the chemical cleaner? He'd been exhausted when he woke up, he'd slept too long and didn't have time for a shower. The dye was supposed to be scentless but there were always uncertainties with animal mutation quirks. It had been heavily tested by the Commission but there were always holes. Could Hound Dog be a rare exception? He wouldn't be able to tell what it was he was smelling just from this, of course. That would be unrealistic, but if he could smell it then that meant if he ever ran into 'Raven' for some reason he would know right away who it was.

Could Hawks risk that? It was such a small possibility but it was a highly dangerous one. Was this a gamble he could make? He could ignore it. He might have to. Was there even a way he could approach Hound Dog about it without raising his suspicions? If, in the end, Hound Dog somehow found out was he someone Hawks could talk down from drastic action? The potential situation was unlikely but on the off chance it happened would Hawks be able to handle it?

Hawks shook his head. Wild speculation would make him paranoid. There could be a million and one reasons Hound Dog was staring at him. For all he knew there was something on his face. His delivery run for Chisaki and brush with Dabi had left him on edge. He needed to calm down.

Ignoring the stare he could still feel on the side of his head, Hawks went over to Nezu.

"Good morning, Hawks," Nezu greeted pleasantly. "You look a little pale today."

Mentally Hawks scrunched up his face like he'd sucked on a lemon. Externally he laughed. "Really? I've been cooped up in the lounge for so long, my beautiful tan is starting to fade."

Nezu laughed, eyes sharp. "I'm surprised you tan at all with your jacket and visor."

Hawks laughed too.

Come on, Nezu. You didn't call a guy out on his deflecting excuses. It was common courtesy.

"Well, anyway, I did have something I wanted to talk to you about."

"Oh?"

Hawks gave a brief run-down of the tour idea. He tacked on showing the parents some of the other buildings too, since they hadn't been able to do so at the beginning of the year. He left out the fact that it was Kamakiri's request, but Hawks didn't doubt the tiny Principal already had some idea of his real reasons.

"That's a wonderful idea," Nezu said. "With you helping to move everything around the teachers might be left with some free time on their hands. I'm sure they'd love to help with the tours."

Hawks would make sure to avoid his co-workers for the rest of the day. As soon as they found out who was giving them more work he knew they'd be out for blood.

"Thanks, Principal Nezu," Hawks said. "Maybe don't mention who asked?"

"I'll make a short announcement over the speakers for the teachers to get a schedule worked up, it doesn't have to be anything big," Nezu ignored the request. "I assume you'll be with Class 1-B first?"

"Sure, why not," Hawks shrugged. "I'll grab a few of the mellow ones, first. Komori's brother, Fukidashi's mom, and uh, I guess Kamakiri's dad? Maybe Yanagi's parents too."

"Alright. You can show them the classrooms, the cafeteria, and the pool. For safety reasons we, of course, can not show them any of the main training facilities or training grounds."

Hawks nodded. He was only planning on walking through the places the school had shown to the public before. Either through magazines, their home page, or 'Welcome' videos for students the main facilities were the only places freely shown to anyone outside of UA.

The only exception had been USJ, which had been huge in changing how hero schools trained future heroes so it had gotten a lot of coverage. And everyone saw how that turned out.

Hawks stretched his arms above his head, coughing into his elbow to clear the tickle in his throat as he did so. "I'll hop to it then. Good speech, by the way. Very uplifting."

"Thank you. I'm glad you were paying attention."

Hawks grinned at the subtle barb. "See you later!"

"Don't push yourself today," Nezu called after him.

Hawks frowned, confused. That was a new one. He waved back, deciding to hold his tongue until he figured it out. It was best not to walk into any of Nezu's traps blind.

-00-

"Nice," Komori's brother, Itsu, said the moment he saw the pool. "Makes me want to swim."

Gross. Hawks hated swimming. Baths were great, he loved baths, but swimming? No.

"Well, besides the water there's not much to see here. Probably should have ended on a more exciting note but we're close to the dorms at least!" Hawks twisted on the heel of his boots, facing the exit that would lead to the classrooms.

Hound Dog was there, walking past before noticing them and pausing to stare. Then glare.

At Hawks.

Oh good, the paranoia was back.

"Hey, Hound Dog," he waved.

Hound Dog opened his mouth, looked at the group of parents turning to see who Hawks was talking to, then closed it. He growled and stomped away.

So he wanted to talk to Hawks alone.

Great.

"Well, that concludes the tour, I think," Hawks clapped his hands. "The dorms are just across the area over there."

Hawks let them all go first. He bowed dramatically to Fukidashi Mika to get a laugh out of her. Itsu just rolled his eyes, the complete opposite of his little sister. Hideo gave him a small, nervous smile.

"A-are you okay?" Hideo asked, crossing his arms over his chest. "You l-look nervous."

"Do I?" Hawks bent his knees as the other man approached, drawing his wings in. Hideo had been tagging along in the back the entire time, but he'd started to respond to Mika's small smiles and interpreted questions (via both Hawks and Itsu, surprisingly) about his son. If Hawks had managed to get a friendship going between the two of them Kamakiri might actually smile. It was a good goal to keep in mind. "I think I'm pretty relaxed."

"S-sorry. Nevermind," Hideo hugged his arm. "I w-wanted to say th-thank you. For helping T-Togaru. I know… I know h-he asked you to do th-this."

Hawks cleared his throat. Then realized that was a clear sign that it was true. Damn, why was his throat so itchy today?

"I-it's okay!" Hideo rushed to assure, palms out and shoulders hunched. "I, um, w-was actually r-relieved. Th-that he t-trusted you enough t-to ask."

Hawks debated in his head for a second before folding.

"Sorry," he scratched the back of his head. "I should have encouraged him to talk to you instead."

Hideo laughed, soft and a bit squeaky. "Y-you could t-try. He d-doesn't listen v-very well, somet-times."

"Yeah," Hawks deadpanned at the sky, over-theatric to his core. "He's not the most stubborn one here though. Unfortunately."

"R-really?" Hideo looked surprised. "Oh. G-good luck th-then."

Hawks grinned. "Thanks. I'm pretty sure I've 'distracted' you for long enough. He's probably pacing back and forth or something."

Hideo smiled fondly. "Yes. I a-also wanted to th-thank you for th-this. Before I g-go," he held up pulled out the feather from his pocket. "Togaru t-told me about it. I-I really appreciate you l-looking out for him. But, you c-can have this back. I'll be o-okay."

"It's fine," Hawks refused, keeping his voice casual and light. "Kamakiri-kun would feel a lot better knowing you had that, and living alone can be pretty scary. If that helps both of you feel better about all this, then I'm more than happy to offer it. Besides, I have plenty more where that came from."

Hideo looked down at the feather. His eyes quivered around the edges as he carefully put it back in his pocket. "...Th-thank you."

"You've got a good son," Hawks said. "You raised him well."

Hideo sniffed, lifting a hand to cover his face. "Um, I n-need to- th-thank you, but I sh-should-"

"Yeah," Hawks said, stepping further to the side. "Say hi to Kamakiri-kun for me."

Hideo nodded jerkily, hurrying away.

Hawks smiled. They were a good family.

-00-

"A pool!" Honenuki Yui cheered, charging straight for the water the second it came into view. Her twin sister, Ina, was half a step behind her.

"Girls!" Their mother shouted. "If you jump into that pool so help me-!"

Hawks just managed to catch them by the shirt with a feather, gently floating them back to the group. He laughed, choking on it a bit in an attempt to muffle it. "It's not swimming season yet, I'm afraid. Good try though, you almost moved too fast for me to keep up with."

Yui crossed her arms with a victorious twist of her lips, Ina looking at her and copying her. "I'm faster than Juzo! He never wins at tag!"

"Or hide-and-seek," Ina added.

"Or wrestling."

"Or capture the flag."

"Or foursquare."

They looked at each other before nodding strongly. "Juzo's really weak."

Hawks bit his lip, keeping his face neutral. "S'that so? He's doing so well in class, I would have never guessed."

Poor Juzo. Being a good big brother really dented his reputation with them.

"Well," Yui frowned, shrugging, "he's not that weak. He can carry both of us at the same time."

"And when we're hurt he runs really fast."

"He cooks better than Mom sometimes."

"He beat Dad at arm wrestling."

"He never tells on us, even when we probably deserve it."

"He helps me with my hair."

"Me too!"

Hawks wasn't sure what amused him more. The back and forth support/insults about Juzo or the ever-changing facial expressions of their mother.

Bondo's parents were both laughing, and Yanagi's father was hiding a smile. Yanagi's little brother, Akira, was staring at the twins like they were some kind of mythological creature he couldn't comprehend.

"Okay!" Yui and Ina decided. "Juzo's strong. But we're ten times stronger, so to us he's weak!"

"Sound reasoning," Hawks nodded. "You should tell him that."

Mari stepped forward, wiping a proud tear from her eye. Hawks could see where the girls got their strong feelings from. "Your brother would cry if he heard what you said. For good and bad reasons, don't tease your brother!"

"But Moooom," they whined.

"No buts! And how could you just try to jump into the pool like that? We don't have any spare clothes with us, did you want to walk around all day soaking wet?!"

Hawks coughed into his fist, stepping back to watch the show. The other parents started to filter out now that the tour was done but Akira was lagging. Hawks waved at him and he lit up, waving back before running after his parents.

Cute kid. Hopefully, he didn't get the habit Yanagi had of sneaking up on people to scare them. His footsteps were already almost as soft as hers, he would be a master of stealth by the time he was her age.

"But Juzo-nii cries all the time!"

"So do you!"

"Ah!"

-00-

"Wanna see something cool?" Hawks asked as he subtly shifted his feathers to angle them more to the left.

"This is already cool," Eiko breathed, arms around his neck as she rested between his wings. Rui was in his arms, facing the ground with his own arms held out like he was the one controlling where they flew.

"I wanna see!" Rui tipped his arms to the left. Hawks spread his wings a little more, letting the wind catch them more so they drifted in the same direction.

"Okay, but it's a secret. If the little mouse in a suit asks you, you've never seen this before, alright?"

"I'm great at keeping secrets," Rui promised, looking back at him over his shoulder. "Even if he's cute, I'll never tell!"

Eiko's arms tightened around his neck a bit. "We won't let anyone hurt you," she swore.

Hawks heart twisted. "Thank you, but he won't hurt me if you tell him. He'll just tease me a lot. He's really nice, I promise."

"Really?" Rui asked.

...Maybe Hawks would give Dabi a little extra information next time. Just a bit.

"Yeah, really. He's my boss here, actually, and he loves children. If you wanted to talk to him I'm sure he'd be very happy."

"He's cute," Eiko mumbled into Hawks' back.

"If you told him that he would be delighted," Hawks snorted. Neither of them said no to talking to Nezu. Maybe it was easier for them to think about approaching him because of his appearance and small stature. It wasn't like they would willingly approach Vlad or even Aizawa right now. But Nezu appealed more to kids, he guessed.

Hawks whirled around the teacher's dorms once, gently touching down next to the skylight and unlatching it. Dropping into his room he set Rui down and knelt so Eiko could slide off safely.

"Whoa!" Rui spun around, wide-eyed with wonder. "What is this place?!"

Hawks puffed up with pride, his wings fluttering. It was ridiculous, feeling so good about praise from a six-year-old but he'd put a lot of work into this room. And kids were a lot more honest, so if Rui said it looked good then he'd take him at his word.

"Is this your room?" Eiko pointed at the bed.

"It sure is!" Hawks grinned, jumping up onto the roost and perching on it. They both gawped at him.

"That's so cool!" Rui stomped his feet for a lack of anything else to do with the excited energy in him. "How do you do that?!"

"It's like the people on TV," Eiko told him, grinning just as large and making Hawks' heart twist even more. "The ones on the beams and mats!"

"A gymnast?" Hawks asked. She nodded. "Yeah, it's kinda like that. I'm glad you like my room, chicklets."

"It's pretty," Eiko went over to the wall, brushing her fingers over where the white and light blue started to blend. "It's like the sky."

"I like the stars!" Rui raised his hand. "And your clock! It's funny."

Eiko looked over to see what he was talking about, giggling when she saw the googly-eyed chicken clock. Hawks felt validated for his split-second decision to move it here from his apartment.

"It's a chicken," she laughed.

Hawks would normally never demean himself like this, because he was a bird of prey thank you very much, but the kids were so happy that he didn't think twice about making a loud chicken bawk.

They both jumped before Rui shrieked with laughter. Eiko was close behind.

Their smiles were contagious. Hawks leaned forward, a little awkwardly because of his boots. He clucked at them again.

They were both red in the face now, tears streaming down their faces. Hawks rubbed his hand over his mouth, unable to control the wide grin there. He pulled out his phone and took a quick video of the hysteric children. He sent it to Ava and Keiko (who's numbers he had stolen from Monoma's phones when the boy was being kicked for teasing Rui about his shoe colors or something).

Hawks played with them for a little longer, floating them around his room and adding feathers to their cloth wings so they could fly too. He held them just above the beam, letting them perch with him. Apparently, experiencing so many happy emotions at once exhausted them because soon they were starting to nod off, voices tapering off. Just like the night he met them he bundled them in his jacket and flew them back to their parents.

Ava's eyes were tinged red when she accepted the bundle, with a promise to return the jacket as soon as they woke up. Keiko hugged him with a soft 'thank you'.

The bridge of Hawks' nose burned as he waved on his way out.

-00-

"Any of the chicklets know how to cook?" Hawks asked the large group as they went into the kitchen. He could tell which families were well-off and which ones weren't by their expressions when they looked over the nice, open-spaced cooking area.

"Bakugo cooked really well at the training camp," Jirou spoke up, having already finished with most of her room. Satou, Ashido, and Kirishima had also joined the tour. "I doubt he'll cook for us though. I know how to make a few things."

"Great! Lunch Rush will make all three core meals over the week but the weekends are up to you. For anyone that is interested, there are going to be cooking lessons every Tuesday and Thursday after classes in Building C."

Hawks turned the corner and almost ran directly into Hound Dog.

His wings flared, bouncing him back but not before Hound Dog took a very audible, very angry sounding sniff of the air.

Shit.

"Hey, man," Hawks said calmly, waving and quickly sidestepping him. "Sorry, didn't see you there. Let's go to the next spot, I can show your parents the training area you use!"

Hawks tried his best to ignore the angry, pointed glare digging into his back.

The longer this went on the more he knew (and the less he wanted) that he had to talk to Hound Dog. Something was clearly wrong.

"Hawks-sensei! You should show them the wind training thing!" Kirishima shouted. "It's so much fun!"

"Pretty sure you're one of the rare few that thought that was fun," Hawks laughed. "But I don't mind a demonstration. Why don't you go grab Bakugo? I know he'd love to join."

"Heck yeah! He said he's going to win the next time, there's no way he'll skip out."

"Oh, I know," Hawks tucked his hands in his pockets. Then took them out because he was already sweating enough, having them even more confined just made it worse. "Meet us outside the classrooms. Anyone else can join if they want. Might help them cool down."

"You got it!"

-00-

"God fucking damnit!"

"Katsuki! Don't curse at your teacher!"

"Shut up! He's a cheatin-agh!"

Hawks snickered as Bakugo was thrown back yet again. They were doing a lot better this time, but he wasn't really putting as much strength into it either. His back still ached, he wasn't going to strain it too much.

"Try again, puffin."

"Don't call me-"

Bakugo's mother roared with laughter from the sidelines. "Puffin! I like this school!"

"Shut up!"

-00-

"I can help, Hawks-sensei!" Uraraka waved her hand, bouncing on her feet. "I can make everything lighter for you!"

"Oh, yeah?" Hawks lifted his visor when she approached, grinning. "That's great! Don't overdo it though, okay?"

"I won't," she promised. "I can hold out for longer now! Getting everything to the rooms should be easy!"

"Nice," Hawks praised, ruffling her hair. He'd keep an eye on her just in case. "I'm ready to get to work whenever you are then."

Uraraka puffed up proudly, looking over her shoulder.

Hawks followed her gaze to two adults watching her with warm looks.

"Oh, hey!" Hawks waved at them. "You must be Uraraka-chan's parents."

They approached excitedly. The Dad had the same bounce in his step Uraraka did.

"It's such an honor to meet you Hawks!" her Dad bowed deeply. Hawks tipped his head back, eyes stuttering when he caught Hound Dog standing behind where the couple had just been.

He was staring at Hawks- no he was glaring.

Hawks laughed, loud and bright, bowing deeper than he planned to in order to break eye contact.

"It's great to meet you too! Uraraka-chan, how about we start moving this stuff now while your parents talk? I'm sure they'd love to hear how your training is going."

Why? What was his problem with Hawks? Why wasn't he approaching Hawks about it? Was he really waiting for him to be alone?

No, no, Hound Dog was a hero. A good one, too. Whatever it was, it couldn't be that bad. Right?

But then why all the staring?

"Ready?" Uraraka asked, hands held out in front of the large boxes designated for the top floor.

"Yup!"

Hawks sent his feathers to the boxes. Uraraka used her quirk, making it even easier to lift them all into the air. He sent them into the building quickly, watching Uraraka closely in case she got pale or shaky. Her time limit was improving, but nausea sucked. Today was a happy day, he'd rather she felt good enough to enjoy it.

"Oh wow," a tiny, green-haired woman watched the boxes fly. The huge sparkle in her eyes looked oddly familiar.

"I found it, Mom!" Midoriya came running out the door with a book in hand. "Sorry, I must have grabbed it by mistake."

Hawks pressed his lips together to keep his smile at bay. That made sense.

"Ah, Hawks-sensei! Uraraka-chan!" Midoriya spotted them. He jogged over, his mother trailing behind him with an expression of awe. "Thank you both for helping with the boxes!"

Hawks gave Uraraka a thumbs up. She released her quirk, looking steady on her feet. Good.

"Deku-kun!" she beamed, hopping over to him. "Is this your Mom?"

"Yeah," he blushed, looking away. "M-Mom, this is Uraraka-chan. She's in my class, and she's really strong. Do you remember her fight with Kacchan at the Sports Festival?"

Midoriya's Mom gasped. "Yes! You were amazing, Uraraka-chan! I was so surprised, I was cheering the whole time!"

Uraraka laughed, pressing her fingers together with red cheeks. "Thank you! I'll do even better next time."

"Of course you will!"

Uraraka shrieked when her Dad appeared at her side.

"Hello," her mother greeted first, bowing. "It's so nice to meet you! We've heard a lot about your son."

Hawks coughed to cover his laughter. Uraraka had forgotten about the rest of the luggage at this point but he wasn't about to put a stop to this comedy show. There wasn't too much left anyway.

The squeak of wheels made him look over down the path.

Iida Tensei was rolling up to a shaded tree. He stopped beneath it and leaned back with a sigh.

Hawks licked the back of his teeth. He glanced at the two families, both chattering away (why was Midoriya crying? Oh, his Mom was too. Wow, they really were alike). With his feathers finishing up the last few boxes Hawks stepped away from them and lightly jogged over to Tensei.

"Hey," Hawks stopped next to him, hesitating on his name. What should he call him now?

"Hawks," Tensei looked surprised. Hawks blinked at the wide smile that spread across the man's face. "I hoped I'd run into you here!"

"Yeah?" Hawks tilted his head. He'd met Ingenium all of twice (when he was conscious, at least) and each time was in passing where Hawks kind of teased him for being too slow before disappearing into the sky.

Not a great impression.

Tensei leaned his wheelchair back, doing an impressive wheelie to stay mostly in place as he turned to face Hawks entirely.

Hawks, like a dumbass, clapped.

Tensei laughed. Without his helmet it was ridiculous how much he looked like Tenya. "I've gotten pretty good with this. I'd show you a few tricks but Tenya would get mad. I've teased him enough today."

He spoke so easily. Like he already thought of Hawks like a friend. Hawks guessed he shouldn't be surprised, considering his brother. Tenya was a stickler for the rules, but he never held a grudge (except against that Hatsume girl from the Sports Festival, but Hawks considered that a rare case).

"Maybe later," Hawks grinned.

"Sure! While I have you here though," his face went serious but there was still a softness around his eyes, "I wanted to thank you for saving me."

Hawks tilted his head. "What?"

Tensei laughed again. "What, did you forget already? That time with Stain, where you found me and called an ambulance, right? And later, you were with my brother when he was dumb enough to go after Stain himself."

"Uh, to be fair, the kids did most of the work there," Hawks deflected. "And you're welcome, of course, but I really didn't do much. I should have been there faster."

Tensei frowned. He looked up at Hawks curiously. "That so? Well, what happened, happened. It sucked, but I'm alive. That's more than a lot of Stain's victims can say. So in my books, you did great. You saved me."

Different facial expressions, same heart-wrenching speeches. The Iida family was really something else.

"I'm just glad I could help at all," Hawks coughed, looking away towards the Urarakas and Midoriyas. "Iida-kun really looks up to you. And you're a good guy. You didn't deserve what happened to you."

Tensei's turned more somber but the softness was still there. Hawks didn't know how he could appear so genuinely at ease. He'd lost his legs, his ability to be Ingenium, his entire dream. If that happened to Hawks...

Hawks shoved the idea away harshly. It would be pointless to think about it.

"I think a lot of things happen that people don't deserve," Tensei said. "But they happen anyway. It's unfair, and painful, but for myself at least I don't think I got off all that bad."

Hawks bit his tongue before he could point out Tensei's legs. Tensei knew, Hawks pointing out would be redundant and insulting.

"It's okay," Tensei laughed as though reading his mind. "I know it's hard to see it that way. I didn't at first. But I still have my life. I can still do a lot of things on my own and I still have my family. My hero name lives on in my brother who will make it stronger than I ever could anyway. A lot of heroes leave because they die. I'm fortunate enough to be able to retire."

Hawks put his hands in his pockets. He sniffed, his nose running a bit from flying around without his jacket. "I don't know if I'd be able to see it that way," he said honestly. "Iida-kun was right, you really are an amazing hero."

Tensei's laugh went a little high-pitched, his ears tinged red as he rubbed the back of his head. "He really said that? Tenya's a sweet kid, I'm amazed he thinks so highly of me."

Deep in Hawks' chest, where he had shoved it weeks ago after the house visitations, the idea of having a family like this- like any of his students- reared its headstrong enough to make Hawks' breath catch in his throat. He swallowed against the lump, breathing a bit nasally through his nose.

"You Iida brothers are really something else," Hawks smiled brightly.

Tensei shrugged, still flushed from the compliment. "Well- hey, wait a second! How did this turn to Tenya and me? I was supposed to be thanking you!"

"You already did," Hawks flapped his wings with a grin, hopping back as a clear indicator that he was about to leave. "And I appreciate it! You gave me some things to think about too, so I think we're even."

Tensei deadpanned (ah, that face was pure Tenya). "This is absolutely not even. But you're busy, so I'll let it go. But I need to buy you a drink or something sometime, as a start to showing how grateful I am!"

"I'll hold you to that," Hawks said, never planning on taking up the offer. He hadn't helped Tensei for a reward. He'd hardly even helped. Tensei owed his salvation to the paramedics that arrived on the scene, Hawks just happened to be there first. "See you around, Iida-san!"

"Just Tensei is fine," he waved. "You spend a lot of time with my brother, I'm sure it'll get confusing."

"Tensei, then. Later!"

Hawks took off, making sure he looked like he had a specific destination in mind.

He didn't.

'Grow up,' he told the bitter, ugly feeling in his chest. Wishing and dreaming weren't going to change anything. He'd long since accepted his lack of familial bonds, realizing it would only hurt him to keep wishing for more. And he was fine now. He didn't need that kind of support. He never really had. He'd gone through his entire life without it and he'd come out just fine. Imagining something he couldn't have would just hurt him unnecessarily.

Hawks cut off the line of thought mercilessly, shoving the seed of thought even further down until he couldn't feel it anymore.

He wondered if Rui and Eiko were awake yet. 1-A was practically done unpacking and the leaving time was soon. Maybe 1-B had some extra things they needed help with.

Hawks curved, heading for their dorm. He shivered in the wind, nose running even more. He'd need to grab some tissues or something.

-00-

"Hey," Kamakiri accosted him as soon as he was through the door. Hawks blinked at him. "What did you- no, wait. Come here."

Hawks felt his eyebrows raise when Kamakiri grabbed his arm and pulled him into the elevator. Kamakiri slammed the 'close door' button over and over until the doors were fully shut. Then he whirled around to Hawks.

"What did you say to my Dad?" he demanded.

"Uh," Hawks tilted his head. "That you're a good son and he raised you well?"

Kamakiri flushed. "Wha- well of course he cried! Why did you say that?!"

"Because it's true?"

Kamakiri clicked his tongue, stepping back and now refusing to look Hawks in the eye. "I thought- when he came back and his eyes were red I thought you... I don't know. Made fun of him or something."

It was Hawks turn to deadpan today. "Why would I do that?"

"It's why I wanted to talk to you first!" Kamakiri shouted, loud as ever. "Because I thought you were better than that! But my Dad wouldn't tell me why he'd cried and he only does that when he's hurt, but now I know it's because you're both giant saps who gossip about me like old ladies when I'm not there!"

Hawks really couldn't help himself.

"Have you heard about that Kamakiri-kun?" Hawks lifted his fingers to his mouth, pitching his voice high. "Such a trouble maker, but I heard he's actually got a heart of gold! He worries about his father every second of the day, the little dear~"

Kamakiri was bright red, eyes wide. "Don't- shut up! That's not even- shut up!"

"Sorry, sorry," Hawks laughed loudly, hugging his stomach. "I'm just messing with you. It's true, though. You're a good kid."

"I just told you to shut up," Kamakiri scoffed, running a hand through his hair roughly. "Good kids don't do shit like that."

"And yet, here you are," Hawks smiled. "My best friend tells me that she'll kill me at least twice in any given conversation but she's one of the nicest people I've ever met. Your words are rough, but your actions make you good. So, you're a good kid."

The close-mouthed shriek of rage at Hawks' continued praise was hilarious. Hawks kind of wanted to record it and make it a ringtone.

Kamakiri looked at him again, taking a deep breath like he was steeling himself for something. "...Look, I'm only ever going to say this once and I'll never admit to it. Ever. Never ask me about this again. You're- you're an okay teacher and a pretty good hero. And you know how to make my Dad feel comfortable, I saw how you held yourself when you came over. You know what to look for. If you just- he needs friends, okay? That was what I really wanted to ask you this morning, besides the distraction shit. And I freaked out when he cried because I thought I'd fucked up and misjudged you but then you pull all of this and you're just- you're really good, okay?! And my Dad needs good people because he only gets shitty people like that fucking asshole and m- and everyone else! He's all alone at home now and he only ever leaves for groceries because he gets nervous around people so easily. You wanted me here at UA, right? And you promised to help me look after him, but if he's alone I can't-"

"Hey," Hawks cut in when Kamakiri's shoulders raised to his ears and his words started pouring out of him too fast. "It's okay, Kamakiri. Take a deep breath."

"Fuck," Kamakiri cursed, rubbing at the back of his neck. He breathed in shakily. "Sorry. Fuck. You don't- I'm not trying to force you into anything. I just… I can't leave him alone. He's done so much for me I can't just abandon him like this."

Hawks felt his heart twist for the third time that day and he offhandedly wondered if that was going to create some kind of weird medical concern. He crossed his arms, pressing them into his chest to alleviate the feeling.

"You really love your Dad, huh?" he smiled softly. Kamakiri flushed but nodded. "You know he loves you just as much, right? I've only met him twice and I can tell that you're his whole world."

Kamakiri swallowed heavily. "...I know. It's why I can't leave him."

"You're not leaving him," Hawks disagreed. He knew what 'leaving' looked like. What these two had… it wasn't anything even close. "You're growing. That's different. I can't say I know a lot about it but it's a good thing when a kid starts to live more independently from what I've seen of other families. I'm pretty sure your Dad feels nothing but proud of you right now."

Kamakiri shook his head, fists clenched.

"Look," Hawks tried, because every other teacher was helping somewhere else and Kamakiri had come to him before them for some reason and he couldn't let the kid down. "I told you I'd fly by on patrol, right? I don't mind dropping in from time-to-time too, but I feel like your Dad might think it's a little weird if I suddenly start showing up at your house."

"I have a plan for that," Kamakiri straightened up like that was somehow exactly what he wanted to hear. "I'm going to call him all the time but he's really sappy so I was going to write him a letter every week too. My therapist said writing would help me get my thoughts outright too, so it won't seem weird that I'm writing more all of the sudden. I'll give you my letter and you can deliver it to him."

"Kamakiri," Hawks raised up on his toes so he could place a hand on his student's shoulder and say, very seriously, "I'm not going to date your Dad."

"You can't see the future," Kamakiri shot back without so much as a breath of hesitation. "And even if you didn't, I still think you should be his friend. He needs more people, but I don't trust… I think you'll be an okay friend."

For once Hawks held back on the teasing. It was one thing to poke fun at Kamakiri for showing Hawks any kind of fondness. It was another to do it when Hawks could clearly tell how genuine he was being.

Damn these kids.

"Your Dad seems like a cool guy," Hawks said. "Us being friends will be up to him, but I don't mind."

Kamakiri broke into a smile that was so bright Hawks almost thought he had morphed into All Might.

-00-

Things were starting to wrap up to a close. Everything had been moved in, only a few small boxes here and there for the students to deal with by themselves. Everyone was back at the front of the school, waiting for any final announcements before the families left.

All the parents were talking and the students were doing… some kind of class meeting that made Hawks inherently suspicious but Vlad and Aizawa were watching them so he felt confident enough to let it go. All the younger kids looked bored as hell though.

Hawks pursed his lips and checked the time. It would be her lunchtime, perfect.

He pulled out his phone and opened the chat-app he'd downloaded.

RedChicken: I've got two kids that come from a pretty rough background. They're very sweet, they don't react aggressively when overstimulated but they go back into their shells pretty fast. I don't think they know how to interact with other people their age. Any advice on how to help them out?

Yumi-chan27: Having a trusted adult to supervise goes a long way in making children feel safe enough to explore. Watching other children interact with each other is also a great way for them to start learning social cues, so perhaps having other kids playing and demonstrating it to them would give them a foundational base to start building their own interactions. Structured games are best for young children, perhaps you could start a rule-based game and participate yourself to keep everything relatively contained. Give them the option to sit out at any point they feel overwhelmed, and make sure to extend the offer to all the children so they don't feel singled out. If they are the only ones wanting to take a break but are embarrassed to, you could be the first to ask for a break.

RedChicken: Thanks, sensei! I'll let you know how it goes.

Yumi-chan27: Good luck! By the way, were you able to give the bracelet you made to your friend?

Hawks paused, laughing lightly out of habit more than anything else.

RedChicken: Not yet. He fell asleep before I could so I'll have to try again next time.

Yumi-chan27: Can I be hopeful that next time means your conversation with him went well?

RedChicken: Yeah, I just told him stories until he fell asleep. He was pretty tired.

Yumi-chan27: I suppose that's to be expected, if he's still in the hospital. Still, it does not sound like he was angry with you. I'm sure he would accept your apology.

RedChicken: He probably will. He's a good guy. I gotta go. Hope that kid doesn't try to bite you again!

Yumi-chan27: Me too.

Hawks laughed. At least his kids were well behaved.

Speaking of his kids, he could feel Rui messing with his feather again. He'd need to borrow it from the kid at some point to clean it with how often he ran his fingers over the barbs. Maybe he'd show them how to do it themselves in case he didn't see them for a while.

"Psst!"

Hawks looked around, coughing a bit when the dry air made his throat tickle. He locked eyes with tiny blues. The little girl they were attached to looked up at her parents, who were busy talking, before making her escape.

"Hello, Mr. Hawks," Awase's little sister, Hina, walked over to him. Her parents glanced at her but after seeing who she was approaching they turned back to their conversation with Kodai's mother.

"Heya, Hina-chan. Having fun?" He squatted down so he was eye level with her.

She shrugged. "I guess. It's boring now, but I liked my brother's room. There's other kids here too but I haven't gotten to talk to them."

"Mh," Hawks listened with a serious expression, cupping his chin. "That does sound kind of boring. How about we fix that?"

Hina smiled exactly like her brother, eyes crinkling. "Do you need backup?"

Hawks felt his eyebrow raise. What, exactly, did she think he was going to do? "Ah, not yet. I was just thinking we should get all the kids together and play a game."

She pouted. "Oh. I guess that's okay too."

Hawks felt a growing well of sympathy for the Awase parents.

"I can go ask that kid," Hina pointed to Asui's youngest brother.

"Ask if his little sister can join too," Hawks advised. He could just make out the two little buns sticking out next to Asui's father's leg. "I'll get the other kids and we'll meet right here."

Hina looked skeptical for a moment before she jumped in excitement when his wings fluttered. "Are you gonna use your feathers?"

"Yup."

"Can I-," she paused. Clearing her throat she pushed her short hair back in a way that made it mock her brother's style. "I should probably take one too. In case they don't believe me that you're the one that sent me."

"That's some smart thinking," Hawks said, amused. "You'll need one for a game anyway. Just treat it nicely, okay?"

He let a down feather fall off, directing it to tuck gently behind her ear.

Hina puffed up. She saluted Hawks and took off towards the Asui family.

Hawks laughed. He shook his wings, sending a small collection of feathers through the crowd to gather all the younger siblings. Nezu was going to start talking to the parents again in a minute, he doubted all these kids would be able to keep quiet for much longer.

It definitely wasn't because he was trying to score two particular children a group of friends. That would be biased.

"We got your message!" Eiko whisper yelled, pulling her brother behind her as they jogged over with his feather wiggling slowly in Rui's free hand. Hawks could see Ava following at a distance. She waved at Hawks with a warm grin. He guided the other kids over at a slower pace so he could prepare the two socially shy chicklets.

"I brought your jacket!" Rui struggled to hold all of the jacket in his hands. The sleeves were dragging on the ground but Hawks didn't mind.

"Hey," he greeted softly, taking his jacket and slipping it on even though the sun was high because it was still cold out. "I have a very important question for you two."

What was with all these kids and staring at him like he was about to give them some life or death mission?

"We can help," Eiko swore. "If you need it."

Well, if he ever decided one day that he was going to quit being a hero and go rouge at least he knew he'd have a mini-army at his back.

Hawks snorted. "Here's the thing. I promised a friend of mine, her name is Hina, that I would play a game with her and all the kids here. But I'm really nervous. Besides you two I don't really know a lot of kids and I'm afraid I'll mess up. Would you mind sticking around and helping me talk to them?"

Eiko gripped her brother's hand tighter, looking a little pale. She shifted back and forth on her feet. "Um. We don't… we don't know any other kids either. We might mess up real bad too."

Rui looked at her, pressing himself to her side. He seemed more concerned than nervous.

"Messing up alone is scary," Hawks nodded, ruffling her hair. "But it's not so bad if we're together, yeah? I'll look out for you, and you'll look out for me."

"And I'll protect both of you!" Rui swung their hands back and forth.

"Great," Hawks clapped his hands together. "I feel more confident already." He looked up to smile at Hina and Asui's younger siblings as they started walking back. He lowered his voice. "If you guys really don't want to, you don't have to okay? You can say no, I won't get mad. I just want you to have some extra fun today."

Eiko glanced at him, then down at Rui. Her shoulders were hunched and she was biting her lip.

"Koko?" Rui asked, hugging her arm.

Hawks closed his eyes for a second to help stop himself from cooing. 'Koko'. Damn, that was adorable.

"I can… I can try," she whispered. "You'll be there, right?"

"However long you want me to be."

She bit her lip, nodding. "Okay."

"Okay," he repeated.

A sizeable group of kids soon surrounded him. Alongside Hina and Asui's siblings, Satsuki and Samidare, there was Honenuki's twin sisters, Yui and Ina, Yanagi's little brother, Akira, and two of Ryo's siblings, Gyou and Teru. Not a bad number.

"Hey guys, I figured you were getting pretty bored just standing around listening to your parents talk. Wanna play a game over here?"

The lights in their eyes told Hawks all he needed to know.

He explained the rules of the shadow chasing game Yumi-Chan27 had told him. It was pretty simple, it sounded kind of like tag and Simon says mixed together, and it would make sure they all aimed for each other's shadows instead of actually trying to touch each other. Eiko looked especially happy about that.

Hawks played the first few rounds with them, playing the middle ground until they all got it. Then he stepped back and let them try for themselves.

"I'm tired of running around," Akira groaned after the sixth rematch. He fell to the ground dramatically. Rui giggled. He'd been following Akira around as soon as the boy complimented his hoodie and asked where he got it from.

"We could do something else," Satsuki poked at her chin.

"Like what?"

"Um," she looked around. "I know how to make bracelets out of grass. I could teach you."

"Aw, what?" Hina huffed and puffed, wiping her hand across her forehead. "But it's getting so good!"

Some of the other kids nodded.

"Let's just remake the teams," Hawks offered. "Whoever wants to take a break or stop playing can go learn how to make bracelets and whoever wants to keep playing can."

There were some telepathic looks that Hawks assumed came naturally to children.

"I'm still playing!" Hina raised her hand and ran a few steps to the right. Some of the kids gathered around her.

"I'm making bracelets," Satsuki raised her hand, stepping away to make a different group.

Eiko stepped towards the group making bracelets. Rui stepped towards the ones still playing.

Hawks tensed when they froze, looking at each other with wide eyes. The other kids hadn't noticed yet, they were forming new teams or pointing out which was the shadiest tree to rest under.

Rui looked at his group. Then stepped towards the other one with a smile aimed at his sister.

Hawks felt his heart twist when her eyes teared up. She shook her head, pulling him back and gently pushing him towards the other group.

"We can- we can still see each other," she sniffed, smiling back. "It's okay. I'll make you a bracelet."

Rui frowned. "But-"

"It's gonna be a surprise," Eiko covered his eyes with one hand, wiping her own tears away with the other. "You can't see it. So you have to play."

"A surprise?" Rui perked up, cheeks bunching beneath her palm.

"Yeah," she pulled away, tweaking his nose. "So no peeking."

"Okay! I promise!" he giggled, rushing over to the other group.

Hawks pulled out his phone and sent a picture to Ava. He got about twenty heart emojis in reply, as well as a single 'thanks' from Keiko.

He watched the game, mostly to the side now. They were self-sufficient enough to play it by themselves, all he needed to be was an occasional referee. Rui kept getting distracted at first, constantly looking over to check on Eiko. She was doing the same thing, completely missing the instructions at least five times. Satsuki seemed to be as patient as Tsuyu though, always happily explaining the process again and again. Eventually, Eiko finally relaxed enough to pay attention to what she was doing. Once he saw his sister happy, Rui turned all of his attention to the game. Eiko even started to open up when Akira complimented her grass braids.

Hawks loved these kids.

"Hawks?" Eiko called.

He walked over to the group, squatting down next to her.

"What's up?"

"Can you tie this? I can't get it," she held up a wobbly looking grass bracelet. Hawks plucked it from her hand, tying a small knot out of two stems in the middle.

"Like that?"

"Okay, I've got it now," Eiko pulled it back. She pushed at his hands rather rudely. "Now go away."

Hawks felt his mouth drop open as she waited for him to leave. He stood up, taking a few steps away.

"More," she demanded.

Hawks blinked. He went back over to the other group, looking over his shoulder as he went.

As soon as he was an acceptable distance away Eiko went back to talking with the others, giggling about something.

Which was good. That she was giggling. Of course.

"What are you pouting about?" Vlad snorted when he stood by him.

"Nothing," Hawks said quickly.

"I saw that little girl push you," Aizawa smirked. "Seems like you weren't wanted over there."

Aizawa regretted his teasing immediately when, in absolute petty revenge, Hawks threw himself at him while crying dramatically.

"She doesn't love me anymore!" Hawks despaired, wishing he'd paid attention when Uwabami had tried to teach him the value of 'crocodile tears'. He must have picked up some of it subconsciously, since his eyes were oddly wet today, but not enough to really nail the effect he was going for. "Aizawa, what have I done to deserve such rough treatment? I am unloved!"

"Get off," Aizawa placed his entire palm over Hawks face, holding him back and trying to shove him away. Hawks beat his wings to keep himself up.

Vlad snickered.

Which was also a mistake. As soon as it looked like Aizawa was going to start pulling out his capture weapons Hawks locked onto the noise and went to pester Vlad instead.

"Damnit," he cursed when Hawks flapped his wings in the tall man's face.

"Vlad," Hawks gasped, feeling oddly energized and exhausted at the same time. Yumi-chan27 was right, dealing with kids left you with a weird type of tired in your bones. "There are children here!"

Vlad made a grab for his head. Hawks, remembering the story about the bank robber Vlad had taken out with his palm alone, hopped away with a laugh.

Right into Hound Dog.

Hawks' pupils shrank as he smiled up at Hound Dog (he was huge, he was blocking out the entire sun) and stepped away slower than he wanted to.

"Hey man, sorry about that."

Hound Dog opened his mouth to speak, eyes set in a furious glare.

"Hawks! Hawks! Yui scrapped her knee!"

Hawks, like the top hero he was, ran over to help. He jogged a bit faster when Hound Dog growled behind him.

What was his deal? Hawks had heard that the guy struggled with words when he was angry, but what reason did he have to be angry with Hawks?

Well… okay, a lot of pros had reasons to be angry with Hawks, but this was a recent development!

"You okay, Yui?" Hawks parted through the gaggle of children that had gathered around her. They were all shouting her name like that would somehow heal her. Kids were funny.

"I'm fine!" Yui huffed, red-rimmed eyes and crossed arms. She was sitting in the middle of the group with her legs outstretched. Her right knee was red with a tiny bead of blood coming out of a small scrape. "I just need to wash it, I'm not a baby!"

"Yeah, she's not a baby!" her twin sister cried, hugging Yui's arm to her chest. "Juzo's the baby!"

"Hey," Hawks heard Juzo say from over where the students were. He must have come closer when he heard the cries of Yui's name.

"You guys heard her," Hawks crouched down next to her. Both girls looked up at him with wide eyes. "Yui-chan said she'll be okay so long as she washes her leg. Ina-chan, why don't you go with her to the bathroom and help her in case she gets lost?"

The bathroom was right next to the main door, there was no real way to get lost at their age, but he figured she'd appreciate having her sister as company.

"Yeah, let's go clean it," Ina helped Yui up.

Hawks watched them hobble to the door, Yui's arm slung over her sister's shoulder like she had broken leg. Juzo trailed after them, keeping his distance so they didn't yell at him for hovering.

Hawks smiled. "Alright, hatchlings, you can go back to playing. Yui-chan and Ina-chan should be back soon."

"Okay!"

Hawks stood up and frowned when his vision wavered from the rush of blood from his head. That was… odd. He looked around and saw that the majority of the parents had apparently finished up the last few things they needed to get done. The students were still in their groups chatting away but the parents were more focused on the younger ones now.

It gave him a chance to duck into the building himself and go to the Staff Lounge.

Hawks was panting by the time he got to his chair, collapsing into it with a heavy sigh. He shook off his gloves, running his hands over his face and grimacing at the sweat building there.

God, how had he not noticed how hot it was?

Ugh.

Hawks pulled his hands back. They were trembling.

His throat burned suddenly. Hawks lifted his arm so he could cough into his elbow.

Crap. Was he getting sick? He really couldn't afford to be sick right now. He needed to drop in on Teruko.

The door slid open, startling him. Crap, he really was getting sick if he hadn't heard anyone coming down the hall.

"H-ey," he trailed off, eyes widening a bit when Hound Dog walked in.

And closed the door behind him.

"Uh, how's your day going? It's pretty hot out, huh?" Hawks debated on standing or staying seated. He was feeling a little weak knee-d, but sitting while Hound Dog loomed over him did not sound appealing either.

Hawks almost didn't notice the objects in Hound Dog's hands until they were thrust into his own.

Hawks slowly looked down from the towering Guidance Councilor to the warm bowl and spoon in his hands.

"...What's this?" he asked, brow furrowed.

"Soup," Hound Dog grunted, bringing a bottle forward and popping off the lid. "And medicine. Have you taken any today?"

"Uh," Hawks went back to staring at him. "No?"

The glare intensified. "You need to take better care of yourself! You've been going around all day doing heavy lifting, flying, and playing with the children! What your body needs right now is food, medicine, water, and rest!"

Hawks jumped a little at the aggressive tone. Then he processed the words.

"I'm not sick though?"

Oh wait. He was, wasn't he? That was what he had been thinking about just a minute ago.

Hound Dog growled deep in his throat. Hawks wings raised of their own accord and the growling stopped.

The tall man sighed, reaching up to scratch the back of his neck. All of the sudden he seemed… softer. Embarrassed?

"Sorry," he said easily. "I thought you were just ignoring it. I can tell when people are sick. They smell different. I was mad when I thought you were just ignoring it."

Hawks blinked. He went back over the day, recalling all the moments he'd noticed Hound Dog staring at him. "Why?"

The glare was back. "Because you're sick! Why else? We're co-workers, and you're a human being! Of course I wanted to make sure you were okay!"

"Huh," Hawks said, looking back to the bowl. "What kind of soup is this?"

"Chicken broth," Hound Dog crossed his arms. "I don't know how your stomach handles noodles when you're sick. There are vegetables and pieces of chicken in there as well. Eat it all. And take these."

Hawks glanced at the bottle as he took the pills. Regular, pharmacy bought fever reducers.

His stomach twisted.

"Hey, uh, Hound Dog?" Hawks curled his fingers around the pills, setting the bowl down on his desk.

"What?"

"I, uh… I owe you an apology, man."

Hound Dog crossed his arms, glaring down at him. Wait, no. Not glaring. Was that just how his face rested naturally? Probably.

Hawks was such an asshole.

"I made you feel scared."

Hawks grip tightened. "No, no, I wouldn't go that far-"

"It's fine," Hound Dog gruffed, and he sounded honest. "It's a natural reaction. I didn't approach you sooner because I thought you might not want anyone else to know but you must have felt uncomfortable with my hovering."

'Hovering'. That's what he had been doing. Watching out for Hawks without calling him out.

Hawks sighed heavily, ruffling his hair. "Damn. You're a really good guy. I'm sorry I've been avoiding you, Hound Dog. You didn't deserve that."

"No," Hound Dog shrugged, "but you avoid everyone. If it wasn't my appearance you would have found something else."

Hawks felt a little bit like he'd been slapped. "I'm not sure what you're talking about there, big guy."

Hound Dog scowled. He grabbed Hizsahi's chair, spinning it around and sitting down with an ominous creak. "Your life is none of my business. Your choices too. You don't have to talk to me, or tell me anything. It won't hurt my feelings. I'll give you advice, though. What you do with it is up to you."

"Uh, okay?"

Hound Dog looked pointedly at his hand. Hawks tossed back the pills, swallowing them dry. He picked up the soup, hands still shaking, and tried a sip. It was delicious. Warm. Hound Dog was apparently waiting for something in particular so Hawks ate in silence for a few moments. He couldn't stomach a lot of it but he got through at least half the bowl.

"If you keep pushing everyone away then one day you're going to fall, hard, and no one will be able to save you."

Hawks froze.

"Hero work aside, life is hard. For everyone, even you. People are social creatures, we need connections to support us in difficult times. I don't know you that well, but I've seen you reach out a dozen times only to pull back and put up a wall at the last second. I don't need to know why," he growled softly when Hawks opened his mouth. "If you want to talk, talk. If not I won't pry. You should find someone you can talk to, though. Actually talk to. If you don't already have someone then it's going to be hard to find someone you can open up to but you need it. Everyone needs it. It isn't a matter of strength, or intelligence, or speed." Hound Dog stood up. "It's being human. Take care of yourself, Hawks. I can see a lot of people around you who are ready to reach back. I'm one of them."

Hound Dog grabbed the unfinished bowl. He patted Hawks on the head, ruffling his hair further, then walked out the door.

Hawks stayed in his seat, staring at his hands. He only got up when he felt Rui and Eiko asking about him so they could say goodbye.

He shook his head. He could think about all this later. He had patrol soon. He'd think about it later.

-00-

Vlad got the alert because his room was the closest to the main doors so he could get there the fastest. It hadn't sounded urgent. Just Hawks messing around in the staff lounge too late at night when the idiot should be in bed.

When he slid open the door it took a good, long minute to realize he wasn't still sleeping and having some odd dream.

Hawks was in a Mirko merch bunny hood with a giant hole in the back for his wings and a pair of shorts. There was a face mask covering up the majority of his face and the rest was covered by the hood drawn low over his eyebrows. He held a rag in one hand, a cleaning spray in the other. His wings were tucked in close to him like a tightly coiled spring.

"Hawks?" Vlad called hesitantly. "I thought you were at your apartment for tonight?"

Feverish, bright gold eyes shot up. Vlad's own eyes watered from how watery Hawks' looked. They were bloodshot, strands of hair plastered to his forehead and sides of his face.

"I'm going to kill All Might," Hawks croaked, spraying the air above Nemuri's desk twice before wiping down her chair like a man possessed.

"What?" Vlad squinted. Maybe he really was dreaming?

"Yagi," Hawks stressed, looking half-mad. "I'm going to kill him. I don't remember everything I touched. I gave tours, I went everywhere. One missed germ and it's-" Hawks cut himself off, sniffling. Vlad still had no idea what he was talking about but his heart ached all the same at the broken whisper of, "I don't want to hurt Yagi-san."

"You won't," he rushed to assure, stepping towards him. "You would never."

"I can't control germs, Vlad!" Hawks whirled around. He got dizzy halfway, stumbling back until he was forced to catch himself on Ectoplasm's desk. His face went even paler. "I keep touching things!"

"Okay," Vlad held his hands out in a 'STOP' motion. "You're clearly not well. Hawks, you need to go to bed and-"

Vlad flinched back when, after trying to take the spray bottle away from him, Hawks gave a low, angry shriek.

Things only got worse when immediately after Hawks' eyes went wide, glistening with even more unshed tears.

"I'm sorry," he warbled. "I don't- I can't think straight but I can't let Yagi-san get sick. He was getting his shots and stuff today and his files said that makes his immune system weaker than it already is for a while and with how his body is now if he gets sick I don't know if he can fight it and what if he can't, I'd be killing him because I was being stupid and dumb and didn't even realize until it was too late that I was sick and Hound Dog was right, I'm just going to keep falling and-"

Vlad didn't know what to do. So he did the only thing he could think of.

He chopped Hawks on the top of his head. Light enough that it wouldn't hurt him, but hard enough to get his attention.

Hawks startled, grabbing his head and looking up with wide eyes.

"You should have asked for help, you dumbass. With all of us it would have taken an hour to sanitize everything, by yourself it would have taken the whole night and you might just re-infect something if you're not paying attention."

"Y-you were all asleep and-"

"The only one smart enough to be asleep right now is Cementoss," Vlad rolled his eyes. "I guarantee everyone else is awake."

Hawks made eye-contact with him for all of a second before he lifted the spray bottle again.

Vlad was not the one to go to for gentle words and subtle comfort. He grabbed Hawks by the wrist and flung him over his shoulder.

Hawks squawked, flapping his wings, but Vlad had been prepared for that. With how often he got a slap in the face from the red monstrosities he liked to think he was building an immunity.

"I have to-!"

"Sleep," Vlad cut him off blankly. "I'll take care of it. Sick people should rest, I'll make sure everything is clean enough to keep Yagi whole and healthy."

"If you miss a spot-"

"Nezu's helping," Vlad said, because there was no way this wasn't being reported back to Nezu right that second. He could see the little security bot peering at them when he walked out into the cool night air. "You really think he's going to miss anything?"

Hawks went quiet. Then, grumpy and definitely from the soul of a five-year-old, he drawled out a pouty "no".

"Then it's fine. We'll finish up. How far did you even get?"

"The Staff Lounge was the last place."

Vlad stumbled over his steps a bit. "The last- how long have you been doing this?"

Hawks went limp. Vlad shook his arms a little when he refused to answer.

"Oh my god, you're worse than the children."

"M'not a kid."

"Right," Vlad huffed.

Looks like they had another Aizawa on their hands. No wonder Mic and Midnight got attached to him so quickly.

He'd have to gather up whoever was awake. They had some cleaning to do.

-00-

Immune compromised defense squad, with Hawks as the anxiety-riddled flag bearer.

ChaosHearth: See, this is why I adore you. You are so flipping sweet ALL THE TIME! Hawks... with his own children you say? *whistles and walks away*

Moonstone2003: Aw, hon, you get migraines? That really sucks, I'm sorry you have to deal with that. They suck. I'll try to give you heart attacks instead! What's that old saying? Fight pain with pain? That sounds about right. XD

Blackdrake: *wearing a Rumi headband* Kick his ass Rumi! XD I'm just imagining the surge of Hawks' winged hoodies. That would be adorable XD It's always so nice to hear from you, friend!

micieloestrellado: Starry sky! You are as lovely as then name! Thank you so much, dear!

Rosto'sGirl: No U. Mini fanclub of future sidekicks XD That would be AMAZING! Good luck on your degree! I like in class learning better, I get confused easier online, but online is so much more manageable with a time schedule. *sigh* I wish you only the best of things, friend! See you later, dearie!

GrimReaperLaw: All this Rui and Eiko love is a balm for my soul. A lot of fan stuff is made shoddily, you need some homemade goods to get quality without spending a fortune! Ava and Keiko know whats up. XD Ohhhh, giving me ideas? What an interesting thought *evil cackle*.