Authors Note:
I thought I posted this last week, but I didn't so - whoops.
Chapter Seven: A Day
Hawks wove through the traffic, keeping low, allowing only the delicate twitches of his wings to guide him. If he went by sight, the sheer speed and tight confines would have been overwhelming as he twisted, twirled, halted and violently sped back up. The villain wasn't at all fast, it was dodging his attacks and making sure none of them damaged any civilian that was causing the issues. This was starting to drag on, and he didn't like things dragging on.
Hawks abruptly halted at a traffic stop, snatching open a car door, slicing the seatbelt of the woman inside and hauling her out of the car. They both landed roughly on the ground as acidic liquid spewed across the dashboard. The corrosive smell ate at the mouth and nostrils.
"Do you have heroes insurance?" He asked the woman beneath him.
"Ah. Yeah." She mumbled through the hand covering her mouth.
"Can I use your car?" He smiled.
"Um. Yeah. Sure."
"Thanks. We'll get you a new one. I promise." Sending several feathers beneath the car, he sent it flying upward and towards the villain in the middle of the traffic stop. A manic laugh erupted from the man in the middle of the chaos.
"That's it, that's all you've got, Wing Hero."
Hawks vaulted over the vehicle, halting the car in mid-air as the acid attack contacted it first. He grappled for the villain's neck, firming up his grip even as the acid burnt through his clothes and hissed against his armour. His arms were beginning to burn as the liquid seeped into his skin.
"Come on, come on, go down." He hissed. "Go down. Do not make me kill you. Just go down."
Crazed, frantic eyes focused on him began to fade and the body beneath him slackened. Hawks dropped the villain, swearing mentally at the pain rippling up his arms.
"Great." Hawks tugged off his gloves and shrugged out of his disintegrated jacket. "Rilo really liked this jacket, and now it's ruined."
He was going to have to visit Jeanie soon. His clothing options were getting scarce.
Suddenly, he was doused in water from above, and he was left standing in the middle of the road, blinking in surprise.
"Okay. Wow. Thanks Bubbles." He sarcastically droned as he looked up at his sidekick floating above him.
"You were covered in acid!" She shrieked. "And you weren't reacting."
"I have armour on."
"Oh my gosh, you're insane." She was in a tiff—as usual.
"I have armour on, Bubbles." He stepped out of his dissolving pants. "Stop being dramatic and get this guy cuffed up before he comes too, cause I am not doing all that again."
Civilians were beginning to emerge from hiding. Camera flashes and chatter, the eventual sound of applause. He smiled, giving a wave, despite the effort it took.
Medusa sided up to him.
"How's the lady doing?" Hawks asked.
"She's fine. Nothing a days rest won't heal."
"Oh, good." Hawks pulled a hand through his hair. "Thought I dragged her out a bit roughly."
"Ah, you probably did, but considering it was either a bit of road burn or losing her face to an acid attack…" Medusa waved his hands up and down.
"Fair point." Hawks pinched his nose, wishing the scene was one he couldn't envision so clearly, but he'd witnessed a few to many villain fights that had ended poorly.
"Now, can I see your arms." Medusa moved in front of him like a mountain.
"Hm? I'm fine."
"Hawks. That wasn't a request."
"Sure sounded like one." He tested.
"It wasn't." Medusa clicked his fingers. "Let me see the damage, or suffer the consequences of being publicly dragged off in a linin ball of shame. Pretty sure you don't want that again, hm."
Hawks flinched back, his wings rattling. "You dare bring that up, you evil man. The tabloids didn't shut up about it for months."
"Then behave, boss."
000000
Hawks fought back a yawn. Finally—finally they were wrapping up the unbearable aftermath of the acid villain. There were to many officials to talk to, to many hands to shake, and media to address and streets to clean. Villains had no idea of the work they caused, perhaps if they did, they'd stop being villains.
He could only dream.
His head thumped on his desk. He ached everywhere.
"Figured you could use one of these." Medusa slid a coffee in front of him.
"Thanks." Hawks muttered, staring at the Endeavour mug with a fond smile. He'd stolen it from home. Rilo would hunt down another one for him. He liked having something meaningful in the agency for once, other than coffee. Everything else was so—practical and attached to Hawks. Nothing felt like—Keigo.
Endeavour did though. Keigo had always loved Endeavour.
"So, I'm not sure if you're more tired than usual, or if you're actually performing better. I'm confused." Medusa sat back on the desk, folding his arms casually.
Hawks lifted a hand, giving it a fifty-fifty, so-so, hand gesture.
"I'm both running at optimum, while juggling a lot." Hawks yawned.
"So, nothing new then." Medusa smiled.
"Nothing new." Hawks agreed, sipping his coffee. He pulled a face at the odd taste, quickly coming to an assessment. "Med, did you put almond milk in this."
"What, it's milk."
"I should fire you for this abomination."
"I try to do a good deed." Medusa laughed. "Here, give it to me, I'll finish it."
Hawks handed the mug over, folding back into the desk. No coffee. The world was once again utterly depressing and void of all happiness.
"You should go home and recharge, Hawks." Medusa was still leaning on his desk.
"I'm thinking about it." Hawks stared out the window. "Haven't gotten to the doing part of the thinking yet."
"You'll get there." Medusa tapped the mug idly.
Hawks suddenly sat up in alarm. "You didn't drug me did you?"
"No! Gods, no." Medusa jerked towards him. "You know I'd never do that, not without your consent, or unless I deemed the situation worth overriding your authority with mine."
Hawks sunk back slowly, panic subsiding. For a moment—
He shook his head, trying to clear his head. "I guess I'm in enough pain that I'm not functioning. Weird, you know, it's been awhile since that's happened."
"Which is why I would give you painkillers, but, I know how badly you react to them. So, let's not knock you out over a few silly acid burns." Medusa mumbled into his mug. "Hence, my suggestion that you should go home, to your bird."
"Hm. Good suggestion."
"You going to take it?"
"I'm questioning my entire ability to keep a secret from you."
"We medi-heroes are mysterious creatures. We see all, and know all." Medusa raised a hand playfully. "I am a god, and you are Icarus who cannot reach my greatness."
Hawks managed a laugh. He shifted uncomfortably as his mobile started beeping. A little piece of him hoped it was Rilo, but he suspected it wasn't. She'd have likely called him. He flipped out the mobile, scanning the message with growing irritation.
"Ah, that's just great…" he dragged a hand through his hair.
Medusa worked on cleaning his squared spectacles. "What is it?"
"Tsu." Hawks sunk lower in his chair, tapping out a reply. "She's stuck halfway across the city and can't pick up Haia."
Medusa sighed, slipping his glasses back on. "Hawks, you are allowed to say no and go home to your girl. You know that, right?"
"I know."
"Tsu is not your mother."
"I know."
"You're not my little brother."
Hawks managed a weak smile. "But you won't ever stop seeing him in me, will you?"
Medusa shook his head. "No. No, I won't."
"It's hard." Hawks wearily heaved himself to his feet.
"Yes," Medusa looked out across the city. "Losing people is."
"See you tomorrow, Med." Hawks snatched up his spare jacket. He paused, turning back around. "How do you know I have a girl at home?"
Medusa's white eyes flickered eerily, increasing their size. "I wouldn't be a very good medi-hero if I couldn't notice the increase in your quirk's optimisation. There are only a few things that can notch up a quirk like yours, and you're not using mods, therefore…" he held out his hands. "You've found a quirk that biologically matches yours. I've heard rumours about such resonance, but the studies are very hard to come by in my field, they tend to be kept under wraps for reasons I'm still trying to unearth."
Hawks stood in the doorway of his office. "Sometimes, Med, I feel like you just walked into my agency to spy on me."
Medusa laughed. "That remains a possibility. Fun isn't it."
"Arsehole." Hawks pointed to him. "If any of this leaks, I'm pinning it on you, Linin-Head."
"Patient privilege confidentiality." Medusa called back.
He could always tell when he was tired, because he used the stairs instead of just jumping down from the balconies into the main foyer of the agency. It was a weird contradiction that he always ended up grounded and forced to use his legs whenever he was overly exhausted, which seemed to take more effort than flying.
"Hawks, where are you going, shift isn't over?" Bubbles halted him as he jogged past her office.
"Tsubame is stuck in a meeting, so I have to pick up Haia from school." Hawks shrugged into his jacket, mindful of the acidic burns down his arms. Explaining them to Rilo was going to be a very interesting conversation. He could already imagine the tears.
"Hawks…the fact that you dote on Haia doesn't help convince the public that he's not your kid."
Hawks jerked to a halt. He turned back to Bubbles. "He's not my kid."
"I know, I know. It just doesn't help your case, that's all I'm saying."
"I don't care." Hawks made a circle. "See this, this is my zone of not giving a fuck. You're free to step into it, at any time. Now, if you'd excuse me, I've got uncle duties to get to, because apparently, that's what I signed up for when I got assigned to Tsu."
"You're too soft, Hawks." Bubbles yelled after him.
"Some people choose their family, Bubbles." He shouted back.
What was with today? It was like the entire Monday was out to get him. A villain. The clean-up. A ruined jacket. Babysitting duties. Bubbles being—well—Bubbles.
He was halfway out the door when he realised something.
"Why didn't I take the launch pad in my office…?" Hawks turned slowly back around, staring up at his agency. "Obviously, I haven't had enough coffee."
Well, if he was on the ground, he'd may as well go buy coffee.
One coffee shop later, he was in a somewhat better mood. Not by much, but just a smudge. The girl behind the counter had given it to him for free, and that had just made the day a little bit better.
Sometimes, hero work was worth the effort for a free coffee. Was it weird that he felt appreciated more by a free coffee than any amount of praise by any media. It was the little things. She didn't even make him go into the tight confines of the coffee shop to get it, which was even more of a nice gesture.
It was the little things.
He worked his way through the streets, greeting those who passed by with smiles and helloes. Some folk liked chatting, especially after a villain attack. There was always a buzz in the air, and he had made himself an accessible hero who was approachable.
People liked him.
Which he still found amusing.
His phone rang, and he breathed out in relief. He hadn't realised he'd been waiting for the call in a tight, anxious string.
"Hey, babe." He sipped the last of his coffee.
"Hey. You heading home?"
"Nope. Sorry. I've got babysitting duties."
"Tsu's kids?"
"Hm mh." He glanced at his watch, actually making sure he was on time. "Somehow, it became a thing. Still working out if she abuses my generosity or not."
"Well, you're a big boy, Keigo. You can work it out."
He darted quickly over the busy road, heading towards the schoolyard. "What, not going to comment on my toxic relationship with my colleague?"
"It's not really my business."
"You're my super-secret future wifey, figured you'd have a comment. I mean, my sidekicks seem to think they have a right to comment on everything I do. Technically, you trump them by a wide margin."
"I only know Tsu through you, so, it'd be an unreliable narrator situation."
"You're calling me an unreliable narrator?"
"Yep."
"Well, okay. I am deeply wounded."He studied his empty take-away coffee, before taking aim at a nearby trashcan. He pitched it, watching it dunk neatly into the bin.
"You'll survive, considering what I saw on the news today."
"Oh, you saw that." Keigo dipped his head back. His arms ached at the reminder of what lay beneath his jacket.
"I did." Her voice broke, enough that he knew she was probably sitting on their bed, covering her teary face with hands.
"That's what this phone call is about, I presume."
"Yeah. I'm sorry, I know you're fine…and I know I shouldn't worry—"
"No, Rilo, you're allowed to worry. I have a dangerous job, and worse still, you get to watch live vision of confronting things on television." He ducked under a tree in the school grounds. "This whole thing is new, give yourself room to freak out if you see me get hurt."
"Are you hurt?"
"I am a bit, but I'm fine. I'm walking around in a pissed off mood, and I'd much rather be home in bed with an icepack on my back."
"Well, you did fly all the way from Musutafu early this morning."
"And I've only had four cups of coffee." He sighed in despair. "I've got to sit down and figure out charge time."
"Oh, so you're finally admitting you feel better when you sleep naked with me."
He dropped his head back against the tree trunk. "If quirk compatibility is a thing, then, I shouldn't knock back what my wings lead me to…but…it's more than that." He looked up the branches overhead and the sky beyond them. "I'm allowed to feel like I'm not constantly exhausted, right?"
"Oh, Keigo."
"I should be allowed to not feel pain." He clutched the phone. "Am I selfish for wanting that, and asking that of you?"
"No. No, and don't ever think it. Please, come home soon."
"I will." He breathed out.
"Are you sure you're not that hurt?"
"Medusa wouldn't have let me leave if it was bad." He fought a yawn. "I did get your favourite jacket ruined, though. Which is a shame." He huffed, glancing up at the schoolhouse as the bell echoed through the yard.
"Jackets can be replaced, you can't. It's not the jacket, Keigo, is the man in the jacket that's my favourite thing."
He smiled. "I'm glad you called. Thanks."
"Don't push yourself. I'll have an icepack waiting."
He laughed. "Okay. I'll be home late. Love you."
"And I you."
She clicked off and he tucked the mobile away, covering his face with trembling hands to rub at his tired eyes. Right—he could do this. Just a few more hours of being Hawks. He flipped the internal switch, dropping his shoulders back and forcing himself to relax as he ducked out from beneath the shade of the tree. The chaos of the schoolyard was something else to witness, kids seemingly knowing where to go all at once, and yet, not really having directions. He always wondered what he'd have been like, if he'd ever attended such a place. He probably would have just sat in a corner and brooded, but, a small part of him liked to think he'd have made friends if someone had approached him. The Commission had forced him to become approachable and communicative, they'd practically beaten it into him, but he had always wanted to be a hero—to smile—to help people.
That hadn't changed.
"Hawks! Yay! You're here!"
Haia bounced enthusiastically down the school steps.
It amused him that the kid always took seeing him as a positive. Etio would be practical, realising Tsubame was busy, Jaku would have freaked out, immediately presuming that something bad had happened on the job. Haia hadn't quite grasped that idea yet. For everything going on in Tsubame's homelife, Haia was just innocent happiness and it was probably more of a testament to Etio and Jaku that he had remained thus. The little brat literally had no idea that his appearance was subject of many articles, or that poor Etio had endured quite a few schoolyard scuffles for it.
"Hey, hey kiddo." Hawks crouched, heaving the rambunctious brat into his arms.
"Why are you here?" Haia looked around curiously.
"Your Mum is busy, so, I'm on babysitting duty."
"I'm not a baby anymore." Haia huffed.
"Oh, yes, of course. Sorry." Hawks hefted him onto his shoulders. "So, boy of five-and-a-half, shall we hit the playground to wait for your brothers."
"Yeah!" Haia thrust out an arm. "Onward, steed!"
"As you wish."
One packet of sweet-rolls and another take-away coffee later, they'd made their way to the nearby playground that was the designated meeting place on such occasions. Haia bounced around Hawks' feet like a ball.
"Can I play on the playground with my friends now, please, please, please, please."
"Sure." Hawks thumped down on a park bench. "Stay in my sight though. No running off beyond the tree line."
"Okay!" Haia ran off, joining the assortment of other children on the playground. Hawks idly tapped the lid of his coffee mug. He'd never had the freedom to play on a playground as a child. He'd looked on in twisted shame at children who'd had the luxury of gleefully expressing themselves so freely, while he'd been a bruised and dirtied little mess that had snuck his way into the city to just—watch and listen.
Haia's happiness was something that had to be protected.
"Excuse me, Hawks?" Hawks glanced up at the woman lingering nearby.
Her accent was pronounced, and very similar to Medusa, which indicated she was a foreigner.
"Yep." He smiled. "Can I help you with something?"
"Oh, no, no, I was just…I'm the mother of Flynn." She pointed over the playground to a brown haired boy on the seesaw with Haia. "They're best friends, at the moment."
"Ah, at the moment, heh."
The woman nodded. "It can change so easily, at this age. Do you mind if I sit."
"Not at all." He shuffled aside on the bench. "Don't mind the wing, and don't mind my lousy disposition."
"Well, considering your day, you're entitled to it."
He rubbed at his neck. "Thanks."
"This is going to come out of the blue, and I apologise…"
Hawks raised an eyebrow at her ominous words. Gosh—he hoped she wasn't a reporter—he really couldn't deal with much else today.
He watched her fidget anxiously at her dress. Her fingernails were worn down, almost to the point of being bloodied. Stress—anxiety—now that he looked closer—the heaviness under her eyes wasn't from age, but a sheer lack of sleep, eerily similar to his own.
Exhaustion.
She was holding herself together by a thread.
"A few months ago, you…you…visited my daughter, for a few weeks…during her chemotherapy."
Hawks looked up, his chest constricting tightly. Oh. Oh yeah. He did do that.
"You sat with her for hours, took her on walks around the hospital gardens."
"That's where you're from." He clicked his tongue. "Thought I recognised you. "
"Oh, don't worry, I didn't hunt you down." She waved quickly. "Flynn actually does go to the same school as Haia, and they are good friends. I just thought it was…time that I said thank you, in person."
He shook his head. "You really don't need to thank me, but, I accept it." He leant back. "It frustrates me greatly that we live in a society that is so advanced, and so full of such wonder, and yet…we practically live in the stone-ages when it comes to diseases. Pisses me right off."
"You sound like my husband."
"Well, out of anyone, the two of you would be entitled to feel such frustration." Hawks offered.
"True, but, it does help, knowing someone such as yourself has similar misgivings." The woman continued to pluck at her dress. "I don't know, I suppose it makes it feel less heavy."
"How is your daughter doing?" Hawks asked.
She breathed in deeply. "Its…it's a long journey. I really don't know where it will end, but, I am trying to stay focused on the here and now. Making sure Flynn has time with all of us, as a family."
He nodded. "If I get the time, I'll visit again."
"Oh, no, no, you really don't need to."
"Being a hero isn't just about fighting villains." He took her hand. "It's also sitting on benches, listening to mothers with ill daughters, and visiting those daughters."
She gave a watery smile.
"And it's babysitting brats after an exhausting day." He looked back over at the playground, searching for Haia. He dropped his coffee cup, standing abruptly to his feet.
"Haia?"
The mop of blond hair was gone. Absolute panic overrode any and all thought. "Haia!" He stepped forward, only to bump into a boy at his feet.
"Hawks, why are you yelling so much. I'm right here, you silly."
He stared at the imposter child.
"Oh my gosh." The woman beside him gave a laugh.
He didn't think it was funny, staring at the two identical boys grinning at them both.
"Look! We're twins!" One of the boys bounced around excitedly. "Yay!"
Right—that one was Haia.
Hawks' wings dropped. No—no—no—it couldn't have been that simple.
"A mimic quirk," he choked out. "It's been a fucking mimic quirk, this whole time. Oh, gods. That explains everything." He thumped back onto the bench, burying his head between his knees.
The woman beside him began to softly laugh in sympathy. "You didn't know?"
He groaned, shaking his head.
"Oh, dear…"
Hawks gave a shaky laugh. Actually—no—this was funny. This was hilarious. Five years of learning how to cope with the media, learning how to cope with Osamu's vitriol, and navigating Tsubame's crumbling marriage had taught him more than any spy mission ever could have. Better yet, he'd survived the whole thing despite the Madam President's insistence that he couldn't make his own way in the so called 'real world'.
He looked up, smiling down at Haia with warm, overwhelming affection.
"You unbearable little brat." He squeezed the boy's cheeks. "I should squish you."
"With love." Haia burst out. "Cause I am loveable. Etio says so."
The woman stood, gathering her own son—well—hopefully her son. That'd be awkward if it wasn't, but he was pretty sure the boy in front of him was Haia.
"You sure that's Flynn?" Hawks asked.
They had a moment of looking between the two identical boys.
"I'm pretty sure." She scratched her chin. "Haia is…er…"
"Enthusiastic."
"That's the word." She clicked her finger.
Haia thrust out his chest. Hawks poked him and he squeaked.
"Okay, I'm pretty sure this one is mine." Hawks ruffled Haia's now brown mop of hair.
"It was lovely talking, thank you, again, Hawks." She gave a small bow and Hawks waved as they departed.
Haia pouted. "Aw, I wanted to play with Flynn!"
Hawks nursed his head. "Haia, have you been able to do this for a while?"
"Do what?"
"Change your appearance."
Haia shook his head, tears forming and streaking down his cheeks. "No."
"Haia, no, no, it's fine. I'm not upset." Hawks quickly held up his hands. "This is your quirk appearing."
"Like Jaku's shield?"
"Yeah, like Jaku's shield, but, instead, you…er…make a picture over your body, and, people see something different. It's called a mimic."
Haia frowned.
"Do you think you can change back?"
It begged the question; was the appearance they'd known for the past five years even the real Haia? It probably wasn't.
"I don't know how." Haia shook his head.
"Okay. No, that's fine. Let's work this out." Hawks tugged out his phone, flipping through the photographs in the gallery, bringing up an image of Jaku. "Focus on this…no…not on me…on the photo."
"Um. Okay." Haia took the mobile, staring at it intensely.
Hawks flinched at a sudden small pop. That had actually sounded like a little bubble had burst, and now, a little version of Jaku stood in front of him.
"Do I look like Jaku?" Haia asked innocently.
"Ah, yep. That's very…"
Unnerving was the word he was looking for.
"That's very cool." He tried so hard to be positive as he took his mobile back.
"Yeah! I am so cool." Haia flung up his arms. "I am the coolest!"
"Why are you the coolest, Haia?" Jaku's voice rung out. Hawks' wings tensed. Oh—this was going to be interesting. He stood to his feet, looking over his shoulder at the approaching older boys making their way down the parkland path towards them. Etio frowned immediately, noticing the change in his youngest sibling, but it was Jaku—usually so reserved and stoic—that had the strangest reaction. Jaku started laughing, and it soon turned hysterical. He dropped to his knees, clutching at his middle as he heaved for air.
"It's a mini-me!" Jaku grabbed Etio around the legs. "Etio! It's a mini-me!"
"That's…so weird." Etio whispered. "Hawks, what happened?"
"Well, Haia's quirk properly manifested." Hawks shifted wearily back to the bench. His legs didn't want to stand any longer. "Your little brother is a mimic."
"A mimic?" Etio breathed in sharply. The teen's shoulders dropped back and he slapped a hand over his face, giving a far to adult sounding groan. "He's been mimicking you this whole time! It's been five years!" The sheer desperation in Etio's voice needed to be heard, it revealed the sheer strain of those five years.
"Yep." Hawks sighed.
Jaku was taking it well, hoisting Haia up and bouncing him around happily, still laughing. Hawks was pretty sure it was just out of sheer relief. "This is such an awesome quirk, Haia! You are so cool!"
"I am the coolest!" Haia squealed.
Hawks glanced to Etio. "You alright, Etio?"
Etio slouched down beside him. "I will be."
Hawks settled a hand on his head. "I know you will. You're an incredible kid."
"Mum said she's five minutes away." Etio offered. "This will be a shock."
"I'm kind of hoping it will be a wake-up call." Hawks shrugged, only to wince at the motion catching on his wounded arms.
Etio anxiously fidgeted beside him.
"I'm fine, kiddo. Just a rough day."
"Mum shouldn't have called you."
"Your Mum is pretty lonely, and having a hero on speed dial is a bit of a life hack. She will eventually have to let me go though, like she'll have to let you three go someday." He ruffled Etio's hair, and the teen gave a wiry smile. "Go and toss Haia around for a bit."
"You won't leave when Mum arrives?"
"I have been promised coffee and food for my services today. I shall not leave until they are consumed."
Etio laughed. "You're so weird, Hawks."
"But the cool weird, right?"
"No, just weird."
Hawks shoved him away. "Go. Shoo. Shoo. Let me sit here in pain before your mother bulldozers into my personal space."
"Thanks Hawks." Etio skipped away. "Um, you can close your eyes and rest. I'll keep watch over Haia and Jaku."
Hawks shook his head at the teen. He'd been all of eight years old when they'd first met, and now the kid told him to get some rest like he was some ancient relic. Hawks closed his eyes, dropping his head back. Someday, he'd succeed in making a world where kids didn't have to grow up so fast.
He sensed Tsubame approaching him from behind, and it was amusing that she even thought she could sneak up on him because he had his eyes closed. Most of the time he saw more of the world through the quirk he'd inherited from his mother, than through his eyes. A speed quirk from his father, and a sense quirk from his mother. It was no wonder the Commission had wanted the lethal combination; when every feather was an extension of those two quirks. They'd had to leash him early, or they'd never have caught him.
Tsubame's head popped over his, invading his holy zone of personal space.
"Sleeping on the job, I see."
"Give me coffee." He held out his hand. "Or I walk away."
"Gosh, fine, fine." She plopped the takeaway cup into his hand.
He held the warmth to his cheek.
"I gather you also haven't eaten yet." Tsubame handed over a boxed meal from a large plastic bag.
"Nope." Hawks accepted it. "Thank you."
"The least I could do. I am sorry, for calling on you after a villain attack."
He forced a smile. "Well, it's not like you have anyone else."
"No…you're right." She sighed. "Please don't turn out like me, Hawks."
"Oh…don't…" he pulled away in irritation. "I am not in the mood for your midlife crisis pity-party. Go grow a pair."
"Hawks."
"What?" He looked up from the wrapped meal.
"Why…why is Haia…"
Hawks looked out to the playground. "Oh, yeah. So, Haia's quirk finally fully manifested. Congratulations, you now have three kids with quirks. One with selective invisibility, the other with a kinetic shield, and the third is a mimic."
"A mimic!" Tsubame's face had gone white. "Haia is a…mimic…"
Etio was heading in their direction, having obviously noticed Tsubame's arrival. He took one look at his mother and arched an eyebrow at Hawks. "You told her?"
"She noticed." Hawks shrugged.
"So, I guess this means, Mum, that Haia isn't my half-brother after all?" Etio asked.
Tsubame gasped. "What?"
"Oh, yeah." Hawks raised his brow. "Forgot to mention that one, Etio and Jaku, they've been under the impression that Haia was their half-brother."
"Since when?" Tsubame squeaked.
Etio dropped his head back. "Mum! Since like…he was born."
She stood. "No, of course not. Etio…oh…sweetie…no."
"Well, what else were we supposed to think, Mum." Etio flung out his arms. "You and Dad hate each other, Dad hates us because we have quirks, and Haia didn't look a thing like Dad. I'm not stupid. I had to protect him, and Jaku."
Tsubame covered her face. "Why did you never come and talk to me?"
"You never listened." Etio crossed his arms. "Hawks listened."
With that, the teen grabbed the plastic bag containing the remaining meals and headed off in the direction of the playground and his brothers. Hawks watched him go, feeling oddly amused by the entire exchange. He bet that had felt cathartic for Etio, he felt the second-hand cathartic release just by watching.
"You had that coming." He quipped. "You've had it coming for a while."
"Oh…" Tsubame whispered. "What am I supposed to do?"
"Perhaps actually start listening."
She glared at him through her tangled hair. "Not you too."
He shrugged. "The kid has a point. You don't listen. You think you do, but you actually don't." He turned back to his meal. "I figured out how to deal with it while working with you, but you're not my mother. I don't live with you. Thank the gods. You're my work colleague and someone who sometimes abuses my hero status and friendship to babysit her kids. I can tell you things, and you'll not hear me, but I worked around your selective hearing problem."
He sipped his coffee. "For example, a few weeks ago, I was worried about something, and you offered me advice."
"You thought you hurt someone in a high-speed catch." She still had her head between her knees. "When you were actually joking about having a one-night stand, right?"
He cocked his head at her. "Did you stop to actually listen to what I was saying instead of just jumping to a presumption?"
She slowly unfurled, rubbing at her swollen eyes. "For goodness sake. You were just worried about nothing. You over-analyse yourself and over think everything, it's extremely annoying."
"I'm disappointed." Hawks slumped back, throwing an arm over the park bench. "Have I ever, in the entire time you've known me, been worried enough about some random civilian, to go out of my way to give them my private mobile number." To drive home the point, he held out his mobile, flicking it back and forth. "The only way anyone gets my number is if they're important to me. I don't have random people in my life. That's too dangerous."
Her face went slack.
He pointed at her. "There it is. See, you don't listen."
She leant against him. "Is it all my fault then…my whole shameful marriage…"
He almost choked on his coffee. They'd circled back to the real problem then.
"Oh, no, no. Osamu is a bigoted arsehole. That one is not up for debate. You've developed a coping mechanism to his shite and it's made all our lives hell." He took her hand. "I really wish I had your ability to tune out the vitriol he and those like him spew, then maybe I'd be less inclined to want to murder my boss whenever I'm in her office."
She sunk back against the bench like a melted popsicle. "Maybe Osamu will be better now that Haia's quirk has manifested fully."
"Your optimism is either insanity or blind faith," he muttered. "But he's your husband—you're the one who has to live with him. If you want to try and make it work, that's entirely up to you."
"He's their father, Hawks."
"Yeah. I know." He leant forward. "Funny thing. You know I'd actually thought of the possibility that, because of your questionable taste in men, that you'd fucked my father while he was out on parole. I was so convinced by the possibility, that I'd gone as far as finding out where he was during that period."
Tsubame spat out her drink, choking and spluttering in a near death state. He didn't bother to comfort her as she heaved for air, clutching at his arm in desperation. She wiped at her watery eyes.
"And you know what I discovered." He cocked his head at her. "It was a very real possibility, hence, why I always kept you guys close."
"Oh gosh, Hawks. How could you—"
"Think it? Haia looked like a mini me. How could I not. I just couldn't shake the niggling doubt. My father is the sort who would have done anything for blackmail." He slumped back, letting himself relax and fold into the curve of the seat as he stared up at the twilight shifting over the soft clouds. "I feel so relieved."
Tsubame shook her head. "Okay. I'm sorry. You're right. I've put you through a lot."
"I could have walked away." He shrugged. "I chose not to."
Maybe it was penance—he really wasn't sure.
"I did kind of cross the line with us being colleagues." Tsubame sighed. "Might have abused your ability to quickly do school runs a little bit too much."
He idly kicked a foot back and forth. "Just a little bit." He pinched a finger and thumb together, mockingly holding it out to her. "Etio is still recovering from the embarrassment of me dropping him off and picking him up."
"How can a kid be embarrassed that a hero as cool as you drops them off at school?"
"Easy." Hawks flicked her nose. "When everyone at the school assumes their mother is having an affair with that hero. Gosh, Tsu, have some sympathy."
She made a face.
"What, sex with me is that unappealing?"
"Gosh. Yes." Tsubame held a hand to his face, shoving him away. "You'll forever be a child in my mind. Even when you're in your thirties, that image won't change. You walked into my office a little, mopey boy and we hated each other."
Hawks laughed. "Yeah, okay, we kind of did."
"All I saw was a lonely boy that I'd been dumped with looking after. I had no idea why, or how, you could ever be a Pro Hero capable of what you could do, and I hated all of it…the whole concept. The whole idea of quirks irritated me as someone who was quirk-less." Tsubame huffed.
Yep. He remembered. Remembered her lack of understanding on the subject, lack of knowing what a hero did, or was even capable of, lack of quantifying what a quirk was, or how he could apply his quirk. Worse—she'd never listened to his opinions on any assignment or case. Figuring out how to communicate with her had been his first true hurdle outside of the Commission. He'd learnt a lot that first year in the police force, and he was rather grateful for the crash course in communication skills, it had truly helped when making the decision to establish his agency.
Tsubame shook her head. "But you eventually let me see your world, and I stopped hating, and now I have three kids who I wouldn't have managed without knowing you." She wiped at her eyes. "Don't get me wrong, I still hate your hero work, and I hate what they did to you, and I will never get over it…and I am terrified of you someday ending up in Tartarus. Osamu threatens to put you away in there all the time."
Hawks snorted at the amusing thought of Osamu doing anything remotely noteworthy other than being biologically tied to three kids. "He's not really in charge of that, you know. He's the least of my worries when it comes to Tartarus."
Tsubame narrowed her lips. "Just stay out of trouble, Hawks."
"Keep your husband away from me, and I won't kick him in the balls again for calling me sub-human."
"Perhaps you shouldn't perch on his car."
"I could perch on his window and flick feathers at him like a dart board."
"Hawks…"
Okay. Okay. He was tempting fate. They'd both had long days, and she was emotional, and he was exhausted and in pain. "I am so glad we sorted this out." He lent forward, resting on his knees. "Seems like you and Osamu make kids with physic quirks. If only the man wasn't a bigot. He should be proud. Jaku could get into the space program." Hawks spread his hands at the sky, grinning at the thought. "Well, if he applies himself."
Tsubame took his hand, giving it a squeeze. "Stop worrying about me, and my boys. You need to start living your own life."
He looked over at her, smiling. "Oh, Tsu."
"What?"
"You really have no idea what I get up too." He laughed. "You just don't listen."
She frowned. "What?"
"Nah, ah." He waggled a finger in her face. "I remember you saying something about you not wanting to know about my sex life."
She pulled a face. "Yep, you're right. I don't…wait…" she suddenly narrowed in on him. "No, I do."
He heaved himself to his feet. "Just know I'm happy, yeah." He kicked back in the air. "Is that good enough."
Tsubame sighed. "You were supposed to stay sixteen forever, Hawks."
"Sorry to tell you this, Tsu, but if I grew up…they're going to as well." He motioned to the boys across the lawn. "Don't waste the time you have with them."
"You really did grow up." And maybe, just maybe, for the first time—she really did see that he had.
"Thank you." He waved, heading across the park. "See you Thursday."
0000
Keigo slumped against the balcony, letting it take his weight. He glanced at the red, brightly painted, bird seed feeder cleverly dangling from the balcony's sunroof. Slowly he reached for it, turning it towards him to catch the words painted on the front.
Welcome Home.
He snorted in amusement.
"Do you like it?"
"It's adorable."
"I haven't finished it yet." Rilo lingered at the entrance of the alfresco doors, unable to exit with the wires of the powerplant keeping her bound. It felt like he was standing at the mouth of a great draconic beast, and she was hanging there, slipping further away each day. "I wanted to attach shiny things to it, you know, to make sure it really sparkles, otherwise, you might fly straight past it to some other birds place."
Keigo smiled. "Didn't you know, hawks' mate for life."
She brushed back her loose hair. "Welcome home, Keigo Tamaki."
He heaved himself off the railing, stepping towards the door and carefully wrapping her in a hug, mindful of the wires ensnaring her. "Okay. So, don't freak out when you see my arms. They're not as bad as they look."
She nodded against his chest.
He pressed a kiss to her lips, brushing his thumbs over her cheeks to watch the light beneath her skin dance at the touch. It almost hurt more than his arms, the relief of seeing her, and just how grounding it was. His entire world had refocused, and somehow, he felt freer being in her vicinity than anywhere else. He could only hope Madam President never—
He froze that thought before it went any further.
"Do you want coffee?"
He shook his head. "I just want to lie in bed with an icepack."
She nodded, taking his hand to drag him further inside. "That I can do."
The studio apartment was—oddly—more disorganised than usual. Not that it was messy, it was just a little frazzled. It seemed worry made his Lightbulb a little less orderly in her routine.
With a wince he unclipped the back of his jacket and cautiously tugged it free of his arms to throw it over the couch. Rilo didn't even take a glance at it being left there; her whole focus was drawn to the bandages Medusa had strapped from wrists to shoulders.
Keigo pointed a finger under her nose. "What did I say?"
"It's not as bad as it looks," she whispered, her hands shaking as she brushed her fingers across the linin wrappings.
"That's right."
"Okay." Rilo murmured. "You're okay."
"I am." He yanked off his shirt, heading in the direction of the bed. "I gather you've been glued to the television."
"I had to turn it off halfway through the day, watching the villain fight was driving me a little mental." Rilo had ducked behind the kitchen counter to pull open the freezer. "But I turned it back on for the evening news, there is always a good update, and Bubbles gave an interview!"
She headed back towards him, carrying the icepack.
He paused from removing his boots. "She did? Oh. I never authorised that. Hm, she must have been annoyed at me for ducking out early and decided to go rouge." He yanked off a boot, ditching it at his pile in the corner by the clothes rack.
"Keigo, don't be so violent." She chided, placing the icepack down as she knelt, removing the second boot herself. He flopped back onto the bed as she strolled past, the long wires attached to her back crackling every so often as they seamlessly glided around after her. He repressed a shiver at the sight of them, and the monster that was consuming her. A princess and the dragon that held her captive. It was an ancient tale.
A pair of tracksuit pants were dumped on his face.
"You're starting to run short on clothes. You might need to move more of your wardrobe over here."
"I did. That's it, that's all of it." He kicked off his pants, pulling on the tracksuit.
"Best Jeanist is right, minimalist is indeed the word for you." She bent over him, cupping his cheeks.
"If I can't carry it, I don't need it." He kissed her nose.
"How many kids do you want?" Rilo's brow lifted.
"Why?"
"Well, you'll have to help ferry them around at some point."
He laughed. "That's what feathers are for."
"Oh, that's one of your technicalities, isn't it?" She teased.
"Yep."
"You think you're so smart."
"No, I know I am."
"Roll over, you giant goose." She waved. "Let me put the icepack on."
He picked himself up and rolled around, thumping back onto the silken sheets to bury his head in a pillow. They'd had quite the long debate about the bedsheets. Rilo liked soft cotton; he liked cold silk. He wouldn't compromise and she'd conceded, coming to her own conclusion that he did the more labour-intensive job. If she wanted to talk herself around to his side of debates, he wasn't going to argue her out of them.
But it was amusing.
"You sure you don't want a massage before the cold pack?" Rilo asked.
He breathed in deeply. She had no idea what she'd just offered, and she'd offered it so easily. But—of course she'd offered, right, she didn't know because he hadn't told her the history, and that she was the only one he'd ever let near enough to touch him, ever—ever again.
He managed to shake his head. "Thanks for the offer, but I'm too sore to be touched."
"Oh, Keigo…"
"It's alright, it'll calm down," he quickly assured before she started crying.
"It shouldn't be like this." She brushed his hair aside. "I wish I could take it away."
He curled his toes as she settled the icepack gently on his pack, and the contrast of the burning, liquid heated pain and the freezing ice was immediately soothing. His wings twitched in relief and he sighed.
"Just being here with you is enough, you know," he looked up at her as he shuffled his arms under his chin.
Rilo climbed over him, thumping herself down with utterly no grace whatsoever and he kind of adored it about her.
"Did you record the interview Bubbles did?" he asked.
"They'll replay it soon." Rilo stuffed several pillows behind her as not to press the wires protruding from her back against the headboard, as she wiggled up beside him, slipping beneath his wing. She pointed the remote at her control desk and the television blinked on. Hawks turned his head, sighing as the late evening news started.
"I don't think I've ever actually watched a news bulletin," he mused.
"Then this will be very interesting for you." She sipped a raspberry cola.
He'd actively avoided watching himself in action. It was unnerving. He knew there was a lot of media out there these days, with all the technology available as well as manifested quirks compatible with such technology. Very clear vision of villain battles, and disaster rescues, or any such circumstances that a hero may have been required to be on scene, could be captured.
A hero had to always be aware they may be on camera. His sense quirk had allowed to navigate the footfalls of such an unsavoury environment, but it wasn't entirely possible to escape the all-seeing eye.
As was evident on screen now.
So, that's what the car trick looked like from a different angle. Could be improved upon, but it wasn't so bad. It had taken longer for the villain to go down than he remembered, and that did bother him.
Explained his arms, and the ruined clothes. He'd been in the acid a lot longer than he'd actually thought.
Keigo sighed. Should he have been so reckless? He wasn't just—it wasn't just him anymore. Once he'd have thrown his life away to get free of the Commission, but now, it wasn't just about him. Did he had to re-evaluate how he fought?
Bubbles popped onto screen, her perfect, winning smile a dazzling example of why she worked so well for the agency. He chuckled in amusement at her play-by-play talk through of the fight, ending in her reasoning as to why she had to douse him in a Jetstream of water at the end to 'save-his-life'.
"Wow. She saved my life. She is my hero. I'll have to buy her chocolates." He shuffled uneasily, wincing as muscles pulled. Rilo bent over him, rearranging the icepack.
"You're going to be unsufferable to her tomorrow, aren't you?" Rilo brushed a wing carefully. His fingers twitched.
"Just a tiny, itty little bit."
"How did it go with Tsubame?" Rilo flicked off the television.
Keigo turned his head, heaving a sigh as he faced her. She was propped up against the headboard, a single knee raised and balancing a sketch book that she was working on. The whole vision of her sitting there, with the leery wires reaching up into the dark ceiling was macabre, reminding him that he had a time limit before her light blinked out.
"So…" he tapped a foot on the bed. "Funny thing happened."
"Hm?"
"Haia's quirk fully manifested."
Rilo looked up from the sketch book. "What, this afternoon, while you were with him?"
"Yep."
"Oh…Keigo. I'm so sorry, you really had a day."
"I did." His laugh was a weary one. "You know, I really did, but, I also feel I sort of worked things out with Tsu, so…it all ended well."
Her brow lifted. "Do tell, Mr. Unreliable Narrator."
"Where is my phone?" he asked.
Rilo ducked under a wing, and he laughed as her hands searched through his trackpants.
"Okay, no, that is not my phone." Keigo tensed up, his feather's rippling.
"I donno, feels kind stiff like a phone." Her voice was muffled from beneath his wing.
"Rilo, I fucking swear, if you don't get out from under there—"
She poked her head out, her face flushed.
"You'll what, make delicious love to me." She grinned, holding his mobile out to him.
"How do you go from being an embarrassed ball of squish, to daringly confident?" He snatched the mobile from her.
Rilo shrugged as she sat back. "Hm, I don't…really know who I am outside of these walls, and I don't know if I'll even like that person. Sometimes I'm afraid you won't either, but…I do like who I am around you…does that…make sense?"
He smiled. "It does."
Rilo breathed in. "Right, so, Haia?"
He held out a photo on the mobile, of how the brat had appeared.
"This was Haia."
"Oh, oh, my gosh, he really does look like a mini-you. Minus the wings."
Keigo propped his head up on an elbow. "Trippy, yeah."
"I can see why you were so worried."
"I was worried, I'm not so much anymore, turns out, he's a mimic."
Rilo gave a laugh, flopping the phone down as she gave him a deadpanned look. "Oh course. Oh gosh, Keigo, it's so obvious. It's to perfect a copy."
"I know, right? You look at that, and knowing it now, it's literally staring at me in the face. It's a mimic quirk. Osamu was stationed at Tartarus for months during and after his birth, so…I guess I got the honour of being Haia's first mimic."
Rilo flipped the icepack over. "One day you'll be able to tell him how much trouble he caused you."
"Little brat." Keigo grumbled into the pillow. "If our kids are that cute, they're going to get away with murder." Just like he could.
Rilo brushed at his ear, forcing him to look up at her. "You'll make them a world where they won't have to earn a living selling their quirk, not like us."
He smiled. "Oh, we've just got the negative end of the stick. It's not all bad out there. I told Tsu that one of her boys could aim for the Space Program, but I don't think she still quite grasps the idea of what their quirks are capable of."
"The poor woman." Rilo sighed in sympathy. "She had her entire life turned upside down because she got dumped with hero babysitting duties. That's what I got out of all the trashy hero magazine articles about you two. You went through a bit of a bad boy phase."
He grinned. "Yeah, I did a bit. I had so much fun fucking up the police station that first year."
"Should I send Tsu flowers as thanks for putting up with you." Rilo brushed a hand through his hair. "Cause it sounds like you mutually put each other through a lot."
"Something like that. Though, she did admit to me today that if I hadn't come into her life, she'd still be someone who actively dislikes quirks. When I first met Tsu, she had very little understanding of quirks, which made her job unbearably difficult. A lot of the police force, when I first arrived, were very hostile to the general population. It made working at the station rather…interesting…but…I did gradually wear them down with my incredible charm."
Rilo frowned. "But…that doesn't make sense. The police should be the most equipped for handling…well…society…right?"
He kicked his feet idly. "It didn't make sense, until I started to dig into how our governmental agencies are mostly run by the twenty-percent of those who do not have a quirk. Even the Heroes Public Safety Commission is mostly a non-quirk run institution. The bias is root deep, and generational."
"You've been delving into this for a while, haven't you."
"Oh, since I was…maybe…eight?" he squinted. The memories of that time—just—thinking about it made the pain in his back flare up. "Old enough to notice a pattern at least." Or to be filled with so much pain, from continuously having his wings ripped off, there was nothing else he could do but channel that pain into thinking—reading—observing—absorbing—
He breathed in sharply, realising her hand was brushing gently down his spine.
"Rilo…"
"You back?" She dipped her head, leaning over him.
"Yeah." He wanted to say thank you—but the words didn't quite make it out, she wouldn't have known what he was thanking her for.
"Okay."
He wanted to tell her to keep going, to please—oh-gods—do not stop. For once, he wanted—needed—to feel something other than pain. He dropped his head against his arms, sighing as she withdrew.
"Keigo…"
"Hm."
"You…you and All-Might…you…you will be careful, won't you? You're…you're up against…"
He took her hand. "We're being as careful as we can be."
Her smile didn't reach her eyes. He kissed her hand, rubbing at her knuckles.
"Did Medusa indicate when I should change the bandages on your arms?" Rilo changed subject.
"He'll redo them tomorrow when I go back in."
"You're going back in to work."
Keigo lifted his head off the pillow. "No rest for the wicked."
"Will it scar?"
"Probably not. Medusa's bandages are creepy that way."
"Oh." Rilo brushed at the bandages. "Wait, so, this is his hair? I've wondered that from pictures of him. How interesting."
"I donno. I stopped thinking about it that way ages ago. Quirks are as quirks be."
She returned to her sketch pad. "How's your back, is the icepack still cool enough."
"It's better." And it was, the intense burning heat had subsided, and it no longer felt like his wing junctions were being torn out from the flesh to dredge up memories of childhood trauma. He closed his eyes, focusing instead on the cool compress and the dripping water that trailed down his skin. The low hum of the powerplant had become a mundane background noise, to the point that when Rilo was removed from the grid, it was almost disturbing to hear the drop in the notes the monster made.
He smiled, noticing now the soft scratching of her mechanical pencil on her sketchpad.
"What are you drawing?" he asked.
"Well, I was sketching that shopping mall I visited the other weekend while you were training Baby Birdie, but something kept irking me about its internal structure so…ewww…I stopped."
"Alright, that's interesting." He scratched his stubbled chin. What was wrong with the mall that had bothered her—
Nope—
His brain needed to turn off.
Stop—
"So, now I'm sketching you and Baby Bird geeking out about Endeavour." She held out the rough sketch. "I thought All-Might would like it. Apparently, his apartment is a bit…er…scarce at the moment, and he doesn't seem like the kind of guy who'd bother doing anything about that."
Hawks mumbled into his pillow. "Women."
"Oie!" She poked him with the mechanical pencil.
"Men are very simple creatures, Rilo."
"Selling yourself a little short. I think you're rather complicated." She poked him again.
Keigo dropped his head back onto the pillow. "Coffee and sex, that's all I need."
He received an elbow in his ribcage for that one.
Her hot, flushed grin was worth it. "So, basically, coffee and cream." She quipped from behind her sketch pad as her skin began to change into a bright pink hue.
He laughed. Oh—gods—he laughed, and it felt so good.