-x- Keigo -x-
Keigo had a man's stretched fingers wrapped around his leg as he was dragged down before kicking upwards into his crotch and flipping out of the way. He groaned and his fingers snapped back. "Nice job, man! You're getting good at this!" Keigo praised, helping him stand up. The elderly man smiled. After so long he finally wanted to use his quirk so Keigo was teaching him how.
His personal self defense training had turned into quirk training for most people. He had been around all sorts of quirks and had seen them trained, so he was doing alright in his eyes. Orion was ecstatic with all the business Keigo was bringing in. It finally seemed like people were giving him a second chance by getting his help. Even if it was technically him getting used, he was happy to help and be accepted by somebody.
Just by his personal quirk training, he was making a lot of money and saving up to find someplace to live. As a roommate to someone first. He looked forward to moving out of the agency since he was still treated poorly. It had been over three months since he lost everything and hurt Touya.
His client smiled his dentured grin and thanked him formally with a deep bow. Keigo wondered how his back didn't give out at his age. Keigo smiled and waved him goodbye, took a break to eat some of his home prepared food and then got ready for his next client. Orion was so nice and Soho came to visit him sometimes, glad to see him doing well.
When his birthday came, he had nobody to celebrate it and just bought a small piece of cake and ate it by himself at the park near the geese he always came to feed. They liked him by now since he visited near daily. He even got to be near their babies while not being attacked. He talked to them, and liked to imagine they could understand him.
"Happy birthday to me," Keigo said softly. Sadly, this was the most celebration of a birthday he'd ever had. A piece of cake to himself was a huge improvement. He hoped someday he could celebrate with someone else. That someone would wish him happy birthday, or maybe even sing that song they do at parties.
After he finished the cake, he left his geese friends and went shopping for food. He was lucky that his status of unlikeable at the agency meant nobody touched his food in the fridge. After his little daily joys of working on helping other people help themselves, he wondered if he'd actually go back to ever being a hero.
It was hard to think about, and made him depressed, so he didn't. He tried not to as much as he could. Keigo was walking with his groceries when he spotted a kid with white hair and an angry face looking at him. He was holding a shopping bag from a clothes store. Keigo didn't recognize him, but was obviously recognized himself.
He tried to ignore the kid and got some takoyaki from a stand before the boy, maybe nine or ten, kicked him hard in the crotch. Keigo had been hurt many more times worse than that, so he didn't double over, but grunted in surprise. He turned around and glanced down in confusion. "Uh…"
"You tortured my brother!" and Keigo got a punch to the gut, being taller than the kid by many inches. Horror filled Keigo, as he hadn't met Touya's family before and understood why this boy despised him. He desperately looked for a parent, though he had no idea about the mother. Endeavor wasn't around.
He grabbed his shoulders to still him, and said, "We need to talk." The boy kept trying to hit him, so Keigo scooped him up squirming and shouting, causing a scene before they were somewhere more secluded.
"You made him disappear!" the boy shouted, crying now. "It's your fault!" Keigo didn't think that was true, but didn't mention his theory that Touya willing deserted his family. Keigo couldn't hold that against him, it wasn't fair, he left for a reason and stayed away for a reason.
"I need you to listen to me-"
"Shut up!"
"I have something to tell you and you absolutely cannot tell your father." This got the boy's attention, wide gray eyes. "Do you swear? If you tell him Touya's life is in danger. What's your name?"
"...Natsuo."
"Natsuo, your brother is safe and alive. I saw him. He's safe, but can't go home for his own safety," Keigo said. Natuso's eyes widened. "How much has Endeavor-san told you? About Touya's disappearance?"
"...Nothing. He just said Touya went missing because he was kidnapped and ran away cause of you." Natsuo sounded truly doubtful of what he was saying. Perhaps he didn't ever believe what his father said. And Keigo was disappointed with him, how he'd explained a lie to his child. Maybe he was ashamed that Touya left and didn't come back even after bringing a present over in secrecy for one of the kids' birthdays. "Where is he?"
"I can't tell you because even I don't know. He goes by a different name now, but I don't know what he looks like."
"What do you mean?"
"We think he has a different quirk than his fire," Keigo said honestly. "I believe he may have multiple quirks. He had the fire you knew of, but he also was able to regenerate. That's how he was able to live after - after what I and the Commission did to him." Natsuo's jaw dropped and he looked hurt, that his brother lied to him all that time. "Your father knows this, and so I never told him I know anything about Touya because I want to keep him safe. He deserves that." He said it sincerely. "I know it must hurt to know he lied to you, but he was kidnapped and hurt by the Commission for his quirk. He had to hide it."
Natsuo started to bawl his eyes out. "He risked a lot by bringing you that gift. He hasn't forgotten about you or your siblings. I'm sure he just isn't confident in his safety to visit. Once he's a legal adult, maybe he can come visit. I'm so sorry you had to go through this all," Keigo said softly. He took Natsuo's hand. "Some day, you'll see him again. Touya is strong. I'm sure he'll come back eventually."
The boy squeezed his hand. "Do you swear to never tell anyone what I've told you? Endeavor-san will come after me with a lot of questions." Natsuo swore on his life he wouldn't tell anyone. "I'm really sorry that I hurt your brother. It's my biggest regret," Keigo said in a broken sounding voice. "When I saw him again, when he heard I was around, I think he had a panic attack. I did so wrong, and I don't deserve forgiveness, I know that-"
"I forgive you," Natsuo said, shocking Keigo into silence. "You're keeping him a secret to keep him safe. Th-Thank you!" he cried some more. He hugged Keigo, who hugged him back. Hugs felt nice.
"It'll be okay, Natsuo. It may take a bit, but it'll be okay." And Keigo truly believed that. "Want me to walk with you back to your parent?" He nodded, and the eighteen year old escorted him to his frantic sister. Touya's sister. No, Dabi. Dabi's original sister, not those he thought were foster siblings. They might be so hurt if they found out Touya was likely in another family.
She saw Keigo and then looked to Natsuo in confusion. Keigo quietly reminded him not to tell anyone, and he nodded firmly. "Um, can I have your number?" Natsuo asked. Keigo smiled and wrote it down for him on his arm, as neither had paper and the boy didn't have a phone of his own. Kego waved goodbye, happy he made up and earned forgiveness by someone important to the situation.
He smiled and headed back to the park to feed the geese and ducks actual food that wasn't just bread. He didn't want to be the reason they got unhealthy. He talked to them about his encounter, and honestly couldn't wait until he made a friend. Just… one friend. Not a coworker or boss, someone who wanted him for him.
-x-
Keigo was sitting at a coffee shop with a potential roommate for a three bedroom house. He was excited to come, but was bummed when he was immediately handed a list of things he needed to do to earn his place, other than paying for half rent and utilities. It was list of chores and duties he needed to do with his quirk.
"Since you can fly it would save me a lot of gas. You'd do the food shopping. Your feathers can also do the cleaning and laundry. It's not like you need to think hard about it anyways. Also, I would need you to pick up things for me. Can you drive?" Keigo shook his head. "Then you'd need to learn, though you can't use my car, figure it out."
He was honestly getting annoyed with her. "My boyfriend comes over all the time, so when he's there you need to stay quiet." Keigo wasn't going to stay with her and follow orders. He was done with that.
"I don't think this is going to work out. I hope you find someone who will do all these things for you, but it's unlikely." She looked baffled he refused. He stood up before she could go off on him, and paid for his coffee at the counter before leaving. He heard her stand up angrily, and he just quickened his pace and flew away to avoid conflict.
What a bad start.
He got his next chance from a coworker at the gym who taught power lifting classes. She was buff as hell, and Keigo was convinced she could break his scrawny ass like a twig. She was loud and excitable, though, so it was always easy to tell when she was working with someone or a group of people.
Her quirk was a heteromorph bunny, with bunny ears, feet and a fluffy tail. When Keigo had a jackass client, she came over and slapped him on the back so hard he stumbled forward. "Great job dealing with assholes! Hey, by the way, heard you were looking for a roommate!" Keigo perked up, moving on from the hit. "I have a room open. Attached bathroom and everything!"
"I won't be running errands and doing all the chores, right?" She rose a single brow. "Interview with a woman who wanted my quirk to do her a bunch of favors."
"Nah! Just pay half rent and utilities!" she said. Keigo smiled, and said he'd consider it. Not a week later he was moving out of the agency and to a new home. He had nothing but clothes, blankets and a few books. Rumi thankfully already had the bare amount of furniture, a bed and a dresser, which was enough.
He deposited his things around the room, making the bed and putting all the clothes in his closet. "Damn, you have a lot of clothes." She was four years older than Keigo was.
"I like thrifting," Keigo said honestly. "Though I can never return them since I need to cut out holes in the back."
"I feel that. I have to cut holes for my tail, too," Rumi said brightly. "We will buy separate foods unless we want to share. It's easier that way." Keigo was happy with that arrangement. He was allowed to go anywhere in the small apartment but Rumi's room, which was perfectly fine. He was so happy his life was becoming more… normal. And he was glad to move in with someone who liked him instead of surrounded by people who didn't.
He finally bought a computer, and was happy to stay in his room and watch fun movies. He contemplated college a lot lately, but wasn't sure and didn't want to make such a big choice in life. He was afraid it would make him not want to be a hero anymore. That was all he strived for and now that he couldn't - at least for now - it was scary that he may move to something else in life.
But the public still didn't like him. He couldn't be a hero when he was hated. Hopefully it would fade soon. He just wanted people to stop glaring at him. He regret it already, he didn't need everyone reminding him of it whenever they made eye contact.
-x- Dabi -x-
"It's really not a big deal," Toga said surprisingly kindly the next day of school after he ran way from his embarrassing problem. "You said… you said you were hurt a lot, right?"
Dabi hunched over, hiding his face in his knees in their band room, the instruments lined up to be used. "I have PTSD," he mumbled. "I wasn't just hurt, they tortured me for days." The room was serious, Tenko looked furious, which was a new emotion. At least they didn't seem to make the connection. It probably would be hard to. There was little information on Touya, not his name or appearance or where'd he'd gone.
"Well, with all the shit you went through and are still going through, it would make damn good music," Shuichi said. Dabi gave a tiny smile. That could be true. He wasn't a writer, none of them were, but maybe he should try it. They all had their issues, maybe they could chime in and they'd make depressing music.
When they were in class the next day, Dabi noticed his english teacher often looked at him warily, kept an eye on him and narrowed his eyes everytime Dabi did something lax. Like put his feet on the table. He didn't say anything about it, but it was easy to tell he didn't like Dabi. The other teachers didn't seem to have too much of a problem with him because he didn't disrupt class, even if he made others uncomfortable with how blunt he was about saying certain things.
Well, at the end of the day before the club, Dabi took a Xanax after having a mild and unnoticable panic attack out of nowhere, and he was called to the office and had his bag checked. He didn't really understand why until he was told someone was suspicious of him having drugs.
"Who the hell would think that? Just cause I'm all deformed doesn't mean I'm a junkie," he said in a mildly annoyed voice.
The principal looked a bit saddened by Dabi's words. "I'm sorry this must have made you uncomfortable. Next time you need to take some anxiety medicine, bring it to the office to not make an unfortunate and misguided assumption." Dabi nodded, but this only flared an idea. He knew who'd done it, the english teacher was the one to walk in on him taking the pill in the theater room to avoid any students seeing.
"Hey, Toga? Wanna help me play a prank?" Dabi asked deviously. She grinned, ready for whatever had Dabi smiling so wickedly. So, Dabi was stealing pads and tampons from his foster sibling's stash. Every day, Toga would come up to him in the end of the hallway, and Dabi would slip her a pad in a small colored ziplock bag for Monopoly money, which looked legit from far away.
Pretty soon, they had many convinced they traded drugs during lunch and after school. It didn't take long for both of them to be called into the office with the english teacher, who looked smug. He wanted Dab in trouble, and if he wanted war, he would get it. "What have you been trading money for in the hallway?" the principal asked sternly.
Both Dabi and Toga looked confused. "Toga needs something. We trade."
"Trade what?"
"Pads and Monopoly money." Dabi sent a smirk and side eye to his english teacher, who looked furious. "Would you like to see?" he opened his backpack and showed the stash of pads and stack of fake money. Toga opened her bag and showed the same. The principal sighed, and asked why they were doing such a thing. "Just teaching a lesson."
"Excuse me?" he asked, sounding deeply annoyed.
"Not everything is as it seems," Dabi sneered. Toga gigged, and both of them were awarded with detention and their parents coming in. Dabi wasn't happy about this, he didn't want to disappoint Mei. Toga couldn't have someone come in for her since her orphanage leader was sick and couldn't travel. So she was let off the hook. Dabi, however was not. When he went home, he had the walk of shame, even if he was somewhat proud of his prank. It sure pissed of that asshole. He expected to be treated poorly the rest of the school year, but he could always attempt to get him fired for mistreatment. Dabi was sure the school would be happy, none of the students liked him because he was nosy to a fault.
When he got inside, Mei was cooking and Dabi slumped at the bar counter. "What's wrong?"
"I got in trouble. I got detention and you have to go into a meeting with me." Mei was shocked, since Dabi was always well behaved. At least in front of her. "It's cause me and Toga tricked our teacher into thinking I was selling her drugs." The foster mother was very confused. "Cause he had my backpack searched when I took anxiety medicine, I had to."
"How on earth did this 'prank' work?" she asked, not sounding happy at all. Dabi looked at his fingers, picked at his staples on his hands and explained his childish trick. Mei put her face in her hand. "Were you trying to get in trouble, Dabi?"
"Well… not really! I was hoping he'd just get pissed off but we wouldn't get in trouble. It's only detention!" he said quickly.
"You shouldn't joke about those things. It's serious. Why would you provoke your teacher like that?"
"Cause he's an asshole who gets up in everyone's business," Dabi said back defensively.
"He's still your teacher and you need to show him even a bare minimum of respect."
"I'll be kind to those who are kind to me. I have no reason to give assholes charity respect."
"Sometimes you need to do things you really don't like for the better good for you. You are making things harder for yourself. You need to stop. No more pranks." Dabi pouted, scowling before going upstairs.
The next day was very embarrassing and Mei apologized for his behavior, and told the principal he was grounded for a week. Dabi hated this, resented the choice, and didn't talk to her for days. Being trapped inside brought back awful memories, which he refused to talk about, so it was only the silent treatment. He didn't like it, but it was better than confessing he couldn't handle one week of punishment without feeling sick.
He finally snapped when he couldn't go on a walk. "I thought this place wasn't like my old home, but I'm trapped again!" he said when he was denied permission to go outside. "I get that I'm grounded but you could at least be sympathetic to my fucking history!" And he stormed upstairs, angry tears coming from his eyes before he left through the window.
It was the first fight he'd had with his foster parents, and when he got back, Asahi was very angry. Dabi locked his bedroom door and refused to answer it or even come out for food. He only snuck out to use the bathroom, and made himself food with a quirk. It was stressful, and he didn't want to apologize. He couldn't. He was too stubborn even though it was causing everyone stress.
It just snowballed and he started to hate himself for being an asshole who couldn't put aside his pride. If he did that, all he'd be was a broken mess, exposed to everyone but his therapist. Finally he was caught outside his room, with Mei sitting against his door. "Dabi, we need to talk."
"No," Dabi said defiantly.
"I understand how you feel and I'm sorry we reminded you of your old home. But you're escalating it when we should have come down from that time. I can tell you can't bring yourself to apologize, and I know there's a reason, so we should all just try to move on and be civil again."
Dabi stared at her and then looked at his feet. He didn't apologize for his behavior, but he did say, "I'm sorry you're stuck with a fucking mess of a person like me." And he headed downstairs and out to go on a flight.
When he got back, Asahi was with the girls on the couch while Mei was taking a bath. The foster father stood up and would like to speak with Dabi alone. The teen sighed and nodded, and they went to the outdoor chairs. "Mei told me what you said." Dabi was silent, arms crossed in a move to comfort himself. "You are not a mess of a person because you have a troubled past and a hurt mind. There's nothing about you that defines you as a mess." Dabi didn't really agree. "We all have problems, and we all must work through them. But just because we all have issues does not mean they can all be handled the same way. It's not the same, we're all unique. And Dabi, considering what kind of experience you had only a few months ago, you are doing an amazing job."
Dabi didn't respond, he didn't know what to say. "We won't restrict your freedom to leave the house again, it was the wrong way to handle a punishment for you." The teen finally nodded, twisting his tongue around and dragging the ball up the roof of his mouth. "Why don't you go shower and then we can have dinner together."
He nodded, and headed inside to shower, and then things returned more to normal. He could tell the girls were glad he was back, even if Sheri was annoyed by what a fuss he'd made over it. He knew it was childish and embarrassing, but he hadn't known how to handle it, so he resorted to anger and resentment. It wasn't like he'd enjoyed it either.
But at least things got easier with him spending time downstairs again, and eating good food. Not just bland crap he created with an unpracticed quirk. All of his stubbornness had been for nothing, and he was ashamed and embarrassed. He'd try to react better the next time he inevitably got in trouble for something.
Despite what Asahi said, Dabi was still a dumpster fire inside. He was just good at hiding it.
-x-
"So cold, so alone, all I want is a home
Living in an empty shell, I've gone through too much to land in this hell-"
Dabi said quietly, writing down lyrics as he tried to match a melody with his old guitar he took from school. He wasn't very good at it, and all his lyrics were super depressing, and he didn't actually want to share them with his friends. He was currently sitting on the dock he usually went to, it being evening with the sun slowly setting, a beautiful scene he liked to go to see as often as possible. Sometimes he just wanted to leave it all behind. His good life was sometimes too much. He didn't deserve it and he knew it would all come crumbling down eventually.
When he slipped up and people found about his quirk, when he was in the news, or kidnapped by villains, his rotten father would come and steal him away, and Dabi would be forced to run again. This time much farther. He could fly or swim somewhere else. He had an out unless he was locked in some concrete room.
Well, that was why he'd started collecting quirks again. Specifically a teleportation quirk. He had one, but it made him horrifically sick afterwards, as in vomiting for hours straight, feeling the world was spinning for a day. It left him weak afterwards, and that didn't make any sense to do.
He crumpled up his sheet of lyrics and tossed them into the water, watching it grow soggy, rip apart and sink after a few moments of floating. He huffed and stood up, stretching before he held his guitar by the neck in one hand. He stayed there until the sky turned from reds and purples to deep blue. Then he flew home.
It would all come crashing down eventually. He knew that.
-x-
Dabi kept his birthday from everyone. Even his foster parents didn't know. He didn't want anyone celebrating him and also didn't want anyone to find out and make it easier to connect the dots that he'd once been Touya. He spent it on the roof, eating a brownie with a birthday candle in it that he lit with his fire, the first time using it in quite some time.
"Happy birthday," he whispered, and blew out the candle, knowing better than to make a stupid wish. They never came true anyways. He burnt the candle into dripping wax onto the roof shingles and ate his brownie. He didn't need presents or attention or for someone to sing to him. He didn't need congratulations that he was born because it really wasn't anything to celebrate.
So his birthday passed in secret, and he was now sixteen. Old enough to get a job, old enough to drive a car. Two years until he was on his own. He sighed, looking at his hands and the purple stapled wrists. He didn't think that he would get off so easy with this appearance. Other classes were bitches to the three friends who didn't look like normal humans, but their own class didn't say shit. Maybe because they didn't really interact with them in the first place. Dabi had, on a few occasions, helped the girls out who knew he carried some products on him just to be nice.
The trio weren't assholes, either. Dabi was a dick to his english teacher, but other than that he tried to be a good person when someone deserved it. He still lived by his philosophy of respecting those that respected him. But that was a common way to view things, he wasn't an outlier.
He decided he wanted to go shopping for some new clothes, a new jacket. He was sick of his hoodies and it was getting colder out. So he took his allowance and went to buy himself a birthday present. He had one earbud in while he walked to the closest shopping area, and was surprised to see a parade. He had no idea.
It was fun, actually. He got some street food and watched some people street paint before he went into the store he liked that sold mostly black clothing. After searching around a bit, he found a nice, edgy jacket that fit his appearance. He smiled at the long coat with decorative stitches and a tall collar. He also bought some silver helix piercings since he mostly wore gold.
It was nice to pamper himself a bit. When he left the shop, almost wearing all black from head to toe but for a deep blue shirt underneath his open jacket, he was surprised to see someone standing tall over everyone else. He scowled at his father. His bio father, the shit bag. Dabi watched from afar, wondering the best method and quirk to use to ruin his time here even more than interacting with his unwanted fans.
Dabi went behind a building and changed his face and hair to something completely different and left his jacket under a pile of newspapers, and went back out. He used his very weak telepathy quirk that was usually not worth any effort and tripped him. He landed hard on his face, and the crowd went quiet.
The teen started a obnoxious laugh from out of sight, and a few others joined before silencing at the heat wave coming from the shitty hero. Dabi left, going on his merry way to fetch his coat and head home. What a fucking awesome birthday this was. Lonely, but awesome. His previous birthdays, his siblings did very little, but Natsuo always drew Dabi pictures since they were never given any money to buy presents for one another. The first present Natsuo had gotten was probably what Dabi had given him. The candy and manga.
He hoped they were doing alright, because he was doing just fine.
-x- Keigo -x-
"I'm so sick of waiting on the sun
My silver lining never comes
So sick of feeling not enough
Does hope hurt more than giving up?
I know that I can't be the only one
Sick of waiting on the sun
Stop telling me that there's a light at the end of the tunnel
Evеry time I believе those words it's nothing but trouble
I hate to sound so cynical
But I'm done chasing miracles
This fall it ain't worth the climb
Glass half empty all the time"
Keigo was watching a high school talent show video Rumi sent him. Keigo didn't recognize the cover they were doing, but there were four students, a guitarist, a pianist, drums and another guitar. The piano led the performance, but the one stealing the show was a teen with black hair, severe burn scars and an odd number of piercings for someone his age.
The former hero was ugly crying because he recognized the voice easily. It was hoarse as he sang, pouring all of his emotion into the lyrics. Keigo's knees were drawn to his chest, quietly sobbing because he was positive that was Dabi. He looked nothing like how he used to, but Keigo heard his screaming and begging every day, and it was him.
Keigo was one of the reasons this song probably was chosen, and why Dabi was pouring all his heart into it even as he played his guitar. The other three had set faces, serious.
"Give me a reason
I should even be alive
Help me believe that
Tomorrow's even worth the fight
I must confess, I'm terrified
That I won't make it through the night
Wish I could change my mind"
It was so hard to listen to but also impossible to turn it off. Once the song was over, the room was silent until a loud chorus of claps was made. Dabi didn't look happy with the reaction, but the four of them bowed and took their instruments away but for the large piano. Keigo saved the video onto his computer, and looked out his window to try and calm down.
His wings wrapped around his body in a comforting movement he was never conscious of doing. He looked back at the video and searched the lyrics in Google and found the original song. Compared to their performance, they'd done a surprisingly good job with the limited instruments and musicians. The rest of the video couldn't compare to the heartfelt cries for help that Dabi and his bandmates sent out.
They were a very tough act to follow. The comments below were mostly commenting on Dabi's performance. Keigo was disgusted to see a lot of people mocking the way he looked. He was sure that Dabi had somehow put make up or used a quirk to look like that. If he was in a fire that bad, he would not be healed enough by this time to go anywhere safely.
It sure was a good way of changing his appearance. He was unrecognizable. His hair was black, his face looked sharper and his skin color looked paler than before. Then there were the burns and staples sticking out of his face. Keigo wished he could apologize, really. He had never actually said it, and he wished he had.
Saying it over TV wasn't enough, he wanted to say it in person but knew it would be selfish to do such a thing. He sent Rumi a message simply saying the burnt kid was very talented. She couldn't read his mood through the message, thankfully. He went on a long flight, it being his day off. It started raining while he was far from home, so he landed and sat on a bus stop bench under an eave to stay out of the rain.
He had headphones on, but for music. He still had sunglasses, not a visor. He snuggled a bit closer in his fluffy coat, waiting out the rain. It didn't last too long before the storm moved on, but the air was damp and chilly and he heavily disliked it. He headed back to his home and moped inside until Rumi came home with a girlfriend, and they managed to get him to play Cards Against Humanity and it ended up being quite fun.
Rumi was a good friend and roommate, and Keigo enjoyed living with her. They cooked separate foods since she hated most of what Keigo liked. Her rabbit quirk stopped her from eating a lot of types of food, which Keigo was lucky didn't happen to him. He could eat whatever he wanted and be fine, but she didn't seem bitter over it. It was just how things were.
He went to bed with that song stuck in his head, but it was lulling him to sleep surprisingly easily. At least Dabi had some way to express his feelings.
-x-
Keigo was on break, doing upside down curl ups on one of the bars when his phone below him went off. He dropped down, his wings ruffle a bit until he fanned them out to realign the feathers, and saw it was Endeavor. Very odd. He answered in a friendly voice.
"What do I owe the pleasure, Endeavor-san?" he asked curiously. He didn't much like him anymore after how both Dabi and Natsuo wanted nothing to do with him.
"Why does Natsuo have your number?" he asked gruffly.
"Oh. We met once at a park and talked about things."
"What things? About Touya?" Keigo didn't know what to reply, so the silence was answer enough. "You already damaged one of my sons, I'd prefer you don't do it to another." Keigo's throat tightened, and the phone was hung up. His arm slipped down to hang next to his side. He sighed, and bit his lip to fight the tears. It had been six months. He'd finally stopped thinking about it every single day. Why did he feel the need to say that? He already knew Keigo was in no position to do something like that, and that he never would. Was it out of anger that Keigo didn't help him further?
He was so saddened and disappointed. His idol was a disappointment, and he was a disappointment to him. Keigo was just not hero material. He looked around the gym. The sweaty people, the annoyed women who kept getting stared at. He looked at the mats and his area where he was either treated very well or extremely poorly. Did he want this to be his life? No, he didn't.
If only there was a way to easily find out what he wanted in life. He wanted stability, and privacy and happiness. Maybe someone who loved him, forgave him for his mistakes in life. Nobody would date him and he'd be an annoyance. And why open his heart up when he couldn't even make more than one friend and his boss?
The world felt so small and lonely for him. It used to be big and vast and out there that he'd someday reach and explore. He still had his wings to take him there if he was ever brave enough, but he wasn't. He was just going through the motions with no clear idea or direction in what the hell he wanted to be.
Who did he want to be, and how would he get there when he had that answer?
He lost a teeny tiny friendship that gave Keigo even a little bit of feeling of forgiveness. Natsuo had made him feel so happy that finally, someone said they'd forgiven him. Even if it wasn't from Dabi, Natsuo was his brother and forgave Keigo. And now that was gone. He left work early, claiming he felt ill, and he must have looked the part.
The place he found himself ending up was the tallest building in the city. It was quiet up there, and he was left alone with his thoughts.
I'm so sick of waiting on the sun
My silver lining never comes
So sick of feeling not enough
Does hope hurt more than giving up?
The lyrics cut deep. He kept hoping things would get better, and whenever it felt like they did, someone was there to remind him of what a fuck up he was. A waste of time and so much effort. So much money had been put into him being a hero, so much time, and it was all gone. Such a fucking waste.
He didn't used to mope this much, but sometimes you just needed a good cry. He'd learned that more recently, after he realized and was told it was okay to cry. So, he finally fell apart, all alone in the cold up high above from the world that thought he was a monster. He cried harder than he had ever before.
Does hope hurt more than giving up?
-x- Dabi -x-
Dabi hated that he was put online, singing a cover for god's sake. Everyone thought he'd done well, that the four of them had done very well, but he didn't want to be online and risk Enji finding out about him. He didn't know if his voice was recognizable, but there hadn't been a hulking man pounding on his front door so far, so that was good.
He was still on edge, though. At least they hadn't sucked. Dabi had chosen the song both because he liked the lyrics and because it was a good chance for Tenko to show off his piano skills. He was a natural! It took a lot of courage for Dabi to sing even in front of his three friends let alone the school and then online.
The comments weren't looked at. He knew they'd poke fun at the four of them regardless of the performance, so they just ignored them and didn't pay attention.
It was that weekend that his friends finally found out what his quirk was. Dabi had been hiding it, his chosen quirk, so they had no idea how overpowered the shape shifting was. They were talking about getting jobs since they were now all of the age around when teens got part time jobs, and Dabi voiced the one he was thinking about the most. Which he researched and his specific quirk for it would make bank.
He desperately wanted to make his own money so he could move out securely at 18. He could find a place to stay near whatever college he chose to go to. "I want to work as a model. With my quirk."
"Dabi, I don't think you'd land a modeling job," Toga said, trying to be as nice as possible. "Besides, aren't you too young?" Dabi grinned.
"I forgot you don't know what my quirk is." He seamlessly shifted into Toga. She screamed, and Tenko and Shuichi's eyes widened and jaws dropped. He turned into an older version of his Dabi body, then a young child, and then back to normal. "Can you imagine how lucrative I could be to a modeling place. I could keep them from having to pay a shit ton of actors if I can be whatever type of person they want," he bragged. "They don't need to know my real appearance, or my age."
"Dude, that quirk is so freaking cool," Shuichi said, looking and sounding jealous. "Is it only other people?"
"Nah, I can turn into anything besides inanimate objects. Or like, plants. I can turn into animals as well," he said.
"That's soooo cool! Turn into a cat! Ooh, a bird! Oh, what about a horse!"
"Not enough room in here for any big things," Dabi said, feeling wonderful that his friends didn't hate him for his quirk. "I can fly places, it's super fun. Or breathe underwater if I take the form of sea creatures." A lie, but one that was close enough to plausible.
"Oh my god, do you know the pranks you could do? Beyond pretending your trading drugs for money," Tenko said. "Or you could commit crimes and go into hiding."
"Heh, maybe I'm already in hiding." Shit, why'd he say that. "I'm just joking. Point is I could get away with a lot of shit and never be recognized. I don't want to do that, since I don't feel like going to prison or anything, but still. So you can see why the model thing would work out." They were in Dabi's treehouse, cramped inside but it wasn't totally awful.
"I can turn into people but only if I drink their blood," Toga complained. "You have a way better quirk than any of us."
"I don't count, I'm quirkless," Tenko said, sounding pleased. Out of the four of them, Shuichi was probably the worst off. All he could do was stick to walls. It wasn't worth being ostracized for being so obviously heteromorphic. "What would you mom think about you doing a model at this age?"
"She's not my mom," Dabi snapped. Tenko put his hands up in a surrender gesture. Dabi sighed and rubbed his forehead, sucking on his tongue ring. "She wouldn't know. It's not like I don't hide shit anyways. I ditch at night and only Sheri knows and keeps her mouth shut."
He really did appreciate that his friends weren't the most positive people. They didn't try to convince him he'd be adopted and not just shucked onto the street once he was too old for foster homes. They were practical. Things would more likely go wrong than right. It was just how things were, and how they'd always been for Dabi. And for Touya before him.
Then Toga perked up. "Hey, if you can shape shift and all, why do you keep the burns? Are they even real?" Dabi looked concerned at this. He didn't need to look this way, he chose to look this way. They didn't have a choice in the way they looked, which they were treated poorly about.
"They reflect what's inside," Dabi said quietly. He looked at the staples on his wrists. "These are me. I will keep them out. I don't care what other people think, they can fuck all if I care," he grumbled.
"Must be nice, choosing to look like a freak."
"Don't make me make a reference to you being green out of jealousy," Dabi said. Tenko huffed and Shuichi looked annoyed.
"Why are you even friends with us when you don't need to look that way and have a super quirk?" Dabi was hurt by the way he was being spoken to. Maybe he shouldn't have said anything. His face went blank and his eyes drifted down.
"I don't judge you for your quirk, why the fuck are you doing it for mine?" Dabi finally asked, voice in an almost growl.
"Shuichi, knock it off," Tenko said in irritation. "Why the hell are you doing trying to provoke him? You'd think someone who can't hide their quirk would understand looks don't matter." The gecko heteromorph looked guilty, and apologized. "Let's stop with the quirks. It's not like he brags about it. We've known each other three months and he's never brought it up."
"Sorry, Dabi." The pierced teen nodded, but didn't say anything. He was still hurt that it even mattered. What would they think of his real quirk? Would they see him as too overpowered, too privileged, to be friends with them? Only his foster family knew about it.
He was in a terrible mood, and finally asked if they could leave for today. He didn't want to kick them out, but he didn't want to risk being an asshole. Toga and Tenko gave Shuichi a nasty glare of irritation. He'd started it, Dabi was just being open and honest. Apparently that wasn't appreciated. He'd keep that in mind from now on.
-x-
Dabi was reading a book on the hammock outside when his phone beeped. He looked at it to see he had a DM in Reddit, which he didn't use much, had zero karma and wasn't following any groups at all. He did everything he could to not leave a digital footprint. He had no idea if Endeavor was still looking for him since the wanted poster of him was no longer anywhere online.
He opened it and glared. It was from Hawks.
If this is Touya, I wanted to finally apologize. I've been avoiding it because I thought it was what would make you most comfortable, but I need to say it. I deserve every ounce of hate I've gotten for it, and I'm so sorry I couldn't do more to fix the situation and make it right. I'm happy you seem to have gone off the radar and are hopefully safe from Endeavor and anyone else that may want to use you. I just want to let you know I regret what I did, and I know I can't take it back. I know it was wrong, and I wish I could make it right but I don't know how. I don't expect your forgiveness. I am so sorry. -Keigo/Hawks.
Dabi looked at it for a long time. He didn't know if he was expected to reply or not. The apology seemed heartfelt enough, but Dabi couldn't be sure without hearing it in person, which he definitely didn't want to do. He didn't think about Hawks as much as he used to, thanks to the tactics his counselor gave him, but he still didn't look at anything regarding him. Seeing him was worse than anything else.
In Dabi's pain and fear riddled mind, the times he had nightmares about it, Hawks had looked like some sort of demon, a terrifying monster. Even though he really looked quite weak and harmless, how short he was with his baby face, Dabi knew the kind of violence and strength he was easily capable of.
He chose not to respond, and closed the app, returning to his book, though his mood was a bit soured, now. He wouldn't tell anyone about it, he didn't want pity or sympathy, whatever you wanted to call feeling sorry for someone. His friends didn't know who he was and he didn't plan on telling them. He didn't plan on ever telling anybody. He snapped the book closed around his ribbon bookmark and sighed, rubbing his forehead. He should go on a flight or swim.
The teen went inside to tell Asahi he was going out, and he nodded, currently braiding Hikari's hair for an adopter that was coming to visit. Dabi still didn't know what she looked like under her mask. The adopter was there for kids, not someone as old as Dabi, who the hell would adopt him, when he was two years away from possibly moving out, and was already hardened and angry at the world, no matter if he tried to be better, to do better.
He grew his wings and flew to his dock on the beach with his phone in his bag. He hung it under the dock so nobody could easily find and steal it, and dropped into the water. He stayed in human form for a few moments, enjoying the cool sting of the chilly water on his skin before turning into his preferred aquatic form and went on a long swim, far away from the shore, diving deeper and deeper. He could see alright though things were getting darker.
A shark was seen and he went chasing after it, the creature trying to get away from the large predator in disguise as fast as it could, but Dabi's clawed hand snagged it, claws digging into the skin and yanking it back. It thrashed and bit at him, but Dabi had scales all over that he'd created so it did no damage. The teen grabbed it's head and twisted, severing it. The cartilage wasn't as strong at bone, and the blood of the beast was probably going to attract other predators, so he left and swam back to the docks, turning back into his human body and climbing out.
He smiled and shook his head to try and dispel some of the water from his hair. He checked that all his piercings were still there, and then sat on the dock to watch the sun set. He wondered what kind of life Hawks was living. Was he happy, or was he absolutely miserable? Dabi didn't know since he hadn't seen him in the news in months.
At least by his message he sounded miserable. Dabi was by nature a miserable person and was glad when his enemies suffered. If Enji got stage four cancer, Dabi would probably laugh in his face as he died in a hospital bed. He was bitter and angry and held grudges like no tomorrow. He had no idea when or if he'd ever forgive Hawks or Enji. They were both assholes, but at least one of them owned up to his actions. In some way, at least he apologized. Even if Enji found him, he'd never, ever apologize for how he treated Dabi when he was Touya.
He wondered how his biological siblings were doing. He planned on leaving presents for them for Christmas that they never had. It would be based on things they used to like, so he wouldn't be updated on things they desired now. He planned on even getting Shoto something, any bitterness gone. There hadn't been too much anger at him, because he replaced Dabi and so he didn't need to be Enji's focus.
When the beautiful sunset was done and the night sky came, he left to go home. He landed in the backyard and went inside for dinner. He could never be held in one place for too long ever again. He was a free spirit, and if he was ever trapped in the future, he'd be out. Even if he had to turn into some sort of tiny animal to get out, he was a free spirit, damn it.
The potential adopter had already come and it went well so he and his wife would be coming a few more times to get to know Hikari. Apparently she still kept her mask on and the couple were so kind and didn't push or act as she was strange for her fabric mask. It covered her lower face and another fancy one covered her forehead and left eye.
She had been severely burnt, so Dabi assumed she was disfigured, but he never said anything about it. About Rika and her arm, about Sheri and her one eye. Mei was making dinner so Dabi washed up and went to help her prepare. "How was your flight?"
"I caught a shark. It was fun," Dabi stated. Mei didn't like him swimming out so far but he wasn't going to stop and she couldn't stop him, so she'd stopped getting on his case. Trapping him inside the home had already proven to be a negative experience. He didn't tell her about Hawks messaging him because she might just get bothered by it.
The cover song I used is called "Waiting on the Sun" by Citizen Soldier. I love that song so much. It exudes depression.