Author's Note: This collaboration between myself and RianMoeru first posted on December 28 for Hawks' birthday. It's an older fic that I'm sharing here for the first time. I will update once a week on Sundays.
Keigo kept his eyes sharp as he walked through the streets, scanning over the sea of faces and every alley he passed by, wary of any onlooker that so much as gave him a second glance. But thankfully he saw none, which was likely due in no small part to the fact that he had gone through the painstaking task of keeping his wings strapped against his back beneath his coat.
As uncomfortable as it was, it was a necessary precaution. The bright red appendages drew too much attention, making him stand out. Though most wouldn't care, given there were quirks that had far more bizarre or severe mutations, he couldn't risk the chance of being found by him. All it took was for one person to recognize Keigo and alert him of his whereabouts, forcing Keigo to flee the city he was currently taking refuge in.
He couldn't be found, he wouldn't be found. Not when he had so much to lose if he was caught. He would never feel the brush of wind again, nor the warmth of the sun on his skin. The sensation of flying in the open sky in those rare moments he took to stretch his wings. The freedom he had spent years longing for would be taken. Most importantly, he would lose—
"Big brother?" A small voice spoke up from beside him, giving his hand a little tug to draw his attention further. Keigo glanced down to see bright green eyes looking up at him from beneath a hoodie that were so precious and rare. They weren't meant for anyone else to see. "I'm hungry…"
Keigo smiled warmly in spite of the worries that plagued his mind, not wanting to give his little brother cause to worry as well. "Oh?" Keigo asked, giving the small hand a comforting little squeeze. "Well I certainly can't let my little brother go hungry, can I? What would you like to eat, Izuku?"
Izuku chewed at his lower lip, looking uncertain as he glanced away. "Um…Yakitori?" he said after a moment's hesitation, his eyes landing on a nearby street vendor that was grilling away skewers of chicken, the smell making Keigo's mouth water.
But even as his stomach growled, he raised a brow at Izuku. "Are you sure?" Keigo persisted, slightly teasing. "I don't mind getting something else y'know."
"Yeah." Izuku nodded resolutely, the expression endearing on the six-year-old's rounded cheeks. "Yakitori is easy to get! A-And it's your favorite!"
His heart warmed that Izuku was being considerate of what he might want. But at the same time it made his insides twist with guilt because he wasn't doing enough, wasn't providing for his nestling's needs.
"I can get you something you really like though. We could get Katsudon if you prefer," Keigo told him, but Izuku merely shook his head, the small hand intertwined with his own tightening its grip.
"I want yakitori," Izuku said again, and Keigo had to withhold a sigh. He shouldn't be surprised though. Izuku could be so stubborn, like all fledglings were, once he made up his mind.
"Alright," Keigo conceded, beginning to make his way over to the vendor, his feathers shifting beneath the coat. "We'll get yakitori then. And a soda."
"A soda?" Izuku asked, surprise coloring his tone as he looked up at Keigo with hopeful eyes. "I can have a soda?"
"Of course." Keigo nodded, the sting of guilt biting at him once more. "You deserve a treat now and again."
The smile his words brought to Izuku's face was so big that he thought it might split it in two, glowing with the intensity of the sun.
The sight of it made his heart hurt, that Izuku would be made so happy by something so simple. Another reminder of their situation when such things were a luxury.
Izuku merely hummed happily beside him, swinging their interlocked arms lightly as they paused briefly by the yakitori stand, the vendor watching them as he flipped a few skewers and set them out for potential customers. Keigo breathed the heavenly scent in deeply before walking away, ignoring the way the vendor's eyes narrowed suspiciously at them. Keigo glared in turn, causing the man to scoff and roll his eyes.
He was unbothered by such looks, long used to them, but he wasn't going to suffer anyone staring at Izuku. Especially not with something as unwarranted as disdain.
In truth, Keigo would have preferred it if Izuku had remained in their 'home', away from the prying eyes of others.
He needed to stay safe. Izuku shouldn't have left the confines of their nest, shouldn't be walking out in the open like this where he could so easily be stolen.
Keigo needed to take him back, wanted to take him back to the nest, where he could keep him safe and hidden, where no one but Keigo could find him. He would take care of Izuku, tend to his every need and want. Because Izuku was HIS, no matter what he said.
He had to go back, back to the nest, now. They had already been out for far too long. He couldn't stand it a moment longer, not when his nestling was so vulnerable—
No, NO! He couldn't think like that! Keigo reprimanded himself as his chest was heaving with anxiety and sweat beaded down the side of his face. He forced the feathers that had been bristling under his clothes to settle, struggling to recollect himself.
Izuku needed to get out for a change, to feel the sun and stretch his legs. It wasn't good for him to be cooped up all the time, no matter how much Keigo worried for his safety because he was so small and helpless—
Keigo shook his head, trying to physically shake the thoughts off when he heard a cry of alarm from behind. He glanced back, to see the vendor was raising a fuss over some missing yakitori. He'd never noticed the red feathers floating over to snag his meat.
Keigo had no money and no identification to get a legal job, ever since running away from him. Although Keigo's conscience would prefer to steal from villains, it would only take one of them telling tales to their master, and then both Keigo and his little brother would be dragged back. Keigo shuddered to remember that place, a seemingly luxurious house with metal walls and no doors.
Beside him, Izuku jumped up and down excitedly, taking hold of several skewers as feathers unwrapped around them and slipped back into Keigo's sleeve. He shuddered as he felt the stain of sauce on the edges. He'd have to preen them later.
"Here!" Izuku chirped happily, handing Keigo more than his fair share before taking a large bite out of his own. Keigo couldn't help but smile, taking hold of the skewers and a soda that floated nearby, popping it open and handing it to Izuku. He chuckled when stars appeared in the boy's eyes, taking it with glee. "Thank you, big brother!"
"Anything for you, little brother."
The two brothers strolled down the street. The brick buildings grew older and less well-repaired as they headed towards their home. Finally, they reached a square building with paint torn off to reveal the bricks underneath. The lower part of the building had exposed white plaster with vulgar graffiti scrawled across it. Rust covered the gutters on top. The windows had been boarded up.
Without an ID or a bank account, Keigo could not rent an apartment. Instead, he'd found a condemned apartment building and chased off the quirk traffickers squatting there. Since All for One refused to work with quirk traffickers, it had been fairly safe to fight them. Since then, Keigo had worked on repairing his little nest with shinies he'd stolen from around the city.
Slipping a key out of his feathers, Keigo undid the padlock on the door. Then he lifted Izuku up over the cans strung like a wire trap along the hallway and set him on the other side. Keigo stepped over them himself and shrugged off his coat. Since they could not afford an alarm system, Keigo had strung up rows of rusty cans at every entrance and exit point. The safety of the nest was paramount.
The house needed to look abandoned to keep away trouble, but Keigo had been able to make the inside look nicer than the outside. The wooden floor of the hallway was scuffed up but clean. Keigo had taken a week to carefully paint all the walls pale green, his little brother's favorite color. The lights overhead didn't work, so instead Keigo had hung battery-powered lanterns from the walls.
The rattling of a can by the window made Keigo's head shoot up. He growled low in the back of his throat and shot forward into the room. Intruder! Protect the nest!
A boy perhaps six or seven froze with one leg out the window. He had a black raven's head. Keigo, about to attack, pulled back his feathers. A little nestling, too young to even fly. Who let such a young one out of the nest in this sad state? Keigo felt a surge of protectiveness. This boy might not be his family, but he was still one of his kind. And the boy did not look healthy. He was far too skinny, his dirty and ragged shirt hanging off his frame. His toes poked out of his sneakers. His filthy feathers begged for a proper preening.
The boy shook from head to toe, whispering, "I'm sorry. I didn't know someone else already lived here. I'll go."
"Wait!" Izuku cried, rushing forward. He offered his very last yakitori, smiling warmly at the boy. "You look hungry."
The raven boy's stomach growled. He glanced at Keigo warily. Keigo nodded and smiled without too much teeth. Slowly, hands shaking, the boy took the stick. Then he shoved the meat into his mouth and swallowed it in nearly one gulp.
Izuku's smile brightened even more. "What's your name? I'm Izuku, and this is my big brother Keigo."
"I'm Fumikage Tokoyami. I used to have a family, but they…they died." Darkness rose off the boy's shoulders. "This is Dark Shadow, my quirk. He can talk, but he hasn't said much since we ran away from the mean people. Do you have a last name?"
Izuku said, "I do, but it's supposed to be a secret. I had a fake last name but I forgot it."
Keigo sighed. "We're Takamis now." Not Shigarakis. Never Shigarakis again.
"My brother always preens me after we come home. You should stay and clean up too," Izuku insisted, his smile infectious.
Fumikage clutched his shirt. "Will there be more food?"
Keigo hesitated. He had his hands full looking after his little brother. It might not be safe for this child to stay, not when he was hunting them. But it was very hard for Keigo to say no to Izuku. Ever since they'd left home, Izuku had been sad. He missed their father, fancy food, and all his toys. At the least, Keigo could let Izuku have a friend his own age. Izuku never had that in the vault. Besides, Keigo's instincts screamed at him that he could not let such a tiny and frail nestling return to the streets all alone.
Extending a hand, Keigo said, "I'll get you some more food, but first we need to clean you off and find you a change of clothes." Fumikage was currently shedding dirt all over the floor.
This place didn't have electricity, but the plumbing still worked. Keigo filled the bathtub partway. Then he heated up a huge pot of water over the fireplace and added that to make it hot.
Thankfully he still had some soap he could use, as well as some shampoo and conditioner, which was a blessing unto itself. Izuku's untamable hair was difficult to brush even with it, and Keigo would prefer not to have to steal another brush to replace yet another of their growing collection of broken ones.
After ensuring Izuku's hair was clean and free of bugs, Keigo washed away the shampoo and worked in the conditioner into his green curls, leaving it to soak for a while before he rinsed it out.
He then did the same to Fumikage, whose hair (feathers?) were far dirtier than Izuku's were. Keigo grimaced at the sight. Fumikage must have been on the streets by himself for some time then. Even as he found himself mildly impressed that Fumikage was able to survive on his own for even a short time, pity for him welled up in Keigo as no nestling should be left to fend for themself. Keigo shifted closer so he could properly preen his feather-like hair.
The boy grumbled after a moment and swatted Keigo's hand away when he grabbed the shampoo, insisting that he could do it himself. Keigo merely shrugged, turning his attention back to Izuku to finish his hair. Izuku laughed as water was poured over his head, bringing a small smile to Keigo's face as he brought the brush up to detangle Izuku's curls, leaving a touch of the conditioner in to keep them as such. As he did so, Izuku splashed Fumikage with some of the still warm water, causing the boy to sputter before doing the same, a little grin on his beak, and resulting in a splash war between them.
Keigo felt his heart warm, happy that Izuku was happy.
Once finished, the water was significantly dirtier than it had been at first, but the boys were squeaky clean. Or as clean as they could be, given their circumstances. Fumikage had dirt under his nails that would be difficult to remove. They dried off, and Keigo brought them a fresh change of clothes to put on, Keigo helping Izuku with his. Thankfully Izuku and Fumikage were roughly the same size.
When Fumikage's stomach growled and the boy glanced away with a blush burning in his cheeks, Keigo slipped into the kitchen to rummage through the cabinets for snacks–of which they did not have many. He eyed the bag of jerky sitting inside longingly. He had wanted to eat it himself, but then he thought of how skinny Fumikage was…
A nestling's needs came before his own wants. He couldn't ignore his chirps of hunger.
With a sigh Keigo took the bag, ripping it open and ignoring the tantalizing smell that drifted upward and grabbed a cup of water as well before he made his way back to where Izuku and Fumikage were waiting. Fumikage's eyes shot to him warily as he walked in, then drifted to the bag of jerky, a hungry look in his gaze.
"Here." Keigo offered it out for the boy to take, who hesitated for only a moment before snatching the bag out of his hand. Fumikage wasted no time in scarfing it down, shoving handfuls of jerky into his mouth and audibly swallowing with a hard noise and a cough that made Keigo wince. "Try not to eat so fast or you'll upset your stomach." He offered the water for him to drink. Fumikage took the water, downing half the glass at once. "And don't drink too fast either!" he chided gently.
All too soon the bag was empty, and Fumikage's eyes flicked nervously to Keigo.
"…Thank you," he murmured, his gaze on the floor.
"I can't let you go hungry, can I?" Keigo mused, patting his head gently with a smile. Fumikage tightened the grip he had on his shirt, but Keigo merely ruffled his feathers one more time before moving over to Izuku, placing a hand on his back. "Alright, it's time for bed," Keigo informed them through a yawn, stifling it with the back of his hand.
"Aw, but I wanted to play with Fumikage a little!" Izuku pleaded with him, staring at him with those large, precious green eyes of his. "Please big brother? Can we stay up a little longer?"
Keigo felt himself wavering under his gaze, even as a curl of possessiveness surged through his chest at the thought of Izuku wanting to spend time with Fumikage rather than him.
"You can play in the nest for a little bit," Keigo eventually conceded, unable to say no. "But then you need to go to bed, okay?" Keigo said sternly. He wanted Izuku to stay on a routine sleep schedule as much as possible or he wouldn't develop properly, would always be small and frail.
"Okay!" Izuku agreed easily, beaming at Keigo and practically bouncing on his feet. He took Keigo's hand in his own, eagerly heading to their bedroom. Keigo hummed a soft tune as he let Izuku take the lead.
"Can I stay?" Fumikage asked, sounding nervous. His shadow wavered behind him.
"If you don't have anywhere to go, then I'll look after you," Keigo said, smiling and trying to look trustworthy. "We're both birds, after all."
Looking down, Fumikage nodded. It was potentially dangerous, how easily he agreed to stay with a strange adult. He must be desperate. He was also probably new to the streets, or he would have been snatched up by traffickers already. Their agents could appear very kind.
"I'll show you the nest." Izuku bounced up and down with excitement.
"…The nest?" Fumikage repeated, sounding very confused as he followed Keigo and Izuku through the halls.
"Yeah!" Izuku nodded. "It's where we sleep!" Izuku stopped by a door and opened it up to reveal a room with a circular arrangement of many, many blankets, sheets and pillows. "See?" Izuku pointed. When Fumikage only looked more confused, Izuku tilted his head a little. "Didn't you have a nest back at home?"
"No?" Fumikage responded, and his answer left Izuku looking completely bewildered. "I had a bed…"
"Oh," Izuku said. "I've never had a bed before."
Keigo cleared his throat. "A nest is proper for a baby bird."
Fumikage circled around the mass of pillows, poking one of them. "It feels soft as a bed." With this stamp of approval, he curled up in the blankets.
Izuku settled down into the nest, smoothing out a section as he said, "I wanna play with blocks. Can we, big brother?"
With a smile, Keigo brought over a box of wooden blocks that he'd carved personally from some of the broken wood lying around the abandoned house. He'd carefully polished the wood to prevent any splinters. Izuku and Fumikage started building a tower. Keigo watched them, content to let them play and keep an eye on them. Soon they had constructed a magnificent, wobbling tower. As Izuku placed a pointy block on top, the whole structure swayed. Dark Shadow shot out a wing and held it up.
Keigo thought it was a good sign that Dark Shadow was coming out even briefly. But as soon as the shadow noticed the adult watching him, it vanished. The tower fell down.
"Oh, well." Izuku yawned sleepily. "We built a good tower." He lay down close to Keigo, snuggling into his pillow.
Keigo swept away the blocks, turned on their tiny fan, and turned off the lantern. Then he lay down between the two children. "Good night."
"Mmm hmm." Izuku fell asleep immediately, Keigo tucking his wing over Izuku protectively.
Fumikage stayed up a bit longer. Keigo waited until the boy had drifted off before he finally closed his own eyes and slept.
Keigo woke up early. There was a grocery truck that unloaded every Wednesday morning a few blocks away. Keigo had been slipping off small items, not enough for anyone to notice. He hated to leave the children alone, but he also could not let them go hungry.
Today's haul included a bag of hot dog buns. After Keigo toasted them and applied a bit of butter, they could pass as breakfast.
Keigo let the children wake up on their own. There was nowhere to be today, no need to interfere with their rest so they could sleep in as long as they wanted. Izuku roused first, his stirring waking up Fumikage.
Keigo entered the room holding two clean T-shirts and shorts. "Fumikage, luckily you can wear the same size as Izuku."
Rubbing sleep from his eyes, Izuku held out his arms and let his older brother change him into a fresh shirt.
When Keigo turned to the other boy, Fumikage had already changed his clothing. Keigo blinked, astounded. "You can get dressed on your own?"
"Of course I can." Fumikage sounded hurt, as if he suspected he was being mocked.
Izuku hid a big yawn behind his hand, mumbling, "Big brother helps me change. Dad used to, before we left. But I could do it on my own if I wanted." He picked up the shorts and put them on. It took him two tries, but he fastened the buttons.
Keigo's wings trembled from shock. Their father had always helped Izuku get dressed every morning, so naturally Keigo had taken over the job after they'd run away. Apparently it was normal for children to get dressed on their own? Keigo wondered what age he should have started letting his little brother dress himself.
Their dining table was a rickety card table that Keigo had found in a dumpster. A wooden block propped up a partly broken leg. The chairs were mismatched: a folding chair, an office chair, and an orange armchair. Keigo filled three glasses with water. They did not have plates, so instead Keigo used paper towels that he'd stolen off the truck. He hesitated, not sure which nestling to feed first. They were both so tiny and hungry. In the end, Keigo held up a piece of toast in each hand toward each child.
Izuku took a bite right away. Then his eyes lit up. "You got butter! Thank you, big brother."
Dark Shadow reached out and snatched the toast. Fumikage picked it up, eating rapidly and licking the crumbs off his fingers. "I don't need you to feed me, I'm not a baby."
"I'm not a baby either," Izuku said indignantly. "It's normal for birds. Right, big brother?"
"Er…" In truth, Keigo had no idea what was normal or not after growing up with All for One. Keigo knew that he who did not deserve to be called father had been overprotective to the point of controlling. But Keigo did not know much about life outside the vault. He was fully prepared to believe that Fumikage was right. "Whatever you want, baby bird," he said weakly.
"I'll try eating for myself," Izuku resolved with a tiny nod. Keigo let his little brother take the bread, ignoring the pang in his heart.
After breakfast, Keigo said, "I'll go fetch the books." He'd been teaching Izuku the best he could from a couple old textbooks, since they couldn't go to school.
As soon as Keigo was alone, he gripped the wall and hyperventilated. He felt starkly exposed as an unfit parent and brother. He had no idea what he was doing.
Keigo only dimly remembered the days before he'd lived in the vault. His mother had been neglectful and she'd gone out with a string of angry and violent men. Keigo had to do everything for himself, including stealing food because there was never enough around. Then his father had found out about him (All for One had been very angry that he hadn't known he had a son) and came to take him home. Keigo had been delighted to live in the vault, where he had toys, food, a soft nest, TV, hot water and the unconditional love of a parent. It had been everything he'd ever dreamed of and more.
One day, All for One had brought home a precious baby with green hair. Keigo had been very happy to be an older brother, because it did get lonely in the vault sometimes. His father had shown him how to look after his little brother while he was away at 'work'.
Izuku had quickly become more important to Keigo than everything. Although Keigo had been willing to give up sunlight forever for himself, he could not bear for his little brother to never be allowed to spread his wings. When Keigo had begged to take Izuku outside, he'd only gotten into trouble. Finally Keigo had had enough and gathered the courage to take Izuku and run away. Izuku had not understood why they had to leave or where all his toys had gone but Keigo knew he would someday.
Had Keigo turned into the one smothering his little brother? Had he become what he'd tried to protect Izuku from?
Keigo took a deep breath and stilled his shaking wings. Everything would be okay. Now Keigo knew he'd been a bit too overprotective, and he could work on stepping back and letting Izuku become more independent. Fumikage's arrival had been good for them. Keigo could use this to recalibrate his sense of normal. No matter what, Keigo would not turn into his father.
His resolve steeled, Keigo resumed his pace to gather the books and headed back. They may not have been much, but he would be damned if he didn't at least try to give Izuku a proper education. Thankfully, Izuku enjoyed his studies, quickly grasping onto reading, writing and basic math.
"I managed to get a new storybook for us to read," Keigo informed the children once he returned, placing the books carefully onto the table. Izuku beamed, while Fumikage made a little face at the sight of them. Keigo felt a pang of anxiety, wondering if he had done something odd again. But his worries were soothed when Fumikage spoke up.
"Do we really gotta study?" he grumbled, staring at the books as though they had personally offended him.
"Unfortunately, yes," Keigo told him with a small huff of laughter. "Can't get far in life unless you know your letters and numbers I'm afraid."
Fumikage grumbled a bit more, but Izuku happily took the book, prying it open. "Can you sit next to me, big brother? I wanna read it together!" Izuku said.
"Of course." Keigo obliged easily, moving his chair so that he was sitting between the two. "Why don't you start? You and Fumikage can take turns reading. I'll help you if you come across a word you don't know."
"Okay!" Izuku nodded cheerfully, beginning to read, taking delight in the pictures strewn about the book, laying the book out on the table for all of them to see. Roughly half-way through he passed it over to Fumikage, who took it with a grumbling noise, even as his eyes sparkled a little. Fumikage, however, struggled more than Izuku did, Keigo patiently helping him with a few words here and there.
Afterwards they moved on to math, Keigo having to vocally explain the equations as they didn't have pencils or paper, something he needed to work on getting as they had run out a few days ago. Some crayons too. Izuku loved to draw, and he was sure Fumikage would too.
He started with very simple problems, to see where Fumikage was at compared to Izuku, and quickly learned that he wasn't as adept in the subject as him. Although Izuku was a very bright boy, this also suggested Fumikage's education had been spotty even before he'd run away from home. Fumikage crossed his arms and laid his head on the table, clearly bored with math while Izuku answered excitedly.
After an hour or two, Keigo stood up from the table, deciding that that would be enough for now, especially given how Fumikage was nodding off.
"Let's go back to the nest for now. You two can take a break and play for a while," Keigo told them. Fumikage responded by pushing out of his chair with a yawn, Izuku hopping out of his and staying by his side. Keigo resisted the urge to scoop him up and carry him back, instead allowing Izuku to walk with Fumikage.
Once there, Keigo tidied up the nest, smoothing out the blankets and fluffing their pillows. While he did that, Izuku looked over his sparse collection of toys, picking out a matchbox car and a plush toy made in the likeness of a flaming hero. Keigo had stolen it from a local store after seeing how longingly Izuku had been staring at the rows and rows of toys. Izuku hadn't asked for it, but Keigo hadn't been able to deny the silent request.
"Which one do you want to play with?" Izuku asked Fumikage as he held them both out.
"Endeavor?" Fumikage asked, looking a little nervous before Izuku happily gave him the toy, and he clutched it close to his chest. "…Thank you," he said softly.
"Did you used to have lots of toys back at home?" Izuku asked curiously once he settled in the nest, driving his little car over the covers, making 'vroom vroom' noises.
"Yeah, before my parents died." Fumikage nodded as he sat not far away from Izuku. "I had action figures and stuff."
"I used to have a lot of toys too!" Izuku chirped excitedly. Keigo felt his heart twist as Izuku eagerly began to list off the things he had back before they left the vault. "There were teddy bears larger than me! And lots of stuffed animals! And cars! Big brother once set up a race track that was this big!" Izuku spread his little arms out as far as they could go.
Fumikage stared at him disbelievingly. "No one can have that many toys," Fumikage said, causing Izuku to huff with a little pout.
"It's true! Right big brother?" Izuku turned to Keigo for support.
"Yeah." Keigo nodded in confirmation, swallowing thickly. "It's true."
"See?" Izuku proclaimed, though Fumikage didn't look entirely convinced. Izuku went on anyway. "We had lots of games too! Every night we'd pick out a board game, and when Daddy came home he would play with us—"
Keigo felt his heart beat a little faster when Izuku's words trailed off, his smile falling into a frown as he stopped playing with his car.
"I miss Daddy," Izuku said softly.
Tears stung Keigo's eyes. "I miss him too sometimes." The admission surprised him. "But we can't go back." He directed his words at Fumikage, who he felt had the right to know about the danger of staying with the brothers. "Our father locked us up in a place with no sunlight."
"No light?" Fumikage gasped, clutching his feathers. A fellow bird definitely understood. To both of them, it was unimaginable not to be able to fly under the sun.
Izuku only pouted. "There were big lamps."
"Yes, but…" Keigo hesitated. He knew that Izuku would have grown more and more sick of imprisonment as he got older. After all, the same thing had happened to Keigo himself. There had only been one chance to escape, and Keigo couldn't have wasted it waiting until Izuku was ready. Also, Izuku needed a chance to socialize during his formative years. Not that there had been a whole lot of that since their escape–but they'd met Fumikage now. It was progress. Keigo said, "We both needed to be able to fly, nestling."
Izuku hung his head. "Couldn't you have talked to Daddy and asked him to let us out sometimes, but still come back to our house with all our toys?"
Keigo said, "I did talk to him. I tried." Keigo had ruined his first escape attempt that way, doubling security around the vault. He did not know how much it was safe or age-appropriate to share with Izuku. He didn't want to hurt his little brother, but Izuku needed to have some idea how dangerous All for One could be, in case they encountered him again. Keigo believed that Fumikage needed to understand the danger, yet at the same time did not know what would be appropriate to say to a child.
Directly addressing Fumikage, Keigo said, "Our father's name is All for One. He's a villain. He's a very scary person, and if you ever hear his name, even a whisper, then you need to run and tell me. It's true that he used to be kind to us in the past…but he could also be very cruel. I think if he caught me again, he'd be cruel indeed. I'm afraid he would take my wings away."
Keigo knew he would commit such a crime. All For One had done so before, when Keigo wouldn't desist arguing for his and Izuku's freedom or after a failed escape attempt. His father would isolate him further within a room in the vault, separating him from Izuku. All For One would sigh in exasperation, chiding Keigo for setting a bad example with his 'little tantrums' and place him in 'time out'.
The strong hands that had comforted and held him with love since he was a young child would reach out to him, crackling with a black and red energy that Keigo had learned to dread, gently cupping his chin or brushing away a fearful tear.
Then a fundamental piece of the core of his being would be ripped away from Keigo, his feathers falling away and disintegrating, leaving him without even a trace of his proud wings. His father would draw away, tutting about how Keigo would remain there until he had 'learned his lesson', and take his leave. Leaving Keigo completely and utterly alone, feeling like he was half the person he used to be before he entered the room.
When All For One returned, Keigo would be a trembling, shaking mess, asking if he had understood what he'd done wrong or if he needed a few more days to think it over. Keigo, in great need for human contact, quickly nodded, his face a mess of tears when his father would hug him in a tight embrace. Keigo returned it, desperate for affection and human contact, while All For One murmured soft comforts as he rubbed a hand up and down Keigo's back before finally, finally, returning his wings to him and guiding him out of the room.
He didn't have words to describe the sheer relief he felt at having his missing piece back, at leaving the room, or how his heart would swell when reunited with Izuku, scooping his little brother up and holding him tightly to his chest as though he might disappear if he let go. Izuku, none the wiser to where Keigo had gone or what had happened, merely expressed joy at his 'return', beaming with that impossibly bright smile that was like the sun.
Something he would never have seen had he remained within the vault. That warm smile was the only thing that gave Keigo the strength to press on, in spite of the fear of being locked away without his wings once more, the reason he strived every day to keep the freedom he managed to claw out for himself and Izuku. If All For One caught them, Keigo had no doubt that he would be dragged back into the depths of an inescapable vault, where he would never see Izuku again and his wings taken away forever.
Keigo was jolted out from the depths of his memories when Fumikage spoke up, the boy clutching the plushie close to his chest.
Fumikage nodded. "I understand." He'd taken that news entirely too well. He seemed accustomed to the notion of bad adults. Keigo wondered who this little nestling was running from.
Izuku pouted. "Everyone says that villains are bad. Daddy never seemed bad."
Gently, Keigo said, "He locked us up, and that was very bad."
"I don't want Daddy to hurt you," Izuku said. "If he'd hurt you, then we can't go back."
Keigo tried to lighten the mood. "As long as we lived with a villain, we couldn't be heroes. But now maybe you could be a hero someday!" Izuku loved heroes, having watched them on the TV they had in the vault, despite his father's best efforts.
Neither Keigo nor Izuku had even known the heroes were actually real before they left the vault, All For One having insisted they were merely silly cartoons and shows. It had come as quite a shock to them both, seeing a world where nearly everyone had a superpower, and that some of them actually wore colorful costumes to fight against real villains and rescue bystanders. Izuku had drawn more than a little attention to himself when he was gushing at random strangers and their quirks, bouncing excitedly about how it was exactly like he had seen on TV.
"Like All Might," Izuku exclaimed happily, clapping his hands.
Fumikage perked up. "I like heroes, too. What's your quirk?"
"I don't have a quirk." Izuku shrugged, resuming playing with his car and pretending it was flying.
Fumikage's eyes widened at that, staring at Izuku as though he had grown two heads. "You don't have a quirk?"
"No?" Izuku tilted his head, frowning a little. "I just said that."
"I've never met someone without a quirk before," Fumikage stated, seeming almost amazed.
Quickly, Keigo said, "Quirks aren't important to becoming a hero." He'd always rushed to defend his little brother's dream because the rest of the world wouldn't. Keigo had mixed feelings about Izuku becoming a hero but no one else got to look down on his precious baby brother.
Darkness formed around Fumikage, Dark Shadow popping out from its depths. There was a frown on the bird-like creature's face, golden eyes squinting. It reached an arm forward, poking Izuku squarely in the chest. "You're weird," Dark Shadow proclaimed bluntly. "Who's ever heard of a hero without a quirk? It's impossible!"
Izuku immediately scowled, hurt in his eyes. "That's not true!"
"D-Dark Shadow!" Fumikage chided hastily, flustered. "Don't say that!"
Dark Shadow whipped around to stare at Fumikage, wings crossed. "What?! It's the truth!"
"No it's not!" Izuku denied, blinking away tears. "I'm not weird, and I can too be a hero if I want to be, even without a quirk!"
"No you can't!" Dark Shadow rebutted stubbornly. "You can't do anything without a quirk!"
Izuku's lip began to wobble, the tears spilling over his cheeks now and a little sniffle escaped him. A surge of protectiveness rose in Keigo, deciding to step in. He drew Izuku closer, settling him in his lap. Keigo's wings folded over him, Izuku burying his face in Keigo's chest as he cried. Keigo petted his head comfortingly, fingers combing through curly green locks.
"So what if he doesn't have a quirk?" Keigo snapped at Dark Shadow with a scowl, who flinched at his sharp tone. "Izuku is perfect the way he is. Even if he doesn't have a quirk, there's nothing stopping him from being a hero if he wants."
Even if his nestling never grew into his own wings, Keigo would love him unconditionally regardless. To protect and provide for him for forever if need be.
Dark Shadow withered under the glare, disappearing back into Fumikage with a huff. Fumikage blushed deeply, glancing down at the covers of the nest, unable to meet their eyes.
"S-Sorry," Fumikage offered in apology, hands fisting in his clothes nervously.
"It's alright." Keigo sighed wearily, tucking his wings back as Izuku's sniffles began to die away. Dark Shadow was only a child. Keigo gently wiped at his brother's face with a cover, drying up the tears that stained his face.
Dark Shadow slowly poked his head out. "I'm sorry too. I felt bad when you said you didn't need a quirk…because that means I'm not needed…"
"That's not what big brother meant!" Izuku leapt up. "You're a very cool quirk. I love quirks, so I would know. Because of you, Fumikage is never alone. I got lonely a lot back at home."
A blush formed on Dark Shadow's cheeks. "You think I'm cool?"
"That's right! I want to be friends with you, too." Izuku tentatively smiled.
Dark Shadow beamed back. "You'll be my first friend besides Fumikage! I promise I'll protect both of you!" The shadow and the child hugged.
Keigo felt glad that his brother's smile had returned. "Do you still feel like playing, Izuku?" Keigo asked him. "Or would you rather take a nap?"
"…I wanna play," Izuku answered after a moment.
"Alright then. What do you want to play this time?"
"What about Heroes and Villains?" Fumikage suggested lightly, still looking a little nervous. "You can be the hero!"
"O-Okay," Izuku conceded with a little nod, sitting up straighter. "How do you play?"
"Well, I pretend to be the villain, and you pretend to be the hero," Fumikage began to explain. "You're supposed to stop the villain and help people to save the day!"
"Can big brother play too?"
"Yeah. He can be the one you're trying to rescue!"
Keigo smiled to himself as the pair continued discussing the game, happily joining in when they started playing. It was a good thing Fumikage was here with them. Now Izuku would have a friend to spend his time with whenever he had to leave to get food or other necessities. And it made Keigo feel good to be able to help another little nestling.
They might not have had much, but they had each other, at the very least.
OMAKE TIME!
Garaki: Master, our spies suggest that your son has adopted a boy with a raven mutation.
All for One: So Keigo has a pet, no matter. Wait…does that boy have spiky hair?
Garaki: He has spiky feathers on his head.
All for One: Close enough. That means he's destined to break into my vault and rescue my relatives. This abomination will not stand!
Garaki: You don't even have them in a vault yet. Also, according to our reports, the boy looks barely out of kindergarten.
All for One: Don't question me, kill that boy at once!