Chapter Text
It wasn’t the first time Hawks patrolled during rain. It certainly wasn’t going to be his last. Though that doesn’t mean he’s used to it, in fact, he hates rain. It just makes everything cold and damp and his wings are soaked up with water and heavy and hard to move around.
Maybe that's why he ends patrol early that night, already coming to terms with the harsh lecture and yelling the commission is gonna give him. But it’s fine, he’ll get over it, he always does.
The way to his apartment is definitely on his top ten list of things he never wants to do again, as he can’t fly in the heavy rain, thus leaving him to walk which takes longer. It takes him a full hour, in fact. A full hour just to reach his cold uncomfortable bed and finally lie down and hopefully pass out at a “reasonable” hour.
He almost forgot he had a door, he always flew in through his window because it was faster. Hawks was mildly aware he was shaking as he pulled his keys out and unlocked the door. Just a door and a few steps between him and a blanket and some pillows and a-
“Took you long enough.”
And a Dabi.
Just a door, a few steps and a Dabi.
The groan Hawks made alerted him that he’s probably gonna have a cold tomorrow, “Look, hot stuff, I don’t have the energy to deal with you right now, get out,” he stepped away from the doorway, almost like he was expecting Dabi to just obey and leave. But it was never that easy with him, was it?
“Yeah, like hell I will. Listen, there’s a-”
And ‘like hell’ was Hawks gonna listen to him right now. He began walking further in, not caring about some of the water dripping from him and leaving a trail behind, he can take care of that tomorrow.
He doesn’t know why he was expecting Dabi to just let him go, maybe he’s just so tired he’s delirious. He looks at the hand on his chest, then at the one it belongs to.
“Birdie, I am this close to burning you to cinders if you ignore me-”
Just like a switch was in his mind, Hawks tuned the rest of what Dabi said out. He tried to put the hand away and continue on his way to get just an hour of rest. He can distantly hear Dabi’s voice getting louder.
“-Keigo, for fuck’s sake, what’s wrong with you today?”
And just like that the switch was turned back on. It was a few seconds before Hawks realized what seemed so wrong about the sentence.
“...Keigo.”
“Yeah, that’s your name, don’t wear it out.”
Right. He didn’t need to be Hawks anymore. Not in here.
Not that there was much to change, Keigo just wanted to sleep.
“Is whatever you want so important that it can’t wait?”
“Well, technically not, but-”
He didn’t waste time getting to hear the rest of the sentence, it could wait. Everything could wait. Except maybe Dabi thought it couldn’t because suddenly Keigo’s arm was grabbed for a second, before the hand retracted, “Geez, how cold are you?”
Oh, right.
He just spend like five hours in the rain outside.
He was cold.
And just like that Keigo could suddenly feel every shaking feather and every nerve on his body screaming for him to warm up instead of feeling numb and nothing. It was so cold that it hurt, which Keigo didn’t think was possible until now.
“How long were you out there?”
He forced himself to respond, “Not that long.”
And he could see Dabi furrow his eyebrows and huff and that means Keigo said something wrong. If only he could figure out what.
Dabi looked him up and down, “You’re fucking soaked.”
“My clothes will dry.”
“Oh, trust me, I didn’t mean just the clothes.”
Now, it wasn’t like Keigo couldn’t feel his wings (for the most part), he still knew they were heavy from the water and wet and are gonna hurt tomorrow, he just didn’t notice that he raised them up defensively, giving Dabi a good view of them.
Now that Keigo was looking at them too, he felt almost ashamed. Ashamed that anything that was a part of him could look so disheveled and ugly. A brief thought of cutting them off crossed his mind, but intrusive thoughts weren’t that new to him so he paid no mind to the thought.
But heroes weren’t supposed to have those. Heroes were supposed to have the world’s best interest in mind and to be fair and never cruel and to not have bad thoughts about hurting themselves and other people.
But as long as no one knew it was okay, right? What you don’t know can’t hurt you.
He doesn’t think that if it weren’t for the sudden warmth he would’ve noticed the hand on his shoulder, “You need to warm up.”
Keigo rolled his eyes, “Wow, really? Didn’t think of that,” black spots creeped at the edge of his vision as his eyes landed back on Dabi. And suddenly he’s back to just feeling numb.
There must’ve been some physical change on him too, as Dabi moved closer, hands raised like he was trying to catch Keigo, “Hey, hey, don’t you fucking dare pass out on me.”
Keigo hummed, eyes drooping against his will. He was just so tired.
“Just let me sleep.”
He was met with silence, which he took as and hoped was agreement.
It seemed like it was, as there was nothing stopping him as he turned around and began walking over to his bedroom. With a little bit of struggle, that is, with his already heavy clothes now soaked up with water. He took his jacket off as soon as he closed the door. He didn’t have much clothes other than his hero costume, as that was what he wore most of the time. He settled for a dirty white tshirt and some sweatpants, now that no one was around he didn’t have look good or even presentable.
It wasn’t long before he layed in the bed, joints hurting with every slight move and muscles cramping up. And finally, he closed his eyes.
…
And couldn’t sleep.
Ugh.
Maybe it was the stinging cold that clang to his skin, maybe it was the distant feeling that he was being watched, maybe something entirely different, but no matter how hard he tried he couldn’t sleep. You shouldn’t have to make an active effort to sleep.
Luckily, he wouldn’t have to wallow in his thoughts any longer, a creaking noise of the floor interrupting his train of thought.
He didn’t bother opening his eyes, “Do you like to watch everyone sleep or is it just me?”
“You’re shaking.”
“And you have eyes, congrats,” he doesn’t know if Dabi understood his slurred voice. He didn’t care.
Kegio hears steps moving towards him, and he knows he should be scared, or at least vigilant. Not that he is, he somehow can’t bring himself to.
Then the bed dips at his left.
And there’s a warm hand again on his shoulder. It makes Keigo flinch for a second.
And the hand travels to his upper back.
Kiego hums at the warmth. He wants more. He forces his hand to move, reach out into the general area of where he thinks the source is. He grabs onto thin air for a few seconds before another hand grabs his wrist.
“What’s that, you want more?” there was a hint of amusement in the otherwise familiar voice and Keigo could practically see the grin on the other’s face.
He doesn’t respond, settling for making grabby hands, which Dabi found hilarious judging by the laugh Keigo heard.
Still, he could feel the bed dip closer, and then he was manhandled into sitting, which should have not been as easy as it was. But that didn’t matter, because suddenly there was a walking furnace right in front of him and all Keigo wanted was to get closer and warm up.
He shouldn’t’ve been as fast and as willing as he was, but then again Kiego shouldn’t do a lot of things he does, like letting villains break into his home, or letting villains get close to him, or letting villains-
Well, okay, give him a break, there was only one villain.
And that villain was warm and didn’t mind when he was weak and...playing with his hair.
And it made something in Keigo's chest shift.
But he didn’t need to think about that now, or think at all. He nuzzled into the warm scarred neck, chirping contently. There was something familiar about the position he was in right now, and he remembered the distant memory of the...wing accident. He doesn’t really know what to call it. He thanks whatever god - if there even is one - that exists that Dabi didn’t bring it up. He was scared that the man was gonna make fun of him or exploit the newfound weakness, but Dabi acted like it had never happened. Maybe he should be thanking Dabi instead of some random god that most likely doesn’t even exist-
“Shut up.”
“Huh-?”
He didn’t say any of that out loud, did he?
“You’re tense, I can practically hear you thinking.”
“Must be so hard for you to follow along,” he murmured into the other’s neck.
Keigo’s hands couldn’t help tightly gripping the back of Dabi’s coat when the man is question ruffled the sensitive feathers just where feathers meet skin with his warm hand. He mewled, the sound muffled by the other’s body.
“Did you say something? Speak up, pretty bird.”
“I hate you.”
Dabi hummed, “Is this what you normally do with your enemies? Cuddle up to them when you’re cold?”
The aloofness in his voice was pissing Keigo off quite a bit, and he outright ignored the embarrassment bubbling up in the pit of his stomach. Dabi must’ve noticed, because of course he notices.
“We can stop if you want, I’m not forcing you to-”
“No!”
The word slipped out before Keigo could stop himself.
It sounded desperate.
Keigo shouldn’t be desperate.
Hawks shouldn’t be desperate.
“Okay, whatever you say.”
And the heat was back, just like that.
It shouldn’t be this easy to be comfortable, especially in the hands of a villain who could cause him third degree burns in a few seconds. But somehow Keigo knows he wouldn’t do that. There’s something about the villain that makes Keigo so easy to turn into mush of softness and comfort and he knows it’s gonna backfire one day but that’s entirely a Future Hawks problem.
Right now, Present Hawks is too busy happily chirping and having his hair be played with and being tired but in a good way now.
Can you be tired in a good way?
“It’s getting late, you should sleep.”
“Hm?” Keigo turned his head to glance at the clock on the wall of the dimly lit room, the only source of light the kitchen on the other side of the open door. It wasn’t this dark before…
Oh, it’s almost midnight.
God, why did he keep Dabi here so long? The other must hate him now, wasting his time and not giving him anything in return.
“I, uh...guess you will be leaving then,” he forced himself to get off of Dabi, his bird brain cursing him for the sudden lack of warmth. And so he stared at Dabi.
And Dabi stared at him, not moving from his spot on the bed, “I mean, do you want me to leave?”
Keigo was silent for some time, because he was thought that lying was bad, and his training always seeped into his personal life if he had one at that moment.
“Should I take that as a no?”
Keigo nods. He must seem so desperate.
There’s movement on the bed, so he looks up. Dabi shifted himself so he was laying on his side, “C’mon, gotta get your beauty sleep.”
“Not while you have your dirty ass shoes on,” he crosses his arms.
Dabi huffs, getting up and taking the shoes off, throwing them somewhere in the room. He turned to face Keigo again, “The monster’s gone, will you be able to sleep now?”
He doesn’t respond, instead laying down on the bed and watching as Dabi shuffled closer. He chirped when the heat was back, one warm hand around his waist and a warm body in front of him. He nuzzled his face into the other’s neck. Because it was okay.
This was okay, for now anyway.
And Keigo didn’t really mind.