Chapter Text
Hawks whistles as he reenters the station, having looked around to make sure no one was watching. He smiles at the sight of Kirishima, who is easing out of a fighting position and looking at him with relief.
"Aw, don't act so disappointed," Hawks smirks, "I may not be All Might or Endeavor, but I'm pretty cool!"
"I personally like Crimson Riot more."
"That ancient artifact? He belongs in a museum!"
"And you belong in an aviary, you overgrown pigeon."
Hawks puts a hand to his chest in mock offense, "And here I went out of my way to get you chicken nuggets."
They both sit on the ground, Hawks sliding down a wall and sitting with a thump. He hands over the bag and glances toward Bakugou, who is no longer wearing his mask or head pieces and instead has Hawks' jacket draped over him and something black that might be his own shirt tucked under his head. There's a small pile of smoldering sticks surrounded by rocks between them, the remnants of a fire that probably didn't last long.
Kirishima offers him one of the sandwiches and he takes it. The redhead-- whose hair looks weird now that the gel is washed away and it's unstyled-- pulls off his headgear and tosses it aside before unwrapping his own and taking a bite.
"He didn't wake up?" Hawks asks, jerking his head in Bakugou's direction.
Kirishima shakes his head and swallows, "Not really. He regained consciousness for two seconds and mistook me for Midoriya, then fell back asleep."
"Did he try to kill you?" Hawks asks, half joking. He remembers Eraserhead mentioning the rivalry between the two.
"No," Kirishima laughs, "He just hissed something about Deku's stupid mumbling."
Hawks nods and reaches behind his back, letting his wings slip out through the holes cut in his shirt. Kirishima peers over and lights up a bit.
"Hey, they're looking better already!"
"Yeah, but it'll be a little while longer before I can fly again. I just need some rest. You do, too."
Kirishima shakes his head, "I'm fine."
"No, you aren't. You need to sleep, at least for a bit."
Hawks isn't blind. He can see the shadows under the boy's eyes and the way he sways where he stands.
"I'm fine! I was the least harmed and I'm the strongest quirk available right now. You should rest and I'll keep a lookout. If anything goes wrong, I need to be ready to fight."
"Which is why you need to rest. You're right. You're the best fighter right now. If anything goes wrong, I'll wake you up. But you need energy to fight and you'll drain it if you don't sleep."
Kirishima opens his mouth to protest, but at that moment Bakugou lets out a growl and opens his eyes, squinting and looking around with confusion.
"Morning, Sleeping Beauty," Hawks croons, "Your charming princes are here to protect you."
Bakugou's head snaps in his direction and he scowls, "Whahappend?"
"The metal man beat us up. We're hiding right now."
"Oh, I'm going to destroy him," Bakugou snarls.
He tries to get to his feet, but his legs give out from under him and he falls to his knees. The jacket falls away, revealing bandaged arms and a white tank top.
"Calm down, tiger," Hawks says as Kirishima scrambled to help him, "You're still hurt. You need rest. Both of you."
Bakugou glares at him, "I don't need--" He groans and clutches his head.
"Come on, you two."
Hawks motions for them to sit next to him. They do, one on each side, and he pulls them so they lay with their heads on his lap.
"I'm not a kid," Bakugou growls.
Hawks ruffles his hair, "I know, but I'm sure it's more comfortable than the ground."
He picks up both jackets, putting his over Kirishima and Bakugou's on its rightful owner. Hawks pats both of their heads.
"Nap time. I'll wake you up if something happens or I figure something out."
Bakugou grumbles something about being treated like a child, but his eyes close and his breathing slows quickly. Kirishima curls up on himself, wrapping his arms around his torso and snuggling up under the jacket before also slipping into a fitful sleep.
Hawks sighs and leans back against the wall. What is he going to do? The only idea he has about how they got here involves that cube and he threw it away. That was a stupid move.
What would Endeavor do? What would All Might do? What would anyone but Hawks do?
Hawks isn't a real hero, just someone flashy and cool for the media. He can barely ever save everyone. Heck, he's struggling to protect two kids.
Maybe he should ask for help. But that might be stupid, too. People here don't seem to have quirks, so if they see someone like him they'll probably call the police. The police will call the government or something and then...
He's not letting the boys go through that.
Hawks' eyes wander around the area, looking over the dirt on the ground and cracks in the walls. Every pebble and twig. So unsanitary. They might get sick.
It dawns on him that he isn't worried for himself. He doesn't care if he gets hurt or never makes it back. He has nothing to go back to. He doesn't care about his fame, fortune, or fans. He doesn't have any family or many close friends.
The boys have that. They have their friends and their family. Both have parents and each other. They have a future. They have a promising career path. They might start families, and then they'll have children of their own to raise.
The boys need to get back home.
Hawks doesn't have a home to get back to.
So that's his goal. Get the boys home by any means necessary. He doesn't matter. They do. If it comes to it, he'll give himself up to send them back. He'll put his life on the like if it means they can get back safe and sound.
Whatever it takes.
For them, for them, for them.