Archive of Our Own ^beta

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For his own mental health and sanity, Touya tries to avoid his old man.

It’s not easy of course, with Endeavor being a high ranking heroic figure and all. Luckily, the crusty bastard hates making appearances to hero stuff so, besides a couple of billboards and some shitty magazines, Touya doesn’t see his dad in public a lot.

He almost forgot about the failed doll line from over a decade ago.

But now, a plushy, chibi version of his father stares back at Touya. Tiny compared to the asshole it was modeled after.

Keigo had tossed the doll at him the night before right as Touya was leaving his room. “Burn it,” the other third year had said, with a lopsided smile on his lips and a playful wink, “he deserves it.”

And Touya wants to. Was going to. Was going to burn the frown right off chibi Endeavor’s awful face and cackle under the moonlight like the dramatic piece of shit he is.

But….

Keigo, even if it was for Touya’s own personal mini revenge quest, was always careful with his money. No way would he waste the precious yen that he’d carefully saved for a shitty toy. Plus, the doll looks worn out, as if it had been held and hugged for years. And the way Keigo smiled at Touya…

That was Keigo’s lying smile.

So here Touya is now, awake way too early on a Saturday morning because he couldn’t go to sleep. How could he with an Endeavor doll on his desk and a conflicted feeling in his chest?

Fuck you, he thinks, staring at the doll. He wants to burn it. Wants to ignite and then drop kick it into the ocean. But, this is something important to Keigo and knowing that he might be destroying one of his few and precious possessions makes Touya feel awfully like a villain.

A sudden knock on his door jolts him out of his one sided staring contest. Before he can even yell at whoever it is to leave him alone, the door opens a crack and Usagiyama pokes her head in. “Yo Dabi!” she says, giving him a two finger salute, “Have you seen Hawks? He’s not in his room and he’s not picking up his phone either. It’s too early for him to be training so—”

Her voice suddenly cuts off as her eyes lock onto the shitty plushy. She frowns, opens the door further and steps into Touya’s room. 

“Yes, come in. Make yourself at home. Sit on my futon and eat my snacks for all I care,” Touya says sarcastically. Usagiyama ignores him and marches over to Touya’s desk. Shoving him aside, she picks up the doll with her thumb and forefinger.

“What’s this bastard doing in your room? Is this why I can’t reach Hawks? Because he’s looking for this?” she asks, side eyeing Touya. “Wait, did you steal it from him? Dude, I know you hate your old man but stealing from a classmate? Not cool man.” One of her ears tilts to the side, an indicator that she’s about to kick the shit out of Touya for being a thieving little bitch.

“Kei- Hawks gave it to me,” Touya quickly answers before Usagiyama could kick him into next Tuesday. “Told me to burn it.”

That makes both of Usagiyama's ears flatten and the frown on her face deepens. “Hawks did? Why the hell would he do that?” she says, though it’s more to herself than to Touya. “He loves this old toy.”

“Does he?” Touya asks. He pushes down the nausea of knowing that Keigo likes something associated with Endeavor and focuses on the ‘old’ part. “How long has he had it?”

Usagiyama pauses, the aggression leaving her as she contemplates the question. “Not sure,” she finally says, tilting her head. “I mean, he had it when I spent a year at the Commission and that was way before Shiketsu. So he must’ve gotten it before that.” Her ears suddenly lift. “But I do know who gave it to him. Overheard it from one of our handlers.”

A knot twists in Touya’s stomach as he listens and a part of him knows what Usagiyama is going to say before she says it.

It doesn’t make it any less painful to hear.

“Apparently, it was a gift from his mom.”

Touya finds Keigo training. Because where else would he be? When he’s stressed, when he’s sad, when he’s angry, even when he’s happy, Keigo’s one outlet for it all is training.

And sure, Touya’s been showing him other ways to enjoy life at Shiketsu. Been showing him music and movies, books and anime, manga and cooking. And kissing.

On some nights, he even shows Keigo a little touching. 

One day, Touya’s going to show him even more.

But today, when Keigo needs his space, he trains.

“Birdie?” Touya calls just as Keigo comes out of a harrowing nosedive that makes Touya’s stomach churn. “Birdie! Keigo! We need to talk!”

Even from his spot on the ground Touya can see the frown that graces Keigo’s lips. As if he wasn’t expecting Touya to come after him so early in the morning. He turns and, with a flap of his wings, lands in front of Touya. He wipes sweat from his brow and the frown is quickly replaced by a laid back smile. 

“Never thought I’d see you before lunchtime Hotstuff,” Keigo says lazily, as if he hasn’t been training for hours. “What's up? Did you forget something last night or did you just want to see me that badly?” 

Keigo’s bright eyes then trail down and lock onto the chibi Endeavor swinging uselessly in Touya’s hand. 

His breath hitches.

“I didn’t sleep,” Touya answers as calmly as he can. Not waiting for Keigo to respond with more stupid quips and fake smiles, Touya thrusts the plush in his face. “Your mom gave you this,” he states bluntly, “you wanted me to burn the only thing your mom gave you. Explain. ”

Keigo’s wings stiffen and an uncomfortable look crosses his face. Like he wasn’t expecting to get caught. Wasn’t expecting this interaction so early on the weekend. “I… your dad’s shitty,” is all he says, stiffly looking down at his worn out sneakers (Touya’s been meaning to buy him a new pair when he gets the chance), “and my mom’s also shitty. So… it’s fine.”

“Is it?” Touya presses, a tiny growl escaping into his voice. “Shitty or not, this thing’s important to you.”

“No, it’s not,” Keigo responds sharply. “Look, I think we’d all feel better if I didn’t have a toy of the man who hurts you so… just burn it.”

Touya frowns. “But, you love this piece of junk.” And it’s true. It’s worn out and old and Keigo kept it for so many years. Kept it after he was sold and shipped off. Kept it throughout his time at the Commission. Kept it when he moved into Shiketsu. Kept it as his most precious memory and his only room decoration.

At least, that’s what Touya thought. 

But instead, Keigo’s eyes snap back to Touya’s and a snarl crosses his lips. White canines catch the light and glisten and, before Touya can even react, his hand shoots out and grabs the plushy. He throws the doll on the ground, kicks it, and sends it flying a few feet away from them.

A feeling of satisfaction washes over Touya as he watches his old man eat dirt.

“I hate that I used to love it,” Keigo growls. A few of Keigo’s feathers detach and drag the shitty plush across the ground. “I hate that I used to feel safe having it with me.” His brow furrows in concentration as the doll gets dragged into a puddle. “Hate that my mom got it for me and I hate that I didn’t want to get rid of it because it reminded me of her. I don’t love it, Touya,” he spits, anger turning his voice dark and making Touya’s breath hitch. “How could I love anything associated with that monster when I love you—”

The feathers stop dragging the chibi Endeavor and Touya has front row seats to Keigo’s adorably embarrassed face. He first turns pink, then red, then a deep maroon, and he whips his head towards Touya. His mouth closes and opens a couple of times, trying to find any words to say, before he ultimately gives up and covers his face in his hands. “Oh my god,” he says, his voice muffled and quiet. “Please forget that.”

Touya blinks. He can feel his quirk reacting to the unexpected confession and warm blue flames blossom on his cheeks. “I… don’t think I can Kei.”

“Well, try!” Keigo wails. “Oh god, this is worse than the train!”

That really makes Touya’s cheeks burn. The memory of when they were pressed against each other during rush hour. His leg trapped between Keigo’s. Keigo clutching his jacket. Keigo chirping. Keigo listening to him, trusting him, throwing away all his inhibitions so he could grind down at each bounce….

The putrid smell of his skin peeling off makes Touya slap his cheeks, extinguishing his flames. “The train wasn’t that bad,” he says, ignoring the way his skin is stinging, “neither is this,” he adds quickly. “Birdie…”

A groan escapes Keigo’s lips and he crumples into an embarrassed pile of feathers. “Just… end me now,” he chirps, “chop me into bits. Egg wash me. Roll me in panko and deep fry my ass.”

Touya snorts. Even embarrassed Keigo talks about food. What an utterly ridiculous birdie that had somehow intertwined himself with Touya’s life. “Yeah, how about I don’t do that.” 

Squatting, Touya gently pokes one of Keigo’s hands. “Kei,” he says, “I don’t mind. You do know I don’t mind, right?”

Keigo peeks through the gaps in his fingers, eyes shining like two tiny golden stars under the bright fluorescents. “But it’s too much,” he mumbles. “My feelings are… it’s way too much. Isn’t it?”

Touya shrugs, tilting his head to lean against his hand. “What if I like ‘too much?’” Before Keigo can even chirp he adds, “Look, I don’t really get ‘love’ and other romantic shit like that, but I do know how I feel about you.” With a small smile, Touya reaches out and pulls one of Keigo’s hands off his face. “Do you remember what I told you?”

Without giving him time to respond, Touya takes the other’s hand and, in a move that he knows will leave Keigo as red as his feathers, kisses his palm. 

“I said that I want to take all your firsts,” he teases, breath brushing against Keigo’s skin. “Your first kiss, your first date, your first time. Everything.” He smirks into the palm and, sliding the appendage across his face, kisses the fingertips. “And if that includes taking your first love. Being your first love. Then so be it.”

Keigo’s face, unobscured, is adorable to look at. Especially when he’s embarrassed. Keigo’s eyes move between his hand and Touya’s mouth, as even his ears take on a pink tinge.

“But… you don’t feel the same,” he finally says, his voice small and laced with insecurity. “Isn’t it wrong that I feel this way? We’re… I haven’t even graduated yet. We’re not even heroes!”

Touya can’t help but roll his eyes. And he’s supposed to be the dramatic one.

“Keigo, listen to me,” he says with patience he didn’t know he inherited. “I like you. I like you a lot. So don’t go thinking I don’t just because I can’t call what I’m feeling ‘love.’ And,” Touya adds, blowing lightly onto Keigo’s warm skin, “don’t go thinking there’s something wrong with you for putting a word to what you’re feeling for me. We all feel differently and you just happen to be a little quicker at putting definitions to those feelings mister ‘fastest man alive.’” He rests Keigo’s hand against his cheek, fluttering his eyes teasingly. “It’s not wrong, pretty bird,” he finishes, giving one of Keigo’s untrimmed, sharpened claws a final peck.

A chirp escapes Keigo’s throat, screechy and scratchy and absolutely wonderful and Touya can’t help but laugh. He stands, pulling Keigo with him, a smile stretching across his face as Keigo ungracefully stumbles.

“Real smooth, Birdie,” he teases, relishing in the way Keigo blushes.

“Jerk.”

“You don’t seem to mind,” Touya says, unperturbed. Keigo wrinkles his nose and huffs, turning his face away. His features suddenly stiffen and lose some of their color and Touya turns to see what Keigo was looking at.

Ah. Little asshole chibi itself.

“We don’t have to burn it,” Touya offers. Despite the overwhelming hatred for all things Endeavor roaring inside of him, he can spare some of his own emotions for the sake of Keigo’s. “I know you don’t want it anymore, but that doesn’t mean we need to set fire to it. We can always do something else to it.”

Keigo huffs. “Like what? What fate is as bad as your ‘Dancing Blue Flames of Hell?’”

Touya pauses, thinking, before a cheshire like grin spreads across his face. “Well,” he purrs, “did you know that the old bastard has a cat allergy? And if I remember there’s a lot of cats near the forest grounds…”

The next time Touya sees the chibi bastard, the cloth is torn up and it’s leaking cotton everywhere. And, it’s under a ginger cat’s round, fluffy ass. 

He can’t help but cackle as another cat swats at the torn up fire beard, their sharp nails pulling bits of red off from the frowning doll. It’s a spectacular sight and one that would surely make Keigo laugh his cute birdy squawk laugh if he’d seen it.

But Keigo isn’t here. Nope. He’s in Touya’s room, patiently waiting after Touya was signaled by the mailman at Shiketsu’s main gate. Now, with a newly acquired parcel tucked under his arm and a picture of the cats saved to his phone, Touya heads back to the dorms.

It was an embarrassing item to order but hey, Keigo can’t hog all the embarrassment in their strange relationship. Sometimes, Touya has to step up and feel it too.

So, when Keigo opens the package and pulls out a chibi doll that looks just like Touya in his hero costume, he looks away and ignores the way blue flames curl around his cheeks. But, when he peeks back and sees Keigo cooing over the doll, hugging it, the bottom of his cheeks squished against ‘Dabi’s’ head, and a smile on his face, it all becomes worth it.

I like him, is all he can think as the birdie, his birdie, thanks Touya with a chirp. 

I really really like Keigo.

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