Now

POV  DABI

"Wh-what are you talking about?" Keigo blurts, his arms trembling. I step toward him, attempting to take the girl out of his arms before he drops her, but he steps back. "Touya is dead," he says, tears in his eyes. "He's dead."

"That's what you think," Kenji says, tapping his cane on the ground. He's so delighted to be pulling strings, and it makes me sick. "No, bird boy. Touya's been here all along. What, surprised? Has 'Dabi' not told you his real identity yet? I'm surprised! When I saved him, all he would ever talk about is you. 'Where's Keigo? When can we go back to get Keigo? I want to see Keigo!' 24/7, all day every day. And here he is, standing right beside you, and he doesn't even have the balls to tell you his real name! How many years has it been now? God, Touya, grow a pair!"

"Keigo, I can explain," I breathe out. "Just listen to me, okay? Before you freak out, listen. I was gonna come back to get you--"

Keigo wipes his tears out of his eyes with one hand, still holding Davina with the other. "You lied to me," he cries softly. "You lied... Touya, we were supposed to be heroes together. W-with our own agency and our own house and our own kids... You ditched me to be a fucking villain."

"But we can still have that, Birdie!" I can't stop myself from holding his face in my hands. My heart is breaking; I've always hated seeing him cry. "We can have all that. Th-the house, the kids, the fancy ass wedding. I'm sorry I didn't rescue you. I'm sorry it took me so long. Let's just get these kids safe and then I'll explain everything."

"You weren't going to tell me at all," Keigo says, his eyes growing dark and angry. "You were just going to keep being Dabi, and I was just gonna keep being Hawks. I wasn't wrong to think Touya was dead. He is dead! And so is Keigo!" He puts Davina on her feet and grabs her hand, picking up Daniel with his other arm. 

"No," I breathe out, grabbing his arm. "No, Keigo, you told me you loved me! We had it all planned out! You can't just throw that shit away!" 

"I'm taking the kids to the hospital, and you're not coming with me. Don't even look at me. Get the hell out of my life. I don't want anything to do with you. This is reality, Dabi." He heads to the door, but Kenji clears his throat, raising his eyebrows expectedly.

"Those are my kids," he says, nodding at the children. "I'm not letting you take them that easy."

"The cops are on their way," Keigo scoffs. "You're lucky I'm not arresting you right now. Try and stop me, I'll kick your ass. I'm not in the fucking mood." Then he leaves, not bothering to shut the door behind him.

Kenji shrugs. "I never really liked kids anyway." He pokes me with his cane, but I'm out of it. He remembers, but he doesn't forgive me. Why would he? I never came back for him. I chose to be a villain and plot revenge against the hero society. I didn't choose him, even though I promised I would. I'm hit with a cane over the head, and I snap my attention over to Kenji. He smiles and bats his eyelashes innocently. "Whats-a-matter, patchwork?" he teases. "Tough break up?"

"I'm going to fucking kill you!" I scream at him. "Why would you do that?! What kind of monster are you?!"

"The most common kind," Kenji giggles. "You should know! Me and you are just alike."

"No, we're not," I say, marching to the door. "I don't abuse kids, and I don't betray people I swore my loyalty to."

Kenji grabs my arms, hissing his words in my ear. "We are, though. Don't you see it, Touya? We are! We're monsters bred from the same sin. You keep secrets, you break promises, you kill innocents... Neither of us have the authority to criticize one another. You could punch me for every sin I've committed or vice versa, but either way, we'd both be here for hours!"

"Let go of me," I snarl at him. "I have to get to Keigo."

"He doesn't want you, Touya," Kenji says. "You're better off with the league. They're like your family, aren't they? Giran was telling me about it. They care about you. Look, all I want is for you to stay away from that damn hero. Because he's right. Touya and Keigo are gone, and it's time to start moving on from the past. Get back to the people who care about you."

I shake out of his grasp and hurry to the door. I know he's right. I have a thousand missed calls from each of the league members, and I know they're worried sick, but... Keigo is a part of me that I'm not going to let slip away. The past never dies, the past never dies, the past never dies. I just have to keep saying it until it comes true.

"You're an idiot!" Kenji calls as I leave. "The past does die! It's been dead, and you're crazy if you think you can bring it back to life!"

I just smile, throwing a wave of flames at the house as I leave. The smell of burning follows me wherever I go.