Now

POV HAWKS

"Keigo!" Touya blurts as he stumbles through the door. He smells like the aftermath of a house fire, and it immediately puts everyone on edge. I blush with anger; that name isn't something he should just throw around. The heroes look between Touya and me, confused and pissed off. Touya grumbles a curse word, lighting his hands with blue fire. "Damn heroes. The hell are you all doing here?"

"What the hell are you doing here?!" Mirko screams back. "I thought this was a private location!"

"Do we have a warrant for his arrest?" Edgeshot asks. "We could arrest him right now."

"Technically he hasn't done anything illegal in our presence," Aizawa says. "We'll just wait until he strikes a hero. Give him a second. Endeavor?"

"What did you call him?" Endeavor asks, stepping forward daringly. Touya's flames get brighter, and I can feel their heat from my spot on the couch.

"Hawks," Touya mocks, glaring at the number one hero. "Anyway, if you're gonna fucking fight me, Enji, let's make it quick because I've got quite a lot on my to-do list."

"Threatening a hero?" Endeavor says, cracking his knuckles. "I'm sure that's a crime somewhere." The two go to swing at each other, but I fly feathers over to pin them back. Touya flies over to the door while Endeavor crashes into my dining room table.

"You're not fighting in my house!" I scream at them as my feathers return to shape my wings. I march over to Touya and grab the front of his shirt violently. "What the hell did I tell you, Dabi?! STAY AWAY FROM ME!"

Touya narrows his eyes at me, scowling. He pushes me back by the shoulders, and I stumble into the wall. Mirko races up to us at lightning speed but stops in her tracks when Touya holds up a flaming hand to my face. "I don't want to hurt you, Birdie," he growls. "All I wanted to do was talk, but you made a big mistake just now inviting all these heroes and I'm not sure if I can forgive you." He uses his other hand to pull me forward and slam my head back against the wall. I'm dizzy, lightheaded, and I can only see the outline of Touya as he speaks. "All of you goddamn heroes can wait in the hallway while I talk with him, alright? No need to do anything extreme."

Aizawa rubs his eyes, grumbling about using his quirk too much, and wraps his scarf around his hands. Mirko doesn't step out of her fighting pose, and Mic clears his throat. Edgeshot helps Endeavor up, and the number one hero looks furious, tightening his hands into flaming fists.

"Go," I say with Dabi's hand still around my throat. "I'll be fine."

"Hawks–" Mirko starts.

"You heard the damn bird!" Touya exclaims. "I'll be gone in ten minutes! I just need to talk to him!"

"He's telling the truth," I say, ripping Touya's hand off of me. "Him and I have some things that need to be settled."

"Is he the lover you were crying about?" Edgeshot asks gently.

Immediately my face heats up, but I deny it, ushering them out of the room. "Just wait here for a few minutes, alright? You said it yourself that he hasn't committed any crimes, so I'll be just fine." I close the door behind them, ignoring all the confused and suspicious looks from my hero colleagues. I let out a sigh, turning around to Touya. My eyes are still damp, but I don't care if he sees me cry at this point. He's well aware of the damage he's done. "Well?" I snap at him. "Talk."

"I want to apologize," he says, grabbing my hands. "I got caught up in my own bullshit with wanting revenge on my father for choosing the corrupted hero society over me and my siblings. I was blinded by rage and focused on everything I hated. It made me forget all about the only person I didn't hate. It was you, Birdie. It's always been you. And I'm so sorry that I went down the path that I did. If I could backtrack, I would–"

"No," I say, rubbing my thumbs over the staples on his hands. "No, if you would've stayed, you would've died. If you would've come back for me, they would've killed you. I understand why you did what you did." I take a deep breath, trying to get myself to stop trembling. "I just don't know why you didn't tell me when you first crashed at my place. Before that, even. You've been 'Dabi' and I've been 'Hawks' but if you would've spoken up, we could've been Touya and Keigo all this time."

"I know," Touya whispers, pulling me closer. I let my eyes flutter closed as he places a kiss on my forehead, melting in the feeling of his closeness. "And I'm so sorry. I promise I will never leave your side ever again."

"I think you're missing something," I tease, wrapping my arms around his torso.

"And... I promise not to break that promise."

"Not quite," I giggle. "What was our whole promise about?"

"Abandonment issues?" Touya asks.

"No, you traumatized emo boy!" I say, rolling my eyes. "Marriage! We're supposed to get married! Now get down and propose to me, patchwork!"

"I don't have a ring," Touya says. "I guess you're gonna have to wait."

"Fine," I grumble, snaking my arms around his neck. "But can I get a kiss?"

Touya smirks, inching his face closer until his lips press against mine. I melt into him, sighing with gentle pleasure as his warm hands reach up the back of my shirt. "You mean the world to me," he says, trailing the kisses down my neck.

I smirk, taking a step back. "You're such a hopeless romantic," I tease. "As much as I'd love for you to stay the night, you have to get back to the league. I don't want you to be arrested or anything."

"Before I go," Touya says, tilting his head a little. "You're officially my boyfriend now, right?" I nod, smiling as Touya pumps his fist in the air. "Great," he says breathlessly. "Awesome. Um, I'll see you later, Birdie. Text me!" Then he runs out the door, grinning like an idiot.

"What was that about?" Mic asks, nudging me with his shoulder. "It's giving forbidden gay lovers."

"Hizashi, stop," Aizawa grumbles. "You're reading too much Wattpad. It's confusing you."

"We should've arrested him," Mirko pouts, plopping down on the couch. "Who does he think he is, huh? Waltzing in here like he owns the place! No way! Not cool!"

"Where's Endeavor and Shinya?" I ask, sitting down beside Mirko.

"They went home," Mic says. "Number one was throwing a tantrum and Edgeshot took him back. ANYWAY, WHO'S DOWN FOR MARIO KART?!"

"Me!" Mirko and I echo. Aizawa just smirks, pulling open my fridge and taking out two bottles of red wine. "No school tomorrow, right?" he asks, not bothering to wait for the answer as he pops the cap off. We spend the rest of the night hanging out. Spirits lifted. Chins up. Holding the past close, but also stepping into the future.