Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Hawks remembered vividly the night he discovered that Dabi was an omega. It was at the PLF manor and he’d just been coming off an exhausting shift. He hadn’t slept in 48 hours and had a tension headache radiating across his forehead and down his spine. All he’d wanted was to go home, dive head first into his bed, and sleep for as long as possible before he had to start his patrol in the morning. But as always, it seemed the Commission had other plans for him. 

“You haven’t given us a report on the Paranormal Liberation Front’s activities in over a week. You need to check in with them,” the clipped voice of the Hero Commission agent told him. 

Hawks winced and held the phone away from his ear slightly, where he was currently perched on a telephone poll. “Alright, I’ll swing by tomorrow and-,”

“Now, Hawks.” 

And well, he’d never figured out how to say no to the Commission. That’s how he’d gotten into this whole mess in the first place. So begrudgingly, Hawks bought a can of coffee from a vending machine, chugged it and one go, and took off for the long flight to the manor.

It was late when he arrived, most of the residents asleep or out doing their various acts of villainy under the cover of darkness, so there weren’t many people around. Hawks rolled his eyes, all of that effort and he wasn’t going to have anything to report back to the Commission anyway.

The winged hero trudged up the stairs to the sleeping quarters to find the room he normally crashed in while staying at the manor. He was one of the only members of the PLF who didn’t have to bunk with anyone else. He would say he got lucky, but it was more likely that none of the villains wanted to share a room with a hero. But Hawks was fine with that if it meant he could sleep undisturbed. 

He was trekking past the laundry room when the smell hit him like a freight train.

The undeniable scent of an omega in heat. The sudden wall of smell washed over him, causing him to jolt and freeze in place instantly. It was smoky, kind of like a campfire but underneath it there was a sweeter scent, almost chocolatey.

Smores. Hawks found himself thinking unbidden.

Heat began to build up under his collar and he could tell that his breathing had become slightly uneven. Unconsciously he began taking in deep breaths to try to draw in as much of the scent as he could. His pants suddenly felt a bit tighter than they had a moment ago.

The fact that the scent was coming from the laundry room of all places though, was strange. Instincts taking over Hawks found himself pushing open the door to investigate. When he did, a small mountain of baskets and boxes tumbled over. As though someone had haphazardly tried to barricade the door.

Despite the intoxicating scent, the sight clued in the rational part of Hawks brain that something was wrong here. He stepped over the baskets and observed the laundry room. It was small, a few rows of machines on either side of the room. At first glance, there appeared to be no one there. If he couldn’t smell it, he would have thought the room was empty. He took another sniff of the sugary sweet scent, following it to the back corner of the room.

Never in a million years could he have predicted the sight that would greet him as he peered over the stack of drying units to find the source of the smell.

Dabi. High ranking member of the League of Villains. Dabi. Was sitting hunched over in the corner of the laundry room, wedged between the wall and the machines, knees pulled into his chest. Looking as though he was trying to make himself as small as possible. Icy blue eyes shot up at Hawks as he loomed over, pupils blown wide. 

The scent in the air took on a sudden bitter and metallic smell, that Hawks knew all too well from his work as a hero. Fear.

It instantly killed any arousal that had been building up in Hawks and he quickly shook his head to collect himself. Dabi was scared of him. Dabi who spent his time antagonizing dangerous criminals in dark alleyways. Dabi who had burned countless people alive. Dabi who had stood in the middle of a city street and goaded Endeavor, the number one hero, was currently afraid of Hawks . It was hard to imagine. 

That’s when Hawks noticed the small bundle of hoodies and blankets that Dabi had amassed in the corner with him.

“Are you nesting here ?” Hawks blurted out incredulously, instead of voicing any of the thousand other questions running through his head. 

Dabi flinched at the sound, and guilt instantly shot through Hawks. The omega, god Dabi was an omega, was clearly frightened, and a loud alpha shouting at him was obviously not helping.

“What of it?” Dabi’s raspy voice snarled, defensive.

“Uh, it’s the laundry room?” Hawks furrowed his eyebrows, “Anyone can come in here. Why aren’t you in your room?”

There were a few beats of silence, as Dabi clearly debated his answer. 

“Can’t. I share with Twice,” he finally admitted quietly.

It was a revealing answer. If the League had known Dabi was an omega, then he could have explained to them why he needed to have his room to himself. Clearly hadn’t, as he was currently holed up in the laundry room of all places. Which meant they didn’t know.

Hawks honestly didn’t blame Dabi. He’d overheard the way some of the League members talked about omegas. It was mostly alpha locker room talk, something that plenty of pro-heroes were guilty of, but encouraged not to partake in lest it affect their image. Obviously that wasn’t a problem for the villains. It had always ruffled Hawks’ feathers, but he felt he couldn’t say anything or risk blowing his cover. If he were Dabi he wouldn’t have felt safe telling them either.

Frankly, though, Hawks was impressed he’d been able to go this long without getting caught. Hawks liked to think of himself as a progressive person. He wasn’t under the illusion that all omega’s were soft and sweet. But there was nothing about Dabi that Hawks would have even remotely associated with omega-like behavior. Was that because Dabi was compensating? Putting up a front?

Honestly, the aggressive, agitated energy Dabi gave off was pretty alpha-like. If it weren’t for the lack of scent, he might have guessed as much, but the dark haired man had never had given off so much as a hint of pheromones, so Hawks had assumed he was a beta. Now in retrospect Hawks realized he must have been using hormone blockers to hide his scent. And if no one in the League knew about him after all this time, Hawks would wager this was probably his first heat in a long time.

“You can’t stay here,” Hawks said finally, “anyone can walk in here. It’s not safe.”

“Well where do you suggest I go, hero ?” Dabi’s voice was dripping with venom, but everything about his scent and body language was defensive. 

“You can nest in my room, come on,” he reached out without thinking, meaning to offer a hand to pull the other man to his feet.

Dabi flinched back violently, his quirk igniting on his hands. Hawks had to jump back to avoid getting singed. He hadn’t thought it was possible, but in that moment the fear and stress radiating off the villain became even more suffocating.

“Like hell I am doing that. Do you think I’m stupid? Stay away from me,” the was a tinge of panic to the villain's words that startled Hawks.

Oh shit. He thought, suddenly realizing what that had sounded like. Hawks winced, he hadn’t been thinking properly. His alpha instincts were screaming at him, the scent of omega in heat mixed with omega in distress doing all kinds of crazy things to his brain.

In that moment he was thankful for all the desensitization training the Commission had put him through. A less prepared alpha might have been completely overwhelmed. He took a deep breath through his mouth, instead of his nose, and tried to calm his own rapid heart rate. He didn’t know what he must have smelled like to Dabi in that moment, but the omega was clearly perceiving him as a threat. Hopefully he could do something to make his own scent for calming.

“Not like that Dabi. I’m just trying to help,” He held up his hands in a placating gesture, “You can stay in my room and I’ll sleep out on the couch in the common area, okay? No funny business I promise. If anyone smells you in there they will just think I brought a hookup back here.” 

Dabi glared at him, clearly not buying it. Hawks sighed.

“Come on Dabs, I could smell you from out in the hallway. It’s only a matter of time before someone else finds you,” He reached out his hand again, refraining from looking directly into Dabi’s eyes, hoping to avoid any body language that could be perceived as threatening.

A few more moments of tense silence passed. The only sound in the room was Dabi’s labored breathing and the tumble of the washing machines. Dabi was looking at Hawks like he was a wild animal, ready to strike at any minute. Blue eyes darted around the room and then back to the alpha in front of him, as if looking for possible exits. After what felt like an eternity, the villain's shoulders slumped.

“Okay,” Dabi relented in a shaky voice, finally taking Hawks hand in his own and pulling himself up on trembling legs. His hand was warm with fever, too warm to be written off as part of his fire quirk. Dabi looked gaunt on a good day, but now he looked even more sickly than usual. With the dark bags under his eyes a deep purple to match his scars and the healthy bits of his skin an ashy white color. His hair was wild, sticking up in all directions, with the bit above his eyes plastered to his forehead by sweat.

The poor guy looked pathetic. Hawks’ alpha instincts wanted nothing more than to pull him close and- No.  

He slammed a mental door closed on that train of thought. This was Dabi , one of the most wanted villains in the country. Hawks couldn’t be thinking those kinds of thoughts about someone like him, omega or not.

Moving slowly, so as not to spook the trembling man in front of him, Hawks reached around and grabbed the small wad of blankets and clothes that the omega had been attempting to nest with. As he handed them over, he noticed they all smelled only of Dabi. He frowned.

Hawks had never been with a nesting omega before, but he’d been through enough sex ed courses growing up at the Commission to know that they normally nested with materials that smelled like close friends, family, and of course their partners. But obviously, as Dabi was hiding his secondary gender he couldn’t ask for those things from the League, or anyone else.

His alpha instinct to provide and protect did not like the idea of an omega going through heat by themselves, let alone without any proper nesting material. He found himself shucking off his flight jacket without a second thought and pushing it into Dabi’s arms as well.

“Here, you can use this too.”

Dabi stared down at the jacket now in his arms as though Hawks had just handed him a bomb. He half expected the temperamental omega to fling it back in his face and tell him to fuck off. But Dabi’s instincts must have been fucking with him too because he didn’t say anything, just begrudgingly tightened his hold on it. 

The alpha in Hawks found that more pleasing than he should.

The short walk down the hall to Hawk’s room was tense. Dabi was clearly trying to calm down, probably worried about his scent leaking out into the rest of the manor and attracting more unwanted attention. But he seemed too anxious to truly let his guard down, continuously stealing glances at Hawks out of the corner of his eye. As though terrified that at any moment the alpha was going to jump him.

Something unpleasant twisted in Hawks stomach as he observed. There was really only one reason an omega in heat would be acting so distressed and distrustful, and it made Hawks sick to think about it. He didn’t want to imagine something like that happening to anyone, villain or not.

The moment Hawks got the door to his room open, Dabi rushed inside and slammed the door behind him before Hawks could blink, quickly followed by the click of the lock.

“You’re welcome,” Hawks mumbled tiredly to the closed door. 

Now that Dabi was safe and the sweet scent was no longer fresh in his nose Hawks, the adrenalin began to drain from his body. All the exhaustion he’d been feeling earlier catching up with him again. 

By the time he fell asleep, he was so grateful to close his eyes that he didn’t even care that he had to crash on the PLF’s musty couch.

--

Hawks didn't see Dabi for several days after that. Dabi had always been a slippery bastard when he wanted to be, but this time Hawks had an inkling that the villain was making an extra effort to avoid him. 

He’d be lying if he wasn’t a bit offended. He’d been a perfect gentleman to Dabi, the fire user had no right to be treating Hawks like he was the gum stuck to the bottom of his shoe. Yet after every meeting with the PLF Dabi seemed to be absent or disappear from the room before Hawks could approach him.

Which, one - rude.

Two - he’d never even returned the jacket Hawks had lent him during his heat.

If he didn’t know any better, Hawks might have thought Dabi was embarrassed.

Hawks wanted to assure him that he didn’t need to avoid him. Sure, there were still some alphas out there, especially in the hero industry, that thought of omegas as lesser than, but Hawks wasn’t one of them. And things were changing in the industry. In the last few years hero schools had even begun accepting omega students. In fact, one of the top students at UA was an omega and also the bane of Shigaraki’s existence. 

Then again, change was slow and there were plenty of traditionalists who saw omegas as second class citizens, whose job was only to have children and keep the house. Hawks supposed he could understand Dabi’s hesitation to face Hawks, since there was no way for him to know where he fell on that scale.

Villains ironically tended to be more accepting of omegas breaking out of traditional gendered roles in society. It fell in line with their whole anarchic, ‘tear down society as we know it and rebuild it’ agenda. But it seemed to Hawks that when it came to omega rights that notion was more of an ideology they preached rather than practiced. Seeing as, other than Dabi, he’d yet to meet any other omegas among their ranks.

He finally managed to corner Dabi after a group meal time in the common space. Hawks was sitting with Toga, Compress, and Twice chowing down on the kind of takeout food that the Commission would never let him eat otherwise. When Dabi walked in he instantly froze as he spotted Hawks on the couch, quickly making to turn and break for the other direction but it was too late as Toga had already spotted him.

“Dabi!” she cheered, “come hang out with us!

“We have takeout!” Twice added, “Fuck off, you can’t have any!”

Dabi stood there for a minute, clearly trying to come up with a reason he needed to leave but failing. After what seemed to be a long deliberation, he heaved a sigh and stalked back into the room, taking a seat in a chair as far away from Hawks as possible.

If the other league members picked up on the tension between Dabi and Hawks during their meal they didn’t mention it. Toga pratting along about her latest crush, some omega girl from UA Class-1A while Compress practiced his newest card trick on Hawks and Twice.

When they all went their separate ways after dinner, Hawks followed Dabi down the hallway, to the stairwell, and out into the courtyard without a word. The dark haired man doesn’t protest, seemingly resigned to the situation.

He finally slowed to a stop when they were far enough away from the building and any prying ears and pulled out a cigarette, lighting it easily with a blue flame generated from his index finger. Hawks waited patiently for the man to speak, pulling his wings close to his back to shield himself from the chilly evening air.

“Did you tell anyone?” Dabi whispered at last, sounding resigned.

“No.” Hawks answered honestly. 

He’d thought about reporting it to the Commission, but something had stopped him. He didn’t know why, it was valuable intelligence into the League member they had the least information on. But every time he thought about the fear in Dabi's eyes that night, he lost any will he had to reveal his secret. 

“You can’t.” Dabi muttered stiffly, taking a long drag of his cigarette, “Tell anyone.”

“I gathered that,” Hawks huffed, “From the whole hiding in the laundry room and barricading the door of it all.

Dabi’s hackles raised, “I ran out of blockers. It won’t happen again. No one else is going to find out. So keep your mouth shut. If you think this changes my ability to get my job done-,” he was working himself up a slightly hysterical rant.

“Dabi. Dabi ,” Hawks interrupted softly, but firmly, “Your secrets are safe with me. There’s nothing wrong with you being an omega. I was just worried about your safety. Has… has anyone here, done anything that made you feel-

“I am not having this discussion with you,” Dabi snarled.

Hawks wasn’t exactly sure what the omega meant by that. He didn’t want to have this conversation with a hero? An alpha? Or just with Hawks in particular? Maybe it was a combination of all three. Whatever the case, he decided not to push any further.

“Alright,” Hawks sighed, “I mean it though. My lips are sealed alright? But if you run out of blockers again just use my room from the start. I don’t want you to get hurt because you’re too stubborn to kick Twice out of yours.”

Dabi narrowed his eyes at Hawks searchingly. As if he couldn’t understand why Hawks would offer such a thing. Hawks raised an eyebrow at him questioningly but didn’t comment further.

“God you’re such a hero .” 

It took all of Hawks Commission training not to flinch at the word. He’d long suspected that Dabi was onto his whole double agent act, but so far he hasn’t appeared to rat him out to the rest of the League or the PLF. But if Dabi meant anything by the comment, he didn’t say anything further, just pushed past Hawks back towards the manor.

“This conversation never happened,” he snapped, not looking back as stalked away.

Hawks never did get that flight jacket back.

--

Hawks would have been content to forget about the entire thing. Push it out of his mind and focus on his mission.

The problem was that now that he knew , he couldn’t stop looking. He watched Dabi. When they were in PLF meetings, or eating with the members of the league, or sharing intelligence. His eyes were always drifting to the lanky figure with the dark features and sharp glare.

It’s not like he’d never looked before. Hawks had enough self awareness to admit that he’d found Dabi attractive even before he knew about the villain’s secondary gender. Sure, the guy might not be traditionally handsome but he carried himself aloof confidence that was almost magnetic. 

He also had what may be the prettiest pair of blue eyes that Hawks had ever seen. Though he’s sure if he ever told Dabi he thought as much he’d be roasted alive on the spot.

So yes, Hawks had been looking at Dabi before he knew. But back then Dabi was just a nebulously attractive asshole. Now that he knew what Dabi smelled like in heat, the images that Hawks’ brain conjured up about him were nothing but nebulous. 

And Hawks had always had a vivid imagination. The side effect of his lonely childhood most likely.

All that’s to say nothing of what his brain was doing when he was unconscious, because of course there were also the dreams. Hawks hadn’t had wet dreams since he was a teenager, and even then they’d never been so vivid. Dabi underneath him writing in pleasure, whimpering, begging Hawks for more. When he wakes he can still smell that sweet mix of smoke and chocolate.

It built to a point where every time Hawks went to touch himself, the image that immediately came to his mind and refused to be pushed away was of the dark haired omega. 

Maybe I just need to hook up with some other omega , Hawks thought distantly, as he stroked himself in the shower one morning, get whatever this is out of my system.

He resolved himself to do just that. After he is finished with his stint at the PLF manor that week, was he going to go back home to Fukuoka, and find himself a nice non-villain omega to hookup with. 

That would solve everything.

--

“Have sex with me.”

It was more of demand than a request.

Hawks stared dumbfounded at Dabi who was standing in the open doorway of Hawks’ room in the PLF wearing nothing but a loose t-shirt and sweatpants and looking resolutely at the ground to avoid making eye contact.

“Um.” Hawks offered unintelligently.

He’d just brushed his teeth and had been getting ready to turn in for the night when the knock on his door had startled him. He’d honestly been expecting it to be Twice or Toga trying to cajole him into some kind of group activity in the common room. He definitely hadn’t been prepared for Dabi in pajamas.

Hawks had never seen the man wearing anything other than his raggedy villain costume. Without it Dabi seemed much smaller. He was still an inch or so taller than Hawks, but without the large jacket filling out his frame it became immediately apparent just how skinny he was. Some distant alpha part of Hawks brain wanted to sit Dabi down and make him eat a sandwich.

“Stupid. This is stupid. What the fuck am I doing?” Dabi muttered to himself when Hawks didn’t immediately respond, spinning on his heel to leave, but the hero caught his arm, reeling him back into place before he could get away.

“No. Explain.” Hawks demanded, “You seemed pretty adamantly against the idea two weeks ago.”

To Hawks' chagrin, Dabi actually blushed as he answered, “You gave me your stupid flight jacket. I had it with me for my whole heat and now… now…,” He trailed off, voice dripping with embarrassment. 

Oh. Hawks realized blinking dumbly. Dabi had been getting off on his scent for weeks. 

He must have been standing there shell-shocked for a while, because Dabi started up again, “Look, do you want to or not? Because you’re never getting the opportunity again and the window to accept is rapidly closing.”

Oh, Hawks did want. He’d been dreaming about Dabi’s scent for weeks now. It creeped its way into his mind every time he touched himself. He was having wet dreams about the villain for god's sake. But Dabi was a villain and Hawks was going to have to betray him and the rest of the League in the end. He shouldn’t get involved this way, it could only end badly.

But now with Dabi standing there, so close. Offering willingly…

“Just one night? No strings attached?” Hawks asked finally, licking his lips.

Dabi’s eyes followed his tongue for a moment, seemingly transfixed, before shaking his head as if to clear it, “As if it would be anything more, hero .” That sure sounded more like the Dabi he was used to dealing with.

“Alright,” Hawks agreed, against his better judgment, stepping aside to allow Dabi to enter his room. If the Commission ever found out about this they were going to have his head, but in that moment the winged hero could not bring himself to care.

He didn’t miss the way the villain’s Adam's apple bobbed nervously as he was ushered inside. Dabi was on his blockers again, but now that Hawks knew he could detect the faintest hint of chocolate tinged with nervous radiating off him. He felt himself salivating slightly.

The second Hawks closed the door behind him, Dabi was on him. Lips pressing roughly against his own. Dabi’s lips are warmer than expected, probably to do with his quirk, but it’s not unpleasant. 

Hawks let out a hum of surprise at the eagerness, but kissed back, sliding his hands down to grab Dab’s waist and pull it towards him. When their bodies met he could feel how hard Dabi was underneath his sweatpants. Hawks grinded gently into him and Dabi jerked in shock, biting down on Hawks lip.

“Ow.” Hawks mumbled into the other man’s lips, even though it didn’t really hurt that badly.

Dabi had the decency to look embarrassed at least. 

“Can I do that again or are you going to eat my face off?” Hawks teased.

“Try it and find out,” Dabi snapped brattily.

Hawks took that as permission to grind into him again, deepening the kiss as he did so. Dabi moaned into his mouth, and the sensation caused a shiver to ripple down his spine and out into his wings. They spanned out wide behind him, quivering slightly. 

Dabi’s electric blue eyes followed their movements curiously. He pulled away from the kiss suddenly, reaching a tentative hand out to touch the feathers before freezing, as though catching himself.

“Can I touch them?” The omega colored slightly, looking a bit guilty.

“Yes,” Hawks huffed with an amused smile, extending the feathers out in a show of consent. 

Dabi brushed his fingers along the ridge of one of his primary feathers, brows furrowed a bit in curiosity, “They’re soft.”

Hawks couldn’t help the shudder that he gave the sensation. The omega quickly restricted his hand in alarm.

“Sorry. I didn't mean- are they sensitive?” The startled look of concern was so foreign on Dabi’s face, it took all of Hawks’ self control not to laugh. 

“It’s fine. It felt good. And yeah they’re sensitive.”

“I didn’t think birds could feel their feathers.”

“Normal birds can’t, no nerves,” Hawks shrugged, “But because of the telekinetic part of my quirk I can feel them.”

“Huh,” Dabi murmured thoughtfully, reaching back out tentatively to touch them again.

Hawks closed his eyes and allowed himself to enjoy the sensation for a few moments. Dabi wasn’t his first sexual partner who wanted to touch his wings, but he was the first who had touched them so gently. Usually people just wanted to bury their hands in them and tug. Which Hawks didn’t mind either given the right circumstances, but this was nice in a different way.

After a few minutes of careful fingers carding through his wings, Hawks found himself too hard to wait any longer. He pushed the omega backwards onto the bed with ease. The dark haired omega let out a little yelp of surprise as his back hit the mattress, but didn’t protest as Hawks followed him down to trace kisses down his neck.

He broke away after a few increasingly frantic kisses and tugged on the side of Dabi’s cotton t-shirt, “Off.”

Dabi gave him an unimpressed look, but obediently pulled his shirt over his head. He threw it at Hawks face once it was off, and Hawks let out a trill of laughter. He detached one of his feathers behind him to undo the fastenings below his wings to pull off his own shirt as well. Dabi watched the feather with rapt attention, before his eyes dropped to Hawks' now naked chest. Eyes catching on his abs. Hawks couldn’t help but straight up under the attention.

Now that Dabi’s shirt was off Hawks was able to see the full extent of his scars. The upper half of his chest was mostly unmarred, but his torso had a large swath of purple flesh stretching across his belly above his belly button. The staples glint in the dim light and Hawks finds himself leaning over to press gentle kisses to the area.

“Careful of the staples,” Dabi mumbled softly.

Hawks paused and looked up at him, “Do they hurt?”

“Not really,” Dabi admitted, “Can’t feel much there anymore. But I figure you don’t want to cut up your face, or you won’t be able to sell anymore magazines.”

Hawks grinned wolfishly, “You've been looking at my magazine covers, Dabi?”

Dabi froze, caught, and then sputtered, “ No! Not like that. Your ugly mug is just on every newsstand in the country.”

“Mhmm,” Hawks beamed at him, quite pleased with the image that came to mind of the omega touching himself to Hawks’ photograph, “Sure.”

“Shut up,” Dabi snapped petulantly. 

Normally, Hawks would have spent more time engaging in foreplay. But something about Dabi was making him impatient. Like if he didn’t get inside the omega as soon as possible he was going to explode. 

He reached for the hem of Dabi’s sweatpants, and began tugging them down his hips eagerly. Dabi wiggled hips in assistance and his cock sprang out as the pants came down. To his surprise, Dabi was actually quite big for an omega. Not quite as big as an alpha like Hawks, but he’d certainly been with some betas who’d probably be jealous of Dabi’s package.

Hawks raised an eyebrow, “Going commando?”

Dabi actually looked a bit anxious under Hawk’s appraising gaze, “Well obviously I was planning to take them off anyway.”

He glanced away, seeming to want to be looking anywhere but the Hawks' eyes. It occurred to the alpha that perhaps Dabi was self-conscious of his size. Omega’s were normally pretty small, and that was seen as desirable by most alphas, who were traditionally supposed to be bigger than their partners in every way.

Hawks had always thought that was rather stupid. He was an alpha, but he was also only 5’ 6” and not particularly bulky. If he drew the line for his sexual partners at people who needed to be smaller than him, he wouldn’t have many options. Hell, even Dabi was taller than Hawks by a few inches.

Dabi seemed to be growing more nervous the longer the silence went on. He seemed to be considering opening his mouth to say something, when Hawks realized he needed to stop whatever self-deprecating thing was going to come out of the omega’s mouth before it ruined the mood.

So, the hero grinned, leaned down, and licked a stripe up Dabi’s cock. The omega let out a yelp of shock, hand flying out and catching in Hawks hair. Hawks took that as permission to continue lapping at the omega’s length for a few minutes teasingly before taking the full length into his mouth.

Dabi let out a moan and the grip on his hair tightened. He was clearly trying very hard not to thrust into Hawks mouth, if the little aborted hip motions he was making were anything to go by. Hawks bobbed his head up and down dutifully, enjoying the desperate sounds the omega was making.

“Hawks I’m gonna,” Dabi breathed raggedly after a few minutes.

At the strained cry, Hawks pulled away. Wiping his mouth. Dabi sat up slightly to look down at him, annoyance and barely concealed desperation spread across his features. 

Hawks tsked, “Uh-uh. Not yet. Want you to come on my cock.”

“W-what? Hawks come on!” Dabi whined needily 

“Don’t worry you won’t have to wait long,” he grinned wolfishly, before reaching down to pull his own pants and underwear down. Tossing the discarded clothes on the floor beside the bed. 

He reached a careful hand down to touch Dabi’s entrance and was pleased to find that it was already soaked with slick. Hawks doubted he needed any additional preparation outside of what Dabi’s body was naturally providing, so he didn’t bother pushing his fingers in to stretch him. His own cock was aching and heavy between his legs and he was ready to get on to the main event.

Hawks wrapped his hands around Dabi’s legs and pulled the omega closer to him, so that their erections were flush with each other. Dabi immediately tensed, the omega’s heart was beating like a jackhammer and his chest was rising and falling a bit too rapidly.

“Hey,” Hawks murmured softly, “Relax.”

“I am relaxed,” Dabi snapped, unconsciously. 

Hawks raised an unimpressed eyebrow at him.

Dabi huffed, “I just haven’t done this in a long time, okay? I know this might shock you but not a ton of people are lining up to have sex with the patchwork faced omega when he’s not in heat.”

Hawks’ eyes softened, “Their loss then.” He kissed Dabi gently on the forehead, before positioning himself at the omega’s entrance. 

Dabi whined as Hawks pushed in, arching his back and tensing. It’s hot, and wet and tight. Too tight. Hawks groaned at the sensation, but he could tell the omega was still too tense for him to push all the way in.

“You gotta relax sweetheart,” He murmured, pushing in a bit more and pulling a choked breath out of the omega, “You’re too tense. Relax .”

“Shut up, don’t call me that,” Dabi whimpered, but Hawks felt some of the tension bleed out of him at the alpha’s order.

“That’s more like it.” Hawks praised and pushed himself the rest of the way in, seating himself up to the hilt. Dabi’s hands clawed frantically at his back at the sudden intrusion, tugging at some of feathers in a way that made Hawks groan. His instincts were screaming at him to just start thrusting but he forced himself to stay still.

“You good Hotstuff?” He asked tentatively. It was clear that whoever Dabi had been with in the past, they hadn’t been very good to him, if his behavior the night of his heat was anything to go by. And he wanted Dabi to enjoy himself as much as Hawks was, which meant making sure he was onboard for what was about to happen next.

The omega below him, who had buried his head in Hawks shoulder just wined in response.

Hawks chuckled softly, who knew this was what it took to get the sharp tongued villain to shut up, “Can I start moving?” 

Dabi gave a rapid nod against his shoulder and that’s all the permission he needed to begin thrusting. The omega was wet with slick so his dick glided into the tight space easily, giving a satisfying squelch with each thrust. Hawks groaned in approval. 

It had been awhile since he’d fucked an omega. Normally he only hooked up with betas or other alphas. Not that he had preferred them anymore or less, it was just what was most convenient. That’s who made up most of the hero industry who he spent 99% of his time around. Plus it was easier to avoid attachment without the risk of pregnancy or bonding. But damn. He’d forgotten how good it could be to fuck someone so wet and submissive. Dabi felt warm, and pliant, and so damn good .

Dabi let out a loud whine, as a particularly sharp thrust of Hawks’ brushed past his prostate, throwing his head back and exposing his throat. A pretty blush was dusting his cheeks, eyes blown wide.

It was surreal, Hawks mused, seeing Dabi like this. So vulnerable. On his back with his legs spread and taking Hawks like he was born to do it. Dabi, one of the most dangerous men in the country. A man who could kill Hawks right now with his quirk if he wanted to, but instead was letting Hawks have his way with him. It was doing dangerous things to Hawks’ libido. 

The jealous alpha in him who didn’t want to share wondered how many people had gotten to see him like this. Hawks was determined to make Dabi forget all about them.

He reached down and grabbed Dabi’s dick, which was hard and leaking against his stomach. Dabi moaned in approval as he began to stroke the omega in time with his thrusts. The villain clenched suddenly tighter, a low whine escaping from the back of his throat.

“You gonna cum for me, sweetheart?” Hawks trilled sweetly.

Dabi lifted hand to half-heartedly smack him for the enderment. Hawks abandoned Dabi’s dick to snatch the hand out of the air, pushing it back, pinning it in place above the omega’s head.

“Come on, you can do it. Be a good little omega and cum for your alpha.”

“Hawks, please.” Dabi whined nonsensically, clenching tightly around Hawks at the command. 

“That’s right, I got you sweetheart, go ahead. You can do it,” Hawks leaned over and captured Dabi’s lips with his own in a bruising kiss.

That pushed Dabi over the edge and came in spurts all over Hawks chest. Eyelashes fluttering over blue irises, muscles going slack with pleasure. 

Beautiful. A distant part of Hawks’ brain filled in. There was no other word for it. It certainly wouldn’t have been a word Hawks would have thought he’d use to describe Dabi a few weeks ago. But now here, with the villain writhing under him as he rode out his orgasm, he can’t believe how he didn’t see it earlier. 

Hawks’ knew he was not going to last long after a sight like that. He picked up his pace, chasing his own orgasm with hard deep thrusts. Dabi winced slightly, probably sensitive now that he’d finished, but didn’t protest as Hawks continued to fuck into him.

So good, Hawks thought hazily, such a good omega.  

“Gonna knot you,” Hawks warned, feeling the warmth build below his stomach. There was no way he was pulling out now. He took a moment to thank whatever deities were out there that Dabi was on hormone blockers again, so that he could do this. 

Dabi’s head was thrown back, pretty neck exposed. It’d be so easy to sink a bite into it, claiming the omega as his own. Tragically, the rational part of his brain held him back. Knowing that Dabi had only consented to a one time fuck and certainly not a lifetime of being bonded to Hawks. No matter how mindblowing the sex was. He bit the pillow next to Dabi’s head instead, as he came hard, vision whiting out for a second. 

Dabi whimpered under him, readjusting as Hawk’s knott expanded inside him as the alpha struggled to catch his breath. All the tension drained out of his muscles as his orgasm washed over him and Hawks collapsed on top of Dabi, who let out a small, “oof” but seemed too spent to tell Hawks off. They lay like that for a few minutes, the only sound being their own rapid breathing.

After a few moments of glorious post-coital silence, the omega finally spoke up.

“You’re crushing me you stupid bird,” Dabi finally mumbled into his chest.

Hawks grinned, rolling them both to the side, careful not to jostle Dabi too much on his knott. But the omega still winced silently at the sensation.

“So, did I rock your world?” He waggled his eyebrows.

Dabi was blushing furiously, “Wasn’t expecting to have to give a performance review.”

Hawks just waited expectantly for the villain to continue. Dabi rolled his eyes and sighed. Hawks couldn’t help but feel a stab of affection at the sight. Since when did Dabi’s standoffish, sarcastic attitude go from irritating to charming? Hawks decided not to dwell too much on the revelation for the sake of his own health.

“It was nice,” Dabi finally mumbled softly, almost inaudibly. He didn’t elaborate further, but Hawks could tell from the embarrassment in the omega’s hushed tone that he was being truthful.

Hawks beamed, “I hope you know I am taking that as a five out of five stars and I will let it go to my head.”

Dabi pulled a face, but didn’t give in to Hawks teasing. Instead he reached over and gently stroked the feathers closest to his shoulder. Hawks sighed contentedly letting his eyes drift closed for a few minutes as they waited for his knot to die down. 

When Hawks finally slid out of Dabi, the omega let out a soft whimper, probably from overstimulation. The way his face scrunched up was almost cute, and Hawks couldn’t help but close the distance between him to kiss the look off his face. Dabi let out a pleased hum and leaned into the kiss. Hawks could already feel himself starting to get hard again. Which was frankly ridiculous. What was this guy doing to him?

He continued to kiss Dabi slowly, probably more sensually than was advisable for “no strings attached sex”, and wondered how long an appropriate amount of time would be to wait before asking for round two. He lasted a solid thirty seconds before he broke the kiss to look into the omega’s eyes.

“Wanna go again?”

Dabi let out a surprised bark of laughter, but he had a soft look on his face that Hawks had never seen on him before. It made his stomach flip strangely.

“Yeah okay.”

--

They pretend it never happened after that. Pretend being the keyword in Hawks case. Because as much as he tried he couldn’t stop thinking about the night he had Dabi had shared. If he had thought the intrusive thoughts and wet dreams bad before, now they were inescapable. 

There were several times when Hawks would make eye contact with the villain and then immediately have to look away to hide his blush as he remembered the kinds of things that were not appropriate to be thinking about while on the job. 

At first Hawks thought Dabi was completely unbothered. That he’d gotten what he wanted out of the arrangement and was continuing on completely unaffected. Until one evening when he was preparing to head out from the PLF manor for a shift in Fukuoka. 

He was standing in the common area chatting with Compress while doing some light pre take off stretches, when noticed Dabi staring at him from across the room. His eyes fixed on the small stretch of skin on his belly that was exposed when his shirt rode up with each stretch. Dabi immediately looked away when Hawks caught him. But it was reassuring to know the omega hadn’t completely forgotten about their tryst either.

Fortunately, Hawks only had a few weeks to focus on it before the raid on the PLF manor and the hospital turned the entire world upside down again.

After the chaos of the battle, of Twice’s death, of Dabi revealing to the world his identity as Endeavor’s thought to be dead son, of Shigiraki being possessed by All For One, of Hawks coming within inches of losing his life. None of the stuff that happened between the two of them seemed all that important anymore.

Oh, how naive Hawks was.

--

When Hawks got the call from the President of the Commission telling him that Dabi had been captured, he was confused. Because her tone sounded perturbed. 

That in itself wasn’t surprising, the Commission was rarely pleased with Hawks on a good day, so he was quite used to hearing the irritation laced tone of his superiors. But Hawks would have thought that they’d be relieved to hear Dabi was taken in. After all, catching one of the most dangerous threats to the country could only be a good thing right?

He was standing in his kitchen, which was honestly a rarity for him when he accepted the call. Hawks had never learned how to cook, with his hero work there had never been time even if he’d wanted to. He generally ate at his hero agency during the day and just got take out when he was home.The only reason he was there that afternoon was because he was on temporary leave after the battle to recover from his injuries.

The doctors told him his wings would grow back, but it would take time. Longer than they normally did to recover, and rushing back out into the field would only agitate the wounds and slow his progress. Hawks hated being grounded. He should be out there helping his fellow heroes. It was total chaos out there at the moment and more than ever the public needed to see their number two putting in the work. 

But the doctors had insisted, and so the Commission put him on leave until he was fully healed and his wings grew back. And Hawks suddenly had a lot of time on his hands that he didn’t know what to do with. Frankly, he was starting to go a bit stir crazy. 

Which was why when the phone range he had been in the middle of trying and failing to figure out how the expensive, overly complicated espresso machine that came with his Commission sponsored penthouse apartment worked. After fourty minutes of effort he had partially disassembled the machine and was pretty sure he might have broken the milk frother attachment and was no closer to making a cup of coffee, so he was glad for the distraction when the Commission President’s name popped onto his caller ID.

“Dabi’s been captured? That’s great news! I am sure Endeavor must be relieved,” Hawks said brightly, despite the uneasy feeling that was spreading in his stomach. 

“Yes, well. There has been a complication.” Yeah, no she did not sound happy.

“What complication?” Hawks finally asked, careful to keep the dread he was feeling out of his voice.

“He’s pregnant.”

Hawks’ felt his heart stop. 

“He’s one month along and claiming it’s yours. The prison doctors are doing a DNA test now to find out if there is any truth to this. Hawks, do you know anything about this?”

Hawks felt himself slide to the floor, back pressed against the refrigerator until his put hit the ground. The action was murder on his still healing burns, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. The Commission President was still talking in his ear, but he couldn’t hear anything over the sound of the pounding of his own heart.

He didn’t need to wait to see the results of the DNA test. He’d already done the math in his head.

Chapter Text

Dabi hadn’t known he was pregnant until they triaged him at the prison hospital. 

In retrospect he should have anticipated that things would get worse. After everything that had happened, Dabi had been riding high thinking he had finally gotten revenge on his father and shown the world the folly of hero society. He thought things would get better. He thought people would see his side. 

But like most things in his life, it hadn’t entirely gone his way. 

Sure, faith in heroes was seriously shaken, but a lot of the public still rallied behind Endeavor despite everything. It was incredibly frustrating but also not entirely surprising. The world had been taking Endeavor’s side his whole life, why should he have expected anything different?

The league hadn’t exactly been thrilled that he’d been deceiving them about his real identity and goals the entire time either, which had added some hostility to all their interactions since the battle. And with Twice dead and Shigaraki essentially possessed by All For One, most members of the League had bigger things to worry about then Dabi’s plight.

Toga had been especially icy with him recently. He suspected that she knew he’d slept with Hawks. He didn’t know how she knew, as he’d taken great pains to wash the alpha’s sent off the morning after. At first she’d mostly just teased him about his ‘hopeless’ crush on the hero. But after Twice’s death… well it suddenly wasn’t as amusing to her as it had been. 

He shouldn’t have been surprised when they left him to fend for himself in the skirmish with the heroes. Normally Dabi wouldn’t have cared, he preferred to be a lone wolf in battles. His quirk made it almost impossible for him not to cause some friendly fire. But normally when something was going wrong, Compress, or Toga, or Twice would circle back to assist. 

And unfortunately for Dabi, things had gone wrong. The past week he hadn’t felt quite right. Not that he usually felt great, Dabi was under no illusions about the state of his health and body, plus he’d been abusing hormone blockers for years which surely couldn’t have been helping anything. However, the past few days he’d been light headed and dizzy whenever he exerted himself too much. At first he’d written it off as coming down from the adrenaline rush of achieving his goals and confronting his father.

But as Dabi stood in the alley, heroes attacking from all directions, and trying to call his quirk to activate on his hands, but getting no results other than rolling nausea in his stomach, he knew it was more than that. 

The heroes captured him within seconds. Dabi couldn’t even summon a single spark as he watched the rest of the League disappear over a fire escape and away. Figured as much. People were always leaving Dabi behind. Even if in this case he probably earned it.

He was thrown to the ground face first, ripping several of the stapes in his face open and causing his blood to pool out onto the pavement. He felt a twinge of panic as his open wound brushed the dirty gravel, knowing it was bound to get infected. He was honestly a bit relieved when they brought him to the hospital wing of the prison instead of just shoving him in a cell. 

Once they had identified him as an omega, a fact that seemed to dumbfound the prison staff for a solid ten minutes, they had performed the pregnancy test as part of their standard medical exam. Dabi was so caught up in his spiral of what it all meant now that he’d been captured and the League seemingly showed no intention of coming back for him, that he almost didn’t hear it when the doctor asked him the question that would change his life forever.

“Mr. Todoroki,” the prison doctor questioned, voice suspiciously gentle,  “Did you know you were pregnant?”

Dabi’s world tilted on its axis. That couldn’t be right, he must have misheard. He was so caught off guard that he didn’t even have it in him to chew the doctor out for calling him by his father’s name.

“I’m not pregnant,” he snapped reflexively, causing the guards looming over him to tense. As if he could even do anything with the quirk restriction cuffs vice tight around his wrists.

“Yes, you are. We ran a blood test.” 

The doctor was an older man, with some kind of dog quirk. Two floppy brown ears were peaking out of ruffled, gray hair. Round, gentle eyes watched him patiently from behind thick glasses.

“That’s not possible,” Dabi insisted, “I’m on hormone blockers.”

“Hormone blockers are only ninety nine percent effective at preventing pregnancy in omegas,” the doctor replied patiently.

Dabi sputtered incoherently, “It wasn’t - it wasn’t during my heat!”

“Omega’s can get pregnant in the days leading up to and after the height of their heat, which can range from a few days to several weeks. You may have still been fertile even though you weren’t experiencing classic heat symptoms.” 

“No. You’re mistaken. Run the test again,” Dabi could hear the hysteria starting to creep into his voice, “I’m not pregnant.”

He couldn’t be pregnant. 

“Is he mated?” One of the nurses was whispering to another, though not quietly enough to prevent Dabi from overhearing, “I don't see a mark on his neck.”

“Of course he’s not mated, look at him,” her companion hissed back, “Who would bond themselves to an omega that looked like that , let alone a villain.”

An embarrassing whine escaped Dabi's throat against his will and he felt the corners of his eyes start to burn painfully. This was like a horrific nightmare. It had to be a dream, he was going to wake up any second and it was going to be over.

“We’ll have to involve the warden and the Commission in this,” the doctor was saying to the nurses, “We can’t have him in with the general population if he’s pregnant. Considerations will need to be taken.”

Any second now. He was going to wake up any second.

“Mr. Todoroki,” the doctor addressed him directly again, “Can you tell me the name of the other parent?”

Dabi didn’t want to tell them about Hawks. Didn’t want to think about Hawks. 

Because that meant dredging up all of his conflicting feelings about the alpha who he’d tried to kill just weeks after practically begging the man to bed him. Hawks, who had been the only alpha he’d ever been with who had been kind to him. Hawks who was the number two hero, and successful, and talented, and beautiful and who probably hadn’t thought once about the night they shared together since it had happened. A pit of ice was forming in his stomach at the idea of the alpha finding out.

But everything was happening so fast. He was in prison, and exhausted, and he was terrified of what was going to happen when Endeavor inevitably showed up, and he was fucking pregnant. The omega part of his brain that he always tried so hard to push down and ignore was screaming at him that he needed his alpha now.

“Hawks,” his voice cracked roughly as he rushed to get the word out, “It’s Hawks.”

The doctor raised an eyebrow at him doubtfully, “Just to make sure I am understanding correctly, you’re claiming that the pro-hero Hawks is the father of this unborn child?”

Of course they didn’t believe them. Why would they? That’s the exact kind of lie that a villain would spew in this situation. Get the prison to let their guard down thinking he was the pregnant omega of an important hero, and then use that to his advantage. But now that he knew, escape was the furthest thing from Dabis’ mind. Where could he even go like this?

“You can do a DNA test if you don’t believe me,” Dabi snarled, “It’s his.”

The doctor nodded and motioned for one of the nurses, “If you’re consenting to that then yes, we will. The Commission is going to want to see the results.”

The nurses scrambled off to go get the testing supplies and the doctor returned to writing notes on his notebook, frowning to himself and mumbling about Dabi being dangerously underweight for a pregnant omega. 

Dabi dropped his face into trembling hands. What the fuck am I going to do?

--

When Hawks arrived at the prison, he was escorted through the gates by armed guards, made to walk through a metal detector, and forced to discard the few feathers he still had before being allowed to enter the inner grounds. 

The President of the Commission herself was waiting for him at the entrance. She was wearing the same blue suit she was always wearing, which frankly seemed too formal to wear to a prison. Hawks has never seen her in casual clothing, for all he knew she slept in that thing too.

“Hawks.” She greeted coolly, and if Hawks hadn’t been floating through the world like he was dreaming, he would probably be upset by her tone. It had been 24 hours since she called him with the news, and he hadn’t slept for a single moment of them.

“Madam President,” he returned numbly. 

“The DNA test came back a match. We have a lot to discuss. There is a meeting room this way where, we can talk-”

Hawks blinked, straightening up. He didn’t come here to talk to her . At least not yet.

“I want to see him.” He stated firmly, leaving no room for argument. 

The Commission had never cared about Hawks boundaries though, so that didn’t stop her from pushing, “We can talk about visitation once we’ve discussed our options for how to handle this situation, Hawks. You broke a lot of protocols by doing this. I can’t even begin to imagine what you were thinking, doing something as unprofessional as sleeping with a mark. I thought we'd trained you better than this. If this news gets out it will shatter the very little good will that heroes have remaining with the public.”

“I am not discussing anything with anyone until I get to see Dabi,” Hawks stood his ground.

The President looked frustrated, like she couldn’t believe that Hawks would defy her direct orders. And in the past he never would have, but in the past he hadn’t knocked up a villain who was currently being incarcerated. 

“Very well, but then we are having a discussion. Endeavor has been informed of the situation and is on his way to join us.”

Hawks felt a sting of dread shoot down his spine. He couldn’t imagine facing Endeavor if he’d slept with any old villain, but of course Hawks had to be a moron to knock up his only omega son. Of course, Hawks hadn’t known Dabi’s identity at the time, but he didn’t think that would be any comfort to Endeavor. 

The Commission President motioned to one of the prison staff who had been standing off to the side of the room, watching their battle of wills. He seemed to understand her non-verbal gesture, because he turned and motioned for Hawks to follow him through the corridors of the prison. 

When he entered the room with Dabi in it, he was almost bowled over by the overwhelming scent of terror and anxiety. The omega was no longer on hormone blockers, the doctors surely had refused to provide them to Dabi the moment they realized he was pregnant, so the aura coming off Dabi now was pure omega.

“Dabi,” he stated, unsure what else to say.

The room was small. There was a mirror on the far wall that Hawks was sure must be two-way, standing out starkly against white cinderblock walls. There was only a small metal table and two chairs in the center of the room.

Dabi, who looked like death warmed over, was sitting in the far chair, with his wrists cuffed and chained to the table. He looked smaller than Hawks had ever seen him. The orange prison jumpsuit was oversized and the omega was practically drowning in it. The color of the fabric was garish next to his scars and only served to accentuate how pale and sickly the non-burned parts of his skin were. Though his face was an unreadable mask the villain was visibly shaking, and the chains attached to his handcuffs clinked rhythmically against the metal table with the movement. 

The alpha’s instincts were screaming at him to rush over and comfort him, but he forced himself to stay rooted to the spot. Despite everything that was going on, this was still Dabi. And Hawks hadn’t forgotten everything that he’d done. The fresh scar on the side of his face prickled uncomfortably at the reminder.

The omega’s shoulders slumped in relief at the sight of Hawks.

“I wasn’t sure if you were going to come,” he rasped.

Hawks winced, hating the idea of leaving his omega pregnant and feeling abandoned. Wait no. Dabi wasn’t his omega. They weren’t mated. But still, it tugged at his heart to know Dabi had been waiting for him, not knowing if he was ever going to show up.

He stepped forward cautiously, as though approaching a wounded animal. “So. You’re pregnant.”

“Yeah, that happens when you fuck someone without protection jackass,” Dabi scowled at him, but it didn’t reach his eyes. 

He’s terrified.

Hawks bit back a retort, wanting to remind Dabi that he’d been the one who practically begged Hawks to sleep with him. 

Instead, he just dropped into the seat across from the omega. The back of the metal chair felt cold against the burns on his back and he grimaced. He hated not having his feathers. Distantly he could feel the few he still had where they were stored at the entrance of the facility and wished he could call them to him, feeling naked without them.

Hawks dragged a hand over his face, breathing in deeply, “What has the Commission said to you?”

“Nothing yet, I kept asking them what they planned to do with me but no one would tell me anything until my alpha was present,” he curled his lip as though the idea of Hawks’ being his alpha was the most repulsive thing he could think of.

Hawks resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Even in a situation as insane as this, at least some things never changed.

“So they haven’t discussed with you the possibility of an abortion?”

To Hawks’ chagrin, Dabi physically recoiled at the suggestion, “You can’t make me.” 

The omega’s voice was strained, almost panicked and Hawks eyes widened. He knew generally that pregnant omega’s instincts were to protect their unborn child, but this reaction seemed beyond that. 

“ What ? Dabi, no one is going to force you to have an abortion.”

Dabi looked unconvinced, “You of all people should know the lengths they will go to cover their tracks. I am pretty sure the No. 2 Hero knocking up a villain is something they don’t want getting out. They absolutely will force me to get one, if they decide that’s how they want to play it, and you’re delusional if you think otherwise!”

Hawks wanted to argue the point more, struggling to imagine the Commission doing something so heinous, but regardless of if what Dabi claimed was true, he felt he needed to get the other man to at least consider abortion as an option. 

He opened his mouth, ready to point out all the reasons it was irresponsible of them to let this pregnancy go on any further when Dabi whispered, sounding more vulnerable than Hawks' had ever heard him before.

“Please, Hawks. You can’t let them. I can’t go through that again. Don’t make me.”

Again.

Hawks mouth clamped shut at that, words dying on his tongue. So many questions immediately springing into his mind. But Dabi had hunched in on himself, and his scent had taken on a terrible bitter scent of melancholy that had Hawks’ all but gripping the table to keep from pulling the distressed omega into his arms.

He desperately wanted to know, but now wasn’t the time to go down that line of questioning. He took a deep steadying breath, trying to even out his own scent in hopes it would bring Dabi’s anxiety down as well.

“Okay, so if you don’t want an abortion, what are the other options? Are you planning to raise the baby from prison? What kind of life would that be for a child?”

Dabi shook his head miserably, “Obviously you’d have to claim it. You know there’s no way they are letting me go free just because you knocked me up.”

The hero frowned, “And if I didn’t?”

“I’m pretty sure you would know best what happens to kids left in the care of a government body.” Dabi snapped, but there wasn’t any real heat behind his words.

Hawks' mind flashed instantly. He knew first hand what kind of childhood the Commission would give that child. In fact, they were probably crossing their fingers right now and hoping that Hawks refused to claim it so they could turn it into their next protégé. His stomach turned to think how thrilled they’d be if this child’s quirk turned out to be anywhere near as powerful as Dabi’s or as useful as Hawks'. No way in hell was he putting his own child through that. 

But at the same time, Hawks was only 23. It’s not that he thought he’d never settle down and start a family, but it wasn’t exactly in his five year plan. Or even his ten year plan. And raising the child of a villain wasn’t in any of his plans.

“What about your family? Is there anyone who would be willing to raise the child? The Commission President told me Endeavor is on the way here now. I could ask if-”

“You can not let Endeavor have custody of this child, are you insane? I know you watched my video,” Dabi spat, hackles rising. 

“So you’re telling me my options are either raise a child as a single parent or condemn them to a life of struggle? Jesus Christ, Dabi, those aren’t exactly great options.”

“I know.” Dabi deflated slightly as the fight suddenly left his body.

Hawks stomach swirled anxiously. He’d have to retire from hero work for sure. There was no way he could raise a child alone and keep working the way he had been before. Would the Commission even let him? 

And if they did, could he even be a parent? He didn’t exactly have any good parenting models to fall back on. His own parents had been terrible to him before they abandoned him to the Commission, and then he’d been raised the rest of his childhood by a series of emotionally distant handlers. 

But when the alpha instincts in him caught the way Dabi was sitting curled in on himself, unconsciously protecting his abdomen even though he wasn’t showing yet, he couldn’t deny his drive to protect.

He couldn’t fathom leaving this child to the wolves.

“Okay, I’ll do it.” The words fell out of his mouth before he could process them.

“You will?” Dabi looked up at him and there was a small spark of hope in the omega’s eyes that made the Hawks’ chest tight.

He just nodded in response, knowing that this one decision was about to change everything, but not able to fully grasp what it would mean. All he knew in that moment was that he couldn’t imagine choosing anything else.

Dabi let out a heavy breath of relief, his scent calming slightly.

They sat in silence for a while after that. The lack of sleep finally catching up with Hawks and likely Dabi as well, if his blood shot eyes and the way we slumped back into his chair were any indication.

“Endeavor is going to kill me.” Hawks groaned, sliding down his own chair so that his head was resting on the backrest.

“Probably.” Dabi agreed, his lips quivering ever so slightly upward for the first time since Hawks had arrived. Some of his staples were missing, causing his healthy skin to peel away from his scars and exposing painful looking wounds. Hawks could see that the omega was still trembling slightly.

His heart squeezed tightly in his chest once more. Despite how angry he’d been at the villain for everything he’d done, he also couldn’t help but sympathize with how terrifying all of this must be from his perspective. Being an unbonded omega in prison was probably harrowing enough, but then to find out that you were pregnant. Hawks could only imagine how frightening the past 48 hours had been for him.

Dabi might not be his omega, but he was going to need an alpha to get him through his pregnancy. He didn’t know much about pregnancy and babies, but he knew that it was much more difficult for single unmated omegas to get through them without the support of their partners. And he thought he remembered reading somewhere that single omegas were three times more likely to have pregnancy complications than omegas who had mates. 

Just that thought of Dabi pregnant, and sick, and scared in a dark cell somewhere made his instincts scream in displeasure.

Hawks didn’t know how he was going to do it. But he knew he had to get Dabi out of there.

--

Endeavor didn’t kill him but it was a near thing. When the prison staff member had escorted Hawks into the meeting room there had been a lot of shouting, sparks flying, and even a bit of furniture throwing from the older alpha but Hawks, thankfully, managed to escape unscathed. The Commission President stood between them, glare on her face that could melt ice.

Hawks froze from where he was half crouched on the other side of a large conference table, straightening up sheepishly. Endeavor scowled but reluctantly lowered the office chair he had raised over his head.

“Enough of this. You’re the top two heroes in the country, stop squabbling like children.”

Endeavor had the decency to look chastised but Hawks just stuck his tongue out at him. The flame hero's mustache flared dangerously in response, but didn’t make a move to attack Hawks again. It was a bit immature on Hawks’ part he could admit that, but sue him he’d been having a rough day.

On the one hand, he did feel guilty. He had known better than to sleep with a villain, especially when he had been on a mission. And yet he had done it anyway, because had been stupid and horny and weak. Even worse, he had done it without protection. He’d just assumed it would be fine because Dabi was on hormone blockers, even though he knew they weren’t one hundred percent effective. As the No. 2 Hero he should have been more professional. And as an adult with a brain he should have used a goddamn condom. 

But on the other hand, Hawks hadn’t known that Dabi was Endeavor’s son when he slept with him. And even if he had, Dabi was an adult who was capable of making his own decisions on who he wanted to sleep with and that was frankly none of his father’s business. 

Thankfully, Hawks was distracted from his spiral of rage and self-loathing when the President spoke again.

“We need to discuss how to proceed given the revelation that Dabi is with child,” she paused and waited to make sure both the heroes were listening to her before continuing, “In my professional opinion, the clear decision here should be to terminate the pregnancy.”

“No,” Hawks immediately shook his head, “Dabi told me he doesn’t want an abortion.”

The President sent him an unimpressed look, “Frankly Hawks, I am not particularly interested in what Dabi wants.”

Dabi had been right, they were planning to force him to end the pregnancy. Hawks had been naive to think better of the Commission. He should know better than anyone the lengths they were willing to do to protect hero society. 

“ No .” Hawks growled, feeling the tenor of his voice lower dangerously, “I’m keeping it. It’s my child.”  

Beside him Endeavour raised his eyebrows slightly, but did not say anything to disapprove.

The President sighed, “Hawks, please be reasonable. At a time like this society needs the Number 2 to be focused on hero work. If an abortion is so out of the question, perhaps the Commission could sponsor the child ourselves-”

In that moment Hawks wished he had his feathers back. All of his instincts were screaming at him to puff his wings up to appear as threatening as possible. 

“I said. I’m keeping it.” His voice was deadly even.

“Hawks, you can’t raise a child with one of the most dangerous villains in the country. Especially not Dabi in light of recent events.” Her eyes flashed to Endeavor so briefly that Hawks almost missed it. “As I told you before, the public needs to be able to put its faith in heroes right now. Not to mention, you of all people should be aware of the kind of parents villains make.”

She shot him a meaningful look, and a rock settled into the pit of Hawks stomach. It was a low blow, but he couldn’t take the bait.

“I wouldn’t be raising the child with Dabi.” Hawks said slowly, swallowing around the lump in his throat, “He and I agreed that I would claim it, and raise it on my own. Dabi and I aren’t mated, once the baby is born he doesn't need to be involved.”

The Commissioner looked at him for a long time, Hawks stared back unblinking. He couldn’t concede on this point. He’d promised Dabi he wouldn’t let the Commission or anyone else take custody of their child and he intended to honor that promise.

Finally she relented, sighing, “Alright. In that case, the prison will isolate Dabi until the child is born. At which point you will gain custody.”

Hawks frowned, “ No . Listen, he can’t stay here during his pregnancy. It’s not safe for either him or the baby. And I think you know that. Pregnant omegas need somewhere they feel safe to nest, or there can be all kinds of complications.”

A look of exasperation colored her face, as though she found it exhausting that Hawks had the audacity to demand custody of his own child, let alone anything else. 

“And that place has to be with you? If you are so against having him stay at the facility. Why not have Endeavor take him in for the time being? He is family, not to mention more equipped to handle Dabi’s quirk if he were to try to escape.” She gave a pointed look at the scar marring Hawks’ face.

Hawks scowled and was about to open his mouth to argue when Endeavor spoke up.

“No. Touya would not feel safe with me. With all due respect Madam President, you should know that. I have never denied the allegations my son has made against me. He has every right to hate me, even if I don’t agree with the actions it drove him to.”

Endeavor paused for a moment, seemingly lost in thought before sighing, and shooting a Hawks a slightly resigned look. 

“It is common knowledge that omega’s need the support of their alpha’s during pregnancy. Hawks and my son might not be bonded, but instinctually Touya is going to want to be near him. He should stay with Hawks.”

Hawks felt his shoulders drop slightly as he relaxed his guard. Relieved to have someone else on his side for the moment, even if he wasn’t sure how long the truce would last.

The Commission President looked displeased, but he could tell that she knew Endeavor was right and wasn’t sure how to argue with him.

“Just let him stay with me during the length of his pregnancy,” Hawks pleaded, “It can be house arrest. Put a monitor and quirk restraints on him, whatever you feel you need to do. Just let him get through this somewhere he can feel safe.”

The President pursed her lips, “Fine. But the moment the child is born he is going straight back to prison. He has crimes to answer for.”

Hawks nodded, relief flooding through him that she was agreeing, “Yes. Thank you, Madam President.”

“Don’t thank me yet, Hawks,” she frowned at him, “I hope you remember that just because you are taking responsibility for this child, it doesn’t mean your other duties can fall by the wayside. I meant what I said earlier about society needing its heroes more than ever. 

Hawks winced. He didn't know how he could possibly raise a child on his own while still being the No. 2 Hero. But that was a problem to solve another time, at least for now he'd assured the child wouldn't go to Commission.

"Now, if you will excuse me for a minute I need to make some calls.” 

With that she turned and left the room, pulling her phone out as she went, presumably to inform the rest of her organization of the change of plans. Hawks felt all of the adrenaline begin to leak out of his body as the door swung shut behind her. The corners of his eyes were suspiciously watery, but he refused to let himself cry. Especially not with Endeavor standing right next to him, watching the younger alpha with an unreadable expression.  

It was raining when Hawks left the facility a few hours later, after he and the Commission had hammered out the details of Dabi’s house arrest. He’d be coming back first thing in the morning to pick the omega up, but for now he just wanted to go home and sleep.

Hawks stood under an overhang as he waited for the Commission hired driver to arrive and bring him back to his apartment. He hated car rides, but there was nothing he could do about it until his feathers finished growing back. He was standing there, small remains of his wings pressed tight to his back to protect from the cold, when Endeavor walked out of the facility and came to halt beside him.

“Hawks,” the older alpha looked over, after a moment of uncomfortable silence. 

“Yeah?” Hawks asked hesitantly, not looking forward to another lecture from the grandfather of his future child.

“I am sorry for yelling at you earlier. It has been a hard few months for my family and I took it out on you.” Endeavor wasn’t looking at him, instead watching the raindrops hit the concrete at his feet.

Hawks blinked in surprise at the unexpected apology, “Oh. No hard feelings. He’s your son, I understand.”

Endeavor just grunted in response.

“Did you… talk to Dabi?” Hawks questioned after another long stretch of silence.

The older man frowned, “No. My presence would just distress him. It wouldn’t be good for Touya or the baby.”

“Right.” Hawks agreed, uncertainly. 

That actually was a relief to hear. Before all this Hawks had been content to side with his fellow hero in the wake of Dabi’s video, believing that Endeavor was truly remorseful and wanting to atone for his actions. It had been more than Hawks could have ever asked from his own father, after all.

But now that there was a child on the way, Hawks wasn’t quite sure how to feel about it anymore. He didn't know if he wanted the same man that Dabi had described in that video coming near the pregnant omega. Or their baby. He was glad that Endeavor had chosen to respect his son’s boundaries and was staying away.

The man in question interrupted Hawks’ thoughts by clearing his throat suddenly, “I do not mean to overstep. But, if you need anything. Please let me know. I would be happy to help.”

It was stilted and awkward, but his tone sounded genuine.

“Thanks. I appreciate it.” Hawks sighed and amended after a moment’s thought, “I don’t think Dabi would like that very much though.”

A soft smile stretched across the other man’s face. It looked strange on Endeavour’s features, “No I don’t think he would.”

--

“Alright, this is it,” Hawks murmured, swinging open the door to his apartment. Dabi followed close behind him, as if he was worried if he didn’t get through the door fast enough Hawks would change his mind and leave him out in the hallway.

Dabi gazed around the apartment curiously, mouth slightly ajar, taking in the scent. Hawks’ apartment wasn’t that much to look at in all honesty. It was large and spacious with modern architecture and furniture, but it was pretty unremarkable beyond that. The Commission had picked it out for him when he got his hero license, and they had it all furnished before he’d even moved in. Which was fine as far as Hawks was concerned, he didn’t know the first thing about interior design or particularly care about it that much.

All that mattered to Hawks was that it had a large king sized bed to stretch his wings out on at the end of a long shift and a large balcony that overlooked the Fukuoka skyline, which let him come and go with ease.

“It smells like you,” Dabi observed. 

Hawks blinked, “Well yeah, I live here.”

Dabi didn’t add anything else to this thought, just tentatively crossed the threshold and began to take in the space that would be his home for the next eight months. 

“I haven’t had a chance to really get the place set up. Since this all happened so fast. But I was thinking we could make the extra bedroom into the nursery. It’s just a home office right now, I never use it.”

Dabi hummed thoughtfully, peering in. It was pretty small. It could probably fit a bed and bassinet in it but not much else. Hawks figured once the kid was big enough he’d probably have to move to a bigger place. Maybe one with a yard, so they could play outside. It was a strangely domestic thing to think about, and certainly something he could never imagine considering a few days ago.

“What about me?” Dabi asked, startling him out of his thoughts.

“You can stay in there eventually. I need to get an extra bed, and get the old office stuff removed.”

Dabi seemed to deflate slightly, though Hawks couldn’t imagine why. Hawks had literally plucked the guy out of prison and was giving him his own room. After years of sharing spaces while hiding his secondary gender, Hawks would have thought that Dabi would be relieved to have his own private space.

“Right,” Dabi responded, voice neutral despite giving off a slightly sour scent, “What about until we get the new furniture?”

“Oh!” Hawks clapped his hands, “You can stay in my room for now. I’ll sleep out on the couch.”

Dabi rolled his eyes, “You don’t have to give up your bed for me Hawks, I can sleep on the couch.”

“You’re pregnant, you’re not sleeping on the couch,” Hawks responded, scandalized.

“I lived on the streets for years, I can handle a few nights on your fancy couch,” Dabi snapped in irritation. “That thing is probably worth more than any mattress I’ve slept on in a decade."

“No can do, Hotstuff,” Hawks shook his head, “This is not a negotiation. Pregnant omegas sleep in the bed.”

“I’m not fragile just because I’m pregnant now.”

“No,” Hawks agreed somberly, “You’re fragile because you are covered in burn scars and open wounds, you’re severely underweight for your height, and you’re pregnant.” 

“If I wasn’t wearing these stupid things I would set you on fire right now,” Dabi hissed, hackles raised. 

He waved his arm to display the quirk restraints locked onto each wrist. They served the dual purpose of dampening the fire user’s quirk as well as tracking his location. Hawks had honestly expected Dabi to put up more of a fight about them when the Commission agent strapped them on, but the omega had just obediently held out his hands for them. Hawks supposed Dabi must have been ready to do just about anything if it meant getting out of the prison at that point. 

“How about this Dabs,” Hawks held up his hands placatingly, “It would make me really happy to do something nice for the omega who is caring for my future child. And as an alpha it would make me the most comfortable if I knew you were comfortable.”

A series of complicated emotions flashed across Dabi’s face too quickly for Hawks to read, but finally he relented with a snarl under his breath, “Fine.”

With that conversation successfully dropped, Dabi hovered in the doorway seemingly unsure what to do with himself now that he was there. It occurred to Hawks that he and Dabi had never really spent time together outside of League activities. Despite everything they’d been through, they were practically strangers. And now they had to live with each other for eight months. 

“Um, so yeah. Make yourself at home I guess?” Hawks scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. “Do you want anything to drink or eat? I think I have some leftovers in the fridge. I’ll go to the store tomorrow to get those protein shake things the doctor said you need to start drinking.”

The omega pulled a face. When Hawks had picked Dabi up from the prison that morning, the prison doctor had met with Hawks to consult him on the pregnancy and Dabi’s condition. It had been a bit awkward, as the doctor unloaded onto Hawks all of Dabi’s medical information and what he would need to do to ensure the health of their unborn child, even though Dabi had been standing right next to him. 

Hawks could tell that the omega had still been listening carefully to everything the doctor said even though he looked resentful at being treated as though he wasn’t there. Hawks had known that kind of discrimination happened in theory, but it was strange seeing it happen in front of him. In retrospect he should have said something, but in the moment everything had been so overwhelming it was hard for him to focus on anything.

Dabi looked down, shuffling his feet a bit on the carpet, “I don’t know how they expect me to gain twenty pounds in the next few weeks. I’ve never been able to keep weight on.”

His tone sounded bitter, with a hint of self-loathing and Hawks instincts to comfort fired up immediately.

“We just need to follow the meal plan the doctors gave us. I’m sure they know what they are doing,” he tried to reassure him.

The omega sighed but he sounded defeated, “Yeah, I guess.” He was still looking down at his feet, “Can I have some water for now? I haven’t had anything to drink since I first got to the prison.”

Hawks immediately hopped to, rushing to the kitchen to pour a glass of water. Secretly, he was glad to leave the room and collect himself even if only for a moment. This was all happening so fast and Dabi’s demeanor wasn’t helping things.

Hawks had honestly expected the omega to be acting like the bristly alley cat he had always been. But now that the man was standing in Hawks apartment, where he’d be trapped for the foreseeable future, he seemed different. Deflated almost. It made Hawks' stomach turn uncomfortably. 

When he returned into the living room Dabi was examining the pile of parenting books that were stacked on Hawk’s coffee table. There were various titles such as What To Expect When You’re Expecting and Parenting For Dummies all tossed in a hazard stack.

“Did you just buy these?” Dabi inquired curiously, running a finger along the spines.

“Oh yeah, I picked them up yesterday. Haven’t gotten around to reading any of them yet.”

“Didn’t take you for the self-help kind,” Dabi gave him a wry smile, and Hawks brightened a bit, as a glimpse of the Dabi he was familiar with shown through for a moment.

Hawks handed him the glass of water with a grin, “Well once the baby is born I’m going to need to know what I’m doing. I don’t know anything about kids, and now I’m going to be raising one all by myself. Gotta brush up.” 

That was apparently the wrong thing to say because the smile immediately dropped off the omega’s face.

“Right,” Dabi mumbled, looking down at the cup now in his hands, staring at the condensation on the glass, watching as drips of water rippled down the sides.

A few more moments of silence passed. Hawks knew he’d upset the omega somehow, but he wasn’t sure what to do to fix it.

“Actually I am going to go to bed,” Dabi murmured suddenly.

Hawks blinked at the abruptness, “Sure. Whatever you want.”

Dabi turned and quickly hurried down the hall towards Hawks’ bedroom. Hawks frowned and glanced at the digital clock on his TV stand. It was only noon, but he supposed the last few days probably had been exhausting both mentally and emotionally for the pregnant omega. Hopefully he’d seem more like himself after he got some rest. 

--

The first night in Hawks’ apartment Dabi didn’t sleep. 

He wasn’t sure if it was the strong scent of the alpha on the sheets that made his pulse race. Or if it was the new unfamiliar surroundings. Or if it was somehow the little parasite inside him’s fault. But all he could do was burrow into the sheets and try to close his eyes and block out the world.

He’d never imagined this was how his first pregnancy brought to term would be.

There had been a time where he was all but certain he’d be wed off to some rich alpha with a promising quirk and that his destiny would be to push out children for the rest of his life. Back then the concept had terrified him, though he’d been somewhat resigned to it deep down. But at least in the scenario he’d have been mated.

He didn’t want to acknowledge the part of him that ached every time Hawks rejected him as a mate. He knew why they couldn’t be mated. He didn’t even think he wanted to be mated to Hawks. But the pregnancy hormones must have been getting to him because his instincts were crying out for his alpha. 

Even if everything with the battle hadn’t happened, Dabi knew that Hawks would probably sooner eat glass than bond himself to someone like Dabi for life. He winced remembering the words he’d overheard from that nurse in the prison triage.

Of course he’s not mated, look at him. Who would bond themselves to an omega that looked like that, let alone a villain.

The words had stung because they were true. Hawks was the most beautiful man Dabi had ever met. He was strong, successful, and wealthy. The No. 2 Hero, one of the most famous people in Japan. He could have anyone in the world he wanted. It was a miracle he’d even agreed to sleep with Dabi in the first place.

Dabi knew that Hawks was only letting him stay here now because it was better for the baby. If there was a way for Dabi to safely ride out the pregnancy in prison he was sure Hawks would have taken it. Dabi was only here because Hawks was kind. Too kind. It’s how he’d known that Hawks was a spy from the beginning.

But kindness could only take you so far. Which was why Dabi was alone in the alpha’s king bed, while Hawks slept out on the couch. Because Dabi wasn’t the kind of omega you raised a child with. He wasn’t the kind of omega you mated. He’d always known that, ever since he’d presented at fourteen, he’d known. But it still hurt, having what he’d always believed deep down proven to him. That he wasn’t worth choosing. That he wasn’t worth keeping. 

So it didn’t matter if his stupid sniveling omega instincts wanted the father of his child to nest with him. It wasn’t going to happen and it was silly for Dabi to waste time being upset about it.

The Commission had been extremely clear how this was going to play out. Dabi was to stay with Hawks until the baby was born, upon which the custody of the child would be transferred to Hawks and Hawks alone. And then Dabi was going back to prison. Probably for life.

An unmated omega, at the mercy of alpha prison guards. While Hawks got to go off and raise their child without him. 

Dabi tried to tell himself that he didn’t even want to have a child. He’d be a terrible father, if he turned out to be anything like his parents. This child would be better off without him around to fuck things up. He couldn’t let himself get attached. 

Dabi nuzzled his face into the blankets, breathing in as much of Hawks’ scent as he could and desperately trying not to cry. Hawks probably wouldn’t want blood on his expensive sheets.

Chapter Text

There was nothing like starting your day by getting intimately familiar with the porcelain rim of the toilet. At least it was a very clean, very nice toilet in a fancy penthouse apartment. But still that was little comfort to the omega slumped against it, wishing he were dead.

This was all Hawks' fault. Dabi was going to murder the alpha for doing this to him.

“Hey there, firestarter.” Speak of the devil and he shall appear. Hawks was standing in the doorway to the bathroom, leaning casually against the frame.

Dabi lifted his head off the side of the toilet to glare at the alpha. Unfortunately, the morning sickness must have really been getting to him, because instead of the intended effect of getting the other man to fuck off, all it did was make Hawks’ eyes soften into sympathetic look. Seriously, fuck Hawks.

“I’m sorry you’re sick. How about I make you some of that ginger tea? The books say it is supposed to help.”

Dabi was about to open his mouth to tell him just what he thought of Hawks’ stupid parenting books when another wave of nausea hit him and it was all he could do to scramble back over the bowl just in time to avoid throwing up all over Hawks' feet. He groaned loudly and squeezed his eyes shut as the room spun around him, slumping against the cold lid.

Hawks clapped his hands together, “I’m going to take that as a yes,” he said, turning and disappearing in the direction of the kitchen.

The omega let him go without a word, not able to find it in him to snipe back while his stomach felt like an ocean in a storm. He didn’t know how he was going to make it through eight months of this.

When Hawks returned he was carrying a bright orange mug that said “#1 Bird” on it, steaming with hot tea. The hero squatted down to Dabi’s level and shot him a gentle smile. Dabi pulled a face at him in response, but it just made the alpha laugh. He had a nice laugh. Dabi hated himself for even thinking about it.

“Here you go Dabs, be careful it’s still pretty hot.”

Dabi begrudgingly accepted the mug, desperation to cure the nausea overriding his desire to not accept help from the hero. He carefully propped himself into a more comfortable position and took a few slow tentative sips of the warm liquid. His eyebrows shot up in surprise, it was actually pretty good. He took another larger sip, glad to have something other than the taste of his own sickness in his mouth. 

“What’s got you in such a chipper mood this morning?” Dabi rasped, after he decided that he wasn’t going to immediately empty the contents of his stomach once again. 

“Don’t tell me you forgot what today is?” Hawks demanded incredulously.

“Uh.” Dabi responded intelligently.

Hawks huffed, “Today’s your first appointment with the obstetrician? You know, for the ultrasound?”

“Oh, right.” Dabi looked down at the mug in his hands.

He’d honestly been trying not to think about it, for a lot of reasons. The main one being the fear that something would be wrong. Most miscarriages happened in the first trimester. If there was something wrong with the pregnancy, this was when he was most likely to find out. 

But if the baby was fine and there was a heartbeat and a photograph? That seemed terrifying too. 

He looked down at his stomach, still flat as ever. He knew in theory there was a fetus growing in there, but it was one thing to understand the concept in theory and another to see it with his own eyes. He wasn’t sure how he was going to handle it.

Hawks had been looking forward to it for weeks though, Dabi knew. The hero was getting more and more excited about the baby the further along Dabi got. He still seemed scared and overwhelmed, but he was coming around surprisingly quickly to the idea of being a father.

The alpha had picked out all the furniture for the nursery already, moving it in a few days after Dabi had arrived. He seemed to be genuinely excited about picking out things for the child’s new room, even though it was clear he hadn't decorated any other part of his apartment himself. 

Hawks had gone with a gender neutral green color scheme, since they didn’t know the gender of the child yet. And he’d already started stockpiling various birds plushies that were forming a small mountain in the corner of the room. 

He’d asked Dabi his opinions on the decor, but Dabi had remained neutral, not wanting to get involved. He wasn’t going to be around to see the baby utilizing it all anyway.

Which was fine . It had to be fine.

“The appointment is in an hour. So when you’re feeling a bit better try to get up and get dressed, okay?” Hawks gave him that smile again. The gentle one he wore whenever Dabi felt a little sick, or tired, or emotional. A smile that almost made Dabi believe he might…

Dabi had to look away, “Yeah, birdie. Give me a minute.”

It had been three weeks since Dabi had started living with Hawks. The time had both seemed to go by in the blink of an eye and yet at a glacial pace at the same time. 

Dabi had spent the first few days wandering the apartment like a ghost. Not really comfortable with being the alpha’s space. Hawks seemed to sense his discomfort and it triggered all of his alpha caretaker instincts. He was constantly hovering around Dabi, asking him if he needed anything, if he was feeling okay, if maybe he should lie down for a bit.

It was honestly endearing and exhausting at the same time. Dabi’s hormones were raging and they made him desperate for any smidge of affection the alpha was willing to grace him with. So even though Hawks trailing him around the apartment and waiting on him hand and foot was grating, he didn’t tell him to stop.

Dabi suspected what his instincts really wanted from the alpha was gross and mushy shit like cuddling and kissing. He would rather die than ask for Hawks for that kind of affection though, so he would have to settle for Hawks’ mother henning. At least he was paying attention to Dabi at all.

Honestly, Dabi had been worried that after their fight at the manor and the burning of the alpha’s wings that Hawks would be hostile to his presence in his home. But it seemed Hawks instincts to take care of his unborn child trumped whatever anger he must feel towards Dabi.

Dabi pulled himself off the floor and padded back into the nursery to change out of his pajamas. Hawks really had done a nice job with it, for someone who both claimed to know nothing about babies or interior design. 

Dabi had made his nest in the double bed that had been brought in and tucked against the far wall. It wasn’t the greatest as far as nests went. He only had some of Hawks old clothes and blankets piled in there, but it wasn’t like he had anyone else to ask for nesting materials from, so he was making do. At least it was clean and safe. Which was better than anywhere he’d nested in years.

He listened to the sound of Hawks puttering around the apartment humming to himself as he got changed. It was cute. Dabi wanted to light himself on fire.

He caught sight of his reflection in the mirror mounted above the combination dresser and changing station as he pulled his shirt over his head. His hair was a messy white mop on top of his head, hadn’t bothered redying it since the battle. Looking at it now, wearing the black jeans and t-shirt that had come with the stack of clothes Hawks brought home the first week, he thought it made him look like a ghost. Pale and sickly, and all too much like a little boy who had died years ago. He sighed heavily, there was nothing to be done about it.

When they walked down the stairs and outside of the apartment building, Hawks’ bird intern was waiting for them on the sidewalk. 

“What’s the baby bird doing here?” Dabi drawled. 

The teenager eyes him warily. Which was fair, the last time they’d been this close to each other Dabi was in the process of trying to maim his mentor. If the bird kid hadn’t stepped in to save Hawks, there was a real chance Dabi would have killed him. 

His stomach twisted at the thought and this time he was certain it had nothing to do with morning sickness. He supposed he owed the bird kid one for saving Hawks, because who knows where he’d be right now if Hawks hadn’t been there to rescue him from the prison. 

“The Commission requires at least two heroes to escort you when you are leaving the premises of your house arrest,” the young alpha replied in a surprisingly deep, stoic voice. 

“And they sent you specifically?” Dabi probably shouldn’t be pushing the kids buttons, but he was having a hard time understanding why he of all people was here.

“I am here as a favor to Hawks,” the teenager replied, monotone as ever.

Dabi wondered if Hawks was worried about other pro heroes attacking Dabi. If he had asked his intern to come because he didn’t trust the other heroes not to take a pound of flesh in revenge for everything the League had done. For everything Dabi had done. 

Or perhaps he was embarrassed by Dabi, and that he didn’t want his fellow top heroes and peers to know about the massive fuck up he’d made by knocking him up. 

It was probably a combination of the two.

“Thanks for coming, Tokoyami.” Hawks beamed at him, “I appreciate it.”

The hero in training nodded sagely, “Of course, Hawks.”

The obstetricians office was only a short distance away from Hawks’ apartment building so they walked. Hawks and Tokoyami chatted, and Dabi largely ignored them. It was the first time he’d gotten to go outside for an extended period of time since he'd been captured. The fresh air felt really good and it was nice to stretch his legs.

It was still winter and there was a brisk chill in the air. Dabi's body was made for the cold though, so it didn't really bother him. As they walked they past a few civilians who looked at the group curiously, but no one stopped them. They probably thought Hawks was on duty, and Dabi was wearing a face mask to cover his scars so no one had appeared to recognize him.

Dabi turned his attention to the two heroes walking in front of him. Hawks was twittering on about something to his younger companion who was watching his mentor with an expression that seemed to be a mix of concern and exasperation. It made Dabi wonder if maybe Tokoyami hadn't come as a favor to Hawks so much as to check in on him.

The thought made Dabi a bit jealous. It must be nice having someone care about you like that. He supposed it was good that Hawks had him though, he was going to need the support once the baby was born.

When they arrived at the doctor's office Tokoyami parked himself on the sidewalk.

“I will wait out here until you are done with the appointment. I hope all goes well, and the child appears healthy.”

He was looking at Dabi as he said the last part and the sincerity in his voice made the omega feel weird. He just nodded in response, not sure what else to say.

“Thanks Tokoyami, we’ll see you in a bit!” Hawks waved over his shoulder as they went inside.

The obstetrician's office was designed to make pregnant omegas feel at ease. Which was why the waiting area was filled with soft pillows and blankets. The pastel pink walls were plastered with photos of smiling faces of omegas and their children. Dabi was aware he must stick out like a sore thumb sitting there, in his all black get up, covered in scars and staples. He resolutely ignored his instinct to run his hands over one of the fuzzy blankets folded on the arm of the chair he was waiting in. 

The doctor was an omega much to Dabi’s surprise. He was always surprised when he saw omegas with a successful professional life. He couldn’t help but wonder how hard it had been for her to get through medical school. If her parents had been supportive of her desire to put her career before children and marriage, or if the moment she presented they began looking for suitable matches to marry her off to, as Endeavor had with him.

She appeared to be in her mid-thirties. She had her long periwinkle hair tied back in a tight bun and was wearing light blue scrubs with little cartoon kittens on them. 

She smiled warmly at Dabi when she called his name, “Touya Todoroki?”

It made him flinch violently, and he shot a glare at Hawks who’d made the appointment. Hawks just shrugged, the bastard.

“That’s me.” Dabi sighed, getting to his feet.

“And is your alpha coming back with you?” She asked, glancing at where Hawks was seated next to him.

Dabi scowled involuntarily at Hawks being called his alpha. He was half tempted to tell her no out of spite. But not even Dabi was a big enough asshole to prevent Hawks from seeing the ultrasound.

“Yeah, come on birdie, let's go.”

Hawks bounded to his feet eagerly to follow the doctor back, still recovering wings fluttering excitedly behind him. Dabi rolled his eyes but he could feel that his lips were curling upward a bit despite himself.

“I’m Doctor Ayani, by the way, nice to meet you both,” she said over her shoulder as they followed her into the exam room, “Mr. Todoroki, I just need to get your height and weight and then you can take a seat on the exam table."

She was acting exceeding normal although Dabi was sure that she must know who they were. He wondered if Hawks had talked to her before he made the appointment, to warn her. A normal person surely would have lost a year off their life if they walked into their waiting room to see a prominent member of the League of Villains.

Once she’d taken his height and weight, the doctor checked his other vitals and took a blood sample. The longer Dabi sat on the exam table the more his nerves began to ratchet up. He took deep breaths, trying to keep the anxiety down but it was difficult. 

Hawks hovered a few feet away from the table, watching with interest as she went about the exam. Dabi hated that he was glad Hawks was there, that he found the alphas' now familiar scent soothing. He supposed that normally an alpha would hold their omega’s hand through this kind of appointment, but Dabi was lucky that Hawks was there at all. He shouldn’t be greedy.

“Is this your first pregnancy?” Doctor Ayani asked Dabi.

“Yes,” Dabi lied without thinking.

He risked a sidelong glance at Hawks. The hero was looking at him curiously, but didn’t say anything. Dabi hadn't told the hero about his previous pregnancies, but he knew that Hawks must suspect there had been at least one other based on their conversation back at the prison.

It probably wasn’t a good idea to lie about his medical history to his doctor, but he really didn’t want to have this conversation in front of Hawks. The alpha probably already thought he was easy, given the way he’d demanded Hawks sleep with him. If Hawks had known he’d been pregnant multiple times while unbonded, surely he’d find that distasteful. Hawks was probably already disappointed enough as it was that Dabi was the father of his first child, he didn’t need to give the alpha more reasons to be ashamed of him.

“Well, everything looks normal to me so far. You’re underweight which I’m sure your general doctor has gone over with you. I would still focus on putting on some more weight, though I see you’ve gained 10 pounds since you were last weighed, good work.”

The doctor then busied herself with some equipment to the right of the exam table, pulling out a white cylinder with cord attached. She put some kind of gelatinous liquid on the end, pressed the wand to his stomach, and began moving it gently along his skin, careful of the staples. Dabi held his breath despite himself as she searched around, it was taking a while. Shouldn’t they have found the heartbeat by now? He could feel his own heart rate increasing. 

But then, “Ah there it is.”

The device began to admit a soft thumping sound, and Dabi’s eyes widened. 

“Holy shit,” Hawks breathed next to him. 

Dabi couldn’t help the shaky sigh of relief that left him as the sound of the baby’s heartbeat filled the room. He hadn’t fucked it up, the baby was fine. 

He snuck a peak at Hawks out of the corner of his eye, Hawks was staring at the where the wand was pressed to his stomach, golden eyes suspiciously watery. Dabi had to look away when his own eyes started to sting with pain.

“Everything sounds normal to me,” the doctor smiled, “She pointed at the screen next to them. That’s the baby right there.”

Dabi squinted at the screen. It looked like a bunch of random gray and white masses. But if one looked closely they could see a smaller dark circle in the area the doctor was indicating.

“It looks like a gray blob,” Dabi said, mostly because it was true but also because he didn’t trust himself to say anything else.

“Hey! That’s our gray blob!” Hawks chided, but his voice sounded a bit choked up.

The doctor chuckled in amusement, “I’ll have a few photos printed off for you to take home.”

Hawks eyes lit up at this.

Dabi wondered if he would be allowed to keep pictures of the baby once he was sent back to prison. Probably not. He tried not to visibly wilt. Suddenly, all he wanted to do was go back to the apartment and curl up in his nest.

“Well, everything else is in order. Blood work all came back normal. Just keep up with your diet and make sure you’re getting plenty of rest. And I am assuming your primary care doctor has gone over a plan to help maintain your scars? It is important to avoid any infections while you are pregnant.” 

Dabi grimaced. The prison doctor had given him a whole host of creams and serums he was supposed to apply to his scars every night. It was a pain in the ass and took forever. The doctor had said it would be ideal for Dabi to have skin grafts, or to perhaps go to someone with a specialized healing quirk to help improve the scars, but that both were too risky to do while he was pregnant.

The worst part or it was that sometimes Hawks would help him apply it. Which lead to the alpha’s warm hands running all over his bare skin and it had been starting to drive Dabi insane. 

“Yeah, he’s been taking care of them,” Hawks chimed in when Dabi didn’t say anything, “We’re being really careful to keep the apartment clean too.”

Doctor Ayani nodded in approval, “You too are good to keep having sex as well. There’s nothing I am seeing that’s telling me you need to be concerned in that department. In fact, if you are feeling in the mood I would recommend it. Sex releases pheromones that are very comforting to omega’s during their pregnancies.” 

Hawks turned bright red at her bluntness and Dabi honestly would have laughed at him if he wasn’t so embarrassed himself. They hadn’t talked about sex, not since that first time. Dabi hadn’t asked for it and Hawks hadn’t offered.

Dabi wondered idly if Hawks would be interested. He’d be interested enough to sleep with Dabi the first time. Maybe they could extend their ‘no string attached’ agreement while Dabi was staying with him. The stupid omega part of his brain clung to the idea and his traitorous heart started to thud hopefully at the idea of getting Hawks into his nest. Even if it was just for sex, it would be better than nothing right?

And for what it was worth. Dabi had been really horny. Being trapped in a tiny apartment with the world’s most attractive alpha while pregnancy hormones raged within him had not been making things any easier. Perhaps Hawks had been feeling the same way? Dabi debated in his head as they exited the doctors office.

Tokoyami was still waiting for them when they exited. Hawks excitedly showed him the print outs of the ultrasound.

“It looks like a gray blob.” The student said, beak turned down in a frown.

Hawks pouted.

--

When they got home that evening Hawks pinned one of the ultrasound photos to the fridge. Because ‘that’s what people do right?” Dabi supposed so. He tried to remember what his parents had done with the ultrasounds of his sibling, but it felt so long ago now.

He was too young to recall when Fuyumi had been born, but he did remember when his mother had been pregnant with Natuso, and how excited he’d been. He remembered sitting with his mother and pressing his head on her belly, feeling his little brother moving.

Not for the first time he wondered how his siblings were doing. He knew that Endeavour must have told them about his situation. He’d half expected them to materialize at Hawks apartment the first week he’d been there, but they hadn’t.  

It was stupid of him to be disappointed by that. After everything he had done, it made sense they wouldn’t want anything to do with him. He’d been trying to tell himself that he was only missing them a little extra recently because of the pregnancy hormones. Not because he was lonely. 

Dabi quickly had to redirect his thoughts. He didn’t want to think about his family anymore. 

He turned his attention to Hawks who was sitting across from him on the floor of the living room. He had the ultrasound photos spread out on the coffee table and was in the process of sorting them out. He picked one of the smaller ultrasound printouts and tucked it into his wallet. 

Dabi can’t help the small smile the quirks on his lips at the sight. Hawks would be a good dad. Dabi didn’t have to worry about leaving the child in his hands when it was born. Maybe the hero didn’t know anything about kids, but he clearly was ready to put his whole heart into raising theirs.

Hawks will make an amazing mate for someone someday. 

Dabi’s chest felt heavy at the thought, and suddenly he needed to do something, anything to make the heaviness lighter. 

Which was why, before Dabi knew what he was doing, he was opening his mouth to say, “So. What the doctor said about sex.”

Hawks froze and turned to look at him, a shocked look on his face, “What about it?”

Dabi avoided his eyes, “Would you want to?”

Hawks grimaced and Dabi’s stomach sank like a rock.

“I don’t know Dabs. We aren’t together and I don’t want to start something with you that’s not serious. I don’t think it’s fair to either of us. Or the baby. You know?”

Dabi held in a whimper. If he couldn’t have non-sexual physical intimacy from the alpha, couldn’t he at least have this? Sex was the only way he’d ever been able to get anything resembling affection from an alpha before. It was his one card to play. If Hawks didn’t even want that, Dabi was out of options.

And Dabi knew, okay? He knew what he looked like. He knew who he was, understood why Hawks wouldn’t be interested in sleeping with him outside of their disastrous one night stand. 

But today Dabi had to look at his unborn child and know that he’d never be allowed to see them grow, would never get to be a part of their life. And he just wanted someone to hold him. He wanted for one minute to feel like it was going to be okay.

You can pretend I’m someone else. Dabi wanted to beg, but his pride wouldn’t let him. 

“Hawks. Can you please just fuck me? I think I’m going to go insane,” The words were coming out of his mouth without his control. It was as though his omega instincts had hijacked his body and he was watching from outside himself as he prostrated himself before the alpha. “No strings attached?”

The alpha stared at him with huge golden eyes. Dabi could smell that the alpha was getting aroused, probably instinctually at the omega caring his unborn child demanding to be fucked.

“Dabi, we shouldn’t…” Hawks began tentatively, “We aren’t mated, and I think-,”

“Come on , birdie. These pregnancy hormones have got me so horny and it is all your fucking fault,” Dabi whined in frustration,  “Stop being chivalrous, I know you want to. I can smell you. If you don’t fuck me right now, I am going to set this apartment on fire.”

“Okay, okay,” Hawks hopped to his feet at the threat and held his hands up in a placating gesture, “Come on, let’s go to your bed alright?” 

Hawks guided him towards the nursery like a border collie trying to herd a particularly stubborn sheep. Dabi only allowed it because the alpha had finally agreed to sleep with him.

The hero deposited him on the bed and Dabi immediately began to tear at his own pants, yanking them down desperately. 

Hawks let out a chuckle that seemed to be half amusement and half disbelief, but helped him pull the rest of his clothes off, until he was fully naked.

Dabi was already soaked with slick, and the scent was in the air the instant that his pants were off. Hawks took in a deep breath, eyes flickering with arousal. “You smell so good, Dabi holy shit.”

The alpha was on him almost immediately, any reservations he’d had about sleeping with Dabi clearly forgotten. His hands slid down Dabi’s side to rest on his hips as the hero leaned in and licked a kiss into the omega’s mouth hungirly. Dabi kissed back eagerly, instincts thrilled at the affectionate touch. 

Dabi reached out and began to tug at Hawks shirt, it was unacceptable that the alpha was still fully clothed, but he refused to break the kiss. 

Hawks laughed into his mouth, “Alright, alright hold on.” He gave Dabi one more rough kiss before breaking away and tugging his shirt over his head. Dabi wanted to run his hands down his chest badly, but forced himself to be patient while the alpha finished taking off his pants and underwear as well.

“Better?” Hawks raised an eyebrow at Dabi once he was finished, fully aware of the omega’s lustful gaze on his body.

“Shut up,” Dabi snapped and launched himself back across the bed at him. 

Hawks hands returned to where they'd been on Dabi’s hips, gripping a bit too tightly. It would probably leave bruises on what healthy skin Dabi still had down there, but he found that the thought of Hawks leaving marks on his body turned him on even more.

After a long while of breathless kisses, Hawks removed one of his hands from Dabi’s hip and slid it down further. The alpha slipped a finger inside Dabi and he whined loudly, instinctively beginning to buck his hips up and down on the member. Desperate for more friction. 

“Damn, you’re so wet. You really were worked up, huh?” Hawks murmured softly, adding another finger which Dabi showed his appreciation for by moaning incoherently.

The talons on Hawks fingers were neatly filed down, but still a bit sharp. Dabi found himself enjoying the feeling of them scratching against his walls. Not hard enough to hurt, but enough to send a thrill up Dabi’s spine at the thought of it.

“Wanna ride me?” Hawks asked him, after a few minutes of Dabi grinding into his fingers desperately.

“Yes. Yes please.” Dabi nodded.

Hawks blinked at him, a flabbergasted expression on his face. But after a moment his eyes softened and he reached for the omega, “Alright, come here sweetheart.”

Dabi’s heart thudded in his chest at the nickname. The only other time Hawks had called him that had been when they had sex the first time. He hated that it made his chest tighten.

He climbed ungracefully into the alpha’s lap, Hawks pulling him closer to him with hands wrapped firmly around his hips. The alpha brushed his lips against Dabi’s as he settled on top of him. He could feel Hawks erection below him, hard and leaking against his chest. 

“Ready?” Hawks asked him, helping the omega maneuver into position on top of him.

Yes. Yes. Yes. Dabi was too overwhelmed with anticipation to verbalize his desire, so he just nodded frantically.

Dabi sunk down onto Hawks cock with an embarrassing whine. The stretch felt so good. He’d forgotten how good the sex had been last time, the reason they’d even gotten into this whole mess in the first place. Hawks groaned in appreciation leaning forward to rest his head on Dabi’s shoulder.

“God, Hotstuff you have no idea how good you feel.”

Dabi whimpered in response, jerking his hips slightly. He wanted to start moving, but he waited. In the past when he’d been with alpha’s they’d always been the ones in control. He wasn’t sure how Hawks would react if Dabi took the lead. Luckily he didn’t have to wonder for long.

“Go ahead, take what you need,” Hawks mumbled against his skin, giving him permission.

Dabi swallowed around the lump that was suddenly in his throat. Hawks was too good to him, too kind to him when they were together like this. He didn’t know how to handle it, didn’t know if he liked the way it made him feel warm and tingly. 

But never one to back down, Dabi began to fuck himself onto the alpha’s cock greedily. He found himself setting a pace that was perhaps more punishing then he’d normally prefer, but there was an underlying desperation building below his stomach that had him near frantic.

Hawks seemed to be enjoying it though, letting out pleased grunts of approval and helping pull Dabi down all the way onto his cock with each bounce. The alpha’s eyes were hazy with lust, watching the way his dick disappeared completely into the omega with each thrust. His wings were spanned out behind him, in a somewhat primal display.

After a while, Dabi felt his legs beginning to tremble. He left out a whimper of frustration, so close to his orgasm but without the physical stamina needed to keep up the pace to reach it. Hawks must have sensed this as he was slowing down, because he removed his hands from Dabi’s hips, much to the omega’s displeasure. 

“Don’t hurt yourself, sweetheart, I got you.” He pushed Dabi gently off his lap and onto his side. Wasting no time, the alpha was crawling on top of him, he grabbed Dabi’s leg and hiked it up over his shoulder and slid back inside the omega easily.

“So good, so so good.” he was muttering under his breath, seemingly subconsciously and began fucking into him again with the same brutal pace Dabi had set before. 

The room was filled with the lewd sound of skin slapping against skin and the creaking of the metal bed frame straining to keep up with their movements. It was all Dabi could do but to wrap his arms around the nearest pillow and hold on.

“Such a good boy,” Hawks whispered huskily in his ear.

Dabi’s orgasm hit him instantly at the words, almost without warning, and Dabi let out a near scream in shock. His arms tightened in a vice grip around the pillow as the sensation ripped through him violently. 

What the fuck was that ? 

Hawks fucked him through his orgasm, thrusts become increasingly more forceful and frantic. Dabi, still somewhat shell shocked, pushed his hips down to meet his thrusts, trying to help the alpha reach his release even though it was starting to become uncomfortable.

“God, Dabi you’re so good. What the fuck, you’re so good,” he rambled nonsensically, and with final deep thrust Hawks was coming inside him. 

Dabi would chastise him for doing so without warning, but it’s not like there was much of a point. Dabi was already pregnant. He felt the familiar tightness of the alpha’s knot expanding inside him. 

Hawks groaned in pleasure, flopping down beside Dabi and wrapping his arms around the omega's waist. The alpha rolled his hips, fucking Dabi on his knot a few times even though he’d already come, probably enjoying the tight feeling of Dabi’s walls trapped around him.

Dabi whimpered, sensitive from his orgasm. The knot hurt, but it also felt good to know it was making Hawks feel good, so he didn’t protest and let the alpha continue fucking him that way for a few more minutes. He’d be sore tomorrow, but his omega instincts were so pleased at the idea that he was making the alpha happy he couldn’t bring himself to care. The entire time Hawks mumbled into the back of his neck how good he was being for his alpha and Dabi's heart swelled at the praise.

When Hawks’ knot finally deflated and he gently pulled out, Dabi was almost disappointed. He let out an involuntary whine and Hawks responded by kissing the back of his neck. Unable to accept the new distance between their bodies Dabi rolled over to face him, their noses brushing.

“Feeling better, firecracker?”

Dabi sighed and nodded, dropping his head against Hawks shoulder and breathing in the alpha’s scent. Hawks smelled like ozone and fresh air after it rained, clean and comforting. Dabi wondered if that’s what the sky smelled like. Hawks gave him a gentle kiss to the forehead that made his heart flutter strangely in his chest.

But then suddenly the alpha was pulling away, sitting up and stretching, “Well that was fun, but you wore me out. I think I better get to bed.” 

Before he could protest the alpha was swinging his legs over the side of the bed, making for the door. Dabi’s instincts screamed at him to plead for the alpha to stay, but he bit his bottom lip hard. 

It was already humiliating enough that he'd begged Hawks to fuck him. Had been relentless, spreading his legs like a whore. He couldn’t bear the humiliation of begging for the alpha to stay and cuddle him afterwards, to spend the night in Dabi’s nest.

He had to look away because he could feel that tell tale pain in the corners of his eyes. He took a few deep steading breaths, trying desperately to keep his scent neutral. If he was failing, Hawks was kind enough not to comment on it.

“Alright. Goodnight,” he muttered stiffly. “Um. Thanks.”

“Of course Dabi,” Hawks smiled at him, but it seemed strained. He strode through the door without a glance back.

Dabi’s stomach turned violently. Guilt and misery washing over him with equal measure. Hawks hadn’t actually wanted to have sex with him had he? Dabi had pushed him into it, had begged him. Had made the alpha feel obligated to take care of him.

What had Dabi been thinking? That if he and Hawks slept together that maybe the alpha would change his mind about not wanting to mate with him? That he’d change his mind and fight to keep Dabi around once the baby was born?

Hawks probably was counting the days until he didn’t have to deal with Dabi anymore.

Dabi stared up at the ceiling, feeling something cold settle into his stomach. He couldn’t keep doing this. He couldn’t survive the next eight months if he spent it repeatedly offering Hawks the smallest, tenderest parts of himself on a silver platter only for the alpha to discard them without a second thought.

If was going to survive this he had to distance himself and fast. It didn’t matter what his instincts were telling him he needed. He had to be stronger than them.

--

They hadn’t talked about it since it happened. And Hawks was handling that perfectly fine.

The next morning, when Dabi had recovered from his regular bout of morning sickness. He had acted as though nothing was different. He stalked into the kitchen to make breakfast, despite Hawks’ protests that he didn’t need to and he could handle it.

Dabi had just shot him a look and said, “Don’t lie to me. You can’t cook for shit. Just because I’m pregnant doesn’t mean I’m an invalid now. Sit down, I’m making us pancakes.”

Hawks had obediently sat down at the kitchen island and watched the omega busy himself with collecting the various ingredients and utensils needed. The pancakes had been excellent. He’d been tempted to ask Dabi where he’d learned to cook, but decided against it. The omega’s past seemed to be a mind field of different traumas and Hawks didn’t know enough not to step in the wrong place and set him off.

The rest of the week had gone much the same. Dabi was seemingly back to his old snarky self. Making quips about the cheesy movies Hawks put on when they sat in the living room together after dinner.

“This is the third consecutive movie we’ve watched about unlikely animal friends, I’m literally begging you to put anything else on.”

Or the new bird plushie additions he brought home to add to the nursery. 

“You know, that the baby is going to need more than just stuffed birds right?”

Or the fact that without hero work Hawks didn’t really know what to do with himself. So, he’d thrown himself fully into learning about parenting.

“Okay, I understand you’re trying to educate yourself. But Expanding Your Pod: Gang Orca’s Guide to Parenting? This is too much, maybe we need to get you a hobby.”

Part of him was relieved that Dabi seemed to be more lively than he had been the first few weeks he’d been living there. But another part, the alpha part he suspected, had noticed the way Dabi began to completely reject any kind of support Hawks gave him. 

Dabi cooked almost all their meals now, cleaned up around the apartment despite Hawks loud protests that he sit down and rest, and wouldn’t even let Hawks help him apply his burn cream even though he couldn’t reach his back properly. 

Maybe Hawks had been too smothering at first. Maybe he’d come on too strong with his caretaking instincts. He wanted to believe that’s why Dabi was suddenly so resistant to his overtures. But deep down, he knew what had caused the dramatic change in the omega’s behavior.

Hawks watched Dabi sprawled out on the living room couch, with heart in his throat. 

The omega was lounging peacefully, flipping through one of the mystery novels that Hawks had picked up for him after he’d noticed that Dabi had read through the small handful of ones he’d had around his apartment. 

The afternoon sunlight was spilling in through the large windows that lined the back wall of the apartment. Golden light splashed across the floor and the glow on Dabi’s skin made his scars look a bit softer. Rays caught on long eyelashes, and Hawks realized for the first time they were white, just like his hair. 

Dabi was beautiful. And Hawks had never hated himself more. 

He'd taken advantage of Dabi that night.The omega was pregnant, and scared, and his hormones were all over the place. Hawks had known all that and he’d had sex with him anyway. 

Hawks had become the exact kind of alpha Dabi had been afraid of the night he found him cowering behind the machines in the laundry room. The kind that preyed on omega’s when they weren’t in their right mind, when they were at their most vulnerable. Some hero he was.

He’d been trying to give Dabi space, before. He wanted to be supportive, but he didn’t want to push Dabi’s boundaries. He’d been trying not to touch the omega without permission, even though every instinct in Hawks’ body was constantly screaming at him to hold Dabi close. To crawl into his nest and wrap his arms around him and never let go.

But those were just instincts, he reminded himself. It’s not what Hawks really wanted. Right?

And now he'd let those instincts get the better of his rational mind, and he'd hurt Dabi. 

When Dabi looked up from his book at him and drawled in that raspy voice of his, “What are you staring at, birdbrain?” Hawks had to look away before the guilt consumed him. 

When the Commission gave him the go ahead to return to hero work the next week, it was a relief. Maybe distance from each other was what they both needed right now.

“You’ll be okay by yourself during the day right?” Hawks fretted. 

He was in full hero costume, newly grown feathers twitching anxiously at his back. 

“Aren’t you worried I’m going to try to escape while you’re gone?” Dabi asked dryly.

Hawks blinked, because he hadn’t thought of that, “Are you?”

Dabi sighed, leaning against the doorway to the nursery, “I’ll be fine. The Commission would be alerted the second I tried to leave here anyway.”

He held up one of his wrist restraints as a reminder. 

“Right. Well, you have my number if you need to call me,” Hawks reminded him, feeling strangely more like he was comforting himself than Dabi.

He’d gotten Dabi a burner phone when he’d first brought him to the apartment. Technically Dabi wasn’t supposed to have one. But Hawks had to leave the apartment sometimes to get groceries or supplies and he’d been too paranoid that something would happen while he was gone and Dabi wouldn’t be able to call for help.

Hawks had snuck a peak at it recently, when Dabi had left it out on their kitchen counter while he was in the shower. There hadn't been any incoming or outgoing calls or texts in the history and the only number saved in the contacts was Hawks. So Dabi really hadn't tried to take advantage of the device to contact the League, even though frankly if Hawks were him he probably would have. 

“Go be a hero Hawks,” Dabi sighed, sounding resigned, “I’ll still be here when you get back.”

Chapter Text

Not having Hawks around the apartment was… different. Dabi didn’t know if it was a good kind of different or a bad kind of different yet. 

On the one hand it was a bit of a relief. Not having to nurse his wounded heart in front of the alpha was refreshing. It had been a long couple of weeks of pushing down all of his instincts and emotions whenever the other man was in the vicinity. Which because they were trapped in an apartment together had been all the time. With him gone Dabi felt like he could finally just breathe.

But on the other hand it was desperately, achingly lonely. 

The apartment was quiet. It was the only unit on the top floor, so there were no shared walls and the tower was tall enough that none of Fukuoka’s street noise reached the apartment. The whole residence was still and silent. Hawks often worked long hours, leaving in the morning before the sun was up and coming back late into the night after Dabi was already curled up in his nest. 

It was just Dabi alone with his thoughts.

Several times he felt his hand reaching for the burner phone Hawks left with him, but he always dropped it halfway through the motion. Who would he even call? Hawks’ was the only number he had, and what would he even say to the alpha if he answered? 

No, nothing’s wrong I’m just a sad sack of shit, please come back? Pathetic. Not happening.

Dabi stretched, standing up from his nest. He’d been attempting an afternoon nap, to pass the time if nothing else, but frankly all he did these days was lie around and his body refused to sleep anymore. 

He padded across the room to look at himself in the mirror. He pulled his shirt up to look at his stomach, turning to the side slightly. He’d just recently begun to show and he couldn’t stop looking at it. It was surreal. It made him feel weird and floaty every time he saw it, which wasn’t great. But at least his morning sickness had gotten better recently, so he figured it was a good trade off all things considered. 

He ran a hand along the slightly raised skin of his stomach and sighed.

“Are you as bored in there as I am out here?” He asked them dryly, even though he knew they were too young to really hear him.

He walked back over to the nest and flopped back onto his back, staring at the ceiling.

“You’re lucky you’ve got me to keep you company,” he told the parasite inside him, “Trust me. This place sucks with no one to talk to.”

The loud crash in the living room jolted him from his brooding. Dabi felt his heart drop to his stomach. Hawks wasn’t due back for hours, but there was the tell-tale sign of shuffling on the other side of the nursery door that couldn’t be mistaken. 

Someone was in the apartment. 

Dabi froze like a prey animal caught in the sight of a predator. He had quirk restraints on. He couldn’t fight, couldn’t protect himself. He could probably break the cuffs off if he needed to, but the second he did the deal he’d made with Hawks and the Commission would be broken and he’d be back in prison.

After several agonizingly long moments of frozen terror he reached to the side table for his burner phone, only to find it was not there. Fuck. He’d left it out on the kitchen counter. He couldn’t call for help. He tried to think straight and keep his breathing even. How was he going to get out of this? 

Cautiously, Dabi made his way out of his nest and inched toward the door to the nursery. It wasn’t fully closed, he’d left a small crack open so he could hear when Hawks got home at night. If anyone ever asked he’d deny it, but it was a relief to know that he got home safe. With everything going on in the world right now there was a real chance that every time he left the apartment would be the last time Dabi ever saw him.

He peered through the crack slowly, but there was nothing in his line of sight. He didn’t have a good angle on the living room, but he could hear the sounds of rustling and footsteps. Dabi glanced rapidly around the room for anything he could use as a weapon but found nothing.

Fuck. Okay. He could do this. He used to be one of the most dangerous criminals in the country. People were terrified of him. He wasn’t going to die here cowering behind the door, he was going to go out there and kick this intruder's ass, quirk or no quirk. 

Whoever this person was, they clearly didn’t know he was there, or they certainly would have found him already. That meant he had the element of surprise. 

He took a deep steadying breath and then kicked open the door to the nursery, and pushed himself through. The door swung open with a loud bang, and he rushed into the living room, hackles raised and ready to fight. But nothing could have prepared him for what actually met him when he entered the living area.

The front door was ajar and the room was a mess. There were pillows strewn all across the floor, furniture was overturned, papers were askew. As though someone was looking for something in particular.

And right in the center of it all was a very familiar head of blonde hair, wrapped up in two round buns. A pair of golden eyes flashed to meet his own.

“ Dabi !” 

“Toga?” Dabi blinked in surprise as the teenager launched herself at him. 

She wrapped her arms around his middle in a bruising hug. He let out an oof at the tight grip. A distant part of his mind was setting off alarm bells, and he should probably tell her not to be squeezing his torso area so roughly, but he couldn’t even make words come out of his mouth at the moment.

“Oh my god, it’s really you!” Toga wailed, her eyes were watery, “I can’t believe it! I thought I’d never see you again!”

“Toga, what the fuck are you doing here?” Dabi was unable to keep the shock out of his voice when he finally managed to remember how speaking worked.

Mercifully the girl took that as her cue to release him from her clutches, dropping her arms to her hips as she took a step back. She beamed up at him with that slightly crazed smile of hers, made all the more unsettling by the knife he spotted tucked between her cardigan and her skirt.

“I’m here to rescue you, obviously! I heard rumors that you were being held captive by Hawks in this tower!” She glared around the apartment with narrowed eyes as if she suspected Hawks was going to emerge at any moment to attack.

Dabi blinked, “What the fuck? I’m not Rapunzel.”

Toga didn’t seem to register his offense at being discussed as though he was a damsel in distress, blazing ahead as if she hadn’t heard him.

“I wasn’t sure if it was true, but I figured I should come look to be sure, and it’s really you!” She jumped up and down, squealing a little bit in delight, before launching herself back at him and hugging him tighter than before.

“Ow! Let go of me, you nut!” Dabi protested, pushing at her arms locked around his sides to no avail.

“It’s all my fault you got captured, I shouldn’t have left you behind. But I was so mad at you,” she sniffled, “Twice was dead and all you cared about was your stupid video and getting revenge on your dad.”

Dabi winced, “Yeah, sorry kid. I was being an asshole.”

Toga looked horrified at the apology, “No! Don’t apologize, I can’t believe I left you there! I shouldn't have listened to the others, I should have gone back for you!”

Dabi couldn't lie to himself, it was extremely refreshing for someone to actually want him around. It made him all the more guilty that Toga seemed to be blaming herself for what happened. Dabi wasn’t delusional, he was aware that it was squarely his actions that landed him where he was now.

“Listen Toga, it’s probably for the best I got captured alright?”

“ What? ” Toga demanded incredulously, “What happened to your master plan for revenge?”

“Plans change,” Dabi muttered, shoulders slumping.

Suddenly, Toga took a deep breath in and something registered on her face. It happened so quickly that Dabi didn’t have a chance to react before she realized.

“You’re an omega?” She blinked up at him bewildered, her grip on him lessoned slightly.

Oh shit.  

Dabi pushed her arms away and took a tentative step back, putting space between himself and the young alpha. He didn’t think Toga would hurt him. Not like that. But this was the first time she’d ever smelled his real scent, it would probably be shocking.

“Yeah,” he said slowly.

A range of expressions crossed Toga’s face, “You were hiding it? Why didn’t you tell us?”

Dabi shifted uncomfortably. “Didn’t feel safe.”

Toga’s eyes were getting dangerously watery, “You thought we would hurt you?”

“No!” Dabi sputtered, but then he hesitated, “Maybe? Listen, it wasn’t you guys specifically I was hiding it from, it was everyone. I lived on the streets for years before I joined the League. Shit happened. It was safer to hide it, and I’d been doing it for years by the time we met.”

“We could have protected you if we’d known.” Toga said seriously, “Dabi, you’re like my big brother! I would never let anyone hurt you like that. I would have stabbed anyone who dared to even look at you funny.”

Big brother. Dabi winced, it had been a long time since anyone had called him that. There was sincerity in her voice though, she really thought of him that way. As family. 

“I don’t need anyone’s protection,” Dabi snapped, not wanting to dwell on it.

“Obviously you did or you wouldn’t have ended up here!” Toga stamped her foot childishly.

Dabi glared at her, “See? This is why I didn’t tell you guys. I didn’t want you to treat me like I was weaker just because I’m an omega. Lord knows everyone has been doing that to me since I presented. I didn’t want you to protect me, or look out for me or whatever.”

Toga pouted but didn’t protest, “I just don’t like to think about you being hurt. Even if you weren’t an omega I still wouldn’t like it.”

Dabi rolled his eyes, “Yeah well, you’re an alpha. Protecting the people close to you is like your guys whole MO.”

Toga grinned, “And that’s why you were always bringing us snacks and stuff when you came back from missions! You were caretaking us, oh my god! I can’t believe I didn’t see it. Compress did always say it was weird watching your emo-ass clean the League hideout all the time!”

“You all lived like pigs,” Dabi huffed, “That had nothing to do with me being an omega. I was just trying to avoid dying of sepsis.”

The teenager giggled, “I missed you! I’m so happy I found you! Come on, let's get out of here, before Hawks gets back!”

She grabbed his arm and went to break for the door, but Dabi instinctually dug his heels in, rooting himself to the spot. The sudden stop to her momentum had her falling forward and she spun her arms around like a windmill for a few seconds to avoid face planting.

Toga turned to look back at him, befuddlement spread across her features, “Dabi, what’s wrong, come on! I knocked the doorman out and looped the security cameras. No one will see us leave!” 

“I-I can’t leave,” Dabi said, swallowing heavily.

“What? Of course you can, come on!” She tugged at his arm again but he didn’t budge.

“I have to stay with Hawks, I made a deal,” he said slowly.

She frowned in thought, clearly trying to work out whatever kind of deal he could have possibly made that had him refusing to leave the hero's apartment. She must have come to some kind of conclusion, because suddenly, her expression turned murderous. 

“Hawks… he’s not hurting you is he?”

Dabi blinked in confusion. It took him a few moments to realize what she was asking.

“Oh. Fuck. No, it’s not like that. Hawks wouldn't do that to me.”

Hawks was a lot of things, but he wasn’t that kind of alpha. Dabi was confident that the hero would never touch him like that against his will.

“Then why else are you a prisoner in his apartment?” Toga threw her hands up in exasperation. 

Dabi took a deep breath and finally laid it out in the open, “I’m pregnant.”

Toga's eyes blew wide in disbelief. Dabi pulled his shirt up a little bit, to expose his slightly distended belly. Her eyes got impossibly wider. He figured it was a lot to process, she’d only just found out he was an omega a few minutes ago and now he was telling her he was pregnant. 

“Hawks is the sire,” he added, even though it must have been obvious at that point.

“I knew you slept with him,” she muttered, mostly to herself, eyes still fixated on Dabi’s stomach.

“Yeah, thanks for all the teasing by the way that was really mature of you,” he snorted dryly, “Anyway, I found out after I got captured and so I made a deal with Hawks and the Hero Public Safety Commission. I get to stay here during my pregnancy, instead of prison.”

Toga’s brows furrowed in confusion, finally looking up to meet his eyes again, “But, what happens once the baby is born?” 

“Hawks gets the baby and I go back to prison,” Dabi shrugged.

She gaped at him for a few moments, disbelieving, “So, you’re not mated?”

“No. It was an accident,” the words burned coming out of his mouth as he admitted it, “He doesn’t want me like that.”

Toga’s eyes narrowed into slits, it was that expression on her face that she always got when she was planning to commit violence. He’d seen it many times, but it had always been directed at their enemies, and not…

“I’m going to kill him.” Toga spat.

Fear washed over Dabi like a bucket of ice water, “Toga, no, you can’t kill him.”

She rounded on him, eyes crazed, “Why not? He killed Jin! He’s keeping you prisoner here. He’s going to take your baby and throw you away like garbage!”

It was all true. Dabi couldn’t deny any of it. But the image of Hawks body bleeding out on the floor made him want to wretch. Dabi knew without a doubt he would throw himself between Toga’s knife and Hawks if it came down to it.

“Toga. Please. ” It was probably the pregnancy hormones causing this sudden loyalty to the alpha, but in that moment Dabi was powerless to control himself. 

The teenager was staring at him, a look of confusion and betrayal on her face. She searched his expression for what felt like a long time, as though she was trying to figure out who the hell he was and what he’d done with Dabi.

“Oh. You're in love with him.”

Dabi opened his mouth to deny it. Because it was ridiculous. He barely knew Hawks. Didn’t even like him that much. He was a hero and Dabi loathed everything they stood for. Dabi couldn’t possibly be in love with someone like that.

But then he thought of Hawks tucking the ultrasound photo carefully into his wallet. Of Hawks singing to himself in the mornings when he thought Dabi couldn’t hear him. Of the way he called Dabi sweetheart when he fucked him. Of pretty golden eyes and soft red feathers. His heart felt like lead in his chest.

“It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter how I feel about him. You can’t hurt him. He’s the only chance this child has at a good life. If you kill him, then this baby will end up with the Hero Public Safety Commission or someone worse.”

Toga seemed to consider that, the bloodlust in her eyes softening into something sadder. “But Dabi, that's not fair. It’s your baby too.”

He felt his shoulders hunch in on himself slightly, “Yeah, well life’s not fair.”

Toga’s hands clenched into fists at her side in frustration, “Why don’t we take the kid and run? I’ll come with you and protect you!”

Dabi had thought about that. He’d thought about it a lot, actually. That first night he’d found out he was pregnant, before Hawks had come for him. He’d thought about escaping with the child, thinking that maybe if he could convince Hawks to get him out of there, he could slip out and flee the country, start a new life with the child somewhere no one would recognize his scars.

But Dabi knew it was a pipe dream. For so many reasons. He couldn’t raise a child on his own, in a foreign country, without support. How would he get them documents? How would he make money? He’d probably have to sell himself again and Dabi knew he couldn’t do that, would rather die than do that again. So what then, continue to be a criminal? It was one thing to choose that life for himself, but for a baby?

And all of that withstanding, what kind of parent would he even be? He knew he had issues. Probably genetic if his mother was anything to go by. What if he turned out to be worse than his mother? What if he would be worse than Endeavor? The thought made him sick.

There was nothing he could offer this child on his own. Even if he loved the child more than anything, it wouldn’t be enough. 

“Toga, look at us.” Dabi sighed and gestured between them, “We both left home as kids, lived on the streets. You know first hand how brutal it is. That’s all I would be able to offer this child.”

The teenager looked conflicted, “But you’d love them wouldn’t you? They’d be with you. That’s not nothing!”

“Yeah, well, Hawks will love them too and he’ll also be able to give them a proper roof over their head, and stability, and a future.”

Toga studied him for a long while, before finally murmuring, “You’re different. You’ve changed. What happened to your plan to burn down the world and kill your father? Wasn’t that the whole reason you joined the League anyway?”

Her tone was one of accusation. Clearly she still hadn’t completely forgiven him for concealing his true goals from the League for so long.

“I don’t know. You know what they say, your perspective changes when you have kids or whatever. They become your priority.”

Toga regarded him strangely, “Not always. Not for our parents.”

Dabi slumped down onto the couch, legs suddenly feeling like jelly underneath him, “Can we talk about something else?”

Toga looked like she wanted to keep arguing with him, wanted to push the point further, but she must have sensed that Dabi was too emotionally drained to continue that line of discussion. Instead she sat down next to him on the couch.

She took a deep breath and finally admitted, “I left the League.”

Dabi blinked at her, “What?”

She glanced away, fingers playing with the hem of her cardigan. It occurred to Dabi at that moment how young she was. It wasn’t that he’d hadn’t known, but all of a sudden with her shoulders slumped in on herself in the quiet of Hawks living room she abruptly looked her age. 

“Things were different. Shiggy has been different.” Toga muttered.

“That motherfucker isn’t Shigaraki,” Dabi responded darkly.

He’d never liked All For One. Never trusted him. But before it hadn’t really mattered, if attaching himself to Shigaraki and his insane mentor was going to get him closer to his goals that was all he’d cared about. But now with the benefit of hindsight, Dabi could admit that All For One was someone who shouldn’t be fucked with.

Dabi didn’t know if he liked Shigaraki. The man had always put him on edge, and not just because of his dangerous quirk or often violent fits of deranged mania. Perhaps it was because sometimes the guy reminded him a little too much of a younger version of himself. Someone who was desperate to prove that they were worth something. He might not like the guy exactly, but he could admit that he didn’t deserve what was happening to him at the hands of All For One. 

“Yeah,” Toga murmured, “I know. It’s been weird.”

She looked up, gaze fixed out through the large windows on the far wall. The sun was beginning to set, the horizon behind the skyline painted a soft orange glow across the sky.

“And with you gone and Twice dead, what was even the point in sticking around? All For One is too focused on his master plan. He probably doesn’t even notice I’m gone.”

Dabi didn’t know what to say to that, so he just reached a tentative hand out and gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. It was something Natuso used to do for him whenever he got too far deep in his own head. And maybe the sudden memory of his little brother had him feeling soft because the next thing that came out of his mouth was way too mushy for his liking.

“I’m sorry about Twice.” Dabi told her honestly, realizing that he hadn’t actually told her that before, “He was a good person. He didn’t deserve to die.”

Toga sniffled, “I miss him a lot.”

Dabi tentatively opened his arms and Toga flung herself into them for a hug. She squeezed him tight. Normally Dabi would be scared that an alpha was so close to him, but somehow his instincts knew she wouldn’t hurt him.

“I missed you too. I’m glad you’re okay,” her voice broke a little before she added a bit reluctantly,  “Even if you won’t let me cut Hawks up.”

Dabi chuckled despite himself, “I missed you too, you little freak.” 

He surprised himself when he realized it wasn’t even a lie. He had missed Toga, hadn’t realized how much he missed her pestering and prodding to socialize. How much he’d missed the way she used to force him to let her paint his nails. How much he’d missed having someone around who seemed to genuinely just like him, with no ulterior motives.

Toga stayed for another hour. They talked about everything and nothing. He showed her the ultrasound photo that Hawks pinned to the fridge and she got misty eyed and hugged him again, much to his dismay. But, it was nice. Dabi found himself relaxed for the first time since this had all started.

“You’ve gotta go,” Dabi said later, unable to keep the reluctance out of his voice. The sun had long dipped behind the horizon. The only light in the living area coming from the city sparkling below them.

“Hawks will be home soon. He can’t know you were here. If the Commission finds out I contacted anyone from the League they’ll send me back to prison before the baby’s born.”

Toga scowled, “That’s bullshit.”

Dabi shrugged, because even though it was true there was nothing he could do about it.

“I’ll be back.” Toga said seriously as she stood in the front doorway, looking back over her shoulder at him, a determined set to her jaw.

“Okay.” Dabi responded instead of saying something stupid and mushy. 

Something like, Thank you, please, please come back. I don't have anyone else.

--

A week later a package showed up at the apartment. It wasn’t addressed to anyone, and the return label didn’t say who it was from. 

Someone with more self preservation skills than Dabi would have probably not opened an unmarked package sent to the home of a top hero, who was currently housing a former villain. But he was bored to tears trapped in the apartment alone and it was clearly affecting his judgment because he tore the package open without a second thought.

It was a Stain baby onesie. Dabi laughed harder than he could remember doing in months. 

--

Tokoyami watched Hawks at his desk with a frown. His mentor was slumped over the desk with his head resting on one of his hands, as he seemed to be mindlessly flipping through paperwork. Every few minutes Hawks would drift off, face beginning to slide out of his palm, only for him to catch himself right before his forehead slammed into the desk.

The student turned to look at the large digital clock that overlooked the office space. It was 10pm. Being a hero sometimes meant working long hours, especially now with everything happening with All For One and all the villains that had escaped Tarturus. But Hawks had been working since 6 that morning at least.

And there was nothing keeping him from going home at the moment, it was as though Hawks was determined to stay at the office for no reason. Tokoyami himself was only still there because he was worried about the hero, and part of him was concerned that if he didn’t make sure the hero left he’d simply sleep at his desk.

Dark Shadow hovered at his shoulder, voice unusually fretful, “Fumi, are you gonna say something?”

Tokoyami sighed, “I suppose I may have to.”

It was no mystery what was causing Hawks to act so out of character lately. Tokoyami had been flabbergasted to say the least when he’d found out. He’d already known at that point that Hawks had been assigned by the Hero Commission to spy on the League. So Tokoyami had known he’d been rubbing elbows with the most dangerous criminals in the country, but to find out that he’d slept with Dabi had been a shock.

Hawks had looked incredibly embarrassed when he told him. It had been about a week after the hero himself had found out about the pregnancy. Tokoyami had asked him to meet up for coffee, just because he wanted to check on how his mentor had been recovering since the battle, and update him on everything he and his class had been doing to track down Midoriya and bring him back into the fold.

When his mentor had arrived looking more haggard than he’d ever seen him, eyes bloodshot, skin pale and looking like a stiff wind would blow him over, Tokoyami hadn’t been able to keep the are you okay out of his mouth. 

And Hawks in that moment, clearly sleep deprived and teetering on the edge of a breakdown had just spilled everything to him right there. About how Dabi was an omega, and Hawks had slept with him during his mission, and now the villain was pregnant and living in Hawks apartment until the baby was born.

“This is a lot to process,” was all Tokoyami had been able to say when Hawks’ waterfall of a confession had finally ended.

Hawks immediately began to apologize profusely, his then tiny and recovering wings flapping in distress, “I’m so sorry, Tokoyami. You’re just a kid, and you’re my intern. It is so inappropriate and unprofessional of me to lay all of that on you. I don’t know what I was thinking. Forget I said anything!”

Tokoyami had not been able to forget he said anything. 

If Hawks had unloaded all of that on Tokoyami of all people, clearly he wasn’t talking to anyone else about it. So despite the hero’s protests Tokoyami continued to check in on him, and ask after the health of the child and Dabi, and if Hawks needed anything. 

Hawks had tried to blow it off, but eventually Tokoyami’s stubbornness paid off and his mentor seemed to accept that he wasn’t going to stop bugging him about it. He still wouldn’t talk to Tokoyami about it much, but sometimes he’d give his intern updates on the pregnancy and things he was doing to prepare for the child. 

And eventually he’d even asked Tokoyami to be their escort to the first ultrasound appointment. Which had been weird. Seeing Dabi again, so soon after they’d been trying to kill each other, had been weird.

Tokoyami had half expected to be filled with rage at the sight of him. For everything the League had done. For all the strife he’d caused Hawks. For all the hurt he’d caused his family, if the hunched way Todoroki had been carrying himself ever since the battle was anything to go by.

But when he’d actually laid eyes on the villain, what Tokoyami had ended up feeling wasn’t rage, it was pity. Dabi had looked small and nervous, like a wounded deer. He’d followed Hawks around almost like a shadow, keeping his head down and barely speaking. Even his scent was tinged with anxiety and discomfort.

It had been hard to square the image of this man with that of the deranged villain he’d had to pull Hawks unconscious body away from during the raid on the PLF manor with the clearly traumatized, pregnant omega standing before him. 

So Tokoyami had chosen to be kind. He wondered if that dichotomy was something Hawks was struggling with as well. If Hawks’ instincts to both be defensive around the threat and desire to care for the omega were constantly at odds within him.

Maybe that was part of the reason his mentor seemed determined to park himself at his desk for hours on end, instead of going home at a reasonable time.

“Hawks?” Tokoyami said tentatively, causing the hero to start, sitting up abruptly, feathers flying in all directions.  

“What? Huh? I’m awake.”

“Are you okay?”

Hawks blinked at him owlishly, but then gave him a small smile. It was a smile that Tokoyami had observed on him many times when the hero was dealing with the press or civilians. Polite and kind, but not genuine if you really knew him.

Tokoyami just sent him an unimpressed look. Hawks wilted under it, caught.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just haven’t been sleeping well. Sorry.”

“You need not apologize,” Tokoyami said slowly, “I am just concerned about you. You’ve not been yourself lately. Is everything okay? With…?”

Hawks winced, and glanced around. The agency was bustling with activity, the sidekicks on the night shift going about their business, but no one was in their immediate vicinity. The Commission had made it expressly clear to Hawks that the situation with Dabi was to be kept on the downlow. Tokoyami wasn't really supposed to know, but there wasn’t much to be done about that now.

“It’s fine. I mean, as fine as things can be I guess,” Hawks laughed, but it sounded hollow.

Tokoyami squinted at him a little, “Why do I get the feeling things are not at all fine?”

The hero groaned, sliding down in his chair and pouting like a child, “Why can’t you just let me suffer in silence? What did I do to deserve this?”

“You are a very good hero and mentor and I owe you a great deal for all of your time and tutelage.”

Hawks glared at him from where his face was now barely visible behind the desk.

Tokoyami sighed. He’d learned from his classmates, especially Midoriya, that laying your emotions out in the open earnestly tended to be a pretty effective way to get people to confide in you about their problems. He went in for the kill.

“Hawks. You are my friend. I care about you.”

That seemed to sober the hero, and he straightened up in his chair immediately, looking a little guilty, “It’s really not a workplace appropriate conversation. And you’re like, what 12?”

Tokoyami glared at him, “I’m 16. And also in the past year villains have tried to kill me so many times I’ve lost count. I understand you are concerned about not corrupting me, but I think whatever relationship problems you are having are the last thing you need to worry about on that front.”

Hawks winced, “Well, when you put it like that. Okay, sit down I guess.”

He motioned for Tokoyami to sit in the chair opposite his desk. The teenager did so carefully, watching as Hawks took a long swig of coffee from the mug on his desk, even though it had probably long gone cold.

“So,” Hawks began slowly, “when I found out Dabi was an omega, he was having his heat in the PLF manor.”

Tokoyami nodded, “Yes, you mentioned this before, when you first told me what had happened.”

“Right well, I left out some details that are kind of important,” Hawks grimaced, “So, at the time it was clear from Dabi’s behavior that he was really scared of me.”’

“Scared? Of you ? Why?”

Hawks gave him a look, but chose not to respond to the slight, “Because I was an alpha and he was in heat.”

Tokoyami blinked, processing. He’d be the first to admit he wasn’t very experienced in the ways of sex and relationships. He was young, and unlike most teenagers his age, he didn’t have a ton of time to dwell on that kind of stuff. Much too focused on his hero career and training. 

He’d had to sit through a basic sex ed course as part of their high school curriculum. It had been a very awkward 40 minutes of Midnight pointing at anatomical diagrams, and everyone in the room wanting to sink through the floor and disappear. 

But he had learned a little, and what he’d been told was that an omega's heat was supposed to be overwhelming, but pleasurable. They were supposed to want an alpha, or in some cases a beta, partner around to help them through it. Having them there was supposed to be comforting. So, at first Hawks’ comment that Dabi would be scared of alphas during his heat threw him for a loop.

When the realization hit him, his stomach dropped, “He thought you were going to force yourself on him.”

“Yeah.”

“You would never do that.” Tokoyami said seriously, unable to help himself from defending his mentor’s character even if it was to the man himself.

Hawks smiled a bit at him sadly, “I wouldn’t. But Dabi didn’t know that. I don’t know the full story, but it was pretty clear to me that he’d been assaulted in the past.”

“Oh.” Tokoyami didn’t know what to say to that. “That’s awful.”

“Yeah. It is. Anyway, I helped him get somewhere safe and that was that. But then, you know, we ended up hooking up a few weeks later when he wasn’t in his heat anymore.”

Tokoyami nodded for him to continue, already familiar with that part of the story.

“We hadn’t done anything else since then. Until the night after the ultrasound appointment…” Hawks dropped his face into his hands, “God Tokoyami, I fucked up. I fucked up so bad.”

“What did you do?” Tokoyami said, trying to keep his voice neutral. 

“I slept with him again. He asked me to, but I should have said no. He’s pregnant and his hormones have got him all kinds of emotional and irrational. And technically he’s still a prisoner and I’m like his fucking warden . And he’s been hurt in the past and I took advantage of him.”

Tokoyami frowned. He understood what Hawks was saying, at least somewhat. Hawks knew that Dabi had been hurt by alphas in the past, so he was sensitive to how Dabi would respond to that kind of attention now. And to be fair, their situation was complicated. 

But, Tokoyami had also faced Dabi in all his power during the battle at the PLF manor, and he was pretty confident that if Hawks had so much as laid a hand on Dabi that the omega didn’t want, Hawks wouldn’t be sitting here agonizing over it right now.

“I don’t think you are being fair to yourself. As an alpha your instincts are to take care of him and his instincts would be to seek comfort from you. You both have a complicated history, but I think you are trying to make yourself feel bad for something that is natural. I am sure you are just overthinking things, because you are too close to the situation.”

Hawks scowled, “Then why has he been acting all weird and distant since it happened?”

Tokoyami remembered the way Dabi followed Hawks a few feet behind, looking lost and a bit listless. How odd it seemed to him at the time to see someone who had once seemed so driven for vengeance suddenly acting adrift and unsure.

“Maybe he doesn’t know how to bring it up with you. I think if I were in his position, with everything that happened between you, it would probably be daunting to be vulnerable. You used to be enemies.”

Hawks sighed, dragging a hand down his face, rubbing at his eyes in the process, “Maybe.”

Tokoyami didn’t want to admit it, but there had been something else that he’d noticed on that fateful walk they took from Hawks apartment to the doctor’s office. Something that had been in the back of his mind during this entire conversation. 

The way Hawks had looked at Dabi. 

It was soft and warm, and more genuine than anything Tokoyami had ever seen on his mentor’s face. Hawks might not even realize it himself yet, but it was clear he had feelings for Dabi that went farther than physical attraction. He wouldn’t be so wracked with guilt about it, hiding behind his work responsibilities and spilling his guts to his teenage intern, if he didn’t truly care for the omega.

“I think you should talk to him,” Tokoyami decided, “Staying here for hours on end every day and avoiding him isn’t going to improve anything.”

Hawks groaned and dropped his head to the desk, “I hate that you’re making so much sense right now.”

“One of us needs to be.”

“I’m supposed to be the one mentoring you,” Hawks glared, but there was no heat in his gaze, “Where’d you learn all this relationship stuff?”

“When you spend all your time with my classmates, you are unfortunately forced to learn to navigate interpersonal drama rather quickly. I could teach a masterclass from watching Midoriya and Bakugou alone.”

The comment thankfully had the intended effect of making Hawks laugh.

“Go home, Hawks. Talk to him. And please for the love of god, get some sleep.”

--

After the absolutely mortifying ordeal of being chastised by his teenage intern about his lack of emotional communication skills, Hawks returned to his apartment with a sense of renewed determination. He and Dabi were going to talk . They were going to use words and everything.

It was almost midnight by the time Hawks slipped back into his apartment through the slide door of the balcony and the apartment was dark and silent. Dabi had clearly already gone to bed. Hawks sent out a feather towards the nursery. It hovered in the door that Dabi always left cracked for some reason, perhaps because it made him feel safer to have an escape route, and Hawks closed his eyes and tried to sense the vibrations of Dabi’s breathing.

He could detect the omega’s heart rate instantly, and he could tell from the pattern of his breathing that Dabi wasn’t actually sleeping yet. He pulled the feather back to him, and took a deep steadying breath. He could do this.

“Hawks?” Dabi’s voice sounded confused when he heard the soft rapping at the door.

“Hey Dabs,” Hawks called, “Can I come in?”

There was a sound of rustling blankets, as Dabi straightened up, “Uh, sure.”

Hawks walked into the nursery tentatively, inhaling Dabi’s warm sweet scent as he entered. The omega himself was sitting on his bed, messy white hair tousled every which way. His nightshirt was rumpled, it was a bit riding up a bit on his belly that seemed to get a bit bigger everyday. 

Hawks wanted him so bad. Wanted to slide his hands under the shirt and up Dabi’s chest. Wanted to push the omega back into the nest and kiss him for hours. But he couldn’t think about that right now, he came here on a mission and he had to stay focused. 

Cautiously, Hawks approached Dabi’s nest and gestured to the corner, “Is it okay if I sit?”

Dabi blinked at him for a few moments, as though he couldn’t process that Hawks was actually there. After a small eternity something seemed to finally connect in his brain and he scrambled to move away the stack of pillows at the end of the bed to make room for the alpha. 

“Uh yeah, sure, sit,” the omega’s voice sounded slightly shaken.

Hawks would be more concerned about that if Dabi’s scent didn’t smell so calm. He’s not afraid of me, Dabi feels safe, Hawks told himself as he sat down at the edge of the bed. 

“So. I wanted to talk to you about something,” Hawks began slowly, but then found he didn’t know how to continue. Where did he even begin? 

Dabi raised an eyebrow at him after the silence between them stretched for a few seconds too long, “Are you going to say anything or…?”

“I’m sorry!” Hawks blurted out, “I’m sorry about that night. I took advantage of you.”

Dabi stared at him, forehead furrowing a bit in confusion. Like Hawks was a particularly complicated puzzle he was trying to piece together. 

“Birdie, I honestly have no idea what the fuck you are talking about.”

Hawks stared back at him, incredulous, “The other night, when we slept together. I-I took advantage of you. You’re pregnant and technically a prisoner and I shouldn’t have slept with you. I’m sorry.”

To his chagrin Dabi actually burst into laughter, “ What? ”

Hawks didn’t know what he expected Dabi’s reaction to be but it hadn’t been that. He suddenly felt very stupid, his feathers puffed up in embarrassment, “Hey stop laughing at me! I’m trying to be honest here!”

Dabi was wheezing a little, “Is that why you’ve been acting so weird lately? You thought, you thought-,” the omega wheezed a little trying to catch his breath.

Hawks scowled at him, but waited for the other man to collect himself. The omega finally managed to get in a full breath and managed to stifle his giggles. 

“Birdbrain, you didn’t take advantage of me. I begged you to fuck me. I wanted to. Like really, really badly. I thought I made that pretty clear,” Dabi grimaced slightly, “It was kind of embarrassing actually.”

“Then why have you been acting so weird lately?” Hawks demanded, because something had to have caused Dabi’s sudden change in behavior the day after they slept together, and he refused to believe he had imagined it.

That seemed to sober Dabi a bit, the smile falling from his face. Hawks almost regretted it, Dabi so rarely smiled and he hadn't realized how much he’d grown to love the way his deep rumbling laugh sounded until now. But he needed to understand what had happened between them, so he waited for Dabi’s response without elaborating.

“Because you left afterwards, alright?” Dabi glanced down at one of the many blankets piled in the nest, running his fingers along the soft fabric and avoiding eye contact, “I know that we aren’t mated or whatever, but it’s not like I can explain that to my dumb omega brain when all the pregnancy hormones are firing at full capacity.”

Hawks heart sunk faster than an anchor, “Oh. Oh my god, I’m so sorry. I am such an asshole.”

Dabi looked a bit smug at the admission, “Yeah, you are.”

“I was trying to respect your boundaries!” Hawks squawked indignantly.

Dabi gave him an unimpressed look, “You could try respecting them a little less.”

Hawks winced, “It’s just, when I first found out you were an omega, you were so scared I was going to hurt you, and I- I felt terrible that I allowed myself to sleep with you when you were clearly distressed.”

Dabi sighed, suddenly looking very tired. He wrapped his arms around himself tightly, in what must have been a self-comforting gesture, before responding. 

“Hawks, I promise that if I didn’t want it, you would have known,” there was a strange seriousness to his tone, as if he wanted to make sure that Hawks absolutely understood this to be true, before adding a bit more softly, “I know you wouldn’t hurt me like that, alright?” 

The ‘ I trust you ’ wasn’t verbalized but it hung in the air all the same. Hawks’ chest suddenly felt tight. He opened his mouth to say something, anything, but he couldn’t find the words. Fortunately, it seemed like Dabi wasn’t done speaking yet. 

“I know we're not together, but it would make it a lot easier to get through this if you could just like…,” the omega closed his eyes, seemingly steeling himself before finishing through gritted teeth, “...cuddle me, and hold my hand a bit and shit.”

God, Hawks had fucked this up so hard. 

He’d overcorrected so much in fear that he would hurt Dabi, that he didn’t realize he was causing just as much damage in a completely different way. If Hawks instincts had been telling him to be affectionate with Dabi, it only was rational that the omega’s were demanding the same if not moreso.

“I can do that, if that’s what you want,” Hawks promised, “Of course I can do that.”

Dabi sighed, “Only if you actually want to though. I don’t want your pity. Don’t force yourself to do it or it will just piss me off.”

Hawks could not imagine not wanting to touch Dabi, to hold Dabi. It was all his instincts had been screaming at him to do for months now. Maybe even longer if he was being honest with himself.

He reached out and took Dabi’s closest hand in his, squeezing it tightly, “I want to.”

Dabi flushed and looked away, but didn’t pull his hand back, “Alright, well, good.”

Cute. Hawks brain supplied.

The omega cleared his throat, “Would you…ugh. Would you want to… sleep in here tonight?” 

The words sounded as though they pained Dabi to drag out, but the omega didn’t retract them. Instead keeping his eyes trained on their intertwined fingers, and waiting for the alpha to answer.

“Yeah. I would like that,” Hawks smiled at him.

He spent the night in Dabi’s nest, curled around the warm omega, wings spread out over the both of them in a protective shield. It was the best night's sleep he’d had in months.

Chapter Text

The next few weeks after they finally had their heart to heart were nice. 

Dabi couldn’t really understand it, and wouldn't have believed it if someone had told him that he’d be enjoying it as much as he was, but it was nice. Now that Hawks was willingly providing physical affection the raging omega instincts that had been tearing his psyche apart were finally settling down. They were still there, lingering in the back of his mind and reminding him it was all temporary, but it was easier to distract himself from them when Hawks was wrapping his arm around his shoulders, or rubbing his back, or fucking him gently in the warm safety of his nest. 

That had been an extra perk he wasn’t expecting after they had their conversation. Dabi had been content enough to accept the new non-sexual intimacy from Hawks. Was content to be allowed to press against him on the couch when they watched movies, and brush up against him as they passed each other in the apartment, and let the alpha kiss his forehead goodbye in the mornings when he thought Dabi was still asleep.

But after a few nights of sleeping curled next to the alpha and inhaling his scent on the sheets, Dabi knew that he had to at least shoot his shot one more time. To his pleasant surprise Hawks acquiesced to Dabi’s request and now they were having sex pretty regularly. Mostly in the nest at night, but there’d also been a few tumbles on the living room couch, and one eventful evening Hawks had even bent him over the kitchen island countertop.

Doctor Ayani had definitely been right about the pheromones from sex because it had definitely mellowed him out the past few weeks. Sometimes after Hawks rolled off him and dozed off at his side, Dabi would just stare up at the ceiling and enjoy the post orgasm glow of warm contentment that spread throughout his whole body. 

In those moments all of his problems felt so small and distant, like they couldn’t reach him, couldn’t hurt him. He imagined that was what those spoiled omegas of kings and emperors in the cheesy romance movies Fuyumi used to force him to watch must have felt like. He’d used to scowl at the ridiculousness of them, but now in these moments of post-coital bliss he thought that maybe those movies were on to something.

So overall, things were going much better on the Hawks front. The alpha still had to go to work most days, but he was making an extra effort to come home at a reasonable hour to have dinner with Dabi every night. Dabi had started to plan ahead so that dinner was ready by the time the hero returned, which was so disgustingly domestic it was enough to make him sick. But, it gave him something to do while Hawks was out and it pleased Dabi’s stupid omega instincts to know end to watch the way Hawks lit up when he was presented with a home cooked meal.

Toga had also taken to appearing suddenly and without warning on days when Hawks was working. The first few times it scared the shit out of him, to round a corner and enter a room and find her suddenly sitting on the couch when she hadn’t been there before. But after a few near heart attacks he started to expect her. 

They mostly just hung out and watch TV together while she was there. She’d rant about her latest crush, or some reality show she was following, and just generally mindless teenage nonsense that he couldn’t pretend to care about, but Dabi let her. He was eternally grateful for it even though he’d rather lie down on train tracks than admit it to the teenager in question.

Secretly he was a bit worried about her. He didn’t know where she was living, now that she’d left the League, and she refused to divulge it to him. 

“What if Hawks or the Hero Commission has this place bugged?” Toga pointed out.

It wasn’t bugged. One of the first things Dabi had done when Hawks left him alone in the apartment the first time was to systematically make his way through the entire residence and check every corner, every light fixture, every piece of furniture for bugs. 

Instead of telling her that he just huffed, “If this place was bugged you wouldn’t have gotten a second visit before they were hauling us both off to prison.”

She scowled knowing he was right.

“Seriously, Toga. Where are you staying? Are you somewhere safe?”

“You don’t need to worry about me,” she mumbled, avoiding his eyes.

“ Himiko .” 

“Geez, alright,” she rolled her eyes, “I am hopping between place to place right now. I take over the identities of people who are on vacation or a long work trip and I just stay in their place while they're gone. It’s not ideal, but I promise I’m not living on the streets or anything.”

Dabi frowned, he didn’t like it but he supposed it was safer than being with the League at the moment. And it’s not like there was anything Dabi could do to help her. He knew that rationally, but part of him still felt guilty. As though he was letting her down somehow.

Toga must have sensed he was brooding because she attempted to distract him.

“Come on, let me paint your nails! I brought stuff! The lady whose apartment I’m crashing in has soooo many colors!” She dumped a drawstring bag full of nail polish bottles into a pile on the coffee table next to them.

Dabi rolled his eyes, “How am I supposed to explain to Hawks why my nails are painted when he gets back?”

It was hard enough airing out the apartment thoroughly so that Hawks couldn’t detect Toga’s scent after she left. He didn’t need visual incriminating evidence on top of that.

“Just tell him you got bored and ordered some online. I know he left you his credit card!” Toga whined, “C’mon Dabi, pleassssseeee?” 

“Alright, alright,” he relented and held out his hand to her.

She squealed in delight and clapped her hands together in excitement, “What color do you want?”

Dabi squinted over at the pile she had amassed, “You got black?”

“Boo!” Toga complained, “You’re so predictable.”

“You asked me to pick,” Dabi shrugged.

The young alpha stuck her tongue out at him, “Well your choice has been vetoed! I hope that your child inherits a better sense of fashion than you have.”

She jabbed a finger into his distended belly, and swatted her hand away, resisting the urge to point out that a girl who exclusively wore the uniform for a school she didn't even attend anymore really didn’t have any room to be judging his fashion choices, but he held his tongue. Trying to argue with Toga about such things was an exercise in futility.

“I think this one will look good on you!” Toga declared, fishing out a brightly colored bottle from the pile and holding it out for Dabi to inspect. It had a concerning amount of glitter mixed in, that swished around as the bottle shook in her hand,  “It will match your eyes!”

Dabi sighed, resigned to his fate, “Yeah, sure fine. Whatever.”

Toga grinned toothily at him and quickly settled in to begin painting his nails. They sat in comfortable silence for a while while she worked, the only sound coming from the television that she’d tuned in to some inane romance reality show that neither of them were really watching.

“We’re finding out the gender tomorrow,” Dabi offered suddenly, apropos of nothing. 

He didn’t know why he brought it up. Toga hadn’t asked, and as was the case with most baby related topics, Dabi had been trying very hard not to think about it too much. Luckily, his companion didn’t question the sudden change in topic much.

“Do you think it’s going to be a boy or a girl?” She asked, not looking up from where she was carefully shaping the polish along his pinky nail. 

Dabi shrugged, “I don’t know. I’ve been thinking of them as a genderless gray blob.” 

Toga hummed, “Once you know if it’s a boy or a girl you can pick out names.”

Oh. Dabi hadn’t thought about that.

“I’m sure Hawks will pick something good,” he muttered tentatively.

That got her to look up at him, a scowl on her face that he’d come to know as her ‘I’m going to murder Hawks’ face. In Dabi’s opinion the birdbrain only did something to earn it about fifty percent of the time.

“It’s your baby too. You’re the one carrying it around,” she insisted, “You should have a say in what they’re called.”

Dabi was sure that Hawks would be more than willing to hear his baby name suggestions. Would perhaps even be thrilled to have a discussion about that. But while things were much better between the two of them, Dabi still didn’t think he was emotionally stable enough to face the concept of naming a child he might never get to hold.

“Yeah,” Dabi said, “Maybe.”

“If it’s a girl you should name her Himiko!” Toga beamed.

He couldn’t help but bark out a laugh, “Yeah, I’m sure Hawks will go for that.”

She sniffed, “He will if he has taste. It’s a great name.”

Dabi smiled wryly at her, “Sure, crazy.”

They drop the topic after that, which is probably for the best. 

Toga finished up his nails, after which he herded her out of the apartment, so he had enough time to clean up before the bird got back. She whined about being sent off as always, but allowed Dabi to shove her out the front door with a promise that she would be back soon to do his toes.

That night when Hawks noticed the blue sparkling polish on his nails, he didn't ask Dabi any questions, just tilted his head in a particularly bird-like expression of curiosity and chirped, “Pretty.”

Dabi had to turn away to hide his blush.

--

“How’s my favorite intern?” Hawks called happily as he emerged from his apartment building onto the street, followed shortly after by Dabi.

Tokoyami was waiting outside the apartment complex, just as he was last time. Though this time Hawks had sounded much more enthusiastic about it when he’d called Tokoyami to ask if he would be willing to escort Dabi to his next doctor’s appointment.

Hawks moved to pull him into a hug, to which Tokoyami panicked and immediately tried to dodge out of his reach. It was futile though, they didn’t call his mentor the fastest hero for nothing and he was soon being squeezed in a tight embrace with a bunch of red feathers poking into his eyes.

“Thanks for coming!” The hero beamed, mercifully releasing him and stepping away much to the student’s relief.

“You don’t have to thank me Hawks,” Tokoyami told him honestly.

It was a bit embarrassing to admit it, but he cared a lot about Hawks. Probably more than was normal for an intern to care about their mentor. He didn’t even know how it happened, it had just snuck up on him one day. Once upon a time he’d thought of Hawks as arrogant and obnoxious, but now if someone told Tokoyami they thought as much he would probably sick Dark Shadow on them.

Hawks was just like that, Tokoyami mused. He stuck himself to you like a burr on the fur of a woodland animal, and no matter how much you shook you couldn’t shake him off. And after a while you didn’t even want to anymore.

The hero in question opened his mouth, probably to chat Tokoyami’s ear off about something inane while they walked to the doctor’s office, when the hero’s phone went off. He pulled his phone out of his pocket to check the caller ID and he grimaced, “Ugh, it’s the Commission. I have to take this. You two walk ahead, I’ll meet you outside.”

Hawks made a shooing hand gesture at him and Dabi, who had come to stand beside him.

“I thought I needed two heroes to escort me?” Dabi asked dryly.

In response, Hawks simply detached one of his feathers. It whizzed past Tokoyami and tucked itself in the front pocket of the hoodie the omega was wearing. Dabi stared down at the pocket in surprise, but then shrugged.

“I’ll keep an eye on you this way. Besides, I won’t be far behind,” he pushed Dabi gently in the direction of the doctor’s office, “Go on, I’ll catch up.”

Dabi sighed, “Alright, alright, we’re going. Come on, baby bird.”

Tokoyami resisted the urge to grumble about being called a baby by the villain yet again, instead moving to fall into step beside him. Before they got too far, he glanced over his shoulder and saw Hawks pick up the call from the Commission. 

The hero's face was blank and unreadable as he listened to whatever update his superiors had for him, it tended to be the expression Hawks wore when dealing with anything to do with the Commission. It rubbed Tokoyami the wrong way. Ever since Dabi had revealed Hawks past in his video, Tokoyami had been thinking a lot about how the Commission had essentially raised his mentor. When he thought about Hawks' blank expression through that lens for too long it started to make his blood pressure rise. 

“So,” Dabi’s voice startled him out of his thoughts, and the teen looked up to see the villain raise an eyebrow at him, “You seriously don’t have to be at school? It’s a Wednesday.”

The omega looked remarkably better then he had last time Tokoyami had seen him. He’d clearly gained weight, and not just from the baby which was showing now as a small bump on the omega’s abdomen, but his face also seemed fuller and his waist less pronounced. He smelled better too, the anxious, sickly scent now relatively calm and neutral. 

“I have special permission to be absent for the day,” Tokoyami responded evenly, not sure if it was wise to engage with the villain verbally, but not wanting to be rude to Hawks’ omega. 

Dabi scowled, “What, did you just tell everyone that you had to go babysit Hawks’ pregnant kept-villain?”

“No. No one at UA knows about the situation. Well, I would assume Todoroki knows, though I didn’t tell him or anyone else where I was going. Just that I had to do something for my work study.”

Tokoyami paused, considering. 

“Though, Todoroki did seem very suspicious about it, now that I think about it. He kept asking me questions about what I would be doing and if Hawks was going to be there.”

It had been a bit awkward. Todoroki could be intense on a good day, but before he’d left the UA campus for Fukuoka that morning he’d all but cornered Tokoyami and drilled him with questions. Tokoyami hadn’t wanted to lie to his classmate, but he also wanted to respect Hawks’ privacy. And it’s not like he’d known how Dabi would feel about Tokoyami sharing the details of his pregnancy with his younger brother, so he’d refrained from saying anything.

“Tell him to fuck off and leave you alone,” Dabi muttered flatly.

Tokoyami gave him an unimpressed look, “He is my friend, I will do no such thing."

“Get better friends,” Dabi grumbled.

“Todoroki is a good friend,” Tokoyami defended loyally.

“Then why was he harassing you?” The omega challenged. 

“Probably because he knows I have details about his estranged brother’s secret pregnancy and he doesn’t know how to ask me about it?” Tokoyami guessed, unable to keep the sarcasm out of his tone.

“He doesn’t care about that,” Dabi muttered quietly, almost to himself.

Tokoyami frowned, “What do you mean? He’s your brother, why wouldn’t he care about that?”

Dabi shrugged, “Shouto barely knew me growing up. Our father kept us separated after I tried to kill him when he was a baby. Didn’t want me to ruin his masterpiece.”

That was a lot to process. Tokoyami thought, “You tried to kill a baby?” 

“To be fair I was like seven and having a mental breakdown,” Dabi’s voice dripped with false cheer, “But anyway, the point is he doesn’t really even know me as anyone other than a villain who has tried to kill him and his friends multiple times. There’s no reason for him to give a shit about what happens to me.”

“He’s still your brother,” Tokoyami felt the need to point out.

Dabi glanced over at him with an inscrutable look, “Do you have any siblings?” 

“No,” Tokoyami replied honestly.  

“Yeah, well then, what do you know?” Dabi’s tone was bitter, but it didn’t feel like it’s directed at Tokoyami, “Besides, if any of the others cared that much about me, it’s not like I’m hard to find. I’m literally on house arrest.”

Oh. He misses his family. 

Tokoyami realized abruptly as he looked at the way Dabi seemed to shrink in on himself. The villain’s pace along the sidewalk stuttered slightly, as he tried to walk while avoiding Tokoyami’s eyes. He didn’t know why the thought had never occurred to him before. 

Sure, Dabi had made it clear how he felt about his father, but that didn’t mean that he didn’t miss the rest of his family. Maybe it was because in his head for so long Dabi had been this larger than life villain. It was hard to imagine him as someone who could long for something so simple. So human.

“Your siblings might not have Hawks’ number,” Tokoyami said slowly, “Maybe they do want to contact you but don’t know how.”

Dabi still looked deflated, “Yeah, maybe.”

Tokoyami tried to imagine himself in Dabi’s situation. Pregnant and captured by the enemy. Alone without any allies, or anyone to talk to other than Hawks. Who as much as Tokoyami cared for, he could admit was not the most emotionally intelligent alpha in the world. He imagined how lonely it would be, how isolating. And to think that he had family out there who knew what he was going through but hadn’t come for him. His heart twisted in sympathy for the villain.

“I could give the number to Todoroki,” he offered, voice careful, “If you wanted.”

The omega blinked, turning slightly to scrutinize him, “You gonna give it to him even if I say no?”

“No. Only if you want me to,” Tokoyami promised.

Dabi squinted at him distrustfully, “Thought you said Shouto was your friend?”

“He is, but if you don’t want to speak with him or your siblings then I will respect your decision.”

The expression on Dabi’s face implied to Tokoyami that he very much doubted that. He remembered what Hawks had told him about Dabi’s past, and Tokoyami wondered if he simply didn’t have it in him to trust alphas at all.

He decided not to push the issue further, not wanting to upset the omega before his doctor’s visit. So they walked the rest of the way to the doctor’s office in silence, the omega seemed lost in thought. 

When they arrived at the doors to the building they paused outside to wait for Hawks. Dabi shuffled his feet a bit, seemingly debating something.

“You can give him the number,” he finally decided, “If you want.”

“Okay, I will,” Tokoyami hoped that his generally stoic demeanor didn’t betray his surprise.

Hawks touched down suddenly at that moment in a flurry of red feathers, making them both jump.

“Sorry!” Hawks did not sound very sorry at all, “Told you I’d catch up!”

“I’m pregnant featherbrain, you can’t be giving me heart attacks like that,” Dabi snapped, looking slightly ruffled.

The comment immediately sent Hawks into full blown alpha panic mode, “Oh my god. I’m sorry, are you okay? Do you need to sit down? I’m so stupid, I shouldn’t have done that.” 

The hero began flitting around Dabi anxiously, checking his heart rate and pressing a hand to the omega’s forehead to check his temperature. Dabi shot Tokoyami a long suffering look as if to say, Are you seeing this shit?

The hero student couldn’t help but let out a snort of laughter at the sight. Dabi visibly brightened, seemingly delighted that he’d made the teen laugh. There was a hint of a smile forming at the corner of his mouth, and Tokoyami thought it made him look younger. 

He suddenly thought he might understand why Hawks could have found the villain charming enough to get into this whole mess in the first place. Dabi wasn’t all that bad when he wasn’t committing acts of violence with the League.

He decided to spare Dabi from Hawks hovering by speaking up, “I will meet you out here after the appointment. I assume you will bring scans again?”

The gambit worked because Hawks stepped away from Dabi and over to Tokoyami, wings fluttering excitedly behind him. Dabi shot Tokoyami a grateful look, to which he just nodded solemnly.

“Yes! We’re finding out if it’s a boy or a girl today!” Hawks bounced on his feet a little, and Tokoyami couldn't help but smile at him.

“That is exciting. Do you have a preference?”

Hawks shook his head, “Not really, I’m just dying to know.” He turned to look at Dabi, “What do you think, boy or a girl?”

Dabi shrugged, “All I care is that it’s healthy.”

Hawks beamed at him in response, which to Tokoyami’s chagrin made the omega blush a deep red and look away.

Holy shit. What had his life become?

“Good luck then,” Tokoyami told them, distracting them before the sudden influx of sweetness in the atmosphere made his teeth rot.

--

“Everything is looking healthy. You’re making very good progress on your weight gain Mr. Todoroki,” Doctor Ayani praised Dabi who was perched on the end of her exam table.

“Glad all those gross protein shakes were good for something,” Dabi responded, his tone had an air of sarcasm to it, but Hawks was getting better at reading the omega the longer they lived together and he could hear the pleased undercurrent beneath it.

“All your blood work and other tests came back normal too. Speaking of your protein shakes, how is your diet?” Doctor Ayani continued on, querying Dabi about what he’d been eating over the past few weeks since he’d last seen her.

Hawks tuned out the medical discussion, instead content to watch the omega sitting beside him with idle fascination.

Dabi made a big show about pretending he didn’t care about the pregnancy, but actions spoke louder than words. The omega might claim loudly that he didn’t care about the baby and that he was looking forward to getting ‘the parasite’ out of him, but he did so while maintaining a very strict diet in order to stay a healthy weight, and carefully applying cream to his burns every night even though it took forever, and listening to all of Doctor Ayani’s medical advice with rapt attention. 

Like he was now, blue eyes narrowed in concentration as he conversed with the obstetrician. Asking questions of his own and nodding seriously when she gave him instruction. Because Dabi really cared about the baby, wanted it to be healthy. It was a revelation that Hawks had come to recently, and he felt stupid for being surprised by it. Dabi had been the one who had insisted they brought the pregnancy to term, of course he cared about the baby.

“Alright!” Doctor Ayani clapped her hands together cheerfully, the sound startling Hawks from his musing, “Are you ready for the anatomy scan? I assume you still want to know the gender?”

Hawks brightened instantly, “Yes!”

She smiled at him, “Great, let me just get the ultrasound set up.”

As she busied herself with preparing the equipment to the right of the exam table, Hawks scooted closer to Dabi. The omega looked over at him, and as their eyes met Hawks caught the way Dabi’s shoulders relaxed slightly. Hawks gave him a small smile and offered out his hand.

Dabi blinked in surprise at the offered hand. He always seemed to do that whenever Hawks offered physical affection freely now. Even though he’d explicitly asked the alpha to do it, he seemed caught off guard every time. 

But then he willingly took the outstretched hand, giving Hawks an upward quirk of his lips, as a silent thank you. It made Hawks feel even guiltier, for all those weeks of keeping his distance, now that it's so obvious how much the omega had been craving the contact. 

I’m sorry. Hawks wanted to tell him. I’m sorry I’m so bad at this. I’ve never had anyone to take care of before. I’ve never had a family before. I want to be better. I’m trying to be better.

But the words caught in his throat. 

Hawks had never been good at being honest about his feelings. The Commission had trained him to push down any and all emotions, to focus on his mission and nothing else. He’d grown up alone, abandoned by his parents and isolated from other children his age. Every social skill, every scrap of emotional intelligence he had now, he’d picked up from espionage training and observing the world around him, instead of experiencing it himself.

Sometimes Hawks felt like he was a brilliant mimic of a person. He was so good at playing the role that even he sometimes believed it, fell for the illusion. But then he would go and do something so blatantly stupid, like make the omega carrying his future child believe he didn’t want to touch them, and he remembered that he wasn’t a person. He was a weapon. An advanced weapon, sure, but one that was ultimately designed to hurt. 

As he watched Doctor Ayani roll the wand of the ultrasound onto Dabi’s exposed belly, a now familiar feeling of dread washed over him. Was he destined to hurt this child too? How could Dabi bear to look him in the eye, knowing he was entrusting an alpha so clueless with something so precious?

So instead of saying any of the things he wanted to say, should say, to the omega beside him, Hawks just squeezed his hand in what he hoped was reassurance. 

“Alright, there they are,” the doctor’s voice pulled him from his thoughts as she located the baby. The room was filled with the familiar thumping sound of the baby’s heart.

“Holy shit, it’s huge,” Dabi sputtered as he took in the image on the monitor, which drew a laugh out of Doctor Ayani.

He was right though, the baby looked totally different than it had last time. Hawks could make out a human shape, a head and body, and even arms. Their gray blob was looking a lot less like a blob these days.

Hawks was so dumbstruck by the image of the child, that he almost didn’t process it when Doctor Ayani told them, “It’s a girl.”

Dabi went tense beside him, the grip on his hand becoming impossibly tighter. Part of Hawks wanted to look over at the omega, to gauge his reaction to the news, but he found he couldn’t look away from the monitor. Eyes fixated on his daughter.

His daughter.

“And there’s something else interesting I’m seeing here.” Doctor Ayani continued, either unaware of the emotional whirlwind Hawks was currently experiencing or generously ignoring it, she pointed at the monitor, “You see that? Those are her wings.”

“She has wings?” Hawks could hear the way his own voice shook with emotion.

Now that the doctor was pointing to them he didn’t know how he hadn't noticed them before. There are two nub-like shapes jutting out from the baby’s back. Wings. He had a daughter and his daughter had wings.

Did that mean he was going to get to teach her to fly one day? The thought had his knees shaking and his eyes getting dangerously wet.

“You okay there, birdbrain?” Dabi asked, and his voice sounded a bit wet too, but his eyes were fond as he gazed up at Hawks from the exam table.

“Yeah,” Hawks felt his own wings trembling, “Yeah, I’m okay.”

--

It was a few nights later when Hawks finally brought it up.

Hawks had been riding pretty high on the news that their daughter- and holy shit isn’t it crazy to think that they have a daughter, was going to inherit his wings that he’d been practically floating around the apartment. Dabi rolled his eyes at him and made a show of pretending to think that Hawks was sappy and ridiculous, but secretly he was very pleased as well.

Given the choice he hoped that his daughter wouldn't inherit his quirk at all, it made him sick to think about tiny hands covered in burns, but he knew that just because she had wings it didn’t mean she wouldn’t develop a fire quirk as well. Lots of kids had duel quirks. Just look at Shouto.

So no, that wasn’t why it pleased him. It was more that he was happy to know that Hawks and his daughter would be able to share something that was clearly very precious to the alpha. Hawks had never said as much, but Dabi knew that Hawks loved his wings. Loved flying. It made his heart warm to think about his daughter having that too.

They’d both been in a pretty good mood recently given the news, so Dabi wasn’t really prepared for it when Hawks broke the silence of the night with his loaded question.

“Can I ask you something?” Hawks rolled over to look at Dabi, pinning one of his wings beneath his own body but not seeming to mind.

They were lying in the nest, a bit sweaty and ruffled from a round of rather vigorous sex that had left them both panting heavily and exhausted. They had laid side by side afterwards for a while in companionable silence, and Dabi had been ready to just close his eyes and let his bone deep tiredness pull him under before Hawks’ question had jolted him awake.

Hawks must have taken Dabi’s silent contemplation as hesitation, because the hero quickly amended, “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.” 

Dabi felt his brows furrow in annoyance. Hawks was always doing that, assuming the worst of him. Assuming that at any moment any little thing was going to push him over the emotional ledge. Maybe he was right, but it was still frustrating.

“What?” Dabi responded, tone flat, “Just ask.”

Hawks’ eyes were uncharacteristically soft as he stared across the sheets at the omega. The lights of the Fukuoka skyline peeked in through a crack in the drawn curtains, lighting the side of his face and making his golden eyes glitter. Dabi felt his stomach flip and wished he could write it off as the baby moving, but he knew better.

“Back before I picked you up at the prison,” Hawks began tentatively, “When I asked you if you would consider getting an abortion, you told me no because you couldn’t do that again.”

The sharp intake of Dabi’s breath was so loud he startled himself.

Honestly, he was surprised it took the hero this long to bring it up. But then again, the alpha did seem to have a weird phobia of “crossing Dabi’s boundaries” despite the omega having never made a clear effort to set any. 

Dabi felt he was comfortable enough with Hawks at this point that if the alpha ever did anything to make him feel uncomfortable than Dabi would just tell him to fuck off, and then boom. Boundary set. That hadn’t actually happened yet though, so he wasn’t sure why Hawks continued to tiptoe around him like any wrong move was going to set him off. 

Hawks winced, looking for a moment like he was going to retract his statement. But curiosity must have gotten the better of him because he remained silent, waiting for Dabi to answer. It took the omega a while to collect himself, his heart was suddenly pounding in his chest and his heart was thundering in his ears. He opened and closed his mouth several times, unable to form a coherent thought.

“It’s not a pleasant story,” was what Dabi finally managed to get out, voice dangerously uneven.

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” Hawks repeated, “I’m not trying to pry. Well, I guess I am a bit. I have to admit I have been curious about it, but I don’t want to upset you. If it’s not something you are comfortable telling me you can forget I said anything.”

Hawks was being sincere, Dabi could tell. He’d spent the past several months with nothing better to do than observe the alpha and he was getting pretty good at identifying his tells. When Hawks was lying, his eyes were focused, skin pinched around the edges. In those moments he looked very much like the bird of prey he was. But when he was being genuine his eyes were wider, softer. Like they were now.

Could Dabi tell him? He trusted Hawks enough not to hurt him physically, but this was different. If he told the alpha about his past he’d never be able to take it back. It would forever change the way Hawks saw him.

“I’ve never told anyone,” Dabi mumbled, “I didn’t even mean to tell you what I did that day. But I was fucking panicked that they were going to force me to…”

His heart clenched and he reached down to put a hand on his stomach reflexively. The idea of the forced termination had been terrifying at the time, but now that the baby was so far along he couldn’t even imagine it. Because the baby wasn’t just a potential anymore, she was real now.

God, she was going to be a real life person. With her own thoughts and feelings and emotions and everything. One day she was going to grow up and surely she’d want to know who her other father was, wouldn’t she? Dabi wouldn’t be able to tell her, could he trust Hawks to do so? To not paint him as some irredeemable monster who was better off locked away from her?

It was that thought that cemented his decision. She deserved the truth, if no one else did.

“This is my third pregnancy,” Dabi finally admitted, voice barely audible.

Hawks tensed in surprise at Dabi’s voice, he’d probably given up on the omega sharing anything. But his eyes were still gentle as they gazed over, waiting quietly for Dabi to continue. Dabi closed his eyes, afraid he’d lose his nerve if he watched the alpha’s reaction. 

“The first time it happened, I was freshly living on the street. I had no idea what I was doing.  I was an unbonded omega and I didn’t have any hormone blockers, so when my heat rolled around… Well. I’m sure you can imagine what happened.”

Hawks squeezed his hand. Dabi risked a glance at him, his expression was pained, but not surprised. Dabi supposed he must have guessed as much.

“How old were you?” Hawks asked softly.

“Sixteen.”

Hawks grip on his hand tightened and he sucked in a sharp breath.

“Yeah. If it makes you feel better I burned the guy alive afterwards, when my heat broke and I was able to tell what the hell was going on. First person I ever killed, actually.” 

Dabi attempted a wry smile to try to lighten the mood, but it must not have worked, because Hawks looked like he was contemplating murder himself.

“Good.” Hawks muttered darkly.

“But the damage was done,” Dabi sighed, “I didn’t even know I was pregnant until I had the miscarriage.”

The memories of blood on his hands and pain in his abdomen suddenly came rushing back. Dabi closed his eyes as though that would make them go away, but instead they just projected brightly on the back of his eyelids. 

Hawks was making an effort to keep his scent soothing. Dabi couldn’t help but appreciate the gesture. The alpha’s scent was gentle and familiar, and it was keeping him rooted to the present, even though the memories were threatening to pull Dabi under.

“It was awful. There was so much blood and I was so scared. I was just a kid,” Dabi could hear the wobble in his own voice as he spoke, “But it would have been inevitable, even if I had known. I was underweight, even skinnier than I was with the League if you can imagine, and I was constantly sick from infections that I couldn’t afford antibiotics to treat. The pregnancy was never going to make it to term. And even if it had, what kind of life could I have offered for a child in that state?”

The omega stopped, unable to continue right away. He hadn’t thought about the miscarriage in a long time. Hadn’t allowed himself to think about it. Even when he’d found out about his current pregnancy, even when he’d gone to the first ultrasound appointment, he hadn’t allowed himself to dwell on the memory. Of sitting on the floor of a public bathroom with blood running down trembling legs. 

Even now, in the safety of his nest with Hawks lying inches away, the grief was overwhelming. He wasn’t sure who the grief was for. Was it for the unborn child? Or was it for a much younger, more innocent version of himself that had died that day?

“I’m so sorry, Dabi,” Hawks whispered, breaking the tense silence, “I can’t even imagine how hard that must have been.”

“It was a long time ago,” Dabi mumbled, “And it was for the best, there wouldn’t have been a future for that child.”

“It’s still okay to be sad about it,” Hawks murmured, “You’re still allowed to grieve for that baby even if you didn’t want it.”

Though he appreciated the sentiment Hawks was trying to convey, Dabi didn’t want to linger on it too much longer, or he’d go into another spiral he wasn’t sure he’d be able to get out from. 

“After that I learned pretty quickly that I needed to make money if I was going to survive on the streets. And I had something people were willing to pay for. It didn’t matter to them that I was covered in scars, people just wanted to stick their dick in an omega and I was willing to let them for the right price.”

Hawks’ expression was unreadable, and Dabi wondered if he was disgusted by this revelation. That Dabi had sold himself for money. That Dabi had been with countless alphas before him. The horrifying thought occurred to him that perhaps Hawks wouldn’t be able to stomach having sex with him again after this. After he knew how broken Dabi was, how used.

But Dabi was too deep into the story to stop now, so he pressed forward.

“The second pregnancy was one of my clients. Don’t know which one. I could charge them more if they didn’t want to use protection and I needed the money,” Dabi frowned, “I used to go to this cheap clinic every week to get tested for STDs and shit, and that’s how I found out.” 

Dabi could still remember the horror he’d felt, the memory of his miscarriage had not been so distant at the time. And he’d still been young, around eighteen. He remembered the woman who’d read him his test results placing a soothing hand on his shoulder while he sobbed in the waiting room. He remembered her asking him if he wanted to call his parents to come pick him up which had just made him sob louder.

“I knew I couldn’t keep it, I could barely afford to feed myself at that point. A lady at the clinic was able to recommend to me this place that would do it for cheap. I couldn’t afford to go to one of the nice clinics, I didn’t have an ID or anything.”

Hawks’ thumb traced slow circles on the back of his hand and Dabi clung to the feeling, allowing it to ground him even though he felt like he was on the precipice of falling from a great height. 

“It was… it was awful. They didn’t give me enough medication beforehand and it was so painful. And I felt so stupid that I had allowed myself to get into that situation. I just remember staring at the ceiling and wishing I was dead the whole time. That I had just died in that fire on Sekoto Peak.”

It hadn’t been the first time Dabi had thought about just ending it all, but it had perhaps been the most intense. The days following had been the closest he’d ever got to actually going through with it.

“Afterwards I didn’t even know how to process it. I still don’t. I felt guilty about getting the abortion. But then I felt guilty about feeling guilty, because I wanted to get an abortion. I’m glad I did it, it was the right decision,” Dabi let out a near growl in frustration,  “And I know there’s no shame in doing it. There shouldn’t be. But I still felt so miserable. Stupid fucking omega instincts.”

Hawks eyes were soft, “That’s normal Dabi. If I’ve learned anything during my time as a hero it’s that people react to traumatic events differently. You shouldn’t blame yourself for how you feel about it.”

“Maybe,” Dabi muttered doubtfully, before sighing, “Anyway. I started saving up all my extra money for hormone blockers after that. I didn’t eat for days sometimes in order to afford them, but I knew I couldn’t survive losing another pregnancy,” he shuddered.

The alpha beside him inched closer, looking as though he was desperate to pull Dabi into his arms and comfort him, but as if he was afraid doing so might shatter him into a million pieces. He hovered a few inches away, smelling of sadness and sympathy. Dabi didn’t even mind, it was nice having someone else listen and actually give a shit about what had happened to him.  

“The plus side about the hormone blockers was people didn’t clock me as an omega right away. Instead I was just some shady looking guy who hung around dark alleys. That’s when I started getting job offers that weren’t related to sex. Odd jobs.”

Dabi shot Hawks a feral grin, “And once word got around that I had a powerful fire quirk, I started getting arson jobs. Enforcement jobs for the Yakuza. Jobs for thugs and wannabe villains. It was still selling my body, but at least it was on my own terms. I told myself I was never going to sleep with an alpha again as long as I lived.”

Dabi leveled Hawks with a flat look that was meant to convey, And look how well that plan turned out. 

“And because I was using my quirk more, my scars got worse which meant alphas didn’t want to fuck me as much.”

He spun his finger in a little circle, Hawks golden eyes followed the movement.

“Self-fulfilling prophecy, you know? The only time I really needed to worry about it was when I was in heat. Which would only happen if I was stupid enough to run out of blockers. Which I wasn’t until…,” 

Dabi laughed bitterly.

“And then I met you and my stupid horny ass let you hit it raw. Practically begged you to do it, spread my legs for you and I wasn’t even in heat. And for what? Because you were bare minimum nice to me and gave me your stupid jacket? Because you didn’t rape me when it would have been easy?” Dabi’s voice shook violently, “And look what happened. I guess once a whore always a whore, right?”

His voice hiccuped slightly on the word. His clients had liked calling him that when they fucked him. Had told him he was born for it, that he should enjoy it because it’s all someone with a face as fucked up as his was ever going to get. 

Hawks pulled him closer, “Shhhh, no stop it. Don’t say that, you aren’t. Dabi. You’re not.”

“I was. I had sex for money for years. That’s what whores do.”

“And there’s no shame in that. You did what you had to do to survive. The people who hurt you are the ones who should be ashamed, you were just a kid. Dabi. God. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s not your fault,” Dabi muttered, he didn’t want Hawks to pity him. Didn’t want Hawks to think of him as someone too fragile to touch.

“I’m still sorry you had to go through that. Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me.” 

Hawks was stroking his hair gently. Dabi closed his eyes and leaned into the touch, breathing in Hawk’s familiar scent. If he just focused on the touch he could pretend for a moment. Pretend that they were mated. That he’d found someone who wanted him to stick around for more then just a fuck. Someone who wanted to raise a child with him. Someone who looked at him even with all the scars and baggage and still wanted him anyway. 

It was only for a moment but it was rapturous. Until suddenly-

“Holy shit. What the fuck.” Dabi spasmed unexpectedly, bolting upright in the nest.

“What? Dabi, are you okay, what’s going on?” Hawks was up and by his side immediately, steadying hands resting on each of his shoulders, “Is something wrong, do we need to go to the hospital?"

“She fucking moved,” Dabi breathed out in shock.

Hawks blinked at him, “What?”

“She flipped over or something, and it felt-,” He was immediately cut off when the strange flipping sensation occurred again.

Dabi snatched Hawks wrist off his shoulder and tugged it down, pressing it to his stomach. At first nothing happened, Hawks’ brows were furrowed in confusion, looking as though he were about to ask if Dabi was playing some kind of practical joke on him when it happened again.

Hawks’ eyes blew wide, “Holy shit.”

Dabi laughed, for a lack of a better response, “Yeah.”

Hawks was staring down at where his hand was resting on Dabi’s stomach, an expression of pure awe on his face, “Hey there, little bird.”

“I don’t think she can hear you yet,” Dabi murmured.

“Shhh, don’t ruin this for me,” Hawks teased, “Don’t listen to him, little bird, he’s just a hater.”

Dabi rolled his eyes, but didn’t deny it, “And you’re delusional.” 

They spend the rest of the night like that, pressed close together in the nest, heads bent together, hands resting on Dabi’s abdomen, feeling their daughter move beneath his skin.

Chapter Text

The summer sun was high in the sky over the UA grounds, as Tokoyami made his way out of the dorms. The heat was uncomfortable enough, but Tokoyami had chosen to wear dark clothes as he always did on days they weren’t required to wear their uniform or hero costume. The dark fabric absorbed the light greedily and caused a bit of a sweat to prickle on his neck. 

“Too bright,” Dark Shadow whined pathetically at Tokoyami’s side, as he made his way down to the training grounds.

“Apologies Dark Shadow, but we need to go speak with someone. You’ll have to brave the sunlight for a while longer.”

The shadow demon whimpered dramatically before retreating back within his body. Much like him, Tokoyami wished he could fall back into the air conditioned comfort of the UA dormitories, but today he had purpose to make good on, so he braved the oppressive weather and trudged down to the training grounds.

As he approached, he spotted three figures walking out of one of the practice rings. It was easy to pick his target out from among them, his hair distinctive even from a distance. Tokoyami quickened his pace, hoping to catch him before he got too far away.

“Todoroki, may I speak with you?” Tokoyami called.

Todoroki blinked at him slowly, face an unreadable mask as usual. His bi-colored eyes had a hard edge to them, as though he was searching Tokoyami’s face for a hint of whatever he might want to discuss. Luckily for Tokoyami, he’d been told his face was stoic on a good day and  indecipherable most others, so he wasn’t too concerned about what his classmate would find there.

A few feet away he could hear Midoriya whisper to Bakugou something about an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object, which made the alpha make a loud tsking sound that was basically his equivalent of hysterical laughter. Tokoyami’s eyes flashed over to where they were standing, toweling sweat off after their training match.

“In private?” He clarified as politely as he could. 

He’d waited until he knew the three young heroes would be finishing up on the training grounds before approaching Todoroki to speak with him, but he should have known better than to think Midoriya and Bakugou of all people weren’t going to eavesdrop given the opportunity.

Bakugou sighed at Tokoyami’s request, and turned to leave, grabbing Midoriya and yanking the omega along with him as he went, “Come on, nerd. Let them talk,” he waved a hand over his shoulder, without turning to look back, “See you at the dorms, Iceyhot.” 

Midoriya sputtered and struggled a bit, clearly wanting to stick around and listen in, but allowed himself to be dragged away from the training grounds and out of earshot. Tokoyami felt some of the tension bleed from his shoulders as they disappeared. This wasn’t exactly a conversation meant for outsiders to overhear.

Tokoyami had waffled for a few days over when and how to approach the youngest Todoroki about his brother’s situation. It wasn’t something he felt he could just bring up casually, but it was hard to get a private moment alone with any of his classmates when they were all living in the dorms together.

“What is it you wanted to discuss?” Todoroki asked after a few moments.

“Remember the other day when you were asking me about my work study? And if I was going to see Hawks?” Tokoyami began slowly, crossing his arms tightly against his chest for a lack of knowing what else to do with them.

Todoroki actually looked a bit sheepish at that, “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have been bothering you about that.”

Tokoyami sighed, “You were asking because of your brother right?”

“So you do know,” Todoroki blinked.

“That Hawks slept with your villainous thought to be dead older brother and got him pregnant?” Tokoyami clarified, “Yes unfortunately, I do know.”

The two-toned hero grimaced a bit and looked away, “I wanted to ask you, but I wasn’t sure if you knew. Endeavor told me and my siblings that the Commission wants to keep it from going public, for the safety of Hawks and the baby.”

And not Dabi? He’s the one who is pregnant. Tokoyami felt his brow furrow in confusion, but decided not to say anything in the interest of keeping the conversation on topic.

“You were right to ask me about it the other day, I was going to see Hawks. It wasn’t actually related to my work study at all,” Tokoyami admitted, “I’m sorry I couldn’t be truthful with you about it, but as you said it is a sensitive situation.”

“Do you see Hawks a lot outside of your work study?” Todoroki questioned. 

“Every other week or so,” Tokoyami nodded.

“Why?” his classmate asked bluntly. 

“Because while Hawks is my mentor, he is also my friend. He was raised by the HPSC, he doesn’t have any other family he is still in contact with. And as number two hero he is too busy with his career to make friends,” Tokoyami felt his beak turn downward in a frown at the thought, “He doesn’t have anyone else. Becoming a parent is hard, especially for someone so young. I am trying to do my part to be there for him.”

“Oh,” Todoroki seemed lost for words, struggling to decide what to say next,  “The baby…are they healthy? Is the pregnancy going smoothly?”

“She.” Tokoyami corrected, reflexively. 

Todoroki looked confused, “What?”

“The baby,” Tokoyami explained, “It’s a girl.”

If the topic of conversation weren’t so grave, Tokoyami might have been amused by how comically wide Todoroki’s eyes got, “Hawks told you that?” 

Tokoyami hesitated, but decided to be honest in service of his greater goals for the conversation, “Technically, Dabi did.” 

When he and Hawks had emerged from the doctor’s office on their last visit all Hawks had been able to do was gush to Tokoyami about the baby’s wings, practically shoving the ultrasound scans in his face and pointing at the nubs sticking out of the baby’s back.

Dabi had rolled his eyes and added, “It’s a girl by the way.”

Hawks had looked a bit sheepish at leaving that part out, but it hadn’t dampened his enthusiasm. Dabi had seemed to be in good spirits about it as well, watching Hawks flutter with excitement with a look of what could only be described as genuine fondness on his face. 

Upon noticing it, Tokoyami had resigned himself to the fact that with each interaction they had, the more Dabi managed to endear himself to him.

“You’ve seen him?” That actually seemed to break Todoroki out of his stoic mask, the teenager looked uncharacteristically shocked. 

“Yes, twice now. I’ve been escorting him and Hawks to his doctor’s visits, as per the Commission's protocol.”

His classmate seemed to be in complete disbelief at this revelation, “And he speaks to you?”

“Yes,” Tokoyami said slowly, “I just said that.”

The expression on Todoroki’s face could only be described as lost. His brows were furrowed in confusion and his eyes seemed to stare past Tokoyami, somewhere far away. Part of Tokoyami wanted to ask what was going through his head, but he came here with a mission and he was going to see it out without any further distractions.

“That’s actually the reason I wanted to speak to you,” Tokoyami continued, “Something came up when I last spoke to him that I think we should discuss.”

At his tone Todoroki’s face took on a sudden seriousness that implied he probably thought whatever Tokoyami was about to tell him was hero work related. Perhaps some intelligence on Dabi or the League’s crimes, “What is it?”

“Is there a reason you or your siblings haven’t reached out to Dabi since he has been in custody?” Tokoyami asked. 

That clearly threw Todoroki for a loop, as he didn’t respond right away. Mismatched eyes blinked back at him owlishly, “What?”

“Dabi mentioned none of you had been in contact with him since he was captured.” Tokoyami explained, “I found that surprising, I would have thought your family would have made an effort to speak with him right away.”

“I don’t…,” Todoroki looked absolutely thrown by the direction their conversation had taken. “He’s a criminal.” 

It was a simple statement, but one Tokoyami could understand somewhat. Dabi had been a villain, who’d committed countless acts of violence. He’d attacked and tried to kill his little brother and their classmates on more than one occasion. Todoroki was trying to be a hero, the antithesis of everything Dabi stood for.

One might say that Todoroki didn’t owe Dabi anything. That the moment he’d gone down the path of crime and violence that he forfeited any right to the connection he’d had with his family. That any damage incurred to his own relationships was Dabi’s burden to bear. 

But…the image of Dabi, hunched-in shoulders, dark under-eye circles, scent thick with anxiety, trembling and avoiding eye contact at the mention of his siblings, sprang into Tokoyami’s mind unbidden. Something unpleasant began to unfurl in his stomach and he was opening his mouth to reply without thinking.

“He’s your brother.” Tokoyami said, and he surprised himself with the sharpness of his tone.

“Yes. But he and I don’t know each other very well,” Todoroki said slowly, “I barely saw him before he died. Or ran away, I suppose.”

“What about your older siblings?” Tokoyami didn’t know why he was pressing. He barely knew Dabi, and his relationships with his siblings were absolutely none of his business. 

Todoroki hesitated, “I am not sure, I would have thought they’d have reached out to him by now. They were close as children. He told you they haven’t spoken?”

Tokoyami didn’t have siblings so he didn’t know what was normal sibling behavior, but he felt like if he found out his brother who he’d believe to be dead for over a decade was alive and pregnant with the number two heroes child, he’d have discussed with his family weather or not he’d contacted them.

“You haven’t talked with them about it?” Tokoyami responded, aware that he was answering a question with a question, but not sure what else to say.

“I’m not very close with my other siblings either,” Todoroki admitted, deflating slightly, “Endeavor kept me separated from them as a child, because he wanted me to focus on training to be a hero. I’ve only recently started to spend time with them, but we aren’t very close yet. We don’t talk that often.”

It was possible Tokoyami was imagining things, but Todoroki sounded practically melancholy as he explained his relationship to his siblings. Tokoyami felt a pang of sympathy, suddenly feeling a bit guilty at his short temper. Dabi had been through a lot at the hands of his father, if his video was even partially true, but that meant Todoroki had as well. Being separated from his siblings, not allowed to have a childhood, must have been very difficult for his friend.

“I’m sorry,” Tokoyami bowed his head slightly, “I shouldn’t have pried.”

“Why are you asking me about all this?” Todoroki finally asked instead of acknowledging the apology, eying him warily. 

Tokoyami took a deep breath, preparing himself for what he had to say, “I know it’s not my business, but I feel I would be remiss if I didn’t bring to your attention that Dabi needs his family.”

Todoroki’s eyes reached his hairline, but he didn’t interrupt, so Tokoyami pressed forward.

“He’s in an extremely distressing position and he could use all the support he can get. That’s what I have been trying to do for Hawks, because he doesn’t have a family to help him. But, Dabi does. Or he should.”

There was silence for a while, as his classmate considered what he’d said. Todoroki looked down at the ground in front of him, eyes sharp with concentration, as though deep in thought. Tokoyami settled in, deciding that it would be better to wait until his friend was ready to continue than pushing for a response right away.

“I don’t think he’d want to see me,” Todoroki frowned, finally looking up, “Like I said before, we were never close. I honestly think he hates me.”

Tokoyami thought back to what Dabi had told him, about how he’d almost killed his youngest brother when he was a baby. The omega’s voice had been sarcastically upbeat as he’d recounted the story, but Tokoyami could hear the regret buried beneath it. He thought that Dabi and Hawks might be similar in that way, hiding their hurt behind a false persona.

Dabi didn’t hate his little brother. That much Tokoyami was confident of.

“I think you would be surprised.” Tokoyami said honestly, “I asked him if he wanted me to pass on Hawk’s contact information to you and your siblings and he said yes.”

Todoroki looked a bit skeptical, “How do I know it’s not a trap?”

“If anyone should be worried about a trap in this scenario it’s Dabi.” Tokoyami snapped, losing his patience, “Todoroki, your brother is a pregnant omega, who has been captured by his enemy in what is essentially a war. He’s not in the emotional headspace to trick you or your siblings into anything.”

“He kidnapped Bakugou. He killed pro-hero Snatch. He released Ending, who almost killed our other brother Natuso. He tried to kill me, you, and even Hawks,” Todoroki pointed out, voice strained, as though he was barely able to reign in his frustration, “He’s capable of anything.”

Tokoyami sighed, “I know that Dabi has done a lot of bad things. He’s a criminal, he’s hurt a lot of people. But from what I’ve seen I think he’s been hurt a lot too, and I think maybe he just wants to know his family cares about him.”

Todoroki sighed, shoulders slumping, “Of course we care about him. It’s just complicated. I can’t be certain why my siblings haven’t reached out to him, but I am sure they have mixed emotions about everything that has happened.”

“Well,” Tokoyami reached into his pocket and pulled out a strip of paper, “If either you or your brother and sister decide you want to speak with him, this is Hawks contact information. I’m sure that he would be more willing to help arrange something for you.”

The two-toned hero pulled the offered paper from Tokoyami’s hands tentatively. His eyes scanned over the information, as though he was committing it to memory, before he carefully folded it into a neat square and tucked it into his pocket.

“I will talk to my siblings about it,” Todoroki said, nodding decisively. 

Tokoyami sighed, feeling relieved to have at least got him to consider it, if nothing else, “Good. I won’t bother you about this again."

“You aren’t bothering me,” Todoroki assured him, “I am glad you came to me with this. I may not be close to him, but you are right, Dabi is my brother. This is something my family and I should discuss.”

“I am glad,” Tokoyami gave him a small smile, before turning to head back to the UA dorms. His friend clearly had a lot to think about, and he didn’t want to overstay his welcome.

“Tokoyami?” Todoroki called suddenly, causing him to turn back around.

“Yes?”

His classmate hesitated for a moment, as if he wasn’t sure what he was going to ask. After a few beats he seemed to gain some resolve.

“Hawks. Is he good to Dabi?”

Tokoyami felt his posture soften. 

“Yes. They have a complicated history, but I can tell that Hawks cares about your brother very much,” Tokoyami considered for a moment before adding, “I think if circumstances were different one might even say they were a well matched pair.”

Some of the tension seemed to leave Todoroki's shoulders and he nodded, “Good. That’s good.”

It occurred to Tokoyami in that moment what the relationship between Endeavor and his wife must have been like when his children were growing up. He knew from Dabi’s video that they had been in an arranged marriage. That Endeavor had chosen his omega mate not because of love, but because of her quirk, and the babies they could produce. It couldn’t have been a healthy dynamic to grow up observing and Tokoyami pondered if Todoroki was afraid that his brother might have met a similar fate.

“He is safe with Hawks,” Tokoyami decided to add, just in case it gave his friend peace of mind.

I’m pretty sure they’re in love. Tokoyami didn't add, because he’d already pressed enough into the emotional lives of the Todoroki family for one day.

--

Perhaps Hawks least favorite part of the week, was the scheduled call he got from the HSPC President. It was always right after he got home from a shift, like clockwork. Just when he wanted to relax and shed the weight of the day from his shoulders his phone would chime.

Now, as he paced his living room, only half listening to the woman as she droned on with intelligence updates about the League and All For One, and the villains that had escaped Tartarus, and the many many other problems that had arisen since the raid on the PLF manor, Hawks felt his eyes begin to glaze over. All he wanted to do was eat dinner then collapse onto his couch, maybe watch a bit of mindless TV, and go to bed early.

“How are things going with Dabi?” The Commission President changed the subject suddenly, startling him out of his trance.

Hawks turned to look over at the kitchen where Dabi was carefully slicing vegetables for their dinner, his brow furrowed slightly in concentration, not paying attention to Hawks or his conversation at all. The expression on his face made the corner of Hawks’ lips tug up into a smile. Dabi would be mortified if Hawks told him he thought he was adorable, but there really was no other accurate description for the omega at such times.

“He’s doing alright,” Hawks responded, unable to keep the fondness out of his voice, “The doctor says he’s healthy and the pregnancy is progressing normally.”

The Commissioner hummed, “Yes, but has he been causing any problems? Any sign that he is planning on trying to escape or contact the League?”

Hawks felt himself scowling at the implication, “With all due respect Madam President, I think if he was going to try that he would have done so by now. I trust him when he says he wants what’s best for our child. He isn’t going to do anything to endanger the baby.”

“Be careful, Hawks. Dabi is still a villain, you can’t let your emotions cloud your judgment. Anything you are feeling toward him is likely just your instincts, and he could be taking advantage of that.”

Hawks felt his feathers bristle at his back, anger beginning to bubble under his skin, “Dabi isn’t trying to trick me.”

Dabi, from where he was standing by the kitchen island, looked over at the sound of his name. His eyes narrowed a bit in concern as he took in Hawks stiffened posture and the way he was white knuckling the phone against his ear. 

The Commissioner scoffed, “Don’t be so naive, Hawks. I thought we’d trained you better than that. It is in Dabi’s best interest to get you to sympathize with him, care for him, perhaps even develop romantic feelings for him. Do not be too quick to buy into his plays for your affection.”

Hawks' heart thudded loudly in his chest, and he willed his expression to stay neutral, knowing Dabi’s eyes were on him. Hawks had been trying very hard not to think about his feelings for Dabi beyond the instinctual ones. Though it became harder, every morning he woke up curled beside the omega, everytime Dabi cracked one of his wry jokes in an genuine attempt to make Hawks laugh, everytime Dabi snatched Hawks’ hand and pressed it to his stomach so he didn’t miss the chance to feel their daughter moving.

But Hawks thought about the night where Dabi had bared his soul to him, with a voice raw and trembling as he told the alpha about his past. Hawks knew the pain in the omega’s voice had been real, knew that Dabi wasn’t revealing it to Hawks simply to manipulate him. He refused to believe it.

“I’m not being naive,” Hawks could barely contain his snarl, “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Watch your tone, Hawks.” The Commissioner responded cooly, “I am just warning you to check yourself. If you become compromised we’ll be forced to reevaluate our agreement. It wouldn’t be responsible for us to standby and allow a child to be in the custody of someone who has aligned with a dangerous criminal.”

Hawks felt his stomach drop.

“Are we clear Hawks?” The Commissioner asked.

“Yes, ma’am,” he heard himself reply automatically, the room was beginning to tunnel strangely around him. When did it get so hot in the apartment? 

“Good,” she responded, “I will speak with you a week from now, at our next check in call. I hope that by then you’ve pulled yourself together and are ready to deal with the situation like the professional we’ve prepared you to be.”

There was a clicking sound on the other end of the line that had signaled that she’d hung up, though Hawks barely registered it, his mind racing a mile a minute.

How foolish of him to believe he was in control of the situation. That he could protect his daughter from the Commission. He was nothing but their dog on a leash and they were only loosening their grip for a moment, but at any second they could reel him right back in and he’d be powerless to stop them.

If the Commission decided that they wanted to get their hands on his child, that her quirk would benefit them, they’d find an excuse. Whether it was because of his feelings for Dabi or something else, they’d find a way.

If he did fall in line they were going to take his daughter away from him. He couldn’t protect her. He couldn’t protect Dabi. He couldn’t even protect himself.

Suddenly Hawks couldn’t breathe, it felt like his chest was being compressed by a massive weight. The hero began to draw in deep panicked breaths, desperate to fill his lungs with oxygen. It felt as though at any moment he was going to slip into unconsciousness and die. But he couldn’t die, he had a baby coming. The baby was going to need him.

Somehow that just made the panic worse. He felt his knees hit the floor hard, and a far away part of his brain registered that was going to fucking hurt later, but in the moment all he could focus on was trying to suck air into his lungs, clutching at his chest desperately. 

Distantly he was aware of Dabi hovering on the edge of his vision, hands outstretched, as though he wanted to touch but was afraid. Hawks tried to open his mouth to beg him for help, to tell him that he couldn’t breathe, that he was dying.

Dabi’s mouth was moving, but Hawks’ brain couldn’t make sense of the few words he managed to make out over the thundering of his own pulse in his eyes. The omega’s eyes were wide, clearly distressed. Hawks hated knowing that he was scaring him. This was all wrong. He was supposed to be protecting Dabi, making him feel safe.

Hawks closed his eyes, unable to look at Dabi’s face anymore. Even with them closed, it still felt like the room was spinning around him. He felt one of his fists close around the fabric of the carpet below him, desperate for some kind of stability as everything spiraled out of control. 

Keigo?

Hawks blinked open his eyes at the name he hadn’t heard in years.

“Keigo, come on, breathe with me. Slow down,” A voice broke through, deep and raspy.

“Dabi?” He wheezed, eyes finally focusing again. 

The omega was crouching down in front of him, blue eyes wide with worry.

“Hey, there you are. Can you focus on me?”

Hawks was still struggling to get his rapid breathing under control. 

“Can I touch you?” Dabi asked gently. 

Hawks nodded, because of course Dabi could touch him, he wasn’t even sure why the omega was asking. The other man inched toward him, placing a hand on the alpha’s chest. Even in his panicked haze, Hawks registered how warm the hand was.

“Deep breath okay? Slow. In and out. Focus on my scent.”

Hawks did as instructed, feeling his chest rise and fall with Dabi’s hand. As he inhaled he forced his brain to narrow in on the omega’s scent. Dabi was obviously making an extra effort to make his scent as warm and comforting as possible. Hawks wanted to breathe it in greedily, but he forced himself to follow the pattern that Dabi was setting.

“You with me, pretty bird?” Dabi murmured, after a few agonizingly long minutes of Hawks struggling to even out his breathing.

Hawks nodded, letting his eyes drift closed and leaning forward, allowing his head to drop onto the taller man’s shoulder with a thud. Dabi was warm as always, heat radiating off his skin, soothing and safe.

Hesitantly, Dabi reached his hand up and began to card his fingers gently through Hawks’ hair. The sensation was familiar and pleasant, Dabi having done it many times when they were lying in the nest together after a fuck. But somehow, here in this completely non-sexual situation the touch felt more intimate than ever. Hawks felt a shudder go down his spine as Dabi’s fingers grazed along his scalp. 

The last of the tension finally bled out of his body, and the next shuddering breath Hawks drew in finally felt as though it brought oxygen with it.

“I’m sorry,” Hawks rasped, “I-I don’t know what happened.”

“Don’t apologize,” Dabi replied, voice calm but stern, “You had a panic attack.”

Hawks frowned into Dabi’s shoulder, because that couldn’t be right. Heroes didn’t have panic attacks. Heroes needed to be calm under pressure, they couldn’t afford to let any emotions or instincts get in the way of doing their job. The Commission had trained even the slightest hint of fear out of him at a young age.

“Has this happened before, pretty bird?” Dabi questioned, fingers still stroking soft blonde locks, unaware of the crisis happening in Hawks mind.

“No, I-I don’t. I don’t do this,” Hawks stuttered, finally looking up from the warm cradle of Dabi’s shoulder to send him a helpless, searching look.

“Clearly, you do.” Dabi responded bluntly, though not unkindly.

Hawks felt his brows furrow in frustration, “You don’t understand. I can’t do this, I’m not supposed to do this.”

That got Dabi to scowl, “Not supposed to do what? Feel emotions?”

“Yes!” Hawks snapped, a bit hysterically. 

Dabi’s mouth fell open in an ‘o’ shape. Hawks immediately felt dread pool in his stomach, as he realized what he’d just said. The instinct to backpedal hit him hard and he found himself floundering to come up with an explanation.

“The Commission trained me to not panic, to not let my emotions get the better of me. It’s part of my hero training. I can’t show weakness. I don’t know what came over me.”

“You think that people who have panic attacks are weak?” Dabi asked slowly.

Hawks winced, “That’s not what I said. It’s just-”

“I’ve had panic attacks. Do you think I’m weak?” Dabi questioned as he tilted his head, his tone more curious than demanding.

Hawks felt his eyes blow wide, “No! Of course not Dabi!”

The alpha grasped his hands tightly around Dabi’s arms, as he looked up into the omega’s vivid blue eyes, “You’re one of the strongest people I have ever met. You always keep moving forward, even though you’ve been through so much.”

“And you haven’t?” Dabi asked, a bit incredulous.

“Nothing like what you’ve had to go through.” Hawks insisted.

It blew Hawks away sometimes, how strong Dabi was. How he’d managed to survive so long despite every terrible thing that had happened to him, all of the people who had hurt him. Hawks didn’t know if he could have done it if he was in the omega’s shoes.

“Trauma’s not a competition Hawks,” Dabi sighed, “Just because you weren’t a homeless omega who was raped on the streets doesn’t mean you’ve had it easy.”

Hawks frowned. Sure his childhood hadn’t been ideal before the Commission had scooped him up. His parents hadn’t been great, neglectful at best and violently abusive at worst. They never had enough food and very little in the way of material possessions since his father was a criminal on the run from the law. He’d spent his early years desperately trying to stay out of his parents’ way, aware that he was unwanted and unuseful. 

But that had only lasted a few years, and then once he’d been taken in by the HSPC he’d had all of his needs met. He’d never wanted for shelter, or food, or education. He was given resources many would be jealous of. And they’d given him a purpose in life, something to strive for. To be a hero. Where did Hawks get off thinking he had it bad, when there were people like Dabi, who’d been dealt so many terrible hands?

“I don’t think other people are weak,” Hawks murmured quietly, trying to make Dabi understand, “I just need to be stronger. So I can help them.”

“And then who is supposed to help you?” The omega asked him, eyes suddenly tired.

Hawks looked away, not able to look at the omega’s face. Dabi made him want to let his guard down, allow himself to feel, allow himself to be human. To be the person who was buried under layers and layers of armor he’d built around himself over the years. But he couldn’t, the world needed Hawks more than they needed Keigo.

“Stop. You know it’s different. I’m the number two hero, I can’t afford to be weak,” he insisted. 

Unfortunately, that just seemed to egg Dabi on, “If our daughter has a panic attack are you going to tell her that she’s weak? That she should push her emotions aside?”

Hawks snapped up to look at Dabi again, expression horrified, “Of course not!"

“Why not?” Dabi asked one eye-brow raised. 

“Because that would be cruel!” 

He hadn’t even met his daughter yet. Didn’t know what she would look like, but the image of a tiny winged-child struggling to breathe had Hawks’ stomach churning.

“Exactly, so why aren’t you extending yourself the same kindness you’d extend our daughter? Or me, or anyone else who was struggling?” Dabi demanded, “Whether you like it or not you’re flesh and blood like the rest of us. You’re not a robot, even if the Commission tries to treat you like one.”

Hawks didn’t know what to say to that, didn’t know how to argue with Dabi when he was making so much sense. He couldn’t explain to Dabi that Hawks wasn’t sure if he really was human under all of the masks he had to wear. It made him angry to think he was tricking Dabi into believing he was anything better than a puppet on the Commission's strings. 

“Can you stand?” Dabi asked Hawks after a while, “Let’s get you off the floor.”

“I think so,” Hawks replied, though he was uncertain, the idea of standing seemed daunting, 

He must have sat there hesitating for too long because suddenly, Dabi pulled himself up from his position on the floor and held out a hand. Hawks took it, trying to prop himself up, but his legs were still shaking. Dabi huffed in frustration at his slow progress and wrapped both arms around him, lifting him up. 

Hawks scrambled for purchase for a moment, panicking, “Wait Dabi, no you’re gonna hurt yourself- stop!”

Hawks was small but deceptively heavy. His body weight was mostly muscle and his wings, when he wasn’t floating them telekinetically, actually weighed quite a lot. 

“I’m fine, birdbrain. Come on, let's make it a few feet over to the couch,” though he did sound slightly out of breath.

The concern that the omega was going to injure himself trying to help him had Hawks sharpening up quickly, forcing his knees to stop wobbling and keep his feet under him. He managed to make it a few stumbling steps over to the couch where he collapsed with a sigh.

“What the fuck is wrong with me, why am I shaking so much?” Hawks groaned in frustration.

“It’s the adrenaline come down,” Dabi explained with a shrug.

“It fucking sucks,” Hawks muttered flopping back against the cushions.

“Yup,” Dabi agreed, popping the p.

The omega came down to sit next to him, keeping a few inches between them. Hawks frowned at the distance, wishing Dabi would just drape his warm body over him like a hot water bottle. It would probably help with the shaking. It would be embarrassing to ask for that though. Dabi would tease him, right?

Dabi, seemingly reading his mind, asked, “You want to cuddle, birdie?”

Hawks knew he must have turned bright red, because the grin that stretched across Dabi’s face made him look like the cat that caught the cream. Or maybe in this case the bird. 

Refusing to be embarrassed, Hawks aggressively flopped onto him, pressing his full weight against Dabi’s side, head resting on his shoulder. 

“You’re warm,” Hawks admitted, snuggling closer, “Feels nice.”

“Oh,” Dabi actually sounded surprised, “You like that?”

Hawks nodded contentedly against him, already feeling Dabi’s body heat spreading along his side and into the muscles that were suddenly sore from all the tension they’d gone through a few minutes ago. 

“I have hollow bones, part of my quirk. Makes me get cold really easily. You’re always so warm.”

Carefully Dabi reached out an arm, wrapping it around Hawks shoulder. Hawks let out an involuntary chirp of approval and fully melted into the embrace. He let his wings fan out behind them both, enclosing them in a small circle of feathers.

“I hope the baby does that,” Dabi murmured.

Hawks’, whose eyes had fallen closed, the warmth combined with the exhaustion of coming down from the panic attack was already making his eyelids heavy, forced them open to peer up at the omega.

“Does what?”

“The chirping thing you do,” Dabi explained.

Hawks winced, “I’m not really supposed to do that. The Commission tried to train me out of it when I was a kid. They didn’t like it when I acted more like a bird than a person.”

Dabi scowled, “The Comission can get fucked. It’s adorable.”

Hawks couldn’t help but bark out a laugh of surprise, warmth spreading throughout his chest that admittedly had nothing to do with Dabi’s quirk.

“Yeah?” Hawks asked him.

Dabi smiled at him, blue eyes shining a bit in the golden light of sunset that was filtering in through the large windows. It was one of the softest, fondest looks Hawks had ever seen on the omegas face. 

“Yeah.” He confirmed.

Hawks felt his heart stutter in his chest. Because, oh god. He loved Dabi, didn’t he? 

Like actually loved him. Not just because he was carrying Hawks’ child. Not just because his instincts were to take care of the pregnant omega. Hawks actually loved him, because he was Dabi. 

Dabi who was snarky, and wild, and hotheaded. Dabi who would light someone on fire in a second if it suited him. Dabi who had once been one of the most powerful and dangerous villains in the country, Hawks’ enemy. 

Dabi who made him dinner every night, even though Hawks insisted he really didn’t have to. Dabi who had been vulnerable enough with Hawks to tell him about his darkest moments. Dabi who looked at Hawks like he was seeing a human with a soul, and not a monster created by the Commission. 

Hawks swallowed heavily. He was fucked.

--

Shouto paced nervously on the sidewalk outside of the park. He was there early, not supposed to meet up with Fuyumi and Natsuo for another fifteen minutes, but he hadn’t been able to wait in his dorm room for another moment. 

He’d called Fuyumi right away after he’d finished his conversation with Tokoyami. She’d sounded surprised when she picked up, but not unhappy to receive a call from him. He’d quickly told her that there was something he’d wanted to talk about with her and Natsuo in person, and asked if they could meet up somewhere.

It was Fuyumi who had suggested the park, after Shouto had immediately shot down her original suggestion to meet at the house. He didn’t want Endeavor to overhear the conversation. Not that he believed his father would intervene, but he doubted that Fuyumi and especially Natsuo might find it hard to talk about such a sensitive topic honestly if they thought he might overhear.

They’d agreed to the meeting without protest, but Shouto figured they must at least suspect that the conversation would be serious. He had never requested the three of them get together before. The fact that it’s the first time they’d met up outside the confines of the house made Shouto feel strangely anxious.

“Shouto, hi!” Fuyumi called, breaking him out of his thoughts. 

He looked up to see the omega trotting up to him. She’d come right from work, still wearing a nice ironed blouse and dress shoes. Her hair was tied back in a bun that was just starting to come undone a bit after the day, a few strands breaking away to hang on either side of her face.

Shouto couldn’t help but smile at her. Fuyumi had always been the sibling he’d been closest to, just by nature of proximity. Instead of moving out and away when she came of age, of going off and starting her own family like Shouto much suspected she wanted to, if the long looks she gave bonded pairs with children were anything to go by, she had stayed to help look after Shouto. He was very much grateful for everything she’d done for him, even if sometimes she felt more like a distant mother or even a nanny then she did an older sister.

“Fuyumi,” he greeted, opening his arms tentatively for a hug.

She beamed at him and wrapped her arms around him, squeezing tightly. Physical affection from his family was something new to Shouto, but also something he found that he was quite happy to get used to.

“How was work?” He asked her as she pulled away.

“It was good,” she replied, smiling fondly, “All my students were well behaved today. We’re learning fractions, which has been a challenge for them though.”

Shouto allowed her to carry on talking about her day teaching at the local elementary school while they waited for his brother to arrive. Natsuo had the furthest distance to travel for this meeting, as he was away at college currently. He’d had to catch a bullet train, followed by a few other local connections to make it to the park. He didn’t arrive until the summer sun had just begun to set behind the trees, painting the sky a lovely pink.

“Hi guys,” Natsuo called out to them as he approached, waving a hand in greeting. 

His brother was large for a beta, taking physically after their father in almost every way except his coloring. But despite his imposing stature, Natsuo always came off as good natured and kind. Shouto very much thought that if he had wanted to be he’d have the perfect temperament to be a hero.

Fuyumi dashed over to yank him into a greeting hug as well, but Shouto hung back. He didn’t know Natsuo that well yet, and as much as he craved a closer relationship with his older brother, he didn’t know if they had reached the hugging stage yet. Instead he just settled for nodding at him and offering him a small smile, which his brother returned.

“So, what did you want to talk to us about Shouto?” Natsuo asked as he broke away from his sister’s hug, “Yumi said you were the one who wanted to meet up.”

Right, Shouto took a deep breath, not sure where to begin. 

“The other day, my classmate who is close with Hawks passed on his contact information,” Shouto paused so they could process his words, “So we could contact Dabi.”

Fuyumi and Natsuo both froze at the name, but didn’t say anything right away. Shouto decided to continue.

“He mentioned that neither of you had tried to reach out to him yet, which surprised me. I know you were pretty close as kids.”

Natsuo looked away from Shouto’s gaze, suddenly looking small for someone with such a large frame, “We were, but…”

He trailed off, unable to finish. Shouto decided to press, this was what he’d gathered everyone to discuss after all.

“But what?” He asked.

“That was a long time ago. And a lot has happened since then. He’s a villain now. I don’t know if it’s even safe to speak to him, let alone if I want to or not.”

Shouto turned to Fuyumi, who had been completely silent, eyes looking far away.

“I don’t know, Shouto. I love Touya, but Natsuo’s right. I’m not sure speaking with him would be the best idea.”

“We all agreed we were going to bring him back,” Shouto pointed out, because they had. That day in Endeavor’s hospital room after the battle. They’d agreed as a family that they’d help bring Dabi back.

“That was before he was captured,” Fuyumi faltered slightly, as though she were trying to convince herself, “He’s in custody now. He can’t hurt himself or anyone else anymore. There’s not much else we can do.”

Shouto thought about the image of Dabi that Tokoyami had painted. Imagined him sitting in Hawks’ apartment, by the phone. Pregnant and alone, wondering why they hadn’t come to see him. He doubted the villain was actually waiting around for them to call, but the image still made Shouto’s chest feel strangely tight.

“Saving someone isn’t just about physically saving them,” Shouto told them, remembering how Midoriya had helped him to accept his quirk as his own during their battle at the sports festival, “It’s more than that.”

Natsuo sighed, “That’s easier said than done Shouto.”

“Yes.” Fuyumi nodded in agreement, “I’ve missed Touya everyday he’s been gone. But, we can’t just pretend that nothing has happened. We haven’t spoken in over a decade. After he chose to leave, chose to walk away from our family and not come back.”

That got Natsuo to snort, “Oh come on, you can’t blame him for that. Endeavour treated him like shit. It was bad enough when he started ignoring him the second his quirk stopped showing promise and Shouto’s did. But then when he presented as an omega, it was like in Endeavour’s eyes Touya wasn’t even his son anymore.”

“He wouldn’t let Touya train because he was an omega?” Shouto asked, because no one had ever bothered to fill him in on the details he’d been too young to understand at the time.

His older brother nodded, “He stopped training him when he realized that Touya’s quirk burned him. But once he presented as an omega, Endeavour forbade him to use his quirk at all.”

“Dad was just trying to do what was best for Touya,” Fuyumi tried to reason, “Touya wouldn’t have stopped trying to-”

“Cut the shit, Fuyumi.” Natsuointerrupted, suddenly furious “I haven’t forgotten that Dad tried to marry him off. He even set up a meeting with that alpha who he’d thought would be a ‘good match’ for his quirk. The guy was pushing forty and Touya was barely fourteen.”

Fuyumi winced harshly at the memory.

“He came back from that meeting terrified,” Natsuo glared at her, “You weren’t the one who he cried to all night about how scared he was to be married off to some adult who was going to force him to push out baby after baby. If Endeavour really had his best interest at heart he wouldn't have been planning to turn his son into a child bride.”

Shouto hadn’t known about that, the revelation made him sick to his stomach. He suddenly thought of Midoriya and Uraraka, who were also omegas and not much older than Touya would have been at that time. He couldn’t imagine someone trying to force them to mate with someone older than twice their age.

“Is that legal?” Shouto questioned, trying to keep the bile from rising in his throat.

Natsuo sighed, “Technically, yes. But it shouldn’t be. It’s an outdated law, and it’s largely frowned upon but some older and more powerful families in Japan are still tied to maintaining the ‘tradition’ of marrying off their omega children,” his brother used air quotes around the word, rolling his eyes, “And they’ve kept it from being repealed.”

“That’s horrible,” Shouto said seriously, filing that information away for later. He knew lots of powerful heroes, and soon to be heroes. Surely there was something they could do to change such an outrageous law.

Natsuo nodded in agreement, “I don’t blame Touya one bit for wanting to prove himself to that shitbag, or for running away.”

Fuyumi sighed, “I know. I don’t blame him for wanting to get away from all that, either. But he didn’t just run away, Natsuo. He became a dangerous villain. He killed people, he tried to kill both Shouto and father. He let that villain free who almost killed you. ”

Shouto watched as his older brother deflated, “Yeah, I know. Why do you think I haven’t contacted him yet? I don’t even know what I’d say to him. I don’t even know if he is Touya anymore. Not the Touya I remember, anyway.”

Shouto thought back to Tokoyami’s words from a few days prior.

I know that Dabi has done a lot of bad things. He’s a criminal, he’s hurt a lot of people. But from what I’ve seen I think he’s been hurt a lot too, and I think maybe he just wants to know his family cares about him.

“I think we should reach out to him,” Shouto spoke up, startling his siblings, “We shouldn’t make it about us. Even though he might not be the person who you remember him to be, he's still our brother. He needs us. That’s what matters right now.”

Natsuo blinked at him a little in surprise, but then smiled, “That sounded pretty heroic, little bro.”

Shouto felt himself color slightly at the praise, and looked away.

Fuyumi nodded, as if to herself, “You’re right. We’re being selfish, thinking about how it makes us feel. And not about what’s best for Touya right now.”

Carefully, Shouto reached into his pocket and held the folded piece of paper Tokoyami had given him out to her.

“Let’s do our best then,” he said seriously.

And if Natsuo muttered Plus Ultra jokingly under his breath, both his siblings pretended not to hear it.

Chapter Text

Hawks almost turned around to go home three times before the door to the Todoroki manor opened. 

Ever since he’d arranged the meeting, he had been debating whether or not to go through with it. He didn’t know if all of this was a good idea. But frankly, he didn’t know where else to go, who else to turn to. 

Ever since his panic attack he hadn’t been able to settle his nerves. The Commission's threat to take their daughter away had loomed over him like a vulture. It plagued him constantly, to the point where he hadn’t been able to focus at work properly. He’d almost let a villain get away just yesterday, causing his sidekicks, who normally just followed behind him to help clean up afterwards, to jump in and apprehend the man themselves.

Dabi had been able to tell something was wrong with him as well. The omega was hovering more since the panic attack. He’d started asking if it was okay to touch Hawks before he did, and when it was granted his touches had become unbearably gentle, as though he was afraid the alpha was going to shatter. It broke Hawks heart, because he was supposed to be the one looking after Dabi right now. The omega had enough on his plate to worry about, without needing to be concerned about Hawks.

Something had to give or Hawks was going to fall apart. He needed help.

When the door clicked open, Hawks nearly jumped out of his skin from where he'd been anxiously pacing along the paved pathway that led to the house entrance. 

“Hawks. Hello.” Endeavor greeted gruffly, “Please come in.”

The Number One Hero stepped to the side, holding the door open for him, looking incredibly awkward. He probably didn’t have people over to his home very often, Endeavor didn’t strike Hawks as the kind of man who had a lot of friends.

Sighing, giving up on any last minute decisions to turn tail, go back home, curl up with Dabi in his nest and pretend this never happened, Hawks followed the older alpha through the door and into the house.

The Todoroki estate was massive to say the least. Before he’d been turned over to the Commission, Hawks had grown up in a series of tiny squalid apartments, with so little space that he couldn’t escape the wrath of his father or contempt of his mother, even though he’d been desperate too. He was certain that twice as many people could live here comfortably without ever setting eyes on each other if they didn’t want to.

Endeavor led Hawks down a series of long corridors, to a large sitting room. He gestured stiffly for him to sit down and Hawks complied, tucking his wings behind his back tightly. He tended to be too expressive with them when he was nervous, and he didn’t want to accidentally knock over any fancy vases or decor.

“Would you like something to drink?” Endeavor asked, probably aiming for politeness but sounding so intensely out of his comfort zone, that it would almost be enough to make Hawks laugh under normal circumstances. 

“No thank you, I’m fine.” Hawks gave him what he hoped was a winning smile, but it likely came out looking strained, “I’d rather get down to business, if that’s okay with you?”

Endeavor’s perpetual frown deepened, but he nodded and took a seat in a chair across from Hawks, folding his hands across his lap.

“I am assuming you wanted to discuss Touya and the baby?” Endeavor questioned.

“Yes,” Hawks nodded, feeling his throat tighten. 

He didn’t even know where to begin. He’d been trying to think of what to say all week, writing and re-writing the words he needed to convey in his head, trying to come up with the winning combination that would get the Number One Hero on his side.

He must have paused for too long, because Endeavor was already opening his mouth again, trying to get the conversation moving.

“Is Touya doing okay?” He prompted with what, from what Hawks could tell, was genuine concern.

He honestly appreciated the attempt at small talk. It gave him a chance to run his mouth a bit, while he worked out what he needed to say.

“Yeah, he’s doing good,” Hawks replied, “Or I guess as good as he can be given the situation. His doctors are happy with the progress of his health and the pregnancy. He’s hitting all the milestones as expected.”

Endeavor looked a bit relieved, “I am glad to hear that. I wasn’t sure… given his condition if there might be complications.”

Hawks nodded, “The doctor’s were concerned about it, but Dabi has been really diligent about taking care of himself. He’s been doing everything he can to stay healthy until she’s born.”’

“She?” Endeavor asked.

“Oh, yeah. The baby is a girl,” Hawks actually smiled for real when he told him, unable to keep the pride and joy at bay when he thought about his daughter.

The expression on Endeavor's face at the news was strange. It was muted, not quite sad, but not entirely unhappy either. Perhaps learning the gender of your first grandchild, while suspecting that you likely would not be allowed to have a relationship with them, brought up a lot of different emotions.

Hawks couldn’t bring himself to feel too bad for the other man though, not after he’d learned everything that Touya had been through. He believed that the hero really did want to become a better person, that he did want to atone for his actions. But he couldn’t undo the past no matter how hard he tried. Time’s arrow only moved forward, after all.

“Congratulations, Hawks. I would ask you to pass on my regards to Touya, though I understand he will not want to hear from me on the matter.” Endeavor murmured solemnly.

Hawks grimaced, “Yeah, probably not. Thanks, though.”

They lapsed back into silence for a few moments, though it wasn’t as tense as it had been when Hawks first sat down. Finally Hawks took a deep breath, before taking the plunge. 

“You said, back at the prison, you’d be willing to help with anything I might need,” Hawks swallowed heavily, “Did you mean that?”

Endeavor nodded, growing more serious, “I did.”

Hawks took a deep breath, stomach churning at the thought of how much was riding on the conversation they were about to have.

“I need you to help me keep the Commission away from my daughter.”

The older hero looked surprised, pupils widening slightly.

“What do you mean? The terms of the deal was that you’d get to keep custody of the baby,” Endeavor said slowly, “The Commission has no reason to go back on your agreement.”

“They have plenty of reasons,” Hawks scowled, “You saw the video Dabi released didn’t you? You know they’ve raised me since I was a child. They have every reason to think that this baby has the potential to be even more useful to them than I was. They already suggested taking her that first day at the prison, remember?”

Endeavor frowned, looking thoughtful, “Yes, I do. They seemed reluctant to give you custody.”

Hawks nodded, feeling sick with anxiety, “I don’t want my child to grow up the way I did. I want her to have a normal childhood. I want her to know she is safe and loved. I promised Dabi I wouldn’t let the Commission take the baby. But they’re going to, they are going to come up with an excuse to break the deal. They’ve already started threatening to do it.”

“They’ve threatened to take the child away from you?” There was an undercurrent of anger in Endeavor's voice that Hawks hadn’t been expecting. 

Hawks just nodded miserably, trying not to dwell too hard on the memory of the panic that had gripped him. The cold voice of the Commission President in his ear reminding him just how easy it would be for her to take everything and everyone he loved away from him, if he didn’t bend to their will.

“Why now? What has changed?” Endeavor asked, brows furrowing.  

Hawks swallowed, “They think I’m compromised.”

“Compromised how?” Endeavor pushed.

“They think I’m in love with Dabi.” Hawks' voice was horse with emotion, almost a whisper.

“I see.” Endeavor blinked, “And are you?”

“Yes,” Hawks replied, still quiet but without hesitation.

There was another stretch of silence between them as they both processed what Hawks had just confessed. That he was in love with Dabi, Endeavor’s son, to his face. Hawks didn't know how he was expecting the man to respond.

At first he might have assumed it would be anger, it was the emotion the Number One hero tended to be quickest too after all. Or perhaps disgust, not wanting to think about Hawks and his son in that way. Or maybe even disinterest, Endeavor didn’t seem like the kind of person who cared much for emotions like love.

What Hawks wasn’t expecting was the calm, thoughtful look of contemplation that crossed the man’s features. 

“Would the two of you complete a mating bond, if the Commission wasn’t there to interfere?” He asked Hawks, expression curious.

Hawks blinked a few times as he tried to collect himself. He hadn’t allowed himself to think about mating Dabi, at least not seriously. Ever since he’d been able to acknowledge to himself that he was in love with the omega, the instinct to make the man his forever was thrumming beneath his skin constantly. 

When they had sex Hawks had to consistently resist the urge to press his teeth down on the omega’s neck, and bite. The instinct had always been there before, but now it was so consuming it had Hawks practically screaming into whatever pillow, blanket, or other nearby item he managed to redirect his fangs into every time he came.

Hawks could admit it wasn’t just the alpha instincts in him that found the idea appealing though. In his particularly soft moments he thought about the idea of being bonded to Dabi, of being able to walk around with a mark on his skin that told the world he belonged to someone, and for Dabi to do the same. It made something in his chest flutter.

“If he wanted that, yes I would mate him in a heartbeat.” Hawks thought it should probably be more awkward, sitting in front of Dabi’s father and spilling his guts like this, but he couldn’t help but be honest. He had to be, so he could get the help he needed.

“But… we can’t.”

He didn’t need to explain to Endeavor why the pair of them couldn’t mate if Dabi had to go back to prison. Bonds took a few months to really settle, in that time period being apart from one's mate for long stretches of time was exhausting both emotionally and physically. The mental anguish of being permanently separated from a newly bonded mate would be unbearable for both of them. 

Hawks couldn’t deal with that while looking after their daughter at the same time and poor Dabi would still be recovering from the likely very traumatic events of the birth and being separated from the baby. It just wasn’t responsible, as much as Hawks wanted to make Dabi his, he wouldn’t do so unless he was confident they could be together. He wouldn’t put the omega through more unnecessary pain, when he’d already gone through so much. 

“I don’t want him to go back to prison,” Hawks admitted, confessions falling out of his lips now like a damn had broken, “I know he has done a lot of terrible things, but frankly so have a lot of heroes. There has to be another way. Maybe he has to be monitored for the rest of his life, maybe he has to commit the rest of his life to community service, I don’t know. But I can’t bear to think about sending him back to prison.”

Hawks had been haunted by the idea of Dabi going back to prison ever since the omega had revealed his past to him. Omega’s didn’t often get sentenced to prison, society didn’t give them a lot of chances to commit the kinds of crimes that would result in a high level incarceration. The rare times they did however, they were generally not treated well.

Rape was a problem in prisons among all genders, but omegas were especially at risk. It wasn’t just the other inmates that posed a threat, but the guards as well. The prison guard profession, like other authoritative jobs such as cops and heroes, tended to be dominated by alphas. And alphas, who were traditionally favored by society, knew they could get away with things they shouldn’t.

It wasn’t that Hawks hadn’t thought about what all that would mean for Dabi before, but he hadn’t been able to dwell on it. He’d barely been making it through each day with the new reality of preparing to be a parent, while maintaining his role as the Number Two Hero and keeping the Commission happy had been weighing down on him. But after Dabi had shared the story of his past, it was all he could think about.

He’d even started having nightmares about it. He woke abruptly several nights that week alone, his ears ringing with the sound of Dabi screaming and pleading for Hawks to save him, causing him to jolt up, scrambling in the sheets, chest heaving. Dabi, who he always woke with his kicking and thrashing, sat up beside him with eyes wide in concern as he tried to settle the alpha down, none the wiser as to just what it was that induced Hawks panic.

“He’s already been through so much. I don’t want to separate him from our baby. I want him to be part of my daughter's life. I-I want to be a family.”

There. He’d said it out loud. The thing that had been on his mind for weeks. Above all the many, many reasons he didn’t want Dabi to go back to prison (because he was scared of parenting on his own, because he didn’t want Dabi to be hurt, because he loved him and would miss him) the biggest most selfish reason was because he wanted the thing he’d never gotten to have as a child. He wanted a real family.

Endeavor was watching him with an expression that was as close to soft as he’d ever seen on the man. His mouth, which was normally a hard downward line, was smoothed slightly and his brows were unfurrowed, expression strangely open.

“It makes me glad to know that you care about him,” Endeavor murmured, after a few moments of silent consideration, “I failed Touya as a father, in many ways. He didn’t have the kind of love and support that I know your child will.”

Hawks eyed him warily, “Yeah. Well, you have a chance to help him now, are you going to make good on your promise? Will you help ensure that we and our baby stay together?”

Endeavor frowned, “It will not be easy, we would have to publicly go against the Hero Public Safety Commission at a very volatile time.”

Hawks couldn’t help but droop, hope beginning to drain at the other man’s words. He knew it was a long shot enlisting Endeavor’s help, but he didn’t know who else to turn to. Dread began spreading through his body, not knowing how he was going to go home tonight and look Dabi in the eyes knowing how badly he’d failed him as an alpha, when Endeavor continued. 

“We should speak with the UA teachers, as well as the rest of the top ten. I am confident that if we could get their support, we could turn public perception in our favor. The public does not trust me, but you are still mostly seen positively and with the help of other heroes we might be able to expose the Commission for their wrongdoing and simultaneously give society a reason to trust in their heroes. Prove that we are more than cogs in a broken system.”

The relief that Endeavor was going to help made Hawks almost start to cry right there in front of him. He’d been holding onto this tension, for what felt like so long, not allowing himself to hope that maybe there was a brighter future for Dabi and himself. In that moment, it felt as though Endeavor was throwing Hawks a life preserver after he’d been treading water for months.

“Thank you,” Hawks was unable to keep the emotion out of his voice.

“Don’t thank me,” Endeavor said seriously, “It’s the least I can do for Touya. After everything I put him and the rest of my family through, it will never be enough.”

Hawks shook his head, the tears threatening to spill over, “You don’t know what this means to me.”

His feelings about the flame hero remained complicated. He hated knowing what the man had done to his own son, the omega who Hawks loved. Was endlessly disappointed to know that the man who had been his hero as a child had turned out to be much the same as the monster who he’d saved Hawks from.

But he’d still saved Hawks back then. As conflicted as he felt about the man who Endeavor turned out to be, it was hard to forget the hero that had rescued him. And now he was going to save him again. Not just him, but his family. 

Hawks took a shaky breath, trying to pull himself together. He had to be professional. Dabi and their daughter were counting on him to figure this out.

“Okay, where do we start?” He asked, straightening up.

“We will need to get this resolved before the baby is born,” the Number One Hero replied, falling back into hero mode, “When is Touya due?”

Hawks swallowed, “Well, he’s actually having a c-section. The baby has wings, so our obstetrician advised us not to do a natural birth.”

Dabi had been somewhat alarmed at the news, gesturing to his heavily scarred torso and asking, “Will that be safe?”

Dr. Ayani had given him a small smile, “It will be a risky surgery, and you will likely have a longer recovery period than most, given your health complications. But I believe it will ultimately be safer for both you and the baby, than if you were to have a natural birth. Babies born with extra limbs or other physical mutations tend to be at high risk for breech, as well as both infant and omega death.”

A sudden chill had rolled down Hawks spine at the thought, and he had to bite his lip hard to keep from begging Dabi to agree to the c-section, knowing that the thought of losing both the omega and his daughter at the same time would become a new recurring feature of his nightmares. But it wasn’t his decision to make, so he kept silent.

The omega had eventually nodded and agreed to the c-section, but Hawks could smell the anxiety on his scent. All he’d been able to do was squeeze Dabi’s hand tighter and hope it comforted the other man just a little bit. 

“The surgery is scheduled for November 1st,” Hawks told Endeavor, shaking himself out of the memory.

Endeavor sighed, running a hand over his face, “That’s only four months away. Not a lot of time.”

Hawks wilted, “I know.”

He looked down at his hands, where they were balled up into tense fists in his lap. He knew how insurmountable a task he was asking Endeavor to undertake with him. If there had been any other way out Hawks would have taken it. He knew Dabi wouldn’t want him to involve his father, but there were so few people out there who Hawks felt he could trust independent of the Commission.

Hawks would never entrust Endeavor with his daughter, he respected Dabi too much for that. But he trusted that the man would help them with this. That Endeavor really did want to do whatever he could to help his family. Even if it was too little too late, Hawks was willing to take anything if it meant he got to keep Dabi and their baby.

“Hawks.” Endeavor said seriously, causing the young alpha to look up at him.

The older man hesitated, as if he wasn’t sure of himself, before saying, “We’re going to figure it out. I won’t let them take your daughter. I won’t let them take Touya. I promise you. I will do whatever it takes to make things right.”

Hawks took in a deep shuddering breath and nodded. He felt all his years of training slip into place and he finally was able to settle his emotions. He had a mission to complete. 

--

“Maybe we should cancel.” Dabi muttered, pacing back and forth in the living room.

When Hawks had told him he’d received a phone call from Fuyumi asking to set up a meeting, he almost couldn’t believe it. A few weeks ago, when he’d told Tokoyami he could pass on Hawks’ contact info to Shouto, he’d been certain nothing would come of it.

He’d had a moment of weakness when he’d agreed to it, allowing his longing for his family to overtake the realistic side of his brain. He’d been thinking about how much he missed them, and not what it would mean when they actually saw him.

They were going to be disappointed. Dabi wasn’t the brother they remembered. He was a villain and a murderer, changed so grotesquely by what he’d been through in their time apart that his body had to warp to match what he’d become inside. They’d surely take one look at him and realize coming to see him was a mistake.

And Dabi wasn’t sure he could survive it. He’d been able to make it this long, because he hadn’t seen his family. They’d thought he was dead, which meant they could remember the boy they loved, and not the man he’d become. But now they knew, and he wasn’t sure if he could handle rejection from the people who were supposed to love him no matter what. If they couldn’t love him, surely that meant no one could.

It was part of why he’d asked if Hawks could give him and his siblings some privacy during the meeting. He didn’t want Hawks to see the moment that even Dabi’s own family decided he was a lost cause. Didn’t want Hawks to stick around to realize maybe they weren’t wrong. Dabi needed to believe the illusion that the alpha might care about him, if not now then maybe someday, for just a while longer. 

“I think it’s too late to back out now, Dabs,” Hawks smiled at him softly from where he was watching him, leaning against the kitchen doorway, “They’ll be here any minute.”

Dabi shuddered with anticipation. It had been ten years since he’d last seen Natsuo and Fuyumi. The last time they’d laid eyes on him he’d only been fourteen. Neither of them had even presented their secondary genders yet, and now they were adults with careers and lives he hadn’t been around to be a part of.

Shouto he’d seen more recently, first coming face to face with the young alpha a year ago when he and the League had attacked the UA training camp. Though that felt like ages ago now, so much had happened since then. Still it wasn’t promising to think about that event being his youngest brother’s lasting memory of him. He’d been so young when Dabi had left home, he probably barely remembered him otherwise.

Dabi had spent longer than he would care to admit that morning getting ready, trying to choose colors that clashed the least with the deep purple of his scars and trying desperately to make his spiky mop of white hair look presentable. In the end, he’d stared at his reflection in the mirror and felt dread pool in his gut. He looked every bit as villainous and disgusting as always. He wouldn’t be fooling anyone.

There was nothing to be done about it though, so Dabi had spent the remainder of the day before his siblings were supposed to show up stewing in his anxiety. Pacing around the apartment like he was now, feeling like a death row inmate awaiting his execution.

There was a buzzing noise that indicated someone was at the entrance to the building and needed to be let in. Dabi froze instantly at the sound, and didn’t move to answer it. Hawks took pity on him and crossed over to answer the buzzer by the apartment entrance.

“Hi, this is Hawks,” he greeted.

“Hi Hawks,” a woman’s voice crackled over the speakers, “It’s Fuyumi. My brothers are here as well.”

“Great, I’ll buzz you up,” Hawks replied cheerfully, “We’re on the top floor.”

Dabi paced faster, feeling like a caged animal. His entire body thrummed with anxiety.

“Hi there,” Hawks greeted as he opened the door, a few minutes later.

Over his shoulder, Dabi could make out a bit of red and white hair. His heart thudded faster in his chest.

“Hello Hawks, it’s nice to finally meet you,” Fuyumi greeted, “Thank you for letting us visit.”

“No problem, come on in!” Hawks stepped aside and his sister entered the apartment.

He could smell from where he was a few feet away that she was an omega. He’d known this, he’d kept tabs on his family from afar all those years. But it was the first time he was close enough to her that he could smell her scent. It was strange, she seemed so different, yet somehow familiar.

As she entered, she spotted him and her eyes flashed, but she didn’t say anything, just stepped to the side to let their brothers in after her.

“It’s nice to meet you man,” Natsuo greeted, reaching out to give Hawks a friendly handshake.

God, Natsuo was huge. He’d had to be at least a foot taller than Dabi was now, and certainly several feet taller then when he’d last seen him. And unlike Fuyumi he smelled exactly how Dabi remembered him from their childhood, indicating that he was a beta.

Shouto followed last, ducking into the apartment and closing the door carefully behind him. 

“Hawks,” Shouto nodded at the hero in greeting, though his eyes had already moved away to search the room. 

When the mismatched set of eyes settled on Dabi, it took all of his self control not to step back, feeling as though he was about to be attacked. But Shouto made no move to step towards him, just watched Dabi with an impassive expression.

“I’m going to give you guys some privacy to catch up,” Hawks explained, turning to make for the balcony, “I’ll be back in an hour or so. But please, make yourself at home.”

“Is that safe?” Natsuo piped up, sounding a bit nervous.

Dabi felt himself tense, they were already afraid of him. That wasn’t a good sign.

“Yes, Dabi is wearing quirk restraints. Even if he was able to break them, you’ll have one of the best up and coming heroes with you,” Hawks grinned at Shouto, who looked unimpressed at the comment, “Plus, I can keep an eye on him from afar.”

Hawks detached one of his feathers and it zipped around the room before going to tuck itself into the back pocket of Dabi’s jeans. 

“If anything happens, I’ll be back before you can blink,” he promised, “But you don’t have to worry, I trust that Dabi will be on his best behavior.”

He made to leave again, giving a comforting squeeze to Dabi’s arm as he passed, which made the omega’s throat suddenly feel very tight, before exiting through the sliding door and launching himself off the balcony in a flurry of red feathers.

Dabi watched the spot where the alpha had been standing for a few long moments. He’d asked for him to leave, but he suddenly felt incredibly vulnerable without the other man there to shield him. Cautiously, he turned and looked over to where his siblings were standing near the entrance to the apartment.

Natsuo and Fuyumi were staring at him, faces pale as though they were seeing a ghost. Shouto eyed him warily from where he stood beside them, looking him up and down with a blank expression.

“Hi.” Dabi greeted weakly, feeling sick.

His voice came out scratchy and deep. His vocal cords had taken a lot of damage in his accident, burns in his throat and smoke inhalation making his voice unrecognizable. It had served him well in his efforts to hide his secondary gender, so he’d always been quite pleased about it.

But now as he spoke and took in the slight wince from both Fuyumi and Natsuo he realized just how different it must have sounded from what they remembered. He sounded like a hardened criminal, not their brother.

“Can I get you water or anything?” Dabi’s voice was thick with nerves, as he tried to remember his manners. 

None of them answered immediately, three pairs of eyes stared back at him, unblinking.

He turned his back to them without waiting for a response, hurrying to the kitchen to gather some glasses. He could feel the pressure forming at the corners of his eyes that meant he was going to cry. He needed to collect himself and fast. If he cried blood in front of them they surely would be even more disgusted than they probably already were.

Dabi tried to take even, steady breaths, as he pulled three glasses out of the cabinet. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest, as he did his best to fill the glasses with water with his hands shaking violently.

When he re-entered the living room, none of his siblings had moved. They were all watching him the way one might watch a tiger, eyes following his movements with close attention, as though they thought at any moment he was going to pounce. 

Even when he’d been at his darkest moments as a child, when he’d been filled with rage and desperation, he couldn’t remember Natsuo or Fuyumi ever looking at him like that. He felt any remaining hope he had die in his chest. 

He was glad he’d sent Hawks away for this.

Dabi tried to hold out the glasses with trembling hands, but no one made a motion to take them. He was forced to set them down on the coffee table, for lack of anything else to do with them.

He wanted to sink through the floor and disappear. He wanted to track down someone with a time quirk and go back to the day he’d told Tokoyami he’d wanted this. To shake his past self violently, demanding to know what the hell he’d been thinking.

Dabi knew he had to say something, as no one else was. He couldn’t bear to stand there in awkward silence, as he felt the canyon between himself and the only people he’d ever really loved crack and grow larger and deeper.

“It’s nice to see you,” was what his traitorous mouth managed to get out. 

What a stupid, obviously false thing to say. No one was enjoying this meeting, least of all him.

“Touya,” it was Fuyumi that finally spoke up and he flinched violently.

“Yumi,” he responded gruffly, which made her flinch right back.

He decided he needed to turn this around, take some of the pressure off himself.

“You wanted to speak with me?” He prompted her, she was the one who’d reached out to Hawks about setting up the reunion, after all.

“Yes,” Fuyumi said slowly, as though unsure of herself, “I’m sorry. I’m just. Not sure what to say.”

That was when Dabi finally understood what the look in her eye was. She had come here to see her brother, but who she got was a stranger.

“It’s okay,” Dabi found himself deflating, “I understand. I’m not… I’m not who you want me to be.”

It hurt to admit it. Because Dabi had never in his life been who anyone wanted him to be. He hadn’t been good enough for his father, born with a quirk that wasn't suited for his aspirations, followed by presenting with what he’d perceived to be the weakest of the secondary genders. Hadn’t been good enough for his mother, had looked and acted too much like his monster of a father. Hadn’t been useful enough to the League for them to bother coming back for him once he’d been captured. Hadn’t and never would be good enough to be Hawks’ mate.

He’d thought once that maybe his siblings had been an exception to that, that they would love him as he was. But then he’d gone and fucked that up by becoming a villain, who’d attacked and hurt them and the people they cared about. He only had himself to blame for the way they were standing only a few feet away from him now, but feeling miles apart.

“I understand, if you don’t want to see me afterall. You don’t have to stay,” Dabi continued, giving them the out.

Fuyumi shook her head suddenly, “No. I’m sorry. We don’t want to go. We want to see you. It’s just. This is a lot to process.”

She finally seemed to remember herself, moving and grabbing one of the glasses from the coffee table and gesturing to the couch, “Is it okay if I sit down?”

Dabi hopped back a few feet instantly, so she could get to the couch without having to walk too close to him. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Natsuo and Shouto exchange a glance, but then they were moving towards the couch as well.

There wasn’t enough room for them all on the sofa even if Dabi thought they wanted to sit beside him, so instead he took a seat carefully on the floor next to the coffee table. He grabbed one of the throw pillows that had fallen to the ground and tucked it between his belly and his arms. It was silly that he found it comforting, as though the pillow could shield him from the power these people had to emotionally devastate him.

“How have you been?” Fuyumi began uncertainly, after everyone had settled.

Dabi hesitated, before deciding to be honest, “I’ve been better. How about you?” 

His siblings exchanged a few glances, as though they weren’t sure how to respond.

“We’ve been okay,” Fuyumi began slowly.

“No we haven’t been,” Natsuo interrupted in a deadpan voice.

Fuyumi winced, “There’s been a lot going on lately. As I’m sure you’re aware. It’s been difficult for all of us.”

Dabi swallowed thickly, “Yes.”

“Yeah, you know, seeing as you’re the cause for a lot of it,” Natsuo was openly glaring at him now.

Fuck this was going so poorly. The canyon was getting wider and Dabi didn’t know how to salvage it. He felt like he was trying to build a bridge across it, but the rocks along the sides just kept crumbling. 

“I’m sorry that my actions hurt you,” Dabi scrambled to apologize, while trying his best to remain honest, “I would say that it was never my intention, but… I think after a while I didn’t care about what pain my actions caused as long as I could get revenge on Endeavor. I did things that directly put you all in harm's way, and I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, thanks for that,” Natsuo snapped, “You think you can just casually sick a murderer on me, and I’ll forget about it if you say you’re sorry?”

“No. Of course not, I just…,” Dabi was at a loss for words. 

He knew they would be upset with him, he didn’t know why it hurt so much to have it confirmed though. To be facing them and have his siblings regarding him with apprehension, rage, and barely concealed fear.

Natsuo huffed, running a hand over his eyes, frustration clear on his features, “Do you have any idea what this feels like for us? I missed you so much, but I’m also so mad at you!”

Dabi flinched as his brother raised his voice, practically shouting.

“Because I became a villain?” Dabi guessed, proud of himself for not allowing his voice to waver, despite how tight his throat felt.

“Of course I’m upset about that, but,” Natsuo snarled in irritation, “That’s not even what I’m the most angry about.”

He fixed Dabi with a betrayed expression. Fuyumi was frozen at his side, eyes filled with unshed tears. Shouto was glancing between Dabi and Natsuo, clearly uncomfortable with the direction the conversation was going, looking as though he was prepared to jump between them if it came to blows.

“How could you let us think you were dead for all those years?” Natsuo’s voice broke, revealing how distressed he really was, “You were our brother, hell you were my best friend . And you let me believe you were dead for over a decade. I know you had to escape our father, I don’t blame you for running away, but how could you put our family through that? We mourned you. We put up a shrine for you. Fuyumi and I cried ourselves to sleep for months.”

“I’m sorry,” Dabi’s voice was barely a whisper, “I didn’t do it to hurt you. I just… I thought you’d all be better off with me gone.”

Dabi wanted to tell them that after he’d woken from his coma, two years after his accident, he had come back. And he’d seen how much his death hadn’t changed things. How Fuyumi and Natsuo seemed to have moved on, how his father had just continued to train Shouto as though he’d never had another son, as though he hadn’t seen what his ambitions had done to Touya.

And he thought, why come back and make this more complicated for them? They clearly didn’t need him. So what was the point?

“Of course we weren’t better off without you!” Natsuo shouted in exasperation, “I know you were probably scared that father would try to marry you off again, but I just wish you could have at least told us that you were still alive.”

“I don’t think father would have made you get married if you came back,” Fuyumi murmured, “I think he feels differently about it now.”

Natsuo scowled, suddenly turning his ire on his sister, “Yeah, well at least he didn’t threaten to do that to you when you presented.”

Dabi looked over at her curiously, he’d been wondering about that, wondered how Fuyumi had managed to make it this long without being mated, as she was clearly an omega. His father had been making phone calls and setting up potential matches the day after Dabi had presented at fourteen. But Fuyumi had to be at least twenty three now and her throat bore no mark.

“He didn’t try to?” He asked her, tilting his head.

“No,” Fuyumi wasn’t meeting his eyes, “Your death changed father, I think. He regretted doing that to you. He never told me as much, but I believe that’s why he never pressured me to get married. I think he saw what it did to you and he realized how wrong it was to put that on you at that age.”

“It shouldn’t have taken Touya dying for him to realize that was fucked up,” Natsuo snapped.

“He was just trying to protect Touya,” Fuyumi defended, “He and mom are from traditional families, and he thought he was keeping him safe from his quirk by-”

“No, Fuyumi,” Shouto interrupted suddenly, speaking up for the first time, “Don’t try to justify it. It was wrong, there is no excuse.”

Dabi eyed Shouto warily, allowing himself to actually look at his little brother closely for the first time. He’d been avoiding it. He knew he loved Fuyumi and Natsuo, didn’t think there was ever a time where he hadn’t, but his relationship with Shouto had always been complicated. 

He’d literally been created to be Touya’s replacement, the perfect son with the perfect quirk. He was everything that Touya had wished he could be, he’d even gone and presented as an alpha, which Endeavor must have been thrilled about. Dabi had resented him for as long as he could remember.

But now, in this setting, sitting on Hawks’ living room floor. Pregnant and scared and undeniably, desperately lonely. It was hard to find it within himself to hate the kid. Especially when he was taking his side on this issue. It was a bit of a relief to know that his father’s antiquated beliefs about omegas hadn’t been passed down to Shouto as well. Maybe the kid wasn’t that bad, all things considered. 

“I’m glad he didn’t make you,” Dabi told his sister, when he looked away from Shouto, “I know how badly you’ve always wanted to be someone’s mate and have a family. But you should be able to choose for yourself who you want to do that with. When you’re ready."

Fuyumi sighed shakily, “I know, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. It’s just… it’s something I had to tell myself a lot after you died, because I missed you. I had to believe that it wouldn’t have been so terrible, because I missed you so much. I couldn’t imagine an alternative worse than you being gone forever.”

She had started to tear up a bit, to his dismay, wiping frantically at her eyes.

“But, that was… that was selfish of me. I’m glad you got away from that. I-I would rather you be a villain than be forced into something like that.”

Dabi wanted to reach out and put a comforting hand on her, but refrained, not knowing if the touch would be welcomed. He wanted to tell her that she didn’t have to apologize about that, that she’d only been a child when this all had happened. That she’d had to cope in her own way, they all had. But the words seemed caught in his throat.

“Me too,” Shouto agreed, voice deadly serious, “Although I would prefer if you wouldn’t be a villain at all.”

That actually startled a laugh out of Dabi, “Yeah, I’ll bet.”

His laughter seemed to dispel some of the tension in the room. He saw Natsuo’s shoulders relax slightly and Shouto even quirked his lips up into an expression that was as close to a smile as Dabi had seen on him before. 

“Well, you got your wish, huh? Not a villain anymore. I turned in my card carrying membership the second I found out this parasite started growing inside me,” He pushed the pillow he was holding down and gestured to his stomach with a huff, “Can you imagine me running around a battlefield like this?”

The motion drew his siblings attention to his stomach, eyes dropping down to rest on his belly. It was the first time any of them had acknowledged it, though it was undeniable. Dabi’s abdomen was officially distended enough that it couldn’t be mistaken for anything else.

Dabi felt the baby moving inside him, almost as if she was aware of the sudden attention on her. He rubbed the bump subconsciously, as though she could feel it and it would calm her down.

“Has your pregnancy been going okay?” Natsuo asked hesitantly, breaking the silence after a few moments of staring.

“Yeah, I’m about five and a half months along now,” Dabi shuffled a bit under their combined gazes, “I have a lot of health issues, obviously, so I’m pretty closely monitored. And Hawks has been really good about making sure I have what I need.”

“Hawks has been good to you?” Shouto asked suddenly, “Tokoyami told me he was, but…”

Dabi blinked, not sure what to make of the fact that apparently his youngest brother had been asking after his well being. 

“Yes. The pregnancy was an accident, but…,” he hesitated not sure if he should admit something so vulnerable, “I like Hawks. He’s a good alpha. I’m glad it’s his.”

That seemed to satisfy Shouto for now, the young hero just nodded to himself, “Good. I’m glad.”

“Do you know the gender?” Fuyumi piped up, curiously.

“Oh, it’s a girl,” Dabi smiled, despite himself. He fished into his pocket for the ultrasound scans he’d prepared for them, handing them over.

Natsuo took them and Fuyumi peered over at them, eyes widening at the grainy visage of her niece. His brother shuffled through a few of the different images, not saying anything right away but his eyes looked suspiciously wet.

“She has Hawks’ wings. See?” 

Dabi pointed at the scan his brother was holding, identifying for them where the beginnings of the extra limbs were forming on the baby's back. Shouto actually leaned over the beta’s shoulder curiously to get a look.

“You can keep those if you want,” Dabi looked down at his lap to avoid their eyes, “We have copies.”

Suddenly, Fuyumi’s head snapped up to look at him, her eyes filled with tears, “Oh, Touya. ”

And then his sister was on the floor with him, hugging him tightly. Dabi froze in shock, not sure how to react.

“I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner. I’ve been so selfish,” she hiccuped into his shoulder.

Hesitantly, Dabi hugged back, “It’s okay, I understand.”

She shook her head, “No, there’s no excuse. I let my hurt feelings get in the way of being there for you when you needed me. You’re my brother, and I love you no matter what. I should have come right away.”

Her tone was genuine and he felt something inside him shift at her words. Something welled up in the back of his throat and he tightened his arms around her.

“I missed you,” his voice cracked dangerously, “I missed you all so much. It’s been so fucking hard.”

Dabi wasn’t even sure what he was talking about. If he meant the pregnancy, his time as a villain, or if he just was encompassing everything that had happened to him since he’d last been with them in that statement.

He could feel his eyes burning at the edges, knowing he was going to start crying, but also aware that he wouldn't be able to stop it in time. And before he knew it he had streaks of red streaming down his face.

Natsuo dropped down on the floor next to them and threw his arms around them both, “Don’t cry, big bro. It’s gonna be okay. We’re here now, alright?”

Dabi felt his head drop against his younger brother’s shoulders as they embraced, relief flooding through him. They didn’t hate him, they still cared. He sat there for as long as possible, unwilling to be the one who ended the embrace.

Eventually it was Shouto who interrupted them, squatting down to the floor beside them, “Here.”

Dabi looked up from Natsuo’s shoulder, noticing the red stain he’d left on his shirt and feeling a stab of guilt at the sight, but turning to look at his youngest brother.

Shouto was holding out a few tissues, looking concerned, “Does that happen whenever you cry?”

Dabi looked down at his hands, trying to breathe even and struggling to pull himself together, “Yeah, I fucked up my tear ducts. So whenever I cry this happens.”

Fuyumi made a sympathetic sound at his side, hugging him tighter.

“Sorry, I know it’s gross,” Dabi apologized. 

He took the offered tissues and started dabbing at his face quickly, wanting to stop the disgusting display as soon as possible, before his siblings changed their mind about being this close to him. But his hands were shaking so he just ended up creating even more of a mess. Fuyumi tutted and snatched them from his hands.

“Here, let me do it.” She wiped at his face softly, taking extra care to be gentle around the staples under his eyes.

Natsuo, who had taken a seat on the ground behind Dabi, was rubbing soothing circles into his back, “Do you have eye drops?”

“Y-yeah, in the cabinet above the bathroom sink,” Dabi croaked.

“I’ll go grab them,” Shouto said dutifully, before hurrying off.

The next twenty minutes or so consisted of his siblings herding him onto the couch, forcing him to drink a glass of water, and plying him with eye drops. 

After Dabi was more comfortable, Fuyumi quickly reorientated the discussion back to his pregnancy and the baby, “Do you need anything? Baby clothes? A friend of mine at work just had a baby. I will ask her for recommendations.”

“Actually, um,” he took a deep breath, “Do you have anything I can use for my nest?”

“Of course!” Fuyumi exclaimed, “We’ll all go home and collect some stuff and we’ll overnight it to you, so you can have it tomorrow.”

It was going to be okay. There was still so much that they needed to talk out, so much that had to be settled between them. But it didn’t matter, they were still here and they weren’t going anywhere. Dabi didn’t know what he’d done to deserve it, but he was so grateful it almost made him want to start crying again.

When Hawks returned, he found them all crushed together on the couch, even though they barely fit. Pressed close and laughing together. When Dabi met his eyes over the back of the couch, he couldn’t help but smile at the alpha, revealing how relieved he was, how happy. Hawks smiled back at him fondly, and Dabi’s heart felt more full then he could ever remember.

Chapter Text

Hawks started acting weird about a month after Dabi was reunited with his siblings. Dabi noticed right away. 

He was getting more visitors in the past few weeks,Toga still showing up on a somewhat regular basis and now his siblings were also making sporadic appearances. Things between them were still unsteady as they got familiar with each other, Dabi knew that his siblings needed time to feel safe with him again and he with them. But they were trying. 

Fuyumi had been the first to show up again, appearing the week after their first meeting with boxes upon boxes of baby supplies and other items in tow and tears in her eyes. He could tell she felt guilty for the rocky start they’d gotten off to, and was trying to make up for lost time. 

Everytime she got that look in her eyes that gave away how much she now regretted staying away during the beginning of his pregnancy he was tempted to remind her that he was a murderer and a terrorist, and it was absolutely normal and rational for her to be hesitant to see him. 

He was just relieved she had come around to the idea and was willing to work on it with him now. They’d already had a few tense, but much needed conversations about everything that had happened. Fuyumi could be as stubborn and difficult as he was, and they certainly didn’t agree on everything, but at least they were talking it through. He could always count on her to be honest with him, even when it wasn't what he wanted to hear. He’d missed her a lot, more than he’d even realized until she’d re-entered his life.

Natsuo couldn’t come to visit often, his school was far from Fukuoka and his chosen field of study was demanding, but he made an effort to call Dabi via the burner phone Hawks had given him a few times a week to check in with him. His brother did most of the talking during those calls, which mostly involved him regaling Dabi with the antics of his classmates and professors, and bemoaning how much studying he had to do.

Shouto, shockingly, came the most often of all. Usually at least once a week his younger brother would appear at Hawks’ apartment without warning. It was tense at first. Shouto had been a stranger at best and his mortal enemy at worst before all of this, and Dabi didn’t know how to interact with him without Natuso and Fuyumi as a buffer. 

Which is why it was good the kid didn’t talk much and didn’t seem to mind silence, as he was content to sit on the couch a few feet from him and do homework silently on his laptop while Dabi read a novel or watched TV. Dabi thought it was odd that the teenager was making the effort to travel all that way to see him just for them to sit quietly next to each other for a few hours. But Shouto kept visiting.

He talked a bit more on the few visits that he’d appeared with Tokoyami in tow. Dabi had balked a bit when the bird kid had stepped into the apartment after his little brother, without a word, as though he had been invited.

“Hawks isn’t here right now,” Dabi had told him, too perplexed to be mad.

“I know, he’s on shift until 8pm,” Tokoyami nodded as he stepped past Dabi and made himself comfortable on one of the stools next to the kitchen island.

Dabi hadn’t known what else to say after that, so he had just given up, resigning himself to the fact that he now had three different teenagers who were willing to show up at his place of residence without warning. Tokoyami and Shouto had just worked on some class assignment together in the kitchen while Dabi did chores around the apartment. It was sort of nice, he supposed.

All of that was to say, that yes, Dabi had been getting more visitors lately. But he still spent more time with Hawks than anyone else. So naturally, Dabi noticed when the birdbrain started acting strangely. 

It was little things at first, like the hero being a bit jumpier than usual. Startling when Dabi would come up beside him as though the alpha, who was normally hyper alert with his feathers, didn’t sense him coming. Dabi would have written it off as just something work related, there was certainly enough going on lately with All For One that surely things were stressful for the other man at work.

But then he started flinching away from Dabi. Whenever Dabi went to touch him to get his attention, pressing his body against Hawks when they were sitting side by side, something was suddenly causing the alpha to jump back, putting space between them. The omega would be lying if he said it didn’t sting whenever it happened. The winged man seemed hesitant to stand too close to Dabi as well, his nostrils flaring and looking distressed whenever the omega got close enough for him to smell. 

After a few days of this, Dabi couldn’t take it anymore, confronting the hero by blocking the exit to the kitchen, not allowing him to leave until Hawks told him what the hell was going on with him lately. Hawks stared at him as though Dabi had caught him doing something particularly heinous, eyes wide and fidgeting with uncharacteristic nervousness.

“It’s um…,” Hawks was blushing furiously.

Dabi looked around to make sure he hadn’t somehow warped into another reality. Hawks was a lot of things, but shy was not one of them.

“My rut is coming up.” The alpha finally gritted out, voice sounding pained, “In a few days.”

Dabi blinked, “Oh.”

Hawks avoided eye contact, “I can always feel when it’s coming on, I get agitated more easily. I’m more on edge, I have a shorter temper.”

Dabi raised an eyebrow, “And you get horny?”

Hawks blush reached his forehead and he squawked indignantly, at the bluntness of the question. Dabi didn’t bother apologizing though, too busy trying to figure out why on earth Hawks felt the need to keep the information a secret from him.

“Why didn’t you just say something?” Dabi asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. 

“Well, I didn’t want to make you feel like you had to…” Hawks made a vague hand gesture, that Dabi could only interpret must have meant ‘sex' from the context of the conversation. Not that it answered any of his questions on the matter.

“You weren’t going to ask me to help you?” Dabi asked slowly, more confused than offended. 

Dabi knew he wasn’t the most secure in his physical attractiveness, but he wasn’t a moron. Hawks was clearly attracted to him sexually. The two of them had been sleeping together pretty much every day for several months now. And the sex was good too, so he wasn’t sure why Hawks was being so dodgy now.

“Have you ever been with an alpha in rut before?” Hawks finally asked after a few moments of deliberation.

Dabi tilted his head, “No. Why?”

Much like Omega’s in heat, Alpha’s normally weren’t in their right mind when they went into rut, which meant they usually weren’t capable of seeking out a sex worker when it hit them. So Dabi had managed to successfully avoid ever sleeping with an alpha during their rut. He’d always counted himself lucky, because ruts could sometimes last up to twenty four hours, and he’d never wanted to spend that much time around the alpha’s who normally made up his clientele. But he didn’t know why Hawks was being so cagey about it now, they’d lived together for months and slept together all the time.

Hawks sighed, “It’s… I get rough, alright?”

Dabi couldn't help but bristle, suddenly offended, “What you think I can’t handle it? I’m not going to break apart if you fuck me too hard!”

Hawks looked affronted, “You’re six months pregnant, Dabi!”

“So? What, don’t tell me you’re not attracted to me because I’m getting fat?” Dabi seethed.

“Jesus Christ, no ! I don’t want to hurt you or the baby, okay?” Hawks threw his hands up, voice getting louder.

“You’re not going to hurt us,” Dabi scoffed at the ridiculousness of the idea.

“I could, you don’t know what I get like,” Hawks was blushing again, avoiding his eyes.

“Hawks, being in rut is just your alpha instincts taking over, right? Well, the number one alpha instinct you have right now is to protect me and the baby. Trust me, you’re not going to hurt either of us just because you’re horny.”

“Not on purpose, but I might on accident,” the alpha insisted.

“Hawks,” Dabi asked, tone flat, “Are you going to punch me in the stomach?”

The alpha looked horrified, “What, no! Why would you even say that?”

“Then it will be fine,” Dabi shrugged, sending him a toothy grin.

The hero did not find it as amusing as Dabi did, unfortunately. 

“You’ve been hurt in the past by alpha’s. What if I go too far or make you uncomfortable and you feel like you can’t say no?”

“Are you saying that you’d be incapable of stopping if I asked you too?” Dabi questioned doubtfully.

“No,” Hawks faltered, “I’m just worried about what might happen before you get the chance to ask.”

Dabi couldn’t stop himself from pressing the issue, “I like rough sex. We’ve had rough sex before and it hasn’t triggered me. Why can’t you trust that I know my own boundaries?”

“It’s not you I don’t trust, it’s me!” Hawks was shouting now, voice louder than he’d ever directed at Dabi.

The omega couldn’t help but flinch instinctually at the sound of an alpha raising their voice in anger. He knew Hawks wouldn’t hurt him, but the reaction had been trained into him from years living in the same house as Endeavor. Hawks noticed and immediately winced, guilt coloring his expression.

“I… when I’m in my rut I get really aggressive, alright? I think it's part of my quirk, I’ve got like latent raptor instincts or some shit. I go a bit feral,” he winced, “For lack of a better word. It’s not that I can’t control myself, I just… it won’t be like the other times we’ve been together. I’m going to be totally focused on my own pleasure and not on you and that scares me. Because I don’t want to hurt you. Not ever, but especially not right now.”

Dabi glowered, “I can handle it.”

Hawks glared right back, “You shouldn’t have to ‘handle it’ Dabi.”

“I want to,” he insisted.

Hawks looked beyond frustrated at him, “You don’t know what you’re saying.”

“I do. I know we’re not mated or whatever, but is it so hard to believe that I like having sex with you? That it makes me feel good to know I’m making you feel good? I know you get off on it when you can tell I’m enjoying myself. Is it so crazy to believe I might feel the same?”

Hawks' eyes softened a little at his words, “It’s not hard to believe. It’s not that I don’t want to spend my rut with you Dabi, there’s honestly no one else I’d rather spend it with right now, but if I do something to make you feel unsafe I’ll never forgive myself.”

“Well then what are you going to do instead,” Dabi asked, trying to keep his voice even, “go find some other omega to hook up with?”

There had been no agreement between the two of them that they couldn’t sleep with other people. Though in Dabi's case it wasn’t like there were any other options while he was trapped on house arrest in Hawks’ apartment. He was fairly confident Hawks hadn’t been with anyone else recently, was sure he would have smelled them on Hawks by now if he were, but just the idea of it made Dabi feel physically ill.

He had to remind himself that they weren’t mated, they weren’t even together. Hawks was under no obligation to be monogamous while Dabi was living with him. Even if it made Dabi’s instincts want to tear his hair out at just the thought.

“I was going to book a hotel room and ride it out by myself,” Hawks admitted, looking slightly sheepish.

Oh. Somehow that was worse. Why was that worse? 

He wondered if this was what Hawks had felt like that night when he found Dabi in heat, without a nest or a mate to see it through with him. It hurt him to think about the alpha all alone and uncomfortable for hours, longing for the touch of someone who wasn’t there.

“That sounds fucking depressing,” Dabi informed him.

Hawks sighed, “Yeah, it’s not fun. But, it’s a lot to ask of someone and I’m not going to do that to someone I barely know. It wouldn’t be fair to them. So I’m used to just getting it over with by myself. It’s not that big a deal, it’s just I've never had a consistent sexual partner for this long before, so it’s never been an issue until now.”

“Wait, so you’ve never spent your rut with an omega?” Dabi blinked.

Hawks shuffled a bit, “No, like I said, I’ve never had someone I felt comfortable asking.”

The thought that he could be Hawks’ first sent an excited shiver down his spine, only serving to reinforce his desire to convince the alpha to let him help.

“Come on, Keigo. Just rough me up a bit, I know you want to, or you wouldn't be,” he gestured toward the scarlet red color of Hawks face, “turning the same shade as your wings at the mention of it.”

“That would be incredibly selfish of me,” Hawks stated, though his resolve seemed to falter.  

“Okay, and ? When was the last time you did something just for yourself?”

Hawks sighed, “Probably when I slept with you the first time,” he admitted. 

It seemed pretty clear to Dabi that Hawks lived a life of service. That he dedicated his life to the Commission, to hero work, to the public, had temporarily upended his whole life to keep Dabi comfortable, and was going to completely dedicate himself to being a single father. 

Dabi had never once seen Hawks participate in any kind of hobby or special interest outside of his work. He ate a strict diet the Commission set for him, broken only when Dabi forced him to do so by guilting him into eating the food he’d prepared, and he didn’t seem to have any real friendship outside of his teenage intern. 

He deserved to have something that made him feel good for a change. Something just because he wanted it.

Dabi grabbed both Hawks hands in his own, looking at him imploringly, “Come on, birdie. Let me help.”

“On one condition,” Hawks said seriously.

Dabi narrowed his eyes warily, “What?”

“If we do this, I take your quirk restraints off,” Hawks said, “If I put even a pinky toe over the line, I want you to burn the shit out of me.”

“ What ? Hawks!” Dabi sputtered incredulously.

“Promise me.”

Dabi rubbed a hand down his face, “Hawks, you’re not going to turn into a rabid animal just cause you’re horny.”

“Promise me or there’s no deal.”

“You’re not afraid I’m going to make a run for it the second the quirk restraints are off?” Dabi asked.

“I know you won’t,” Hawks replied with no hesitation, “Do you promise or not?”

Dabi didn’t bother telling him that after months of seeing the scars that marred Hawks’ back he’d had long promised himself he’d never raise his flames to the alpha again. He didn’t think that particular revelation was going to help him much in this negotiation though.

Besides it didn’t matter, he knew without a doubt that there was nothing Hawks could do to hurt him, and his instincts would never let him go far enough to harm the baby. He was just being overly cautious, which while considerate, was a bit self-destructive in this particular situation.

“I promise if you do anything that I don’t like, I will stop you.” Dabi agreed, “I don’t think it’s necessary, but we can take the quirk restraints off if it makes you feel better. As long as the Commission doesn’t find out and throw a fit about it.”

Hawks visibly relaxed a bit, “Okay. Is there anything that I need to know ahead of time that might actually trigger you? I know you’ve said to trust that you'll tell me, but I will feel better if I know what to avoid.”

Dabi hesitated, he didn’t like thinking about it, but if that was what it was going to take to convince Hawks to spend his rut with him, he’d steal himself.

“I don’t like being called a whore, or a slut, or anything like that,” Dabi said slowly, hugging himself slightly to keep warm at the sudden chill that went down his spine.

Hawks nodded seriously, “No degrading language, got it.”

“I like rough sex, but I’d rather you not focus too much on my scars or my staples. Pull my hair, push me around, biting and bruising on my healthy skin and all that kind of stuff is good with me. I just don’t want to have to restaple my skin on the next day.”

He winced, because it was gross, but it was true. No sex had ever been good enough to justify the agony that was stitching himself back together. And if Hawks seriously was concerned about not hurting him, it was probably worth pointing out.

“I’ll try to be careful with them, but make sure you say something if I’m doing anything to irritate them without realizing. Anything else?” Hawks prompted.

“It’s not really a trigger, but I’d rather not lie on my stomach. For obvious reasons.”

Hawks' eyes softened, “Of course.”

Tentatively the alpha reached out to rest a hand on Dabi’s belly, rubbing soothing circles under his shirt. Dabi melted a bit, relieved that the alpha was touching him casually again after days of skittering away at the slightest contact.

“Okay, and we should have a safe word,” Hawks said seriously, looking up and meeting his gaze after a few moments, “Honestly we probably should’ve had one for a while.”

“What, ‘stop’ isn’t good enough?” Dabi rolled his eyes.

“It might not be when things are intense,” Hawks shot him a stern look, “We need to pick something more distinctive.”

“Endeavor.” Dabi said dryly.

Hawks glared at him.

Dabi shrugged, “What? It’s supposed to be something you don’t want to hear when you’re in bed right?”

The alpha scrunched his nose up a bit in disgust, which made Dabi laugh, feeling some of the tension from their conversation bleed out a bit.

Hawks let out a long suffering sigh, “Fine. Endeavor it is.”

--

Hawks rut hit him a few days later.

The alpha had unlocked his quirk restraining cuffs the day before, confident that it was only going to be a matter of hours before it finally struck, and he was right. Dabi had been lounging on the couch, reading through a few texts Natsuo had sent him, when Hawks walked in from the hallway as though he was in a hurry.

Dabi looked up to greet him and caught the moment the alpha’s pupils dilated suddenly, as his gaze fixated on him. A predator catching sight of its prey. The omega couldn’t help but swallow nervously under the attention.

“Dabi,” Hawks' voice came out lower than it usually did, “Come here.”

He carefully lowered his phone to the coffee table and stood, his legs feeling like jelly underneath the alpha’s intense gaze, but did as he was told. He could smell Hawks from across the room, more intense and musky then he’d ever smelled it before. Dabi found himself subconsciously dropping his mouth open to inhale the scent deeper.

Hawks wings were stretched wide, held slightly higher out behind him than normal, making him appear both larger and taller than usual. Dabi forced himself to avoid eye contact as he came to a stop in front of him, knowing that the humiliation he felt at such a subservient gesture wasn’t as important as what Hawks needed from him at that moment.

Despite not meeting his eyes, Dabi could feel the alpha’s roaming up and down his form. He made a trilling noise in the back of his throat that seemed to be approval, before he reached out and grabbed the omega’s waist, spinning him around and pushing him down the hall. Dabi obediently let himself be manhandled, though his heart started to thud loudly in his chest, as a mixture of nerves and excitement pulsed through his veins.

Instead of him guiding Dabi into the nursery and the nest, Hawks pushed him in the direction of the master bedroom. Dabi thought that probably made sense. The nest was Dabi’s safe space, but for Hawks’ that equivalent was probably his own bedroom, even if he hadn’t been using it recently.

The second they were both inside, Dabi heard the distinct sound of the lock clicking shut. His stomach flipped, and he risked a glance behind him. The alpha wasn’t looking at him, was already in the process of pulling his clothes off with alarming efficiency.

“Undress,” Hawks commanded, without looking up at him.

Dabi did as he was told, yanking his shirt over his head with shaking hands. He dropped the shirt in a heap on the floor at the end of the bed with Hawks' own discarded items, followed quickly by his pants and underwear. 

The second the last of the clothes hit the pile Hawks was on him, shoving him backwards into the bed. Dabi’s back hit the mattress, but the alpha had only pushed him far enough that the top of his body rested on the bed, his hips and legs dangling off uselessly. 

At first Dabi was a bit confused, but then when the alpha came to stand at the end of the bed, looming over him it clicked. The position was actually pretty clever, Hawks would be able to fuck him on his back, while still getting good access, despite the omega’s distended belly. 

Hawks’ hand suddenly closed around Dabi’s throat, the alpha letting out a low growl. Dabi felt his heart stutter in his chest, as golden eyes locked onto his, and he whimpered instinctually. The hand around his neck was tight, but not enough that he couldn’t breathe. It felt more like a warning to comply, to lie there and take whatever it was Hawks had to give him, than it did a threat to actually stop him from breathing. Dabi swallowed, feeling his adam’s apple press against the alpha’s calloused hand, and carefully, spread his legs apart, looking away from the alpha’s eyes in a sign of submission.

The gesture seemed to do the trick because the alpha grunted in approval and Dabi felt the alpha’s talons retract ever so slightly from where they were pressed into the skin of his neck. 

Hawks pushed in with ease, Dabi already soaked from the scent of Hawks and the feeling of his hands all over him, and began fucking the omega roughly. One hand gripped tightly on his hip, and the other pressed into the omega’s neck, holding him down so Dabi could only just barely see what the alpha was doing to him.

Hawks wasn’t even looking at Dabi’s face, instead eyes fixated at his own length, watching the way it disappeared into the omega completely with each brutal thrust. Dabi didn’t know why that turned him on even more. The idea that Hawks was fucking him like he was just a body to be used should have been upsetting, but instead it sent a thrill up his spine.

It probably had something to do with the way the alpha’s eyes were glazed over with lust, flushed and completely focused on chasing his own pleasure and nothing else. He looked amazing, strong and beautiful and shining with sweat. He was perfect, and he could have anyone in the world for his rut, but he was here fucking Dabi.

He seemed to be getting off on holding Dabi down as well, even though the omega had no intention of going anywhere. Each time he wiggled in discomfort, trying to adjust to the alpha’s rough treatment, the alpha would growl and tighten his grip around the omega’s neck, pushing his head down hard into the mattress. And each time Dabi relented under the force, stilling under the alpha’s hold, Hawks would groan in pleasure and pick up his already wicked pace.

The thrusts rarely hit Dabi’s prostate, Hawks clearly just focused on pursuing his own orgasm. But Dabi hardly minded, honestly shocked at how turned on he was, how much he was enjoying watching Hawks enjoy himself.

Dabi finally understood what Hawks had been saying before when he used the word feral. The alpha wasn’t speaking, just making combination of growls and chirps as he fucked into Dabi with a pace more brutal he’d ever set before. The wooden headboard slammed into the wall with a loud crash with each powerful thrust of the alpha’s hips and Dabi wrapped his legs around Hawks waist, just to have something to hold onto. 

His own cock had grown rock hard between them, and Dabi snaked his hand down to desperately pump his own erection. Hawks either didn’t notice or didn’t care that Dabi was touching himself, eyes still focused on watching his cock disappear inside the omega at an increasingly unforgiving pace.

Dabi could tell that Hawks was approaching his release, the grip around his throat was getting tighter and tighter and the alpha leaned over him more, pressing more weight onto his neck in a effort to get more leverage, as he fucked Dabi within an inch of his life.

When Hawks’ grip finally constricted his throat enough that he could no longer breathe, Dabi came instantly. His lungs gasping uselessly for air, as he shuddered and convulsed around Hawks’ cock. The alpha groaned loudly, thrusts becoming more sharp and uneven at the sensation of the omega struggling and spasming underneath him. 

The alpha wasn’t able to make it much longer after that. Hawks teeth snapped loudly next to his ear, inches from the skin of his neck and he came, knot expanding rapidly inside Dabi as he emptied his load into the omega with a satisfied moan. As his orgasm washed over him, Hawks muscles relaxed, his grip loosening enough that Dabi was finally able to suck in some oxygen, panting heavily.

As the haze of his orgasm cleared, Hawks seemed to become momentarily more aware of himself, sated if only for the time being. He looked down, noticed his hand still pressed on Dabi’s neck, where the omega lay panting beneath him, and retracted his hand as if he’d been burned.

“Oh my god,” Hawks eyes were wide with horror, “Are you okay? I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t apologize birdbrain. Don’t you dare make yourself feel guilty for that,” Dabi rasped when he was finally able to catch his breath, “You were having fun.”

“But, but I was so rough I-I,” Hawks looked like he might cry, “I could have really hurt you.”

Dabi reached up a hand and rested it on Hawks cheek, “Shhhh, birdie. I had fun too. It made me feel really good to know how good I was making you feel, okay? I’m fine. The baby is fine. I can handle a couple of bruises.”

Hawks leaned into the touch, “You’re too good for me, Dabi.”

“You’re too good for everyone else,” Dabi said seriously, wanting to get it through the alpha’s thick skull before the rut pulled him back under, “Let loose for once. Be selfish, remember? You can cuddle me and rub my feet when this is all over to make it up to me, alright?”

Hawks hesitated but seemed to relax slightly at Dabi’s suggestion of aftercare. He leaned over and kissed Dabi deeply, more tenderly than he ever had. Gazing at the omega with a strange look in his eyes, an emotion in them was so powerful that Dabi almost had to look away.

“Okay, but you better tell me to stop if I go too far. I mean it Dabi,” Hawks fixed him with a stern look.

“I promise,” Dabi agreed.

Hawks leaned down and kissed him again, stopping just short of laying his entire weight onto Dabi as he did so, in order to not put any pressure on the omega’s belly. Dabi kissed back eagerly and Hawks began to fuck Dabi on his knot. He had long suspected this was a bit of a kink of the alpha’s, he’d done it a few times after they’d fucked now and Dabi had always let him, even when he was incredibly over sensitive, because it was clear how much the alpha enjoyed it.

Today he was rougher than normal though, seeming to finally take Dabi’s directive to be selfish more seriously. Instead of the usual, careful rolls of his hips, he was fucking the omega on his knot hard and fast, as they exchanged breathless kisses. Dabi felt himself wincing in pain, as his sensitive walls were abused. Hawks swallowed his whimpers with kisses, eyes beginning to glaze back over as the rut overtook him once more.

Hawks seemed to get hard again immediately after deflating, and the alpha didn’t even bother to pull out. Dabi felt tears spring into the corners of his eyes, bristling with pain as the alpha began to fuck him in earnest. Between the sharp pain of Hawks’ thrusts against his over sensitive walls combined with his recent orgasm, Dabi knew he wouldn’t be getting hard again anytime soon, so he just settled himself in to ride it out.

“Fuck yeah,” Hawks was muttering to himself, “Take it.”

The first orgasm seemed to have mellowed out some of that feral, animalistic energy, as Hawks seemed much more verbal than he was before. Repeating the last phrase under his breath over and over as he pounded into the omega without mercy.

It was beginning to get overwhelming, pain starting to outweigh the pleasure, and Dabi couldn’t help but subconsciously try to push away and close his legs. Hawks grip on his hips became so tight that Dabi knew it would leave deep bruises.

“None of that,” Hawks growled a warning, “What did I just tell you? Take it.”

Dabi let out a desperate whine, but forced himself to be still and spread his legs back apart so Hawks could keep fucking him. He was uncomfortable, but he wanted to be good for Hawks so bad, wanted to prove to him that he could do this for him. Hawks didn’t have to worry about it, he could handle it.

This round he was watching Dabi’s face instead of his own dick, seemingly inraptured with each little flicker of pain or wince of discomfort that crossed his face.

“Does it hurt?” Hawks leaned over to whisper huskily into his ear.

“Yes,” Dabi whined, aware of how pathetic he must sound.

“But you don’t want me to stop.” It wasn’t a question. 

The alpha was watching him with a possessiveness that the omega had never seen on him before.

“No.” Dabi replied honestly, he never wanted the alpha to stop looking at him the way he was right now.

The hero gave him a wicked grin in response, his fangs flashing a little in the dim light.

“Good boy,” Hawks picked up the pace at his answer, fucking into him with renewed vigor.

The praise had Dabi’s dick finally beginning to twitch again, which under normal circumstances would have been humiliating, but he was pretty sure Hawks was too far gone to notice how something as simple as Hawks calling him good was enough to turn Dabi into a submissive puddle.

Dabi was letting out wails and whimpers without control now. Every nerve in his body was screaming at him, but somehow he was enjoying it. Each shot of pain, sending a pulse straight to his dick.

“Tell me how it feels,” the alpha commanded.

“Hurts,” Dabi hiccuped, eyes burning, “But feels good too.”

“Gonna cry for me?” Hawks grinned at him.

Dabi was too overwhelmed with sensation, both pain and pleasure ripping through him with equal measure to resist the command. Allowing the bloody tears to slip from his eyes was a relief.

“Look so pretty when you cry,” Hawks groaned, hips stuttering slightly as though he was trying to hold back his orgasm at the sight.

Dabi couldn’t stop himself blushing, “It’s gross.”

“No. You’re beautiful. Always so beautiful for me. Cry for me, sweetheart, come on.”

And Dabi knew he couldn’t resist Hawks’ praise if he’d tried, so he let himself cry. Blood was streaming down his cheeks as the alpha above him fucked him with brutal efficiency, both his hands wrapped around Dabi’s hips now, angling them up off the mattress so Hawks was fucking down into him at an angle, getting even deeper then before.

Every neuron in his body felt like it was on fire. Even the one’s that he had thought he’d lost sensation in years ago felt like they were suddenly alight with pain and ecstasy. 

With one brutal thrust Hawks slammed into Dabi’s prostate and the omega came violently, shooting off all over both their chests with a scream, seeing stars.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,’ Hawks gasped, as he fucked him through it, “That was so hot holy shit, Dabi.”

“Don’t knot me again, please?” Dabi couldn’t help but beg, too over sensitive that he didn’t even feel guilty about denying the alpha.

Hawks didn’t seem to mind though, pressing a rough kiss to Dabi’s lips, “Of course, sweetheart you were so good. Deserve a break.”

The alpha fucked him for a few more minutes, stroking Dabi’s hair softly as he cried openly, overwhelmed, before his thrusts finally started to get erratic. He pulled out and came all over Dabi’s chest, moaning loudly. When he was done he collapsed down on the bed at the omega’s side, breathing heavily.

“That was so good,” he turned after he finally caught his breath to look at Dabi, who was wiping blood from his eyes, “Thank you. You’re amazing.”

Dabi flushed, feeling exhausted but pleased with himself, “You don’t have to thank me. I told you to be selfish.”

“I want to thank you,” Hawks said, “I haven’t had an orgasm that intense in… I think ever. And it’s because you are incredibly generous.”

“Wouldn’t have thought you’d have a pain kink,” Dabi replied, honest but not accusing.

Hawks winced slightly, “Only during my rut. I think it’s the raptor part of my quirk. It’s like, part of my brain sees you as my prey and… I’m like playing with you before going in for the kill?”

The hero looked mortified to admit it, avoiding Dabi’s eyes like his life depended on it.

Dabi blinked, “Oh. Actually that’s pretty hot.”

“You think?” Hawks blinked back, surprised but almost hopeful. As though he couldn’t believe that Dabi might find the parts of him that were more birdlike attractive.

“Yeah, as long as you don’t actually try to eat me,” Dabi clarified.

It had the intended effect of making Hawks chuckle, “Shut up!”

Hawks brushed some of the hair out of Dabi’s eyes, and leaned over to kiss his forehead.

“Are you sure it wasn’t too much?”

Dabi pressed a kiss back into the alpha’s mouth to reassure him, “I’m okay. Might need a bit of a break before the next round though.”

“I can use your mouth next?” Hawks offered, looking extremely guilty, “I’m already getting hard again.”

Dabi nodded, rolling over and pressing his forehead against his chest, “Just need a few minutes.”

Hawks kissed his forehead, “You got it, firecracker.”

As promised, a few minutes later, Hawks was standing in front of Dabi, pushing the omega down to his knees. Hawks erection was already heavy and leaking between his legs. He had an impressive refractory period on a normal day, but his rut was something else. Dabi wondered how many times the alpha would pop his knot before this was all over.

Dabi didn’t wait for Hawks to tell him to before he was leaning forward and licking a stripe up the alpha’s cock. He began mouthing at the head, running his tongue over Hawks slit and was rewarded when the alpha moaned loudly.

The omega took his time, playing with Hawks’ with his tongue, knowing the longer that he was able to make this last, the more time he’d get to rest before the alpha wanted to fuck him again. If Hawks had caught onto his strategy he didn’t seem to mind, content to let Dabi lap at his cock.

When he felt it would be unfair to put it off any longer Dabi finally opened his mouth and took the alpha into him. Hawks hand shot down and tangled in Dabi’s hair almost reflexively, so he must have been doing something right.

“Can I fuck your throat?” Hawks asked permission, the haze of arousal beginning to grab hold of him again.

Dabi nodded, he’d known where this was going from the beginning, and did his best to open his jaw wider for the alpha. Hawks grunted in approval before he began to thrust into Dabi’s mouth, experimenting with depth and angle.

“There we go,” Hawks purred, “Open wide for me, baby.”

Dabi did what he was told, tried to keep his tongue flat, and was rewarded for his efforts each time he felt Hawks cock hit the back of his throat. Dabi had never deep throated before, had always had a pretty terrible gag reflex, but the adrenaline from the rough sex and his omega instinct to be good for his alpha had him pushing through the discomfort.

Hawks’ hand was tight in his hair, practically yanking the omega’s head up and down his cock, as he thrusted into him. Dabi’s nose pressed into the patch of blond hair around the alpha’s dick each time. He glanced up at Hawks, wondering if the alpha was looking down on him, but the alpha’s eyes were closed, mouth slack and panting as he fucked into the warm heat of Dabi’s mouth, looking almost overwhelmed with pleasure.

Dabi felt his heart swell at the sight. I’m doing that. I’m making him feel like that.

Hawks continued to fuck his throat, for a few more minutes, seeming to relish the slide of his saliva slick cock over Dabi’s tongue. It was clear when he was getting close to finishing, his hips beginning to thrust faster and he finally looked down to watch Dabi as the omega dutifully took everything without complaint. 

And then he felt Hawks knot begin to swell in his mouth, and suddenly it was too big, too much. He wanted to pull away to breathe, but Hawks' hand in his hair kept him in place. Dabi instinctively reached up his hands to press against Hawks hips to get away, choking on the obstruction, but the alpha’s grip remained firm.

“Swallow first, baby,” Hawks trilled at him sweetly.

Dabi wanted to roll his eyes, but obediently forced himself to swallow around the large obstruction in his throat as the alpha’s come sputtered down it.

“That’s it, good boy,’ Hawks praised, “Make sure you get it all.”

Mercifully, he released Dabi, who pushed away from the alpha’s knot and gasped dramatically for air. Hawks cooed softly at him, the hand carding through his hair much more gently now. 

“That was great,” he sighed wistfully, “You’ve got such a nice throat.”

“I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself,” Dabi was suddenly exhausted as he tried to stumble to his feet on shaky legs.

“You can sleep for a bit if you need to,” Hawks said softly, “We've got a long while before my rut is over, you’ll need to keep your strength up.”

He pushed Dabi in the direction of the mattress, making sure the omega landed gently with his head on the pillows before following him down and wrapping his arms around him. Their noses brushed as he snuggled closer. Dabi appreciated that despite everything, the alpha was trying his damndest to take care of him during his brief post-orgasm flashes of lucidity.

“You doing okay Hotstuff?” Hawks asked, tone betraying his anxiety.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just tired,” Dabi murmured honestly, “It’s fun. I like when you let loose.”

“I don’t always want it like this,” Hawks mumbled miserably, “I like the way we normally have sex too.”

“I know,” Dabi reassured him, even though it was obvious. They’d been having sex for months and while they’d been a bit rough on occasion, they’d never done anything quite like this, “But it’s not so bad once and a while right?”

Hawks blushed, “No, it’s fun. It’s.. a relief to give into my instincts for once.”

“I know what you mean,” Dabi whispered.

Dabi had always fought against his omega instincts to be submissive with an alpha. Had never really been with one he trusted enough not to take advantage of them. And even though he’d trusted Hawks part of him had never been able to fully break that habit until tonight.

He didn’t think he could be like this all the time, he felt like he was raw, like all his skin was peeled back and he was exposed to the world. It was thrilling and deeply exhausting both emotionally and physically. But he was enjoying it. Maybe not every time they had sex had to be like this, but it was an exciting change of pace.

He wondered if this was what his heat could be like if he got to spend it with Hawks. His heat had always been something terrifying, a time when he was out of control of his body and completely vulnerable. But if it was with Hawks, it might not be so scary, in fact it might even be fun. 

Dabi didn’t let himself dwell too long on the idea though. He wouldn’t have another heat until after the baby was born, and Hawks wouldn’t be around anymore. Luckily his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of his own yawn, his eyes drifting closed against his will.

“Try to get some rest, Dabs,” Hawks murmured, pecking a kiss to his lips.

“Will you sleep?” Dabi asked, blinking one eye open at him skeptically. 

Hawks smiled a bit sheepishly, “Probably not. Are you cool with me humping you while you’re unconscious?”

Dabi would probably laugh if he wasn’t experiencing a deep tiredness sinking into his bones, “Yeah sure, just wake me up if you want to actually fuck me. I won’t be mad, I want to help.”

Hawks kissed him, “Okay I will.”

Dabi was out in seconds.

The alpha made it about an hour, before he woke the omega with shaky hands, waiting only long enough to get Dabi’s consent before sliding into him again. Dabi, only half awake, just closed his eyes, laid back in the pillows, and let the alpha have his way with him once again, knowing the night was far from over.

--

Hawks woke to sunlight in his eyes. He threw up a hand over his face, groaning in distaste as he came to. He became aware of the warm weight pressed to his side, and realized that he was being spooned from behind. Dabi was snoring softly against his back, arms gripped tightly around Hawks waist. 

The events of the past twelve or so hours came back to him slowly, fuzzy and indistinct. He couldn’t help the flush that came to his face as he remembered how needy and relentless he’d been. How patient Dabi had been in return, like he was handling a beloved but misbehaving dog. God he was never going to hear the end of this was he?

He rolled over, to face Dabi who grumbled sleepily at his human body pillow yanking itself from his grasp. The former villain looked practically angelic in the soft morning light, the white glow doing his healthy skin a lot of favors. Hawks spotted a trail of hickey’s he’d left along the top of the omega’s chest, peeking out from the sheets, and felt a pleased thrill shoot through him at the sight.

“Hey Hotstuff,” he greeted gently.

“Ugh. Five more minutes,” Dabi groaned and swatted at him, without opening his eyes.

“You can sleep as long as you want,” Hawks promised him, “You’ve more than earned it.”

“Damn straight,” Dabi muttered petulantly, but blinked bleary eyes open to look at him, “You feeling back to normal now?”

Hawk smiled, “I feel like I’ve been hit by a freight train, but also like I’ve been to the spa.”

It was true, his entire body was sore and drained. He could feel stinging marks on his back where Dabi had surely dug his nails into him at some point. But he also felt lighter and more relaxed than he had in a long time.

Dabi groaned and rolled onto his back, “I think the freight train took me out before I could make it to the spa. You did a number on me.”

The wince crossed Hawks features before he could stop himself, “I’m sor-”

“No.” Dabi snapped, not even looking at him, “Just say, ‘Thank you Dabi, that was the best sex of my life. I will never surpass the heights of this night we shared together.’”

Hawks burst into laughter, “Thank you Dabi, that was the best sex of my life. I will never surpass the heights of this night we shared together.”

Dabi turned his head to glare at him and jabbed a finger in his direction, “And don’t you forget it, birdbrain.”

Hawks scooted closer to him and dropped a kiss onto his cheek, “Seriously though, Dabi. Thanks for helping. It really means a lot to me.”

The omega flushed slightly, “Yeah, well I wasn’t going to let my favorite bird spend his rut in some hotel room alone now was I?”

Hawks beamed, unable to keep the joy filling his chest at Dabi calling him his favorite anything from showing on his face, “Next time it’s your turn to be selfish, okay? We can do whatever you want.”

“I’ll need at least a few days to recover before next time,” Dabi huffed, “But I’ll keep that in mind.”

The pair laid in companionable silence for a while longer, just enjoying their proximity and the warm morning light on their skin.

“Dabi?” Hawks asked tentatively, after the quiet moment had stretched on for a while.

“Hm?” Dabi asked, eyes drifting closed again.

“What can I do for you now?”

“This is fine,” Dabi answered, not opening his eyes, “Unless you got enough ice laying around to make an ice bath.”

“An ice bath?” Hawks asked curiously. 

“Yeah, I’m sore,” Dabi responded. “Obviously.”

“Wouldn’t a warm bath feel nicer?” Hawks tilted his head in confusion.

“Not everyone has your fragile bird bones,” Dabi huffed, “Some of us were born with fire quirks and ice resistance.”

“Oh, good point.” the hero sat up immediately, “I think I have some bags of ice in the freezer! Let me go check.”

There was more than enough, so Hawks ran the omega a cold bath, before carefully dumping in the packages of ice. Once it was ready he returned to his bedroom to collect Dabi, who hadn’t moved.

“Come on, I got it all ready for you,” Hawks stood over him, poking his arm.

“Don’t want to get up,” Dabi whined pathetically.

Hawks shrugged, leaned over and began to lift the omega out of the bed and into his arms, bridal style. Dabi instantly sputtered, kicking his legs in shock at suddenly being lifted into the air.

“Hawks! What the hell?” 

“You said you didn’t want to walk,” Hawks said easily, “It’s no problem. You're heavier than you used to be though, geez.”

“Yeah you idiot I’m growing a child the size of an eggplant in me,” Dabi wrapped his arms around Hawks’ neck to steady himself.

“I knew you liked the baby development fruit calendar I got you,” Hawks responded cheerfully, sending some of his feathers to open the door to the bathroom ahead of them.

The water was freezing, but when Dabi dropped into the tub the omega didn’t even wince. Instead he let out a pleased groan, muscles visibly relaxing as he settled in. He closed his eyes and leaned against the back of the tub.

“Feels good?” Hawks asked, dropping to the bathroom floor beside the tub, resting his head on the side.

“Yeah,” Dabi sighed, sinking down into the water so that just his head was above the waterline, “Feels good. It’s good for my scars too. And my stupid feet.” 

He lifted one of his swollen feet out of the water to glare at it.

I love you. Hawks thought helplessly as he watched the omega, feeling softer than he’d ever felt. I love you so much. 

He desperately wanted to tell Dabi, wondered if the other man had ever had anyone tell him they loved him before. The thought that he probably hadn’t made Hawks feel sick. Dabi needed to know how treasured he was, how wanted.

But he didn’t want to cause the omega more pain, if he told Dabi his true feelings and the omega reciprocated that would make everything he and Endeavor were planning harder, especially if things were to go wrong. Hawks knew he had to wait until everything was settled, so that Dabi could feel safe before he told him.

Instead he said, “I believe I promised to rub your feet at some point.”

Dabi looked very smug, “You did.”

He flopped his raised leg against the rim of the tub, and sent the alpha mischievous grin, “Get cracking, hero.”

Chapter Text

“What about Miu?” 

Dabi looked up from the dumplings he was carefully wrapping with a frown, “What?”

Hawks, who was sat on the kitchen island flipping through a book of baby names, glanced up at him. The omega was crouched over the counter with his supplies laid out neatly in front of him, but his clothes were covered in flour, patches of white dusting the front of his shirt and pants, and even a small spot on the edge of his nose. It was adorable and Hawks had to resist the urge to surge forward and kiss him stupid. Only the knowledge that Dabi would be annoyed if he got in the way of his cooking kept him firmly in his spot on the island. 

“For the baby’s name,” Hawks explained, “It means beautiful feather.”

“Oh,” Dabi stood seemingly frozen for a few moments before he finally shrugged, going back to his dumplings, “It’s nice, I guess.”

Hawks hummed, considering, “Not knocking your socks off?”

“I just said it was nice,” Dabi snapped, but didn’t look up.

Hawks frowned to himself, not sure what had suddenly set off the omega’s temper. But decided to press his luck. Dabi was just a little over seven months along now, the baby was coming soon and Hawks would be damned if he didn’t have a name picked out in time.

“Ooh, how about Sora, for sky?”

“You can’t name her Sora,” Dabi said sullenly, still not making eye contact.

“Why not? It’s a nice name!” Hawks defended.

Dabi huffed, focusing very intently on the dumpling he was crimping, “It just makes me think of that video game character.”

“What video game character?” Hawks tilted his head in confusion.

Dabi sighed and waved his hand in a dismissive gesture, “Right, I forgot that you were sheltered as fuck by the Commission growing up. It doesn’t matter, just trust me on this.”

Hawks shrugged, “Alright, well what about Hotaru?”

“Like firefly?” Dabi scoffed, finally turning around to look at him skeptically, “That’s a little on the nose, don't you think?”

“Yeah, but it’s adorable!” Hawks pointed out.

Dabi sighed, “I guess it’s the best one you’ve come up with so far.”

“Well, I don’t hear you offering any suggestions,” Hawks crossed his arms, “If you want to be judgmental of my ideas, the least you could do is offer some of your own.”

Dabi huffed and turned around to look back at his cooking, not deigning to respond to Hawks' jab. The hero sighed and resigned himself to the fact that Dabi just wasn’t interested in the naming conversation, contenting himself with flipping through the pages of different kanji and trying to come up with another idea.

Ever since they’d found out the baby had wings Hawks had been trying to think of a name that had something to do with flight, but it had turned out to be a more daunting process than he’d imagined. This was what his daughter would be called forever, part of her very identity. It had to be perfect.

After a few long minutes of silence Dabi suddenly offered, “Miharu.”

“What?” Hawks asked, startled from his thoughts.

“For her name,” Dabi clarified, “You could use the kanji for wing.”

The omega shifted slightly, looking uncharacteristically nervous. When Hawks didn’t respond right away Dabi continued, avoiding the alpha’s eyes, “And you could use one of the kanji for lapis, for my you know…”

For his blue flames, Hawks realized, heart seizing in his chest. So he had been thinking about this. It was too specific, there was no way Dabi just thought of those kanji off the top of his head. Hawks wondered for how long he’d been keeping it to himself.

“Takami Miharu,” Hawks said slowly, sounding it out, “I like it! Has a nice ring to it.”

“You don’t have to use it just because I suggested it,” Dabi mumbled.

“Why wouldn’t I? It’s beautiful and you didn’t like any of my suggestions anyway.”

Dabi frowned, “No. You should pick.”

Hawks tilted his head, “Why?”

“Because she’ll be your daughter,” Dabi muttered, and Hawks detected a hint of bitterness in his tone.

“Don’t say that Dabi, of course she’s your daughter too,” Hawks frowned.

“Will she be?” Dabi snapped, whirling on him suddenly, eyes blazing, “Will she be if I never get to be a part of her life? Never get to see her?”

Hawks chest suddenly felt tight. Of course he’d known that Dabi cared about the baby just as much as he did, it was evident in just about everything the omega had done over the past few months. It was obvious that Dabi wanted to be a part of her life, but this was the first time the omega had actually vocalized anything on the matter.

“You’re the one she’s going to know. You’re the one who is going to be there for her,” Dabi’s voice cracked with barely contained emotion, “She’s your daughter, so you should name her.”

Hawks wanted to tell Dabi that wasn’t true. Wanted to tell him that he was doing everything in his power to make it so Dabi would get to be there, would get to stay with their baby. But it was too early for him to tell Dabi about the plan, he couldn’t get his hopes up only to break his heart if it were to all fall apart.

“Dabi, I-”

Though everything about Dabi’s posture implied rage, the omega was clearly holding back tears. Hawks took a step forward, reaching his hand out, wanting desperately to console him, but Dabi took a step away automatically. Hawks dropped his hand.

Dabi sighed and rubbed his hand rough over his face and grimaced when it came back covered in flour, glaring down at the white powder as though it had committed some slight against him.

“I don’t want to talk about this anymore,” Dabi said suddenly, “I’ll cook these later. I’m going to go take a bath.”

Hawks watched the omega go with his heart in his throat, wishing he hadn’t brought up the topic of names at all. It was cruel to discuss such a thing with Dabi when the omega didn’t know if he’d even get to see his daughter when this was all over. It was just that sometimes Hawks forgot that they were currently experiencing two different realities.

For Hawks there was the hope that they’d be able to make it all work, that he’d be able to pull enough strings and convince enough people to make it so the three of them could be a family someday. And that hope made him excited and optimistic that had him wanting to do things like pick out baby names.

But Dabi believed he was living on borrowed time. In his eyes this was all rapidly approaching an endpoint upon which he would have to hand his baby over to Hawks and go their separate ways forever. Dabi had no reason to hold onto things like hope or optimism.

Hawks resolved himself to make more of an effort to be sensitive with Dabi’s emotions as he neared the end of his pregnancy. At least until he and Endeavor sorted their plans and he could confidently tell Dabi he didn’t have to worry about going back to prison, or never getting to see their daughter. 

It was hard though, holding it back. The need to reassure the omega pulsed underneath his skin for the rest of the day. Especially when, that night when they were curled in the nest, Hawks almost fully asleep, the omega murmured a question against the alpha’s chest. 

“You’ll tell her I love her, right?” Dabi's voice was barely a whisper, but thick with emotion.

“Of course, Dabi,” Hawks promised, pressing his forehead to his, “Of course I’ll tell her.”

You’ll get to tell her yourself . Hawks swore to him silently, I’ll make sure you get to tell her yourself.

--

Sitting down in a conference room on the UA campus in front of the combined stares of Eraserhead, Present Mic, Principal Nezu, and All Might himself was a lot more intimidating than Hawks would like to admit. He and Endeavor had spent the past month preparing for this meeting. Hawks had gathered evidence and information that could be used to support their case against the Commission slowly over time, so as not to draw attention to what they were planning. 

Now that they were ready to present their case to the heroes that lead the UA staff, Hawks suddenly felt woefully underprepared. 

When Hawks and Endeavor finished their story, about how Hawks had been sponsored by the Commission as a child so much as he had been bought by them and was essentially incapable of acting against them without retaliation. About how Hawks wasn’t the first child they had done this to, and certainly wouldn’t be the last if left unchecked. About how they were now holding the safety and custody of his own child over his head in order to keep him in line.

When that part of the story was done, they explained to their momentarily stunned audience that Dabi was actually the other father of the child, and how the Commission was only letting him temporarily live in Hawks apartment. About how they intended to make it so that he could never see his daughter again once she was born. About how Dabi was an omega and the Commission seemed to have no plans to keep him safe from abuse in an alpha dominated prison environment. About how easily Dabi had given up on his ambitions to topple hero society the moment he found out he was pregnant.

The heroes listened carefully, not interrupting except to ask an occasional clarifying question. When they were finished Hawks could feel the beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

“So, that’s why we’ve come to you,” Endeavor told them, voice gruff, “We want to stop the Commission from taking Hawks’ daughter, but we also want to stop them from taking advantage of any other children. And as you will see from the documents Hawks has collected over the past month, that is the least of their crimes.”

Endeavor slid the package of documents across the desk to the UA staff. Nezu hopped down from where he’d been sitting on Eraserhead’s shoulder to stand on the table and began sorting through the papers. 

He frowned thoughtfully, “This is all certainly very disturbing to hear.”

“Why didn’t you come forward about what the Commission had done to you before? After Dabi’s video?” Eraserhead asked, turning his bloodshot eyes on Hawks.

Hawks shifted uncomfortably in his seat under the gaze, “It didn’t seem as important when it was just me that was affected. But now my daughter and Dabi are involved. Back then I hadn’t processed everything that had happened to me. I hadn’t wanted to let myself. I’m sorry to say I couldn’t have stood up for myself sooner, but I am doing it now for their sake.”

Eraserhead hummed thoughtfully.

Endeavor scowled at bit, looking frustrated at their lack of a response, “So are you going to help us with this or not?”

The underground hero leaned back in his chair, giving Endeavor an appraising look, “How are you imagining we can help with this?”

Endeavor scoffed loudly, clearly losing his temper. He opened his mouth, likely to tell Eraserhead to get his head out of his ass or something similar. 

“We were hoping you could help us build our case against the Commission and then support us when we go public with it,” Hawks cut in quickly, “And if you can help convince any of the other top heroes to support our cause, that would be helpful as well. Right now Endeavor and I don’t have the most squeaky clean image with the public, so getting the support of you and others will go a long way.” 

“I see,” Nezu hummed thoughtfully, looking up from the documents, “You’re right that it will be easier to gain public support for your cause if more heroes band together.”

Hawks nodded, “So what do you say, will you help?”

The heroes on the other side of the table exchanged a few glances with each other. Hawks felt his heart rate increase rapidly as he awaited their response.

“I would be willing to help,” Eraserhead finally spoke, running a hand down his face, “I don’t want the Commission to hurt any more kids the way they hurt you.”

“Thank you,” Hawks gave him a small smile, relief washing over him.

“I’m on board for helping expose the Commission and keep them away from your daughter, but what are we going to do about Dabi?” Present Mic asked skeptically, “We can’t just let him walk free because he’s Hawks’ mate. He’s dangerous, he’s killed people.”

Hawks didn’t bother to correct him that Dabi wasn’t actually his mate yet, though he very much hoped he one day would be. He still bristled at the insinuation that the only reason the heroes would dain to help him was because of his connection to Hawks. Wasn’t that exactly how they’d ended up with all these villains anyway, because no one stepped in to help these people before things got dire? 

He was about to open his mouth to say as much, when he was interrupted by a new voice speaking up for the first time.

“Maybe so, but the person who will be punished the most by us locking him away forever wouldn’t be Dabi, it would be his daughter.”

The comment had come from All Might. Hawks still wasn’t used to seeing this version of All Might, thin and haggard, almost a skeleton of a man. The former Number One had been listening intently the whole time, frowning and occasionally humming in response to parts of their story, but not adding any thoughts of his own until now.

“If we really are interested in building a better society we aren’t going to get it by hurting the next generation,” All Might continued, “Shigiraki wouldn’t have become a villain had he had a stable family life, I am sure of it. When my mentor removed herself from her son’s life, that created ripple effects that spanned generations. I do not want to see another young life affected in such a way.”

Endeavor nodded, looking surprised but grateful that his old rival was speaking up in support of his son, “We can find another way for Touya to pay for his crimes, while still giving his daughter an opportunity to have a loving family and childhood. I wasn’t able to provide that to my son, which is why we are all here now. I want to put a stop to this cycle.”

Present Mic scoffed, “So what, we give him community service?”

At his side Eraserhead shrugged, “Why not? Maybe we should focus less on punishing the criminals and more about how we can incentivize them to change their ways, reform for the better. Give them safe and legal outlets to use their quirks, provide them with work and stable housing, let them stay with their families. It won’t work for everyone, some people will be beyond saving, but if we don’t give them the tools to change we’ll never know if they are capable of it.”

“You’re right, Eraserhead,” All Might gave me a warm smile, “Many of these villains have been dealt a poor hand in life. If I’ve learned anything from Young Midoriya it’s that sometimes all it takes is a little support from others to get on the right path again.”

“We could use Dabi as an example, a model to follow if you will,” Nezu suggested thoughtfully, “We could use him to show the public that it’s heroes are willing to step up and offer a hand to those in need when they reach out for help, even if that person is a villain. It could be a sort of sponsorship program. If we can lean into the idea that Dabi has changed his ways to focus on raising his daughter, that could go a long way for our cause.”

Present Mic turned and eyed Hawks skeptically, “Would Dabi go in for that?”

Hawks hesitated, Dabi hated any kind of establishment and especially heroes. But he was also certain that Dabi loved their daughter and would likely be willing to go along with just about anything if it meant getting to stay with her.

“I think he would, yes,” Hawks nodded, “Dabi is very opinionated and strong willed, but if he is willing to go back to prison without a fight if it means keeping our daughter safe from the Commission, I’m sure he’d be willing to go along with this plan as well. Especially if it means getting to stay with our daughter.”

Nezu gave Hawks a small smile, “There is never going to be a greater motivator for Dabi to reform himself than getting the opportunity to raise his child. If what you say about his intentions are true, this will be his chance to prove himself.”

The small mouse, cat, or maybe dog, then turned to look at Present Mic.

“I can understand your concerns, and I think the plan should accommodate for the fact that Dabi would need to be closely monitored to ensure he isn’t a danger to the public. Perhaps he will also be required to receive professional counseling. But I think the public is ready for us to put our money where our mouth is and actually try to save people in more ways than just fighting villains in the streets.”

Present Mic seemed to be relaxing a bit, his shoulders untensing ever so slightly. He looked hesitant for a moment before asking, “If this model we are planning for with Dabi works, would we extend the offer to other former criminals and villains as well?”

“Hizashi,” Eraserhead shot him a warning look.

“ What ?” He huffed, “I don’t see why not? If we believe Dabi can change, why couldn’t he?”

“Ah, are you referring to Kurogiri?” Nezu asked thoughtfully, “Well yes, I suppose if he was willing to cooperate with this new program, we could extend the opportunity to him also.”

That seemed to make Present Mic more amenable to the plan, which calmed Hawks nerves slightly.

“We will need time to gather support from more heroes,” Nezu said, turning to Endeavor and Hawks.

“Yes, we wanted to come to you with this now because Touya is due in November. It would be ideal if we could get everything in motion before the Commission takes him back into their custody. It will be harder to negotiate if they have him.”

Nezu nodded in agreement, “Let us reach out to some other hero contacts and let’s meet again in a few weeks. In the meantime, please keep gathering information we can use in our case against the Commission. We will see what we can dig up on our end as well.”

“Thank you so much,” Hawks stood and bowed to them all, “I’m in your debt.”

Endeavor quickly followed suit, “As am I.”

Eraserhead huffed, “Don’t thank us until we get through this.”

Hawks straightened up, feeling his wings fluff up in determination, “Right. Let’s get to work.”

--

The problem with plans, even the best of them, was that they could easily fall apart before your eyes. All it took was one thing you weren’t predicting, one thing you couldn’t foresee and even the most carefully formed agendas could slip through your fingers like sand.

For Hawks, everything in his world fell apart on a seemingly normal Wednesday night. It was just after 10pm. Hawks had gotten home a bit later than usual, having been caught up at work for a while, but Dabi had waited for him to eat dinner.

They ate together as usual before Dabi had excused himself to go to bed early, saying he wasn’t feeling too well. That wasn’t unusual either, Dabi had often had a sensitive stomach during his pregnancy, and especially in the last month or so as he’d gotten further along. 

Hawks had thought nothing of it, had shooed the omega off to bed and told him that he could clean up the kitchen and start the dishwasher on his own. Dabi normally made a fuss about it, not wanting to seem weak, but that night he had just nodded and hurried off. Perhaps that was when Hawks should have realized something was wrong.

But he hadn’t. It wasn’t until he was finishing up in the kitchen and was turning off the lights in the living area, getting ready to join Dabi in bed, when the omega’s voice suddenly cut through the dark.

“H-Hawks.”

Hawks felt his blood run cold at the tone of Dabi’s voice, raspy, strained, and dripping with fear. The alpha didn’t want to turn around, didn’t want to see the look on the omega’s face, but knew he had to. 

Dabi was standing in the doorway, hand on his stomach and pupils dilated wide. His face was an ashen white color and there was a bead of sweat dripping down his cheek.

“Somethings wrong,” the omega’s voice was hardly a whisper.

His legs buckled a bit and Hawks took a step forward just in time to catch Dabi before his knees hit the floor. The omega let out a shriek of pain, and clutched at Hawks desperately. The alpha lowered him carefully towards the ground where he instantly wrapped his arms around his belly, his entire body seizing with pain.

“I-I think it’s contractions,” Dabi gasped out between shudders.

The realization that Dabi was in labor hit Hawks like a stab to the gut. Because no, that couldn’t be right. It was much, much too early. Dabi was only seven and a half months along. 

Hawks distantly felt himself sending one of his feathers to retrieve his phone to call for help on autopilot, falling back on his crisis management skills without needing to think.

“I’m calling for help Dabi, stay with me, okay Hotstuff?”

“Hawks,” Dabi was gripping his arm like a lifeline, his eyes looked glassy and far away.

The feather carrying his phone finally reached him and Hawks dialed the emergency line as quickly as he could with violently trembling fingers. Hawks barely managed to get across to the operator that his omega was in premature labor and they needed an ambulance, finding it almost impossible to focus on the calm voice on the other end of the phone while Dabi was in such distress.

When the operator finally confirmed that the ambulance was headed their way, Hawks didn’t feel any relief, just quickly redirected his attention back to Dabi. Who now had streaks of blood dripping down his cheeks and was curled completely in on himself, breathing raggedly.

“I’m here Dabs, it’s gonna be okay. You’re gonna be alright,” Hawks tried desperately to soothe him.

“I’m scared,” Dabi whispered.

Hawks wanted to cry, wanted to scream, but his instincts forced him to maintain an outward appearance of calm for Dabi’s sake, “It’s gonna be okay, you’re both going to be okay. Just keep breathing alright? The ambulance is coming and you’re gonna be fine.”

“It’s too early,” Dabi hiccuped, “It’s too soon, I fucked it up again.”

“You didn’t do anything wrong,” Hawks tried to soothe the omega who was dissolving into hysterical sobs, “It’s going to be okay, the doctors are gonna take care of you, and you and the baby are gonna be fine. Alright?”

Hawks didn’t know who he was trying to convince more, Dabi or himself. It felt as though his past few months of nightmares were coming to life before his eyes. Another shudder of pain ripped through the omega and he screamed, his grip on Hawk’s arm becoming tight enough to bruise.

“No. I can’t lose her too,” Dabi was begging, “Please no.”

Hawks did his best to keep his scent calm, rubbing circles into the omega’s back and trying to comfort him, “Come on firecracker, let’s go down to the front of the building to meet the ambulance, okay?”

Dabi’s body jolted again with pain, “C-can’t walk.”

“I’ll carry you, it’s okay,” Hawks was already pulling the omega into his arms and lifting him. Unlike the last time they’d done this Dabi didn’t struggle or protest, instead just burying his head into Hawks shoulder.

The ambulance was already pulling up as they exited the building to the sidewalk, EMTs running up to meet them with a stretcher. Hawks carefully laid Dabi down, as the EMTs fired off questions at him about how far along he was and when the contractions had started. Hawks did his best to answer the barrage of questions, as Dabi was clearly too out of it to speak for himself.

The omega’s eyes were glazed, chest heaving with sobs. Hawks wanted to pull him back into his arms at the sight, but he forced himself to stay rooted to the spot, so they could get Dabi into the ambulance as quickly as possible.

“Can I go with him?” Hawks asked, as they loaded the stretcher.

“I’m sorry Hawks, sir…,” one of the EMTs, who was clearly flustered at meeting the Number 2 under such circumstances sputtered, “I just don’t think there will be enough room in there for you with your wings.”

Hawks debated telling the man he could take them off, hating the idea of letting Dabi out of his sight for even a second, but he eventually nodded. He couldn’t get in their way. He could fly faster than the ambulance could drive and he would be there to meet them at the hospital.

His stomach still churned as he watched the doors close, blocking the omega from his view. He took a deep shuddering breath, before leaping into the air to fly ahead. Normally, flying was one of the easiest ways for Hawks to clear his head, but all he could think about was Dabi and the baby. 

Hawks struggled to keep himself steady in the air, to keep his breathing under control, but everytime his mind flashed to the terrified look on Dabi’s face he felt himself on the edge of a panic attack. Needing to do something, anything other than be alone with his thoughts, Hawks reached into his pocket to fish out his phone. He called the only person he could think of.

“Hawks?” Tokoyami grumbled, sounding irritated, “It’s the middle of the night, why are you calling me?”

“Dabi’s in labor, and it’s too early, and he’s scared, and I don’t know what to do-” Hawks began to ramble, mouth moving faster than his brain. 

“Hawks, breathe,” Tokoyami instantly sounded more alert, “You said Dabi’s in labor?”

“Yes, he’s in an ambulance. There’s not room in there with my wings, so I’m flying ahead to meet them at the hospital. I’m sorry, I don’t know why I called you, I panicked.”

“I’m on my way now,” the teenager replied immediately.

“No, you don’t have to. It’s a school night right? I don’t want you to get in trouble,” Hawks was beginning to feel more rational and in control of his emotions the longer he spoke to Tokoyami.

“I can sneak out without getting caught,” Tokoyami said, and Hawks could already hear the tell-tale signs of rustling that signaled the teenager was getting up and putting on his shoes. 

“What? No, Eraserhead will kill me,” Hawks backtracked, “Just stay there, I’ll call you when I know what’s going on.”

“Hawks. I’m coming, you shouldn’t be alone,” his tone made it clear there was no room for argument on the matter.

Hawks wanted to cry. He didn’t understand what he’d done to earn Tokoyami’s loyalty and friendship, but he truly didn’t feel like he’d earned it. He already owed the kid a life debt, but then he continued to just show up for Hawks in all the ways that mattered. Whether it was letting him vent about his feelings, or walking Dabi to his doctor’s appointments, or answering his phone calls in the middle of the night.

“O-Okay,” Hawks breathing was shaky.

“I can be there within the hour, if I fly fast.”

“Okay. Thank you, Tokoyami.”

“You don’t have to thank me, Hawks. You’re my friend. I’ll see you soon, alright?”

Hawks felt himself nodding even though Tokoyami couldn’t see him, “Yeah, see you soon.”

Hawks landed down at the hospital a full ten minutes before the ambulance arrived.  He spent those minutes pacing anxiously up and down the emergency loading area, trying not to think about what all this was going to mean for him and Dabi. 

This was all wrong, they were supposed to have more time. More time for the baby to grow, more time for Hawks to get his plan in order, more time to be together.

The EMTs had to gently but firmly push Hawks out of the way when they unloaded the ambulance, the hero desperate to get to Dabi’s side. The omega looked gaunt, skin sickly white, and eyes filled with red tears. He was glancing around, as though he was looking for something, and when his eyes caught Hawks he let out a loud whine. Hawks let out an inhuman sound in response, reaching for the omega instantly.

“Hawks, please step back, we need to get him inside,” an EMT said sternly, but sympathetically. 

With all of the self-control he could muster in his body, Hawks dropped his hand, and stepped back. Settling for walking alongside the gurney as they wheeled it into the hospital. 

Once they were inside everything happened so fast. It was all a blur of nurses and doctors, lights and beeping, the sound of other patients screaming and wailing in pain, the sound of Dabi streaming and wailing in pain. They finally wheeled Dabi into a room, where a rush of different nurses and doctors attended to the omega, checking his vitals and shouting back and forth to one another.

At some point Hawks remembered a doctor explaining to them that Dabi had gone into premature labor and they would need to do an emergency c-section. The doctor informed the pair in a gentle, but hurried voice that due to the emergency nature of the surgery, in conjunctions with Dabi’s pre-existing medical complications, that Dabi would need to be put under general anesthesia, instead of localized, for the procedure and that Hawks wouldn’t be able to be in the room.

Dabi had started to panic overhearing that, muttering frantically about general anesthesia being riskier for the baby. Hawks squeezed his hand as tightly as he could, words caught in his throat. The doctor tried to reassure Dabi that while a risk, the urgency of the s-section necessitated it and what mattered most was delivering the baby as soon as possible. 

Despite the doctor’s valiant efforts Dabi, who had already been extremely distressed, had become completely overwhelmed and inconsolable at the news.The doctor excused himself to go prepare the operating area, shooting Hawks an apologetic look for leaving him with the distressed omega.

All Hawks could do was squeeze Dabi’s hand and stroke his hair, muttering comforting nonsense to him. He knew realistically, it must have been helping somewhat, that the omega must have been getting some kind of comfort from his presence. But in the moment, Hawks had never felt so utterly useless, so helpless. 

The anesthesiologist appeared a few minutes later, to take Dabi away to be put under. Hawks’ heart thudded in his chest, realizing he was about to watch them wheel Dabi away from him. Not knowing if he’d ever get to see him again.

Which meant, he had to say it now. He needed Dabi to know.

“Dabi,” he grasped the omega's hand, and waited until blue eyes met his, “I love you.”

Dabi’s eyes widened and he sucked in a breath sharply. The anesthesiologist and nurses were already starting to roll him away.

“It’s going to be okay. You’re both going to be okay,” Hawks continued, voice trembling, “But I had to tell you. I love you so much, okay?

“H-Hawks,” Dabi’s eyes were wide, shock momentarily outstripping his terror.

His hand clumsily reached for Hawks and the alpha grabbed it and gave it one last tight squeeze and repeating, “I love you.”

Dabi’s mouth opened and closed, but nothing came out, stunned speechless by Hawks’ sudden confession. Hawks would never know what he would have said in response if he had managed to find his voice, because then Dabi was being rolled out of the room, his fingers slipping out of Hawks’ grip.

Hawks followed the bed as far as he could down the hall, before they wheeled him into the entrance to the wing that housed the surgery theater. One of the nurses smiled apologetically, turning to Hawks and asking him to either wait out in the hall or in the waiting room.  And then Dabi disappeared behind a pair of double doors, along with all of the adrenaline from Hawks’ body.

Hawks didn’t know how he made it through the hour and a half that Dabi was in surgery. It was too long, he knew c-sections normally didn’t take more than an hour. He spent the time pacing the hallway outside the surgery theater, too anxious to go sit in the waiting room. Doctors and nurses were shooting him concerned looks, but darting around him without telling him to get out of their way, probably too intimidated to command the Number 2 Hero to move.

Tokoyami found him eventually, appearing suddenly at his side. Hawks couldn’t remember the conversation they had, was too out of it with fear and dread to process much of anything. He let Tokoyami herd him over to a pair of metal chairs down the hall, and bully him into sitting down. Then the young hero disappeared for a few minutes, before returning with a bottle of water he must have retrieved from a vending machine.

Hawks forced himself to down the water in slow deliberate sips, not feeling thirsty but knowing that realistically he needed to get some liquid into his body. Tokoyami who had dropped into the chair beside him was awkwardly rubbing his shoulder in a soothing gesture and Dark Shadow had appeared and was resting his head on Hawks’ leg like a loyal dog.

When the doctor finally emerged from the double doors, Hawks shot to his feet like a rocket, sending Tokoyami and Dark Shadow scrambling.

“Are they okay?” Hawks demanded the second the doctor was in ear shot.

“There were a few complications given his existing conditions, but the C-Section was successful. He should make a full recovery. For now Dabi will be moved to a recovery room until he awakens from the anesthesia,” the doctor informed him, “Your daughter is being moved to the NICU wing as we speak.”

“Will she be alright?” Hawks asked, voice trembling

“Her lungs haven’t finished developing yet, so she will need to be on a ventilator for some time. At least a few weeks, but possibly up to a month or more.”

Hawks was sick to his stomach. He felt Tokoyami reach out and squeeze his arm.

The doctor must have noticed the naked fear on Hawks’ face, and decided to take pity on him, “I know this is scary and all premature babies are at risk for developing long-term health conditions. But, if it is any comfort, please know that babies born at 30 weeks like your daughter have an almost 90 percent survival rate, thanks to advancements in medical technology.”

Hawks swallowed heavily, “So she’ll be okay?”

“I can’t promise anything, but the odds are certainly in her favor. You should go over to the NICU and talk to the team there. They will be able to give you more information, and you can meet your daughter.”

The doctor then patted Hawks on the arm and gave him a reassuring smile, “Congratulations, Hawks.”

Hawks took in a shuddering breath, feeling himself relax a bit, if only slightly.

Tokoyami turned to him, “Should we go to the NICU?”

Hawks was about to respond when he noticed the security guard coming to stand in front of the entrance to the doors the doctor had just emerged from. Hawks felt his stomach drop out from under him, and his legs were suddenly moving before he could stop himself.

As he suspected, the guard immediately threw up an arm to stop him from walking past and into the wing of the hospital where Dabi was recovering.

“I want to see Dabi,” Hawks' voice was shaking, “Let me through.”

“I’m sorry Hawks, we just received orders from the Hero Public Safety Commission that this prisoner needs to be transported to a prison hospital immediately,” the security guard told him, “We’re just waiting for him to recover from the anesthesia.” 

Hawks felt his hackles rise, “You can’t take him!”

His wings flared up behind him, eyes narrowed into slits, a growl rumbling deep in his throat. The only thing keeping him from ripping the man standing between him and his omega apart with his talons was his years of hero training to remain calm in crisis.

The security guard swallowed nervously, taking a small step back, “I’m sorry Hawks, it’s just orders. You’ll have to take it up with the Commission.”

Hawks wanted the world to swallow him up. Because he’d agreed to this plan. The moment the baby was born Dabi went back to prison. That’s what the Commission President had said. And he’d agreed. 

Right now Dabi was probably waking up from his surgery with no one at his side. Hawks could only imagine how distressing it would be to awaken after seven months and suddenly not be pregnant anymore. His instincts were probably going haywire as he tried to figure out where his baby was. He wouldn’t even get a chance to hold her. Would the Commission even tell him if she survived?

Hawks wanted to throw up.

“Please, he’s my omega you have to let me through. He needs me,” Hawks was begging now, could hear in his own voice that he was about to cry.

He was grasping the security guard's arm tightly as he implored him. The guard looked anxious as he tried to step back and free himself from Hawks’ grip, clearly uncomfortable, but probably rightfully knowing he couldn’t win a fight with the Number 2 Hero.

“Hawks,” Tokoyami reached out a hand and put it on his shoulder, “He’s just doing his job.”

Hawks released the man’s arm and rounded on Tokoyami. He didn’t know what expression was on his face but it made the young hero’s eyes widen in concern, though he didn’t drop his arm.

“Let’s go see your daughter, okay?” The teenager said softly, trying to redirect him down the hall.

Hawks stubbornly tried to root himself to the spot, not wanting to admit defeat, debating if an assault charge was worth it if he got to see Dabi. In the end it took Tokoyami physically pushing him away from the security guard to get him to start walking.

“I’m sorry Hawks,” Tokoyami whispered to him once they got a good distance, “But starting a fist fight with a hospital security guard is not going to help your case right now. You can’t give the Commission a reason to take your daughter away from you, remember?”

It was true. Hawks violently assaulting a hospital staff member in order to get to his villain boyfriend was exactly the kind of excuse the Commission would use against him in order to claim he wasn’t a capable parent. Still that did little to stop the pieces of his heart from breaking off and shattering inside him.

“I don’t want him to go back,” Hawks said softly, “I love him.”

“I know,” Tokoyami said gently, not seeming the least bit phased by Hawks' admission to being in love with a villain. Though Hawks supposed in retrospect, he’d made it fairly obvious. 

“I don’t want to do this alone,” his voice wavered dangerously. 

“You won’t be alone,” Tokoyami promised, “You have me, and all of the Todoroki siblings too. They’ll help, I’m sure.”

“It’s not the same,” Hawks whimpered, “I don’t want to be a single parent. I wanted us to be a family.”

“Oh, Hawks,” Tokoyami looked crushed by his words, eyes looking suspiciously wet.

“I don’t want him to go back there Tokoyami, they’ll hurt him,” Hawks couldn’t stop the tears now, had been holding them back all night and the dam had finally broken. 

The sobs were loud and body shaking, and they forced him to stop walking because he could no longer see where he was going. Tokoyami carefully pulled him to the side of the hallway so he didn’t get run over by a gurney. Hawks slumped against the wall, legs folding out from under him as he sank to the floor, as his body finally gave out on him.

Tokoyami quickly dropped to a crouch beside him. The teen reached out as though he was considering resting a hand on his friend’s shoulder again, but then seemed to think better of it and yanked Hawks into an unexpected hug instead. Hawks just hiccuped loudly and buried his head in Tokoyami’s shoulder, too overwhelmed with emotion to be embarrassed about having to seek comfort from his teenage intern.

The young alpha just let Hawks sob into his arms, not bothering to pretend that everything was fine, they both knew it wasn’t true. Eventually when Hawks cried himself out, running out of tears, he tried to take deep steadying breaths the way Dabi had coached him through after his panic attack.

“I’m sorry Tokoyami,” he managed to stutter out, “I just, I hate thinking about Dabi getting hurt. You, you know what he’s been through. I’m so scared of what will happen to him.”

“There must be something we can do,” Tokoyami said, eyes steely with determination. As though the thought of Dabi being hurt had sent him into rescue mode.

Hawks wiped at his face, struggling to pull himself together, “Endeavor and I, we were working on a plan with some other heroes to help expose the Commission’s corruption and to get Dabi a better deal. That way he could stay with the baby, but we needed more time, and now I don’t know what’s going to happen.”

“Hawks, I am certain you can still make your plan work,” the teenager was looking at him seriously, “I have never seen anyone who works as hard as you do. When you set your mind to something, you make it happen. You will find a way.”

Hawks sniffed, not sure where Tokoyami got such confidence in him from, but clinging to it desperately in that moment.

“And you have my support. Anything you need to help see your plan through, I will be there for you. We’ll figure it out.”

Hawks nodded, “You’re right. I can’t give up now, I have to be strong. They both need me to be strong for them. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

“Nothing is wrong with you Hawks, you’re doing your best considering everything that’s going on right now. I would rather you be emotional about it than bottle it up and pretend everything is fine the way you usually do.”

Hawks groaned, thumping his head back against the wall, “Tokoyami, you deserve so much better than to be my pseudo-therapist. I put way too much on you emotionally. You’re just a kid, It’s not fair to you.”

Tokoyami blinked in surprise, “I want to help you, Hawks.”

“And I appreciate that more than you know, but it can’t be good for your mental health either.”

The young alpha looked thoughtful for a few moments, before hesitantly replying, “Maybe you should look into getting help from a professional? It’s going to be difficult taking care of a newborn baby on top of everything else that’s going on. If you are concerned about leaning too much on me, maybe you should talk to someone.”

Hawks dragged a hand down his face and sighed, “Yeah, maybe. It’s probably a long time coming”

Tokoyami smiled at him ever so slightly, “I’ll still be here for you though.”

“Yeah, I get the sense that you’re not going anywhere,” Hawks huffed, finally able to muster a small smile in return.

They sat in silence for a few more minutes, listening to the hustle and bustle of the hospital, as Hawks finished composing himself. Finally the teenager spoke up again.

“Do you want to go meet your daughter?” 

Hawks took in a shuddering breath and nodded. Tokoyami got to his feet and reached a hand down to pull Hawks up after him. Hawks took the hand with a pang of gratitude, not sure if he’d be able to stand up on his own at the moment.

They walked in companionable silence to the NICU wing, following the signage marked along the walls to find their way. When they arrived a nurse greeted them at the entrance to the ward, flagging Hawks down immediately. Evidently, they had been waiting for him to show up.

“Hello Hawks, sir,” the nurse greeted, “We’ve just finished setting up your daughter in her incubator.”

“How is she doing?” Hawks inquired anxiously.

“She’s doing as well as she can be for a baby born this early. She’s on a ventilator to help with her breathing, and we are monitoring her heart rate. But everything seems stable for now. She’s in the incubator to help keep her warm for the time being.” 

“Can I see her?” he asked.

The nurse nodded, “Yes, you’ll need to sterilize your hands before you enter, and normally I would ask to cover your wings with a bag as well for sanitary reasons, but I believe you can remove your feathers?” 

“Yes, I can take them off,” Hawks replied, immediately shedding his feathers when she handed him a large plastic bag to store them in.

The nurse shot Tokoyami an apologetic look, “I’m afraid it’s one at a time right now. If you would like to see the baby, you’ll have to wait until after her father is finished.”

Tokoyami nodded understandingly, “Of course. Hawks, I will wait out in the seating area for you. Please take your time.”

Hawks waved goodbye to his friend and then turned and followed the nurse over to a sink. He washed his hands diligently, not once but twice, just to be extra safe, before following her into another room. 

Instead of a hospital bed, there was a large clear box at the center of the room. He exchanged a glance with the nurse who nodded and motioned for him to enter. His heartbeat thudded loudly in his chest as he walked up to the incubator. He took a deep breath before slowly leaning over and peering down at his daughter for the first time.

She was so small. Much too small. Tubes and wires of all kinds were connected to the little baby, a heart monitor, an IV, a ventilator breathing tube. Her eyes were scrunched closed in discomfort but he could make out little black marks around the edges, just like the ones on his own face. 

The baby was wearing a little blue knitted hat on her head to help keep her warm, but he could just barely see little blonde wisps of hair peeking out from underneath. She was lying on her back and jutting out on either side were two tiny, feathery sets of white wings.

Like Dabi’s hair. He thought distantly, and suddenly he wanted to sob all over again.

“Can I hold her?” Hawks asked shakily.

“It’s a bit too early for that, maybe in a few days once we are sure everything is looking stable with her,” the nurse told him, “But you can hold her hand if you want. Would you like to?”

Hawks nodded eagerly, stepping out of the way as the nurse carefully opened the incubator for him.

“You should talk to her before you touch her,” the nurse explained, keeping her voice soft, as not to disturb the baby, “So that she associates your voice with being comforted and safe.”

Hawks nodded, inching slowly closer to his daughter, reaching out a shaking hand, “Hey there, little bird.”

Her hand was so small, it was completely dwarfed by his own. The thrum of her tiny pulse against his skin made his chest tight. Ever so gently he gave it a little squeeze, just a hint of pressure to let her know he was there. 

The baby reacted immediately, starting to fuss and wiggle slightly at the contact.  Hawks felt the breath leave his lungs when she turned her face ever so slightly, and blinked her eyes open at him. A set of achingly familiar turquoise blue eyes stared back at him.

“Hi,” his voice cracked, “I’m your Dad.”

She just blinked back at him for a few moments, before closing her eyes again. Hawks had only gotten to see them for a few seconds, but he was already certain that he’d be willing to burn the entire world down for them.

“Do you have a name picked out for her?” the nurse suddenly spoke up, pulling him from his thoughts.

“Miharu. Takami Miharu.”

Chapter Text

Dabi jumped about a foot in the air when the slot on his cell door clanked open and a tray of food slid inside. It was the closest he’d come to human interaction all day, though he supposed it was better than most kinds of attention available to him in his current situation.

At first he didn’t move, a sting of anxiety coursing through him as it always did at the thought of leaving the perceived safety of the cell’s back wall. He knew it was just instinctual, that the corner of the cell was the closest thing he could have in here to a nest and he wasn’t any safer there then he was in any other part of the cell, but he couldn’t help it.

His stomach growled loudly and he eventually caved to his hunger, sliding off the uncomfortable cot in the corner of his cell to approach the tray. He winced as he stood, stomach still tender from his surgery. Subconsciously he reached a hand to rest it over the bandages wrapped around his abdomen.

As he did everytime he performed the action, he was immediately hit with an intense wave of grief. When he’d woken up in the prison hospital a few weeks prior, having floated in and out of consciousness for hours, the first thing that he’d been aware of was pain. Followed quickly by the realization that his stomach was flat.

The confusion had been immediate, his drug addled brain struggling to remember how he’d gotten there, what had happened, where was his baby? The prison nurses had rushed in when he started ripping IVs out of his arm and trying to scramble to his feet in a complete panic, and after a few moments of hysterics and sobbing they’d been forced to sedate him just to keep him from ripping his stitches.

The second time he woke up he’d been cuffed to the hospital bed. Not that it mattered, he’d been much more lucid the second time he awoke. He was able to remember the contractions, the ride to the hospital, being put under for the emergency c-section. His hand brushed along the wrapping on his stomach, smoother then it’d been in months and he whimpered. He tried his best to cry silently in his bed, afraid that if he drew attention to himself they’d sedate him again. 

When one of the nurses finally realized he was awake hours later, she had explained to him that he’d been transferred back to the same prison he’d been held at before. The one that Hawks had come to retrieve him from the first time. He’d been in the hospital wing for several days, dipping in and out of sleep. She informed him that he’d likely have to stay in the prison hospital for a few more days, before he could be transferred to his cell.

“Is my daughter alive?” It was the only question he’d been able to ask.

The nurse looked a mix of exasperated and sympathetic, “I don’t know, but even if I did I wouldn’t be allowed to tell you.”

Dabi had just nodded to himself. He knew better than to expect more. He didn’t know what answer he’d even want to hear. Yes your baby is perfectly fine, but what does it matter to you, you’ll never get to lay eyes on her anyway? Or No, she died because you’re a mess of rage and fire, barely held together by staples, how did you ever convince yourself you could successfully carry a child to term?

He tried to tell himself that not knowing was better, because at least he could pretend that everything was fine. Even though he knew that if his daughter had survived she’d likely be very sick and need lots of medical attention. Hawks was probably beside himself at her bedside in the NICU.

Still now, weeks later, Dabi couldn’t tamp down the despair. No matter what had happened, whether she was alive or dead, he’d lost her. He’d known from the beginning that this was going to happen, that eventually he’d have to stop playing house with Hawks and go back to reality. That as far as the baby would be concerned he was no more than a glorified surrogate.

But still, nothing could have prepared him for the soul destroying, bone crushing weight of the grief on him. His instincts kept telling him he had a baby to take care of, that needed his attention, to the point where he’d often frantically wake up from a dead sleep and spend five panicked, half lucid minutes searching his cell for a child that wasn’t there. Only to drop onto his knees and sob in despair when he came to his senses enough to remember she’d never been there at all. 

Dabi wasn’t allowed to receive visitors or contact of any kind, as he had been deemed, “highly dangerous”. He was pretty sure that had nothing to do with his actual record and everything to do with the Commission wanting to make an example of him to other villains. 

“Can I write to someone?” Dabi had practically begged one of the guards a few days after moving into his cell, “Or make a phone call? Please, I just want to know if my baby is okay.”

He hated begging them for anything, a past version of himself would have been disgusted if he could see him now, but Dabi had nothing left to lose. He’d do anything just to know that his baby was okay, that she was safe.

The first guard he’d asked just shook his head at him, “Sorry, the rules are no one in this block has any form of outside communication.”

Dabi had deflated, but hadn’t let that stop him, and he’d begun to ask every new guard he saw patrolling the block, pressing himself up to the small barred window in the door to catch their attention. Most of the answers he got were a variation of the first. Though some flat out told him to fuck off.

The last one he’d tried had raised her eyebrows and asked him sweetly, “And what are you going to do for me in return?”

There was a suggestive lilt to her voice that had Dabi away from the door and clear across the cell in the blink of an eye, his arms tight around his chest, breathing raggedly. 

“Ha. What, you won’t spread your legs for just anyone? Isn’t that how you ended up here in the first place?” She teased, eyes glinting through the bars dangerously.

Dabi had just remained frozen against the back of his cell, trying to keep his breathing even. He’d known this would happen eventually, that it was practically inevitable, but he couldn’t control the way his body reacted.

The guard sneered at him, “Calm down. I was just messing with you. You really think I’d be interested in fucking a disaster like you?”

For once Dabi was grateful for his scars, painful as they were, if only because they were keeping him safe for now.

She glanced up and down at Dabi’s form with barely concealed disgust, “Maybe try again when you’re in heat and I’ll reconsider it.”

Dabi snarled, “Fuck off.”

She grinned wolfishly at him, and he felt his teeth bare instinctually at the threat, a low growl emanating from the back of his throat.

The alpha just laughed in delight, “Look at that, the little omega has a feisty side. I suppose you were a villain after all, I shouldn’t be surprised.”

“Leave me the fuck alone,” Dabi snapped.

“You’ll be singing a different tune in a few months though, won’t you?” she grinned at him.

A shudder ripped down his spine at her words. So far, no one had touched him. He suspected it was due to a mixture of his scent reeking of sickness and distress, in combination with his scars making him physically unappealing. But she was right, it was only a matter of time before his next heat rolled around and he knew from experience that alphas wouldn’t give a shit what he looked like then.

He had been desperately trying not to think about it, but in that moment with the alpha prison guard leering at him through the bars, he felt the dread consuming him. Dabi didn’t know how he was going to survive this place.

Fortunately she’d left after that, continuing her patrol through the cellblock. Dabi hadn’t been able to sleep that night, tossing and turning on his flimsy metal cot, jolting at every clank of metal, every sound of footsteps in the corridor, half convinced she’d come back. One thought repeated in his mind like a mantra, or maybe a prayer, as he stared up at the cinder block walls.

I want to go home . I want to go home . I want to go home .

It was a pathetic, weak thought to have. He didn’t know where he got off thinking about Hawks’ apartment as his home. He was only ever a house guest there at best, if not a full on interloper. But he couldn’t help it, whenever he closed his eyes and tried to imagine himself somewhere, anywhere else other than here, that’s where his mind went.

Even now as he bent carefully to pick up his tray of stale bread and lukewarm chicken he felt his mind tugging, trying to go back to that warm safe place, even if it was only in his head. Somewhere where he was secure and content, wrapped in his nest with Hawks in his arms.

His chest seized at the thought of the alpha, of the last time he’d seen him, the last thing Hawks had said to him. Just the thought of it had his heart thudding a little bit faster.

Hawks couldn’t have meant it. It was just his alpha instincts in the heat of the moment. Sure he probably cared about Dabi. As the father of his child and someone who’d he been both emotionally and intimately close with for an extended period of time, he had to feel something for Dabi.

But love? He couldn’t have meant that. Hawks was beautiful, brave, and kind and Dabi was… Dabi was a disgusting, cruel villain. Hawks deserved so much better than him.

It was nice to pretend though. Sometimes, on particularly cold nights Dabi let himself drift and pretend he was in a world where it was true. Where for some unfathomable reason Hawks could actually love him, despite everything.

In that world Dabi would have been brave enough to say the words back to Hawks. To tell Hawks that he loved him too, had loved him almost from the start, even though he’d never been able to admit it out loud. He would tell Hawks he loved him and the hero would smile at him, that smile he gave Dabi whenever he was feeling particularly soft, and Dabi would preen under the glow of it. 

And in that world he and Hawks wore matching marks on their necks. Because it was a fantasy Dabi even allowed himself to imagine it was a world where his neck wasn’t quilted with scars, where Hawks' mark would stand out against his skin like a brand for the world to see.

Dabi reached up and rubbed his neck unconsciously at the thought. It was fantasy, sure, but it was his fantasy. And it was something to focus on other than the terror and grief that pulsed through his veins constantly.

The omega sat on the edge of his metal cot and mechanically ate his dinner, body physically trapped in that small windowless room, but his mind somewhere, far far, better.

--

The first two months of Miharu’s life might just have been the hardest two months of Hawks’ own. 

The first week alone was harrowing. Hawks spent practically every waking moment he could at his daughter's bedside, only leaving when the doctors and nurses practically pushed him out of the room each night at the end of visiting hours. Hawks would go home, sleep until sunrise and then return straight back to be at the hospital the moment visiting hours began again.

Miharu didn’t do much other than sleep, only occasionally rousing when lights in the room became particularly bright or the sounds too loud. Hawks, who had nothing better to do than watch her every moment, had started to pick up on her patterns and would often move to block the lights with his body as best he could until she settled back down.

He felt as though he had to be at her side as much as possible, that if he turned his back for even a moment the Commission would take her away from him too. Eventually, Tokoyami started appearing to drag him away for mealtimes and force him to do human things like shower.

“I know how difficult things are for you right now, but you have to take care of yourself Hawks,” the teenager practically begged him, “How are you going to take care of your daughter when she comes home if you don’t?”

It was a solid argument, so Hawks had begrudgingly allowed Tokoyami to drag him away for a few hours at a time. He knew the kid was worried about him, and he didn’t want to put more stress on him than he already had. So Hawks humored him, would make sure to eat and rest as much as he could, but he always returned to his daughter’s hospital room the moment the teen left.

Mostly when he was with Miharu, he just talked to her. The nurses insisted it would be good and that it got her used to hearing his voice and identifying him as her parent. He didn’t even know what to talk about at first. It was somewhat ironic as normally he couldn’t shut himself up even when he wanted to, but now when given the task of just talking to his premature daughter about anything he clammed up.

Eventually when he did talk, he talked about Dabi. Would ramble on and on about her other father and how brave he was, and how good a cook he’d become during his time in Hawks apartment, and how she had his eyes. About how much Dabi loved her. He knew she couldn’t understand any of it, but Hawks missed Dabi like a limb. The ghost of him hung over every conversation he had with or about his daughter, and to not acknowledge it at all was too painful.

“We’re going to get him back soon,” he promised her each time his rambling inevitably came back to Dabi, “And you’ll see what I mean.”

The day after Miharu had been born, Hawks had called Endeavor to inform him of what had happened. Hawks had been completely emotionally drained from the night before, exhaustion from almost twenty four hours without sleep, in combination with the traumatic events, having him feeling scraped raw. So the conversation with Endeavor had been extremely muted.

He’d partly expected Endeavor to yell or scream down the phone at him, for failing to protect the man’s only omega son from being taken by their enemy, but he hadn’t.

Instead Endeavor just got very quiet and said, “I’m sorry.”

“I don’t know what to do now,” Hawks had told him honestly, voice strained, “I can’t stand the thought of him being in that place…”

Hawks trailed off, unable to finish his sentence as a wave of nausea rolled over him.

“Don’t worry about that right now,” Endeavor had told him firmly, “Be there for your daughter, take care of her. Myself and the others will convene on how to proceed.”

“I can’t not worry about him,” Hawks snapped.

“That’s not what I meant,” Endeavor’s voice was frustratingly patient, and Hawks was in no mood to appreciate it, desperate for someone to lash out at, “Your daughter needs her parent’s full attention, and right now you’re the only one who can give that to her. Let me and the others focus on rescuing Touya.”

Hawks had slumped, nodding even though Endeavor couldn’t see him through the phone, “Okay.”

Endeavor must have passed on the news of Miharu’s birth to the rest of his children, because the next day Fuyumi showed up at his apartment with boxes of home cooked meals that could be easily heated up in his fridge. They’d both cried in Hawks kitchen for a while. Afterwards Hawks brought her to the hospital to meet her niece and there were more tears, at least this time some of them were tears of joy.

Fuyumi became a recurring fixture after that, along with her brothers. It seemed that not a day would go by without one of the Todoroki siblings showing up to keep him company at the hospital, or force him to eat and drink, or take a walk around the grounds just to get out of the room for a few minutes.

Hawks was particularly glad for Natsuo, whose medical knowledge had been extremely helpful. He was often talking Hawks through the updates given by his daughter’s doctors in a way that was easier to understand and he knew enough to ask them questions that Hawks would never think to ask himself.

Shouto surprisingly was the most entertaining of the siblings. Hawks had originally pegged him as pretty stiff and serious like his father, but it turned out the kid actually had a pretty good sense of humor. The teen was sarcastic and blunt, almost to a fault. It reminded him a lot of Dabi, actually.

That also made it a bit hard for Hawks to be around the kid sometimes. Shouto had seemed to pick up on this and on more than one occasion apologized to Hawks for absolutely no reason, which only served to make Hawks feel even more guilty. It was easier on days when he came with Tokoyami, who Hawks was happy to use as an emotional buffer of sorts.

Hawks was eternally grateful for all of them though. He was glad Miharu was going to have an extended family who loved her and wanted to be a part of her life, as it was something Hawks himself wouldn’t be able to give her. 

After two weeks the doctors let him know that Miharu was stable enough for “kangaroo care” or skin to skin contact. Despite the somewhat silly name the nurses explained to him that it was a vital part of bonding with his daughter and helping her develop. All that Hawks cared about was that it meant he finally got to hold his daughter for the first time.

The nurses had him remove his shirt and placed Miharu in his arms, carefully positioning her so that her wings wouldn’t get pinned to Hawks’ chest and so that her breathing tube wouldn’t be jostled. 

Hawks started crying almost immediately when he felt his daughter breathing under his hands for the first time. The nurses quickly hovered, gently but firmly asking him to settle down, reminding him that he needed to be still and calming during the process.

Hawks, good at following orders if nothing else, forced himself to oblige.

“Sorry little bird,” he sniffed, “I’m just really glad you’re here.”

Miharu just nuzzled against his chest and made a small gurgling sound, wings fluttering ever so slightly against her back in response.

--

Hawks almost couldn’t believe it when the doctors told him Miharu was approved to leave the hospital. Sure, she had stopped needing to be on the ventilator a few weeks ago, and she no longer needed to receive food through a tube. But it was almost impossible to imagine her being anywhere else other than that hospital room.

The concept was as exciting as it was terrifying. Hawks had spent the entire time the doctor was explaining her care plan to him practically vibrating out of his skin. He knew if he ever was unsure he could call Natsuo for advice, but it was nerve wracking. Miharu’s entire life and health would be in his hands. He alone would be responsible for feeding her, and bathing her, and changing her, and making sure she was healthy.

The Commission was annoyed enough that Hawks had taken the last month and a half away from his hero work and were practically breathing down his neck to get back to the field. But Hawks didn’t know how he could possibly take care of Miharu and be a hero at the same time. Even if Dabi could have been there he wasn’t sure he’d be comfortable leaving it all to the omega while he was at work.

As it turned out babies needed constant supervision. 

Fuyumi was there the day that Miharu was discharged, to help Hawks get her home and get her settled. Fuyumi made herself busy in the kitchen prepping formula as Hawks bent down to unstrap her from the car seat. It had been one of the tests she needed to pass in order to be approved to come home, having to sit in the car seat for an extended period of time while breathing normally and having a steady heart rate. 

She was dressed in a light blue onesie that Fuyumi had gifted and wearing a knitted white hat the hospital had sent her home with. Miharu looked at her new surroundings with wide eyes but didn’t react much as Hawks settled her into his arms. He headed over to sit down on his couch, unsure of what else to do with her now that she was home.

“Did the nurses at the hospital show you how to feed her?” Fuyumi asked, coming to sit beside Hawks on the couch, a bottle in her hand.

He nodded, “Yeah, they let me feed her a few times once she was able to eat with a bottle instead of a tube.”

Fuyumi smiled and handed the bottle to him, “I’ll leave you to it then.”

Hawks carefully positioned the bottle at his daughter’s lips, waiting for her to latch onto it. After a few moments the baby was suckling away at it quickly. He couldn’t help but smile at her eagerness, part of him tempted to tell her to slow down, even though he knew she wouldn’t understand him. Instead he just chuckled and pulled the bottle back slightly every few seconds in order to force her to slow down.

Fuyumi made a strange humming noise beside him, and Hawks turned to look at her. She was watching Miharu with obvious fondness in her eyes, but she was frowning.

“What is it?” Hawks asked her quietly.

“I’m just so sad Touya can’t be here for this,” Fuyumi murmured, eyes filling with tears.

Hawks who had been resolutely trying not to think about it, lest he fall apart, sucked in a breath at her words.

The omega winced and shot him an apologetic look, “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. This is probably hard enough for you without me pointing it out.”

Hawks gave her a sad smile, “Don’t apologize, Fuyumi.”

She sniffed a little, rubbing at her eyes, “I hope my father can figure out a way to get him out quickly. I hate thinking about him in there all alone. I don’t understand why the Commission won’t allow him visitors, not even from his family.”

Hawks frowned to himself, knowing that the answer was to punish him, not Dabi. The Commission was keeping Dabi from having any kind of contact with Hawks or his family as a way to dissuade Hawks from acting against them again. Their way of saying, look how easy it was to take your omega away from you, look how easy it would be for us to take your daughter too.

“He’ll figure it out,” Hawks told her, with more confidence than he felt, “If your father is nothing else, he’s stubborn as hell. He won’t rest until we get Dabi back.”

Fuyumi nodded, looking a bit more calm, “Yeah, you’re right. We’ll get him back. We just have to take care of Miharu for him in the meantime.”

She leaned over to smile at the baby, who blinked up at her with big blue eyes, growing heavy with sleepiness now that she had been fed. Hawks wondered if her resemblance to Dabi was as apparent to Fuyumi as it was to him. Sure, she mostly had Hawks’ hair and eye markings, but the rest of her coloring was all Dabi. He also thought the more time went on the more he thought her face looked more like his as well. It made his heart swell with joy and grief in equal measure.

“Are you going to be okay by yourself?” Fuyumi fretted, a few hours later as she got ready to leave, “I have work tomorrow but I could try to catch the bullet train back and be here tomorrow night.”

Hawks gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile that didn’t betray how nervous he actually was to be left alone with his baby.

“I appreciate it, Fuyumi, but I promise we’ll be fine. Come back whenever it’s convenient for you.”

Fuyumi looked hesitant, wavering in the doorway for a few more moments, “I’ll be back this weekend. I’ll bring my brothers too.”

Hawks nodded at her, “Thanks, Fuyumi. I’ll see you then.”

“Send me pictures!” She insisted, leaning over to drop a kiss to her niece’s forehead before finally turning and disappearing through the door.

Hawks glanced down at the baby in his arms, “We’ll be fine just the two of us, right kiddo?”

--

After about a week at home, Miharu seemed to have discovered her lungs. She cried constantly, for seemingly every reason or no reason at all. Whether it was because she needed to be changed, or fed, or simply wanted attention from Hawks, her only recourse was to cry. Hawks had been prepared for this in theory, but to experience it and attempt to handle it on his own was a whole different ball game.

Sometimes Hawks suspected that when the baby seemed to be crying for no reason and nothing Hawks did seemed to comfort her, that what she really wanted was Dabi. Newborns tended to bond with their birth parents via scent, even before they were born, and surely the baby was longing for her omega father.

On nights like that, when Miharu just cried and cried it took everything in his power not to just sob with her. Knowing that he wanted Dabi to be back with them as much as she did, but being powerless to do anything about it. All he could do was hold her close and rock her and try to calm her.

Needless to say he wasn’t getting a lot of rest. Whenever the Todoroki siblings or Tokoyami made an appearance he practically shoved her into their arms to go take a nap. And then when he awoke the guilt and separation anxiety would hit him at full force, and he’d practically sprint out of the bedroom and into the living area of the apartment to snatch his daughter out of their arms.

Luckily, they seemed to find this behavior humorous or endearing instead of annoying. The first time he’d done it to Shouto the teenager had just raised an eyebrow at him and said in his deadpan tone, “Oh, did you want to hold her?”

Miharu for her credit, would just look slightly confused, but always snuggled happily into her father’s arms soon enough. She definitely was most comfortable with Hawks, but after a few weeks of consistent visits from the Todorokis and Tokoyami she was just as content to be held by any of them, should Hawks hand her over.

Out of respect for Dabi’s wishes that Endeavor not to be involved with the baby, Hawks didn’t invite the older alpha to come meet his granddaughter. Endeavor didn’t ask either, well aware how his oldest son felt about the situation. But Hawks decided that sending him a few pictures of her couldn’t hurt anything. The Number One Hero simply responded to his texts with “thank you” whenever Hawks sent him a photo.

But other than those text messages, he hadn’t heard anything from Endeavor in the weeks since he last spoke with him and the man had agreed to take over the plan while Hawks took care of his daughter.

Hawks made it about a month before he couldn’t take it anymore and called the Number One Hero directly to demand an update on the status of the plan to save Dabi, dialing Endeavor’s number in a fit of impatience one afternoon while sitting on his living room couch with a dosing Miharu in his arms.

“How is the plan going?” Hawks demanded, practically jumping down the Number One hero’s throat the second he picked up.

“Hawks,” Endeavor grunted in greeting, “How have you been holding up?”

“Poorly. I want Dabi back,” Hawks growled, irrationally lashing out at the other alpha even though Endeavor wasn’t the one who was keeping the omega from him.

Endeavor sighed, “I know, we are getting closer. I think we will be able to move soon.”

“The longer he stays in there, the more chance something terrible will happen to him.”

“I know, Hawks. We are doing our best,” Endeavor sounded exhausted, “And I know you don’t want to hear this right now, but Dabi is currently safer in that prison cell then he would be if we went in guns blazing and got him out. That would not only put a massive target on his back, but yours and your daughters as well.”

Hawks slumped, wings curling around him and Miharu instinctually, “I know.”

“We’re close, Hawks. I promise it will be soon.”

It couldn’t be soon enough, in Hawks opinion. Instead of voicing the bitter thought the hero forced himself to take a deep, steadying breath.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” He hated not being more involved in the plan to save the man he loved. How could he even call himself an alpha if his omega was suffering alone somewhere and he was just sitting in his apartment.

“Hawks, you should be-,”

“Focusing on my daughter, I know,” Hawks groaned, “Trust me. I am. That’s the problem, all I can think about is how much of her life he’s missing, and how much I wish he was here, and you don’t understand she has his eyes-”

“Hawks,” Endeavor said, with as much patience as Hawks had ever heard the man muster, “What do you think Touya would want you to be doing right now?”

“Taking care of Miharu,” the younger alpha relented, because he knew it was true. Dabi would be beside himself if he found out Hawks was putting more focus on rescuing him then on the baby he’s sacrificed everything to have.

“It’s just that, I’m not used to not being involved… and it’s Dabi. Please, if there is anything at all you can think of that I could do to help, you promise you’ll tell me?” Hawks begged.

“If I can think of anything that would help, which would be reasonable, I will let you know,” Endeavour conceded.

Hawks let out a long breath, “Fine. How are things going though?”

Endeavor failed to repress a long suffering sigh, “We are trying to finalize the plans for the Hero-Villain sponsorship program. Since we can’t use Dabi as the flagship example, there is debate over who, if anyone, would be a good candidate to come forward with. So many of the high level villains have escaped.”

Hawks hummed, “Kurogiri is still non-responsive?”

“Eraserhead has been visiting him daily, but there hasn’t been any progress.”

“We can’t wait for him to snap out of it or Dabi will be waiting forever,” Hawks grumbled.

“We are looking into other options,” Endeavor sighed, “But it’s no easy feat convincing a villain to turn themselves in at all, especially now, Let alone consent to a very public agreement like this. 

“There has to be someone who’d be willing to do it. All For One is a tyrant. I'm sure there are members among his ranks who are unhappy,” Hawks sighed.

“Perhaps,” Endeavor agreed, “But we can look into it on our own. If there are any updates, I will let you know as soon as possible.”

The conversation ended not long after that, Endeavor informing Hawks that he needed to leave for his patrol and that he’d be in contact as soon as there were any updates to share. 

When the other hero hung up, Hawks groaned and sunk back into the couch. He felt Miharu shifting in his arms slightly, signaling that she had woken up. Sighing, he peered down at her, wondering if she was about to start crying at the disruption to her nap.

Miharu just peered up at him with her large blue eyes, before letting out a little chirp. Hawks blinked down at her in surprise. Carefully, he chirped back. His daughter’s pupils blew wide at the sound, in an almost alarmed look and that had Hawks barking out a laugh. 

Suddenly he remembered a conversation he’d had with Dabi months ago. 

I hope the baby does that.

He felt the burn of tears starting to form in his eyes, the bittersweet emotions of love and grief warring within him. He didn’t know what to do with all of the feelings in his chest so he just leaned forward and planted a gentle kiss on Miharu's forehead. The baby fussed slightly at the contact, flailing her arms a little bit and wiggling slightly. 

“Love you, little bird. We’ll all be together soon, I promise.”

--

Getting awoken from sleep in the dead of night was not only common for Hawks, but frankly was to be expected. The hero was lucky if he managed to get a few hours in before his daughter's cries would wake him again, and he’d be rolling out of his bed and trudging his way to the nursery to tend to her.

But on that particular night, Hawks was confused. He was suddenly awake, blinking blearily at the ceiling, but he didn’t hear Miharu crying. So what had woken him?

The thud from the nursery stilled Hawks’ bones.

He was out of bed and across the apartment in seconds, kicking the door to the nursery in at full force. There was a figure looming over his daughter’s bassinet. Hawks summoned the feathers at his back and sent them in for the kill immediately, instinct to protect Miharu from the threat overriding any rational part of his brain from trying to figure out who the intruder was.

The figure reacted instantly, jumping back from the barrage of feathers just in time to avoid getting sliced. As they moved, a beam of moonlight caught their face and Hawks recognized the them instantly. He reached back over his shoulder to pull one of his primaries out, readying himself for a fight. 

Toga Himiko’s golden eyes glared back at him from where she should on the other side of the nursery, “Relax, I’m not going to hurt her.”

The teenager was in a defensive position, knees bent, hand on her hip where she surely had her knife stashed. 

Hawks didn’t drop his feather, eyes narrowed into slits, “What are you doing here?”

Toga gave him a deadpan look, before holding up something in her hand,  “I was just giving her this. I made it myself.”

Hawks blinked. 

It was a blanket. It was small and haphazardly crocheted together with blue yarn, as though it was the first time its creator had attempted the task. Hawks wavered slightly, caught off balance. Why was Toga bringing his daughter a blanket? Why was she bothering wasting time speaking with him at all instead of attacking? 

Hawks shook his head, forcing himself not to drop his guard. He pointed the feather at her, eyes narrowed.

“How did you know about her?” Hawks demanded, “Who else knows?”

Toga looked confused for a few moments before realization dawned on her, “Oh, I’m not with the League anymore. I don’t think they know. And even if I was with them, I’d never tell.”

“How do you know?” Hawks repeated, losing his patience. 

“I’ve known for a long time,” she said cooly, “I was visiting Dabi for months.”

Hawks froze, “He was contacting you?”

The revelation hit him like a punch to the gut. He’d thought Dabi had been committed to changing his villainous ways for the sake of their daughter. Had he been lying the whole time, been in contact with his former associates while he’d been living in Hawks apartment? If Hawks hadn’t known about that what else hadn’t he known about? He suddenly felt like he might be sick.

Toga glared, “No, he wasn’t. He refused to let me text him because that would be ‘breaking the rules of his agreement’. I would just show up whenever I wanted to see him. And he didn’t rat me out to you, because unlike you he is not an asshole.”

Hawks hesitated. He wanted to believe she was telling the truth, that Dabi hadn’t been reaching out to the League, had just been hiding the fact he’d been meeting with Toga to protect her. It did sound like something he would do. But still, could he trust that she wasn’t lying to him?

“I didn’t know,” Hawks said stupidly.

“Yeah no shit,” Toga spat, “He was so lonely, he wasn’t going to risk telling you and having you put a stop to it.”

Hawks' heart seized in his chest at her words. Of course part of him had known that Dabi had been lonely, seeing the way he had responded to his siblings was enough proof of that, but it still stung. Knowing that his omega had been so isolated during something so difficult, apparently so desperate for connection that he’d been willing to risk the wrath of the Commission if it meant getting to see his friend. And that he didn’t trust Hawks enough to tell him.

How long had this been going on? Since the beginning? How many times had this villain who harbored a personal vendetta against him been in his home without his knowledge?

“You’ve been able to get into my apartment this whole time, why haven’t you killed me? Or Miharu?”

“I wouldn’t kill a baby!” Toga shrieked in offense, “Especially not Dabi’s baby!”

“What about me? I killed your best friend. Surely you want to kill me.”

Killing Twice had been one of Hawks’ biggest regrets. He’d been a good person, troubled and misguided certainly, but not evil. He wished he’d found another way to convince him to switch sides, though he knew he’d never have been able to convince him to turn against his friends.

It had been no secret how close Toga and Twice had been, certainly Toga would stop at nothing to avenge her friend's death. So why was Hawks still standing here? Why hadn’t she moved to stab him yet? How many times had she been within striking distance but didn’t make the final blow?

A dark look crossed Toga’s face, “Trust me. I wanted to. But I made Dabi a promise not to touch you.”

Hawks blinked, “What? Why?”

Toga sent him an exasperated look, “Because he’s in love with you. Why else?”

Hawks’ mouth suddenly felt very dry. A stupid, childish part of him wanted to ask her if Dabi had actually told her that. But he held his tongue. 

“A lot of good it did him in the end, you still let them take him away,” Toga’s tone was angry, but Hawks could just barely detect the waver in her voice.

Hawks felt himself drop his feather, it was becoming evident that Toga had no intentions of harming him or his daughter. She was here because she loved Dabi too.

“I’m trying to get him back,” Hawks replied, voice cracking, “I wasn’t planning on letting them take him, but the baby came too early. It was before I could get my plan in order, but I’m trying to get him back.”

Toga wavered slightly, eyes flickering down to his feather sword and back up to his face calculatingly, “Are you being serious?”

Hawks nodded, “Yes. I love him. I want him to be my mate. I-I want us to be a family.”

The teenager sniffed, “You don’t deserve him.”

Hawks felt his wings droop slightly, “I know.”

She huffed, finally straightening up, crossing her arms over her chest, “But he’s like head over heels in love with you, it’s soooo embarrassing, even for me .”

Hawks felt himself flush slightly at the words. He hoped it was true, that Dabi loved Hawks as much as Hawks loved him. He wouldn’t blame Dabi if he didn’t, so much had happened between them even before the omega had become pregnant. But the thought that maybe, just maybe, Dabi felt the same way made his chest feel warm.

Toga sucked in a breath, “Okay. What do I need to do?”

Hawks blinked, startled out of his thoughts, “What?”

“For the plan. You said you had one. What do I need to do to help?”

Oh. Hawks hadn’t been expecting that. Suddenly his conversation with Endeavor earlier that week came rushing back to him.

“There’s this program we were going to announce, a sponsorship program for villains,” Hawks said hurriedly, “To show that with a little support villains can become regular members of society. They’d turn themselves in and be rehabilitated, instead of doing jail time. We were going to use Dabi as the flagship example, but that was before the Commission took him back.”

“So you want me to turn myself in?” Toga eyed him distrustfully.

Hawks winced, realizing that did sound pretty suspicious.

“If we had another former member of the League it would go a long way,” Hawks replied, “They have been trying to find someone else to launch the program to the public with since we lost Dabi. But now isn’t exactly a great time to find villains who are willing to flip sides.”

“What would I have to do,” she said slowly, “ If I said yes?”

“You’d be put on house arrest for a while, then eventually parole. You’d likely have to do community service of some kind. And you’d have to receive counseling.”

Toga made a face at the last part, “Is that all?”

Hawks frowned, “Well, as the first example of the new program you’d be like an ambassador of sorts. You’d need to probably appear at the press conference where we’d announce everything, and answer questions for the press.”

“So everyone would know I switched sides,” Toga looked a bit resigned, “Well, I guess if All For One hasn’t figured it out yet, he might as well know.”

“We’d keep you safe,” Hawks’ felt his hero mode suddenly activating at the fear in her words.

“Like you kept Dabi safe?” Toga glared.

Hawks couldn't help but flinch, he didn’t have an answer for that. There was no excuse, he’d known he’d failed to protect Dabi when it mattered most. Toga had every right to be skeptical of his abilities. 

“You don’t have to agree,” Hawks told her, “If you decide to leave right now and not be involved, I won’t tell anyone I saw you.”

Toga looked at him searchingly, “Why? Not worried I’m gonna come back and slit your throat while you sleep?”

Hawks decided to be honest, it was about time he started doing that in his life, “Because Dabi trusted you. And I trust Dabi.”

Toga observed him for a while longer, debating. Hawks tried to imagine what it would be like to be in her shoes, deciding if she could trust her best friend's murderer with her freedom, for the chance to save the life of her other friend. He didn’t blame her at all for the hesitation.

Finally, Toga sighed,  “Alright. Would I get to pick my sponsor?” 

“Why, do you have someone in mind?” Hawks tilted his head, hoping the relief that she had actually agreed to help wasn’t as blatant on his face as it felt.

She nodded, “Ochoco or Izuku…,” she looked away a bit shyly.

Hawks wasn’t sure if that would fly, considering they were just kids. But it was possible that they could work something out with the UA teachers, “I can’t promise anything, but I’m sure we could negotiate something. Thank you for agreeing."

Toga glared at him, “I’m not doing it for you.”

“I know.”

“If you break his heart again I’ll kill you,” she told him, eyes cold, voice deadly even.

Hawks nodded, “Okay. That’s fair.”

She nodded back, as if they were in agreement on his matter. She opened her mouth, as though she was about to say more on the matter, perhaps threatening him with more bodily harm, when Miharu made a loud chirp from her bassinet. 

The pair both jumped at the noise, eyes darting over to where the baby had clearly been woken by their conversation. Toga eyed her curiously, inching closer to peer over the side of the bassinet and down at her. Hawks had to force himself to stay relaxed, telling himself that Toga was Dabi’s friend and she wasn’t going to hurt his baby.

She shot Hawks a look and held up the blanket she was holding, silently asking for permission. He nodded and she gently lowered the blanket into the bassinet, opting to tuck it in beside her instead of wrapping it around her.

Hawks came forward to stand beside Toga and looked down at his daughter, she was blinking up at the newcomer with wide curious eyes. She tilted her head slightly and let out another chirp. Hawks chirped back to her in greeting and her eyes flashed over to him, and she chirped loudly again.

“Hi Miharu, did we wake you?” Hawks cooed at her, “I’m sorry.”

“She’s so small,” Toga said quietly, brows furrowed.

“She was born almost two and a half months early,” Hawks said quietly, “So she’ll be small for her age for quite some time.”

“Why was she born so early?” The younger alpha asked him, and Hawks was surprised that her tone wasn’t accusing, just concerned. 

“There’s a lot of possible reasons, Dabi had a lot of health issues both in the past and present that probably contributed. On top of stress,” he frowned, “It wasn’t his fault. He was doing everything he could correctly.”

“That must have been really scary,” Toga murmured quietly, eyes flicking over to look at him quickly to gauge his reaction before settling back on the baby.

“It was,” Hawks confirmed. 

“Will she be okay now?” The teen questioned.

“We’ll have to monitor her health closely, but she’s doing pretty well all things considered. The biggest concern will be her lungs, she was born before they fully developed, so it’s possible she will continue to have breathing issues as she gets older,” Hawks said quietly.

Toga gave the baby a toothy grin, “Yeah, well if she’s anything like Dabi she won’t let that stop her. She’ll be tough as nails.”

Hawks couldn’t help the swell of pride, “I’m sure she will be.”

Miharu chirped again and reached up slightly, closing and opening her hands in an almost grabbing gesture. It was something she had only recently learned how to do, and it made Hawks heart full at the sight of it.

“She’s so cute!” Toga cooed, “Look at her little wings!”

As if she understood what Toga had said, Miharu flapped her wings under her slightly. Her downey white feathers brushing uselessly against the bedding.

“Do you want to hold her?” Hawks asked.

Toga turned to him in surprise, “You’d let me?”

Hawks nodded, the longer he spent with her the more comfortable he became at the idea.

“Yes, please!” Toga practically squealed, bouncing up and down in place slightly.

Hawks chuckled, “Okay, but you have to stay still while you hold her.”

Toga obediently froze in place, which only made Hawks laugh harder. Carefully he stepped forward and lifted Miharu out of her bassinet. The baby fussed a bit, waving her arms a bit in distaste, but didn’t cry.

“Hold out your arms,” Hawks told her and Toga immediately did as requested. Carefully he placed the baby in her hold, “Make sure you are supporting her head, yeah like that.”

“Hi little Miharu!” Toga smiled down at her once she was properly settled, “’I’m your auntie Himiko.”

Miharu just blinked up at her, letting out a few more chirps.

“Aw, those little sounds are so adorable!” Toga asked Hawks, “Do they mean anything?” 

Hawks shook his head, “Not really, it just means she’s happy to see you, usually.”

Toga squealed again, “I’m happy to see you too! We’re going to be the best of friends, I just know it!”

And Hawks, despite everything, was actually pretty glad to hear that.

Chapter Text

When Dabi woke one morning to the sensation of warmth pooling in his belly, in combination with chills along his spine, he knew immediately what it meant. Last time he’d been in heat he had run out of hormone blockers and it snuck up on him, hitting him suddenly and without warning. Now, having been off them for months, he recognized the slow, familiar build of his body settling into it. He probably had a few days at most before the peak of it hit.

He spent that morning hopelessly brainstorming ways to kill himself before it reached that point. 

There weren’t a lot of options. They didn’t allow him anything in his cell, the only item other than the hard metal furniture was his threadbare blanket. Even when the guards slid his food through the door the utensils were always flimsy plastic. Nothing he could use to do any serious damage.

Desperately he wondered how long it would take him to smash off his quirk restraints if he really tried. If he could get them off for just a few seconds he could self-immolate. It would be a terrible, traumatic way to go, but it would be better than the alternative.

Dabi knew that if one of the guards fucked him during his heat it was very likely he would get pregnant again. And Dabi knew deep in his soul that he could not live through another failed pregnancy. He had to do something, anything, before it came to that again.

The part of him that was still desperate to get back to his daughter railed against the idea of dying before getting a chance to see her. He tried to reason with it, that she was better off without him anyway, and for all he knew she wasn’t even alive. But, he supposed instincts couldn’t be rationalized. 

The guards had already begun to sense something was happening, seeming to be on extra alert. He caught a few of the guards pausing slightly as they passed his cell, opening their mouths to breathe in his scent. He’d even overheard a few hushed whispers between them, as they caught onto the situation. Their hushed laughter just made the dread more intense.

They knew. They knew it was coming. Any hope he’d been harboring that maybe they’d leave him alone evaporated the moment the first guard had lingered outside his cell that morning. So Dabi had no choice, he needed to come up with a plan and fast.

Dabi was aware that something had happened on the outside recently. Perhaps something with All For One, but whatever it was seemed to have trickled down enough that it was affecting the staff at the prison in the past few days. The guards had been muttering about the events, and had seemed particularly on edge recently. He’d overheard several conversations about people having been fired, the warden themselves having been replaced. 

Maybe that’s why they were so eager for Dabi’s heat, perhaps it was an excuse for them to blow off some steam due to the stress of their current circumstances. 

When the guard came to retrieve him from his cell hours later, Dabi had panicked. They hadn’t allowed him to exit his cell since he’d been discharged from the prison wing, not even for exercise. Where could they possibly be taking him?

Immediately his mind went to the worst case scenario. They were moving him somewhere to get started early, they weren’t even going to wait for his heat to fully hit. 

Dabi was having a full blown panic attack by the time they stopped outside the room they were leading him to. He was trying desperately to calm himself, but he couldn't, bloody tears starting to leak from his eyes, legs feeling like jelly, breathing out of control.

When they tried to force Dabi in through the door his legs simply gave out, and he collapsed onto his knees against the cold concrete floor, heaving in heavy labored breaths. Well it looked like he would get what he wanted after all, he was going to die.

“What did you do to him?” A familiar but distant voice, angry.

“Nothing, sir! He just collapsed!”

“Stop crowding him, back away! Let him breathe!”

There was the sound of shuffling around him, as Dabi shuddered and spluttered for breath on the prison floor. He wished one of the guards would just put him out of his misery already. 

He didn’t know how long he huddled on the ground, struggling to breathe. It felt like an eternity. There continued to be commotion around him, the guards skittering about and shouting to each other. Then, suddenly Dabi was aware of a large figure crouching down to the floor beside him.

“Touya?” A voice said calmly.

Dabi forced himself to focus on the pair of sharp blue eyes staring back at him. Endeavor was a few inches from his face, brows knitted with concern, mouth a hard angry line. A distant alarm bell in his brain went off at that, wondering what he had done to anger his father, but Dabi was already panicking so it didn’t do much to help.

“Wha-, Dad?” He wheezed, too confused to say anything coherent. 

A calmer, more rational version of himself would have been horrified to know that Dabi had called Endeavor ‘Dad” to his face. But in that moment, the familiar face was like a lifeline, and the word came tumbling out of his mouth against his will.

“Touya, you’re having a panic attack,” his father told him matter-a-factly.

Yeah no shit, Dabi wanted to snap back, but he couldn’t make his lips move. 

“I know it’s hard, but try to slow your breathing,” Endeavor continued.

Suddenly, in the moment it seemed incredibly important that his father knew why he was panicking. His instincts were telling him that his father would protect him, he was sure of it.

“Don’t want them to touch me,” Dabi forced out, between haggard breaths.

His father’s eyes widened, and his mouth turned down into an even harder, even angrier frown.

Oh , Dabi thought, he’s not mad at me. He’s angry with the guards.

“I won’t let them touch you,” his father said fiercely, “I promise.”

If Dabi had been in his right mind, he might have raged at that, snapped to his father about what a load of good his promises had ever done for him. But at that moment all he could do was sob. Everything hurt and his heat was coming, and he didn’t know if his daughter was alive or dead, and he wanted Hawks, and he couldn’t breathe.

“Touya, focus on my voice if you can,” Endeavor murmured.

Dabi tried, squeezing his eyes shut and trying desperately to steady his breathing. Trying to practice the same technique he’d coached Hawks through all those months ago. Thinking about Hawks made the panic have a bit less edge, but it makes the hole in his chest feel wider, more caverness than ever.

“Want Hawks,” he whimpered brokenly.

“I know,” Endeavor's voice was suspiciously gentle, “If you can focus on your breathing that’s part of what I’m here to talk to you about.”

That got Dabi’s attention, his eyes snapped open and met his father’s searchingly. Endeavor was here to talk to him about Hawks? Would he get to see Hawks if he played nice while his father was here? It seemed too much to hope for, but Dabi found the motivation to focus on his breathing anyway. If there was even a chance that Dabi could see the alpha again, would do just about anything.

After a few minutes of intense focus, Dabi was able to breathe more evenly, and the tunnel vision receded from the edges of his eyes. He spotted the guards that had escorted him a few feet away, muttering to each other nervously. His father was still crouched a few feet away from him, watching him closely.

Once he deemed that Dabi had recovered enough, Endeavor stood and reached out his hand to Dabi in a silent offer to help the trembling omega to his feet. Dabi wanted to shove it away, wanted to tell his father to fuck off and leave him alone. Wanted to believe he didn’t need the old man’s help.

But Dabi could feel the eyes of the prison guards on him, and his heart thudded painfully in his chest. He hated Endeavor more than anything, but he wasn’t afraid of him. Endeavor wouldn’t hurt him physically, and he wouldn’t stand by and let anyone else do it either.

Begrudgingly Dabi expected the offered hand and stumbled ungracefully to his feet. Endeavor reached out again to help steady Dabi but he smacked his father’s hand away. It was humiliating enough already, he didn’t need the hero getting any ideas that Dabi needed anything from him.

Endeavor looked slightly sheepish and stepped back, gesturing for Dabi to walk ahead of him and into the room. Dabi heaved a deep breath, feeling entirely off balance and uncertain of what was going on, before pushing past his father and into the room.

It was a meeting area of some sort. There was a large table in the room with chairs around it, but only one of them was currently occupied. At the other side of the table sat a man with a brown jacket over a white dress shirt and tie. In front of him was a briefcase and several packets of paperwork spread out across the tabletop.

“Hello Mr. Todoroki,” the man smiled amicably, getting to his feet and bowing politely in greeting, “Please take a seat.”

It took Dabi a full thirty seconds to process that he was referring to him , and not his father standing behind him. When it dawned on him he scowled, “Just Dabi is fine, thanks.”

But Dabi made his way to sit down in the chair across from the man. Behind him he was distantly aware of his father closing the door between themselves and the guards who had escorted him here. He couldn’t help but feel a temporary rush of relief to have the barrier erected between them.

The man just kept smiling good naturedly, “Apologies, Dabi. My name is Detective Tsukauchi.”

His father took a seat next to the detective, looking comically large in the small chair as always and Dabi allowed himself to bask in the discomfort on the man’s face for a moment. At least he wasn’t the only one out of his element in that moment.

Perhaps it was that which gave him the confidence to blurt out the question that had been on his mind for the past four months.

“Is my daughter alive?” His voice cracked dangerously as it came out.

“They didn’t tell you?” Endeavor’s eyes widened, “Yes. Touya, she’s alive. I’m sorry I should have told you right away.”

The relief that washed through his body was potent, as though someone had shot him up with a drug. He dropped his head into his hands and started to sob, overcome with emotion. He didn’t even care that he was crying in front of his father, or the detective. The relief that his daughter was okay was so overwhelming in that moment that nothing else mattered.

“A-and she’s okay?” He managed to gasp out the question between sobs.

“Yes, she’s okay,” his father confirmed calmly, but certainly, “I understand she had to stay in the hospital for a few months, but she has since gone home with Hawks. From what Fuyumi has told me, she is doing quite well for a baby born so early.”

“Thank you.” Dabi grit out, hating himself for saying it but so grateful to finally be told news of his daughter’s condition that he felt he had to. He’d be willing to do just about anything if it meant getting so much as a shred of information about her.

“Don’t thank me.” Endeavor’s voice was strained, “I haven’t earned it.”

“Why are you here?” Dabi wiped some of the blood that leaked out around the seams under his eye, frantically trying to pull himself together.

“We are here to discuss a proposal with you.” The detective said, “Have you heard the news about the Villain Sponsorship program?”

“I haven’t heard any news,” Dabi said cooly, “They kept all kinds of contact with the outside world away from me while I’ve been in here.”

“Have you not heard about the Commission then?” His father asked.

Dabi blinked, hesitating, “No… what happened?”

Whatever it was must have been what had the guards of the prison acting so on edge the past couple of days.

The detective patiently explained, “The Hero Public Safety Commission is being disassembled.”

“What, how? Did All For One take them out?” Dabi demanded. 

“No,” Endeavor said gruffly, “We did.”

Dabi stared at his father in complete incredulity, “ You did.”

Endeavor nodded, “Myself and some other top heroes. Including Hawks.”

“Why?”

“As I’m sure you were aware, they were corrupt. They covered up crimes committed by heroes and their own agents, orchestrated political assassinations, and even engaged in human trafficking. Which they were threatening to do to your own child, if Hawks didn’t fall in line with their commands.”

Dabi felt the skin on his palms begin to sweat as they heated up. The quirk restraints around his wrist kept the fire from licking out, but they weren’t enough to stop the smoke that began to roll off his body. He didn’t know why he was reacting so strongly, he wasn’t surprised. He’d always known the Commission would take an interest in their child, but he hadn’t realized they’d been bold enough to do so directly. 

Suddenly, he remembered that phone call from the Commission that Hawks had received in the living room and the heroes’ eyes glazing over before dissolving into a panic attack. Of course. How had he not put it together sooner?

“Hawks came to me months ago and we began to put together a plan to keep both you and your daughter away from the Commission, by exposing their crimes.” His father explained, “And we had been slowly gathering evidence against them to present publicly.”

Dabi blinked, Hawks had wanted to keep the Commission away from him? He could understand their daughter of course, but why would Hawks be wasting his time trying to protect Dabi? And why was his father of all people helping him? Wasn’t Endeavor glad to see him locked up in here, where he couldn’t do anymore damage to his precious reputation as the Number One Hero?

“Not that I’m not glad to see those bastards go,” Dabi huffed, “But what does that have to do with me? What is this Villain-sponsorship program you mentioned?”

“Right,” Tsukauchi nodded, “With the Commission disassembled it has allowed law enforcement and heroes to work more directly with each other on potential solutions to current societal problems. This new program is one of those collaborations.”

Endeavor turned to look at his son, “It’s something that Hawks and I have been working on for some time now. We had hoped to implement it before your daughter was born, but unfortunately due to the unforeseen circumstances our timeline was thrown off.”

Dabi was losing his patience, “Okay, but what is it?”

“See for yourself,” the detective held out his phone for Dabi to take.

A video was pulled up on the screen. Dabi could see from the paused thumbnail that it was a press conference. Tentatively, Dabi reached forward and took the phone, pressing play.

The video started with Eraserhead, All Might, and Endeavor all standing side by side in front of a large flock of reporters. They all bowed in greeting before taking seats at a press table. Dabi noticed that there were two conspicuously empty seats left empty on one side.

“Thank you,” Eraserhead greeted, looking stiff. Dabi didn’t know much about the underground hero, but it was well known the man hated the press, so whatever he was there to speak about had to be a pretty big deal, “We appreciate you gathering here today, so we can speak about this.”

“We are here to announce a new joint venture with the police department as well as a group of top heroes. We are calling this initiative the Villain Sponsorship program,” Endeavor began in his awkward gruff tone that he always used when speaking with the press. He didn’t handle them much better than Eraserhead did, honestly.

Approximately one hundred hands shot into the air as the reporters clamored for more information.

“If you could please hold your questions until the end of our announcement we’d appreciate it,” All Might gave a tentative smile, holding up his hands in a placating gesture.

Endeavour waited for the ruckus to die down before continuing, “As many of you know people are turning to villainy at an alarming rate due to the rise of All For One. While we do not condone their actions, we must also acknowledge that part of what has led us to this point are the failures of hero society. Many of these people are victims of circumstance due to the inability of hero society to support them when they most needed it.”

Eraserhead nodded, taking over, “The goal of this program is to help rehabilitate these villains, and give them the chance to re-enter society as peaceful citizens by providing them with the tools they weren’t given earlier.”

“The program will pair eligible participants up with a licensed hero, who will act as a sponsor on their behalf as they go through rehabilitation,” All Might explained, “Both to make sure that the public stays safe while they recover and as well as being a mentor of sorts.”

A reporter, who couldn’t seem to accept All Might’s earlier request that they wait until the announcement was finished, shot their hand into the air eagerly. Eraserhead rubbed a hand over his eye and gestured for them to go ahead and asked their question.

“What kinds of villains would be eligible for this program?” The woman asked.

“Anyone who is willing to commit to bettering themselves will be welcome to join,” All Might said seriously, “Detective Tsukauchi of the police department has agreed to use his lie detection quirk to help screen candidates.”

There was hushed mutterings throughout the crowd of reporters, clearly they didn’t know how to feel about this development. 

“I suppose now is as good a time as any to announce our flagship candidate for this program, Himiko Toga and her sponsor Ochaco Uraraka, Prohero Uravity.” Eraserhead said, turning to gesture for two new members to join their panel. 

Dabi’s eyebrows hit the top of his head and his mouth dropped open as Toga walked out onto the stage before the press. She wasn’t wearing her usual school girl uniform. Instead she was wearing a normal blouse and cardigan, and a simple black skirt. She bowed politely to the press before taking her seat. 

The other girl who walked out with her, sat next to her, brown eyes steeled with determination. Dabi recognized her instantly as the omega girl from Class 1A that Toga was obsessed with.

“Miss Toga, if you would please introduce yourself to the press,” All Might prompted her gently. 

Toga inched up to the microphone, looking uncharacteristically nervous. 

“Hello. I’m Toga Himiko. Most of you probably know me as a former member of the League of Villains,” she squirmed slightly under the combined gazes of the press core, “I am um, joining the sponsorship program because I don’t want to be a villain anymore. A-a lot of my friends have been hurt by All For One and his war, and I don’t want to be a part of it anymore.” 

She looked off camera, as though she was looking for approval from someone unseen. Whatever their reaction was it must have been reassuring, because the teenager straightened up slightly and continued.

“I became a member of the League because I believed it would be the only way I could live as I am, with my quirk. But Ochaco and some other heroes want to change the way things are, so I can be accepted for who I am, and so I can get the help I needed as a kid.”

A reporter shot his hand into the air, not waiting for her to call on him before he demanded, “What do you have to say about all of the people you’ve killed, the lives you ruined? How can the public truly trust that you are committed to changing your ways?”

Toga hesitated for a few seconds, but eventually she answered, “Part of my quirk makes me crave blood. As a child I wasn’t able to control it, and my parents were afraid of me. They wanted to pretend there was nothing wrong with me instead of dealing with it. They told me to act normal and repress it. That I was bad and wrong to feel the way my quirk made me feel naturally.” 

She swallowed heavily, her eyes starting to get slightly watery. The girl next to her reached out and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, giving her an encouraging smile. Toga took a steadying breath before continuing. 

“Because of that, I never learned how to control my quirk in a healthy way, and I snapped. After that, I tried to tell myself that I didn’t need to fit in, that society just needed to accept that I wanted to kill people. But, I know that’s not right. I-I needed help back then, and I still do. There’s nothing I can do to take back what I’ve done, but I want to use this program as a chance to move forward. I believe there is a way for me to use my quirk and be accepted without having to hurt people. That’s the future I want to work towards.”

“What about the other members of the League? What would they say about this?” Another reporter asked.

“I believe many other members of the League would be willing to participate in the program if they are given the chance. Most of them are like me, we all had things happen to us and no one was there to help us,” she stood and looked directly into the camera, “This is our chance to get help. Tomura, Iguchi, if you are watching this, and you can- please turn yourselves in. We don’t have to follow All For One. We can make the world better for people like us in our own way. We don’t need that asshole.”

Dabi was floored. Toga had turned herself into the heroes? Why would she do that? She had seemed to be successfully living undetected thanks to her quirk. What could have caused her to make such a drastic change? He could see her maybe getting captured, but he struggled to understand why she would agree to do something like this willing, and so publicly. 

With her plea to the remaining members of the League finished, Toga bowed to the reporters again and sat back down in her seat silently. The press returned to muttering amongst themselves before another hand finally shot up with another question.

“With all due respect, Eraserhead, shouldn’t we pick someone more qualified to be the sponsor of this violent criminal than a mere teenager?”

He turned to motion to the girl sitting beside Toga, who immediately straightened up in her seat upon being addressed, her brow furrowing slightly. Toga gasped, clearly offended at the slight he’d just given her friend. Eraserhead was clearly miffed as well, though he kept his expression neutral Dabi didn’t miss the slight twitch of his eyebrow, betraying his irritation.

The underground hero began, “Uravity is a fully licensed hero, and is as fit to be a sponsor as anyone. The job of a sponsor in this program is not to be a warden for the villain, but to be a support system. That is why Toga having a sponsor her own age is ideal. Uravity will also be receiving plenty of assistance from myself and the other top heroes.”

The reporter looked doubtful, “While I can appreciate the sentiment, Toga was a member of the League of Villains, surely someone with more experience should take on such a responsibility.”

Eraserhead was openly scowling now and was opening his mouth to retort, when the girl in question finally spoke up.

“Thank you Mr. Aizawa. I’d like to speak for myself, if you don’t mind,” Uravity smiled politely at her teacher, who nodded and motioned for her to take the lead.

The young hero turned to address the reporter directly, “I can understand the concern with placing such a big responsibility on me, I am young and I still have a lot to learn. But what I have learned time and time again at UA is that being a hero is about more than just rescuing people from disasters. I want to be a real hero, and that means helping people like Toga. With the guidance of my teachers at UA and my other hero mentors, I am confident that I can help her.”

“Well stated, Young Uraraka,” All Might nodded approvingly at her, “And as my colleague stated earlier, she won’t be alone in this process. She will have the full support of the UA staff as well as the top heroes at her disposal.”

There was murmuring amongst the reporters before another hand shot up, “Is now really the best time to be implementing this program? The Commission has just been dismantled for corruption and All For One is still at large.”

“Now is the only time to do it,” Endeavor stated firmly, “How can we call ourselves heroes if we can’t stand up to our own ideals? It took me far too long to learn that being a hero is more than just being a symbol or weapon. If things don’t change now, then even if we defeat All For One someone else will just rise to replace him in time.”

All Might beamed down the table at him in approval, which caused Endeavor to scoff and roll his eyes. Dabi couldn’t help but be shocked at hearing those words come from his own father. Since when had Endeavor cared about anything more than simply being the best? 

“That is enough questions,” Eraserhead said to the press, “Thank you for-”

Tsukauchi reached over to take the phone from Dabi’s hands then, pausing the video on the screen.

“So,” the detective asked as he tucked his phone into his jacket pocket, looking expectantly at Dabi, “Would you be interested in joining our newly established sponsorship program?”

“What exactly does it entail?” Dabi felt his heart beating faster in his chest, not wanting to allow himself the luxury of hope.

“You’d get to leave prison and go live with your sponsor. You’d be monitored and have to wear quirk restraints, as you have been, but you’d be allowed to do as you please. You’d also be required to complete counseling services and also be willing to be a role model for other villains who are thinking about reforming.”

“Would I get to… would I get to see my daughter?” Dabi finally asked, dreading the answer. If they told him no, he couldn't, would it even be worth it? How could he live a life outside the prison walls knowing his child was out there and not being allowed to see her? It sounded like a fate worse than death.

Endeavor looked as though Dabi had kicked a puppy, “Of course you could, Touya.” 

Dabi took in a strained breath, feeling himself begin to tremble. All he had to do was play nice for some heroes and he’d get to see his baby? That was it? It was too good to be true, there had to be a catch.

“And who would my sponsor be?”

“Who do you think?” Endeavor asked, looking bemused.

“You?” Dabi’s lip curled.

There were few things in the world that Dabi wanted less than to live with his father, but he would put up with it if it meant he’d get to see his daughter. If it meant he could get out of this prison and to somewhere safe before his heat hit him. 

The man had the gall to laugh, “No, Touya, not me. Hawks.”

Dabi blinked. Hawks? They wouldn’t actually let him go back and live with Hawks again, would they? They had to know that wasn’t just an upgrade from his current situation, it was practically his dream come true. Dabi had the temptation to pinch himself, but he forced himself to hold back.

“Isn’t that like a conflict of interest?” Dabi shuffled his feet a bit, not sure what to do with all of the emotions currently bubbling up within him.

“I think the fact that you will be raising a child together will actually benefit you in this case,” Tsukauchi spoke up, “Hawks will have a vested interest in keeping you out of trouble, and your star crossed lovers story should play well to the public. Especially once the two of you are officially mated.”

Dabi flushed deeply, “That’s not, we’re not… it’s not like that.”

The detective had the gall to look amused, “You know that my quirk is lie detection right?”

Dabi sputtered, “Okay, maybe it is for me but not for Hawks. He’s Hawks! He might care about me, sure, but he doesn't want to be my mate.”

“Touya,” Endeavor leveled him with a serious look, “Hawks and I have not had a single conversation in months that didn’t revolve around getting you back, or how much he missed you, or how worried he was about you. I can promise you Hawks very much feels the same way.”

“Shut up,” Dabi snarled, mortified that his father of all people was attempting to give him relationship advice.

He turned to the detective, who he knew would be straightforward with him at least, “Hawks knows this is the plan? He wants me to come live with him?”

Tsukauchi gave him a small smile, “Yes, he was very upset that he couldn’t be here for this meeting, but that would have been a conflict of interest. We wanted to present this opportunity to you in a more neutral environment.”

Dabi almost snorted. As if he had the ability to be anything resembling neutral when it came to Hawks, regardless of whether or not the alpha was present. 

“What do I need to do to accept?” Dabi asked.

“You just need to pass a simple test, in which I will analyze you using my quirk. And if you pass, you’ll just need to sign some paperwork for me.”

“And then… I get to go home?” Dabi couldn’t stop the hope in his voice from leaking out.

“Yes.” The detective nodded.

“Let’s do it,” Dabi said, “I’m ready.”

“If you accept our offer to join the Villain-Sponsorship program will you commit to leaving behind your criminal ways and dedicating yourself to being a peaceful member of society?”

“Yes,” Dabi replied instantly, not even needing to think about it. He would agree to anything, commit to anything if it meant getting back to his daughter and Hawks.

The detective nodded, looking pleased, which Dabi supposed meant he was telling the truth.

“Do you agree to participate in counseling and mental health services as required as part of the program?”

“Yes,” Dabi agreed, though a bit more reluctantly. 

He wasn’t in a hurry to speak to a therapist. He knew he had decades worth of trauma to unpack, but the idea of doing so was far from pleasant. Though he supposed it would be better for his daughter if her father had worked through his shit. 

“Do you agree to cooperate with monthly checks from law enforcement as well as wearing quirk restraints at all times, until otherwise agreed upon by program heads?”

“Yes,” Dabi nodded. 

That one was easier, if he wasn’t going to be a villain then he didn’t need to use his quirk. And if he was with Hawks he could count on the hero to keep him safe from any danger. If anything it would be a relief not to have to worry about accidentally setting off his quirk around his baby.

The detective nodded to Endeavor, looking satisfied before he turned back to Dabi and smiled, “Well, that’s good enough for me. Let’s get the paperwork all signed and then we can get you home.”

Home. Dabi couldn’t believe it. It took everything in him not to start crying again right there.

After all the paperwork was signed, his father escorted him out of the building. He almost felt like he was floating as the gates of the prison closed behind him. When they reached a black car, pulled up out front, his father drew to a stop.

“Touya,” his father spoke and Dabi turned to look at him out of the corner of his eye.

“I know it’s much too late, and my words will never be enough. But I wanted to let you know I am sorry for everything. And if you, Hawks, or your daughter ever need anything you can count on me to be there for you.”

Dabi surveyed him skeptically. He knew he wasn’t in the headspace to listen to anything his father had to say to him about their past, or the things either of them had done. He was so overwhelmed, having been convinced this morning that his fate would either be to get raped by alpha prison guards or kill himself before they got the chance. Now he was about to leave this horrible place behind to go live with the love of his life and their child. It was too much to process.

Maybe that’s why he didn’t have it in him to summon the anger that surely, he normally would have. Or maybe his feud with his father simply didn’t matter anymore, in the grand scheme of everything that had happened to him in the past year.

“Don’t waste your time apologizing to me old man. If you want to actually pay it forward or whatever, keep working on this program of yours. There are a hell of a lot of people out there who deserve this chance more than I do.” He finally settled on, “And maybe add prison reform to your list of shit that needs to change now that the Commission is gone, yeah?”

His father nodded, almost to himself, but then stepped out of the way and let Dabi climb into the car and finally, finally go home.

--

Dabi smelled Hawks before he saw him. The second he stepped through the doors of the car and onto the sidewalk outside Hawk’s apartment building the familiar scent hit him instantly, followed shortly by the man himself. The omega staggered a few feet backwards, stumbling under the force at which the alpha had launched himself at him.

The ride from the prison to the apartment had been agonizingly long. Dabi had been swimming in a mixture of both anxiety and excitement at the eventuality of finally being reunited with Hawks, and getting to meet their daughter the first time. 

Nothing could have prepared him for the greeting he received though. He hadn’t expected the hero to practically bowl him over the second he stepped out of the vehicle. But suddenly Dabi’s arms were full with the trembling alpha.

Hawks was crying. Loud, desperate and hiccuping sobs were wracking his body. He didn’t seem to settle when Dabi reached around to hug him back just as tightly, carding gentle hands through his wings. The alpha just shuddered and buried his head into Dabi’s shoulder, seeming determined not to move an inch.

“...Keigo?” He asked, remembering how last time Hawks had been this upset Dabi had been able to get through to him by using his given name.

It did the trick again, because Hawks breath hitched at the sound of his name, and he looked up and met Dabi’s gaze, golden eyes swimming with tears.

“Are you okay?” Hawks finally hitched out, “Did anyone… did anyone hurt you?”

“I-I’m okay,” Dabi stuttered, “No one touched me.”

The relief on Hawks face was palpable and he squeezed Dabi tighter, burying his face back into his neck.

“I missed you so much,” Hawks whimpered.

“I missed you too,” Dabi told him honestly, feeling as though he was having an out of body experience.

“I’m so glad you’re okay, I was so worried about you,” Hawks was still crying.

Dabi floundered uselessly, wanting to comfort him but not sure how, “Keigo, don’t cry, I’m okay.”

The omega had never seen him this openly emotional. Tears were streaming down his face and his wings were puffed up in a mess, sticky up in every which way. Dabi wasn’t sure what to do to comfort him, opting to try his best to make his scent calming. 

It wasn’t something Dabi had a lot of experience in, as he’d spent most of his life on hormone blockers. It seemed to be working somewhat though, as Hawks seemed to relax into him slightly, his wings relaxing a bit against his back.

Hawks heaved a heavy breath, “I’m so sorry, it’s all my fault you got sent back there. I’m sorry.”

Dabi’s brows knitted in confusion, “It wasn’t your fault.”

Hawks shook his head, “If I had been faster, if I had gotten the plan moving earlier-”

“That wasn’t your fault,” Dabi insisted, “If it’s anyone’s fault it’s mine for going into labor so early.”

Hawks went rigid, taking a step back from Dabi to fix with him a horrified look, “No, Dabi. Do not blame yourself for that.”

“But it’s my fault, I did this to my body and now it’s fucked and I couldn’t-”

Dabi should have known from the beginning going through with the pregnancy was a bad idea. He’d known that risks factors for premature labor included past miscarriages and abortions, and that was even before factoring in all of his other many medical conditions. It was honestly a miracle he’d made it to seven and a half months at all. 

Hawks yanked him back into his arms tightly, “Shut up, don’t you dare say that. Nothing that happened was your fault. You did the best you could.”

“But she was born so early, the complications-,” Dabi tried to argue.

“She’s fine,” Hawks murmured, “She’s going to be okay, and she’s perfect just the way she is, no matter what health issues she may or may not deal with. All that matters is you are both alive.”

Suddenly Endeavor cleared his throat, from where he was standing behind Dabi, and the pair jumped in surprise, “I will be heading out then. If either of you need anything, please reach out.”

“Right,” Dabi said, suddenly feeling a little awkward standing in front of his dad with his alpha hanging all over him. He felt a blush tinge his cheeks.

Hawks didn’t seem the least bit bothered, not letting go of Dabi or seeming the least bit ashamed of holding the omega in front of his father, “Thank you for all your help, Endeavor.”

Endeavor just nodded, “Neither of you need to thank me.”

And with that he got back in the car, and it peeled away from the street and into traffic. They both watched it go, Hawks not letting go of Dabi the entire time. When Dabi finally turned back to Hawks the alpha immediately pulled him into a kiss.

Dabi let out a hum of surprise, but melted into it instantly. The kiss was hurried and passionate, not the best they’d ever had together but certainly the most, desperate, the most emotional. 

When they broke apart, both breathing raggedly, Dabi dropped his forehead to rest against Hawks’. He couldn’t believe this was real, that he was really here with the alpha, that he’d been allowed to go home, that the alpha wanted him to come home.

“I’m so glad you’re here Dabi,” Hawks whispered, breath ghosting against his lips, “You have no idea how hard it’s been without you.”

Dabi opened his mouth again to say, I’m sorry , but Hawks must have suspected what he was going to say because the alpha just leveled him with a preemptive glare. The omega clicked his mouth shut.

“Can, can I see her?” Dabi asked instead.

Hawks beamed at him, “Of course, you don’t have to ask!”

He took Dabi's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, before pulling the omega forward into the apartment building. They rode the elevator up to the apartment pressed side by side, Hawks’ never letting go of Dabi’s hand. The entire time Dabi was half convinced he was about to wake up from a dream at any moment.

The apartment looked just as he remembered, and it made his heart swell with some familiar emotion he couldn’t quite place. All he knew was that he felt safe here, it still even smelled like him a little bit. 

Intertwined with both his scent and Hawks there was another third scent in the air. Though he’d never smelled it before, he recognized it instantly. His heart rate spiked in his chest and he suddenly was the one pulling Hawks behind him as he pushed through the apartment and into the nursery.

Dabi looked over the edge of the bassinet and his heart stopped for a few seconds. His daughter stared back up at him, with wide blue eyes. Her head was covered in gentle golden curls, the same shade as Hawks. And spread out behind her on either side were soft, fluffy white wings.

She was beautiful. Dabi couldn’t believe she was real. Couldn't believe this was happening. He just stood there looking down, at her completely dumbstruck. She blinked back up at him curiously, head tilted slightly as though he was a puzzle she was trying to solve.

Hawks came to stand beside him and smiled down at her, “See Miharu? I told you we’d get him back.”

“Miharu?” Dabi questioned, eyes widening.

Hawks grinned at him, “Told you it had a nice ring to it. Isn’t that right, Miharu?”

The baby let out a string of chirps in response to her father’s cooing, wiggling a little bit in her bed.

“You didn’t have to just because it was my idea,” Dabi protested, though the warmth in his chest was becoming so strong that he feared at any moment it might burst.

Hawks sent him a slightly exasperated look, “I wanted to Dabi. I liked it so much because it was your idea. Besides, don't you think it suits her? Our little Miharu.”

The hero smiled back down at her and the baby reached out in response, arms waving aimlessly, hands opening and closing around nothing. It was as though she wanted to be picked up, wasn’t she too young to ask for that kind of thing though? Dabi wasn’t sure. 

“Can I hold her?” Dabi whispered.

“You don’t have to ask,” Hawks reassured him, rubbing Dabi’s back comfortingly. 

Dabi couldn’t help himself, he couldn’t believe that this was happening. He couldn’t believe that the universe was allowing him to have this right now.

“Why don’t you sit down in the nest, and I’ll bring her over?” Hawks prompted gently, “You’re shaking.”

Dabi felt himself nodding, “Y-Yeah.”

The omega moved to go sit on the edge of the mattress, trying to calm his nerves as Hawks leaned over into the bassinet and pulled Miharu up and into his arms. The sight of Hawks holding their daughter with such ease, smiling at her and chirping with her made it feel as though something was lodged in Dabi’s throat.

Hawks made his way over to him, settling down gently on the bed next to Dabi. Then, carefully he transferred the baby into Dabi's arms. She was so small, much too small for a baby of four months, but she was warm and her pulse was strong under Dabi’s hands.

Dabi took a deep breath in, forcing tears from coming to his eyes. He didn’t want his daughter's first impression of him to be with blood streaming down his face. Still it was difficult, the sheer emotion of finally holding his baby in his arms was causing emotions within him that he didn’t know he could feel.

A few moments passed where everything was calm before the baby sniffled a little. Suddenly her eyes blew wide, a rapid fire series of chirps spilling from her mouth, her wings began flapping excitedly.

“What’s wrong with her? I swear, I didn’t do anything,” Dabi stuttered anxiously.

“Dabi,” Hawks murmured, awestruck, “She recognises your scent,”

Dabi blinked and looked back down at her and realized, holy shit, he was right. Miharu had snuggled right into his chest, nuzzling at him contentedly, continuing to make those bright happy chirping sounds.

“She’s been crying for you a lot I think,” Hawks mumbled, dropping his head to rest against Dabi’s shoulder.

“She has?” Dabi asked, feeling his breath catch.

“Yeah. Sometimes she’ll be so upset and there’s nothing I can do to get her to calm down. I would try burping her, feeding her, just holding her and nothing would help. I think she must have been wanting you. They say that babies bond with their omega parents even before they are born, you know.”

It broke Dabi’s heart to think about this little baby, brought into the world so suddenly and so violently, crying for him when he couldn’t be there to comfort her. If the Commission hadn’t already been destroyed, Dabi would have gone and burned it down for keeping him away from Miharu for so long.

“Has it been hard, taking care of her alone?” Dabi asked Hawks, to distract himself from the desire to enact revenge coursing through his veins.

Hawks winced, looking guilty. Knowing the bird, he probably felt he couldn’t voice how difficult taking care of a newborn, premature baby by himself was, when Dabii would have given anything to be there. As if it were his fault that Dabi and Miharu had been separated.

“You can be honest with me, you know,” Dabi whispered, strategically not looking at the alpha, giving him time to compose himself.

Hawks swallowed heavily, “Yeah, it’s been really hard. Especially when she was in the NICU.”

Dabi felt his heart seize at the image of the tiny bundle in his arms in a hospital room, with tubes jabbed into her from every angle. His stomach rolled at just the thought, he couldn’t even imagine what it must have been like for Hawks to deal with that by himself. 

“That must have been terrifying,” Dabi murmured. 

Hawks pulled his wings tight against his back, as if he was trying to warm himself against a sudden chill, “It was. But I wasn’t completely alone, Tokoyami and your siblings have been helping me. I don’t think I could have done it without them.”

A surprising warmth spread through his veins to know that his siblings had been around. At least if Dabi himself hadn’t gotten to be there, Miharu had some family to care for her. And at least Hawks hadn’t been totally left to fend for himself as a new parent. 

“Toga has been around a lot too,” Hawks added.

Dabi blinked, turning and staring at Hawks, “ What ?”

“She broke into the nursery one night to deliver Miharu a handmade blanket. Scared the shit out of me,” Hawks leveled him with a deadpan look, “You could have warned me she’d be around, you know.”

Dabi winced. Toga was lucky she escaped that incident with her life. Certainly if he had been the one to find an intruder in the nursery, they’d have been dead before they even had the chance to explain themselves. He supposed that’s why Hawks was the hero out of the two of them though.

“I was worried you’d get her arrested,” Dabi snapped defensively, though he snuck a look at Hawks out of the corner of his eye, “You’re not mad I kept it from you?”

Hawks sighed, “No, I understand why you felt you had to. I’m just sorry you didn’t feel safe enough to tell me.”

“It’s not that I didn’t trust you-,” Dabi began, but Hawks just waved a hand dismissively. 

“Don’t worry about it, Dabs. Besides, we both owe her big right now. If she hadn’t agreed to do the sponsorship program it might have taken a lot longer to get you out of prison.”

Dabi blinked, shocked, “Is that why she agreed to do it?”

Hawks nodded, “She loves you, you know. I think she’d do just about anything for you.”

Damn. Dabi was going to owe Toga for the rest of his life. She was going to have enough ammo to bully him into makeovers for as long as he lived. Though somehow, in the light of everything that had happened, that didn’t seem like such a terrible fate.

Dabi flushed a bit, “She’s a good kid.”

They lapsed back into silence for a few more minutes, both just looking down at their daughter snuggled in Dabi’s arms. She wasn’t sleeping, but she wasn’t doing much other than staring back up at them, seemingly content to just lie there.

“Dabi…” Hawks began, breaking the silence with a cautiousness in his voice that Dabi knew too well, “I know that I asked you earlier, but… nothing happened while you were in prison? No one touched you?”

Dabi couldn’t help the shudder that rolled down his spine, even as he shook his head no.

“No. A few of the guards threatened to, though,” Dabi admitted.

Hawks eyes narrowed into dangerous slits, “Would you be able to identify which ones?”

Dabi raised an eyebrow, “What, are you going to kill them?”

“I’m seriously thinking about it,” Hawks muttered darkly.

He knew he shouldn’t feel a rush of affection at the idea of Hawks committing violence on his behalf, but sue him. He’d been a villain after all, he could hardly be blamed. And it was just nice to know that he had the alpha in his corner.

Dabi huffed, “One of us just got out of prison, let’s try not to get either of us sent back there anytime soon.”

Hawks grumbled under his breath, which made Dabi smile a bit and lean into the alpha’s warmth. He couldn’t believe how just this morning that had been his reality and now he was here and it seemed so far away. 

“We could get them fired at least,” Hawks conceded, “They shouldn’t be allowed to guard prisoners if they are making those kinds of threats.”

“If you can show me head shots of the prisoners I can ID them for you,” Dabi allowed, “But you better not do anything else. Miharu just got both her parents back, I’m not letting you go anywhere just because you want to avenge my honor.”

“Fine,” Hawks agreed, “But… Dabi, even though nothing actually happened that doesn’t mean it wasn’t traumatic being there. Are you sure you’re okay?”

Dabi sighed and nodded, “I don’t really want to talk about it right now, if that’s okay. I need some time to process everything.”

Hawks pecked a kiss to his temple, “Of course, firecracker. Whenever you’re ready to talk about it I’m here.”

In Dabi’s arms Miharu stirred, chirping loudly and causing them both to turn and look back down at her. Once Dabi’s eyes were on her she settled instantly.

Hawks laughed, “Wow, I think she just wants your attention. She must have really missed you.”

Dabi swallowed thickly around the lump settling in his throat. 

“Sorry,” Dabi’s voice was choked, as he looked back down at his daughter, “I didn’t mean to go away. But I’m here now.”

Miharu just blinked up at him happily, basking in the attention of both of her parents, not a care in the world.