Chapter Text
A door slammed in the distance, heavy and jarring, startling Dabi from his thoughts as he stirred the noodles in their pot. He felt more tired than usual, dizziness dancing at the edge of his vision for reasons he’d rather ignore. The sound of shoes being thrown off and a jacket making its way onto their rack wasn’t lost on him but it felt muffled behind a sheen of exhaustion. Hawks walked into the kitchen, eyes tired but warm.
“Hey, hot stuff. Whatcha making?” He asks, wrapping his curious hands around the villain’s waist. Fingers dip their way into Dabi’s hips with practiced ease.
“Ramen because you’ve only had that store-bought kind and it’s time for you to understand what good ramen actually tastes like” Dabi responds, turning around so that he’s facing the hero.
Hawks frowns “That cup stuff is good”
“Well this will be even better” Dabi replies easily, smirk playing on his lips. “Go sit. It’s almost done”
The hero complies, sitting at the wooden table a few feet away from the stove. If he wanted to he could stick out his sock covered foot and prod Dabi in the ankle but the villain is much closer to the knives than he is and there’s no reason to disturb the peace for a small ruse. His foot inches across the floor, moving steadily until Dabi turns to look at him, entirely unamused. Hawks retracts his foot with disappointment, opening his mouth to say something when the villain cuts him off.
“Wanna cut some toppings, you can’t really do it wrong” he asks steadily, glancing over at Hawks who stares at the cutting board eagerly.
“Yeah, sure!” He offers, standing and grabbing a knife which immediately makes Dabi grip his hand. The panic on the villain’s face would be funnier if he wasn’t holding a very sharp object near them both but Dabi simply readjusts his hold on Hawks’s hand so that he can guide the knife.
“Here,” he says, moving behind the hero to allow them to move in sync as they cut a spring onion into tiny pieces, “I’ll help you”
The instructions whispered in Hawks’s ear make his hair stand on end. Dabi is so close to him and finally letting him help after months of only allowing the hero to watch. He smirks feeling the villain come closer, instinctively leaning into the touch.
They move together, hands pressing down on the knife quickly in order to divide the vegetable into even parts. Dabi guides him carefully, watching his hands for any slips that could cut him. A wave of dizziness passes over the villain again, forcing him to press against Hawks more than he normally would. As if that wasn’t enough a sharp tickle rises in his throat. He can’t cough right now even though he’s been doing it all evening, Hawks is quite literally right in front of him.
Unfortunately, his body makes the choice for him, forcing the dry achy cough to make its way out. He turns away, clearing his throat a few times before moving his hand back over Hawks’s. The hero rubs Dabi’s arm with his other hand, just a small soft moment that’s gone before he can treasure it. Unable to tuck it away for later when this small issue will undoubtedly turn sour. A later problem. Not now. Not while his boyfriend is learning how to cook. The title still feels wobbly on his tongue, like Hawks would disagree if it was spoken out loud. Which is strange because Hawks was the one to ask.
(Moonlight flickers through the curtains, falling on the bed as Dabi lays across from the other man. His sharp silhouette juts out at odd angles, contrasted by the soft curve of red wings beside him. The hero gazes at the staples lining his jaw. Dabi smirks, running his hand through Hawks’s hair in a comforting gesture saved for moments like this.
Late at night when they’ve broken down every boundary between each other, naked and peaceful under the stars. He has to leave soon, Hawks needs his rest and it’s not like they’re a couple or anything. Dabi has no reason to stay. The villain sits up, preparing himself to walk out.
“Dabi” a soft voice interrupts his thoughts, belonging only to the golden eyed hero sharing a bed with him. Curls still blonde in the dark, colors muted but visible. “I don’t want to do this anymore”
Dabi looks at him, eyes wide with confusion, “What?” Panic seeps into his tone, his body betraying the thoughts that burn in his mind.
“I mean I don’t want you to leave every night” Hawks hurriedly explains “I just- I miss you Dabs. I want more than this”
Dabi fidgets with the blankets covering them, relief flooding through his veins. Does Hawks really know what means, what it means to want more with him?
“You sure that’s a good idea. I am a villain, hero”
“Mm but we both know that hasn’t stopped us before” he replies quickly
“What are you saying Hawks, want me to be your housewife?”
Hawks blushes at that, face burning despite the teasing nature of the words. “I’m just saying you already cook over here almost every night and it’s so late when you leave. Wouldn’t it just be easier for you to stay?”
“Birdie getting lonely without me?” Dabi asked, the tilt in his words obvious, “I think that would require something a bit more serious than what we have now.”
Hawks stared at him, bolder than usual as he asked “Do you want that?”
“Want what?” The villain mused, feigning innocence
“Do you want to be my boyfriend?” Hawks spat out, exasperated at his lover’s antics
“Mm of course. Was that so hard?” Dabi questioned leaning forward to connect their lips with a smirk.)
As confident as he acted that night, he still hesitated to use the title casually. It’s not like he had anyone to tell except the league. The past month of them dating had gone well, Dabi would spend most nights at Hawks’s apartment and they were only apart if the villain had a job to do. It was nice, nicer than it should be.
Dabi turns away from the hero to clear his throat again, grabbing two bowls from the opposite cabinet while Hawks dumps the chopped spring onion into the pot. He stands there staring for a second before turning back to the villain with a smile on his face.
“It looks great hot stuff, good job” Hawks praises gently, grabbing a bowl from Dabi to fill with the ramen.
“It’s just noodles” the villain mumbles, voice cracking slightly. He winces at the harsh sound, glancing at Hawks for a reaction but the hero remains unbothered. Sighing, he scoops the ramen into his own bowl before joining Hawks at the table. Dabi sits across from him, vaguely paying attention to the stories he’s telling about his day.
“Dabi?” Hawks asks, confusion bleeding into his tone.
“Hm, what’s up?” The villain responds, worried that he missed a question.
“Are you alright? You seem kind of distracted.”
Dabi pauses, he should probably just make up an excuse now while his voice isn’t too wrecked. The last thing he wants is to stay here after this cold takes a turn for the worse. His muscles are burning and congestion stains the end of his breaths. Tomorrow would be the best time to leave, “I have a job with Twice for the next few days” he says wincing briefly at the lie.
“Really? When do you leave?” The hero glances over him nervously, trying to gather his true feelings about it. Hawks’s fingers fidget with his spoon and it clangs against the bowl harshly before he sets it down.
“Tomorrow morning.” Dabi avoids the hero’s eyes. If Hawks notices that he isn’t at his best then his boyfriend will insist that Shigaraki send someone else on the mission instead of him. The whole lie will unravel and it would just be a mess.
“You sure you’re feeling up for that? You look a bit tired” Hawks asks gently, moving a hand forward to cover Dabis own palm. The villain smiles convincingly, “I just need to go to bed a bit early tonight. When do you work tomorrow?” He asks, trying not to let his hopes leak into his voice.
“Six am” Hawks supplies, pulling his hand back to take a bite of food.
“That’s rough” Dabi winces, secretly relieved that he won’t have to hide this tomorrow as well. It'll be a lot easier to pack a bag and leave without the hero watching over him. This wasn’t the first time Dabi had left to deal with an inconvenience on his own.
Twice called it his wounded animal quirk which made him retreat at the first signs of illness or injury only to reappear when he was healed.
That title came about after he’d let an infection in one of his staples fester for a week while he hid at an abandoned hideout.
An extreme situation that led to a hospital visit and Twice telling him that if he ever let himself get hurt like that again, Toga would gut him like a fish. The statement wasn’t fully impossible, Toga had collapsed into his lap crying and threatening to slice him into pieces when she was finally allowed in his hospital room.
They had compromised, Dabi had to share his location with Twice at all times, and as long as he gave honest updates on his various injuries and sicknesses, he was allowed to hide away and recover in peace. Good enough for the arsonist who usually gave an extremely edited version of how he was feeling anyway. Just enough to keep the league satisfied.
Hawks was a new factor in this but by no means a different one. He had enough to handle without a sick villain. It would be easier for both of them if Dabi left to deal with this on his own.
Hawks just smiles at him, that reassuring, sloppy grin painted all over his face as he continues eating.
Once they finish dinner, the hero washes the dishes while Dabi packs up the food. This will be enough for the few days that he’s gone, he’d also pulled out some of the older leftovers that were frozen for situations like this. Hawks would have enough food while he was gone to hold the hero over.
There aren’t many dishes and soon they both wander to the couch, letting their limbs intertwine as they watch a shitty reality show. Dabi isn’t listening in the slightest, more focused on the weight of his birdie’s body and the gentleness of his touch.
He’ll miss this in a couple of days when the fever he can feel approaching leaves him gasping for air. Sand is stuck in his throat as he swallows, grating uncomfortably against the already dry surface. Dabi just sighs and leans into Hawks who wraps an arm around him earnestly, rubbing soothing circles on his shoulder.
“Tired, hot stuff?” He asks, voice low and gentle.
“Mhm, I have to be up early tomorrow”
Silence washes over them in comfortable waves as Hawks narrates the show quietly. His little remarks of soft admiration or frustration with the characters lull Dabi closer and closer to sleep.
Finally, the episode finishes and the hero shifts them both up. Hawks walks them to bed, an arm thrown around the villain’s waist haphazardly. He collapses onto their bed while Dabi walks to the bathroom.
One glance at the mirror tells the arsonist that leaving tomorrow is the right choice. His eyes are puffy and red while his face is paler than usual. The villain just sighs, brushing his teeth quickly so he can fall back into bed. He’s going to miss sleeping with the hero while he’s away.
Hawks trades places with him to get ready for bed as Dabi slips under the covers. The sweet scent of his boyfriend clings to the sheets, a soft reminder of his presence. Dabi inhales, sniffling slightly, but still able to pick out the smell despite his building congestion. His eyes fall closed before Hawks returns, dreams overtaking his world.