Chapter Text
Since the day Hawks began training to be a pro hero, he was told that he would get a spot in the Top Ten Heroes. As a child, he could not wrap his head around that prospect no matter how hard he tried. How could he even begin to imagine getting such a high ranking among the best heroes like AllMight and Endeavor, who each have held their positions for years? To him it seemed like a dream.
For the record, it hardly feels any more real today than it did all those years ago.
Now Hawks is sat on a press-conference style panel with the other Top Ten Heroes. He’d gotten a chance to talk with each of them when he arrived in the late morning, and they all countered his arrival to the top with different reactions, AllMight being the most enthusiastic about his high rank at such an “early age”. A bit patronizing, but it isn’t the worst thing he’s heard today. Not that he’s been paying too much attention. It’s kind of hard to hang onto every question and answer when Endeavor is sitting only seven seats away. Whatever feeble intention he had of getting an autograph or something deflated under the man’s cold glare, but the Flame Hero knows Hawks exists now at least, whether he likes it or not.
Surprisingly, most of the questions asked so far have been directed towards Hawks, regardless of whatever half-assed answers he’s given so far. He can’t quite make out what all the fuss is about. In less than a year he’d gone from making a limited number of public appearances to being hurled into the main spectacle of hero society. If anything he should be the one asking the questions. But it’s not worth voicing anything like that aloud; he’s already gotten more than one warning look from his PR manager.
“Question for Winged Hero Hawks!” shrieks one of the reporters in the front row.
Hawks pauses his game of picking out cloud shapes in the sky and blindly turns to face the sea of flashing cameras and chattering reporters.
“Uh, shoot.”
“What training recommendations do you have for emerging heroes who want to reach your level?”
Oh man. Hawks has to stifle an exasperated sigh, searching for a good response. The full truth definitely isn’t the answer, the way his PR manager’s eyes are drilling holes into his skull tells him that much. So what’s he supposed to say here? Start young? Strict dieting? 7 days a week?
Holy fuck, if I gotta guess any more answers I’m gonna have to ask for teleprompters.
He finally flashes a smile and leans into the mic.
“My training routine isn’t any different than the top two heroes, so I kinda owe it to them.”
He can hear Endeavor grumble under his breath from his end of the panel, and his PR manager facepalms from the back row. But the reporter seems to buy his lazy answer and AllMight is all too eager to fill in by sharing a list of his own training recommendations.
Hawks shoots his PR manager a sarcastic look and zones back out of the meeting. So far an alarming percentage of hero work isn’t the actual hero-ing. In his case it’s actually been a lot of professional lies, the kind that require him to use his gestures and facial expression to be more convincing, something he kinda really hates. He wonders vaguely if any of the other heroes are completely honest with their answers.
He’s drawn out of his thoughts when he realizes AllMight’s answer is wrapping up, and he watches all heads turn towards the host of the event.
“Alright, that's all the time we have for questions! Please clear the area and make your way inside. Heroes! Please follow me to the stage for the event!”
Thank god. I don't think I could’ve stayed sitting any longer.
Hawks hops out of his chair and stretches his wings out in experimentation before hurrying to follow the others. The roped off area slowly clears out behind him as the reporters pack up their mic stands and cameras, chattering amongst themselves. Just as he reaches the back entrance that leads into the auditorium, he senses someone approaching him from behind.
“Boss! Hey!”
Holding back a surprised laugh, he turns his head to see his sidekick jogging up to him. Solar Flare looks as good as ever, and by some miracle Hawks manages to recognize him, despite not having seen him in almost a month. He stops just in front of the door and lifts a hand in greeting.
“Hey Solar, how's it goin’?” He gives an easy smile.
Solar Flare comes up beside him and beams back.
“Good! Congratulations on your ranking! You’re putting one hell of a dent in the history books huh?”
Hawks can’t help but give a laugh at the expression as it puts a very specific scene in his mind.
“Hey thanks man. Could do without all the constant smilin’ and wavin’ though.”
“Yeah I can see that getting old,” Solar jokes, briefly lifting his hero mask. “Anyways- I’ll let you get inside, just wanted to come and wish you luck. See you tomorrow?”
Hawks opens his mouth to say goodbye, then stops, propping his visor up on his forehead.
“Hey- Solar, wait a minute.”
His sidekick turns back around and glances back at him with an attentive gaze.
“I just wanna say uh, thank you,” Hawks continues, briefly making eye contact. “For holding down the fort and covering my patrols while I was absent from my agency. Seriously, I appreciate it.”
If his statement caught Solar Flare off guard, he can barely tell aside from the way his eyebrows raise. He smiles soon after, giving a solemn salute.
“Of course boss. That’s what I’m here for, you know.”
After another short goodbye, Solar’s off again, and Hawks watches him go with a tingle of warmth passing over him. He chuckles to himself, lowering his visor and heading inside.
The other nine heroes are waiting backstage while the audience files into the auditorium. The space is dim and a little cramped, and the muffled roar of a thousand conversations happening at the same time is filtered out by the layers of curtains separating them from the stage.
Mera is waiting for him once he takes his place with the rest of them. Hawks feels inclined to roll his eyes, but he just stops next to him and faces forward.
“Am I gonna have a babysitter at all these events?” he asks dryly.
Mera scoffs, pocketing his phone and draining the rest of his coffee cup.
“I wasn’t sent here. So you can save the attitude.’’
“Right, right.”
Hawks leans to the side to catch a glimpse of the crowd through the gap in the curtains, wings twitching in anticipation.
“You realize I’ve never been to one of these before, right?” he asks suddenly, forcing a casual tone into his voice. “What happens? What am I supposed to do?”
“It's nothing too complicated. They’ll announce each of the heroes after an introduction, and then everyone will get a chance to say a few words. Just say the right things and don't forget to smile.”
Hawks gives a huff at the vague instructions, but he settles on keeping the rest of his questions to himself and just watching everyone else to get a hint of what to do.
“This sounds pretty boring for an event that takes place twice a year don't you think?”
“There are hundreds of heroes who would be thrilled to be in your position Hawks,” Mera responds shortly, glancing at his watch. “After today all of Japan is going to know your name.”
“Hero name,” Hawks corrects with a wry smile.
Mera doesn’t have anything to say to that. Apparently it puts him off kilter. There’s hardly a few seconds of silence before he changes the subject.
“The changes to the…terms of your subjugation are being reviewed. I’ll disclose them to you once you return to the field.”
“Right, yeah…” A flicker of hope passes through his chest. “Yeah…”
“Your agency is still under repairs to fix the damage done, so we’ve arranged to have an apartment picked out.”’
“An apartment?”
“The Safety Commission will cover all the costs, as well as reevaluate your payment.” Mera gives him a side glance. “Nearby the HPSC of course. The President insisted on it, so we can keep an eye on you.”
“Keep an eye on you.” Hawks doesn’t even have to guess as to what that implies. He turns his head in Mera’s direction, but doesn’t quite make eye contact.
“Do I even need ta’ bring up that it took my agency going up in flames for them to consider getting me an actual place to sleep at night?”
“Do you want it or not?”
“I don’t get much of a say-”
“Look, I wasn’t anywhere near involved in the mess you’ve been in lately. If I could have done anything-“
“Don’t. Okay just-” Hawks turns away again. His hand slips beneath the fold of his collar, fingers pressing against his collarbone. “Just save it…yeah? I appreciate it, but it’s not like you were there to help.”
“I don’t know why I bother,” Mera grumbles, checking his watch again in pure irritation. “You know, it didn’t appear anywhere on the news, but I’m guessing in saying those rag-tag teachers from UA are to thank.”
“Feels good to be right for once huh?”
“I think it’s time for you to get on stage already.”
When Hawks turns to the side again Mera’s already walking away and grumbling to himself. He rolls his eyes to himself, but is forced to pocket all the thoughts he has on the conversation as he hears the event announcer beckon the heroes on stage. His wings shudder as he tousles a hand through his hair and follows the single line of heroes from behind.
Never in his life has he seen an audience of so many people before. The whole auditorium is raging with energy and cheering as they step out on the brightly lit stage. Mera’s instructions are immediately forgotten as he grimaces from the blaring spotlights, flood of noise, and camera flashes that slam into his senses. The hero in front of him looks over their shoulder at him, and he can faintly register them asking if he’s okay, to which he pulls a pained smile and gives a thumbs up. He watches as each of the heroes come to a stop in evenly spaced positions in seamless uniform, and he does his best to gauge where he has to stand and keep from running into the pro hero in front of him.
Everything is a blur of noise and microphone feedback as the announcer welcomes the audience and delivers a short speech to start off the year's first Hero Billboard Charts ceremony. Proceeding every other word is a burst of excitement from the crowd, and he can sense his feathers fluffing up from all the stimuli. The announcer introduces each of them with a brief description of their ranking and hero status, going down the line until they reach the end.
“And swooping in at number ten, a newly emerging hero who’s soared to a new rank breaking TWO records: Winged Hero Hawks!!”
When his name is called, it’s met with a fair amount of cheers and applause from everyone who’s familiar with him. A minute later he cracks a smile and waves out to the crowd with both hands, then returns them to his pockets soon after. Both wings stretch out and beat twice in an involuntary motion, lifting him a few inches off the ground and garnering a roar of approval from the crowd.
The mic is then passed to AllMight, who greets the crowd warmly and delves into a lengthy speech about the values of heroism and how honored he is to have held this title. Hawks’s eyes are just beginning to adjust to his blinding surroundings when the Number 1 Hero wraps up his speech with a bow and beams out at the cheering crowd. Hawks has to keep himself from laughing outright as he watches Endeavor receive the mic from AllMight without so much as a shred of acknowledgement and immediately passes it onto the Number 3 hero.
That’s one way to get out of havin’ to give a speech.
The rest of the heroes in the Top Ten lineup take turns talking into the mic and offering a fragment of their gratitude and a few words on their role as a hero. Most of them are pretty similar, going on about duty and responsibility. It occurs to Hawks that most of the ceremonies probably sound the same, and if the Commission’s goal is to have him at the top for as long as possible then he’s probably be up here a lot listening to the same stuff. Then it occurs to him that he’s got to say something too. He turns and steps to the side to see who has the mic. He’s got two more speeches before he’s gotta say something, and his heart rate picks up slightly.
Worst comes to worst I’ll just go off of what’s been said already, that’s what everyone else is doing right? Can’t go wrong-”
His frantic gaze wanders out to the faces in the crowd, and for just a moment, he catches a face looking back at him, A face he can barely remember after all these years. The way his heart stutters in his chest causes his breath to catch in his throat and he hurriedly cranes his neck up to try and get a better view. But all the conflicting emotions have arrived a minute too late: after he blinks she’s gone again.
Hawks looks out into the vacant spot in the crowd where he thought he saw her, heart racing against his ribcage. He shuts his eyes firmly as his smile turns slightly downward.
I’m going crazy. Of course she wouldn’t be here, why would she be? It’s not her fault.
It’s your fault for getting excited, the voice in his head offers as a passing thought. You want her to see how far you’ve come, it says. Hawks brushes it aside, suddenly feeling a wave of unease.
No, I wasn’t excited. I wasn’t- I knew she wouldn’t be here. He forces his smile to creep back across his face as he opens his eyes again. And I don’t wish she was here.
As his eyes move back out across the crowd, his tangled up thoughts get cut short as he spots a different pair sitting towards the back row. Happiness bubbles up inside him- he can’t believe he picked them out of the crowd! And they’re here!
They’re actually here-!
Yamada notices him looking their way first. His face splits into a wide grin and waves wildly at the young hero, then he turns to elbow Aizawa to get his attention. Aizawa’s expression of irritation melts as he and Hawks lock eyes. He smiles and gives a nod in his direction; the simple act causes Hawks’s heart to swell with pride.
A hand taps his shoulder and his gaze breaks away to see the Number 9 hero waving the mic in front of him, all eyes from the audience trained on him. He mutters an apology in their direction and a pair of feathers swoop forward to take the mic from him. Hawks grasps the handle tightly, the textured surface rubbing against the smooth leather of his gloves. He looks up and once he’s got enough air in his lungs he opens his mouth.
“I’m Hawks.”
His voice rings out and ricochets off the back of the room, right back into his empty head. Holy shit he was barely paying attention to the other speech so whatever he was planning on making up is gone now. He’s no AllMight for god’s sake, but he’s not Endeavor either so gotta say something -
He finds Aizawa and Yamada in the crowd again, both looking on with encouragement. He clears his throat, focusing only on them as he smiles.
“All I can say is thank you.” He grins. “I owe it all to you thank you-!!”
The shakiness of his voice is drowned out by the cheers and applause that follows, but it all fades into a smudged pool of sound and color. Aizawa and Yamada both stand on their feet and clap for him, only stopping when the rest of the sound has died down. Hawks grins, bending forward in a bow.
I owe it all to you.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
It takes Hawks all of thirty seven minutes to get away from all the reporters and cameras after the event has drawn to a close. He feels a little bad for waving everyone off and refusing questions, but he makes sure to stop for the handful of little kids who approach him and politely ask him for an autograph. That’s one thing he promised himself he would take the time for.
Once he’s outside again his eyes turn to slits as they’re forced to readjust to the light once more. In his unsteady stumbling he hears a familiar shout from behind.
“BIRD BOY!!”
Yamada runs up to him, with Aizawa trailing close behind as they push through the groups of people in their path. Hawks waves them over, wings fluttering happily as he meets them halfway.
“Guys-! Oh my god-” He gives a laugh, propping his visor up on his forehead. “Oh my god I had no idea you guys would be here!”
“Of COURSE we’re here lil listener!” Yamada cries. “We wouldn’t miss it for the world! Shouta was excited the whole time, weren’t ya Sho?” He nudges his husband with a grin.
Aizawa pushes his hand away and rolls his eyes. “We had to get up at the ass crack of dawn to make it here on time, and I hate these sorts of things.” His features soften as he looks over at Hawks. “But I’m glad we got to see you up there.”
Hawks chuckles to himself, fingers tapping away against his thighs. “Heh, thanks. I’m- really glad you guys could make it.”
“Mhm.” Aizawa glances at Yamada, who signs something to him, to which he reaches for one of his tactical pouches. He pulls out a small envelope that’s slightly battered and torn across the top.
Hawks watches as he holds it out to him and he accepts it slowly, tiling his head in confusion. It feels slightly weighted in his hands, but he’s at a loss at what could possibly be inside.
“Uh, what’s this?” He pushes the envelope open, but before he can catch a glimpse of what’s inside, Aizawa rests a hand on his, stopping him.
“No don’t, it’s…it’s not to look at,” he murmurs, not meeting Hawks’s gaze.
It takes Hawks way too long to realize what he’s holding. His eyes widen, and his heart stops momentarily as he raises his head. He swallows weakly, his grip loosening.
“Are these the uh…the…”
“The polaroids, yeah…” Aziawa takes a short breath, withdrawing his hand carefully. “We recovered them while you were gone. I had planned to give them to you once we found you but… it didn’t seem like such a good time.”
“Right…uh huh…” Hawks lets go of a shuddering breath, feeling a mixture of emotions rising up. “Hard to find a good time huh?”
Aizawa doesn’t respond, and he signs something to Yamada. Yamada signs back and quickly pulls something out of his back pocket. He gently takes Hawks’s wrist and presses something into his trembling hand; it’s a simple handheld lighter.
Hawks glances up at the two of them wordlessly. Aizawa holds his hand steady as he flicks on the lighter, and he holds the corner of the envelope to the tip. The paper gets eaten away by the flame, and soon it’s nothing more than a handful of burning ashes that get blown away in the wind; the tension in his chest eases. He doesn’t say anything, he can’t even string a measly thanks together, but by the way the two of them smile at him, they know what he means by it.
And then they’re gone. All the photos are gone, dwindling into specks of nothingness. There’s a short pause as he pats his hands clean, gathering his bearings again. Yamada’s the first to speak.
“You alright there? Hawks?”
“Yeah…” Hawks lets go of a steady breath. “...yeah.”
Yamada lets out a small cough and waves a hand in his direction, eyes glimmering in anticipation.
“You don’t got anything else goin’ on today do ya lil listener?” he asks hopefully.
“Well I didn't hear ‘bout anything, so I can always play dumb-”
“AWESOME!!” The Voice Hero pumps his fist in the air. “Cause we got another surprise for ya!!”
Aizawa shoots him a glare. “Hizashi, that's for later, give him a second. I told you three times on the way here to not-”
“You’re BORING Shouta. Certified killjoy.” He grins, leaning closer to him, and when Aizawa doesn’t lean away, he pecks a kiss on his lips. “We should get headed right now!”
Hawks raises an eyebrow, idly running a hand through his hair.
“Uh…surprise?” He lifts his hands with a shake of his head. “You guys are doing more than enough you don't gotta-”
“Trust me kid, this is way too big to undo already,” Aizawa says wryly, dragging a hand over his face. He pushes Hizashi’s face away and heaves a sigh. “Fine, we can go now. If you’re feeling up to it.”
Hawks only needs a moment of consideration before he gives a small nod, smiling at them.
“I’m alright, promise. Wait- go where?”
“YES!!” Yamada shouts into the crowd.
“Go where ??”
“Hold onto your headphones bird boy, you’ll see!!”
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Their trip to Kyushu is a bit of a long one. Hawks starts out flying at a comfortable pace over their car, then climbs into the back of their trunk for the last half hour of the drive. He lets mind wander as he listens absently to the few words Aizawa and Yamada pass between them, accompanied by the soft rumble of the radio and hum of the engine. He’s halfway through preening his left wing when he notices they’ve passed into Fukuoka a while ago, and he lets go of the handful of feathers in his hand and turns to look out the back window. The sun is lower in the sky than before, and white fluffy clouds pass overhead, creating shadows that pass them over every other mile. A flock of birds are perched lazily along the telephone line next to the street, and a few have even taken up refuge in the support beams and poles holding up what’s left of his agency. Hawks gaze lingers over the building for half a moment, the memories of that night from a week ago delivering their daily half-a-minute presentation. He holds back a sigh, turning back around.
“Uh, Mic? ‘M I allowed to ask where we’re going?”
“Nope.” Yamada beams at him through the rearview mirror, pushing his glasses further up his nose. “We’re almost there anyways.”
Hawks gives an impatient huff, but doesn’t bother protesting.
After a few more minutes of driving, they come to a stop, and Aizawa parks the car along the side of the road. Hawks scrambles to the side of the car to see where they’ve brought him.
On their left is a modest looking building, standing a few stories high. At the top is a modest, nice-looking penthouse, with a wide porch and windows on each side. Bunches of flowers and other foliage lines the foundation of the building set of stars leads to the front door.
Hawks frowns, looking around to what kind of ‘surprise’ could be waiting for him here.
“Wait, where are we?” He chuckles. “What is this place?”
“It’s yours.”
Hawks pauses, eyebrows raising in surprise. He strains his neck from how fast he whips his head around to face them.
“Huh? Sorry what?”
“It’s yours.” Aizawa unbuckles his seat belt and folds his arms like he’s pointing out the most obvious thing in the world.
“Mine?” Hawks starts to laugh again, but his breath cuts off as he looks back at the penthouse. “W-”
“It’s yours Hawks! All for you ya dig?” Yamada grins as he tosses a set of keys to him, which he fumbles to catch. “Surprise!”
The young hero gawks at them in disbelief, clutching the keys in his hand. He can hardly believe what he’s hearing.
“I- how did you-” His mouth clamps shut, and the corners of his mouth turn up in a tentative smile. “Really..?”
“Yeah kid.” Aizawa sounds slightly exasperated from needing to repeat himself several times, but the thrilled expression on the young hero’s face sparks something warm inside. “Go on, go take a look.”
“Really..?”
“Yes . Now hurry up. We'll be right behind you.”
Hawks nods, mutely pushing the back door open and hurrying out. With his tenth step across the pavement, he bounds forward and spreads his wings out, the wind catching beneath his feathers. He’s lifted up effortlessly into the air and he makes straight for the balcony at the top of the building.
The floor feels firm against his feet when he lands, and he takes in the view from the top. He can see a lot from up here, hell he’d be able to see his whole agency if he were to hop up on the roof. The low hanging sun casts long shadows across the ground below, but up here it glints across the glass of the glass door leading inside. It successfully draws his attention and he presses his face up against the glass. A surge of excitement takes him, and he hurries to find the right key that would let him in.
By the time Aizawa and Yamada have climbed the stairs to the top of the penthouse, the door is cracked open a couple inches. Through the window they can see Hawks sprawled out on his back in the middle of the living room, looking at the ceiling. He’s completely lost in his own world, a dazed grin spread across his face; he found his bird plushie tucked in the bedroom, and now it’s sitting beside him. Aizawa nudges Yamada and points towards the scene, and chuckles as his husband claps his hands over his mouth.
“Aww Sho he looks so happy!”
“He does…” Aizawa murmurs, smiling to himself.
Yamada nods vigorously. “We should take a picture!”
“Later Zashi, we’ll take one later, just…let him enjoy this.”
They watch on for a few more minutes, just taking in the sight of the young hero completely blissed out and unaware of their presence as he basks in his own wonder. He finally catches a glance of them looking at him through the window and he hurries to sit up. His face is a little pink as he grins sheepishly at them, hurrying to pry the door open for them.
“You uh- you guys can come in.”
Aizawa waves off his apologetic look and steps in, hand in hand with Yamada.
“How do you like it? Everything look alright?”
“I really like it,” Hawks says immediately, grinning still as he subconsciously waves his hands at his sides. “I-I love it so much-“
“We’re glad kid.”
“I have two rooms!”
“You do.”
“They both have skylights!”
“Yes, they do.”
“I don’t get it- how- why did you guys-”
“Hawks hey- you know that-” Yamada shakes his head, starting over. “We really care about you, ya dig..? We don't…want you to worry, ‘cause you-”
“You deserve to feel safe,” Aizawa adds on with a steady voice. “…I figured you wouldn’t be too happy about a place too close to the Commission. So we looked for a place that could be yours.”
Hawks stares down at the keys in his hand, giving himself time to process their words. When he finds his voice again it’s slightly weaker than before.
“I knew you guys were behind the phone call. They didn’t tell me but I- I knew it, you guys…” He swallows back the lump forming in his throat. “You guys did all this all for me..?”
“We did!!” Yamada exclaims.
“We did,” Aizawa repeats calmly. He gives a faint scoff, nodding his head back to the building behind them. “We weren't gonna stand by. I talked with Principle Nezu, and he agreed to it right away. We’ve got your back now, and the Commission isn’t going to be able to get away with anything else so easily again.”
Hawks can scarcely form a single sentence as he listens. It doesn't feel real- but the more he thinks about it the more it all sinks in. What they did, what this means for him going forward. He lets out a short breath of air, feeling lightheaded.
“Wish I could've seen her reaction.”
Hawks glances up. “What..?” he gets out faintly.
“The Commission President,” Aizawa says again, smirking lightly. “I wish I could’ve seen her face when Nezu spoke with her over the phone.”
Hawks processes the words separately, and a tentative grin spreads across his face.
“Well uh…I gotta see her yesterday and uh…” He huffs a laugh, covering his mouth. “She- she was pretty mad.”
Aizawa nods in satisfaction while Yamada barks in laughter, and it in turn causes Hawks to start laughing again. It’s kind of dumb, really but the longer his mind lingers on how much of a pain in the ass this has been for the Commission, the harder it is to compose himself again. By the time he’s caught his breath his sides are sore and he feels all giddy. He takes in a sharp breath and claps a hand over his mouth; one minute he’s unable to stop smiling, and the next he’s fighting oncoming tears. He ducks his head down so they wouldn’t notice, but it’s a little late for that.
Yamada looks his way, his own laughter dwindling to a soft huff of air.
“Aw- Hawks-” He steps closer to him, looking hesitant, but also hopeful as he stretches his arms out. “Can I..?”
Hawks keeps his head bowed down, wings quivering as he keeps a hand planted firmly in place. He squeezes his eyes shut and nods; a muffled chirp escapes him.
There’s a comforting pressure enclosing around him, holding him. When he leans into it, it gets tighter, more certain. A hand runs over the back of his head, carding through locks of hair and downy feathers. Another rests firmly between his shoulder blades, grounding him. His own arms and wings are wrapped around them both, clinging to this singular moment- to them. Despite everything they’re here with him. Another soft chirp slips out. A singular word passes through his head.
Family.
The pressure builds. It isn’t just around him, it’s inside of him, rising in his chest like a laugh or a sob would. But it’s a feeling- a warmth that only grows as the word remains in the center of his mind. His face is wet; he buries it in the soft bundle of fabric in front of him. He’s being cradled to the floor, the tips of his wings splaying out over the carpet as they remain clasped around them.
They’re both looking at him when he raises his head again, faces mixed with equal parts concern and happiness. He sniffles, voice coming out in a hushed whisper.
“I-I love you guys.”
“We love you too…” Aizawa murmurs, overcome by a surge of affection as he squeezes Hawks’s hand. “So much.”
Yamada grins at Hawks and nods in agreement. His own face is tinged with tears, but he doesn’t mind at all. He carefully raises his hands, and repeats the phrase in sign language, slowly so the young hero can understand; he smiles wider and clumsily signs it back to him.
I’m here…I’m home.
Hawks shifts around so he’s sitting in between both of them, facing the window and looking up into the brightly colored sky. He shifts his plushie onto his lap, giving a small warble as Yamada hugs him against his side. He raises his wings around the two of them and leans his head against Aizawa’s shoulder.
“Can we…stay like this for a bit..?”
“Of course we can kid.”
He can’t see Aizawa’s face, but he can hear the smile in his voice as he responds. It makes him smile.
“Okay…I’d like that.”