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“Your birthday is coming up,” Jeanist commented while splayed over the couch, resting after his tiring shift. Keigo had just entered the apartment after a long day of school. He was doing well, like Tsunagu expected, but he felt proud nonetheless.
The kid shrugged, heading for the fridge, “I guess it is.”
“Have any plans?” He turned his head to look at the other, observing the body language for any sign of excitement. There was none.
Keigo took out a glass of milk, “I plan to turn 16.”
Tsunagu frowned, “Don’t have any wishes?” Surely after the tough time the kid has had his whole life, he’d want something for his birthday.
Keigo indulged him by pretending to think for a few moments before finishing his glass and placing it in the sink. His feathers absently started washing it off, “Not really.”
This only made the hero frown deeper, “You know you can ask for anything, right? I will tell you if you’re being unreasonable.” That was a lie, he would do anything to make Keigo’s wish come true, but if the other knew that he would never ask for anything ever again- and it was already a rare occurrence.
The teen sat down on the armchair next to the couch, curling up in a comfortable position before answering, “I don’t need anything right now.” A bit quieter he added, “Thank you for everything you’ve done so far.”
Tsunagu reached out to ruffle the other’s hair but he moved away, grimacing. He sighed, “They grow up so fast,” he muttered to himself, but he could tell Keigo heard because he quickly turned to look embarrassed. “I guess I’ll have to figure out a gift myself, but don’t complain if you don’t like it.” He knew the other would never do such a thing, even if he bought him something ridiculous.
Now it was Keigo who frowned, “Don’t get me anything, I’m happy to spend my birthday somewhere warm- and not hungry.” It felt embarrassing to admit, but this would be his first birthday where that is a possibility.
The hero felt his heart tighten, breaking in a million pieces after hearing the humble request of the other. He’s going to be the warmest and most well fed kid on December 28th, that was now all Tsunagu wanted. “You want to see anyone in particular? You can invite your friends.” He offered, if Keigo wanted privacy he could spend the night at Kugo’s, leaving the apartment for the kids to have fun. They sounded responsible, and he trusted Keigo to clean up any messes that might occur. The offer extended to Keigo’s mother as well, but he doubted she would be attending.
This seemed to lighten up the kid, “Really? -” He started wondering about the possibilities before his face fell, “Ah, but they still don’t know I live with you, ‘ere.” He gestured to the grand apartment, too big to be a reasonable living space for the two of them.
Tsunagu smiled fondly, “You don’t have to tell them, I can be out of the house for the night, just say your parents let you have the house for the party.”
Keigo weighed the options, humming to himself, “Would that be okay?” He never talked about his family to his friends, dodging questions whenever they’d ask. It also felt rude to kick Tsunagu out for the day, it was his home after all.
“I wouldn’t have offered if it wasn’t. Look, you can put on a movie, play some games, hang out- as long as there’s no alcohol.” He warned, putting up a threatening finger which Keigo knew by now held no weight whatsoever.
He chuckled, “Obviously. But how do I explain, y’know, living here?”
“What do you mean?”
Keigo rubbed at the back of his neck, unsure how to phrase it as his feathers returned to his wings from the kitchen. “I don’ really- sound like, or look like, someone who’d… Live- ‘ere?” He tried to get his point across, the nervousness causing his words to slur together in his accent almost to prove his point.
Tsunagu raised an eyebrow, “Why would your friends assume things about you like that? Did they say something?” He started to worry about these friends, maybe they weren’t as nice as he thought.
“No! No, they never said anything, but I assumed everyone jus’ thought like that, y’know…” He tried to defend his friends, but the looks he’d sometimes receive from other classmates or students for his unusual habits or skills were troubling him sometimes. He tried not to think about it, but he did, a lot.
“If they question it, say you’re staying with a family friend here, since you’re from Fukuoka? If they press for information, they’re not your friends,” Tsunagu concluded, not wanting his- whatever Keigo was to him, to have friends who would judge him for such things.
Keigo was nervous still, “What if they want to come over more often after? I don’t want you-”
“They would be more than welcome. Keigo, please, do not hesitate to invite your friends over. This is your home as much as it is mine,” the hero stated firmly, not tolerating the nonsense the other was spewing. “Just give me a heads up, so the state of the apartment is presentable.”
“When do I tell ’em, though? ‘bout everything. My parents, why I live here- with you. Do I jus’ lie forever?” Keigo mumbled more to himself, but not quietly enough.
“Do they know to keep a secret?”
He nodded, so Tsunagu continued, “Tell them when you’re ready, it is a lot. I know they wouldn’t judge you, from your stories they seem to have a lot of understanding for others. You shouldn’t be an exception for that. And if you are then-”
“Then they aren’t my friends, I know,” Keigo finished the sentence for him, repeating the other’s previous words.
“Exactly,” This time Jeanist successfully ruffled the other’s hair, “You’re a quick learner.”
“You always say that,” Keigo says, bashfully, not knowing what to do with the praise.
Tsunagu laughed to himself, “It’s true.”
“Sure,” Keigo mumbled, now looking away so he doesn’t have to meet the other’s eyes. His gaze landed on the TV that was muted but still displaying a soap opera he’d seen a million times. He looked back to his lap, not wanting to follow the show.
Tsunagu has noticed his aversion to television programs a while ago, unsure why the other disliked them, but he turned the TV off then. It was running simply so he had something to pay attention to until the kid returned home. “Go change, you stink,” Tsunagu attempted to lighten the mood. He got a feather brushing across his face in annoyance as an answer.
Keigo stood up, grumpy, he had started to fall asleep on the armchair, “We had practicals all day today.”
“Oh? Were they any good?”
“S’pose so,” He mumbled, stretching on the way to his bedroom.
It was then that Tsunagu noted down a few gift ideas. Workout clothes were a must, the other insisted otherwise but he noticed how Keigo would hand wash some of his hoodies and sweatpants he’d use to workout at home, so he could wear them again before laundry day. The difference in size of his closet compared to the kid’s was extreme, laughable even. He tried to respect the lack of interest in fashion, but it went against every fiber of his being. Warm clothes and athletic wear it is, then. Maybe something for Christmas too… He began to wonder.
-
Keigo struggled to open a jam jar in the kitchen. It was 6 AM, Tsunagu wasn’t supposed to be awake yet, as he had work in the afternoon. But he liked to follow the sounds of the other’s morning routine before school, if only to reassure himself that everything is going well. When he didn’t hear anything for a while he went out in the hallway to check on him. He found Keigo wrestling with the jar, a flash or anger sparking in his eyes as he considered smashing it.
“Don’t you dare, c’mere,” Tsunagu reached out a hand, offering to open it for him. The other obliged, handing the item over to the adult. Easily it came open and the teen took it back with a grumble.
“‘s not fair,” he complained while spreading the jam on his toast, trying to do it quickly to make up for the lost time trying to open the jar.
Tsunagu laughed, already on his way back to bed when he turned around, “Have you asked your friends to come over yet?”
Keigo nodded, “So far one confirmed she can come, but they're very excited.” He smiled to himself, unsure how he's gotten so lucky to be able to have his friends over in such a way.
Jeanist hummed, a smile spreading across his face once he saw the other do the same, “Take your time and decide when you want to tell them the truth, but- I’d love to meet them one day. To see who little ol’ Keigo is hanging around with. Can't have them being a bad influence.”
A laugh erupted from the teen at the idea of his friends being anything but a good influence. “If you think that they're a bad influence that means I'm behaving worse lately,” he teased, he knows the hero has a soft spot for him and would never say such a thing.
Immediately Tsunagu ran back to him, catching him by surprise ruffling his hair, “And you know that's not what I think, right?”
Keigo nodded, fighting for the hand to leave his hair. “I jus’ fixed it in the bathroom!” He yelped, still trying to get away.
“Didn't look like it,” Jeanist commented as he finally headed back to bed. “Have a good day at school!”
“Will do!” Keigo called out while doing his best to get his hair to stay like he did it earlier, but he didn't succeed. His hands fell back to his sides as he gave up on trying to look presentable.
-
Tsunagu tried not to sneak into Keigo’s room usually, preferring the other to have a sense of privacy. Today was an exception, it was Keigo’s birthday and he needed to wake the kid early so he could eat the cake Tsunagu prepared the night before. Just as the door creaked open, he saw a shuffle of about ten feathers around the room before Keigo jolted up in bed.
His feathers retracted to his wings before he rubbed at his eyes, realizing it’s just the hero waking him up, “What are you doing? Did I oversleep?”
Jeanist decided not to enter the room, staying at the doorframe “No, you’re alright, just wanted to say happy birthday before work.”
“Oh,” Keigo blinked a few times, still confused on what to say. He sat up more in bed, crossing his legs, the movement causing his plushie to fall off. He lazily placed it back on the pillow with two of his feathers, watching as Tsunagu pretended not to notice.
“So… Happy birthday!” He tried to lower his voice, the other flinching at the loud sounds so early in the morning.
“Thanks,” Keigo mumbled, smiling sheepishly. He was about to go back to sleep before the hero interrupted him.
“Care to join me for some tea? I already set it on the table.”
“Not much of a choice, then,” The teen teased but got up nonetheless, putting on some slippers before following the adult into the living room. He was still rubbing his eyes to wake up before bumping into the other man. He had stopped before the couch, Keigo not noticing.
Tsunagu laughed at him, ruffling his hair, “Surprise!”
Keigo was stunned, blankly staring at his expression before averting his eyes to where he was pointing. His eyes glistened with excitement before his smile faltered when he saw the wrapped gifts, “What- what is this for?”
The cake that was made last night was sitting in the middle of the coffee table, the two gifts laying next to it. “It’s for your birthday, I couldn’t wait for after work and you’d find the cake anyway. So, here it is- why are you frowning?”
“You already got me gifts for Christmas, just three days ago!” He complained, his eyes flicking between the gifts and the hero in front of him.
“You can’t help that your birthday is so soon after Christmas,” Tsunagu explained himself, adding, “Besides, you’re gonna need cake for the party tonight. If it turned out bad let me know I’ll get one on the way home-”
“No, no, I think it’ll be great,” Keigo smiled tightly, still uncomfortable with the gifts. “You didn’t have to…” He tried again, but couldn’t finish his sentence.
Tsunagu sighed, grabbing the other by the shoulder, “Listen, it’s your birthday. You will get gifts, and I bet your friends will bring some over later as well.” Keigo’s eyes widened with panic at the realization, but Tsunagu interrupted him again, “I understand you didn’t expect this, but you’re allowed to enjoy it.”
Keigo sighed, accepting his fate before mumbling, “Alright… But was getting two necessary?”
“If you don’t want it I’ll take it,” Jeanist teased, as the teen started mumbling something he added, “I’m kidding. Go on, I wanna see you open them.” He sat on the couch, patting the spot next to him.
The kid waddled over, settling next to the hero before taking the smaller box and wiggling it around. He tried to listen for what it could be, but nothing inside moved. Gently unwrapping the paper, he realized what the other had gotten him. He smiled brightly, holding up the pair of earplugs, “You remembered!”
Tsunagu smiled, he noted the interaction the teen had at the entrance exam in UA, never realizing how overwhelming the loud world could be for the other. He wanted to leave the better gifts for the birthday, opting to gift the hoodies and sweatpants for Christmas. “I hope they work like the ones Rumi gave you.”
Keigo hugged him, “Thank you!” He quickly moved away before the other’s hand found his hair again.
Jeanist laughed at the movement, not letting himself get sad that the hug didn’t last longer. “Go on, there’s one more.”
“Of course there is,” Keigo grinned. He was letting his happiness show now, realizing that he needs to get used to receiving gifts. One would think he would get used to it by now with how much Tsunagu has helped him out already. His nervous hands got the other box and started to unwrap it. He recognized the colour scheme, lifting up the All Might plushie.
His eyes had teared up, placing the plushie next to him after observing it for a minute. It looked like the exact one he had asked his mom for when he was little, but was too expensive. It was the reason he had the Endeavor toy still, too sentimental to throw it away. He didn’t think they were still available.
Tsunagu cleared his throat to break the silence, “It’s not the actual plushie- But the new merch line has similar ones so I got that one.” He was nervous for that gift, unsure what the reaction would be.
“No, no, it looks just like it,” Keigo took it in his hands again, observing it. He hugged it tight then held it out again. “Thank you,” He whispered, finally looking at the satisfied Jeanist sitting next to him.
“Well, you know. No problem,” He didn’t know what to say. “Thought your Endeavor could use some company.”
Keigo nodded, “I’ll need to seperate them though.”
Jeanist raised an eyebrow, “Why’s that?”
“Don’t want them to fight,” the teen seemed very satisfied with his joke, earning laughter from the other. He continued to hold the toy before pointing to the cake, “I heard you making that last night by the way, sounded like a hurricane came through the apartment.”
“And you didn’t come out to help?” Tsunagu sounded offended, but was grateful the teen didn’t ruin the surprise.
Keigo shrugged, smiling “I was trying to sleep.” He looked around the table, “There’s no tea.”
“Alright, if you don’t want the cake, you can go back to bed,” Jeanist rolled his eyes, “You can save it for the party.”
“No, no, I never said that,” he explained himself, his feathers grabbing two plates from the kitchen. “Let’s enjoy it before you go to work.”
Tsunagu smiled, the kid never failed to warm his heart “Hopefully we do enjoy it, I’ve never made one before.” He got up to grab the cutlery, not wanting the teen to hurt himself on the knife if he tried to bring it over with his feathers.
“If it’s bad I’ll just lie to you,” Keigo comforted him, still feeling happy about his gifts.
Jeanist came back to cut the kid a slice, “Alright, enough of that, you’re trying it first now.”
“Oh no, the horror,” he joked, mumbling a thanks as he accepted the slice. He took the first bite, his eyes widening.
Tsunagu panicked before he could say anything, “Spit it out!”
Keigo hastily ate the bite he took so he could explain himself, “No! It’s great! Try it.” He offered up the slice, but the hero has already served himself one.
He suspiciously took a bite, surprised to see it tasted good, “You’re right, I’m a great baker.” He mumbled it between his bites, testing to see if each layer of the cake was good.
“I didn’t say that,” Keigo rolled his eyes before going after the rest of the slice, not sparing a crumb. He sighed, satisfied, when the empty plate clanked against the coffee table. “Thank you, for the cake and- everything.”
“Of course, happy 16th birthday!” Tsunagu answered, happy that the cake was good, he didn’t want to disappoint Keigo’s friends.
“Th-”
“I’ll stop you right there, want another slice?”