#birdkeigo

‘Quirkless and angry. Not a big fan of heroes. Don’t worry about him.’ the teacher on duty had warned them when they walked in today. Izuku was expecting him to pipe up at some point as well. He was fairly open now about how he had grown up as quirkless and the discrimination people without ‘the right quirk’ could face.

“Did Hawks really have an anthropomorphic quirk?” The kid with bird features piped up quietly and asked. The teacher jerks upright from where they have been grading papers at their desk. Obviously not having expected them to bring up the dead Hero. Not with the way his name had been dragged through the mud for years. It was only a couple months ago that Takoyami had finally managed to clear his mentor's name. Muttering that he didn’t give a damn how Keigo felt about it, Takoyami wanted it cleared. He frequently brought up the fact that his mentor’s spirit hung around, although he wasn’t watching over Tako and darkshadow, Keigo only visiting occasionally rather than following him around. Showing up to mess with his apartment or office but that's it.

“Yes he did. He had a Raptor quirk he hid for many years as a top hero.” Izuku waved the teacher off. He had no problem answering the questions. He knew enough through Takoyami anyways. 

“Well shit. Look at that Dabi. I preferred the term mutant but hey, at least people can know now.” Keigo spoke to his spirit companion. There was no more shame attached to his quirk anymore.

“I didn’t personally know him but my friend Takoyami studied underneath him as a student. From what he told me Hawks was very proud of his quirk and loved flying more than anything else.” The only thing Hawks liked more was his job as a Hero. Having died in the line of duty and lived every moment as a Hero.

“I’m glad this kid at least knows that one of us made it to the top. Even if i was hiding it the entire time. Wonder if i had shown people if i still would have been as popular.” he murmured out loud. Dabi seemed to be doing his best to ignore him today, that was okay. Sometimes Dabi was just like that. “Mutant and proud.” he chuckled at the old movie line. 

“You hated your quirk. Hated your talons and your feet. Don’t bullshit the guy who walked in on you cutting them off more than once.” Dabi scowled at him. Hawks rarely left his side. He didn’t shoo him away anymore either, talking to Keigo was better than talking to no one. Keigo smirked and shrugged at him, unbothered by his rude behavior or on calling Keigo out on the lie.

“Takoyami is always willing to answer questions or emails about him.” He smiled gently at the kid who was staring at him like he’d handed her the world.

“Forget the pigeon Nami. He was a traitor no matter what way you look at it.” The student they had been ‘warned’ about spoke up finally. “Todoroki, were you really related to the Villain Dabi?” his narrowed eye’s bore into Shouto in a challenge. Daring him to deny something he already knew was true. It’s not like Shouto hid his relationship to his older brother, no matter what Dabi had done in his life.

“What the fuck kid! You don’t just ask someone that for fucks sake.” Dabi choked on air he didn’t need to breathe. A reaction he still had to shocking information.

“He was right about the traitor bit though.” Keigo patted Dabi on the back.

“We were both doing our job. Get the fuck over it. Also told you i wasn’t the only one to call you a pigeon.” He drawled and patted Keigo’s hand away from him.

“I was a Traitor to both, although they don’t know that. I betrayed the hero’s by fucking you and i betrayed you by doing my job.” He shrugged, his name belonged in the mud no matter what his student had to say about it. No one had been right in those years, not Keigo, not the commision and not Shigaraki. There had been a few months though where he had genuinely wanted to join the Villains, not that anyone else ever needed to know that.

“I’m so so sorry.” The teacher hopped up, walking towards her problematic student. Probably to set him outside class if Izuku was guessing, it reminded him a bit of Kacchan. Kacchan had gotten in trouble a lot as kids for speaking his mind, still did. Izuku made sure to send Katsuki’s press team gift baskets every year for the hard work they did for him.

“It’s no problem I assure you.” Shouto shook his head when she went to grab the student to lead him out of class. “He can stay, it’s just a question after all. Yes Dabi was my older brother. I didn’t know until shortly after his final battle with Hawks but yes I’m related to a Villain. He was a vanguard in the organization of the League of Villains and Shigaraki’s best friend.”

“You don’t have to do that Sho.I don’t care what people think of me. Confirming your relation to a Villain every time you're asked cannot be good for your career.” Dabi groaned out and put his face in his hands.

“I don’t think he really cares, gotta admire that.” Keigo floated himself so he was lounging midair, arms folded behind his head and legs loosely crossed. Picture of relaxation, Dabi still had no idea why Keigo hadn’t moved on already. Takoyami was a hero and Keigo rarely visited him, confident he was fine. Rumi got visited when he checked on Fuyumi but not often enough for her to be what was keeping Keigo in the land of the living as a spirit with him.

“We don’t really need to talk about that group or about shimura tenko.” The teacher in charge insisted but sat down when Shouto refused to back down.

“Shut the fuck up you bitch.” Dabi hissed and the room temperature would have risen slightly if Shouto hadn’t cooled it in his own anger.

“Rude.” Keigo glared and the papers on her desk ruffled slightly.

No one seemed to notice the ghostly activity happening in the classroom.

“He prefers to be called Shigaraki, with no family last name. My brother also preferred to be remembered as Dabi. I respect both those decisions regardless of their life choices.” He spoke quietly, he always did, but his point was made and the teacher sighed before turning back to her paper grading.

“I love your brother. Seriously, fantastic kid.” Keigo relaxed again. This time sitting cross legged and letting himself float in random directions.

“She has a point about not talking about us. We did our part, I’m surprised the kid wants to know about me at all.” Dabi reached out and flipped Keigo rightside up before bringing him down to sit next to him.

“You all are welcome to ask any questions you have. We will do our best to answer them, and if either of us don’t know we might know someone who does or someone we can send you to for more information.” Izuku sat down cross legged on the floor. The chair was making him feel like he was separated from the kids anyways. “I know a lot about previous hero’s. I used to keep a notebook before I got my quirk and study them in hope of one day being able to do what they did.”

“Thats Creepy.” Dabi snarked at him, but it wasn’t as harsh as it had once been.

“Understandable though. Can’t believe greenbean was quirkless for so long, He makes a great Hero.”

“I’ve seen it. He kept doing it all the way up until he became a pro and didn’t have the time to anymore. Including one on my father.” Shouto sat down beside him, amused and bumped shoulders with him. “We had great fun burning that notebook actually.” he gave a small smirk. The teacher narrowed her eyes at the action and Shouto got the air to him, his face never changed but Izuku just knew he was going to get them both in trouble. 

Dabi narrowed his eyes at the friendly action. “Great job burning the crap but I think that’s close enough you two.”

“Oh my god Dabi, you are not doing this today.” Keigo grumbled.

“You’re free to leave, go fix whatever is keeping you here you dumb fucking pigeon and stop following me around.”

Well, Aizawa sensei called their class his problem children for a reason, he thought as he readied himself to be used as a prop for whatever mischief Shouto had in mind. Just because they were pro-heroes and adults now didn’t mean they had to stop having fun.

“Would you all like to hear a story actually? It has to deal with both Hawks and Dabi.” He smirked wide and Izuku felt a shiver go down his spine. Whatever this was it was going to be good.

“Sho, Sho what the hell are you doing. I don't like the sound of that.” Dabi had a faint note of panic in his voice.

“Yeahhhh, me neither. We don’t really have any good stories, Dabs.” Keigo commented. He took his gloves off and let them disappear, picking at his talons.

“Are you going to tell us about their final fight? I heard that a lot of top hero’s today had been there.” A kid closer to the front piped up as the quirkless student carefully moved closer to the rest of his classmates and both pro’s.

“I can’t do this.” Keigo suddenly announced and ‘stood’ up.

“I’ll see you later then I guess. Don’t get what the big deal is, we fucking fought all the time dumbass.” Dabi waved him off.

“Eventually, their lives weren’t all fighting you know. They were people too, Dabi and Hawks actually met several times before their final battle.” 

“Wait, what? Dabi whats he talking about?” Keigo hovered, literally as he tried to decide whether to go check on his intern or stay here.

“Fuck if i know, Kid makes shit up all the goddam time.”

“Because Hawks was a spy right?” the kid who had asked about Dabi before questioned while glancing at his teacher nervously.

“He was a spy for the Hero’s! Fumikage got his name cleared officially months ago Ryoko!!” The bird quirk kid snapped at her classmate, wings raised and bristling.

“I do not get her fucking deal with that.” Keigo threw his hands up helplessly.

“Kei, she cares because everyone thought you betrayed the Heroes for Years.” Dabi grabbed one of his hands, careful of his talons even though they couldn’t cut him anymore. Habit he guessed.

“I did. It dosen’t fucking matter for fucks sake. I betrayed the Heroes and then I betrayed the Villains and then I betrayed you and then I died. I was a liar and a traitor to everyone the whole time, asshole.” Keigo’s wings fluttered in agitation. He hated when people tried to make him sound better than he’s been.

“Sit down you dumb bird, you did the right thing and thats what matters to them.” He stared at the wings, wanting to brush his fingers through them and straighten them out.

“You're right, he was a spy for the Hero’s. Dabi however, was also a spy. But for the League of Villains.” Shouto smirked when he saw both kids' heads whip around and stare at him. Ryoko got up and moved to the front of his class that was huddled on the floor in front of the two Heroes. His classmates made space easily but didn’t move any closer to him once he sat down, continuing to give him space.

“What, do you know,” Ryoko growled frustrated with not being able to figure out how to ask his question.

“He did it all for his family right? You’re family, because of enji and how he had treated you?” Nami asked. Ryoko stared at her shocked but she didn’t glance at him. Staring straight at Shouto instead.

“Did you?” Keigo asked him curiously. Dabi shrugged lightly in response and shushed him. Wanting to focus on the present, he had but he’s also done it for himself.

“I don’t know why Dabi did what he did. I never got the chance to ask him. I’ve thought for a long time though that was part of it. Dabi ran away when I was very young and I don’t have very many memories of him. I can tell you that he was very protective of us, and didn’t like Heroes. Didn’t trust any of them but two.” Shouto shrugged, his face casually kind for the kids but his shoulders tensed slightly. Izuku held his hand out for Shouto to latch onto. Talking about Dabi was hard for him, his family in general was harder. He still had questions for Dabi, and probably would since he always declined Takoyami’s offer to interpret or ask Dabi’s spirit for him.

“Fuck Heroes. I didn’t fucking trust any of them.” Dabi muttered.

“Trusted me, at least enough to fuck.” Keigo commented and laughed when Dabi tried to smack him.

“Wanted to get some before I kicked the bucket, that's all.”

“He trusted a Hero? After everything he went through?” Ryoko found his voice again but sounded betrayed. For whatever reason it seemed like he admired who Dabi had been, and while Izuku hated what he had done to his class. Hated what Dabi had done to Katsuki and Hated that he had hurt so many people, he could still understand why.

“He trusted two Heroes. He trusted my teacher, Aizawa Shouta. Who you all know as Eraserhead. Aizawa was an underground Hero, who he trusted after he attacked my class in my first year of heroics schooling. Aizawa wasted no time defending us and put us as his first priority. That had been enough for Dabi to send him an envelope of evidence against our father before his final fight with Hawks.” Shouto squeezed Izuku’s hand hard and Izuku ignored the feeling of his bones creaking in protest. 

Although he didn’t constantly break his fingers or any other bones when he fought now he would always have damage in his hands. The pain wasn’t more than breaking them though so he let Shouto grip as tightly as he needed to, just lightly squeezing back to offer him comfort.

“I did not trust this pigeon. Aizawa was just the obvious choice, his husband has a fucking radio show and he was willing to do what it took thats it.” Dabi snarked and poked at Shouto who didn’t even notice. “Stop fucking death gripping that green idiots hand Sho.”

“It’s alright Dabi. Izuku isn’t that bad and they can hold hands if they want.” Keigo rolled his eyes at the overprotective behavior.

“We want to remind you guys that you can always find a Hero or an adult to talk to if you need help. Even against a top Hero like enji had been. It took time but enji was cleared of his title post mortem and had all his arrests re-examined. Somebody will believe you.” Izuku spoke up, making sure his voice carried the confidence he felt in his friends and fellow pro’s. Dabi hadn’t had options, his class was doing their best to change that for future generations. Setting up shelters, public emails and numbers, questioning police and public hero commision members. It wasn’t enough but it was a start.

“You said two, who was the other Hero?” Another kid piped up, the class was hanging on every word and the teacher in charge was getting a little agitated, sensing that something was going on and it wasn’t something she was going to like.

“The other Hero was someone who had infiltrated his organization, a group he was close to and thought of as a second family. One he had found after years of being homeless and on his own, I’m happy he found that. I’m glad that he wasn’t alone, even if the people he found were Villains.”

“They didn’t replace you guys, I just, I needed to,” Dabi whispered. Keigo lightly smacked his shoulder.

“Didn’t you hear? He’s glad you found people. I don’t think he felt replaced.” he waved his hand in the direction of Shouto.

“He trusted Hawks? But wasn’t Hawks sent to spy on them?” Nami asked, wringing her hands as she did. “ Did Dabi know Hawks was like me? Did he trust him anyways?”

“He did.” Izuku spoke up, giving Shouto a chance to brace himself for the next parts. This wasn’t his story, wasn’t Shouto’s either but he didn’t know enough to know how to tell it the way Shouto needed it to be told. “Hawks hid his full quirk from the media at the insistence of the press, because of society as a whole at the time, but Dabi did know and he did trust him despite everything telling him not too.”

“ Again I did not trust Hawks.” Dabi insisted despite knowing neither of them could hear him.

“Why did he trust Hawks then?” Ryoko spoke up, him and Nami seemed to be close, asking questions for each other when they were too shy to.

“Because they were dating. Hawks and Dabi were actually in love.” He smirked when the teacher in charge squeaked in outrage. Izuku merely smiled at her and she backed down. Reminded that these were two top Pro-Heroes and that she was not allowed to really stop them from telling a harmless story or humanizing Dabi.

“Oh my god, Shouto! No! Stop!” Dabi buried his face in his hands. What the hell was Shouto thinking?

“What we weren’t in love?” keigo cackled loudly.

“We weren’t dating bastard.” Dabi hissed at him in response.

“Hawks had appeared one night when he was recruiting new members, back when the League was a bunch of mistreated adults and not the staggering numbers they grew to later. He approached Dabi and convinced him that he wanted to join.” Shouto started gesturing with his hands as he spoke, entering true story teller mode.

“ That’s actually correct.” Keigo had a shit eating grin on his face, he was now having the time of his life as Dabi’s face grew more and more red. It was rivaling his hair at this point. Undyed in death.

“Yeah but I tried to set you on fire and you tried to skewer me.”

“Him and Dabi met up several times over the next few months, at first trying to spy on each other and then later as dates. Hawks insisted on paying for them and bringing Dabi food whenever they met up. Their meeting moved from alleyways to the beach and Hawks own personal apartment.” Shouto smiled at them. “ They were actually very in love, despite being on opposing sides. Dabi told Keigo who he had been before he ran away and Keigo ended up slipping up and telling him his name as well. Keigo even trusted Dabi enough to show him the parts of his quirk he had to hide from the rest of the world.”

“ we did not go on dates. I cannot even begin to find where to start with this! You had no fucking idea who I was, neither of cared when we were balls deep in each other. I saw your apartment only after I broke in and only knew about your quirk because of that. You were clipping your fucking talons down and there was blood all over the fucking bathroom. Kinda hard to miss. On top of walking in one night to see you chowing down on ground beef like it was something to hide.” Dabi complained, tearing apart the scenario Shouto was building.

“This is much better, I like this.” Keigo put his chin on his hand, still smiling.

“Wait, like what. What do you mean?” Nami questioned Shouto.

“Well, Keigo ate raw meat, like my friend Fumikage. He also had talons he hid underneath his gloves.” Shouto rambled off the stuff he remembered from Takoyami speaking with them about his internship and his mentor. “Dabi had a soft spot for kids, He was the one that tipped Hawks off about a group of yakuza holding a kid hostage. Helping the Heroes and trusting Hawks to do the right thing.”

“Dabi and Hawks were the reason Throwback got rescued?” Another kid asked excitedly, talking about Eri who had just recently gone through her first sports feastival.

“ lies all lies, i had no idea she was there.” Dabi continued to freak out beside Keigo.

“I mean, you did have a soft spot for kids. And if we had known we would have done something.” Keigo commented, shrugging.

“Yes. They were, on top of Izuku here and Mirio participating. Someone had to speak up and let them know first.” Izuku blushed when the rescue with Mirio was brought up. He had broken so many bones back then and if Eri hadn’t been there he wouldn’t have made it out of that fight.

“Let’s go back to Hawks and Dabi please.” Izuku muttered.

“Eventually the fight against enji, my father, came along. Dabi had told Keigo his old name but not what his family name was. No one knew until after that fight. Dabi took down enji, all by himself and got severely injured.” Shouto thankfully switched back to his story. “Hawks found him after the fight and because he loved him he took him home and patched him up. Hawks had greatly admired my father and had no idea what was going on but he prioritized his hurt boyfriend and took him home to heal and rest. He kept 24/7 watch over him for weeks until Dabi was strong enough to go back to the League.”

“Hey if we meet next life can I play nurse to you again? That actually sounds nice.”

“Shut up, act like you would do that. We had sex a couple times and that’s it. You wouldn't have gotten the time away from the commision anyways.”

Keigo lets the rebuke go, not bring up that wasn’t what he had been asking anyways. He hadn’t gotten the chance to check on Dabi, he’s been whisked away by League members and Keigo had stayed up all night staring at a contact phone and hoping it would light up with an unknown number.

“If Dabi loved Hawks so much, why did he go back to the League?” Nami frowned, she was probably realizing that most of Shouto’s story was fake.

“He had things to do kiddo, and i wouldn’t have kept him from that.” Keigo whispered. Dabi whipped his head around to stare at him but Keigo refused to meet his eyes.

“Dabi loved Hawks but the League was so important to him that he wouldn’t leave them without saying goodbye. Hawks too had people important to him on the Hero side. He had a best friend and a student he was trying to look after. So while they loved each other they had to compromise where they could.” Shouto had to pause for a second to think about that one. He had no idea if that’s really why Dabi had stuck with the League after enji’s death.

“Eventually they couldn’t stay away from each other anymore and the fighting between the Villain fighting for change and the Heros fighting to protect society came to a head. There was a big showdown. Hawks and Dabi faced off against each other and fought viciously. Or so it would look to everyone else. In actuality they were putting on a show to fool everyone.” Shouto smiled softly. Rewriting history in his head as he told this story. The teacher that was supposed to be in charge was furious at this point but her hands were tied. She wasn’t allowed to step in and say anything. “They faked their final fight and when the dust settled no one could find them.”

“Wait, he lived? And he’s somewhere with Hawks now?” Ryoko asked in shock. A small bit of hope creeping into his voice and expression.

“We’re fucking dead. We fought to the death and died in that fight.” Dabi flopped over so he was laying flat on the floor, exasperated. Well he had died in that fight. Hawks had shown up a few weeks later.

“Wait, Kei, did you die in our fight?” He poked at a ghostly wing and it smacked his hand at Keigo's request.

“Sure.” he muttered. He really didn’t want to talk about how he had died. “They got that i’m somewhere with you right at least.”

“Why won’t you tell me how you died? What’s the big secret, you’re so carefree about being dead so why won’t you tell me?” Dabi ran his hand over the wing, the feathers were just as soft as he remembered.

“It’s private, don’t worry about it Dabs.” Keigo muttered while leaning into Dabi’s preening.

“He did. Him and Hawks are now living retired from fighting on a remote island. Hawks flew them away after the fight and they’ve been laying low happily together.” Shouto finished the story up. “so you see Heroes and Villains are people too, they can even get along and fall in love.”

“Seriously love your brother, can you imagine us living on an island somewhere in domestic bliss?” he snickered and laid down half on top of Dabi who hadn’t bothered to get back up after dramatically laying down. “Wish I’d had time to get to know him better.”

“Wait did they get married?” A kid asked as they all filed back to their seats and Izuku and Shouto stood up, preparing to leave.

“Yes they did. They had a smaller wedding because they were still hiding of course but they broke Shigaraki out of prison and Hawks got Fumikage and Miruko over as well. Everyone was very happy for them and the wedding was in blue and gold colors. I’d never seen either one of them happier.” He brushed his clothes off and when he looked up he was smiling at the class. “I’m sorry but I believe our time is up today.”

“Congratulations, We apparently were just married by him. So he’s your brother now too.” Dabi gently shoved Keigo off him.

“Next life I’ll romance you properly and we can meet the family before death yeah?” Keigo snickered and sat up. “I’ll get down on one knee in a fancy restaurant and everything. I- i did love you. You know?”

“Ugh. Whatever you dumb pigeon. I love you too. It sucks that we're confessing as ghosts but whatever. I was just upset that he got so much shit wrong. Imagine me dealing with my scars and sand. Stupid shit gets everywhere.” Dabi trailed after Shouto and Izuku.

They exited the class room and Izuku reminded the teacher that she wasn’t to discriminate against quirks or lack of quirks in her classroom. He promised the students they would come back and joined Shouto outside, pulling his attention away from the sky he had been staring at.

“Are you okay? I know you have a hard time talking about it.” Izuku stuck his hands in his coat pockets awkwardly.

“I’m alright, It gets easier the more I do it. Could be worse,” He smirked at Izuku. “Could be asked if I was related to enji all the time, I’d rather talk about Dabi honestly” He snickered.