Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Wind flowed through the open windows causing the curtains to dance in the breeze. Hawks focused his eyes on them, not blinking as he gathered his thoughts. They were so pretty, curling in and out, blowing gently into his apartment. The soft sound of them tapping his wall, swishing slightly as they brushed against the windowsill.

God, he must really be out of it if he was this stuck on fucking curtains. He shook his head lightly, refusing to spend another moment paying this much attention to them when his phone pinged below him. Shuffling around awkwardly, the hero pulled his cell out from underneath him.

He had been lying on this couch for the past 2 hours, stuck in a haze between sleep and reality. The commission’s leader sent him home early once she realized he was ruining their public image by running around with a high fever.

If he had just been able to avoid that window maybe he wouldn’t be lying here right now. Hawks had been able to fly home, slowly, but he had made it there.

The hero pulled up his texts, smiling quietly when he read the singular message from Dabi, “I’ll be there in 30”.

He pulls himself off the couch, briefly letting the dizziness run its course before standing. He sways dangerously once on his feet, the villain will be here soon and he needs to clean up a bit.

Dabi never seemed to mind the mess that covered Hawks’ apartment, choosing to focus on the hero rather than cleanliness. However, his fuckbuddy would probably be the first to notice if he wasn’t okay and the last thing Hawks needed was to turn away the only person who had been kind to him recently.

If Dabi wanted to come then he was welcome, if he saw through the hero’s feeble attempt at feigning wellness, then he could leave. It was simple really, who was he to turn down the villain? He wasn’t that sick, barely had a fever.

The coughing fit that bursts out of him not even a second later begs to differ but Hawks gathers the blankets he was sleeping on and simply folds them neatly before placing them on the side of the couch.

Fuck he’s already exhausted, which shouldn’t be happening. He needs to keep moving.

He moves to his bedroom, pulling sheets and covers into place and then tackling the clothes that cover his floor. The rest of the apartment is clean enough. Anything else and Dabi will just poke fun at him for acting like a housemaid.

(“Wow, no empty coffee cans on the counter this time. You spoil me.”

Hawks just rolled his eyes, more focused on the way Dabi’s lips were moving than the actual message coming from them.

“And you finally got rid of that pile of cardboard boxes in the corner. Spring cleaning? I always knew you were a spring chicken.”

“I do all this work and I don’t even get a kiss” Hawks smirks, leaning into the villain’s face.

“Oh? Is that what you want housemaid?”

The hero’s face turns an impressive shade of red as Dabi returns the smirk and tilts Hawks’ chin up. He tilts his body forward, letting his lips brush the hero’s ear as he whispers, “All you had to do was ask.”)

He blinks the memory away, instead pulling on some clothes that aren't just his hero attire and walking to the bathroom. He looks like shit, and that’s being generous.

Hawks runs his fingers down his face, prodding the sinuses that have swollen over the past few days. They’re sore to the touch and he winces briefly. Washing his face seems like the most reasonable thing to do, wiping away the grime and dirt of an almost twelve-hour shift.

He sighs, coughing into his arm again before deeming his complexion suitable enough for Dabi. Speak of the devil, Hawks could feel the villain’s footsteps in his apartment already. A quick glance at his watch told him that the timing was right, Dabi was never late. He strolls into the living room, catching eyes with the arsonist. Dabi smirks at him as he saunters over to Hawks.

“Hey, hot stuff. Want me to order something for us?” The hero asks pleasantly.

“I’m actually gonna get started on dinner. Wanna join?”

Hawks dutifully follows him to the kitchen, sitting at the small table in it, trying to ignore the slight disappointment he feels at not being able to offer the arsonist food. He can still talk to Dabi and watch him cook from here. The villain only spares him a second glance before turning back to the cabinets. Ever since Dabi started cooking more often Hawks had made sure he had fresh ingredients on hand at all times.

Dabi turns away from the hero, gears clicking quickly in his head. Hawks looked like he was coming down with something. The flavorful meal that he had planned probably wouldn’t be the best for his birdie’s health so Dabi simply rifled through the cabinets looking for the chicken broth he’d insisted on buying a couple of weeks ago.

One glance back at Hawks, red-eyed and slumped over the table, told him that getting an admission of illness was a lost cause. The hero would probably insist he was fine until Dabi ended up carrying him to bed. He just sighed, he’d check the medicine cabinet later. He could always order some with Hawks’s phone if it was empty but the hero had been keeping it well stocked recently.

Hawks groaned and bit back a cough that threatened to tear apart his throat. He should’ve taken something before Dabi got here but it had slipped his mind. A short cough made its way out, harsh and dry. He glanced up to see if the villain was focused on something else so that he could slip out, only to catch Dabi staring at him with something akin to concern. He turns away as soon as Hawks returns his stare and the bird hero blinks uneasily. He hated when the arsonist studied him like that, it felt like he was trying to pry open Hawks’ brain and look inside.

Dabi started to chop up carrots, onion, and celery to add to the sizzling pot on the stove. It certainly wasn’t cold in here with the heat on and the windows closed but Hawks was shivering at the small wooden table. His brow furrowed with confusion. Was the hero sicker than he seemed?

“Nothing to say birdie?” He questions gently. Usually, Hawks would be talking his ear off by now, telling long stories about work and his patrol but he remained silent.

“Oh um, work was slow today. Really boring. I was training that UA kid, Tokoyami, I think he has a lot of potential.”

“Another one of those high school brats huh? He has a bird quirk too.”

“Yeah, that’s partially why I chose him. Not enough mutant quirk heroes that are willing to take on students right now.” The congestion in his voice wasn’t lost on the villain

“Mhm” Dabi hummed softly, “Lots of discrimination against them still”

Hawks just nodded, tired from the short conversation. “How-“ he stops, coughing harshly into his elbow before continuing “How was your day?”

The villain sighed, “Alright I guess, Shigaraki is on my ass about this new operation thing. Nothing important, it’s not even logical which is why I haven’t done it yet. Me and Twice took Toga out to try a milkshake. The little punk’s never had one before. She loved it, we’re not going to able to fund the amount of milkshakes she’s going to ask for after this. I think she got like a strawberry one. She’ll be adding blood to them once she figures out it’s just blended ice cream.”

Dabi rambled easily. On the nights when he would slip into Hawks’ apartment to find the hero tired and quiet, Hawks seemed to love listening to Dabi talk. It didn’t make any sense, his voice was rough from years of smoking, both first and secondhand but he saw the way that Hawks relaxed while hearing him recount the events of the day.

The hero just sat, letting the syllables wash over him in waves, completely missing the message. His nose was running at this point and he had to press a fist to it in order to keep some semblance of control. His head pounded as he sniffled pitifully, only a couple more hours and if he was lucky, Dabi would stay the night. The villain had been staying over for longer stretches of time now, even if they didn’t fuck, he would sleep over occasionally.

Dabi poured broth over the sautéed vegetables and turned the heat up to a boil before cutting up the raw chicken into small pieces. Usually, he’d make a joke about how he preferred his birdie raw but the last thing Hawks seemed up for was sex and he wasn’t about to cross that boundary.

Instead, he chopped up the meat quickly, hoping to be able to check the medicine cabinet before they ate. The sooner he knew what they needed, the sooner he could order more if necessary.

Bits of chicken and a couple of cups of rice made their way into the broth. The soup would last several days and they could always freeze it if he made too much. He covered the pot with a lid and turned back to the hero sitting a few steps away.

Dabi hated seeing his birdie like this, worn out and damp around the edges, quiet and almost invisible as he tried to keep his problems hidden. But the villain had already worked his way past those thick defenses and he could see the way that Hawks clenched his jaw and shivered ever so slightly despite how hard he was trying to suppress it.

“I’ll be right back” he promised easily, kissing the hero’s forehead and coming back with his lips burned from the heat. Hawks had a fever and a bad one at that. Dabi continued to the bathroom where he found two different bottles of medicine. One was a liquid daytime symptom suppressor and the other was a nighttime fever reducer and symptom easer.

He would make Hawks take the nighttime meds once they’d eaten. They both had sleep issues and his birdie clearly needed to get some rest. He left the bottle on its shelf, not wanting to spook the hero too early.

Dabi could hear him coughing from the bathroom and it sounded rougher than before. He just sighed, returning to the kitchen empty-handed. Hawks sat in the same place at the table, his eyes glazed over and his forehead shiny with sweat.

Dabi smiled at him, choosing not to point it out until he could get the hero to eat something. Hawks managed a weak smile before clearing his throat. The villain turned back to the soup, lowering the heat and uncovering the pot so that steam would fill the room. Hopefully, it would help Hawks’s congestion a bit.

Dabi hums, gentle and reassuring, “I’m going to clean up and then it'll be time to eat okay?”

“Oh no it’s alright. I can do the dishes since you cooked” Hawks insists sitting up straighter.

“It’s only a few things, I’ve got it” Dabi returns, equally as stubborn.

The hero just stares at him, confusion clear on his face. Dabi never does the dishes when he cooks, they always trade off on it. That’s what’s fair, he can’t make the villain do both. It’s just rude.

“Here let me, you can sit. I’ll get them done” Hawks states plainly, rising out of his seat.

“Silly bird,” Dabi jokes, “I said don’t mind, it’s only a couple of utensils.” He gently pushes the hero back into a sitting position ruffling Hawks’ hair when he’s done.

Hawks has to fight tears from taking over his eyes as helplessness wells up inside of him. Why isn’t Dabi letting him help? He needs to do something or the villain will leave right after dinner. When he comes back over then he’ll kiss him, maybe seduce him into waiting a bit longer for dinner. Ideas fire through his head, rapid and illogical. He doesn’t even hear Dabi sit down beside him

The hero blinks a couple of times when Dabi lowers himself into a chair at the table. The villain usually stood the entire time while he cooked, occasionally sitting on the counter or walking around while making conversation but Hawks was the one who sat during meal preparation.

He turns to Dabi expecting to see that feral look in his eyes that comes with most of the physical closeness between them. He just looks worried, which is dumb, Hawks is okay. He’s got a small cold, nothing serious and it’s not a reason for Dabi to look at him like that .

He coughs again, twisting to the side so that it doesn’t hit the villain. “Sorry” he mumbles quietly, “there must be something in my throat.” Dabi frowns at that and Hawks feels his stomach sink.

Shit he knew that letting Dabi come over was a mistake, what was he thinking? The villain wouldn’t want to be around him like this.

When Dabi sees the visible sadness on Hawks’ face in response to his own frown, he feels his heart ache. Of course, the bird would be more sensitive right now, his fever was high enough to rival Dabi’s flames. “Do you want to move to the couch? The food will be done in twenty minutes”

Hawks perks up at this, the soft look in Dabi’s eyes hasn’t faded but it’ll probably pass by the time they get in there. It never lasts long, overtaken by lust or a calm stare. They both move into the living room, Hawks with more difficulty than the villain.

He drops himself onto the couch, trying not to pant from the small physical activity. Thank God he has the next few days off because this bone-deep exhaustion is getting worse.

Dabi pulls him in closer, making sure to keep his arm out of the way of the little wings on Hawks’s back. He must have dropped the loose feathers earlier and that’s why he was shivering in the kitchen. Without the warmth of his wings and with his hollow bones it was no wonder that he felt so cold. The hero relaxes as Dabi’s arm surrounds him, his warmth encompassing them both in a bundle of heat.

He hasn’t truly relaxed since he got sick and this comfort pulls him closer to sleep than he’s been able to get over the past few days. The villain smiles to himself when Hawks leans into his arm, grateful that the gesture is welcome. “I’ve got you birdie, you can rest. You’ve had a long week.”

The hero flinches at the words. He thought that Dabi moved them so that they could make out on something more comfortable than wooden chairs, not to do this.

It'll come later he promises himself. For now, he lets the stress from his day melt out of him. Lips press to the top of his head again, gentle and kind. Dabi thumbs at his shoulder while putting on a show for them, just a random romcom that has Hawks falling asleep almost instantly. The villain smiles, happy that his birdie is finally resting

Chapter Text

Hawks feels something shift beside him as he lies on the couch, not quite asleep but not fully awake. The warmth he was holding close has disappeared and the hero shifts to an upright position in time to see Dabi walk away.

“I’m grabbing the food birdie, I’ll be back in a second” he yells over his shoulder

The romcom is still playing in the background, dull and sweet. He watches the main characters walk down a street holding hands before realizing that Dabi is standing in front of him again.

“Here’s your food,” he says, giving Hawks a bowl full of rice, chicken, and broth. It looks appetizing and the steam soothes his sore face. The hero lets it warm his hands, sighing slightly in the heat.

Dabi smiles at the man sitting next to him who hasn’t even taken a bite yet but looks perfectly at peace. Hopefully, Hawks will like it, it’s nothing special, just a rice based soup. They didn’t have the right type of noodles and rice works just as well so he’d replaced it. He wraps an arm around the hero as they eat, not missing the way he shivers in the mild chill of the apartment. Dabi would increase his temperature if it wouldn’t worsen the man’s fever.

Hawks eats half of the bowl earnestly, savoring each bite until his stomach turns against him and forces him to stop. He really should eat more, Dabi cooked for him and it would be wasteful to not finish the food. However, the broth looks less appetizing than it did ten minutes ago and he can’t take another bite.

The villain just watches quietly, Hawks was never going to finish the whole bowl and he should’ve fixed a smaller portion for the sick man. Guilt is written all over Hawks’s face as he tries to choke down another spoonful. It just results in a heavy coughing fit once he swallows. Thick and wet, the coughs rattle in his chest.

The hero panics when Dabi gets up. Shit, this keeps happening, he needs to stop coughing when the villain is right beside him. He groans inwardly from embarrassment. This night is supposed to be relaxing but he’s making Dabi do all the work and being gross. The only thing that calms his nerves is the fact that he’ll be able to repay the villain in a few minutes.

Dabi returns with a glass of water which Hawks takes gratefully. He shouldn’t have to be handed water like this but the gesture is appreciated all the same.

“Ready for a shower? I’ll put the bowls away if you’ll grab some clothes for us?”The arsonist asks earnestly, that cool gaze that Hawks knows so well returning.

“Yeah, of course” he smiles back.

The hero grabs two pairs of sweatpants and t-shirts, pausing before grabbing a pair of loose jeans as well. Dabi has been staying over more, but he’d done a lot this evening and it would make sense if he didn’t want to spend the night with Hawks. Now was the time to repay him for how nice he had been all evening.

The villain rinsed the bowls quickly, wanting to get back to his birdie. Hawks kept giving him a weird look, one that bordered on confusion and guilt whenever Dabi would do something for him. He would probably protest against medicine later too, always refusing help when he needed it most. Dabi sighs, leaving the kitchen and walking to the bathroom.

Hawks stands in the shower, not letting exhaustion pull him down when Dabi steps in. The villain stares at him, sweetly and calmly, his attention fixed on the hero. Hawks runs his fingers up the man’s chest, feeling the scarred skin and staples underneath his fingertips.

He outstretches a hand to meet Dabi’s waist, pulling the villain forward so that their hips connect. Hawks moves his hand lower, almost reaching his goal when Dabi stops him. The arsonist grabs his wrist, studying Hawks with an air of concern. His eyes questioning and wide as he puts distance between them and the hero feels his body go cold.

“I don’t think that’s the best idea tonight birdie, maybe later” he promises easily.

“Hot stuff,” Hawks pauses, looking down “I can't just leave you like that,” he says laughing shakily. Why didn’t the villain want this, he’d never turned down sex before. What was Hawks doing wrong? Dabi was clearly turned on, so why didn’t he want it?

“Not in the mood” he lies easily, despite them both being fully aware of the blood flowing south. Fuck he thought he had better control of it but he also didn’t expect Hawks to start grinding on him the second they were undressed.

“You’re always in the mood,” the hero says confused. He’s seen Dabi with a low sex drive before and he’s not about to force the villain into anything but this doesn’t look like that. Dabi is clearly aroused and denying any advance he’s making. God, why did he feel so dejected by this? It was okay if Dabi didn’t want this but he saw the hunger in his eyes just a few moments earlier and now it’s replaced with worry.

Fuck Hawks looked so disappointed when he said no but it'll just raise the poor birdies fever. He looks so confused, standing there, not even aroused himself, but trying to please Dabi. Not that the villain doesn’t want it but it won’t be healthy for Hawks.

“I can make you feel so good hot stuff,” he says, lowering himself to his knees. His hands rest on Dabi’s hips and the sight alone turns him on despite how much he’s trying to resist it. Neither of them are doing anything tonight but he can’t help the slight arousal pooling in his belly. He’d rather be abstinent for the rest of his life than make his sickly lover do this. That thought immediately makes him pause. What the fuck was happening to him, he was getting soft.

“Hawks stand up,” he says firmly.

“Please Dabs. I can help you, it’s my turn to help you out. This is me paying you back” he begs.

This makes Dabi’s brows furrow. Pay him back? For what? They haven’t done anything like this in the past week, there’s nothing to pay him back for.

“What?” He asks, the confusion clear in his tone.

“You were so good tonight, cooking and helping out. ‘M gonna make you feel even better”

“Fucking hell Hawks, that’s just basic stuff. I always cook, you don’t-“ he pauses exasperated, “you don’t have to pay me back for that. It’s not transactional”

“You did so much tonight, you don’t want a reward?” The hero asks

“I don’t need a reward! Hawks I did that because that’s what people do for each other. You don’t have to make me come for me to do it. Please get up!”

Hawks rises slowly, biting his cheek to stop the questions that threaten to pour out of him.

“You won’t let me help you”

“I already told you birdie, I’m just not in the mood.”

“Not just that! You cooked instead of me ordering food, you did the dishes and now this? I just- fuck let me give you something in return.”

“I don’t want anything in return, I just wanted to help you. You’re clearly not feeling well! The last thing you need is to raise your fever like this.”

He falls silent, the only sound is the shower pouring over them both. Water spatters against the tiles and tears well up in the hero’s eyes.

Dabi knew he was sick? That’s why he was doing all of that? That was just more reason to help him out. Unless of course the villain was grossed out by him considering the fact that he was a walking disease right now. It made the most sense but it also left him powerless. Now Dabi really was going to leave, he had no reason to stay. Hawks could see it in the way he backed up, and turned away slightly.

“I’m sorry, I should’ve told you I was sick before you came over. Sorry, I got your hopes up like that” he mumbles pitifully.

“Hey, no, birdie. You don’t have to apologize” Dabi groans. He doesn’t know where all of this is coming from. Sex has never been a transactional thing between them. It’s usually not an issue so the fever is probably making it worse, causing his emotions to run rampant as paranoia takes over.

“Here let’s get you cleaned up” he offers softly.

“No,” Hawks says in return, firmly and without hesitation, “I’ve got it.” Agitation fills his tone, tainting the sentence.

Dabi lets him wash his hair and body alone, not wanting to push any further when it’s clear that he’s upset.

They both finish quickly and Hawks steps out before Dabi, not even looking back at him. Tears threaten to fall from his waterline as he gets dressed. Why is the villain staying if he won’t let Hawks give him anything? He feels useless and inconvenient as he slowly pulls clothes on his body.

Dabi stares at the sweatpants and loose jeans on the counter by the sink confused. Hawks had never grabbed those for him before when they showered together, even so, he dresses easily, handing the hero the jeans when he’s done. Hawks stares at them for a second, tears threatening to fall from his eyes but he takes them into his arms. He leaves without another word, shuffling down the hallway to put them away.

Well, that was fucking weird.

Dabi grabs the bottle of nighttime meds he saw earlier and follows the hero down the hall. Even if Hawks is mad at him, he can suck it up to take some pills. The villain takes a short trip to the kitchen to fill a glass of water for the hero before sauntering into the living room to find Hawks curled up on the end of the couch.

“Here, I got you some meds,” he says gently, handing the glass to Hawks who takes it with shaky hands. Dabi also uncaps the medicine so that he can shake two tablets into his palm.

Hawks just stares at him, empty-eyed and longing. Damp hair falling in front of his golden eyes, the markings that frame them even clearer in the low light. If he takes the pills now, he won’t get to enjoy Dabi being here for a little while longer. These moments are precious and he’s not going to waste them.

“I’ll take them in a bit” the hero promises easily. “I want to finish this episode without falling asleep”

Dabi’s eyes flick to the TV where a couple stands on a bridge together, gazing at each other.

“Yeah alright, but only one episode. I need to actually get some sleep tonight” the villain says before joining Hawks on the couch. An arm finds its way around him again, slipping into their position from before with Hawks's head against Dabi’s shoulder.

The hero sighs, relief flooding his veins as he relaxes in Dabi’s arms. He’ll be sleeping alone tonight but the comfort now will be enough to hold him over. Exhaustion washes over him even though he didn’t take anything. Another cough breaks out of his throat leaving him sniffling in the aftermath. Dabi doesn’t move away, just runs his fingers over the hero’s arm. The soothing motions leave Hawks’s chest warm as he struggles to stay conscious.

It feels like only a few minutes have gone by when the episode ends and Dabi pulls them both off of the couch.

“C'mon birdie, take some medicine so I can get to bed” the villain requests.

Hawks takes two tablets begrudgingly, swallowing the bitter pills with a grimace. He walks them both over to the balcony door, sighing when they reach it.

Dabi follows the hero to the balcony, confused but allowing it to happen. His confusion only grows when they stop there without another word from Hawks.

The villain isn’t making a move to grab his shoes. He isn’t even looking out the door, he’s looking at Hawks.

“Um, thank you for coming by tonight. You really didn’t have to stay but thank you. Please get back to the league safely” he murmurs uncertainly.

“What the fuck are you talking about birdie? I’m not going anywhere tonight”

Did Hawks really think that he would leave the man in his apartment alone when he could barely stand? After all that Dabi had done tonight Hawks still believed that he was just going to walk out at the end? Did he honestly think the villain was just here for sex and would leave if he didn’t get it?

“You’re not?”

“No!”

“I’m okay here alone, really it doesn’t bother me”

“I’ve spent all evening here why would I leave?”

“Everyone leaves”

His tone cuts into Dabi’s heart leaving him speechless. It’s not self-loathing or accusatory, just a simple statement.

“It was a lot of work, I thought you’d want to get out of here before it got too late so you’re not stuck in my apartment all night”

“I’m not just gonna abandon my birdie.”

“It’s not abandoning! I’m fine here on my own really, you can go back to the league.” It takes everything in Hawks to keep up his uncaring attitude. Of course, he wanted Dabi to stay but the villain didn’t want to stay with him. He was sick, sweaty, and choking on his own breath right now. As if to prove him right, a coughing fit bubbles up his throat forcing him to turn away.

Dabi’s hand finds its way to Hawks's back, rubbing comforting circles in between his small wings.

He didn’t know how he missed this insecurity, it was there even when they first started hooking up. It made sense for it to reappear in emotional situations.

(Dabi pulled himself off the bed, groaning as he walked to the bathroom.

Hawks laid between the sheets, coming down from his post-sex high when he watched Dabi leave. A few moments ticked by before the villain returned, much to Hawks's surprise.

“Dabi? You’re still here?” The hero asks, confusion lacing his tone.

“Yeah? Didn’t realize there was a time limit for how long I could stay after sex. I'm just cleaning you up don’t worry.”

“Oh um, you don’t have to do that it’s okay.”

The villain stares at him, shock finding its way through his usually guarded expression.

“Of course, I have to do that, it’s basic aftercare. I was inside of you!”

Hawks turns bright red as Dabi takes a wet cloth to his thighs, cleaning up any mess they had made. He fidgets, uncomfortable with the attention now that they aren’t having sex. He feels exposed even though Dabi is naked as well. The discomfort must be glaringly obvious because the villain starts to talk.

“Never had aftercare before birdie?”

“No, am I supposed to have had it?”

“I don’t what evil guys you’ve been hooking up with but yeah, you’re supposed to get aftercare”

“Oh,” he pauses uncertain what to do now that his ex fuck buddies have been exposed as less than ideal. The few people he’d done anything with were dicks but the way Dabi is looking at him with genuine pity right now makes him squirm uncomfortably. He chooses not to point out that Dabi is by far the most immoral guy he’s ever hooked up with so calling his other exes “evil” is beyond hypocritical.

“Learning many new things today huh,” the villain says, smirking at Hawks’s face as it changes to match his wings.)

“I’m not leaving Hawks”

“Oh um okay. I can take the couch so you can get some actual rest. I’m just going to keep you up. There are extra pillows in my closet so I’ll just grab one of those and leave you be. I think I also have-“

“Hawks!” Dabi exclaims cutting the hero off. “I’m not staying just to enjoy your bed, I’m staying because you’re sick and you can’t take care of yourself.”

“It’s not like that I just want to make sure you’re comfortable”

The villain almost yells at him, holding back to spare the headache he knew Hawks was dealing with.

“I’m comfortable with you, in your bed, with you beside me. You don’t- you don’t have to make yourself invisible just to get me to stay”

The hero blinks at him, staring, quite literally, like a hawk as he tries to form a sentence. Most of the people he had been even remotely close to shoved him away the second he got comfortable. Put off by his energy or his need for physical touch, but here was Dabi, acting like it was okay for him to take up this much space. It was a weird comfort, welcoming as it felt, to know that the villain didn’t mind him being clingy when sick, that he didn’t want an apology for the coughing fits that disrupted their evening.

“You’re allowed to not feel well and have me here”

“Thank you” he whispers back, unsteady on his feet as he stumbles slightly.

“Shhh, no need for that birdie” Dabi promises as he picks up the hero gently, carrying him like a little kid back to their bedroom.

He’s set down on the edge of the mattress, legs dangling off, unable to touch the floor.

Dabi leans over him slightly, holding the hero’s head in his hands and pressing a kiss to his forehead. “It’s alright my birdie, I promise everything is alright”. Another soft kiss follows, just the gentle brush of his lips against Hawks’s skin but it means the world to his tired soul.

The villain grabs a bottle from the nightstand, a small light purple moisturizer that Hawks uses every night. Dabi used to complain about the smell but it’s soothing now after months of falling asleep to it.

Lavender, a natural sleep aid, is what it’s made out of so it makes sense that his insomnia has gotten better because of it. Not because of the man who wears it, of course, that would be ridiculous.

Dabi scoops a small dot of it onto his finger, leaning forward to put it on the hero’s face. Hawks blinks at him, warm honey eyes reflecting the low light. His mouth hangs open slightly, breath moving in and out of it softly. Spots of red color his cheeks and nose, the villain reaches out with his finger to dab the moisturizer onto the tip of it.

With golden eyes glossy from fever, he lets them fall closed as the villain begins to rub the cream onto his face, soothing his sore sinuses in the process.

Dabi lets a smile fill his face at the cuteness of it all, the trust that Hawks has in him, and his childlike expressions. He prods at the hero’s face gently, smoothing out his worry lines and leaving his skin soft. When he finishes Hawks looks up at him again, hope swirling around those golden eyes.

“C’mon, let’s go to sleep”

The hero obeys immediately, getting under the covers and waiting for Dabi to follow him. A shiver breaks through his body as he waits, already cold from the loss of contact. The villain just pulls him close, breathing in the sweet scent of lavender as he kisses Hawks’s face. He closes the gap between them, ignoring the threat of an illness he is definitely going to catch.

“Thank you” the hero whispers, desperate to show his appreciation.

“You don’t have to birdie, I want to stay”

“Yeah but still, I’m glad you did”

“I’m not going anywhere. You don’t have to worry about me leaving you” Dabi promises easily, holding the hero to his chest.

Hawks feels the tears well up in his eyes although the statement was supposed to be reassuring.

“Shhh, just sleep now. I’ve got you. I’ll be here when you wake up. I’ll always be here”

With that the hero lets himself melt into the Dabi’s arms as they both drift off to the pleasant scent of lavender.