#faulty writes: keigo takami: 24

[faulty-writes]

[ Hello followers, and or fans! I am back with a Part II/Follow-up to the piece I originally wrote for the Hawks Big Bang. This was inspired by this image created by pepepecoooooo which is so so cute. Please note this piece contains MAJOR manga spoilers. ]

[ As a support specialist, you were used to receiving attention, and it wasn’t just because you were the child of Endeavor, a fool. Trying to adjust to your new life after the war was hard, but it was even harder knowing what happened to a certain winged hero man that you knew. It was clear the two of you had lost things you could never get back, yet this could be the key to finally moving forward hand in hand. ]

The tension in the air was beginning to make you sweat. ‘This is so awkward…’ you thought, mindlessly staring at the plastic container you were helping Keigo go through. It was filled with his hero memorabilia and merchandise.

‘Why did I agree to this again?’ The ache that coursed through your chest served as enough of an answer and your hands tightened around the edge of the container. The fingers of your newly created mechanical arm whirred in response to this.

You could only assume that it was still getting used to its functioning, and it served as a reminder of what you had lost during the war against All For One and the former members of the Paranormal Liberation Front. Ironically enough, your father had also lost his arm, and although you had offered to craft a new one for him, he refused.

You assumed he believed this was a way to atone for his past sins and thought he was foolish but tried to respect his decision, especially given the now delicate state of your family. Despite this, you knew that the heroes and hero students alike had lost something during the war as well.

The ache in your chest increased when you looked at Keigo who was crouched over another container across the room. Most would think that being in the former number two hero’s house would be a dream come true, but considering the events that led to this moment, it was more of a nightmare.

Despite now being a retired hero, he was currently dressed in his former hero attire which consisted of a black shirt with a repetitive golden pattern, a tan jacket with a high collar lined with white fur, and black gloves. Much like before the war, the only thing that was missing was the beautiful bright red feathers that made up his wings.

However, there was no chance of recovering them this time. Sure, the heroes won in the end, but Fierce Wings had been stolen by All For One, and upon the villain’s death, the stolen quirks died along with him. This, of course, is what prompted Keigo’s abrupt retirement.

Although there were many casualties, he considered himself one of the lucky ones because he could at least walk away from the war alive. Sure, a part of him was missing. But hell, he was never whole to begin with and part of him felt guilty for having made it out alive given that he took Jin Bubaigawara’s life.

At the same time, however, he assumed being alive was worth it if he had you. Although a part of you was missing as well, or a semi-part? Guess you were both equally messed up. He was slightly amazed that Endeavour had even allowed you to help him go through his things given what happened last time.

Of course, he didn’t give a damn if Endeavour knew he had feelings for you, especially now that he was retired. Being the person he was, however, he tried to laugh it off and say that now he had plenty of time to catch up on the things he wanted to do.

This included getting rid of or donating most of his possessions. However, you couldn’t help but notice that the merchandise he wanted to get rid of was related to his previous career as a hero. Still, you tried not to judge and knew that like before, this little task he requested your help with related to his desire to spend time with you. 

This was evident because he knew you had recently relocated with your family and while you missed Musutafu, the rural environment you now found yourself in wasn’t so bad. Yeah, it would be ideal if you got to work constructing a new development studio.

However, when you tried making blueprints for it, you struggled. At first, you thought it was a fluke and that you were still in shock from the war. ‘All I need is some rest to recharge, then I'll make those blueprints.’ Yeah, that’s what you foolishly thought.

That a small break from your passion would fix everything. It was only later that you discovered that said passion you felt for creating support items, among other things, had all but disappeared. Your family tried to remain positive and told you that your creativity would return when the time was right.

You weren’t sure if you believed that, and this only added to your frustration. But as usual, you tried to keep yourself distant from them and well everyone until you could sort out your emotions. However, just as in the past, this self-made rule didn’t apply to Keigo.

Just as before, your troubles seemed to be staying with you even in his presence. “Hm?” He paused, feeling your eyes on him. Guess he still had some of his hawk senses, but that was hardly a reason to celebrate. He frowned and focused his attention on the box in front of him again.

The very same box, that yes, bore the weight of his memories as a hero. The rustling of aged papers and faint crackling of outdated newspaper clippings echoed through the room. But among these was something from his childhood that was associated with skyrocketing his dreams of becoming a hero.

When his fingers brushed over something soft and plush, he knitted his eyebrows and leaned over the box. Carefully moving a few more items out of the way, he notices the red and orange coloring, accompanied by a cool blue undertone.

As he pulled out the Endeavour plushie, he noticed it was a little worn, and had a few stitches here and there. Still, it carried with it a sense of happiness, and memories came flooding back to him accompanied by a bittersweet smile.

He tentatively squeezed it and looked over his shoulder at you. His eyes naturally drifted to your artificial appendage that, like your previous metal fingers, gleamed the faintest blue and had a sleek metallic surface. In addition, precisely articulated joints mimicked the motion of the human body.

The metal fingertips were equipped with sensors that allowed you to perform tasks that surpassed normal human capability. There was a subtle space along the sides of it, that allowed that soft luminescence to emanate from its core, this was the source of the gentle blue glow that made it stand out.

Underneath the surface of your arm was a complex network of wires and circuits that was nothing less of the sophistication only you were capable of crafting, or so he believed. He imagined that like your mechanical fingers, the arm worked in tune with your quirk which made it the life force of the technological masterpiece.

It served as a reminder to him that you never said no to a challenge, no matter how difficult, and that was a quality that set you apart from other support item specialists. It was also what made him interested in you in the first place.

Not many freshly graduated support specialists could make a name for themselves as fast as you did and you were already popular at Yuuei because of your outstanding grades, and equally outstanding inventions. So, he had heard of you even before meeting you face to face. If only he knew the arm was indeed not crafted by you.

The smile fell from his face, and his chest ached softly. Although he tried to convince himself it wasn’t his fault that you had lost your arm, he felt responsible. However, this didn’t change the fact that you were still the child of his favorite hero.

The same favorite hero whose likeness was modeled after the plushie he was currently holding. He glanced at it, taking note of the synthetic fibers that made up the flames that Endeavour used as a makeshift mask and beard, and the bright turquoise color of the plushie’s eyes.

“Hm…” he perched his lips and grasped his chin, tapping it with the tip of his gloved finger. His gaze once again shifted to you, and he noticed that you had taken a few items out of the box you were rummaging through. They lay on the floor in organized piles, and he chuckled softly.

It was just like you to organize what you saw and make sense of it. “Hey,” your head turned when you heard his voice and tried to push down the fact that it made your heart race. Yes, the relationship you had with Keigo was…strange if anything.

This was especially evident given the last time the two of you were alone you almost kissed. That’s also when you realized just how strong your feelings for him were, and although you wanted to follow said feelings, something was holding you back. 

Regardless, Keigo had a history of pushing his luck with you and distracting you from your work whenever he damn well pleased. While you wanted to finish the task, he had given you, a sigh passed your lips. “What?” you replied, your voice flat as you placed a hand on your hip.

He smirked, happy to see that despite everything, you still had that fierce attitude. No doubt that was something you inherited from your father. “Check it out,” he said, approaching you. “He’s waving at you,” with a snicker, he proceeded to take the plushie’s arm and move it.

He had his hopes that his misguided sense of humor would make you smile. Unfortunately, this did not happen. Instead, you scowled at him and glared daggers at the plushie before grabbing it. Luckily, you used your flesh hand to do this, as opposed to your mechanical one which would have surely ripped the stuffed companion apart.

After you chucked it across the room, it bounced on the floor a few times before hitting the side of the wall where it lay askew. The smile on his face faded, leaving behind a frown as he stared at his precious childhood friend who was now laying face-first against the floor.

He then glanced back at you, taking note of your heavy panting and the whir of your mechanical arm that again, seemed to be straining to move. In this case, it struggled to make a fist, but he assumed this was ignored by you.

Still, he had faith you’d be able to tinker with it until it reached the flawless level of complexity and functioning that was usually associated with your inventions. The tension in the air was obvious, as was the awkwardness that lingered between the two of you.

It was no surprise that his mind once again drifted back to the kiss the two of you almost shared and the look on Endeavour’s face when he barged in to see you in his arms. He also recalled the way your father forcibly dragged you away from him. It all seemed so unfair.

Yeah, he had told you on that day that he wasn’t a good guy. But hell, he deserved love, right? He didn’t give a damn if he wanted it from the child of his favorite hero. That was part of the reason he insisted you help him with his much-needed task.

While things had just seemed to turn sour, he was determined to finish what he had started. “I don’t need to be greeted by a plushie of my Dad!” You snapped, pointing a mechanical finger at him. “Jeez,” you said, turning your back on him.

You knew that you might be taking your frustrations out on him, but for the moment, you were too stubborn to apologize. “D-don’t be weird, okay?” You muttered, making his frown deepen. ‘Hm…’ he narrowed his eyes, ‘weird, huh?’

If that wasn’t the greatest instance of the pot calling the kettle black, he didn’t know what was. But he had been dealing with you for too long, and he wouldn’t rest until he had destroyed every wall you tried to put up. Furthermore, since you were already at your weakest point, it was the perfect time.

Yeah, maybe that was a little…villainous to do. But hell, if his hero career taught him anything, it was that you needed to use whatever you could to your advantage. ‘Maybe Dad was right…’ you thought as you resumed looking through the box, taking a few items out of it to place in the piles you had created.

Of course, your father didn’t trust anyone who tried to get close to you, let alone pursue you with romantic interest. He had grown suspicious enough the last time you and Keigo were together, and it only heightened when Keigo requested your help after the war.

Part of you thought your father finally agreed because of your mother’s assurance that you would be alright, despite him having resentment toward Keigo. In his mind, he believed the once-winged hero was the one responsible for you having lost your arm.

This, at least in your opinion, was an illogical conclusion because Keigo was too injured to even move, let alone save your arm from getting severed at the time. You had tried your hardest to explain that after your family had stopped Touya’s reign of terror by working together, you searched for other heroes.

You were also the least injured one of your family thanks to your specialized combat suit. It was like that of a robotic suit that old superhero cartoons would depict, be it more advanced. However, it had received great damage from Touya’s flames and as a result, was weakened to the point of just barely functioning.

Despite this, your stubborn attitude made you determined to protect others. That’s unfortunately how you got caught up in the brigade of Himiko Toga’s doubles that had attempted to attack Keigo with a large knife. Without thinking, you jumped in front of him.

Of course, you didn’t anticipate just how much damage that knife would cause. It ended up shredding through the combat suit, and effectively through the flesh and bone of your arm, severing it completely. You certainly were a fool for doing what you did, but you also felt some pride knowing you prevented him from further injury.

Yeah…maybe you loved Keigo, whatever. If you were being honest, you were disappointed that your mechanical fingers got destroyed as well. But your original opinion still stood strong, countless individuals chose to have certain body parts or limbs replaced with robotic ones. Only this time, you felt different.

You couldn’t necessarily explain why, but maybe that’s because you were still processing everything that happened and dealing with more emotions than you wanted to. Jeez, there had to be a way to distract yourself from how you were feeling.

Your father only added fuel to the fire by acting protective and had initially refused and furthermore, forbade you from helping Keigo. Of course, he hadn’t explained why. But much like you, your father had a difficult time articulating his emotions.

You assumed it was because he didn’t want you to be romantically involved with anyone, maybe the fear of someone taking you away from him struck a nerve. The members of your family almost losing their lives during the war and Touya ‘dying’ for the second time likely added to this.

You could understand that no one wants to lose their child either in death or from someone else taking them away. But your mother managed to convince him to allow you to help Keigo, saying that she wanted her children to be able to be happy. Guess you could thank her for that, but your relationship with her was strained at best.

Still, you were beginning to wonder if you should have come here at all. “You know there, you don’t have to take your frustrations out on your father,” he said in a joking manner, crossing the room to pick up the Endeavour plushie before once again cradling it in his arms. “That’s not funny!” You snapped, pointing an artificial finger at him.

He seemed to recall the last time you had done that and like before, his body stiffened out of instinct. But instead of the memories of the flames that had stolen his wings away, the scene of when you jumped in front of him and the blood that splattered when your arm was cut off came to mind.

The blue hue of your finger reflected off the golden color of his eyes and you took a deep breath, letting out a sigh as you lowered your hand. Once again, it gave a loud whirring that made you smack it. “Shut up and work properly already!” You snapped, making Keigo raise his eyebrow.

While your mechanical arm was certainly a marvel, it wasn’t one of your designs. In the weeks following the war, and your attempts to make blueprints for a new Development Studio, you also tried to come up with blueprints for a new arm. Several. The only thing this confirmed was that your passion for invention and technology had now become a sizzling flame. Your frustration began here. It was like an author having writer’s block. There was potential for something beautiful to be created, and yet the mind remained blank, unable to convey the correct words for a heart-capturing story.

You were unable to do anything about your brain’s lack of creativity. Even when you had attempted to make your robotic limb, believing that baby steps would reignite your abilities, you found yourself struggling yet again.

This eventually led you to contact a promising Department of Support student named Mei Hatsume, who was the only one who challenged the legacy you had left behind at Yuuei. She was the one to thank for constructing your arm based on the blueprints of your once mechanical fingers.

Of course, this didn’t change the fact it was embarrassing to have someone craft something you should have easily been able to create. Although Mei had warned you that your new arm would struggle at first given that she had set limitations on it and would gradually increase them which would allow it to work more efficiently.

You knew it was important to get used to the strength of your mechanical appendage at first, and further knew that Mei was following safety precautions which was almost amusing given the stories you had heard about her inventions spontaneously combusting.

“Taking your frustrations out on inanimate objects now?” He questioned with a chuckle, but it died quickly when he noticed you were glaring at him. “That’s not funny either,” you said before walking over to the nearby wall and sighing as you slumped against it.

You frowned as you slid onto the floor and pulled your knees up to your chest. The frown on his face remained as he watched you, guess he should have expected this. Although you still looked like the same little firecracker he had always known.

“Mm…” he hummed and turned the Endeavour plushie in his hands. His eyes focused on it for a long moment as if he expected it to come to life and give him advice on how to deal with you. He took a breath as he lowered his hands and looked at you.

For the first time, it seemed that the illusion you were the child of his favorite hero was broken. Instead, he just saw you. Someone who needed comfort because they had so much frustration built up they were liable to burst at any moment.

At the same time, he also saw someone so intelligent when it came to crafting support items and other inventions yet didn’t stop to see their own success. You sacrificed everything for your passion, even if you didn’t receive as much as a ‘Thank you’ from your customers.

Someone like you didn’t deserve to be this…glum. More importantly, he saw the person who had saved him from the painful sting of a knife cutting into his flesh. Maybe he was seeing you as his new hero. The only difference was that he was no longer chasing a childhood dream.

He was pursuing the next stage in his life, the period when he’d settle down with the one, he had adored for quite some time. His eyes once again drifted to your artificial arm, and he walked toward you. “How does it feel to be without your arm?” He asked, his voice flat and an absent tone accompanied it.

Of course, having been trained under the Hero Public Safety Commission, he had, unfortunately, mastered the ability to numb his emotions. This didn’t last long around you and as he came to stand in front of you, he could see the anger brewing inside you, and the small hint of hatred dancing in your eyes.

He knew his question would make you angry, this was evident by your slanted eyebrows and scowl. You balled your hands into fists, and once again the sound of your artificial appendage permeated the air. Your lip twitched, and although you knew it was wrong, your anger and stubbornness got the best of you.

You leaned forward, and growled, “How does it feel to be without your wings!?” His facial expression dropped, and although most couldn’t tell. A look of sadness filled his eyes and an ache coursed through his chest. He knew that he had done good things during his career as a hero, it was something he was born for.

Ever since he saved all those people when he was a mere child, he had his hopes of becoming a hero. The rest followed when he found out about Endeavour, who unintentionally saved him, and the Hero Public Safety Commission was responsible for creating him into the person who stood before you today.

But it seemed that despite his best efforts, you were yet again trying to put up walls. He glanced toward the ceiling, rubbing the back of his neck. You raised your eyebrow, noticing his change in demeanor and guilt filled your heart, making your chest feel heavy.

You drew your bottom lip into your mouth, glancing away. ‘Okay…maybe I shouldn’t have said that…’ you thought, almost feeling sick for having come to that realization. Your eyes drifted to your mechanical arm. ‘We both lost something…’ you glanced at Keigo once more.

‘What he lost was more personal…’ and after the tragedy he went through before, you couldn’t fathom how he was feeling or how he could even smile. Images of his bandaged-up face and fresh scars came to your mind, making you tense up.

He raised his eyebrows, noticing this. He was keen to know what that meant thanks to his years of training as a spy, and frankly, he didn’t like the way it looked on you. So, he made the bold move to sit down next to you.

He stretched one leg out in front of him while the other was bent so he could rest his arm against it. Laying the Endeavour plushie on the floor next to him, he faintly smiled. If a little comfort is what you need, then he’d gladly give it to you. Although he could use some in return, he always put others before himself.

Maybe that’s part of the reason why he could shut off his emotions at any given time but as he looked at you, he was quickly reminded why that was impossible around you. He took a deep breath and focused his attention forward.

The awkward tension in the air continued to grow and sweat began to drip down the sides of his head before he let out the breath he was holding. “Guess it’d be crossing the line if I asked why you did that, eh?” He said, finally shattering the silence.

“Did what?” you replied, he noted that your voice was slightly strained indicating that you were still frustrated. He gave a half-smirk and leaned over, knocking on your mechanical arm. You stiffened as a result and quickly jerked your arm away, but its movement was slow and clunky.

A loud thud came when the elbow of it hit the wall. “Mm, again taking your frustration out on inanimate objects, huh?” Keigo said flatly, brushing his gloved fingers over the small indent you had now created in his wall. You grumbled and crossed your arms.

“Again, you’re asking stupid questions,” you hissed back, looking away from him with your anger boiling. Ironically, the temperature around you dropped which was unfortunately a side effect of your quirk. He wanted to reach out and touch your shoulder but decided against this given that your cold flame quirk was dangerous.

Although he didn’t believe you’d hurt him, at least not physically. He frowned and glanced up. “You know you could have lost your life trying to save mine, and despite being a devilishly handsome man, even with these scars…” he paused, and his eyes looked glossed over and void, almost like his soul had been ripped out.

“But damn if my life is worth more than yours,” he said, making your eyebrows rise and your lips part. He would have thought the look of surprise on your face was amusing if it wasn’t so sad. The weight on your chest seemed to double at his words, and you couldn’t help but wonder how the hell he could even think that.

Your eyes scanned his face, noting that his scar had gotten better, and you swallowed heavily before hesitantly lifting your hand. It hovered in the air for a moment, and you chewed on your bottom lip as second thoughts came to mind, but you pushed them away.

How could he think that your life was more valuable than his? His heart beat wildly when he felt the subtle cool touch of your hand against his cheek. Ironically, a heated warmth rushed through his body like the connection between two souls finally forming.

His eyes widened, unlike before your flesh and blood hand felt so at home, and he couldn’t resist placing his hand over yours. Your eyes locked, and when your thumb grazed over his scar, he hitched his breath. Silence lingered between the two of you and the tension in the air shifted.

Uncertainty and anticipation replaced the awkwardness in the air, making you lean forward. Keigo lowered his eyebrows, and his gaze lingered on your lips. He too, leaned forward expecting you to finish what the two of you started but-“You’re an idiot,” you said, removing your hand from his cheek. His eyes widened before he glanced away.

You sighed, and once again brought your legs up to your chest and wrapped your arms around them. “The world needs you,” your gaze turned to the ceiling, then drifted to the boxes that still needed to be emptied. You couldn’t admit that you needed him too.

A lump formed in his throat, and he lowered his head, sighing. “Heh, that’s the funny thing about the world,” he replied after a few minutes of silence. “The world thinks it needs heroes to save the day…” you knit your eyebrows.

“But it’s a bit different when someone is your world,” you hated the way your stomach filled with butterflies at his words. You clenched your jaw, pressing your teeth together. Once again, your mechanical arm struggled to move, and your fingers to close, causing a subtle creaking to echo through the room.

“You’ve protected even ungrateful people, you’re the number two her- ” you hissed when he grasped your chin. “Yeah,” he said, locking eyes with you. “I’m also the guy that wanted to sit on his ass and make the world an easier place for heroes,” he explained bluntly.

“And now that I’m rendered useless to the world I used to protect, I’m starting to see things a little differently.” A small ting of pain enveloped your heart when he described himself as useless. “Namely that little support specialists like you are the brains behind the operation,” a growl rumbled in your throat.

He wasn’t wrong, without support specialists the world would be in chaos, and the heroes without the proper means to fight. “That little stunt you pulled could have caused the world to lose someone that is actually needed,” he said, his eyebrows slanting, and his lips slightly pulled back in a snarl.

It was rare to see him angry, at least outside of his previous hero work and to know that anger was directed at you was a little off-putting. You looked at him with a dropped jaw, frozen for a minute before wrapping your metal fingers around his wrist.

In response, he tightened his grip on your chin almost as if silently conveying you weren’t going to make him let go. “You give hope to people who need it, and those who can’t control their quirk,” he said firmly. “You gave me hope when I needed it,” he added, hoping you realized he was referring to the feathers you created for him.

Another wave of sadness crashed over you; damn you hated feeling this much. “Why does that matter when you don’t have a quirk anymore?!” You knew you were rubbing salt into the wound but couldn’t help yourself.

A spark of blue fire erupted from the corners of your eyes, and the atmosphere around the two of you dropped again. However, just as with your father, he remained unintimidated. “E-even if I died…” you hesitated to speak and latched onto your bottom lip to prevent it from quivering.

Honestly, you would have happily died if that meant Keigo could get his quirk back. Moreover, you’d give up your quirk for his if you could. It didn’t really matter considering that since you were little, you knew your quirk wasn’t the ideal one your father was looking for.

Although you had since learned to cope with that, it didn’t make it any less true that your quirk wasn’t practical for anything except your previous mechanical fingers. Eventually, if you ever got the motivation to craft support items again, maybe you could improve your artificial arm so it could work in tune with your quirk again.

He sensed your frustration and watched his breath evaporate as he sighed. He released your chin before fisting his hand into his hair, contemplating his next words. It seemed you wouldn’t listen to reason, so he said something he knew would catch your attention.

“Endeavour needs you.” Even though it hurt him to say that because he also needed you. Your mouth grew dry, and his words made your chest ache again, although you knew he was right. As much as you hated to admit it, your life as a support specialist was the very thing that caused you to grow distant from your family.

After everything your family has been through together, everyone was trying their hardest to get along and you knew you needed to do your part by spending time with your parents and siblings. So maybe in that sense, it was selfish that you had risked your life to protect Keigo. Yet you remained with no regrets.

Why was this such a big deal to him in the first place? The two of you were still here, you had both lost something, and yet gained something at the same time. Silence filled the space between the two of you, except for the soft humming of your mechanical arm.

Why did he have to mention that your father needed you? “Mm…” you rested your chin on top of your knees, a blank expression in your eye. Your mind replayed the look on your father’s face when he and Best Jeanist stumbled into your Development Studio and the almost threatening conversation he had with you in the car afterward.

‘So, it was Hawks who initiated it then.’ Your bottom lip quivered. ‘I’ll have to have a chat with him later.’ Your arms tightened around your legs, something that caught Keigo’s attention. He then noticed the distant look in your eyes.

‘What could they be thinking about?’ He wondered before you hitched your breath. “Be honest…” you said, feeling your stomach twist with the soft flutter of butterfly wings. ‘And don’t make me regret asking this, okay?’ you thought before continuing.

“If…if my father hadn’t interrupted us on…that day,” you emphasized, knowing he knew exactly what you were referring to, “would we have…kissed?” Your heart thumped heavily in your chest, and although you hated it, the faintest warmth spread through your cheeks. You expected him to give a smart answer, and he did. 

Smirking, he locked eyes with you and said, “Depends.” You knit your eyebrows, and he chuckled. You almost looked cute when you were confused. “Would you still kiss an attractive but devastated former hero who lost his quirk in a freak accident with one of the most dangerous villains alive?” he asked, making you glance away.

Well, that was certainly a question. You frowned, and silence lingered in the air again. Even after learning that he killed Jin Bubaigawara, you still liked him even if you acted like you didn’t. After that day in your Development Studio, you realized how much your feelings for him had grown.

This injured former hero, who had tried to do good all his life only to meet failure in the end, was also someone you loved. You closed your eyes, taking a deep breath. “I…” Your bottom lip trembled, causing you to sink your teeth into it briefly before you sighed.

“I think…I would,” you admitted in a whisper before looking at him. He met your gaze, a small smile playing on his lips. No words were exchanged as the two of you closed the distance. The world around you faded away the moment your lips met, and the gentle warmth of his kiss sent a wave of bliss through your body.

The kiss was soft, but filled with passion that spoke the volumes of affection you couldn’t convey through mere words. All your worries and fears seemed to get lost in this moment. Another growl passed his lips as he paced back and forth, his mind dancing with thoughts of you and Keigo.

He regretted allowing you to travel back to the city to help the former hero. Then again, given his condition and state of mind, he didn’t have the energy he previously had. He felt tired, exhausted even. Yet, there remained a burning flame that desired to protect you and had him conflicted.

Rei frowned as she watched him, a sad and anxious atmosphere lingering. She knew it would take a while for everything to feel normal again and that she had been absent for most of your life. To think that one of her children became a successful support specialist made her heart swell with pride.

Although you were having trouble finding your passion again, she had confidence that you would be inventing wonderful things again soon. That was a part of her reasoning with Enji to allow you to help Keigo despite his disapproval. “They’ll be okay,” she said, her voice soft but still holding a tinge of annoyance to it.

Enji halted, and another growl passed his lips. He turned, glaring at her. However, she remained standing tall and narrowed her eyes. Much like him, her skin was healing and more than likely would scar due to being in the heart of Touya’s flames. He noticed that strong and determined look in her eyes, and his shoulders slumped.

After everything he had put her through and the regret he had to live with, he was a changed man. He didn’t want to lose any more members of his family, and despite knowing it would take a long time to regain everyone’s trust, he was willing to put in the work. 

That was the reason why he backed down and instead sighed. Pressing his hand to his forehead, he grimaced. “I still can’t accept that they have feelings for-” Rei nodded, understanding where he was coming from. It was natural to be defensive and worried when your children were involved romantically with someone. 

Still, she knew neither of them could interfere. “Let him prove himself first,” she said, her voice holding a calm yet motherly tone. “If Y/n trusts him, then I’m certain he knows better than to break their heart,” once again she narrowed her eyes on Enji.

A moment of silence lingered, and although a sad expression enveloped his features, he turned to stare out the window. “I suppose that’s true…” he said, folding his hand behind his back. He then glanced at his opposite arm, which had been severed by All For One.

Guilt swelled in his heart as he thought about your artificial fingers and newly crafted mechanical arm. He knew he should have been there for you. No child of his deserved to get injured so gravely. Yet, he also knew it was too late to change anything.

His throat tightened, forcing him to swallow hard as he raised his head and stared out the window again. His hand then curled into a fist. ‘Yes...’ he thought, ‘I will give him a chance to prove himself.’ If Keigo did end up hurting you, he would ensure the former hero had wished he had died during the war.

Soft pants filled the air, but neither of you dared to break eye contact. That is until Keigo chuckled, feeling higher than his previous quirk could get him. “Hm?” You raised your eyebrow, wondering for a moment what he was laughing at.

Seconds later, you jolted when he wrapped his arms around you, embracing you in a warm hug. You trembled at the unusual contact, and in response, he tightened his arms around you. There was no way he’d let you push him away now.

Your heart was racing, this was all new to you. Yet, it felt welcome, like it was meant to be. You slowly wrapped your fingers around one of his arms, hoping the cool metal touch of your artificial fingers wouldn’t bother him too much.

You sighed in contentment, finding his embrace to be comforting, and leaned closer to rest your head on his shoulder and close your eyes. Eventually, you knew you’d have to leave, that you’d have to return to your family and although Keigo had stated that your father needed you, it was easy to read between the lines.

Your family would be fine without you for the time being, because even if they needed you...there was someone else that you needed more. That was the same man that embraced you now, and the one you had unexpectedly fallen in love with.