❣ Forelsket ❣ Keigo Takami/Hawks

[Book 2] ↬ Plucked From the Nest

Hi! Sorry I've been gone for so long...It's been a bad few months ^^'

I've been meaning to write this one for ages, not sure how it turned out though...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Remind me again why I had to let you go, kid? Do they really think they can protect you better than I can?" He chuckled dryly into the phone. "That's quite a hefty claim. Let's hope it has substance."

You sighed, although the shiver of amusement in your voice didn't escape notice. "Why do you call me that? I'm only four years younger than you."

"What? Would you prefer I call you 'Vixen', or 'Pup'? How about 'Kit'?" At the names, you could feign ire, but only for a short while.

Keigo's voice soothed a modicum of the longing in your heart. "I...I miss you."

He cooed. "Aww, I know, baby. I miss you too. D'you want me to come over later, give you some more stuff? I think you've got a few of my jackets...might wanna patch them up, though. Wing holes'll make your back cold."

"I'm fine, Kei...you don't have to cause a scene, just to bring me stuff. My quirk doesn't act up that much, and my room's already covered in your scent. And...if I covered up the slits in your jackets, they wouldn't seem like yours anymore..."

Those words entertained thoughts and memories some might covet, though only without the rueful addition of time. Those existing within the moment, the present moment, were less subject. You preferred them, but time rarely stopped, or rewound. It sullied every memory. It killed every thought, every shred of joy. You were supposed to live with Keigo, work alongside him, be present for each new memory. You'd felt obliged, or perhaps pressured, to move to UA Heights. You had no wish to be separated from Keigo, nor any real responsibility for the safety of your class. But the mantra 'safety in numbers' rang as true as ever, and you hadn't wanted to be the odd one out.

"You sure?" He paused, waiting to hear your muffled 'Hmm', before returning to complain about the conduct of UA. "They plucked you from the nest, kinda abruptly. I know it's your school n' all, but, you're 18...we just bought that house!! I never know what to do when I get back and you're not there. It feels wrong. I don't like it."

Guilt pricked at your eyes, but in your heart, you knew it had no place. "I don't like it either, but...my classmates. I couldn't leave them. Everyone's here, and...and I'm perfectly safe. You don't have to worry about me, Kei."

"I shouldn't. I know that, but...you're still my beautiful angel, y'know? I can't help being a little apprehensive. It's not really a new environment for you, but you're away from the nest...you're away from me. But you'll graduate soon, I guess, so you'll be home in no time. Just gotta look at the positives."

His encouragement sounded very...self-directed. Had you not been biting back a symphony of heartbreak, you might've laughed. It seemed ludicrous, your sadness misplaced or heightened to theatrics. But this relationship meant everything to you.

Keigo was right, of course, and not simply talking out of his ass. "Mm, March isn't that far off. It'll be hard, but...it's gonna be okay. We're gonna be okay. Just...Just say this won't break us, that it won't destroy what we have...?"

"I'd never let it. You know I wouldn't." He listened for any sniffle, any trace of a tear - between his quirk and his attention, he could hear those things as clear as crystal, even through the phone. "We'll be fine. Of course we will. I can still watch over you, no problem, and we can meet on Sundays, if there aren't too many villains..."

"Yeah...I'd like that. You still saving a place for me at your agency?" You hummed, ears straining to hear his every breath. Your tail hadn't lifted from its perch between your legs; it mirrored the sorrow that bloomed evermore in your heart.

Though, his laugh could brighten you slightly. "D'you still want it?"

"Absolutely. I've seen you in action, Keigo. You're pretty incredible." Your words made him flush, a glimmer of accomplishment, of pride, flitting across his eyes.

This was the antithesis of normality - for Keigo, at least. The character he played in the midst of public scrutiny, his persona...it was cocky and suave, but calm and void of fear. The reality was very different. Keigo's fears ran deep - he feared the violent hand of his father, he feared being tossed to the side by the ones who pulled his strings, and, most terrifying...he feared losing you. You were so precious, yet so addictive. He'd never had the strength, nor the heart, to release you. He'd always assumed his love was a cage, and yet...you seemed to like it. The captivity...it was akin to a warm, fuzzy blanket.

You made him realise that Hawks, the hero and Keigo, the man...they weren't the same. The identity he'd been forced to relinquish...it was still him! That quiet little boy...he was still in there somewhere. You helped him find himself. But this time, the hurt and shame...you didn't let them in.

"Reclaim yourself - your name, your life...don't give them so much against you."

It was, however, mostly trial and error. He hadn't ever found comfort in his identity. Not until the advent of your relationship. And even then...

"You're pretty incredible yourself, dove. Everything you've done for me, everything you've said...I want you to know how much I appreciate that. Without you, I...well, you already know." He smiled, and although the distance eclipsed it from your eyes, somehow...you knew it was there.

You smiled too, in an act of solidarity and love. "Yeah...I know."

[Word Count: 939]