🖤💙𝕊𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕞𝕖 𝕗𝕣𝕠𝕞 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕧𝕠𝕚𝕔𝕖 𝕚𝕟 𝕞𝕪 𝕙𝕖𝕒𝕕💙🖤

Welcome Home

A/N: this chapter is feels unnecessarily long but idk why. Enjoy lol.

POV DABI

I hate kids. I think she knows that, because she starts backing away slowly towards the screen door. Her eyes are big, reddish brown, and her pale blue hair is long, falling sloppily down her back and shoulders. She can't be older than seven, and I feel like I've seen her somewhere before, years ago. She looks like she'd break in half if she tripped and fell, which makes me a little anxious as she backs up, not daring to break eye contact with me. I don't want her to trip and fall, but I also don't want her to notify the grumpy black-haired hero that I'm here.

Keigo trips out of Kurogiri's mist, bumping into my back as he coughs. "Damn, I think I inhaled it!" he cries, pounding on his chest.

I tell him to shut up, gesturing to the little girl before us. She seems to soften a bit when Keigo steps out from behind me. He has the sort of appearance that welcomes people; his smile is rich and sweet, and I have a possessive urge to keep it all to myself.

"Hey Eri," Keigo says, kneeling down before the girl. "Remember me?"

"Mr. Bird Man," Eri says confidently. "Nuggie-eater. "

I choke on my laughter, turning away to hide my blush. My little siblings, Shoto and Himiko specifically, nicknamed me 'Nugget' (separately, which was a strange coincidence) and hearing this child refer to Keigo as a nugget-eater almost gives me a stroke.

"Yeah!" Keigo beams. "We're here to talk to your dads. Are they home?"

"Dadzawa is," Eri says, "but Papa Mikey is still on vacation. Toshi said he was with you."

Keigo gives me a strange look, like worry mixed with confusion, and I don't know how to respond. I'm not good with facial expressions. Keigo turns back to Eri, now holding out a hand for her. "Let's go inside, okay? We can talk to Dadzawa together."

The purple-haired kid is alone in the kitchen, getting juice boxes and lunchables from the fridge. "I told you I'd be out in a second, Eri," he says, not bothering to look up.

Eri releases Keigo's hand and hugs her brother's waist. "Dadzawa's friends are here," she says. "Mr. Bird Man and Mr. Staples."

Keigo nudges me playfully, mocking the name the child gave me. I just roll my eyes. The teenager whips his head in our direction, a mortified expression on his face. "Holy shit," he blurts. "Hawks? Dabi?! What the hell—"

"Hey Shinsou," Keigo chuckles. "Long time,  no see. How's life?"

"Hawks, you can't just barge in—"

"Toshi, how come Papa isn't back?" Eri asks, tugging on Shinsou's pant leg. "You said he was on vacation with Mr. Bird Man!"

Shinsou grimaces, leading Eri to the living room and placating her with cartoons and a lunchable. "I'll be right back, okay? Then we can go out and play."

Keigo folds his wings closer to his back as Shinsou returns to the kitchen, eyebrows furrowed. "You can't just show up here," Shinsou says, his voice dropped to a stern whisper. "What about all the bounty hunters that were following you? What if Eri gets hurt?"

"It's fine, kid," I say lazily. "It's been two years. They're not worried about us anymore."

"You really grew up, Shinsou," Keigo comments, slouching over the kitchen counter. "Man, you're a third year now, aren't you? What about my birdling, bro-of-a-feather Fumikage? He's graduating this year, too, right?"

"Yeah," Shinsou says. "But I'm guessing you're not here for small talk."

"Smart kid," I say, patting him hard on the back. "Nope. We're here to collect our crusty class pet, Shigaraki. He's here, right?"