𝐇𝐢𝐤𝐚𝐫𝐢 『Bakugo Katsuki』

◆Chapter 102◇

A few months ago...

Above his head, on the tree branch stretching over the length of his form, there was a small bird's nest. Two of the hatchlings rested there. They were nestled up to their mother's feathery chest, seeking warmth away from the last of the wintry breeze rustling the leaves of the tree's canopy.

Zin looked on with mild interest when one of the hatchlings woke up and started chirping up a ruckus. He raised his head sock slightly and tilted his head, a curious gleam in his eyes as the mother flew off. She must've gone to find some food for her crying child, he thought. She would be back with something for the sleeping one, too, most likely.

They cared like that often, didn't they? Even if they weren't human or had sensibilities that many thought were common, nature's touch was capable of being just as warm and kind.

But her chicks were alone now. He didn't know how long the dad had been away for - a few days now, probably. He wondered if something had happened to him when he left. When those wings fluttered out of his vision, he was certain they would reappear just as swiftly.

'Unless Toga-Chan found him,' Zin thought, sweatdropping at the thought. 'Poor guy.'

His attention was pulled away from the nest and the crying hatchling when a twig snapped. Soon, he heard the sound of heavy footfalls then a mop of spiky black hair appeared on the small hill he was sat on.

"What are you doing all the way up here?" Dabi asked, stopping in front of the silver-haired youth leaning against the trunk of the large tree. "You're slacking off and everyone's getting ready now. Machia's gonna wake up in an hour, you know."

Zin hummed his acknowledgement... before pulling the headsock over his eyes and tugging the coat closer to his body. A tick mark slapped on Dabi's head.

"Hey, don't ignore me, jerk." He kicked his shin and Zin hissed at the sharp impact.

"What snake crawled up your butthole, bastard? Damn, that hurts!" He glared up at Dabi, whose turquoise eyes were filled with his own irritation as he then proceeded to flick Zin's forehead.

"Shut up. Your whining will wake Machia up and I haven't had breakfast yet."

"Damn it!" Zin proceeded to shout, louder than before, his voice echoing throughout the forest. "I hope you starve to death."

The black-haired villain rolled his eyes at the childish response.

He shoved his hands in the pockets of his long coat, the words sitting on the tip of his tongue, ready to fire back at Zin's retaliation.

If there had been one, anyway.

Dabi quirked a brow at his comrade as he leaned back against the tree, pushing his headsock back into its original position. His arms were folded across his chest as he tilted his chin skyward, his blue eyes intently moving back to the branch. He looked up, too, and his eyes landed on a small brown nest situated on the thicker side of a branch. There were no more than two hatchlings inside it. He hummed, a dull look in his eyes as he tilted his head in curiosity.

"...What's the matter with you?" Dabi questioned, not a drip of concern in his voice. He turned to look at Zin, the rays of the morning light falling gracefully across his soft pink skin. "First, you fly off without telling anyone where you're going, then you come back acting like you were slapped by a Buddha, writing love letters or some crap all the time. Now, this."