Feather Bound

Chapter 39

"Sit still!" you chuckled, holding his cheeks a bit firmer while directing his face towards you. Your brows knitted in concentration.

"Buuut it tikles," he protested, his words slightly warped by the way you were manipulating his mouth, earning another small laugh from you.

"You should be used to it; we've practiced this every day this week," you teased, shaking your head and leaning down to plant a swift kiss on him before readjusting his head.

It had been just over a week since that night in the kitchen. After both of you had calmed down, you made sure he ate before returning to the bedroom to talk. He shared details about his training, recounting some of the challenging experiences he had endured. He also opened up about his real family, who easily outshone yours in terms of dreadful parenting. A lifetime of abuse had shaped his upbringing, but the most significant revelation came when he disclosed the true reason he went by Hawks and not Keigo—a secret that was so closely guarded by the Commission.

He was a Takami.

You had heard about the Thief Takami before; it was a notorious name, famous for a series of robberies in their hometown followed by a murder and subsequent disappearance. It was only later that Endeavor managed to apprehend and arrest him as he tried to flee town. However, no one ever mentioned him having a son. Keigo cried as he told you about it, pleading with you not to tell anyone and questioning if you were angry with him.

"Of course I won't tell anyone, but why would I be angry at you, Keigs?" you asked, your confusion evident as he pulled his legs up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them while looking at you with a sad expression.

"Because I'm a fraud. The number two hero, the son of a fucking criminal. It's pathetic. You probably hate me now, right?" he muttered, avoiding your gaze as you observed him with a frown.

"Keigo, what? I don't hate you," you said gently, reaching over and tilting his chin so he was looking right at you. "I don't think you're a fraud. Your dad did some messed-up shit, but you're not your dad. You're Keigo. Your dad's crimes aren't your own."

He looked at you as if you'd lost your mind, opening his mouth like he wanted to argue with you, but you swiftly stopped the conversation there. He'd been through enough; the last thing you wanted was for him to work himself up again. Instead, you walked into the living room and grabbed the Switch from the TV stand. You told him that it was time to relax, that you could continue the conversation later, but for now, you both needed to unwind. So, you played games together until the early morning light started to peek through the curtains, and you finally both fell asleep again, controllers in hand.

Over the next couple of days, things were fairly lowkey. You talked through things some more, working together to try and find someone he could possibly talk to professionally. Cleaning the apartment together, ordering new groceries, and experimenting with a few new recipes filled your time. You played some old board games you'd brought over from your apartment and spent lazy hours watching TV. However, the highlight of the week was finding Keigo shirtless in the bathroom, his face screwed up with concentration as he desperately scratched at his back and wings.

"What're you doing?" you asked, raising an eyebrow as his eyes met yours through the reflection of the mirror. You watched his face turn red as he quickly avoided your gaze, taking a deep breath.

"They're, uh, itchy. New pin feathers are starting to grow in, and I, um, can't reach them," he mumbled back to you, shaking his head. "I can't find my backscratcher, so I thought maybe I could try and reach them myself, but it's not going as well as I hoped. I'm not really sure what to do about it now."

"Do you want me to help?" you asked with a shrug, and you would have thought you'd stripped naked in front of him based on his reaction. His head snapped up, his amber eyes catching yours intently as he struggled to catch his breath, his face redder than you'd ever seen it before.