Jetstream (Hawks Angst)

the end.

6 months later, winter:

Hawks had just finished a personal visit to one of the homeless shelters. It was chilly out, but the chill got to him less without the holes in the back of his clothes for his wings.

He wasn't scared to walk home alone, or hail a cab and ride by himself even though it was dark and cold out. For the first time in his life, he was truly independent.

He still woke up with nightmares, but the consistency was closer to every couple of weeks versus every single night like before. Most of Mirko's stuff was actually in her apartment now, they lived seperately despite how much they reached stopped by.

Hawks was walking by an alleyway when he heard a noise. He slowed down, and then stopped when he identified it as harsh crying.

He approached with less caution than he should have. When he got close enough to be able to identify who it was, a bright blue flame had erupted in front of him and a voice shouted out from inside it.

"GET BACK OR I'LL K-KILL YOU"

Hawks stood.

The flame died away.

"Touya."

Dabi's eyes flew wide open and the tears streamed freely down his burnt face. For whatever reason, his face only relaxed and never shifted to anger as he replied, "Kiego."

"It's been a while." Kiego said, taking another step closer.

"Yeah." Dabi answered shortly.

"Why were you crying?" Hawks asked.

"I cut off your wings, why do you care?" Dabi asked accusingly, looking at him strangely and wiping his tears.

"I'm a hero." He referenced, "it's my job."

"You're not on call. Go away. Go stab someone else in the back." Dabi defended, feeling threatened by the hero's presence, especially after everything he'd done to him. Hawks had every right to be mad. To kill him right there. He knew it. He was scared but he didn't let it show.

"If I remember correctly, you're the only one who stabbed anyone in the back." Hawks said slowly, "I've still got the scar. Right between where my wings used to be."

"Yeah well when you fucking killed Twice-"

"I didn't kill anyone." Hawks said calmly, "I didn't order that and I think you know that."

Touya stayed silent.

"And you still stabbed me in the back and took my whole career away." Kiego said, his voice more present now, "but I'm still here, just different. I struggled man, but I got out of it. I'm still here."

"I'm done, man. I can't live like this anymore." Touya admitted.

"Remember when I told you that exact same thing about a year ago?" Kiego brought up, raising his eyebrows and sticking his gloved hands in his pockets.

Touya just huffed.

"You're not all bad. There's good in you." Kiego pushed, "don't let that go to waste."

"Any good you knew is gone. I'm gone." Touya said sourly.

"I'm sorry for what happened that day. I didn't want to lose Jin. The terms they told me were no weapons, peaceful. I thought you would understand when you saw me drop to the ground next to him and cover his wound with my bare hands that none of it was premeditated."

Touya was crying again, "he was like my stupid older brother."

"I'm sorry."

"God, you have nothing to fucking apologize for which makes everything so much fucking worse."