𝐟𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 ⟢ 𝘁. 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗼𝗿𝗼𝗸𝗶/𝗱𝗮𝗯𝗶

𝟏𝟔

𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫
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𝐢𝐢𝐢

𝐲𝐨𝐮

"thank you for flying hawks airlines," hawks quipped as we landed in front of my home.

"definitely would recommend," i laughed, brushing the dust off my dress.

as we reached my front door, i unlocked it, and we stepped inside. suddenly, the lights flicked on, revealing a living room filled with my loved ones: my parents, shoto, natsuo, enji, and fuyumi. they all shouted in unison, "happy birthday, y/n!"

"mom? dad?" i was taken aback, overwhelmed with emotion. "oh my goodness!"

i turned to hawks, my expression a mix of confusion and joy. he hugged me so tightly that it could've definitely broken some ribs and said with a smirk, "apparently, you also forgot that today you're a year older than me."

i hugged him back, feeling the warmth and strength in our embrace. "thank you all!" i ran toward my guests, greeting them one by one. "did you do this, hawks?"

"um," hawks scratched the back of his neck. "i was the one who called your parents and brought them here, but—"

"it was my idea," fuyumi, looking beautiful, stepped forward, smiling proudly. "i asked hawks for help since you wouldn't be suspicious of him."

after sharing a laugh with fuyumi, i hugged my parents tightly, savoring the moment since i hadn't seen them in quite some time.

"i thought you were working at milan for fashion week!" i exclaimed.

my mother smiled warmly. "we obviously couldn't miss our only child's birthday."

"plus," my father added with a grin, "your mother and i were planning to fly you over to milan for the day before your winged friend here called us."

"aw, thank you both." i smiled, hugging them again. i really had missed them. ever since i opened my lab, they had been so busy traveling and designing clothes.

"okay now, follow me, please!" fuyumi led everyone to the dining room, revealing a beautiful banquet she had most likely cooked for the occasion. "dig in and enjoy!"

"fuyumi, did you cook all this yourself?" i asked as we all sat down, with hawks and fuyumi next to me, natsuo across from us with my parents, and enji and shoto beside them. "it's so delicious!"

"thank you, y/n," fuyumi beamed. "i got help from shoto and natsuo. natsuo chopped while shoto used his fire to boil and prepare things quicker."

natsuo leaned in and whispered, "also, my girlfriend wishes you a happy birthday." he was clearly keeping it a secret from enji and shoto.

"how thoughtful of her!" i winked at natsuo. "hope i can meet her soon!"

the room was filled with lively conversation during dinner. my parents and enji were catching up after a long time, which warmed my heart. it was a rare moment of peace and connection.

after i left to study abroad, my parents had distanced themselves from the todoroki family, especially after i refused the arranged marriages with natsuo and shoto. it was nice to see that they were still able to reconnect.

at one point, fuyumi stood up, holding a small cake adorned with candles. "it's time!" she announced.

everyone gathered around, and as they sang "happy birthday," i felt a swell of gratitude. it was a simple gesture, but it meant the world to me. after blowing out the candles, natsuo pulled out his phone and suggested we take a picture together.

"let's get a shot with the birthday girl," he said. hawks, fuyumi, and natsuo huddled around me as we smiled for the camera. it was a moment i wanted to remember.

hawks then too took a picture of us two together with his phone.

as the evening wound down, guests began to leave. hawks gave me a warm hug before heading out. "remember to take care of yourself," he said with a wink.

after the farewells, my parents stayed behind, sitting on the couch for a private chat.

"how have you been doing, dear?" my mother asked, her tone gentle.

"i've been good, just busy with work," i replied, trying to sound upbeat.

her gaze shifted toward the door where hawks had exited. "and hawks? are you going out with him or anything? he seems like a good, charismatic guy. you also seem more open with him."

i shook my head, smiling softly. "we're just friends. we have no intention of getting together that way. i'm focused on my job."

my mother sighed, clearly disappointed. "you're young and beautiful, y/n. you shouldn't just rot away in a sterilized office for the rest of your life. you could date someone or travel."

tensing up, i responded, "i'm not interested, mom. i like my current lifestyle."

my father, who had been quiet until now, suddenly asked, "is hawks the number two hero?"

i nodded, caught off guard by the question. "yeah, he is."

"also, why are you still hanging out with the todoroki family after all this time?" he asked, his tone more serious. "i understand fuyumi, but everyone else?"

my mother added, "you've been grieving someone who's been dead for almost ten years!"

what are you even saying?

the comment struck a nerve. "the todoroki's have been the only people i've known my entire life," i said defensively.

her tone turned harsh. "you could've moved on from touya, but you refused both natsuo and shoto. the arranged marriage is void now."

anger flared within me. "touya is very much still alive for me. everything i've done is for him. and it's your fault. you were the ones that set up the marriage after all."

they were visibly hurt by my words, but my mother's response was truly cutting. "you're clinging to a dead man. you need to move on."

a dead man?

i snapped. "and you need to leave. it's late."

they stood up and left, their expressions a mix of hurt and disappointment. as the door closed behind them, i felt a crushing weight in my chest. tears welled up and spilled down my cheeks as i made my way to my bedroom.

so much for a nice birthday surprise.

collapsing onto my bed, i cried until my body felt drained. in the quiet of my room, with only the sound of my sobs filling the space, i whispered to the empty air, "i wish everyone could know that touya is still alive... that he's still here, as dabi. why is this so difficult?"

i stayed there, tears streaming down my face, clinging to the last remnants of my strength. it was a vulnerable admission, one i'd kept buried deep within me for so long. but in that moment, all i wanted was for the world to see what i knew—to understand that, despite everything, touya was still here, still part of my life, even if it was in a way no one else could possibly ever comprehend.