Archive of Our Own

He's been waiting for two hours . Two fucking hours. It's four in the goddamn morning and Dabi still hasn't fucking shown. The arsonist is never on time, but this is pushing his bullshit much further than normal and Hawks might stab him if he blows him off completely, mission be damned. He's about to fucking give up and text the villain again when he hears the rusty door finally screech open. 

"About time--" chokes on anything else he was going to say. 

"Got held up, hero. Come on, you're wanted back at base." Doesn't move. Dabi's ear twitches. He stares. 

His tail flicks too. 

"Are those real?" Doesn't know why he bothered to ask. Really didn't need to when the bright white cat ears and tail are clearly moving. Watches as the ears pin back to his head. 

"Unfortunately, come on. This isn't even the weirdest shit that happened tonight." 

Is so flabbergasted that he doesn't argue, forgets his annoyance completely and follows after the arsonist. Can't stop staring at the foreign appendages. 

///

Dabi leads him out of the city, into the mountains, it's already almost six by the time they arrive at their destination and he takes the day off as the sun starts to creep into the sky. They end up outside of a dilapidated mansion and Dabi pushes the door open, cat ears twitching. Hawks can smell traces of blood and smoke still lingering on the air as they get inside. Move past the foyer and deeper, towards voices. 

"Twice, you cannot keep throwing yourself at us, it's not cute and I'm going to step on you the next time you do it." 

"Sorry, I don't even notice I'm doing it! Yes I do and I'm making problems on purpose!" 

"Aw, I think it's adorable." 

"Dabi's back." 

Dabi's ear twitches. "How the fuck did you know that when the fucking bunny didn't hear me?" He asks as they step into a sitting room. The whole League present. He should probably be excited about that. Has been trying to meet Shigaraki for months, but he just finds himself staring at the criminals. 

Himiko Toga is sitting on the couch, upside down, leathery wings wrapped around herself, big ears poking up from the top of her head, and a wide smile on her face. Twice is sitting on the floor beside her, tall rabbit ears like Rumi's perched on the top of his head. Mr. Compress is sitting off to the side, a train of peacock feathers pouring over the edge of the cushions. Spinner, at least, looks the same as the other reports have said, no more or less gecko-like than usual. And Tomura Shigaraki is sitting off to the side. Six arms, the skin a black gradient creeping up the hands on the four extra arms, one of those hands weaving slowly through the air and Hawks sees the faintest bit of light shifting on a thin strand of spider silk . There's the same black pigmentation creeping along the back and sides of his neck, his hair longer, white at the roots before it too spills into black towards the ends.

"Felt you open the door." He tells Dabi, half turning to look at them. Red markings curved like half-moons just under his eyes, like a false set. 

"Thank fucking god. Hawks, help." Spinner says, immediately coming over and pulling him further into the room. He blinks, 

"Uh, how? How did this happen--" backtracks, "Shit, nice to meet you?"

"Nice to meet you, number two. This, earlier this evening, was a CRC base." Mr. Compress tells him. "We came to remove that nuisance and discovered that they had a young woman in captivity. They seemed to think she was the anti-Christ equivalent to their dogma as her quirk could turn others into heteromorphs. In the process of clearing out the base she attempted to break free and we were all caught up in her quirk." He sighs. "Unfortunately she said that she's never produced such a potent strain of the gas before and she's unsure when this will dissipate." He sounds thoroughly put out when he adds, "She said that it could take weeks or months."  

Shigaraki still seems half distracted by the threads, he doesn't know how many of them he has, but at least two of his hands are always moving, slow and deliberate. "Is she safe?"

"Yeah, didn't have anywhere else to go. Went and helped her get what she could from her place and got her to Giran, said he'll find her somewhere to stay and help her get back on her feet. Keep an eye out in case any members from other branches go looking." Dabi tells him, pulling out his cigarettes. "Got her number in case of other complications." Shigaraki nods a little to himself and Toga sits up from the couch, unwrapping the bat wings from around her shoulders. 

Spinner cuts in, looking a little frantic. "Now the five of them all suddenly have animal instincts and I am going to lose my fucking mind trying to corral them. You're a bird, help Compress." 

"Oh, oh !" Doesn't know how this of all things fills him with relief. Had been taken completely off-guard meeting the whole League, hadn't known what to make of any of this, but especially not the idea that the League was out here picking fights with hate groups and escorting victims of kidnappings home, but this is something he's more equipped to handle. "Yeah, okay, sure. I, uh, I can probably help Twice too. I've spent a lot of time with Mirko." Spinner looks like he might kiss him or start crying with the relief. 

"Can you teach me how to fly?" Toga asks, sitting on the very edge of the couch and looking like she's going to start bouncing. 

"Uh, yeah I can try. I don't know how different bat wings are from bird wings, but I can definitely catch you if you fall." She looks delighted. 

Hawks allows himself to be swept up in the whirlwind. 

///

He ends up calling out for a week. Thinks it might be longer because this is a lot, but he starts with a week. Was already just a lot to meet the whole League after months of Dabi blowing off the suggestion. They have a lot of... personality, they're all very loud, very much . Save Shigaraki apparently. And now they're loud and with animal quirks that they have no idea how to navigate so things are much, much more complicated. 

He starts with Compress. Actually he starts with his phone and the internet because looking up basic behaviors can be a good place to start with things like this. Easier because Compress is very visibly a peacock, not like him who is clearly a bird , clearly a raptor, but who has a mess of nonspecific traits that can't be tied to a specific lineage. Figures out very quickly that Compress, Twice, and Toga are all social animals because they have a hard time separating. Finds himself sitting in the living room with all three of them, and Spinner, as they talk. 

"Hmm, looks like your metabolism might be higher than usual, are you hungry?" 

"Not at the moment." 

"Well you should try to eat more if you can. I know I eat about two times the amount someone my size should, more when I've been flying. Says that peacocks are omnivores so you shouldn't have to change your diet, that's good, don't know if you'd be able to overcome the hardwiring to avoid raw meat, though if you want to start eating bugs you'll probably be fine if you do."

"I think I will stick to my usual diet." He replies flatly, then considers, "Raw meat?"

Hawks blinks. Hadn't really meant to say that. Hasn't talked to anyone about this kind of stuff besides Mirko and his handlers and his handlers generally treated each of his animal traits as an annoyance. "Uh, yeah, I'm a predator, about half of my diet has to be raw. Wouldn't be surprised if Dabi and Shigaraki also needed to start eating something raw to keep from getting sick." He glances at Spinner, "Uh, do you..?" 

"Yeah, I've had like crickets and stuff, you know from like novelty places, but the amount that I would have to eat to just function isn't sustainable. Been fine on various types of meat since I cut teeth." And the gecko man is watching him, considering. Wonders if he feels as strange about this conversation as he does. If this is the first time he's talked about this so openly with other people, if the League knew, because they certainly look more confused than he would have expected if they did. "Toga there are over a thousand species of bats, you're either going to be eating a lot of fruit, meat, or blood and I fuckin' hope that it's not blood because you can't be draining someone every day until we're normal again." 

She reaches into her belt and digs through a few pouches before she picks a capsule and brings it to her lips. He watches, morbidly fascinated, as she drinks the blood, her face flushed and delighted. Swallows, blinks, then darts from the room without a word. 

They're all left watching after her, stunned and confused. 

"Uh?" They all hesitate, but then Twice is standing, following after her to check what's wrong, barely makes it to the door before they hear a toilet flush. 

"Okay, so probably not a vampire bat if that made her sick." Spinner says, turning his attention back to his phone. "Makes sense, there's only like three of those." 

After another minute or two Toga comes back into the room, her own phone in hand, looking furious . "Did you know," and her voice trembles, "That vampire bats can't process excess plasma? That when they drink blood," she snarls, her fangs look very, very prominent. Wonders if they got bigger from the transformation. "They almost immediately have to start peeing it out?" They all stare at her. She snarls, unhooking her belt and throwing her pouches onto the couch. "I can't even activate my quirk! I think I digested the blood too quickly!" 

" Shit , so you are a vampire bat? Fuck, how are we gonna get enough blood to feed you?" 

"I have a few butchers I know," Hawks offers, "Sure I can get pig or cow blood for you." Would much, much rather that than have the League's body count increase. 

"This fucking sucks ." She whines, throwing herself onto the couch, burying her face in the cushions. 

He doesn't have anything to add to that and turns his attention to Twice, "You're probably gonna be on an almost exclusively plant diet. Maybe a little meat once in a blue moon if your human part wants it, but I know Rumi usually tries to avoid it and gets really sick if she has too much. You also might want to make sure that you're including some salt somewhere in your diet every day or you're gonna get sick. Absolutely also look up foods that bunnies can't have to make sure you don't poison yourself by accident." 

Things go on in that vein for a while. Just figuring things out. He and Compress eventually decide to go to the city to make the strangest grocery run imaginable. Gets to see the man without his masks for the first time. 

"Long walk to the city, you want to give flying a try?" Knows that peacocks don't usually fly long distances, but it may be worth the attempt. 

"I... sure." Sounds nervous about it though. Hawks had been able to fly as soon as his wings were big enough, it's instinctual, and after a minute, after Compress has stretched out his wings, they shake a little from how tightly he must have been holding them to his back, and gives them a few experimental flaps, he leaps into the air, pumps them hard a few times, and manages to stay up. A little wobbly, and quite the sight with his impressive tail, but manages to stay in the air. Hawks stays close by, and they head into the city. 

Takes them a few hours and a bunch of marbles to get what they need, guessing everyone's going to eat way more than they used to, before they return. Compress is smiling by the time they land back in front of the manor.

///

Aside from Toga being extremely angry that she now has to take her meals in a bathroom, Compress and Twice don't have any issues with eating. But eventually Dabi and Shigaraki reappear from wherever they've been, and find him and Compress restocking the fridge, throwing out anything that might accidentally poison them now. 

"So you guys missed the diet talk, but we're guessing you're gonna need to eat raw meat. We made sure to get some fish so you can start with that if it freaks you out, steak is also a good choice for it, if you've ever had tartar before or usually like them bloody." He tells them as he chucks an onion into the trash. Could probably kill half of them with that. 

Huh. Could have not told them. Could have not gotten Toga blood. Could have let them kill themselves like this. Strange that didn't even cross his mind. 

"Fucking great ." Dabi grumbles, ear twitching and tail flicking. 

"Ah, right, you hate fish." Compress remarks mildly. 

"You might not anymore." He offers. 

"Well that's my cue to leave. I'm staying right here!" Twice says, pushing away from the table. 

"Where are you off to, twos?" 

"Bunny thing, the blood and meat make me want to puke. No way man, bring on the carnage!" 

Shigaraki and Dabi each select something from the fridge and they're both definitely more uncomfortable than the others were. Toga already used to blood, Compress and Twice's diets not needing to be that different from a normal person's, but this is harder. Hawks imagines it's much, much harder given they weren't born like this, are going to be fighting every instinct from before to manage this. 

Dabi sucks it up first, cuts a bite of tuna and shoves it into his mouth, his ears pinned back. But then they stand up. He blinks. "Fucking, at least that's one lucky break." 

"Not horrible?" 

"Better than it's ever tasted before." He says. 

"Huh," they turn their attention back to Shigaraki, who clearly took the distraction Dabi caused to take a bite of his steak. 

"Also not disgusting?" Hawks says a little hopefully. 

"Not disgusting, strange though. It melted." 

There's a very, very long pause after that. Shigaraki takes another bite. Doesn't chew, and then swallows. They all keep staring at him. 

"What do you mean... melted?" Compress asks. 

Shigaraki considers them for a moment then cuts another chunk of meat away, lifts it to his mouth and bites into it, holds it between his teeth, sharp fangs like Toga's and Dabi's, and then lets go of it. Holds the steak on his fork for them to watch as the meat starts to bubble and darken around where his teeth sunk in, and then, within seconds, drips off of his fork into a little puddle on his plate. 

They all stare. 

"Spiders do inject digestive fluids into their prey." He says very mildly. 

"Uh huh." Hawks' voice sounds a little thin. "Hey, just to satisfy my curiosity, can you use your quirk with your other hands now too?"

Shigaraki considers. Reaches out with one of the extra hands and touches the little oven timer that was sitting on the counter. It immediately crumbles into dust. 

"Huh, okay, cool. So you can decay things and could feasibly melt someone with your teeth. Cool." Should have definitely let them accidentally starve themselves to death. 

"That's fucking horrifying ." Is really, really glad Dabi said it because he was kind of worried he would blow his cover if he did. Thinks the arsonist means it too because his tail is twitching, his fur standing on end. 

Shigaraki makes a noncommittal click in the back of his throat and takes another bite of his food. 

"Toga's gonna think that's awesome." Spinner says after a minute, sounding exhausted.

Gets them another click and a vicious smirk.

///

When he'd called Hawks, at Spinner's behest, he hadn't expected the hero to move in with them. But as soon as he gets a look at them it's like everything fake about the hero is stripped away. He takes one look at them and very visibly digs in his heels. Is guessing he didn't sleep given how late Dabi had called him to the warehouse, thinks he's been with at least one of the others all day, doesn't think the man stops until after he and Compress have finished clearing out anything potentially poisonous from the kitchen, and even then ends up back in the living room, phone out, talking to Toga about bat things she might need to expect. Takes until close to midnight for him to yawn. Is surprised when Spinner tells him to just pick a room and crash here. Is guessing that more things are gonna come up as they start to figure this out. And Hawks does. 

Sticks around all the next day too. Doesn't leave that night. Or the next night. 

Weirdest thing is that no one is complaining , even Duster doesn't seem to be bothered by it. But he's having to avoid being in the room with the hero. Has been avoiding being in a room with any of them, really, since this hit. Realized, very, very quickly that the cat parts have a mind of their own. That he can keep his face as bored and impassive as he wants, but he can't keep his tail from twitching, or his ears from moving, or himself from purring . And he's a cat . Everyone has experiences with cats. They all can read him like a fucking book now and he is not going to invite that scrutiny in. So he's been avoiding them. Avoiding Hawks. 

Because when he's around Hawks he doesn't know if he should be hissing or purring. Because Hawks is absolutely a fucking spy, no idea how the hero thought he would be able to keep that under wraps, but he's not a good enough actor to be an effective spy. Thinks that maybe there's a sliver of truth in the derision that he's shown for the way the current system ranks heroes, but he cares too much, too obviously, for Dabi to have ever taken him seriously as a villain. Hawks wants to save people more than anything, absolutely is not the type willing to break eggs to make an omelet. Which means he's not a villain. Won't ever be a villain. Is only still around because what he can be is useful. Is being useful because he takes one look at them and digs his heels in because they're people too and he wants to help them. Wants to make sure that they're okay through this as fiercely as Spinner seems to want to. The two of them bond almost instantaneously as they do their best to help walk the rest of them through the changes this quirk has made to their bodies. 

Has to avoid the hero because when he's not actively thinking about how he's going to inevitably sell them out, he can't help the little purr that starts deep in his chest. Because Hawks is charming, and pretty, and sharp as fucking anything. Because he's wanted to fuck him since he held a sword to his throat and didn't flinch. But he's not a fucking idiot and he's not going to stick his dick into a honeytrap. Doesn't even know if the hero would be into that, hasn't ever seem interested, doesn't know if he's ever heard of the number two ever being interested for all that he's been a sex symbol since he appeared on the hero scene, but is absolutely not going to put in any effort to find out. Not when he needs to avoid the bird like the fucking plague until he figures out how to keep the stupid feline sounds out of his throat. 

Has other cat things to deal with too. The fish and raw meat are weird but it doesn't taste bad so that's a miracle. But he's also tired almost all of the time. Keeps finding himself slinking away to curl up into a ball and sleep. Wakes up randomly, has bursts of energy, and then he's tired again. Keeps wanting to hunt Hawks in particular. The others don't seem to trigger that instinct. The cat part of his brain seems to know that they're part of his group, his allies. They are off-limits. But Hawks is a bird, and he's their enemy , and no matter what his libido says about that, the feline brain just sees him and wants to pounce, wants to pin him down and tear his wings off with his claws. Which. He's done his fair share of violence and murder, torture too when he’s needed, but he's never been interested in mutilating people for the hell of it before. Usually makes sure that when he does attack someone he does it fast enough that if they feel it at all, it's only for a few seconds. Always heard that house cats were vicious and violent, but he's not quite sure what to do with the instinct as it keeps bubbling up in him. Avoids Hawks. 

Manages it for three days before the bird comes looking. 

Finds him because his cat brain had seen the stone terrace outside and how it was baked in sun and he literally couldn't stop himself from climbing on top of the garden wall and curling up there. Started purring and hadn't even had time to be annoyed about it before he was asleep. 

Wakes up, back arching, claws jumping from his nailbeds-- that's a fun new thing, his human nails making way for sharp claws that leap from his fingertips whenever he gets aggressive-- and a hiss in his mouth. Knows it's Hawks immediately, before he's even seen him because he can smell him now. Can smell all of them. And Hawks always smells like coffee and blood and bird . 

"Shit! Sorry, sorry, just me." Hawks says, stopping where he is, almost a meter and a half from his perch, wearing civilian clothes. Huh. Which means he did leave at some point, definitely had shown up here in uniform. "Didn't mean to startle you." 

He tries to swallow down the hiss, tries to get the fur on his tail to settle, tries to unpin his ears from his head. But shutting his mouth just puts the sound into the back of his throat, a yowl sitting there, still loud enough to be heard. Tries to clear away the noise by speaking instead. "What do you want, hero?" Can't get his ears to relax, his tail still flicking even as he shifts to sit on the wall more normally. 

"Uh, I just wanted to see how you were doing? Barely seen you since you brought me here, Dabs." 

"I'm a cat." He says dryly. 

"Yeah," Hawks fumbles. Hasn't seen the other man lose his footing in a conversation very often. Doesn't seem like he's had any solid ground since he walked over here though. "Uh, so, is your hair naturally white?" He bristles and Hawks immediately looks like he wants to backtrack. "Not that the black's not-- I just mean," that yowling starts in the back of his throat again and he hates it, but he can't stop it either. "Shit, okay, sorry, I'm gonna shut up." 

"Didn't know you were even capable of that, hero." He hops down from his perch. Has always been pretty agile, but definitely is benefiting from some additional reflexes and grace now. 

"I--" He grasps for his nerve, finds it, straightens his spine. "Look, I just wanted to check on you. It seems like everyone else is a social species-- even Shigaraki seems to be, which is horrifying . Did you know there are spiders that share nests and hunt in packs? I didn't and now I'm never going to sleep again." He doesn't react to that and Hawks sobers up again, sighs, "But cats and geckos aren't. It's fine if you don't want to be around the others, but they really, really, want to be around you. If you can manage it, just going and seeing them for a few minutes every day would help keep them calm." 

Feels his ear flick. "Fine. Didn't think hawks were social either."

And the hero bristles a little. "Hawks aren't, but I'm not a hawk. Raptors aren't either, generally, but I'm a person too. And I like people. Even asshole villains, apparently." 

"Sure they'll appreciate that." 

Hawks glares at him, "Spinner is great, Twice is a sweetheart, Compress is funny, Toga is psychotic but endearing, and Shigaraki is responsible . You're the only asshole here, Dabi." Hawks' eyes drift away from his. "And apparently you're not always. Just to me. I don't know if it's a cat thing or if you just don't want me here, but they do right now. So I'm staying until they don't think I'm part of their colony or flock anymore. I can make myself scarce when you're with them, but they need you around." He takes a breath. "I get that this is hard for all of you, try not to make it harder on each other." 

Hates that his ears feel like they're pulling down again, that his tail is flicking, but it's low near his ankles. Hates that his guilt is so plain on him as he realizes that if the fucking hero spy is this upset about how he's been avoiding all of them, then his stupid group of criminals is probably a lot more upset about it.  

"Whatever," feels like he's running away when he heads back inside. Sees a thread of silk catch the light as he opens the door and rolls his eyes. Been finding those around more and more. Guesses that means Duster's been busy. 

///

Doesn't take him long to find the others. Is kind of bewildered when he does, but they're in the living room. The living room just also happens to be some kind of very strange mix of blanket fort and fucking spiderweb which is erring on the side of disturbing. Toga is sitting upside down on the couch again, her head hanging in Twice's space where he's sitting in a pile of blankets, mask pushed up so he can chew on a thin stick of some kind. Compress is on the other end of the couch, actually looks like he's working on something, his wings hanging over the armrest so that they can move and aren't being crushed by the cushions. Spinner isn't here which must mean the gecko needed alone time, and Shigaraki is--

"This is creepy as fuck, Duster." 

Shigaraki is sitting off in the corner, dragged the armchair over there and has apparently not just figured out how to make the webs, but has been making them a lot given how the entire corner is covered in them, branching out across the ceiling in a thick white blanket, along the walls, spreading and spreading out into the rest of the mansion. Has his phone in one hand, working on something as well, probably, but the others are in the web, fingers running along the silk lightly, absently, but constantly moving. 

"Dabi!" And Toga follows up his name with a big smile and a high chuffing sound, sits up and unwraps her wings from around herself. 

"Hey man, where have you been? Like we give a shit, you antisocial loser!" 

"You're back," Compress even sounds happy to see him which really, really makes him feel like shit. 

"I didn't go anywhere." 

"Yeah but you haven't come to see us in days ." Toga grabs his wrist and tugs him onto the couch between her and Compress. His fur stands on end when she then leans forward and rubs her cheek against his, making another series of high little chirpy squeaks. Surrounds him in her scent. Blood and her perfume. Used to just think it was a cloying vanilla fruit smell, now it makes his nose burn because it just smells like chemical . 

"What are you doing, brat?" Can't fight the little growl that starts in his chest and then feels terrible because she immediately stops, her face falling and wings pressing in tight to her back. 

"I, oh, sorry." She backs off. "I-it's a bat thing. They like to be close." 

He tries to stop the growl, tries to stop how his tail is flicking. She tries to get some of the smile back, 

"You've missed so much, Compress and I can fly!" 

"We're nowhere near as fast as Hawks, but we can stay in the air, though Toga's been struggling with light sensitivity." 

"Shiggy can spin way bigger webs now, and he can stick to walls, and he's way stronger now." 

"Horrifying." 

"I'm going to wait on the ceiling outside of your room and see if your fur stands on end when you're scared." He says dryly.

"And then I'm gonna find out if all your limbs will curl in on themselves like a normal spider's do when they're burned alive." Nudges Twice's thigh with his boot. "Why are you chewing on a stick?" 

"I kept chewing on my cigs, bunnies gnaw . I like eating wood! Shut up! Hawks called Mirko and she said she chews these to help with it. It's totally gross!" 

"What about you?" Toga asks, "What's it like being a cat?" 

His ear twitches. "Annoying." 

"Okay, but do you have anything cool?" 

"Senses are heightened a bit," he tells her when her expression dims again at his terse response. "Otherwise I haven't noticed anything else. Been sleeping a lot." 

"Ugh, same, I've barely been able to stay awake during the day." She whines, doesn't touch him again, but scoots a little closer. The four of them all try to talk to him, try to keep him engaged, try to keep him here , with a desperate transparency that makes him feel much, much worse about avoiding them for the past few days.

Manages to make himself stay until Hawks pokes his head in about an hour later. Toga makes that same happy bat noise at him and he chirps back, settling down next to Twice when she ushers him into the room. Doesn't think he's ever seen anyone touch his wings, but when Toga reaches he spreads them out and lets her start running her fingers through them. She looks so fucking happy, they all look so relaxed , and Hawks is looking more like the cat that got the canary than he likes. Gets up and leaves soon after that. Doesn't want to upset them again, but he can feel the growl building in his chest, knows that he needs to leave because he's gonna upset them one way or the other and he doesn't want to risk this turning into a fight when Toga's out of commission and the rest of them are still off balance. 

Feels all of their eyes on him when he goes, but Hawks' gaze is definitely the heaviest.

///

Ends up sleeping again because he can't help it. Just an hour with all of them made him absolutely exhausted. Goes to his room to do it this time, and wakes up feeling like his skin is vibrating. Has much better night vision now, which he supposes is one benefit, and leaves his room. Heads to Shig's. Knows which one is his despite avoiding all of them for days because he's pretty damn sure it's the one that’s fucking covered in webbing. He doesn't know how he's even gonna knock on the damn thing because he's pretty sure he'll get stuck if he even tries. 

Doesn't have to because when he gets within a meter of it Shig is there, opening it. "Need to talk to you." He tells the other man and Shig just pushes the door open wider, pulls free some of the silk so that he can come into the room. Can smell him immediately. Doesn't know if spider has a distinct scent, but Shigaraki smells like... cold concrete and mint. Guesses the mint is from his toothpaste, is wearing his sleep stuff, holes cut into his shirt for his extra arms, but the cold smell is stranger, hard to put into words. Wonders if that's spider . He steps inside and finds that everything in here is covered in the silk as well, that smell overpowering. "Seriously, seriously creepy. Why ?" 

"Practicing." 

"To catch flies ?"

"No," one of his hands glides over the nearest strand. "Can feel the vibrations of every movement through the house. Know exactly where everyone is, can even hear them if they talk directly at them. I don't know how long we'll be like this, but until we're back to normal this has the potential to be an extremely effective surveillance and security quirk." He considers, "Effective restraint too, when necessary." 

" Creepy ." He reiterates. Duster clicks at him, rolls his eyes. 

"What did you want to talk about?" 

"What's going on now?" They were supposed to just be setting up base here before they went to see All For One's monster maker. 

"Not reaching out to Ujiko until we're back to normal." Isn't looking at him, is focusing on the webs again, frowning a little. "I expect that he's going to want me to prove myself, either against one of his experiments or by doing some other type of job. But if he sees us all like this ? I have a feeling he'll be asking me to give one of you up for his experiments instead." And for all that they didn't get along at the start, things changed after they lost Magne, and Compress got hurt, and Kurogiri got arrested. Shigaraki stepped the fuck up, figured out how to lead, they figured out how to follow. Wouldn't ever use them as pawns now, wouldn't let the doctor take them for his mad science. But still doesn't want to risk burning that bridge completely by having to deny him his lab rats. Staying away is probably the better option overall. 

"So what are we doing?" 

"Ideally figuring out how to cope with this, then we can see about taking on some additional jobs. But I'm not in a rush, would rather be inactive for a while longer than risk going into the field and one of our new instincts triggering something and getting us hurt, arrested, or killed." 

His tail flicks, had been expecting that really. But then he yelps, realizes that it strayed too close to some of the webbing and his fur is stuck in it, pulling sharply as he tries to withdraw it. Shigaraki clicks and steps into his space, 

"Hold still," reaches for him carefully, but Dabi can't help it. His ears immediately pin back, he bares his teeth, claws jumping from his nailbeds, and a hissing growl tears out of his chest. Duster goes very still, eyes a little wide. Thinks he sees a flicker of surprise, of hurt in them and fucking wants to die. Has seen all of the others with him since Kamino, how they aren't scared of him anymore. Toga hugs him, Twice puts his arm around his shoulders, Spinner sits shoulder-to-shoulder with him on the couch when they're hanging out. They aren't scared of him accidentally hurting them anymore. He's not normally either, Shigaraki probably has some of the best quirk control of anyone he's ever met because he just literally can't turn it off. Trusts him to be careful with them. But his cat brain doesn't care. Knows that he's dangerous, knows that he could really hurt him if he puts a hand around his tail.  "I... need to touch you to take it off." He says very softly. 

It takes him a second, trying to swallow down the sound, trying to get himself to stop shaking . "Fuck, I know . Not me. I'm just jumpy like this." 

Duster considers him for a second, "Tell me to stop if this doesn't help," reaches for him again, much more slowly. Doesn't go for his tail though, reaches up to his head and Dabi stiffens, another little growl in his throat. And then Shig's hand is in his hair, one finger raised, nails scratching lightly across his scalp between his ears. The sound in his chest stutters. Oh. His ears unpin, the nails against his skin feel nice , a little purr starting up in the back of his throat, eyes slipping shut. Doesn't realize he's pushing back against Shig's hand until he's taking it away. "There," blinks. Realizes his tail is free. Stops purring. 

"Fucking hell . Do not tell anyone else about this." He says immediately, keeping his tail close to his legs and taking a step back from Shig. 

Duster looks distinctly amused, "Whatever you want, kitten." 

"I will kill you." He snaps, tries to regain his composure, tries to shift attention away from that because that was mortifying . Because he wants the hand back in his hair way, way too much. "Why is Hawks still here?"

And Shig blinks, can practically see him switching tracks again. "He's being useful." 

"He’s getting a very good idea of how crippled we are right now and we don't have anywhere else to go if he decides to call in the other heroes." If he doesn't just try to take them all out himself. Probably could given his speed and how off-balance the rest of them are right now. Shigaraki is quiet for a minute, considering. Sees a few of his hands stray back into the web, wonders if he's looking for the bird with the threads. He's well-aware that Dabi suspects him of being a spy, fucking told him that immediately after the first meeting. But they haven't told the others yet. Twice is likely to blurt it out with his contradictions, and aside from Compress, they don't think the others are good enough actors to try and be normal around him. But Shig knows. So why is he still here? 

"He's not going to attack us." 

"You don't know that," he snaps. 

Duster considers him again. He normally doesn't have to fight to get him to listen. Shig trusts his judgment. "Yes I do. He's not going to betray us. I don't think he's even going to tell anyone else about what happened here." 

"Is this an animal thing? Said that you're a social species." 

Hears Shig click a few times, starting to look annoyed. "Yes and no. But it's not just my instincts at work here. Hawks is fighting his too and he is very, very visibly losing. If you were around more than you would see it too. I don't know if it's the human part or the bird part but he is desperate for companionship. Acceptance. Wants to belong somewhere as badly as any of us did." Dabi bristles. 

Shigaraki used to be a bad judge of character. Fucked up when he met him and Toga, fucked up picking that Bakugo kid as their target when AFO told them to recruit from UA. But he's only bad at it when he's being rushed, watched by AFO or Kurogiri because he made snapper judgments to avoid their scrutiny. Knew it didn't matter one way or the other if he got it wrong. But when he's left alone it's different. Took one conversation after they tried to kill each other for Shig to trust him with the entire summer camp operation, took him one conversation with Overhaul to figure out exactly how to break him. Has had months to get to know all of them now and makes it very, very clear that he does whenever he spends time around them. How he makes sure that Compress gets to perform, how Twice and Toga are never far from each other because she needs someone safe to be around who won't ever flinch from her quirk or manic episodes and he needs someone who can keep his head on straight, how he makes sure to talk with Spinner about normal shit so that he doesn't get overwhelmed. How he makes sure that Dabi can come and go as he pleases, never snaps at him, never flinches when Dabi snaps at him , never even remotely threatens to raise a hand to him when sometimes he will idly pretend to reach for the others when they're getting on his nerves. Never moves too quickly into his space. Always listens to what he has to say. Knows them now. Knows how to keep them settled and happy. Knows well enough that they're all still here even after everything went to shit after Kamino. 

He's had three days with Hawks. Definitely long enough to see through all of the hero's bullshit. Still can't help it when he says, "And what if you're wrong? What if you can't manipulate--" 

"I'm not wrong, I'm not manipulating him." And there's an edge in Shigaraki's voice. Knows he crossed a line immediately. Knows that Shig doesn't manipulate people, actively avoids it. Part of the reason he's so fucking blunt. Reason he told him, Toga, and Spinner the truth about Stain as soon as Kurogiri and AFO were out of the picture. Tenses, his tail flicking and ears pinning back and Shig takes another breath. "He may be a spy, but he still sought us out, still made himself open to being recruited. All this has done is open the door. He's seeing what we're like, even if things are... heightened right now. He likes what he's seeing. Has probably wanted something like this for a very long time. We're not keeping him here, haven't taken his phone, haven't tried to stop him from leaving. He's choosing to stay. If he chooses to stay even after things settle then I will make him one of us, Dabi." 

"...fine." 

Shig sighs, a soft sound, a click at the end of it. "Spend more time with him. You'll see it too." He's about to tell him to fuck off, "That's an order, Dabi." 

Shuts his mouth, can't help the little growl in his chest, but Shig looks more amused than annoyed with him. "Whatever, Duster." 

"Alternatively you could just suck it up and fuck him and stop being such a bitch about this." He tells him blunt, matter-of-fact. 

" Fuck you, Shigaraki." Has barely been in a room with both of them at the same time since the hero got here. Doesn't know how he could have guessed that was part of the issue. Shig smiles, knows he hit the nail on the fucking head. Dabi hisses at him. Realizes that he meant to do that, that he did it intentionally and then flushes slightly. Has been fighting those instincts so hard that it feels strange to have reached for them. 

Clicks again, eyes dragging over him. "Run along, kitten." 

Lashes out with a little bit of fire, just enough to get Shig to back off, but he's still smirking. Puts out the flames that catch his web by closing a hand around a section of it. 

Dabi flicks him off as he goes over to the door. Hesitates because he's scared of getting stuck again. Duster chuckles and then the webs move and the door swings open without him coming any closer. "Creepy as fuck, Shig." He snaps, leaves the room. 

Hates how much better he feels after that conversation.

///

He doesn't know if he really trusts it, but after his conversation with Dabi, the arsonist does start to actively try to be around the rest of the League a little more. And Hawks is almost as relieved as the group of villains, if only because it immediately cheers them all up. It's so strange. Given his interactions with Dabi over the past few months he was damn sure that the man was just a cantankerous bastard all the time and probably only was with the League out of convenience, but the rest of the League seem to really like him. Toga mourns the fact that they have a kitchen again, a first apparently in about three hideouts, and that all of their diets are so fucked up because Dabi will cook for them when he can. That he's apparently a good cook, even taught her how to make Mapo tofu once. Compress mentions that the two of them are big readers and Dabi knows what he found to be a shocking number of classics, and is apparently very well-educated despite his appearance and attitude. Spinner mentions that he's a good listener, will sit and just let any of them talk at him for hours if there's nothing else going on. Twice tells him that Dabi's loyal as shit, that he's funny and sarcastic, and very emotional. Good and bad emotions apparently, sometimes will lightly singe them if they push him too far in the wrong direction, but never really tries to hurt them. The one time he had when Spinner got too close to him in a fight he hadn't used his quirk for a week. Shigaraki is more reserved with his words, clearly likes spending time with the group, always seeks them out, but usually only speaks when spoken to or when he has something significant to say. He's also, apparently, blunt as shit. 

"Dabi," he says, when the man has left the room again-- Can't manage to stick around for more than an hour or so at a time before he disappears again. Even more reclusive than Spinner in this form apparently-- When the others are talking about him, about how it sucks that he's avoiding them again. How he hasn't done this since he first joined up. Is usually always around now and they miss him. "Is struggling with his instincts." They all are, that's not a surprise, but as soon as Shigaraki speaks the others all go quiet and lock in on him. Really, really, listen to him. "He's struggling with how expressive he is like this, you know he values his privacy, he won't be comfortable being around us again unless we ignore his feline reactions and listen to his words." 

Sees his words settle in the others. It's been almost a week, they're still adjusting. But they're all also getting used to leaning into the traits that aren't dangerous, that don't make each other uncomfortable. Toga wants to groom them all so badly, wants to press her cheeks to theirs and cuddle close. Twice also wants to be close, will throw himself at their feet and sometimes grinds his teeth when he's just happy being around them. Compress is open to the preening. Shigaraki seems perfectly content to just be near them. They indulge in those behaviors because it makes it easier for them to think straight when the animal parts of their brains aren't constantly screaming their discomfort. They've all been trying to reach out to Dabi, watching his ears and tail, listening for the start of those hisses and yowls as they start up in his chest when they nudge his mood into the wrong direction. He'd noticed them getting worse when he tried to navigate around them, thought that was just because the arsonist very clearly can't fucking stand him in particular. But apparently Shigaraki has a different idea of what the problem is. 

When Dabi comes back in a few hours, Twice strikes up a conversation with him and one of his contradictions has Dabi's ear flicking and a little hiss starting in his throat. Twice ignores it, keeps talking like it didn't even happen. The hiss gets a little more insistent, but Twice doesn't stop. After another minute the sound trails off. His tail stops flicking. When Toga rubs him the wrong way she ignores the hiss too. Doesn't stop what she's doing until he actually snaps at her. The hiss stops, Dabi doesn't leave. Sticks around for two hours. Towards the end of it Hawks has to resist the urge to gape at him because Dabi isn't hissing at them anymore. He's purring. Low and quiet, but definitely, definitely there. 

Sees the others perk up further, but they do their very best to pretend that they haven't heard him. Catches Shigaraki smiling at the arsonist out of the corner of his eye. 

///

Hawks takes an extended leave. Doesn't know when this is going to fade, but knows from just how clingy Toga, Twice, and Compress were when he went back to his apartment to get some clothes and stuff that he's not going to be able to be away from them for very long. He and Compress locked in on each other as flock immediately, felt it hit as hard as it did when it happened with Rumi and Tokoyami, knows that he's going to have to actively disengage that part of his brain when this mission gets closer to its end to sever that tie. Knows that Toga and Twice have the same group instincts, that they are convinced he's part of their colonies. That his absence is as distressing to them as Dabi's is when he's gone. 

Hasn't told the HPSC why he's taking the leave. Hasn't told them what happened here. Doesn't think he's going to because he has a very good idea of how they would want to handle this situation. Finds himself wandering the mansion, taking in the layout. Thinking about what his orders would be. Guesses they would want to use this to take in the League. It's an isolated location so deadly force would be okayed, encouraged even. He would likely be told to kill Dabi and Twice first before they sent in an ice user to chill the entire house low enough to induce torpor in himself, Toga, Compress, Spinner, and Shigaraki. Knock them out, take them in. Or take them out. Depends on if the Commission thinks they could get anything useful out of them. Would probably want Toga, Shigaraki, and Twice if they could get them because their quirks are unique and useful. Doesn't know exactly how they would try to harness them, but that's not his business. Doesn't want to know how they would try. 

"What are you doing, hero?" 

Dabi's voice startles him out of his thoughts. Doesn't know how he let himself get so deep into them that he didn't notice the vibration of him moving closer. Finds the other man coming out of what he guesses is his room. His hair is even more askew than usual, a yawn catching the end of his words, sharp teeth on display as he yawns. Hawks blinks, staring at him, as his tongue flicks out over his lips when he stops, a distinctly feline action that he doesn't even seem to have noticed he did. 

"Uh, nothing really. Just wandering?" 

"Why aren't you with the others?" 

"Uh, Shigaraki, Spinner, and Compress are working on something and Toga passed out. Twice went to tuck her in." Dabi has the unpleasant ability to make him feel like a pinned insect. Has always been able to do that, eyes sharper than anything, but the effect is only heightened now that his pupils are slitted. Somehow makes him look even more dangerous. "If I ask how you're doing, am I gonna get set on fire?" 

Dabi considers his answer for longer than Hawks likes, head tilting very slightly, ear twitching, tail lazily winding around his ankles. "More likely to try and tear off your wings while I'm like this." 

He stiffens, his feathers instinctively sharpening. Dabi's eyes catch the movement, his tail flicks a little faster. His pupils go a little wider and then tighten into pinpricks. "Huh. Because I'm pissing you off or because you're a cat?" His voice stays even, almost cheerful. He's been a bird his whole life, knows how to control his emotions even when his instincts are making him want to run . 

"Cat thing. Don't usually want to maul you, not like this at least." And Dabi starts to pace, very slowly, eyes never leaving him, "You've been so helpful with the others and curbing their instincts, don't suppose you'd give me a hand, hero?"

"Happy to get you a laser pointer and some catnip, Dabs, but I'm gonna have to firmly pass on letting you hunt me for sport." 

"Too bad." Cocks his head to the other side, "Been a lot more violent lately." He says very calmly. "Been making me think about getting into a fight. We're pretty far away from the city. If we were going to be ambushed this would be a great place for it. Nice big forest around the house, perfect for people like me to unleash without having to worry about other people getting caught in the crossfire. I know how we would react to an attack, but I'm curious, Hawks, what do you think the heroes would do if they found us here?" 

It's an enormous effort to keep his wings from flaring and sharpening further. To keep his expression impassive. "I don't think you're going to get into a fight out here, Dabi. No one knows you're even here, do they?"

Sees his ear flick again. "Hmm, no. But that could change," hates the way those blue, blue eyes drag over him. A low thrum of adrenaline is starting to slide through his veins, making his skin go a little hotter. "Humor me, hero." 

He shrugs, "Guessing they would send a handful of the top ten, probably Eraser Head too. They would definitely try to knock out you and Twice like they tried in Kamino. Would definitely try to surprise all of you so they could try and get this finished quickly." 

Dabi hums low in his throat, "Would be interesting to see Twice go up against Mirko, bunny on bunny action." 

"Better hope they don't hit it off because otherwise we might end up with a real multiplication problem." Keeps his tone light, easy, fake. Doesn't know where this is coming from. Doesn't think he's ever felt so threatened by Dabi in all of the time they've been doing this. 

Dabi laughs, it puts his fangs on display. Hawks feels his feathers fluff a little, still sharp. "And what would you do?"

He blinks. "If heroes showed up here?" 

"If all of us suddenly became heteromorphs, oh wait, that already happened." Dabi rolls his eyes, "Yes, if heroes showed up here." 

"I, well my cover would be blown--"

"Yes, it would." And the playfulness is gone as Dabi moves. Hawks can't help it. Can't stop his wings from flaring, wide and sharp, curling in as Dabi is suddenly right in his space, so close Hawks can feel the heat pouring off his body, smell the faintest traces of smoke as he pins him under his gaze. His feathers have them half-trapped in a dome of blades and the villain doesn't even seem to care. Can't muffle the startled chirp that crawls up his throat. "What would you do, Hawks?" 

His heart hammers against his ribs. Fuck. What is this? Did he slip? Does Dabi know ? Doesn't think the arsonist would have given him a warning if he did. Thinks he would have just torched him first and asked questions never. "I--" The answer should be immediate. Obviously he should tell Dabi that he would protect the League, use his speed and knowledge about the heroes to run interference so that the League could get out. Hesitates because if heroes came here, if they showed up and he didn't know they were coming, what would he do? Thinks the Commission would be split, would want him to apprehend the League if he really thought that the heroes could take them in. But if it was a bad match-up. If Dabi and Twice weren't restrained and Shigaraki put all of his new spider traits to good use and turned the tide in their favor, then they would want him to stay. Would want him to go deep undercover and stick with the League until he did think they could be taken down. 

"Hawksie?" Hears Toga's voice, sleepy and distant. Feels his feathers tremble. 

"I--" she can't fight back right now. Even if he stuck with the League, if there was a fight here she would get hurt. Thinks if something worse happened that the rest of the League wouldn't give a fuck about getting out, about their plans, about surviving , because they would tear everything down for her. 

Dabi lets out a long, slow breath that's tinged with smoke. Reaches up to one of his feathers and carefully runs his finger along the bladed edge. Starts to purr very, very softly. "Hmm, thanks for satisfying my curiosity, pretty bird. I feel much better." Strokes a little closer to the vein of his feather and yanks his wings away, pressing them tight to his back, the feathers softening, but can't keep them from shivering and fluffing. 

"Uh, I--" still can't find his words. 

"Oh, hey Dabi." Toga says, ear twitching, much closer now. 

"Hey princess," she blinks, straightens up and gives the happiest little chuff he's heard her make, and beams at him. Doesn't hesitate to throw herself against his side, wrapping her arms and wings tightly around his waist. 

"Are you finally in a better mood?" 

"Not gonna be for long if you keep this up, princess." But Dabi's whole demeanor has shifted, is stroking his hand gently through her hair, eyes half-lidded and soft on her, the purring kicking up even louder in his chest. "Hmm, looked up a recipe for black pudding, you want to give it a try?" 

Toga's smile goes even brighter, "Okay!" 

Dabi glances over at him, "You want to come help, pretty bird?" 

Hawks still feels completely off-balance, his feathers still fluffed, heat still boiling under his skin. "Uh, no, I think I'm gonna go fly for a little while. Feeling a little stir-crazy. Have fun?" 

"You too, birdy." 

Dabi doesn't stop him when he tries to leave. He ends up standing outside for a while, trying to shake his feathers back into place, to stop feeling the phantom touch of Dabi's too hot hand on his barbs, before he manages to get up into the air. 

Is having a very, very hard time trying to figure out if he was being threatened or flirted with, doesn't even know which of the two would make him feel more uneasy.

///

He and Toga go to the kitchen and he does actually start to try and make some black pudding. It's not necessarily a difficult recipe, but it's new, is mostly focusing on that as Toga watches him from the counter. But his ear twitches as he hears the others starting to converge. Sees Twice stick his head in first, sees the blood and then takes a chair, turns it away from the kitchen properly, and starts talking to them like that. It's kind of funny, but he figures he shouldn't make fun of him, not like he can help it. He's about halfway through the process before the others come in as well, all of them. 

"You're cooking?" Compress asks. 

"Trying to. Thought this might help with the plasma problems." And he isn't really surprised when they all settle in too. 

"You're in a better mood." Shigaraki comments, resting his chin on his knuckles as he watches him work. 

"He was canoodling with Hawks," Toga tells them in a stage whisper. "They were all cozy under his wings when I found them." 

"Is that so?" And Shig is definitely amused now. 

He rolls his eyes. "I was threatening him, brat." 

"You were flirting with him, you called him 'pretty bird'." 

"You did?" Compress also sounds amused and Dabi's tail flicks, but they don't stop teasing.

"Sounds like you were doing both," Shig says evenly, watching him carefully. 

He doesn't say anything for a second, considering himself. "Not sure if you're right , but you're probably not completely wrong either. Still gonna be ready to turn him to ash if he slips." 

The others look confused, but this isn't the first time he and Duster have continued a conversation that they weren't privy to in front of them. Shig clicks a few times, conceding the point he thinks. "And you're going to stop being a bitch?" 

"Fuck you, Duster." 

"Doesn't seem like that's what you're after right now, kitten. Maybe Compress can be a good wingman, they're both birds after all." They all know him well enough to know to duck as soon as Shig uses a pet name on him. Usually 'firefly' but no one seems surprised by this one. When he does throw a handful of flame at their leader he swears he sees the rest of them light up, smiling, relaxing. They're all smart enough not to comment on how he starts purring as he keeps working and conversation shifts. 

When Hawks does come back later he seems on edge, nervous. Toga gets right into his space and tries to draw him back into things. All of them try the black pudding, save Twice, and it's fine. He's pretty sure that all of them, except Compress, would actually have preferred to just drink the blood straight in these forms. But Toga's happy because she can, in fact, eat this without having to rush to the bathroom. 

"Come on birdy, promise it's not poisoned," turns to him with a piece on his fork and brings it to the other man's mouth. Hawks flushes nearly as red as his wings, wings that are fluffing, but that don't look sharp. He accepts the bite, looking very confused and a little dazed. 

"Uh, different. Not... bad though." 

Extracts himself from his space and goes to talk to Spinner. Compress catches his eye and gestures to Hawks' wings. He raises a brow. 

"Receptive," is all the other man says on a breath barely loud enough for him to hear. Toga and Twice's ears twitch, but Hawks, Spinner, and Shig don't seem to have heard him. 

He smiles, Toga laughs. "You really, really look like the Cheshire cat when you do that now." Hawks looks up at her comment. His wings fluff a little more before he turns his attention back to his conversation. Starts purring again, can't stop it. Hawks wings get a little fluffier. Shigaraki catches him watching the bird as he helps him clean up the kitchen and chuckles under his breath.

///

Hawks was not just looking at a gift horse in the mouth, but doing dentistry on it, when he was critical of how Dabi treated him, how he was avoiding the others. Should have really, really been happy to not have to spend time with him because after he does... whatever the fuck it was he did when he asked him where he would stand if heroes came here, he stops avoiding the League. Slots himself back into the group and Hawks sees first-hand how he usually acts with them. Sees him smiling, and laughing, trading insults, and being witty with the others. He and Shigaraki seem to speak their own language when they talk. He knows almost as much about plays as Compress. Always calls Toga 'princess' and dotes on her like she's his baby sister. He, Twice, and Spinner have such bro energy that Hawks feels like he's walked into another reality every time he's around them. And he's still around them all the time, because the whole League still thinks he's flock, colony, because he still sees them the same way. But that's not how he's seeing Dabi. 

Dabi who is all long graceful limbs held together with swaths of dark purple scars and pretty, glittering staples that makes the bird part of his brain scream about patterns and plumage. Dabi who has sharp, dangerous teeth, that he likes bearing in vicious smiles, and who's always pouring heat. Who could turn the whole room into an inferno in a split second. Doesn't need to because his eyes are the same color as his flames and Hawks already feels like he's being burned alive every time they settle on him. Which they're doing all the time now.  It's going to drive him crazy .

More frustrating, embarrassing, because Compress is a bird now. Which means he knows bird body language, something Hawks normally tries to hide anyway, but that usually doesn't matter too much if he slips slightly because other people usually can't read those little ticks and tells. But now Compress can. And every time his feathers fluff, every time his wings flutter, he looks amused. And Dabi's eyes always track the movement and his smile always goes a little more vicious. Which he thinks means that Compress fucking ratted him out. And that also probably means that Dabi is intentionally flirting with him. 

And he's... not quite reciprocating. But he's... definitely not rejecting the attention either. Just. Freezing up, fluttering his wings, letting his skin go way too hot. Wanting the other man even though he knows it's a bad idea. The bird part wants him because of patterns and plumage. The human part might just be a masochist though. Can't stop being attracted to this version of Dabi. The version that is vibrant, and that so visibly cares about his friends, and smiles. Knows it's a bad idea, knows that he shouldn't, that it's dangerous and stupid and that he cannot want him. Because if he ever let himself have him, then the Commission would skin him. If they didn't encourage him to keep fucking him so that he could try and wring any additional information out of Dabi that he could. Would probably be pissed that he went for the second-in-command and not the leader really. 

Which. That's another complication. 

Has no idea how someone with eyes as sharp as Dabi's seem to be hasn't noticed, but Shigaraki is clearly interested in Dabi too. Flirts with him as constantly as Dabi's been flirting with him. Calls Dabi little pet names and teases him relentlessly in that dry way that kind of makes him hilarious when he's not just being outright intimidating. Drags his eyes over the arsonist's body whenever he feels like it, whether Dabi's aware he's looking or not and even when Dabi very clearly is, he never takes it seriously. Never does anything other than roll his eyes or bitch at the leader. And Shigaraki lets him. Is so indulgent with Dabi. With all of them. He has absolutely no idea how this is the same person as who attacked UA. Because this does not seem to be the same ill-tempered child that he expected to meet. Doesn't think that's got anything to do with the spider thing though, thinks that Shigaraki is just a lot more mature than he was when AFO was still calling the shots. And it's clear that all of the League listens to what he has to say, will do anything he asks too, that they all chase his approval and he's so willing to give it, to listen to them, to make sure that they're good. 

Doesn't know if it should surprise him or not when Shigaraki seems to want to make sure he's good too. 

He said he'd make himself scarce when Dabi's hanging out with the rest of the League, doesn't think he needs to given the attention he's been getting from the other man, but at this point he's almost desperate to stay out of the same room as him. Can't stop his wings from fluttering and his skin going hot, isn't going to be stupid enough to go to bed with a wanted criminal who could very easily kill him with his quirk and who has bluntly told him he's been fantasizing about mutilating him since he became a cat. No. He's a lot of things, but suicidal isn't one of them. So extracting himself from the situation as much as he can is really his best option. Ends up on the roof because he can't help it, because he likes to be high. 

Is just trying to catch his breath. Trying to get himself back under control because being here, being around so many other animal heteromorphs is definitely affecting his head. Is definitely making everything instinctive in himself creep up to the forefront even though he's spent years and years trying to train it out of himself.

"You up for a chat, hero?" Jumps a mile because he absolutely should have felt the vibration of the door opening, of Shigaraki walking over to him, but he hadn't . Had been too lost in his own thoughts and that means that if the leader of the League of Villains had wanted to kill him, then he could have. Would have just had to reach out and touch him instead of settling on the edge of the roof with him, barely two feet away. 

"I, uh, yeah, what's up?" Tries to keep his wings relaxed. Tries to keep his feathers soft. It's hard. Was already unsettled from Dabi's flirtation, now is even more so by virtue of his own obliviousness. 

 Shigaraki watches him for a minute, not speaking. Hawks tries to look calm, keep his expression open and easy, patient. Doesn't know what the fuck Dabi was doing when he got into his face the other day, but doesn't think he's done anything in front of the rest of the League to make them suspicious about his intentions. "Dabi thinks you're a spy." 

Fuck . 

He can't help it. His wings go stiff and tight against his back, feathers sharpening, even the ones down his spine which audibly tear through the back of his shirt. Barely can hear that as his blood goes roaring in his ears. Can't hide that reaction, can keep him talking, can stay ready, so that he can get out of his range as fast as he can. "Huh, really? So is all the flirting an intimidation tactic or what?" 

Shigaraki clicks, spider sounds that he has no way of making sense of, but he still looks calm, relaxed. "Hmm, no. He also just thinks you're very pretty." Is completely unprepared for the other man to drag his eyes over him the same way he does to the arsonist. "I think he's right on both fronts." 

Feels like his head is filled with static. "Uh, don't know if that's a compliment or a threat." Brows pulling together, wings staying sharp, doesn't know if he should move or not. If his moving will be what turns this from a conversation to a confrontation. He's fast, he's very, very fast. But is he fast enough to put a feather through Shigaraki's neck before he could reach for him with one of his six deadly hands? He really, really doesn't want to put that to the test while he's sitting so close. 

"It can be both." He tells him, very patiently. 

And then silence stretches out between them. Stretches so long the muscles in his wings start to tremble and he can't keep holding them so tightly against his back. "I... Do I have to say I'm not a spy?"

"You can if you want to, hero. It won't make either of us believe you." 

"I...okay. So did you come up here to kill me or what?" He sounds as calm as Shigaraki. Glad that he does because maybe that means he'll find a way to salvage this. "Would have probably had an easier time of it if you'd done it inside, with all the webs around. Would've slowed me down." 

"Why would I kill you, Hawks?" 

"You think I'm a spy." He replies very slowly. Feels like the whole conversation is happening underwater. 

"I think you were a spy when you started meeting with Dabi. I think you were a spy when you arrived here. I think you're still a spy right now. But I also think that if you stay here, if you keep spending time with us, whether you accept Dabi's invitation into his bed or not, that by the end of this, I don't think you'll still be a spy. I think that you like being here, I think you like us." His eyes drag over him again, but the look is assessing this time, not filled with heat. "I think you're extremely loyal to the people you like. Not sure if that's a hero trait or just something about you. But either way, I think that there is a chance that by the time we're all back to normal, you won't be  a spy anymore. That's why we're having this conversation. I want you to know that we're giving you a chance. Stick around, little bird, let yourself consider the possibility. If you decide that you don't want to be one of us at the end of this, then we'll revisit the idea of murder." 

He gets back to his feet, moves slowly and deliberately. Does that around the others too, always careful when he's in their space. The others don't even flinch. 

Clicks again, "One more thing," pauses, levels him with another considering look. "If you're not interested, tell him. He's a dick, but if you're uncomfortable he'll stop." Another small pause, "And if you are interested then you should be forward with him. He's also oblivious." It's very, very strange to see Shigaraki roll his eyes, for his lips to curl up into a small smile. Doesn't see it for long before he walks back across the roof, opens the door, and goes back inside. 

Leaves Hawks on the roof with his thoughts and the high whine of panic splitting open his head. 

///

He's very comfortable. Warm and cozy, and there's this constant, rhythmic press against his hair that is so, so nice. Can hear himself purring. Smells cold, and blood, and that sharp cloying chemical sweetness. That's what has him making a stronger sound, breaking up the cadence of his purrs. Blinks, ears twitching as he wakes. 

"Oh no," hears Toga's voice, soft, but very, very close. "Go back to sleep," she murmurs very softly. Feels a hand in his hair, Duster's, four fingers against his scalp, scraping his nails between his ears, scratching and stroking slowly but firmly. Purrs even louder, pushing back into the touch. "Oh my god that's so cute."  Hears Shig clicking. 

"You guys are gonna die as soon as he's all the way awake." Spinner says. 

"Shh!!" Toga hisses at him. 

"Worth it." Shig murmurs, voice as soft as hers.

His ear twitches again, confusion starting to eat through the sleepiness. Hasn't slept in a room with the others since they got to this hideout. Since they had a place big enough to avoid that. Squints his eyes open, brows pulling together. The living room comes into focus, Spinner, Twice and Compress sitting a ways off to the side, watching him nervously. He blinks again, the purr cutting out in his chest. Realizes he's curled up into a ball again. On the couch. Feels the warm press of Toga's skin against his shoulders. Shig's hand is definitely still in his hair. 

"Wha--" Mortification floods his system, and he's sitting up abruptly, his ears pinning back and his fur standing on end as he bares his teeth and snarls at the two of them as he rears back, nearly throwing himself to the other end of the couch. 

Didn't realize Hawks was there. Isn't even thinking when he whirls around, claws out, and swipes at him. "Shit!" His claws rake against sharpened feathers, not skin, as his wing comes up to block the attack, and the sudden movement, the little flash of pain as he cuts open his own fingers on the bladed feathers snaps him into his right mind. 

"Fuck, sorry, dove--" pulls away from him, manages to retract his claws. Sees Hawks' feathers fluffing a little as he pulls his wing back a little to peer at him. Compress must be delusional if he thinks that means the hero is interested because unless he's more fucked in the head than he thought, Dabi doesn't think that being attacked should be doing it for the other man. Turns his attention back to Toga, curled up on the other end of the couch giving him a sheepish smile, and Duster, who's leaning against the back of the couch, eyes half-lidded his own little smirk twisting his lips, entirely unrepentant. "Fuck both of you."

"You were being so cute!" Toga tries to defend. "You curled up against me and started purring as soon as Shig started petting you." 

"I hate you both, fucking die." Doesn't lash out with his claws or flames though. Already attacked Hawks by accident, doesn't need to make it worse by going off so close to the flammable hero. 

Toga whines, knows she's on his shit list for the foreseeable future. 

"Don't be petulant," Shigaraki tells him evenly, completely unperturbed. "You were being very cute, kitten." 

"I'm going to kill you." 

"You haven't yet." 

"And you're pushing your fucking luck, Duster." Knows he's lying before the words are even out of his mouth. Knows that he wouldn't ever really raise a hand to any of them unless they attacked him first. He starts to get off the couch and Toga hooks her arms around his, 

"Oh come on, please don't go!" 

"No, fuck off brat. You just lost princess privileges." She makes a very unhappy little squeaking sound and he's resolutely not going to feel guilty about it. 

But then he hears Hawks chirp. Glances at him and sees his brows pull together, his mouth twisting into a little frown. "Don't be cranky, hot stuff, they can't help wanting to be close." Feels Toga stiffen as she's holding onto him. Knows that, she's told him that, but she's holding on so tight right now. He can feel a little tremble going through her. Hawks watches him, doesn't say anything else, doesn't try to stop him from leaving again. 

He huffs, glad that it's a human sound and not the snarl he can feel sitting at the back of his throat. Pushes Toga off of him, but sits back onto the couch, reaching for his cigarettes. "Do not fucking pet me and stay out of my personal space. Next person who pushes it," he glares at Shig, "Is getting burned." 

"Worth it," Duster says mildly, but he doesn't push it. Straightens up from the back of the couch, pets Toga instead, and then moves back over to his little corner of webbing without further comment. Lights up and Twice starts bitching, hasn't been able to smoke since he changed, really really does keep trying to eat his smokes whenever he tries to bring them to his lips, and for all he guilt-tripped him into staying, Hawks stands and leaves without comment. 

Can't blame him really. Probably wouldn't want to hang out with someone who tried to claw out his eyes either. A little disappointed though, hasn't ever had the hero call him 'hot stuff' before. 

///

Should really, really leave. Should call the HPSC, should do something other than staying here with the villains because this is severely fucking with his head. Because after Shigaraki tells him that he and Dabi know , and that they're going to give him a chance anyway, he shouldn't stick around. Protocol for getting made is terminating the mission, the targets, by any means necessary. 

Dabi had been asleep , barely a foot and a half from him. Could have killed him, killed the entire League in less than a second with the arsonist asleep. Wouldn't have been able to torch his feathers as he scattered them like a volley of thorns. Could have put an end to this. Should have. But then Shigaraki had come over and told them to watch, and had run his hand gently through Dabi's hair and he had started purring like a chainsaw. Had mewled in his sleep when Shig stopped. And they were right, it was extremely cute. Made something in his chest ache because it was Dabi allowing himself to relax, to be comfortable in their space so completely he'd let himself be vulnerable. If he was a good spy he would have used that opportunity to kill the entire League.

Never had doubts about being a good spy before now. 

Never had doubts about being a good hero either. But he doesn't feel like a hero here. Not when he's doing so much of what he's not allowed. Letting the others preen his wings, eating raw meat in front of them, chirping at them, being a bird in front of them. Hasn't ever been allowed to do that. Shouldn't be indulging in it here. Only going to make it harder when he goes back and has to bottle it all up again. 

A tiny treacherous part of his brain asks if he's going back. Doesn't know if that part wonders if he will leave or if Shigaraki and Dabi will kill him because they know. Supposes it doesn't matter either way. Just the doubt is dangerous enough. 

///

He avoids the group until after sunset. Toga always likes to fly once it gets dark, and he's waiting for her on the roof when she comes up. Isn't expecting Dabi to be trailing her, ears and tail flicking with his annoyance. But Toga doesn't pay him any mind, comes right over, beaming. 

"Ready?" He asks rather than acknowledging the other man. 

"Yup! I'm gonna catch you this time." He doesn't quash her enthusiasm, just follows her to the edge of the roof and takes off with her. 

She flies so differently than he does, flapping her wings much more, can't glide as easily as he can. Clicks almost constantly. Her night vision is pretty good, but the echolocation is automatic once she gets into the air. Relies on her ears as much as her eyes. But being in the air, for her at least, seems to be like it is for him. Feels right, feels natural. Makes her whole body sing with the sensation. Teaching her to fly is so much like teaching Tokoyami and he misses his chicklet, even as his avian brain locks in and assigns her that role as well. She loves to fly the same way he loves to fly. Compress enjoys it when he does, but peacocks just don't fly like he does, like bats do apparently. And Tokoyami hadn't flown naturally, took time and effort and figuring out how to get his quirk to that stage to be able to enjoy it. Toga wants to fly like he wants to fly. Can't help how it makes his chest ache, how sharply it endears her to him, to see that want echoed in her as she finds one source of joy in this new form. 

But flying takes a lot out of her. Can't do it for very long, her metabolism kicks up and she ends up having to stop after an hour or so, needing to go eat or risk getting faint. She lands and he follows her. Had been flying a little lower than half speed and she's still having trouble catching up to him. Doesn't know if she's even capable of it, but she's still grinning when they land, still determined to try. 

"See!" She tells Dabi when she lands, the arsonist sitting on the edge of the roof, feet dangling over the drop, cigarette between his lips. 

"Hmm, looks like he's taking it easy on you." 

She sticks her tongue out at him. "You're just jealous. Everyone wants to fly." 

Dabi snorts. "Abso-fucking-lutely not. Can barely stand Spinner's driving, would definitely puke my brains out." Hawks doesn't mean to laugh, but the sound escapes him. Dabi's ears stand up a little straighter, Toga's too. Oh. Doesn't know if he's ever laughed in front of them before. Shit. Shouldn't be. 

But they don't linger on it, Toga's stomach growls loudly and she heads inside. He's planning on it too, but Dabi doesn't move from where he's sitting, still watching him with those luminous blue eyes. Can see with only the shimmer of starlight and sliver of moon that his irises reflect light now, makes him look otherworldly. 

"Enjoy the show?" He asks, aiming for nonplussed. Thinks he misses though, doesn't sound as confident as he wanted because Dabi's eyes are raking over him again.

"Mmm, probably too much." He nearly purrs. "Probably shouldn't do it again." 

"Trigger your hunting instincts?" He stands his ground, doesn't let his wings tense. Knows this, knows that cats and birds do not mix. Given how quick Dabi was to apologize when his instincts got the better of him earlier he feels about... sixty percent sure that he's not going to lash out again. Is one hundred percent sure that if he only used his physical body and not his flames that he would be able to outrun any attempts the other man made to try and pin him down. 

"Yeah," Dabi ashes his cigarette. "You were taking it very, very easy on her." 

"She's still learning, besides, no one can keep up with me at my top speed." 

Dabi's ear twitches. "You gonna show off for me, pretty bird?" 

"Why?" 

"I'm curious and you don't have anything better to do." 

"Pretty sure there's a saying about cats and curiosity, Dabs. May want to avoid that." 

"'Satisfaction brought it back'," he purrs, eyes half-lidded and lazy, tail swaying slowly behind him. "Satisfy my curiosity, dove." 

Dove . Used that one on him earlier too. Makes his feathers shiver and fluff just like it did before. Doesn't get why , he's been called every fucking bird name that a person can think of. But the way it rolls off the villain's tongue makes his skin tingle. Should not play this game with the other man. Shouldn't, shouldn't, shouldn't. 

He doesn't need to take a leap off of the roof to get airborne. He's been flying all his life. Doesn't need to work up into his top speed just needs to let himself let go. The night air whips past him, freezing when he's going this fast even though it was perfectly temperate when he was just standing on the roof. That little tingle in his skin is spreading, growing sharper with adrenaline. Almost never gets to fly at his top speed. Is usually looking out for trouble, is preparing to attack, is sending feathers to clear away civilians. Never gets to just fly like this. And his instincts are already too close to the surface. Goes to his top speed, turns sharply, and dives . Dabi's still on the edge of the roof. Sees him sitting there and then the next second he's whipping past him, a foot from his shoulder. Glides the length of the roof and then shoots back up. The bird part of his brain trying to impress a potential mate by showing off how fast he is, how precise, how good he would be at catching prey. Doubles back, means to land, doesn't. Because Dabi's standing now, watching him, moved away from the edge of the roof. So Hawks can get even closer. Dives again, barely an inch from him this time. Pulls up, twists, immediately dives again when he's high enough for it. 

Dabi doesn't let him whip past him this time. 

Isn't a bird. Is a cat . Pounces on him, hands around his shoulders, claws digging into his jacket. Leaps, twisting his own body, forcing Hawks to bend to his momentum and realizes that he's looking up at the sky past Dabi's shoulder. That they're falling for one weightless second. He automatically wraps them in his wings, they hit the roof and roll, once, twice, tumble to a stop and the air is knocked out of him as Dabi's weight lands on him. He uncurls his wings from around them, softens his feathers, managed to keep the fall from hurting. 

Finds himself staring into Dabi's reflective blue eyes again. Much, much closer than they've ever been before. Hears the fabric of his jacket straining against the other man's claws, feels the heat of him pressed along his body and his breath catches in the back of his throat, his wings trembling, feathers fluffing, both of them breathing heavily in the little bit of space between them. He goes very, very still. Doesn't know if those claws are going to sink in deeper. If he's going to lash out with his flames. If he just very, very stupidly invited the cat to hunt him because he couldn't fight his own ridiculous instincts. 

Isn't expecting it when a low purr starts to rattle out of Dabi's chest. 

His claws retract, shifts so he's not holding Hawks against the roof anymore. Shifts so that he's caging him in place, his weight resting on his elbows, but otherwise makes no move to let him up. To pull out of his space. 

"Caught you, don't think many villains can say that." 

His mouth is dry. Can hear his pulse pounding in his ears. Can't quite find his words. 

Dabi hesitates. "Let you up if you want me to." Barely a breath taken before he says, "Could kiss you instead." And then he waits. Doesn't move an inch. That soft purring starting up again as soon as he's finished speaking. 

Shouldn't, shouldn't, shouldn't. 

Wraps a hand around the back of his neck and pulls him down. Coos as their mouths meet. 

///

As soon as he has the hero's mouth on his, he knows that he's fucked. Because Hawks is kissing him like he's never wanted anything else. Because one minute they're trying to swallow the breath from each other's lungs on the roof and the next they're pressed up against each other in the stairwell and he's learning what it sounds like when the hero moans as his fingers sink deep into his feathers and strokes because he's always wanted to touch his feathers when they aren't sharp. Wanted to know how soft they could be when they weren't being used as weapons. Thinks he's going to be allowed to satisfy that curiosity to its fill because Hawks is moaning so prettily against his mouth as he does it. And then they're in his room and Hawks sends a feather to slam and lock the door as he pulls the pretty bird's jacket off. As Hawks grabs the hem of his shirt and yanks it off of him, catches his ear slightly, neither of them cares. He's too busy trying to figure out the closures on the neck and waist of the hero's shirt as Hawks chirps and rolls his fingers over his nipple piercings as soon as he sees them. 

Figures it out. Finds out that Hawks' softest feathers run in a line along his spine and tangles a hand in them. Finds out what his name sounds like moaned and breathy as it falls off of Hawks' tongue. Finds out how to make him say it again, and again, and again. Figures out how to make him scream it when they're tangled together in his sheets. When he's sunk into the heat of his body and sharp black talons are raking down his back, wings flared wide across the bed. 

Knows he's absolutely fucked because when they're both still panting, the aftershocks of their orgasms shaking through them, Hawks kisses him again. Threads his fingers into his hair and pulls his mouth back to his and kisses him slow, and soft, and sweet. Trills a pretty little bird sound when he does. Keeps trilling as Dabi pulls him close, holds him as his own quiet purr starts in his chest. 

///

Sleeping with Dabi was definitely a mistake. He definitely, definitely shouldn't have done it. Definitely shouldn't wake up in the arsonist's bed, pressed against his side, wings curled around them both. Starts to move, starts to pull away, and the light movement is enough to wake up the other man. Watches his ear twitch and him yawn, tongue flicking out over his lips when he's finished. 

"Mm, where you going, angel?" As he curls his hand around the back of his neck and pulls him back in, pulls him close and kisses him again. Really, really shouldn't indulge in the kiss. Or the next one. Made one mistake. No, he's made hundreds since he came here to help the League. But he really, really shouldn't be making this mistake. 

Doesn't stop him from sinking down onto the other man's cock, from riding him slowly, savoring the drag of skin and metal inside of him as the sunlight drowns the sheets in golden light. Dabi runs his quirk-hot hands over his skin. Curls his fingers around the bones of his wings and strokes, so, so gently for someone who told him he fantasized about tearing them off. The two of them chase their climax almost lazily. He comes with Dabi's name on his tongue and Dabi drags him in, smoke curling off his lips, calls him "Dove," again as he kisses him, as his hips stutter and Hawks moans again as he feels his release, too hot, spill over his walls. 

Dabi keeps him in bed. Runs his hands through his feathers, kisses and nips at his lips, touches him until they're both hot again and this time he takes the lead. Rough hands on his skin, fingers digging in and finding every place that makes him shake and moan. Bruises bitten into his throat as he finds out that Dabi likes his talons. Likes him to pull at the places where his skin is stapled together until there are little bruises blooming across the healthy swaths of skin. Fucks him again and he's sore and aching and it's so, so good. Probably would have ignored his body's protests and tried for it again if Dabi hadn't pulled him along to the shower instead.

Can't keep their hands off each other in there either, or when they manage to get out from under the spray. Dabi shakes his head, flicks his tail and Hawks laughs. Feels like it breaks some kind of spell as Dabi sneers at him, looks softer, playful almost, as he throws a towel over his head. 

"Shut up, pretty bird." 

"I'm just glad you're not scared of water, hot stuff." He teases. They dry off. Get dressed. But Dabi catches his hips, trails his mouth over the bites he peppered along his throat before Hawks does up his shirt. The two of them keep straying into each other's space, can't keep their mouths off each other. He really, really shouldn't breathe, "Shigaraki said you think I'm a spy," against his lips when they part one of those too many times. 

Dabi stiffens against him. Fuck. Why did he say that? "Really know how to spoil the afterglow, don't you, dove?"

Feels his wings tighten against his back. "Sorry, I--" 

"What else did he say?" Dabi doesn't let him go, instead leans in closer, presses his face against his neck, and nuzzles in. Knows immediately that's a cat thing. Is kind of surprised he's letting himself indulge in a cat thing. Hopes he's not about to try and tear his throat out with his teeth. 

"That he doesn't think I'll stay a spy if I stick around," the words escape him on a breath. A confession. "That he's giving me a chance to pick the League. Revisit the option of murdering me when I've made my choice." 

Dabi doesn't say anything for a minute. Feels like he's waiting for the guillotine to fall. "Duster's usually a good judge of character." He straightens up enough to look him in the eye and Hawks still feels like a pinned insect under that look. "Told me to give you a chance too. This is it, birdy. If you don't pick us before we're back to normal then I'll burn you alive, won't hesitate no matter what we've gotten up to between now and then. I'm going to protect them, you understand me?" 

Is literally being threatened with death. Should not feel his chest go tight and warm at how fiercely Dabi wants to keep his friends safe. "Okay," he breathes. 

Dabi's hands tighten a little on his hips. Takes his own shaky breath. "And if you somehow manage to blindside us, if you get out alive, and you tell people I fell for a honeytrap, then you also better tell every hero on the goddamn planet how much you love my dick, pretty bird." 

Can't help the laugh that comment startles out of him. Likes that when he does, Dabi smiles again, sharp and vicious and then leans in again and lets him taste it. 

///

It's well into the afternoon by the time they make it downstairs. Went to the kitchen first because apparently bats are so communal and caring that they will try to regurgitate food for other colony members if they aren't fed. Really, really did not want to see if Toga was going to try and puke blood into their mouths if their stomachs growled. 

Was not the right move because it turns out the rest of the League, Twice hiding in a corner with his salad, is all in the kitchen anyway. Hawks opens his mouth to greet them, doesn't even have a chance to make a sound before Toga, Twice, and Spinner are laughing . 

"What--"

"Oh~! Dabi, Dabi, Dabi~!" Toga mimics with a cackle and Hawks' face goes as fucking red as his feathers. Dabi can't help it, laughs too. Knew that the bird was being loud, didn't really think about it, didn't care because he sounded so good falling apart on his cock. Because if they weren't all animals at the moment, their rooms are far enough away he didn't think it would matter. Hawks smacks him with his wing, flings a handful of feathers to smother Toga's face and stop her making those sounds, 

"Shut up!" 

"Don't be embarrassed, dove. You're clearly a songbird, don't you want to show off that pretty voice?" 

"I'm never going to let you touch me again." He bitches, his face still violently flushed, his wings pressing tight to his back and his feathers fluffed to the max. Absolutely does not stop Dabi from hooking an arm around his waist as he tries to go over to the fridge and lets him kiss his burning cheek. 

"Hmm, not limping nearly enough," Compress says absently to Shig. "I suppose that means you won." 

Dabi raises a brow, letting Hawks go as he squawks indignantly. "Won what?" 

"We were betting on if the mutation put barbs on your dick like a real cat." 

"Thank god, no ," Hawks grumbles, pulls some bone-in chicken from the fridge for himself and passes over a pack of salmon for him. "The piercings were more than enough." 

"Oh my god, Dabi!" Toga and Twice are laughing again. Compress looks a little scandalized. Shig's eyes are raking over him. Dabi grins at them, unperturbed. 

"You definitely weren't complaining about them last night-- or this morning, pretty bird." Tears open the salmon with a claw, "Didn't know you all spent so much time thinking about my dick." Spinner and Compress snort, which he would have let go, but they both glance over at Shig and Duster's still watching him, watching Hawks, as he takes a bite of his fish. He raises a brow, flicking his tongue suggestively over his fingers, teasing, "What, boss? You wanna find out how they feel? Mm, little late to take an interest now, but guess you can ask birdy if he's willing to share." 

Gets everyone's eyes on him then and the teasing smile falls off his face, his tail starting to flick with his agitation, his ears folding, as they all just stare at him. 

"I--" Hawks blinks, chirps, turns back to Shigaraki, "You weren't joking? He really didn't notice ?" 

"What?" He asks, his tail flicking a little harder. 

Toga snorts, but Spinner reaches over and puts his entire hand over her face. One of Shigaraki's hands comes up to pinch the bridge of his nose, takes a deep, slow breath and lets it out between his lips before he moves his hand and pins him under his stare. 

"Dabi, firefly, I have been trying to fuck you for six months ." 

The room is silent after his declaration. Dabi stares at him. Duster meets his gaze and doesn't flinch. Looks somewhere between exhausted and patient. 

" What ?" 

Compress sighs loudly, puts his face in his hands. Hawks is gaping at him. Duster is just watching him with that same patient expression. "Kitten, you are oblivious , but you're very good at your job and very cute, so I'm going to keep you around anyway." He tells him dryly. "Would be happy to take you to bed," considers for a split second, and then turns his attention to Hawks too, "both of you. I will take you both apart and give you exactly what you want if either of you are interested in that." And there's an undeniable heat in his voice now. In his eyes. Wonders how he never noticed it before because Duster has definitely, definitely looked at him like that before. Definitely used that tone on him too. Has Hawks' feathers fluffing and shivering as he finishes speaking. " Otherwise , where you put your dick, how you decorate it, isn't any of my business. Though we are absolutely going to keep mocking you for being so loud." 

And then he goes back to his food, turns to Spinner and just. Goes back to his conversation. Compress turns to Hawks and asks him about some bird thing, and the rest of them just. Go on like nothing happened. He manages to eat and then slinks out of the room. Needs to go be fucking mortified in private. No one stops him or teases him again. 

///

Things stay very normal, or as normal as they can be with a group of villains who have suddenly become heteromorphs, after Dabi leaves. Hawks sticks around with the group, takes the further teasing, which is embarrassing, but he can handle that. Pretty sure Dabi's doing worse than him right now. Is guessing that the arsonist is gonna need some alone time. Still can't help it when during a lull in the conversation, the lot of them, save Spinner and Dabi, all crowded in together again, he turns to Shigaraki. The man is still working with the webs, two hands always on the actual cocoon of it he's made around his little space, but two others producing more from a little gland in his palms and the rest weaving it together. Trying to make actual rope this time. Is curious how thick he has to make it before he and Spinner can't cut it with his feathers or blades. 

Can't help turning to him, brows pulled together, and asking, "He seriously, seriously didn't notice? I  noticed and I've only been here a week." 

Compress snorts a little, reading on the floor as Toga preens his wings. "Dabi can be extremely perceptive, but only when the topic has absolutely nothing to do with himself." 

"Yeah, literally when we were turned, all of us were on the floor as we changed and he didn't even notice . He totally did! He had to have-- his earrings fell off!" 

Shigaraki clicks. "He had you made in five minutes, hero." He says pointedly and Hawks stiffens. The others just look confused. "But Dabi only ever pays attention to himself when he's anticipating something harmful might be coming his way." He presents a length of the rope, about as thick as his pinky, and Hawks dutifully tries to cut it. Takes two tries, his feather not going fast enough to avoid getting stuck the first, and only meeting about the same resistance as he would expect with bone on the second. 

"Femur." He says absent-mindedly. Impressive for how much thinner this is than that bone, guesses that it won't be long before he can't cut it anymore. But then he sees Shigaraki's eyes go a little sharper on him and he realizes that he probably should not have made that comparison. Should not have implied that he's cut through enough bodies to know how different bones feel. But he doesn't ask, doesn't press. 

"You're really not jealous, Shiggy?" Toga asks, hanging upside down off of the couch again, carefully making sure that all of Compress's feathers are in order. "You've been pining for months." 

"I'm not pining after Dabi." Shigaraki says, rolling his eyes. "Made it perfectly clear where I stand with both of you," and Hawks flushes again because that's the third time the leader of the League has included him among the people he's interested in fucking and Hawks does not know what to do with that. "I'm an adult and Dabi is my subordinate, flirting with the oblivious cat is one thing, but I'm not going to push it or make him uncomfortable just to get my dick wet." Doesn't think he's ever heard the man so crass, but isn't surprised by it given his usual bluntness. "Same goes for you, hero, drop it until you want to talk about it, if you ever do." 

Feels his feathers fluff a little, hopes his face isn't as red as it feels. Compress chirps, a surprised, amused sound when his wings move. Hawks trills angrily back at him, the bird equivalent of shut up! And that has the other man actually laughing at him. The others, thank god, can't translate the sounds, but Toga and Twice are snickering anyway which means that Compress definitely, definitely ratted him out. Shigaraki just looks distantly amused. Has mostly turned his attention back to the webbing, which he really hopes means that Compress hasn't told him though.

"Think I'm gonna need more than twenty-four hours before I start looking for another partner." He says carefully. 

"That's fine, little bird. Don't have to make anything of it. Sure you're more than used to people finding you attractive." And he says it so easily, so matter-of-factly that he feels his wings relax, his feathers flatten back out. Will tease, but won't press. Can't help the relief that comes with that knowledge. Because he's already fucked up this mission by getting made, made it worse by sleeping with one of his targets, really, really does not think he needs to add a second one to that list. Feels a little more off-kilter when he realizes that there's an even heavier pulse of relief over the fact that Shigaraki really doesn't seem to care that he slept with Dabi, that the League isn't annoyed about it either even when they clearly also knew about their leader's interest. Hawks will be the first to admit he doesn't have a ton of experience navigating group relationships, has never been a part of a group before, but definitely thought that there might be more animosity towards a newcomer disrupting things between members, even if it was one-sided. But they don't care either. Or, they care , but they're... being mature about it. Feels strange given how ridiculously childish they can be when they feel like it. 

Things trail off into a lull again. Spinner comes back from whatever he was doing. Shigaraki presents them with a new length of silken rope, this one is as thick as a femur. They both try to cut through it, Spinner can't at all, Hawks has to take it outside and get up to a decent speed before slashing at it with one of his primaries for it to work. 

"Steel girder," he tells the other man. Thinks the series of spider clicks he gets out of him are fascinated, maybe a little amused. 

It's strange, he doesn't think he's seen Shigaraki annoyed with his transformation since he arrived. 

///

He doesn't see any of the others for a day and a half after Duster makes his little declaration. Can't believe he didn't notice. Is reeling, and overthinking, and scrutinizing every interaction he's had with the other man for the past six months and has come to the horrifying conclusion that he really had not noticed he was being flirted with since Kamino. Completely oblivious to it. Doesn't know what to do now that he knows . Takes him a day and a half to stray anywhere near the others. Starts with Hawks, because Hawks has only been with the League for a week and a half. Which means he has a lot less time he can mock Dabi about being oblivious for. 

And Hawks just smiles at him, that cocksure look, hesitates, and then strays into his space, tentative. Dabi kisses him. Hawks coos against his mouth. 

"They're not gonna give you any shit," he murmurs, " they're being very mature about this. You're the only one who's embarrassed, hot stuff." 

"Shut up, birdbrain." But he does feel a little better. 

Joins him and Toga on the roof that night and she's so happy to see him it makes his chest ache. Keeps an ear peeled and slowly drifts through the kitchen or halls when he hears one of the others around. None of them say a damn thing about it, fall into their usual step without blinking, don't even comment about his absence.

Avoids Shigaraki for another four days. When he does finally go into the living room when everyone is around his ears are flat, his tail twitching because he can't fucking help it, because he's mortified that he didn't fucking notice his interest for months. But Shig doesn't say anything about it either. Treats him exactly the same, that, apparently includes still calling him pet names, but he doesn't outright flirt with him again. Still gives him shit about other stuff, still talks to him about their next moves when Hawks isn't around. Lets him fall back into step. 

It's a week after that they're alone, had been talking as they made their way upstairs, Dabi's fucking exhausted again even though he's been sleeping most of the day. Shig reaches up to the threads running along the walls, high enough the others won't touch them accidentally, and weaves his fingers into them and gives them a little tug. His door swings open silently down the hall. 

"Creepy as shit, Duster." Pauses, "You're getting good at that." At doing just about anything with the webs. Dabi doesn't even know how he can keep track of so many, he has them all over the house. It's seriously, seriously starting to look like a haunted mansion at this point and given how many CRC they killed when they took it, he would not be surprised if there are more than a few disgruntled ghosts wandering the halls with them. 

Shig clicks, thinks it may be a prideful sound. He's definitely the best at this. He wonders if that's because he just had the best quirk control of any of them in general. They haven't been training really, the rest of them, Toga doesn't even have her quirk anymore, knows that if they do get into a fight her job is to get the fuck away as fast as possible because her metabolism is so high that she'd probably pass out if she got into a physical fight, no matter her prowess with her knives. Twice can fight, but he's a prey animal, has to really, really fight the urge to run when his blood gets pumping. Compress is fine in a fight usually, value comes from how clever he is and how well he's able to utilize his quirk creatively, but the wings and tail are slowing him down. Still can manage alright though. Spinner's training as usual, and he trains his forms, but he doesn't overextend his quirk. Doesn't need to burn himself out for no reason. Is still just trying to make sure that he keeps his tail tight to his body while he's practicing because he does not want to set his fur on fire. 

But Duster's quirk control was always good because he was practicing every second of every day. Because one wrong move, one second of slipped concentration could hurt or kill. Hadn't even needed a second to adjust to the four new hands to know not to touch anything with all of his extra fingers. Had literally had to be asked to try it before he'd thought to himself because he just knows not to touch. Dabi thinks that he's now training the spider quirk just as aggressively. Making sure he knows exactly how far he can push every aspect of it because he's so used to his quirk being dangerous . 

Startles when one of those hands catches the edge of his jaw, two fingers just barely brushing over his skin. Still enough to make his ears pin and his tail bristle, a little yowl building in the back of his throat because he's still so fucking jumpy. But Shig ignores that reaction. Settles his touch a little more firmly, shifts so he can brush his thumb over the line of staples running down his chin and his breath hitches slightly. 

Duster doesn't say anything for a few seconds, eyes searching. "Not going to push, not going to get between you and your bird, but the offer stands, firefly." Feels a little heat trying to creep up to his face. Wonders if it's the fact that he always has to be careful with his quirk that makes it feel like he would want control in this too. Shig doesn't wait for him to try and find his voice, his hand falls away from his chin and he steps around him, goes into his room. Dabi sees his hand stray up towards the webs again before the door shuts softly behind him.

///

Hawks stays with the League for a month . Barely even notices the time passing, spent so much of it in a whirlwind at the beginning and then so distracted by Dabi in the middle. Finds that it's been a month and his leave is ending and the League are still heteromorphs and there's no sign that this is going to change or fade. And he can't take off any more time without the HPSC getting very, very upset with him. Suspicious. Will probably want to bug his wings or send him in for reconditioning. Does not want to deal with that. Especially not when he's been trying to recondition himself over the past few days. Forcing himself to stop chirping, to stop letting his wings react to things around him, stops eating raw food in front of other people. And it's so fucking hard . It's hard and it's miserable. It makes him feel like he's cutting off a chunk of his brain. 

And the whole League sees him shutting down those parts and they keep trying to check in on him. Keep trying to make sure he's good. 

Really, really shouldn't surprise him when Dabi and Shigaraki corner him. Do it in one of the narrow hallways upstairs. Shigaraki's webs lining the ceiling, narrow enough that he can't spread his wings all the way. Would have a very, very hard time flying here. Wouldn't take Dabi more than a second to fill the space with flames. Picked a place where it will be easy to kill him. Shigaraki told him they would revisit murder. Dabi told him that what they've been doing wouldn't change what he'd have to do when the time came. Still hurts. 

"Seems like you're making a choice, hero." Shigaraki says, words cool and deliberate. 

"I have to leave." He replies. Hates how tired he sounds. The fight hasn't even started yet, but he's been exhausted ever since he started repressing his instincts again. Isn't even going to make this a challenge for the two of them. Wonders if being decayed or burned will hurt worse. 

"Why?" Dabi asks, tail swishing slowly behind him. 

"Been a month, leave's over. If I don't go back someone will come looking for me." Resists the urge to rub at his eyes. Like somehow that will make the fog around his brain lift. Fuck. Not even going to be able to put up a fight at this rate. Hasn't felt this rough since he first entered the training program. Had thought the memory of bone-deep exhaustion was because he was so small, so young, learning how to be a hero. Now he's wondering if it was also because he was learning how to suppress his behaviors. 

"Mmm, still been itching for a fight. Maybe you should stay, birdy." 

Takes him a second to really understand Dabi's words, feels his brows draw together, feels his wings want to flare and sharpen with his frustration. Feels a hot thorn of pain lance his temple as he forces them to remain impassive. "What are you talking about? Are you fucking stupid?" Oh. Huh. Doesn't normally snap at Dabi. 

Dabi blinks at him, surprised? Offended? Doesn't really matter, he supposes, thinks he's allowed to offend someone who's probably going to try to kill him within the next five minutes. Shigaraki speaks again before Dabi can. "Elaborate, hero." 

"Can't we just get this over with?" Doesn't want to have a conversation with them. Makes his chest hurt as much as his head. Instincts battering against the wall he's trying to build, screaming flock and mate over and over and he can't let them win. 

"Elaborate, Hawks." Shigaraki orders. 

He throws up his hands, defeated. "Fucking-- Obviously you shouldn't get into a fight here, none of you are ready for that. Toga would be in danger. Just because you're a feral cat doesn't mean you should try to fight everything that gets close, Dabi." 

"So you want to leave because you're worried that if you stay you would bring a threat to our door while we're still vulnerable?" Shigaraki asks, tone patient and deliberate. 

" Yes . Are we done yet?" 

"Yes, I think so." But Shigaraki doesn't sound threatening anymore. Sees some of the tension in his posture fall away. Must be going to let Dabi take the lead. Turns his eyes to the arsonist and he bares his teeth at the leader, ear flicking. 

"Don't be so fucking smug , Duster." 

"Don't be a sore loser, kitten." 

Dabi finally lashes out with flames but it's not towards him, throws a handful of fire towards Shigaraki who ducks it with practiced ease. Laughs a little as he does, and then turns and leaves. Hawks blinks. Fuck, he must be even worse off than he thought if they don't even think they both need to be here to take him down. Is kind of glad that no one knows where he's been for the past month if only to spare his ego the same death by roasting that he's about to be subject to. 

Dabi rolls his eyes as Shig leaves, then steps right into his space. Hawks stiffens, hesitates, he's about to be attacked, right? That means he can have his feathers be sharp, right? Dabi's hands curl around his hips and he pulls him close. Hears him start to purr as he gently leans forward and rubs his cheek against his own. "Why are you so cranky, dove?" 

He doesn't move. Doesn't say anything for a long minute. "You're about to kill me?"

"No I'm not, angel." 

He pulls back a little so he can look Dabi in the eye. Warm, amused blue. "Why not?" 

"Because you picked our side, birdbrain." 

He stares at the other man. Tries to make sense of those words. Doesn't think he said that. Doesn't think he chose at all. Dabi waits very patiently for him to try to make sense of this. Feels a confused chirp trying to come out of his throat and grinds his teeth together to kill it in his chest. 

"What are you talking about?" 

"You're really out of it, aren't you, pretty bird?" And Dabi reaches up, cups his cheek in his slightly too-hot palm and strokes his thumb over his cheekbone. "Birdy, you are going back not to snitch on us, not because it's your heroic duty, not because you want to. You're going back because you don't want to risk us getting hurt if you stay. If you were still a spy, if you were still our enemy, you wouldn't care." 

"Oh." 

"Mmhm." Dabi kisses him, softly. Softer than he ever normally does. It's nice, but it makes that screaming behind the wall in his head worse so he can't really enjoy it. "Why are you so cranky, angel?" 

"Head hurts. Reconditioning, can't be a bird in front of other people." Dabi frowns, pulls him in a little tighter, lets him tuck his face against his neck and just breathe in the smell of leather, and smoke,  and tobacco. Doesn't let himself trill. Just presses in even tighter. The muscles in his back ache from holding them so tight. 

"Come take a nap with me." He murmurs, nuzzling against him again, that little purr starting to creep in on the edge of his words again. "Can leave after you’ve rested, dove." 

Absolutely doesn't have the willpower to argue with him right now. Lets himself be pulled along to the bedroom. Lets Dabi wrap him up in his arms. Falls asleep listening to him purr. 

///

His head still hurts when he leaves. Flying back to the city actually makes it worse because flying is instinctual and he isn't supposed to be a bird right now. But being back in the city itself helps with it. He doesn't spend a ton of time with animal mutation heteromorphs during his usual day-to-day. Tokoyami is at UA for the rest of this term, Rumi is off wandering around doing her own thing. It's just him settling back into the routine of hero work. And being back in that routine seems to kickstart the human parts of his brain. Makes it much easier to smother the animal ones. Spends two days completely swamped in catching up with everything he needs to give his attention to, but on the third day he finishes with his work around sundown. 

Doesn't even think about it when he flies back to base instead of to his apartment. Lands on the roof and starts to make his way downstairs, barely gets out of the stairwell before Toga is chuffing and squeaking, her small body slamming into his middle, wrapping her arms and wings around his waist as she beams. 

"You're home!" She tells him, and he can't help it. Coos at her immediately, wraps his arms and wings around her in return. 

"I'm... home." 

She squeaks again so, so happily and pulls him down so she can rub their cheeks together before she drags him along into the living room where he's greeted with equal enthusiasm. Compress chirps at him, flock . Twice sits right at his feet when Toga corrals him over to the couch, immediately starts grinding his teeth loud enough that Spinner reaches over and shoves a stick into his mouth to keep him from damaging them as he greets him. 

None of them are surprised to see him. Shigaraki's hands are in the webs, guesses he felt him as soon as he opened the door upstairs. Gets a soft greeting from him as well as he pulls on the strands. Takes a second, but then Dabi's coming into the room, 

"Duster what the fuck, you could have just called me. Fucking get this shit off me." Little bits of silk stuck to him. Hawks feels all his feathers shiver, chirps as soon as he sees the other man, mate . Compress gives his own surprised chirp at that but Hawks isn't paying any attention, is standing from the couch as blue eyes lock on him. 

Doesn't know who moved first, may have stepped on Twice, just knows that he's got Dabi's hands around his waist, his tangled in his hair, mouths pressed together the next second. That he's purring so, so loud against his lips and Hawks feels like he can breathe for the first time in three days. 

"Miss me, dove?" He teases when they part. 

"Yeah," sees Dabi blink, surprised, because he doesn't bother to hide how much he means it. Missed him. Missed them. Mate, flock . Twice and Spinner start jeering and gagging, mocking their sappiness and they try to extract themselves. Hawks tries to take his hands from Dabi's hair. Gets a yowl out of him because his hands are stuck . 

"Fucking hell, Duster!" Dabi bitches. 

Shigaraki laughs at them, but does dutifully come over and removes the silk so they can part. 

They get even more shit when Dabi immediately gets a handful of his jacket and starts to pull him out of the room, but it's more than worth it because Hawks has his fever-bright body against his own in the next five minutes. 

///

Hawks comes back every couple of days, would come back every day if he could manage it, Dabi thinks. Wants to be here. Wants to be with them, with him . And yeah, Duster's still being insufferably smug about that, because he was fucking right . Hawks wanted connection, wanted home, as much as any of them wanted it. Seems to ache for it as badly as Spinner did at the beginning. Just so fucking lonely once they stripped back his fanaticism over Stain. Hawks is the same way, tries to hide it under how badly he wants to be a good hero. But he can't hide that he wants this more because he keeps coming back. They haven't pressed yet, take the little bits of information the HPSC wants him to give them, but they don't ask for more, for real confidential information, yet. This is still new and fragile and... none of them want Hawks to think that they're using him. They all like him too much for that. Want to keep him here, want him to be a proper part of their group. He tries to stay skeptical, tries to be careful because right now he and Spinner are the only ones who aren't being inclined towards that thought by their instincts. But they both want it too. Which means that this is all probably really, really, real. 

"Dabi," Hawks moans his name softly as he licks along his throat, nips across his collarbone. "Seriously, need to go--" 

"You're the fastest hero in Japan," he murmurs against his skin. Finds one of the bruises he left on him last night, a pretty circle of his teeth that's gone dark purple and flushed, little scabs where his too-sharp eye teeth sank in. Licks that too and likes how it immediately makes his pretty bird's feathers all go fluffy and shivery. "Mmm, wings are giving you away, angel." Reaches out and strokes down between them, easy to sink his fingers into them deep as they can go when they're like this, and it tears a much louder moan out of his chest. 

"Ah, Dabi ," trills, makes a fist and weakly punches his shoulder, pretty flush over his cheeks, trying his best to glare at him when his eyes are shimmering with want. He runs his fingers through his feathers one more time and then sighs, climbs off of him and drops onto the side of the mattress. Takes a second for Hawks to stop trembling, for him to quiet the little wanting coos in his chest, but Dabi leaves him be, grabs his cigarettes and lights up. Will content himself with curling back up in the patch of sun at the end of the bed after the hero leaves, a different, but still enjoyable, animal pleasure that he can indulge in if nothing else. "I hate you, you're insufferable." Hawks bitches, throwing an arm over his eyes as he tries to fight away the heat Dabi's sure he stoked under his skin. "Have to go back to my apartment, can't wear the same uniform." Because he got blood on it while he was pulling people out of a six car pileup and they weren't exactly rushing to do laundry last night. Would be a dead giveaway that he didn't go home if he shows up a mess today. 

He hums, tail swishing lazily, lets his smoke curl heavy from between his lips as he speaks, "Should just bring your shit here, birdy. Then you won't have to rush." Didn't think he said anything that should have gotten Hawks making a startled chirp, sitting up quickly, big gold eyes on him, mouth pink from his kisses and opened into a surprised little 'o'. His ear flicks. "What?"

"I, uh," his wings are still very fluffy, but they're held tight to his back. Is pretty sure that means he's embarrassed. "Don't want to overstep, hot stuff." And he can't quite meet his eyes. 

Dabi stares at him. "What?" 

Hawks doesn't answer him, starts to slip out of the bed, "Better get go--" 

Catches his wrist and pulls him back down, turns his cig to ash so he can curl the other hand around the back of his neck and make the hero look at him. "Birdbrain, you can't overstep . You're one of us now, you can live here if you want to." Hawks trills at him, a small desperate sound that can't hide how much he wants that. Pulls him a little closer. "And you do realize that this isn't a hookup anymore, right? Know you call me 'mate' when you coo at me, birdy." 

Hawks flushes bright red, tries to pull away, so Dabi holds him tighter, pulls him closer. "I'm going to kill Compress." 

Laughs as he finds one of the bruises he bit onto his hips, rubs his thumb over it. "Can call me 'mate' all you want, pretty bird, can move in if you want, just have to be okay with this being as close to dating as we can get." 

Is absolutely not prepared for Hawks to turn into a puddle as soon as he says that. For his bird to completely forget that he's supposed to be going to work because instead he's throwing himself at him. Is definitely, definitely not complaining though as he presses his pretty bird back into the mattress, gets his hands back in his feathers and makes him moan so loud that Toga pounds on their door within the next ten minutes because she's nocturnal and they're keeping her awake. Not that they care. Dabi makes sure to give his feathers some extra attention as he fucks his bird so that he sings even louder. Will absolutely be worth it when Toga tries to stab him later. 

///

He is absolutely, absolutely fucked. Ruined. Doesn't know if he's ever going to figure out how to extract himself from the group of villains even after they're back to normal because they're his flock . Locked in so hard on it that when his handlers ask about the League he has to fight to keep his feathers soft, to keep his expression passive and easy because they want to hurt his flock. Want them dead or caged and they want him to do it when the time comes. Once he finds out who developed the nomu and where they are. Doesn't even have to lie to tell them that the League hasn't mentioned the nomu in months. And since the Commission wants that information more than they want anything else, Hawks is free to continue as he is. Good. He's a little scared of what he might do when they do finally order him to take this further. But for now he's being left alone. 

Ruined because he does move in with the League. Dabi's room becomes their room. The rest of the flock, colony, seems to give a sigh of relief, delight, because they want him here. He really, really hopes they don't change their mind about that when they're back to normal. Completely and utterly fucked because he and Dabi are apparently both unbelievably clingy and are getting mocked for it near constantly. 

Wouldn't be a problem really, if not for the fact they can't keep their hands off of each other no matter where they are. And that after two months of being heteromorphs, they've all slowly tested the waters and have figured out how much normal food they can eat alongside the raw portion of their diets. So Dabi's cooking again and he's sitting on the counter, the rest of the League scattered about the kitchen. Shigaraki's helping, he and Compress, apparently, are the only other ones who know how to cook. But Dabi's the best at it. 

"Need to get to that cabinet, dove," Dabi tells him, wrapping his hands around his hips and dragging him off of the counter. Gets distracted though because Hawks loops his arms around his neck and pulls him into a kiss. Because if Dabi's close enough to kiss, he's going to take the opportunity. Kind of forgets that it was just supposed to be a quick one when Dabi's tongue slips into his mouth.

Chirps, Dabi hissing softly, when they're being moved. Shigaraki rolls his eyes, an arm wrapped around each of their waists as he lifts them, and deposits them far enough out of the way so that he can reach the cabinet and pull down the plates, "Control yourself for five more minutes, firefly. Stop distracting him, little bird." Glances at them both as he lets go of them, eyes warm, lips twisted into a mirthful smile. Hawks is not expecting how hot his skin goes at how effortlessly he was able to move them. Did it in one smooth movement and just kept going like they didn't weigh anything at all. Knew he was stronger like this, but hasn't really seen him show off that particular attribute over the past few months. Gets what he needs and then goes back to what he was doing. 

He hears Compress choke on his drink at the same time he realizes that his feathers are fluffed and shivering. Feels his face go red and chances glancing at Dabi, pulling his wings in tight to his back. Knows his mate is more than aware of what a reaction like that means and feels his stomach coil into a sharp, mortified, guilty knot. Is not expecting to see Dabi looking a little flushed too, for him to meet Hawks' gaze and then glance over at Shig who is keeping dinner from burning by turning off the stove and starting to plate things, his attention on his conversation with Twice. For the glance to linger for a second, to go a little hotter too as his ear twitches. Then he blinks, like he's just realized he's doing it and turns back to him, his eyes startled. Hawks sees his own edge of guilt spark and relief sweeps through him. At least he's not alone in what that easy show of strength did to him. 

They both settle, Dabi jumps right back into conversation with the others, almost manically. Like he's trying to distract himself. Compress keeps chirping and trilling little mocking sounds at him throughout the rest of the meal. Hawks very, very maturely only throws one piece of food at him. 

///

By the time he and Hawks get upstairs, his tail is already flicking, ears tacked back against his head, Hawks' wings all fluffy, but held tight against his back. Because they're both embarrassed. Because Shig put his hands on them for all of three seconds and it immediately made Dabi wonder what it would be like to have all six of them on him and based on how extra fluffy Hawks was afterwards he doesn't think he's the only one. They get back into their room and the silence stretches between them. And keeps stretching. Hawks isn't even looking at him, has pulled a wing around so he can nervously preen himself, like that will hide how fluffy he still is. 

Realizes that neither one of them wants to speak but they fucking have to talk about this because clearly neither of them can even sort of pretend that things are normal. 

"That was unexpectedly hot," he finally says. Hawks chirps, hands immediately dropping from his wings to hide his face as he flushes. 

"...yeah, it was." He mumbles, barely audible from behind his hands. 

"You know, eight months ago I definitely would not have pegged him as a top." He aims for dry and unaffected, doesn't know if he makes it there though because he can feel heat coiling lazily through his veins at the thought. 

Hawks snorts, "Yeah, but you also didn't notice he was flirting with you for that long either, think you just might have a massive blind spot for him, Dabs." He carefully lowers his hands from his face, but won't look him in the eyes. "Not gonna stop you if you want him. Already shouldn't be here, shouldn't have gotten involved when I knew -- Wasn't fair to him," 

And Dabi's heart squeezes, finds himself in Hawks' space, wrapping his fingers around his wrists and pulling him close, "Dove, calm down, I'm not going to leave you because Shig's hot." Feels worse because Hawks is trembling against him, makes the most unhappy little chirp that he's ever heard out of him. Doesn't even know if he's surprised by it. His pretty bird has made it so obvious that he doesn't have anyone else, that he's been used up and abandoned again, and again, and again. Makes his chest hurt that Hawks thinks he would do that to him too. Would blame himself for it if it happened again. "Would you leave me to jump on his dick?" He asks as patiently, as calmly as he can, rests their foreheads together so that Hawks has to look him in the eye. 

Blinks confused gold eyes at him, "No." 

"Then why is this a problem, pretty bird?" He doesn't wait for an answer, presses a kiss to Hawks' forehead. "Know how much I want you, angel, wanting someone else doesn't change that." Holds onto him until he stops trembling. "But we both want him," he says very slowly, carefully. "And he's made it very clear that he wants both of us." Hawks snorts a little, gaze going a little mocking. Dabi heats his palms enough to sting, but not burn, just enough to make his bird trill at him indignantly. "So the real conversation we need to be having is if we want that to go any further or not, birdy." 

Hawks blinks, "What?" 

"Pretty bird, you are aware that open relationships and polyamory are things right?" Gets another confused blink, his head cocking to the side slightly and Dabi doesn't know if it's adorable or concerning how little experience Hawks has with relationships. Romantic, platonic, sexual, doesn't seem to matter. Doesn't think that Hawks has had anyone in his life who stuck around for a significant amount of time. Even his rabbit friend and his intern are temporary and distant. Guesses that has to do with him being a spy, with rushing up the charts so young. "Alright, come on, we're about to have a very long and possibly very embarrassing conversation, angel." Drags him over to the bed and gets his hands in his wings, preening him properly as they talk. 

By the time they're finished Hawks is much more settled, they both are. Curled up together in bed, hands wandering lazily because they just can't keep them to themselves. Gives Hawks a lot of shit, in his own head, about how little experience he's had, but this is the longest he's been in some semblance of a relationship too.

"Think he'll tie us up?" He wonders absently as he trails his fingers along the soft feathers on Hawks' spine. Feathers that immediately fluff and shiver as Hawks blushes again. 

"Dabi!" And he really does sound a little scandalized which is so cute. 

"Oh come on, we already decided to fuck him, this should not be the embarrassing part." 

There's a little pause, his pretty bird struggling with himself. Ducks his head back down so he doesn't have to look him in the eye, "Maybe? He definitely seems to like being in control," and Dabi delights in how his bird goes even redder, his wings trembling as he mumbles that. "More interested in what he'll do with all of his hands." 

Should probably not get them so hot thinking about what Shig will do to them when he gets them into his bed, but it does . Probably a good first step, really. Given how into the idea Hawks is, Dabi's pretty sure that his birdy isn't going along with this because he's worried that he'll be abandoned if he doesn't. Pretty sure he wants it as much as he does and with that settled the next hard part comes. 

Having to actually tell Duster they want him. 

///

After the kitchen thing and the very long and very embarrassing talk with Dabi about where they stand on taking additional partners, and the even more embarrassing and kind of hot speculation about what Shigaraki will be like in bed, Hawks had kind of expected his mate to proposition the other man immediately. But he doesn't. Neither of them do. Doesn't know if it's because they're embarrassed, or nervous, or what, but instead of either of them trying to gauge his interest, if it's still there after these past few months, they just. Don't. Hawks keeps finding himself watching the other man when they're just hanging around. Sees Dabi doing the same thing. 

Hawks thinks he's gotten to know Shigaraki fairly well over the past few months. Knows that he's blunt and sarcastic. That he's very good at reading other people and always looks out for the League. That he's pragmatic and determined. Likes video games and being around people, even before this apparently. That he's very, very pretty. Long pretty two-toned hair, pale skin that contrasts so sharply with the black that creeps along his extra limbs, those crescent-moon patches of red under his eyes, the birthmark just below his lips, the scars curving over his eye and lips. Pretty colors, pretty patterns. Is kind of surprised it's taken him this long to lock in on that. Wonders if he's just been walling that up because he already has a mate covered in pretty patterns, but once he allows himself to look, it's like he can't stop . 

And Compress keeps fucking laughing at him. 

"Shut up!" He throws a pillow at the other man, the trills not enough, needs to use his actual words. Only makes the older man laugh harder. He's just lucky that Shigaraki just left , picked up Toga like she didn't weigh a thing to take her to bed when her nocturnal nature got the better of her and she passed out. Could not help how his feathers shivered and fluffed at another easy show of strength, at the soft curve of his smile and how warm his eyes had been on her as he carried her out of the room. 

"You are aware that it was Dabi who was oblivious, not Shigaraki, right?" He teases, having reached out and immediately marbled the pillow as it came within arm's length. Throws the marble back at him and releases it when it's close enough to land squarely in his face. Hawks sputters. 

"I haven't done anything!" Feels his face flush, his feathers shivering as his wings pull in tight against his back. 

Compress snorts, rolls his eyes, "My friend, you and Dabi have been undressing him with your eyes every time either of you are in the same room with him for two weeks. He's noticed. We've all noticed." 

Hawks makes a mortified little trill and Compress laughs again. "I'm going to throw myself off the roof without my wings." 

The other man leans his chin against his knuckles, "He told you he's not going to push unless you go talk to him." He says pointedly. "If you two want to stop embarrassing yourselves then you should just do it already." There's a goading little edge in the other man's voice. Enough of one that it has Hawks narrowing his eyes. 

"Why do you care?"

"We've got a betting pool on how long it takes before one of you two break. We're coming up on my estimation." He replies, completely unrepentant. 

"Well now I'm definitely not saying anything." He tells him petulantly. 

"You're only hurting yourself." Compress says mildly. "This could fade any day, and you two are very clearly interested in the spider parts." 

Feels his face flush again and gives another indignant squawk, sends a volley of feathers at him this time, forces him to have to use his acrobatic skills to evade them. Which is what Shigaraki comes back to. Raises a brow at the display and Hawks goes even redder as Compress laughs at him again. Did not know having friends meant that he was going to be opening himself up for mockery every second of the day. 

Isn't really upset about it though.

///

After their conversation about opening things up, about accepting Shigaraki's invitation into his bed, Dabi waits. Keeps an eye on his pretty bird. Makes sure that he really wants this. That he wasn't just letting himself be pulled along because he doesn't want to lose him . But Hawks clearly wants Shig as badly as he does. Keeps getting all fluffy whenever they're around him. Waits for a little while, makes sure his lover is good, and once he's positive, he starts straying more and more into Duster's space. 

Could have made this easier by just telling him how badly he wants him, but the words keep getting trapped in his throat. Can't even manage to really flirt with him either. Just makes an effort to spend more time around him, though that's mostly taking the form of just doing more League work. Everything is still on pause as they wait for this to fade, but once it does they're likely going to be very busy, very quickly. Want to make sure that they're prepared for that, that all their contacts know that they're just inactive at the moment, not captured or disbanded, keeping an eye on any last vestiges of Overhaul's people just in case they come looking for revenge, making sure that aside from their hero, no other ones are particularly focused on them at the moment. Long hours spent in his room working. 

Duster doesn't ever flirt with him anymore. Still calls him 'firefly' and 'kitten' too when he wants to get a rise out of him, but his eyes never go hot anymore, his words never take on that edge of promise like they used to. Dabi doesn't know how he could miss something so keenly that he didn't even notice he had until after it was gone. He can't figure out how to flirt with him either which, he has never been shy about shit like this. Is usually pretty overt when he takes an interest, started getting right into Hawks' space and making his intentions clear the second he decided to actually give him a chance. 

But Hawks is a bird . His instincts had made that feel strange, definitely was torn between attacking him and kissing him when he pounced that first time, but he'd managed. Shigaraki is a spider. His cat brain doesn't know what to do with that. Definitely doesn't see him like prey even though he's pretty sure that most cats kill bugs. Keeps startling every time they're close and he would be annoyed about that. Can't be because the little spike of nervous fear is tangling up with the want. Makes his skin hum a little more every time he strays into the other's space. Hasn't been able to because he keeps pulling back. Either because his instincts can't figure Duster out, or because he's still embarrassed that he just completely missed his interest for so long, but he is going to light himself on fire if he doesn't figure it out soon. 

It's mid-afternoon when they finish what they were working on, have been hunched over the table in his sitting area for hours at this point. But now Dabi doesn't have an excuse to stick around. Shigaraki cracks his neck, stretches. Has just cut open the sides of his shirts to make room for his extra arms and the movement lets him see a flash of his sides, his chest. Thinks he might have little bits of black carapace under the shirt, thinks that's what's curving along the back and sides of his neck. Wants to find out. 

"Thanks," Shig says a hand idly straying up into the webs again, probably looking to see where the others are. A thanks for his work, a dismissal and he doesn't want to be dismissed. Still gets up anyway because he is being pathetic about this. 

"Yeah, whatever you need, boss." Which is what he would have said even if he wasn't absolutely gagging for his dick. Fuck. He's going to go find a patch of sunlight and fucking mope because this is beyond ridiculous. His tail flicks. His step hesitates for just a split second.  Moves his tail a little more deliberately as he starts to leave. Just enough for it to barely stray into the webs lining the room. Worth the little tug on his fur when it sticks. "Shit, hey, can you--" 

Barely has turned back to him, is expecting him to get into his space, that was the point . But he's not expecting Shig to already be there, barely two inches from him. Moves fast enough that it startles him. 

"Are you really that desperate for me to touch you, kitten?" 

"Duster," his ears are tacked against his head, the fur on his tail standing on end. Shouldn't be scared of him when he's a spider and he's a cat . But the instinct to recoil, to flee is strong. Feels his nails pushing a little further from his fingertips, trying to get dangerous even though his flames are what he'll actually reach for if Shigaraki really tries to hurt him. Is suddenly wondering if this was a mistake . Embarrassed because apparently he was so transparent that Duster immediately saw through him. 

Breath catching in his throat as he's pinned under Shigaraki's gaze, eyes half-lidded and so hot that his quirk might be jealous. Doesn't think that hurting him is on the other man's mind as his too many arms cage him in place, fingers tangling in the web all around him, as he moves closer. Six hands, every single one as deadly as his originals. 

Reaches out, lightning quick, and gets his hand on his tail, one finger raised. "Told you the offer was always open. All you have to do is tell me that you want me to fuck you, kitten." His hand tightens on his tail, pressure insistent and Dabi's claws jump out, hears himself starting to yowl low in his throat because he's scared , because that grip could hurt, could become deadly, faster than he could fight back. Because he doesn't let anyone touch his tail if he can help it. Because it always makes his fur bristle with that edge of fear. But the grip doesn't hurt as Shig strokes his tail, grip shifting higher along it, pushing his fur out of place, which is irritating, but can't distract from how it tingles all the way along his spine the closer he gets to the base of it. Frees it easily from the silk. The yowl trails off. "Do you want me to stop, Dabi?" 

Feels himself flush. Yes. No. Kind of wants to tell him to fuck off for mocking him. Kind of wants to light him on fire for calling him 'kitten' again. Should leave before he embarrasses himself any more because he may be desperate, but he's got at least a little tiny sliver of self-respect, doesn't he? Another hand hooks under his chin. Makes him look Duster in the eyes again. Doesn't know when he looked away. Another hand circling his waist, pulling him closer. Another just barely brushing two fingertips over his thigh. 

He tries to fight it so hard, but he can't smother the little stuttering purr that starts in his throat, the cat in him definitely just shredded that little sliver of self-respect. 

"You're so cute, kitten, but I need you to use your words." Because Shig doesn't pay attention to the cat reactions, knows that he can't control those. His tone teasing, mocking. 

"Gonna kill you if you keep that up, Duster." He snaps, but the purring starts again as soon as he stops speaking. Can't help it. Likes the way the words drag over his skin. Can't turn away, not with Shig's hand holding him still, but doesn't meet his eyes, can't, when he mutters, "...I want you to fuck me." Barely loud enough for him to hear. Why is this so hard ? Why does he feel so small, so nervous? Knew what he was getting into, wants this. 

"Good boy," Is saved from the mortification of the purr going louder because Shigaraki's mouth covers his as soon as he's finished speaking. All of his hands on him, pulling him closer, holding him tighter as his too sharp teeth nip at his lip, as his tongue slips inside of his mouth and claims every inch of it. He fucking mewls . 

This is mortifying . He's never going to make fun of Hawks for his wings giving him away again. Hears Shig make a soft series of clicks in the back of his throat as his grip tightens, as his teeth sink into his lower lip hard enough to re-split it a little along the seam and send it bleeding. His own blood shouldn't taste so good. Feels his hands tighten on him and yelps, fur standing on end again, gasps against his mouth,

"Gloves, fuck, Duster--" could be maimed, could be killed if his concentration slips for even a split second. Doesn't want to stop now that he has Shigaraki's hands on him, but can't keep going when one wrong move could kill him. 

"Mmm, no." His whole body locks up under his touch as Shigaraki licks the blood away from his lip, as his mouth trails along his jaw as he keeps speaking. "I'm going to take you apart, kitten. Going to make you feel so good that you won't be able to stop purring for me and I'm going to have my hands on every inch of your skin." Shig pulls him away from the door, that dizzying strength on full display again, and starts to push him towards his bedroom, towards his nest. Has only seen his bedroom in glances, knows that it's got the thickest webbing of anywhere in the entire house, that the sheets are white with how thick the silk is there. Dabi bristles, his skin going hot with his quirk, doesn't know if he's aroused or terrified because his webbing is strong enough that he won't be able to move if he gets tangled up in that. Tries to break Duster's grip, to insist on the gloves, to try and say something about the webs, but then hands tighten, the one on his chest lets his fifth finger drop and he hisses, ears pinning back, claws jumping from his nail beds as his shirt turns to dust in a split second. 

"Shig--" Should be a warning, not a whine. Shouldn't be trembling. 

"Not going to put on my gloves because I think you want to be broken, baby." Drags his teeth over the line of his throat and he feels something wet and slicker than spit slide across his scars. His breath hitches and then he mewls again. And then it starts to burn . 

"Fuck! Duster, don't--" feels himself harden even as he protests, even as he tangles his fingers tighter into his shirt. Doesn't move away as Shig licks up the thin trail of acid he let burn across his skin. Devouring him as literally as he seems to be planning to do figuratively. His whole body is shaking now, chest stuttering, can't tell if he should be hissing or purring. 

"If you really want me to stop say 'red' or snap your fingers, kitten. Otherwise you just proved that you like to misuse your words." Mewls again as one of his hands cups his ass through his leather pants and drags his hips in tight against Shig's, rough enough he knows the other man can absolutely feel how hard he is already. Doesn't know if he's ever been this turned on this fast and he embarrasses himself further when he immediately tries to grind himself against his thigh with a pathetic little purr. "Mm, kitten you're going to be so good for me aren't you? So cute, like you've never been touched before." 

"S-shut up, Duster," Should burn him alive for talking to him like this. Feels something a little too solid, but slightly giving, hit the back of his ankle and he stumbles. Shig lets him go with a little push and he's falling, claws tearing holes into the other's shirt as he slips, back hitting the tangle of web and bedding, the wind knocked out of him. Tries to pull away, but the webbing is sticky and tough. Knows he could burn it off his skin. Doesn't want to when Shig's eyes drag over him where he lays sprawled out over his bed, inside of his nest, and they're nearly black with his desire. He's shaking. Why the fuck is he shaking? His heart is pounding, the roar of blood in his ears is distracting. There's a little growl humming up defensively from deep in his chest, but when his tail tries to flick with his agitation he yelps, the fur stuck against the silk too and pulling sharply.

Shig climbs down into the nest with him, hands running over his skin, one working through his hair and over his ears, one running along the length of his tail, carefully untangling the fur from the silk. And it feels so good. Hears his breath hiccup and hitch, and then he's purring again. Still can't move much, Shig just using the oil or whatever it is to keep him from ripping out his hair or fur, but not doing anything to free his trapped limbs. Scratches his nails against his scalp and the purring kicks up even louder. His fingers drag along his spine, four of them circling the base of his tail and stroking at the connection, and another sharp barb of adrenaline hits his veins even as the gentle pressure has him trying to arch, moaning too loud, too broken, as his entire spine from the base of his neck to his tailbone hums with the sensation. 

Duster licks the sound out of his mouth. Whimpers when two of his hands wrap around his thighs and he forces them open. Wants the other man between his legs, could have opened them for him, but... 

Shig laughs against his lips, dark and rough and it has him purring even louder, shaking even harder. Embarrassing when his tail pushes up in his grip because it's trying to stand up, move out of the way, make him open and ready so his hole can be filled. "You want me to be rough with you, kitten?" Tugs on his tail and he yelps, yowls, claws sinking into the silk covered sheets, the purring starts up as soon as the pain flickers. "Want me to hold you down and have my way with you so you can shake and moan and tell me 'no'?" 

Should really, really set him on fire. Should not try to cant his hips up to find friction, should absolutely not mew softly in the back of his throat. Holy fuck he did not think he was into this kind of play. Did not know what he thought it would be like when he finally did get into Shigaraki's bed but definitely, definitely did not think it would be like this. Shig waits for an answer, hands moving slowly over his body, up his thighs, along his sides, one still stroking his tail, the last petting through his hair. Patient, indulgent, a finger barely raised on each to keep the touch from turning deadly, every one of them so soft and light that they're just making his skin burn without giving him nearly enough sensation to feel good. 

"...Stop," Shig's eyes nearly glow at the first barely whispered word. Can't look at him, feels his ears pin back, his face heating enough he knows it's visible even through his scars. "Let me go, d-don't touch me," feels his grip tighten around his thighs, hard enough it's pulling at the staples beneath his clothes as Shig finally gives him what he wants and settles between his legs, rocks his hips into his and the grind of their cocks has him moaning again, "P-please, Shig, s-stop," Tries to grind against him again as he says it, his arousal smothering his veins with heat.

"Oh kitten, I'm going to ruin you." Leans in to sink his teeth back into his throat, too hard, too sharp now. Breaks skin so easily and Dabi writhes, yelps, his skin going so hot with his quirk because he could push acid beneath it. Could melt him with his teeth as easily as he could with his hands. But Shig sucks at the bite, licks up the blood as his mouth trails lower, tongue finding the seam between healthy and scarred skin and dragging over it. "Going to leave you broken and bleeding and you are going to thank me afterwards, do you understand me, kitten?" Shifts his hips so that he can't feel him anymore and the loss has him mewling. 

Whimpers again, nodding desperately, trying to rock his hips up, but can't, the webbing holding him firm. A sharp pain, a little pinprick of agony flares across his hip. Hurts as badly as it does when he overuses his quirk, has him screaming, startled, as he looks down and sees a little spiderweb of cracks appearing over his hip. Barely an inch of broken skin, flaking away into dust as it crumbles, can see the flesh and muscle exposed underneath it for just a second before the blood starts to bead up and pour over it. Realizes what just happened and his whole chest shudders. Isn't expecting it when he sobs . 

"Stop, Shig, stop, what are you-- don't, don't ," blood burns as it wells up over the wound, burns as it starts to drip across his cheeks as he cries. 

Shig hums and one of his hands reaches to cup him through his pants, squeezing and stroking him through the leather. Can't hide that the pain, that the horror of what just happened made him harder . Can feel himself dripping inside of his clothes. "Say 'stop' all you want, kitten. Sound so pretty when you scream, pretty as you look when you cry." 

Grinds his thumb into the fresh wound and Dabi yowls. "Please, Shig, stop, hurts, hurts, hurts--" 

"You know how to get me to stop if you really want that." And his tone is final. Ignores him as he drags his fingers over the wound again, smearing his blood over his skin as other hands work over his chest, finding his nipple piercings and twisting them roughly, pulling at them until they're aching and red, as others move to find the closure of his pants. Too many hands, every single one could so easily bring that pain again, Dabi feels like he's going out of his mind. Dips his mouth down to lick at his open skin and he sobs again at the fresh pulse of agony. 

Is absolutely not prepared for how hard his heart kicks when Duster's wrapping four fingers around his cock. Could tear him apart in a second. Doesn't. Strokes him, dragging over his piercings just this side of too-rough so that his back bows and he cries. Hasn't ever cried in bed before, hasn't ever had a partner who wants to hurt him like this. Didn't know he wanted to hurt like this. Gets another series of rough clicks out of Shigaraki's throat as he keeps stroking him. "Oh you're already so wet for me, baby girl." 

Absolutely can't hide how his dick twitches, how he mewls and whimpers, his face flushed so hot he feels dizzy. " Stop ," 

Shigaraki laughs at him. "You're so cute when you blush, baby." He feels his quirk race over his skin with his humiliation, but Duster doesn't stop, strokes him a little slower, drags his fingers through the beads of pre sliding along his length as his other hands untangle his legs from the web just enough for him to ease his pants the rest of the way off of his hips and peel them away from his legs. Leans in to kiss him again, sucks at his bleeding lip and hums against his mouth. As his stupid traitorous body keeps purring. His voice is low and husky when he murmurs, "Pretty cock dripping for me," two hands on his ass, spreading him open as his tail goes rigid and pushes up out of the way, "is your hole just as greedy, kitten?" 

"Shig," doesn't know if he's ever heard his voice pitch that high, doesn't know if he's ever wanted to be fucked this badly. 

"It is, isn't it? You're always so busy taking care of your pretty bird you end up empty. Don't worry, baby girl, I'm gonna take care of you." Drags his thumb over his hole and he almost bites through his tongue. "Make you hurt until you won't be able to handle anything else and you're still going to come back and beg me for more." 

Sobs a little harder because the words are a promise and the hands all over him are so good. Too many, enough that they can drag over every inch of him, find all of the places along his seams that make him shudder and writhe, his mouth hot and teeth too sharp as they move over his skin. Drags his teeth just hard enough to put little acid burns on the healthy sections before he licks it away, clicking in his throat, savoring the taste of him. His limbs are still trapped in the sheets, in the web, doesn't know if he would be pushing the other man away or pulling him closer if he could move even an inch. 

Thankfully doesn't have to make the choice when his fingers drag over his ass again, slick with lube. Doesn't even know when he got that, but doesn't care because he's purring so loud, so constantly he's having a hard time breathing. Dizzy with how badly he wants to be full. Can't rock back on the press of them no matter how badly he wants to and Shig lets out another breath of laughter that's so hot it might as well be another caress over his skin as he feels his hole twitch against his fingers. Can't be embarrassed for long though, because his desperate reaction earns him one long finger pressing inside of him. Doesn't hesitate to push all the way to the knuckle, doesn't give him even a second to breathe before it's dragging along his walls and crooking deep, before he's sliding it back out, pushing in again. 

Finds his prostate this time an rubs over it just briefly, just long enough to make his whole body tingle, before he pulls out and fucks into him again. Presses in the second finger on his third thrust and that's too soon, makes the ring of muscles stretch and burn slightly as they're both forced inside of him, as Shig starts to open him up roughly. Rough enough there's a little bloom of pain starting to radiate up to the base of his spine, making where it and his tail connect burn. 

"Shig, s-slow down, fuck,--" whimpers as he just goes faster , harder. Sobs when his teeth sink in just below the staples on his chest. The burn of his acid doesn't come, thank fucking god, but it still hurts . His balls tighten, pre drooling from his cock as Shig keeps stroking him there so, so slowly. Too slow to be anything other than agony. "Shig, Shig,--" 

Pushes in a third finger and he loses his words on a sob. 

"That's it kitten, absolutely gorgeous when you cry. Can't hide how fragile you are like this. Can't hide how much you want someone to break you when you're sucking so hard at my fingers." Takes his hand off his cock completely and Dabi tries to growl, but all that comes out is a weak keen. "Already want something else, don't you, sweetheart?" 

Mewls, shaking his head. Absolutely knows he's not ready for the other man's cock, not when he's barely holding it together on his fingers. When those too many hands are all over him and he's bleeding and aching, and Duster is pressing his thumb back into the patch of decay on his hip and he's screaming again. "No, no, can't, Shig, please, don't, please--" tries to suck in his breath, knows what he needs to say to get him to stop. 

Doesn't. 

Shigaraki only fucks him open a few more times, another hand pulling him from his pants and smearing lube over his cock, big as his, maybe a bit bigger, thick and long, stroking himself idly as his eyes drink in him. Dabi's thighs tremble, would be squirming if he could move, and he pushes them open a little wider, another two hands running over his ass and legs just enough, doing whatever he needs to so he can untangle his silk and lift him slightly off of the bed, so he can roll his weight higher up his back and get a good look at him as he pulls his fingers out. Hooks one at his rim and gives him a little tug that has him sobbing again, moaning, hips trying to move away from the touch, but held tight, thumb still pressing into the fresh wound. 

"Flushed so pretty here too, baby girl." 

" Tomura ," the hands tighten on him, hears Shig make a clicking growl in the back of his throat, sees him stroke himself a little harder at the sound of his name torn from his throat. 

"Gonna split you open, kitten." Doesn't hesitate, pushes his thighs wide, hooks a leg over his shoulder as he lines up, the slick head of his cock immediately nudging at his hole as his other hands move over his skin, stroking and petting, one curling around the base of his tail again and stroking him like he wishes he was stroking his cock. It's all so much, too much, pleasure and fear and pain all snarled up along his nerves in a dizzying pulse. Thinks he might scream as Shigaraki sinks inside of him. 

Takes him a second to realize that he came. That just the push of his cock sinking into him, the burn and stretch of him, was enough to push him over the edge and stripe his stomach and chest in cum. That he's shaking and sobbing because he's still hard . 

"Fuck, fuck, Dabi , so hot, fucking gorgeous , firefly." And then he starts to move. 

Draws out of him slow and then snaps his hips back into him hard enough that the whole bed shakes. Rough enough that Dabi's skin is going hotter, hot enough to burn away some of the webbing. Enough that he can reach back, even with his mind half gone with the pleasure he knows not to touch his lover, and curl his fingers around the headboard and hang on because that's really, really all he can stand to do right now. Because Tomura fucks him hard and rough and he's purring and begging and sobbing the whole time. 

"M-more, more, harder, Tomura, Tomura--" forgets about playing because it's too much and not enough and so good and he is going to be broken when they're finished and he can't even care. Really, really can't care when one of those too many, too deadly hands is curling around his throat, just tight enough to start to restrict his air and that is so good it has him mewling again. Another sliding down over his ass, to where they're connected and his hips twitch and jump as a finger prods at his stretched hole. His breath hitches harder, tries to pull away from the touch, from the cock already impaling him. "W-wait, no, stop, don't--" 

"What's wrong, I thought you wanted more , kitten?" Sounds so rough and sinister as he keeps driving his hips into his. Presses his finger more insistently against his hole. "Gonna fill up your greedy cunt until you're gaping for me after, baby girl." Dabi doesn't know if it's his words or the feeling of him drawing back far enough so that he can push his finger inside of him along with his cock on his next thrust that has flame flashing from his palms over the headboard, but it also has him yowling . 

So good, so full, every thrust is just a little too much. Can't even keep track of  where every one of Tomura's hands are, doesn't care. He's just a messy, needy body now, made to be used, made to be broken. Will be that happily as long as it keeps feeling this good to fall apart. Tomura sinks his teeth into his skin, licks away blood, kisses him rough and messy, fucks him hard, hard, hard. Presses hard against the missing patch of skin, tugs at his piercings, at the base of his tail, scratches his fingers over his scalp around the base of his ears. Sinks in a second finger alongside his cock . 

Sobs his name again as he comes for the second time, still untouched.

Tomura keeps moving inside of him, those strange little clicks still coming from his chest alongside his own ragged breathing for a few more thrusts, "You're so hot , fuck, feel so good around me, baby, fuck, fuck," sinks his teeth back into his throat as he pushes in hard enough that it makes him ache before he spills over his walls. Fills him up even more and he's whimpering, trying to catch his breath, trying to stop shaking so fucking hard. Shig's tongue laves over the bite as he eases his cock out of him, but he leaves his fingers inside. Dabi hisses, whines as he feels them crooking, hears the slick wet slide of them inside of him, and then he finally pulls them out. 

His face goes even hotter when Tomura brings them to his mouth. But he opens up. Lets him press his fingers past his teeth and sucks on them, licking away his cum. Fucking purrs as he does it because Shig just proved he definitely, definitely doesn't have any self-respect. "That's it kitten, so good for me." Lowers his leg back to the bed, strokes much more carefully over his skin as he licks them clean, doesn't swallow before he slips them out of his mouth. Opens so that Tomura can see his cum on his tongue before he swallows, still flushed bright red as he does. "Fuck, so good for me, baby. What do you say, sweetheart?" He prompts, hand petting between his ears patiently. 

Doesn't know if he's ever blushed this hot. Pretty sure he's redder than Hawks' fucking wings. "...Thank you," was embarrassing enough to just say that, really, really, doesn't mean for, "sir." To slip out too. 

"Not going to give you back if you keep that up, Dabi." And his voice is rough as he leans in and kisses him, slow and sweet. Hums softly against his mouth before he pulls away. "You alright?" 

"I'm mortified and fucking sore ." He bitches, tries to let go of the headboard, tries to shift at all and finds he's tangled in the webbing again. "And stuck , let me go, Duster." 

Shigaraki has the gall to laugh at him again but the sound is softer, warmer, presses a kiss to his cheek as his hands start to move again, untangles him from the webbing, pulling some of it apart to make a little spot for him on the bed where he won't be at risk of getting trapped again. "No need to be embarrassed, firefly. Can I go get what I need to clean you up, or do you not want to be alone for a little bit?" 

Hates that he immediately reaches for him. That he doesn't want him to leave because he knows if he does that the embarrassment will bloom into shame and spoil the soft purring sitting in the back of his chest, the little glow under his skin beneath the pain. Shigaraki doesn't tease him again though, just wraps him up in too many arms, scratches his nails around his ears and presses kisses across his shoulders as he pulls him in tight against his chest. The purring kicks up so much louder. Purrs and purrs the same way Hawks trills when they're finished, and Duster just holds onto him until he stops. 

///

Eventually does get cleaned up, patched up, Shig even gives him the good painkillers as he gently bandages the missing patch of his skin, and then tucks him back into his little section of the bed and makes him sleep for a while. Wakes up alone what feels like a few hours later. Is glad he's alone because when he can't help the feline stretch he gives his ass fucking pulses with pain from the treatment and he winces. Would absolutely not have lived that down otherwise. Carefully extracts himself from the bed without getting caught in the webbing again and finds that Shig must have gone and grabbed a shirt out of his room, because there's one waiting for him at the foot of the bed with his pants. Pulls it on and it covers most of the marks on him. Thinks that the bites along his throat will only be visible at just the right angle, scars darker than the scabs they left behind. 

He makes his way down the hall to his and Hawks' room, glad that he doesn't see any of the others. As soon as he eases the door open he hears a chirp and he smiles as he steps inside. 

"Hey pretty--"

Hawks is right in front of him in the next second, chirping inquisitively, pulling him into the room and sending a feather to shut the door, "So?"

Feels himself flush, his ears pinning and tail flicking, " How ?" Desperately hopes that he wasn't actually being loud enough for the others to have heard him. Desperately hope Duster wasn't being loud enough for any of the others to hear what he said to him. 

"Asked Shig where you were when I got here and he told me you were sleeping and that it was my turn now." And at least Hawks is also flushing, though his wings are starting to fluff and flutter a little which means he's as turned on by the idea as he is embarrassed by it. 

Hawks has to let go of him when his skin gets a little too hot with his embarrassment. "Saw fucking stars , birdy. Have at it." 

And his pretty bird's brows pull together a little, mouth twisting into a little frown, "Hey, are you--" 

Drags his hand through his hair as his ear flicks, can't meet those gold eyes. "It was great and that's all I'm gonna say until you have him too." Because they speculated and gossiped before they decided to go through with this. Because how Shig actually was is not what he'd been expecting when he went into this and it was so good and he is mortified by how quickly the other man had been able to not only push his buttons, but find brand new ones to tease along the way. Is absolutely not going to tell Hawks any more details about that until he won't be alone in his mortification. 

Hawks takes him in, sharp eyes. Always can read him now. Sees the embarrassment and whatever else is tangled up in him and calms a little. Looks slightly more flushed. "Okay. But after--" 

"After." He agrees because Toga is, unfortunately, right and he and Hawks are as big of gossips as Compress is. "Come here pretty bird," and his angel laughs a little as he pulls him in.

"Can't be looking for more already, hot stuff," he teases, and Dabi snorts. No, absolutely isn't, doesn't think he could take Hawks apart right now even if he wanted too, not when his whole body is sore and aching. Clearly slept long enough for the painkillers to start to wear off. Just after a kiss because he never thought he'd get to show the hero any kind of affection, can't help but want to give him all of it as often as he can now that he's allowed to. 

Hawks coos softly against his mouth, melts against him like he wants to soak it up just as much as Dabi wants to give it. Pulls him back into bed so that they can curl up against each other. Knows it's a cat thing that he already wants to sleep again, doesn't care. Feels so good with Hawks' body pressed against him and his wing smothering the two of them in warmth. 

///

His skin keeps humming, anticipation making his feathers stand on end. Keeps finding himself pulling little threads of Shigaraki's silk from them. Doesn't know how he keeps accidentally walking through them, but knows that they've been laid deliberately. Knows that the other man is trying to draw him in. Is only hesitating because he shouldn't be sleeping with one League member. Should absolutely not be accepting the invitation to add a second to his list. Flushes every time he remembers how Dabi looked when he came back, how his tail had been twitching and his face was flushed under his scars. Hasn't ever seen Dabi timid before. Must mean that Shigaraki worked him over hard. Feels his feathers fluff again, feels one get caught against a strand of silk. He tries to pull it off, but this one isn't like some of the others he leaves for surveillance, just thin and solid, but not sticky. This one is for capturing, solid enough that it twangs softly when he tries to pull on it. He's about to slice through it with his talon when he feels it vibrate again. 

"Don't be shy, little bird." 

Shigaraki's voice trails along the thread, not audible, just vibrations, but vibrations that he must know that Hawks will be able to hear clearly enough where the silk is connected to his feathers. Knows the other man must be able to hear it when he lets out a surprised little chirp back, face heating. The silk strand goes slack. Must have been cut on his end, and Hawks shivers. That's as close to pushing as the leader has gotten since he told them he'd be more than happy to take them to bed. Thinks Dabi's still off somewhere with Twice. Hopes he's not too flushed as he starts to make his way towards the room Shigaraki claimed. 

The silk is much more prominent the closer he gets to his nest, it's the only major instinct that Shigaraki has had to deal with and given it's a fairly harmless one, a useful one even, he's been just weaving the webs where he likes. Doesn't get more than a meter from the door before the handle turns and it swings open. Dark inside the room. Noone standing in the doorway. 

"I, uh, this is feeling more like the start of a horror movie than a hookup, Shig." 

"Don't need to be scared, little bird, come here." And his voice is soft, gentle. Hawks doesn't ever know if he's heard him speak that way before. Feels his feathers fluffing a little more, his wings giving a tiny flutter as he takes a shaky breath and steps over the threshold. The room beyond is covered in silk. It really does look like the setting of a horror movie as his eyes adjust to the darkness, but Shigaraki moves, sees the silhouette of him, and he flicks on a lamp. Finds him sitting on the couch, picked one of the rooms large enough to have a sitting area. 

"Why were you in the dark?" He asks, doesn't think spiders have good night vision. 

"Hmm? Practicing finding the right threads without my eyes." He answers easily, two of his hands working through the silk strung around him, snapping them easily, other hands threading now loose strands out of the way, one beckoning him closer. His heart is already pounding. Doesn't know if he's ever been this nervous about a hookup. If he's scared of getting hurt or scared of how much he wants to go through with this. 

He comes a little closer, hesitates, sits down with him, drawing his wings tight against his back so they don't get tangled in any more silk. "Can I ask something?" 

"You can ask for anything you want, little bird." And Shigaraki's eyes are dragging over him, blood red instead of neon blue, but the same heat and hunger as Dabi's. 

"I, uh," has been trained to be a honeypot for god's sake. Has been the sexiest hero in Japan three years and counting, is used to having people look at him like they might eat him alive. Wonders if it's the fact the villain really, really could that makes him want to squirm. "I just, you don't seem to mind? I mean, do you... like being a spider?" 

Shigaraki blinks, clearly hadn't expected him to ask that . But he takes a moment to consider. "...Yes." He weaves a hand through the strands of silk, moving them further from Hawks' skin and feathers, making sure he won't get tangled in any of the webbing. "Aside from the clothing issues, I haven't found any drawbacks to this form." Is still speaking softly, wonders if it's because his voice reverberates off his webs or if he's just... being sincere. "I like the extra hands, being able to keep an eye on everything, it doesn't seem like this is the same for me as it is for the others. They all have drawbacks, either from their quirks or their heads." Shigaraki considers him. "Even Spinner. He's never been shy about how much he hates his quirk, hates how he was treated because of it. What about you, hero? Do you like being a bird?" 

"I've never been anything else." He says, false cheerfulness rising in him to hide the way his chest has seized up. Shigaraki leans a little closer and his breath hitches, thinks for a second that he's going to touch him. Doesn't know why that would be a surprise given the reason he'd sought him out in the first place. But Shig doesn't, just moves a few more strands of his web. Makes a nice bubble of space around them so that Hawks can let his wings relax again without worrying about being caught. 

But then one hand does stray, two fingers tracing lightly over the edge of his jaw as Shig's eyes bore into his. Looking for a real answer.

"I-- I like flying." He says, voice thin and quiet. "I've always loved flying. B-but the rest of it is... hard. There's so much I'm not supposed to do, it feels like my skin isn't mine sometimes," hates how his words are starting to come a little faster, a little desperate. "I, I think it would be easier if I wasn't, if I just had a normal speed quirk like Ingenium--" 

"Hawks," And his voice is so even and warm, cuts himself off with a choked chirrup. Watching him carefully with those red, red eyes and the pretty markings beneath them. Feels his wings draw tight against his back again, his feathers sharpening, waiting to be punished because he's not supposed to talk about this. Isn't supposed to remind anyone that he's more animal than human sometimes. "Don't have to hide any of that with us, now or when we're back to normal. And when we're finished tearing it all down, you and Spinner, and everyone like you, won't have to care about what you're 'supposed' to be ever again." The hand on his face settles more fully, and Hawks realizes that he's wearing his gloves with a relieved little trill. Strokes his thumb so softly over his cheek and this is not what he'd expected when he'd wondered how accepting his invitation into his bed would be. "Stay with us, and we'll make sure you're safe, little bird." Is really starting to get his mate's embarrassment now because Dabi does not like softness in bed. Not that he blames his mate when he does rough so well. But this, this is-- "Can I kiss you?" 

He chirps, can't find his words, nods just enough. Just enough to have Shigaraki leaning forward, his mouth sealing over his-- this is nice . 

Shigaraki kisses him soft and slow, just the press of their lips moving together until he lets out a shaky little breath and opens his mouth, flicks his tongue over the scar that runs across the other man's lips. And then Shig's hand is curling around the back of his neck, another resting on his thigh, another at the small of his back, pulling him closer, gentle everywhere he touches him. Gentle as he licks into his mouth, careful with his sharp teeth. Kisses him so thoroughly that his chest is aching for breath when he finally pulls away, his fingers tangled in his shirt and his feathers fluffy again. 

And then he's got those red eyes on him again, full of heat, but still so careful, considering. Brushes his thumb over his cheek again, "Not in any hurry, little bird. Doesn't have to go any further until you want it to." 

And he feels his insides turn into a puddle. It probably says something really, really fucked about his history of partners that two of Japan's Most Wanted are the only people he's had be this careful with him. Have made sure that he really wants them, have always offered him a way out if he changes his mind. Wonders if he and Dabi are so careful because they are villains, but they don't want to be monsters . All of his other hookups, all of the other people the HPSC have made him sleep with for his missions, haven’t really cared. He’s the number two hero, surely he couldn’t be fragile . 

"I want to," feels his wings tremble. "I want you." The hand around the back of his neck draws him back in and he goes, cooing against his mouth happily. Has all of his hands on him then. Stroking softly along his spine, edging closer to his wings, curling over his hips, around his thighs, one trailing over his shoulder, tracing a path down his arm until he finds the edge of his glove. Shigaraki carefully pulls the fabric away, parts as he runs his thumb over the sharp talons curving off his nailbeds. Then he laces their fingers together, pulls his hand up so he can press a kiss to his knuckles. 

"Will you let me take care of you, baby?" 

Feels his face go hot, his wings shiver with anticipation, with the arousal starting to curl lazily through his veins. "Okay," surprises himself with how soft, how quiet his voice is. No one has ever once accused him of being quiet in his life. In bed or otherwise. 

Shigaraki makes a quiet clicking sound in the back of his throat, presses a kiss to the edge of his lips. "Will you do something for me, little bird?"

Almost feels relieved, because he's used to that at least. Used to being asked to take away his wings, or to get on his knees, or to keep his gloves on, or to stop chirping. Dabi's the only person who hasn't, who just lets him take what he wants and takes right back. "Yeah?"

"Know how loud you can get," feels his face flood red. Already knows the League knows, already has been teased mercilessly by Twice and Toga, doesn't need the reminder. "Will you use my name?" 

He blinks. Stares, his face still flushed. Oh . "Tomura," the word escapes him on a whisper, and Tomura smiles. Has seen the other man smile plenty, but they're usually so sharp, violent. This one is... different. Warmer, softer, chases away the shadows always hanging around his eyes. Makes his whole chest go warm and dewy and his wings flutter. Has him leaning in this time to kiss him. Has him whispering against his mouth, "Tomura," 

Really, really did not think that sleeping with Shigaraki would be like this. Would be too many hands all over him, caresses light and gentle. Would be his mouth pressing kisses along his jaw, down his neck. Would be soft flicks of tongue and even softer words whispered against his skin. Would be hands stroking across his feathers until he's trembling and trilling. 

"--beautiful, wanted to touch you like this since I saw you, little bird. Wanted to watch those pretty gold eyes go molten--" 

"Tomura," whining against his mouth because his body is so hot and he's trembling. Doesn't know if he can take these gentle touches and soft words. Doesn't think he's made for them. Tomura doesn't let him question it though, keeps touching him, pulls off his clothes layer by layer until he's shivering and naked, straddling the other's lap and one of those too many hands is wrapped around his cock, stroking him slowly as he kisses along the column of his throat. 

"Do you want me to take you to bed? Lay you out, baby? Would love to see you splayed out on my sheets, your pretty gold hair all a mess and your feathers all spread out around you." 

Trills because that sounds so good, but his body is already shaking, his want already desperate and messy because he's going so slow , has been so careful with him and he wants him so badly. Doesn't want to wait. Shakes his head, gasping, trying to find enough air, enough of the human part of his brain to form words. 

"Tell me what you want, little bird, give you anything. Just want you to feel good, gorgeous." 

His words are honey. Roll over his skin and make him coo as he rocks a little more insistently into his hand, cock dripping. Takes him another second to suck in enough breath, to choke down the avian noises in his chest, so that he can speak. "I, I want you. Let me ride you, please?" Has been useless so far, barely able to keep his wits about him, barely able to touch the other man, wrists caught each time he tried, soft kisses pressed against them and his palms. Wants to make it good for him. 

Gets a little series of clicks from Tomura as he pulls him in close again, licks his way back into his mouth. Kisses him until he's cooing again before he breathes against his lips, "Alright, baby, just gotta wait a little longer."

It doesn't feel like waiting when he opens a packet of lube, when soon his slick fingers are rubbing over his hole, his touches here just as slow and deliberate as the ones over every inch of his skin and feathers. His wings spread wide, giving a slow flap as the first finger presses inside. Can't help it, feels so good, wants more so badly, but Tomura won't rush. Works him open until his thighs are shaking so hard he doesn't know if he'll even be able to manage riding him. Is bound and determined to try anyway as he's finally allowed to touch, as he pulls the other man from his pants. 

Tomura clicks at him, hands tightening a little as he strokes him. "Please, please, Tomura, need you, ready, please," 

Gets a moan out of him as he grinds his fingers hard over his prostate and leans forward to catch his lower lip between his teeth, nipping at it. Sharper than anything he's done so far, but nowhere near hard enough to hurt. Has him moaning too as he slips his fingers out of him. "Okay beautiful come on, come here, let me help you." Two hands curling around his thighs, two more spreading his ass open, one around each of their cocks so that he can help line him up. 

Sinks him down onto his cock inch by inch, deliberate and slow, so that Hawks can feel how every muscle stretches to accommodate him. By the time he's fully inside Hawks doesn't have any human sounds left in him, is trilling and chirping, feels like the other man is so deep inside of him that he's pushing against every sensitive part of him. The hand on his cock doesn't stop either, never moving fast enough or hard enough to turn the simmer of arousal humming through him into an inferno. His thighs are trembling but he pushes himself back up, lifts himself until Tomura is just barely inside and then sinks back down. Can't help how loud he moans at the drag of him against his walls. 

"That's it baby, just like that, little bird." His muscles tighten, makes it even more sensitive as he rocks against him again. Tries to work up into something faster, but Tomura's hands are tight, insistent on his hips and thighs. Keeps him slow, drags out every thrust, makes sure every time he's seated in his lap, his cock is grinding against his prostate. Wanted to make this worth the other man's time, feels like he's just ended up about as useful as a fleshlight. 

"Tomura, please, let me-- Want you to feel good, want to be good for you--" Because everything has been so good, has been something he didn't know he was craving and knows he's going to want it again. Is terrified that if he's not good enough he won't get the chance to ask for it. 

"Oh, sweetheart, you're being so good for me," curls a hand around the back of his neck and pulls him down into a kiss again, a little harder than before. "Feel so good around my cock, baby," thrusts a little harder into him as he pulls him back down. Hard enough it has him trilling, his wings flaring and fluttering again. "Look so pretty in my lap, love seeing your wings spread every time we move, little bird." Strokes his cock a little more firmly, a little faster. "Mesmerizing, would burn the sight of you like this into my eyes if I could." 

"Tomura," whining because he didn't know he wanted those words, didn't know he wanted to be touched like this, didn't know he would ever want to slow down when all he's ever done is race towards the next thing. 

"Sound so pretty every time you say my name, want to hear you scream it when you cum, can you do that for me, sweetheart?" 

The other man absolutely didn't need to ask for that, not if he keeps rubbing his cock over his prostate, not if he keeps twisting his wrist like that every time he strokes him while his other hands are stroking his feathers, dragging just a little roughly down the softest line of them trailing along his spine. Drags his fingers all the way down his spine, hits his oil gland, hidden in the down of them just above his tailbone at the same time as he sinks him back onto his cock and he's gone . Cums with Tomura's name on his tongue, his wings flaring wide. Doesn't mean for his talons to sink into the other man's shirt-- didn't even manage to be useful enough to get him naked-- terrified for a second he's sunk them into flesh, but they don't pierce. Scrape against something hard curving over his shoulders, no smell of blood on the air like he would have expected from losing control of his talons. 

"Oh baby, you're so beautiful, glowing for me, darling." Pulls him in again so their foreheads are resting together, hips rocking a little harder up into him as he murmurs, " Fuck, didn't know you could get any tighter, holding me like you were made for me," Tomura's mouth against his ear, words mingling with more of those little clicks. Still using his dizzying strength and too many hands to keep lifting him on his cock and dragging him back down and it's so much, too much. "Close, sweetheart, can I--?" 

Should not have him moaning weakly again, should not have his muscles twitching and tightening just a little more as he nods. As he gets his hands on Tomura's face and drags him into a sloppy, open-mouthed kiss as the other man sinks into him a few more times before he holds him tight against his hips, as his cock twitches inside of him as he cums. 

Takes a while for him to stop trembling, for him to try and right his breathing around the happy little trills leaving his chest. Knows that it's definitely, definitely a bird thing that he likes feeling his partner's seed inside of him. Is happy to stay right in Tomura's lap until his cock is soft, until he has to pull out, because the longer he stays the longer he can keep from losing that full, wet feeling. 

Chirps quietly when he does finally pull out, feels his cum dripping along his skin. Tomura kisses his cheek again, clicking, 

"How are you feeling, little bird?" 

Takes him a minute to find his words, "Good, I, sorry I was useless ," feels his face burning. Has never considered himself passive in bed, has certainly never just been one to let his partner do everything. "I, next time-- if you want, I mean-- next time I could,"  

Tomura curls a hand back around his neck and pulls him in, kisses the words out of his mouth as he drags his fingers through his feathers. "You were so good for me Hawks, absolutely perfect for me, baby. Like taking care of you. Next time , I'm going to spread you out and pamper you," 

Is really, really not prepared for how those words have his cock twitching weakly, a tiny moan catching in the back of his throat. Not prepared for Tomura's eyes to go hot again. 

Is definitely not complaining when he decides 'next time' is now. Just wraps his arms around his neck to steady himself as the other man lifts him up, carries him to his bed, and takes him apart all over again. 

Tomura makes sure that by the time he's a gasping, sobbing mess, shaking through the aftershocks of his next orgasm, he's not worried about being good for his mate anymore. Has been told every way the other man could think of how much he loves to lavish him with his attention. 

///

When he finally leaves, Tomura gives him one last sweet kiss, and Hawks feels a little dazed as he makes his way back to his and Dabi's room. Finds his mate already curled up into a tight ball, tail wrapped around him, sleeping, and just crawls into bed with him, wrapping him in his wings. Thinks that it probably says something about how far this has gone that Dabi doesn't even shift, his ear giving one little flick, and a soft purring starting up in his sleep as Hawks curls against him. 

He coos softly back before sleep takes him too. 

///

Wakes up the next morning to more purring and too-hot hands working through his feathers. Coos at Dabi, immediately gets his mouth covering his, morning breath like ash. Doesn't have work today, gets to indulge in a quiet morning. 

"Morning, pretty bird." 

"Morning, hot stuff," Can't help himself from reaching up to scratch along the base of one of his ears. Likes the way it always makes his mate sigh, eyes going half-lidded, and his purrs hitch louder in his chest. Dabi pushes closer, rubs his cheek against his and Hawks laughs a little. But then the other man keeps doing it, purring even louder, switches to rub against his other cheek, his scars and staples dragging lightly over his skin. It's cute until he headbutts him nearly hard enough to break his nose. 

"Ow! Dabi, what-- are you scenting me?" And the arsonist stops, the purring cutting out in his chest as he blinks. 

"Fucking, god-- yeah ." He snaps, sounds more frustrated with himself than anything else as he sits up out of Hawks' space. "Sorry, birdy, didn't even notice. You smell like Shig." Blinks again and then his face flushes slightly, his ear twitching. "Huh, guess I know where you were last night then." 

And now it's his turn to blush, his feathers fluffing as his wings tighten against his back. Silence stretches between them. Keeps stretching. "I-- Why am I embarrassed? Why are we being awkward about this?" But they are, he can feel how hot his face is getting. is having to resist the urge to wrap his wings around himself or put his hands over his face to cover his flush. "We planned this!" Can't help the distressed little trill that crawls up the back of his throat. "I mean, you didn't... change your mind, did you? You're not mad--" 

"Shit, no , birdbrain, I don't care. You can sleep with whoever you want as long as I know you're coming back here." But his ear is still twitching, his tail joining in with his agitation. "I just fucking hell , it was not what I expected, okay? Duster fucking ruined me." 

He gives a frantic burst of laughter because yeah , it was a lot. "I didn't even know I wanted that." He admits and feels as relieved as Dabi looks at the words. 

"Know what you mean, angel." Runs a hand through his hair, color still on the unburned parts of his cheeks. "Gonna have to talk to him about only leaving marks on the scars cause I've got enough of them already. Hot as it was, I really don't need to be adding more ." 

"What?"

Dabi stares at him, brows pulling together a little. Then he reaches and hitches his shirt up, hasn't fucked him since he went to bed with Shig a few days ago, hasn't slept shirtless since either. Figured he had some marks, wasn't expecting this. His sweats are low enough that he can see the gauze pad taped over his hip. He reaches down and peels it up, revealing a livid wound, a patch of raw flesh where his skin has come away and his stomach rolls. "Did not expect him to use his quirk, really, really didn't think it was gonna be that hot, but this is still hurting like a bitch and it seems like it's gonna take ages to heal." 

"He used his quirk on you?" Feels like all the air was sucked out of his lungs. 

"Did you safe word out?" 

"What? No, no , h-he had his gloves on the whole time--" feels like his head is swimming, "he was so gentle. Touched me like I was glass , Dabs." And it was so, so good. Made him feel precious , like he wasn't just another tool to be used up. 

Dabi looks as lost as he feels. "What? Gentle? Gloves ?" Stares at him, a little smoke starting to trickle out from his cheeks. "He fucking, held me down and-- he bit me, burned me," His face goes even redder. " Humiliated me, you? He didn't--?"

" No , he was so sweet, took care of me. Took it so slow and made sure that I was good the entire time," feels his face heat as red as his wings, "it, it was like he was worshiping me." He stops talking with another little trill. Dabi doesn't say anything either. They just. Stare at each other. 

Doesn't know when they both decide it, but the next thing he knows they're both up, moving for the door. Start towards Shigaraki's room, but Hawks hears the vibration of his voice coming from the living room with the others. Hops over the railing and flies into the room as Dabi chases after him. 

"Uh, Tomura, can we talk--" He says as he gets past the threshold, yelps and ducks when a burst of flame follows after him, the other League members scattering to the sides of the room in a very, very practiced fashion. 

"I'm going to kill you, Duster!" Shigaraki barely blinks, reaches for the edge of the tangle of webs that caught and closes all of his fingers around it to decay it and the flames into nothing before they can spread.

"Thought you two were eager to share, kitten?" 

Feels his face go even hotter, tries to grab Dabi's arm as he comes into the room before he can send more fire towards Shigaraki. "Uh, maybe we can talk about this priva--" 

"You wore gloves ?!"

Tomura clicks, resting his chin on his knuckles. "Ah, I see." 

Dabi looks like he might light himself on fire, feels like he might too. "What the fuck , Shig?!" 

And those blood red eyes drag over Dabi. Clicks low in his throat. "Told you I'd give you both exactly what you wanted. You wanted to hurt," chirps when he's pinned under that gaze, "You wanted to feel special." 

His face is still flushed, but his grip tightens on Dabi's arm as his gut goes cold. Hates the sharp, miserable trill that sneaks out of his throat as his wings pull in tight to his back. Fuck. Why does that hurt so badly? Dabi cools down under his touch, ear twitching when he hears the sound. He lets go of him before his grip is too tight, before he accidentally cuts him. Fuck. Should not be so upset. Shouldn't care, shouldn't be surprised. Should have known that it was all fake. 

Shigaraki frowns, shifts, sitting up straighter as one hand reaches for a bit of web and pulls. Hawks feels it catch on his feathers, and then he pulls again, more insistently. Would have to cut himself loose to keep from being pulled in. "Come here, little bird." And his voice is as soft as it was last night, fake as it was last night. God, he feels so stupid. He's a villain what the fuck did he expect? Pathetic that he lets him drag him in anyway.

As soon as he's close enough Shig has one of his hands on his, careful, not wearing his gloves, makes him unclench his fist and laces most of their fingers together. Presses a kiss to his knuckles like he did before. 

"Didn't say anything I didn't mean, sweetheart." Another hand on his cheek, thumb stroking so gently over his skin. "Just because I wanted to give you what you like," flicks his eyes behind him, "Doesn't mean that any of it was more or less real than the other." Warm red eyes back on his. "Alright?" Still feels sick, still feels like he fell for a trap. "Can I kiss you, little bird?" 

Still nods just enough that Tomura pulls him in. Kisses him the same way he did before. Soft and careful. Affectionate. Still very, very stupidly, does make him feel special. He strokes his cheek again when they part and he lets out a shaky breath, wings loosening just a little. One hand reaches around and very carefully takes the silk from his feathers. 

"So what? You just? Completely change your personality depending on who you're sleeping with?" Dabi doesn't sound as angry as he did before, more bewildered, maybe still a little embarrassed. 

"No, I just focus on what my partners like, no different than you do, firefly." His eyes go half-lidded and teasing. "Sure you don't call Hawks 'sir', kitten." 

He and Compress both squawk as Dabi's face goes bright red. Toga immediately starts cackling. "Shut the fuck up, Duster!" Hisses at him, his ears pinned back and all of the fur along his tail standing on end. " We didn't even talk about this before it happened! How?"

Half turns back to Tomura. "... Neither did we." 

He rolls his eyes, rests his chin back against his knuckles. "I know you two. Guessing your kinks wasn't a challenge." 

Pulls his hand from Tomura's because now he's feeling as insulted as Dabi. 

"Oh, oh! Do us!" Toga says with a laugh. 

"I don't think--" Compress starts to say, Spinner cutting him off with a bark of laughter, 

"There's no fucking way, you just got lucky because those two are easy and loud ." 

"Fuck you gecko!" 

Shig considers for a moment, "I don't think you four want to play this game." 

"I do!" Toga says, her wings flapping.

"He's gotta be bluffing. No man, I believe him, just look at his eyes!"

There's a distinct pause and Tomura sighs softly. "Alright. I warned you." Turns his attention to each of the other League members one by one, voice completely dry. "Compress is a service top who loves roleplay, probably hero/villain and student/teacher best." And the man is wearing his balaclava, but that doesn't hide how his eyes immediately go wide and his mouth falls open slightly with his surprise or indignation.  "Spinner's vanilla, maybe a touch of a praise kink, could probably be trained into a good submissive with the right amount of attention." Moves right on to, "Twice thinks he's vanilla and a top, but he would absolutely lose it for a mommy dom, probably would like master/slave and puppy play. Which is why you're never going to ever be on the field against Midnight." Toga doubles over laughing. "Toga--"

"Is sixteen!" He squawks. 

She straightens up, gasping for breath, "Yeah? And I'm not a prude!" 

"And I'm not sleeping with her. I'm guessing what she likes." 

"Come on, do your worst!" She poses like she's going to have her picture taken. 

"Biting, blood kink, obviously. You and Dabi are both switches, but when you top you vacillate between primal and service." 

"Why am I being brought into this?" Dabi hisses, his tail swishing viciously as Toga gives another peal of laughter. 

"Oh, you're so good at this!" Which means that he must have gotten it right. Which means he must have gotten everyone's right. 

Tomura half turns to him and Dabi again. Dabi gets right into his face, smoking, flushed everywhere he's not scarred. " Red ." 

He stops, wraps a hand over his hip, one finger raised, and gently strokes his thumb over the place Hawks now knows he hurt him with his quirk. "Okay, firefly." And then leans in and kisses his mate softly on his cheek. And if Dabi didn't use a safe word when he did that then he must be very, very embarrassed about whatever else Tomura did to him. 

"Well this has been the worst way to start the day. I'm going to go kill myself." Spinner bitches, really does start to leave the room.

Toga laughs at him and then barks at Twice which sends him into a rambling mess of denials and contradictions. Has the bunny barking halfway through the rant which is definitely something. But the others disperse, either embarrassed or annoyed, but Hawks doesn't think they've got anything else going on right now.

Is surprised when he has a hand on his hip too, Tomura drawing him and Dabi in close, considering. "Doesn't have to go any further than it already has. Can just be satisfied curiosity." 

He and Dabi both tense, haven't really talked about this. Probably should have. Probably would have if they hadn't both been so taken aback by how different their experiences of sleeping with the other man were. He shouldn't be sleeping with one of them, let alone two. Shouldn't be dating one of them either. But... wants it to be two. 

"Fucking wouldn't have done it once if we weren't planning on doing it again." Dabi mutters, eyes flicking to his. "Right, dove?"

Coos, presses into his side as he tangles his fingers back into Tomura's, "Right." 

Gets a few little clicks from the other man as he pulls him down, presses another soft kiss to his lips, short and chaste, so he can pull Dabi in and do the same for him. Should have probably been expecting Dabi to nip at his lip instead of accepting anything softer than that. "Just asking to be punished, baby girl." 

Dabi's face goes bright red again. 

Hawks can't help gaping, " Really? " 

"Duster I will burn you alive if you ever mention any of that in front of anyone ever again. Including Hawks." 

"Alright," smiling as he presses another kiss to his cheek, hisses slightly, pulling back quickly because apparently their mate is blushing hot enough to burn. "Tempting though, you're so pretty when you blush, kitten." 

"Really?" He's still stuck on that and gets Dabi glaring at him in return. 

"Say anything about it, copy him and I will pull out your feathers and not fuck you for a month, birdy." 

Thinks he might really be embarrassed enough to follow through with the threat so he shuts his mouth. Dabi might actually kill him if he ever uses that one. Should probably save it for something good. 

///

The strangest thing, after the two of them becomes the three of them, is that very little changes. He and Dabi are still always in each other's space, touching, pressing kisses to whatever skin they can reach, still have their room together. But Tomura doesn't. Doesn't reach for them, doesn't stray into their space, doesn't try to get them back into bed again. The only thing that changes is that he always calls him 'little bird', keeps calling Dabi 'firefly' and 'kitten', calls them both 'baby' now. But he doesn't... do anything else. Dabi doesn't seem bothered. Purrs whenever he's in a room with either of them. 

Hawks feels like he's going out of his mind though. Can't help how his feathers tighten against his back whenever he's around Tomura. How his stomach goes cold, and nervous, and shaky and he can't help it. Still feels a knife between his ribs, a sharp edge of misery whenever he thinks about being in his bed. About how good it felt. About how badly it hurt to know that he was just... giving him what he wanted. Knows what Shig said after, but he can't help it. Hasn't been in a room alone with him since. Afraid that he'll give himself away if he does. Spoil this when it feels like they barely have anything to start with in the first place. 

Hurts even worse when he's moving through the halls, looking for his mate, his flock mates, because it was a fucking awful day at work. Because heroes try, but they don't save everyone. Because even as fast as he is, he isn't infallible. Because he watched three people die today. Needs someone, anyone. Sends out his feathers to check his and Dabi's room, the kitchen, the living room, Tomura's room. Finds Spinner and Compress in the living room, talking about some graphic novel memoir they've both read, Twice is in the kitchen, he doesn't find Toga which must mean she's still asleep. Dabi isn't in their room. He's with Tomura in his. He's careful with the feathers, knows how low to keep them to avoid the webbing. Starts in that direction, wants Dabi's too-hot arms around him. 

"Little soon for that, Duster, only been a few weeks," Hears Dabi's voice through the door, soft and breathless. 

"For you , firefly." Hears Dabi hiss at Tomura's mocking words. Shifting, shuffling. "Wanted you for months, fell in love with you ages ago, Dabi." And this his voice is soft again. "Don't have to say it back, now, ever, not expecting anything, baby. But you've proven that you're completely oblivious to anything about you, so I want to be very, very clear where I stand. Alright?" 

There's a pause, Hawks' breath is caught in his chest. And then Dabi starts to purr, very, very softly. "Okay, I... not yet? But... won't be never, okay?" 

"That's fine, kitten." Shifting, a short pause, and Dabi's purrs go even louder. "Come on baby, pretty bird's home." Dabi's purring like a chainsaw now and Hawks tries to let that loosen the knot in his gut a little. But it can't. Can't stop thinking that he shouldn’t be here. Shouldn't be in the way. There's a little pause, shifting, movement. "He's been avoiding me." 

Feels his wings tighten further against his back. Dabi stops purring. Takes a second for him to answer the unasked question. "Think this is his first relationship." Embarrassment eats a pit into his stomach. Had thought he was being subtle about that. Has had plenty of hookups, plenty of fake flings at the behest of his public image, hadn't thought he'd been so obvious about this being the first real thing he's ever had. "Think he's also scared that you don't really want him." 

Would have been easier if Dabi had just fucking gutted him with his claws. 

"You were right," he goes on, "About how badly he wants connection. He's happy here, happy with us, I think, I hope. Guessing you played that up when you fucked him." A tiny beat, "So when you said that you were just giving us what we wanted-- know you tried to tell him that it was still real, but I don't know if he believed it." 

Fuck. He's supposed to be a good spy, supposed to be good at hiding his emotions. Doesn't know how Dabi's always been able to see right through him. 

"When he realized that we both wanted you, he thought I would leave him for you. Thought he would have deserved it if I did, Duster." 

There's a heavy silence on the other side of the door and that's enough, that's all he can take. Pulls his feathers back to himself , flies back up to the stairwell and out of the house. Needs to stay in the air, needs to let his human brain go for a while. Knows that if he lands his bird brain will have him tearing out his feathers from how bad the emotions feel as they slip over that line. 

///

Stays in the air until his wings are aching. It takes a lot to tire out his wings, but a full day of patrol,  and then going at his top speed for... however long it's been now, is enough to do it. Has to go back to the mansion because he's starting to lose altitude. Because it's starting to hurt and he does not want to fall out of the sky. His body is screaming at him, his whole body, not just his wings. His skin is chilled through his clothes, not enough to fight off the cold for this long, his head is light and his stomach is gnawingly empty because he hasn't eaten since this morning. Definitely expended way too much energy. Doesn't even want to deal with any of that. Just wants to go somewhere and sleep. Tempted to just roost on the roof. Can't even go into the house and crash in one of the other rooms without Shigaraki noticing through his webs. 

Lands on the roof, stumbling a little. His head is foggy. 

"There you are, pretty bird--" 

"Hawksie," Warm arms around his waist, smaller body pressed against his, short sharp little squeaks that he can't really understand. He blinks blearily, realizes that the others are up here, getting to their feet. Waiting for him. 

"What--?" 

"We saw the news, angel." Dabi tells him, Toga shifts, doesn't let go of him, but moves to press against his side so that Dabi can come closer and kiss him softly. Feels his chest tighten even more. 

Toga chuffs at him. She and Dabi pull him over to the others, they all put hands on him in some way. Twice hugs him around his shoulders, Compress pats his back and chirps flock , Spinner catches his elbow and squeezes it lightly, all of their expressions tight and sympathetic. 

"Have you been flying this whole time, birdy?" 

Toga squeaks again, "Have you eaten anything since this morning?" 

"I--" can't really find his words. The ache of everything that happened today making it so hard to be human. Trills and it's a small sad sound and Compress is immediately chirping and cooing back, trying to comfort him. 

"Alright, food, flock time, preening, come on, dove." Dabi tries to shuffle him forward, but Tomura's hand moves to the small of his back. Dabi blinks, ear flicking, and then grabs Toga by the back of her sweater, "Come on, let's get started on food." And that must scratch the bat feeding instinct because she chuffs and lets go of him. Tomura steps into his space as Dabi corrals the others to the stairs. 

"I want to touch you, little bird. Can I?" 

Chirps. Knows he can't understand him. Manages a small nod instead. Has a hand on the back of his neck, arms around his waist, is pulled against his chest, another hand gently stroking his feathers. 

"We want to take care of you, can we?" 

Feels himself slump into his embrace, trilling again, too shaky. Nods. 

A hand on his cheek, realizes he's wearing his gloves. "I want to kiss you, baby. Can I?" 

His head hurts, his chest hurts. Hurts from failing today, hurts because being around Tomura always makes him hurt. Feels worse because he wants him. Wants those careful touches and sweet words and softness. Loves everything that Dabi gives him, but knows he's not interested in that. Doesn't think it would feel the same even if he was. "I-- Why are you asking like that?" His voice sounds as raw and aching as his nerves. 

Tomura strokes his thumb softly across his cheekbone. "Because I want to take care of you little bird, I want to comfort you while you're upset. But you may not want those things. I want your permission before I do." One of his hands laces into his own, brings his knuckles to his lips again and presses a soft kiss there. And his voice is soft and careful, his eyes warm and gaze unwavering. 

"Okay..." 

And Tomura kisses him just as softly as he did that first time too. Makes something shudder in his chest. Has been too bird for too long. Doesn't cry, but the trills and chirps he makes as he presses himself back into his mate's chest are close enough. Tomura ends up picking him up, carries him inside and settles him downstairs in the living room with the others, Compress, Toga, Twice and Dabi all crowd in around him in the nest that he's guessing Compress made. Toga keeps offering him food and eventually he makes himself eat. Dabi preens his wings. Spinner and Shigaraki sit on the couch, close by but aren't filled with the same animal need to be closer. They just stay. They all stay.

Takes him ages to feel human again, but they don't seem to care about the wait. 

///

After Hawks loses three civilians while he's on duty, it takes him a week to get back to normal. Dabi can't help how badly his chest aches when he sees how despondent his bird goes at the loss of three people. Because a lot more were killed when he dropped the High-End in Fukuoka. Hadn't cared about that then, had even given Hawks shit about how many he'd managed to save while the fight was leveling entire city blocks. Wonders now how badly he'd shut down after that. Tries to just be around until he starts to function again. Finds out that he doesn't just purr when he's happy or enjoying something, but purrs to make Hawks feel better too. Has been doing it constantly. He's not a social animal really, but apparently his cat brain has finally locked in on Hawks, on the League, as being his people. Has been constantly pushing into Hawks' space and trying to purr away his unhappiness as he rubs his cheek to his. 

And Duster's been trying too. Been spending time with them. Constantly tells Hawks how much he wants to be around him, wants to help, wants to hold him, and kiss him, and comfort him. Always asks for permission before he does any of it though. Dabi sees what he's doing. Trying to get Hawks used to the idea that everything that he does is because he wants to do it, isn't just acting out what he thinks their bird wants. Still takes a week though before he stops going into complete bird-mode as soon as he doesn't have to be a person anymore. 

Comes out of it slowly. Starts by just talking a little more. Has been chirping so much that Compress has been making sure to always be around to translate, but one night he starts replying, monosyllabic words, but it's a start . The next day he talks a little more, is up for taking Toga out to fly again. Day after that he smiles while Twice is telling him about one of his early exploits with his gang of himselves, back when it was still fun and not terrifying. The next Spinner gets them all corralled to watch a movie that was apparently an adaptation of a game he and Shig both grew up playing, told them all it was unbelievable and hyped it up. It was the worst goddamn movie that any of them had ever seen and Duster had nearly killed him. Hawks had been indignant enough to send a spray of sharpened feathers at the gecko, had bitched and whined with the rest of them about the wasted time. By the fifth day he was pressing back into his space again, looking for kisses and wandering hands rather than just purrs and tight embraces. On the sixth he was fully verbal again. The seventh he'd hesitated, his wings trembling slightly, and then strayed into Shig's space and had very timidly asked for a kiss. 

"Of course baby, come here. Want to kiss you all the time, little bird." And Duster's voice had been so soft and warm, same tone he'd used when he'd told Dabi he loved him at the start of this week. Had pulled Hawks in close and kissed him slow and deep, until Hawks' wings finally stopped shaking and loosened from his back. 

Dabi wonders if it's strange that seeing Shig being so careful with Hawks makes him want to say it back. To tell both of them something he'd never thought he'd be allowed to have. 

///

They've been like this for two and a half months before Dabi's phone chimes. Hasn't gotten a call from any of their contacts since they sent out their little message saying they were going underground. The call comes while they're all in the kitchen, he's cooking again, tofu for Twice, another batch of black pudding for Toga to have throughout the rest of the week, and actually making tonkatsu for dinner tonight. Hawks isn't perched on the counter this time because Duster pulled him into his lap. Still trying to get Hawks used to being wanted by them both. Thinks it's starting to work because every once in a while Hawks will make that distinct little chirp that Compress told him means 'mate' at their other lover. It's always loud when he's cooking. They all like to be around, to talk, so animated. 

He's never gonna say it, doesn't think any of them will ever acknowledge it either, but he's pretty sure that they all like to crowd in on this little thread of domesticity because none of them had a home where meals were warm. Thinks that if they did have families, and he knows most of them barely had anything that qualified on that front, that mealtimes were rigid and uncomfortable. Took Toga months to stop ducking her head or shifting to cover her mouth with her hand while she ate in front of them, so conditioned by her siblings and parents' disgusted glares that she was scared of showing them her teeth while she ate. So when he cooks, they gather and get loud. Likes that. 

He's flicking some fire at Spinner-- "Come on, one of you needs to lock that down, personality may suck, but he cooks well enough to be halfway decent husband material." "Shut the fuck up gecko or the only thing I'm gonna make you is avocado toast!"-- when his phone starts to go off. Distracts him from the conversation, fishes it out of his pocket. Yoko Nagano . 

"Shut up," he tells the room again, voice a little sharper, and this time they all listen. He answers, putting it on speaker because his ears aren't in the right place for phones any more, "Yoko, long time no speak, are you--"

"D-Dabi," His ears tack against his head, his tail flicking as he hears her breath hitch on a sob. 

"What's going on, Yoko? Are you hurt? Are you still with Giran?" 

She sniffles, "I, I'm okay. I came back from work-- the whole apartment," she sobs a little harder, "it's torn up, there's blood on the floor, Giran isn't here." 

"What? Sure he's fine!" Twice says, standing. 

Dabi slashes his hand through the air to shut him up and looks over at Duster, who just nods, waving him on. "Okay, alright. Yoko I'm going to give you an address, it's for a safehouse, I want you to go there. If anyone asks, tell them that To sent you. Can you do that for me?"

Her breath hitches and stutters again. "I--okay." 

He gives her the address and hears her scribbling it down. "I promise you'll be safe there and we're going to find out what happened, okay? Go straight there and don't worry about anything else right now." He tells her patient, firm. 

"Okay." Takes her another second but then she hangs up. 

As soon as he's hung up Twice has his own phone out, foot tapping impatiently. Can hear it ring and ring, but Giran doesn't answer. "He's in trouble, we’ve gotta help him. Technically we don't. Shut up! Giran brought us together, we've gotta--"

"Twice calm down," Shigaraki says evenly. "We're going to figure this out. We don't abandon our own." 

Sees that immediately settle the other man. Would have had to fight tooth and nail if One For All were still in charge, if Kurogiri were still here. Shig's not even particularly close or fond of their broker, but he knows that Twice is. Knows that without Giran, he and Toga wouldn't have made it here either.

"Uh," And Hawks is nervous and fluffy and still in Duster's lap. "Could I get the cliff notes?" 

"Yoko is the one who changed us," Toga tells him. "Giran is one of our friends," 

"An information broker and recruiter for us," Compress adds. 

"He said that he would help her make a new identity so that other CRC branches wouldn't be able to track her down since the police and heroes hadn't helped her when she told them she was scared." Dabi adds. "Someone might have gone looking for her and grabbed Giran. He's a dick, but he's loyal as shit to his clients, wouldn't have given her up even if they fucked him up."

"He's a great guy! Helped me when I had nothing. You only think he's a dick because he was completely unimpressed with you." 

Hawks takes that in for a second. "Okay, can you give me his phone number?" 

"What for?" 

"I'm going to have the GPS pinged. Chances are if they know he's an information broker they took his phone to see what they could get off of it." He pulls out his own phone, Twice hands over his so he can see the number. Hawks types it in, waits a few seconds, and then his buzzes again. "Okay, looks like it's in Deika. Can't guarantee he's there, but the phone is for sure. Is that where his apartment is?" 

Silence stretches for a few seconds as they all just stare at Hawks. He looks up to see what's going on. His wings pull tighter to his back and he chirps. Confused. 

"That's how easy heroes have it?" Can't keep the little thread of jealousy out of his voice. Because holy fuck it would have taken them hours, maybe even days trying to track him down. Hawks managed it in seconds . 

He flushes. "...Not... all heroes." He says carefully. "HPSC has me hooked into some more private military databases and resources so I can always track my targets." 

"That's not where his apartment is, so Deika is our target," Shig says, pressing a kiss to Hawks' cheek before refocusing them. "We can--"

"Let me?" Hawks pauses him again. Gets all of their eyes back on him. "You all still can't-- These people must have known who he was,  even if it was CRC, it must have gotten out that the League was involved. If they thought that they could take one of your allies without having to be afraid of you, then you shouldn't be going against them when you're not yourselves. I can go do recon easily, they won't be expecting me. If I can find your broker I'll get him out, if not, I can come back and tell you what I do get and you can make your next moves from there." 

"Is competency a kink? I think I have a competency kink." He says and Hawks looks a little bewildered. 

"What?" 

"Never get to see you putting all that training to use for our side, pretty bird. Hot as hell." Has Hawks' feathers shivering and fluffing  from the heat in his voice. 

"Flirt later! Giran is in trouble! I'm sure it's nothing untoward." 

"Uh, yeah, right." And their pretty bird is blushing a little when he turns his attention back to Duster. "Can I? I want to help." 

Sees Shig's eyes go absolutely adoring on their bird before he pulls him into a kiss. "Alright, little bird. Be careful. Call us if you get into trouble." 

"I will." 

They give Hawks whatever else the can, make sure he can identify Giran, make sure that he's good. And then he leaves. Takes off as fast as he can. Deika's not too far, for him it shouldn't be that long of a flight. Twice starts grinding his teeth again and keeps tapping his foot constantly. They force him to chew on one of his Applewood sticks and try to keep him settled. The foot tapping says they've definitely done a bad job of it. But none of them seem particularly settled because now they just have to wait . 

///

Getting to Deika is easy, finding the tower where the phone signal is coming from is also easy. He drops down on top of it, scattering a few feathers to try and find a way inside. It takes a few minutes, no open windows, no easily accessible vents, but then someone leaves the building and he zips a feather inside the open door before it can shut. Trails it along the ceiling, making his way slowly to the top of the tower, listening, searching. Things on the lower levels sound like the usual chatter of employees, but the further up he gets the fewer voices. The further up he gets the more clearly he hears the heavy sound of flesh being battered against flesh, the sound mingling with soft grunts and the wet drip of blood falling to the floor. 

His wings stiffen and sharpen, keeps the feather inside of the building loose and open so he can absorb as much sound as possible, so he can follow those sounds into the highest room. Barely beneath where he's perched. 

"Now this is not typically how we like to do things, but you have made this very difficult for us Mr. Okuta." Another sound of a blow landing. "Had you just given us a way of contacting the League of Villains, this would have been a very simple transaction." Hawks tenses further, moves very quietly over the roof, perches right on the edge, closest to the window where he thinks the voice is coming from inside. 

A new voice, thready with pain, but still manages to laugh. "Fact you think this is how to resolve failed negotiations shows how good of a business man you are. Guess this is why no hero worth their shit uses Detnerat support items." 

There's a soft sigh and then another blow lands. "If you won't put us in contact with the League then we'll simply have to send our own calling cards. It will be interesting to see if they share your loyalty. They have left their mark on quite a few places across the country and their leader is fond of hands, is he not? Perhaps a finger of yours at each location will be enough to draw them out of the woodwork."

Hawks hears the figure start to shift, hears the second's breath hitch, his teeth gritting together, knows he's preparing for the pain. Doesn't hesitate. 

The feather is small enough that it is unpleasantly soaked in blood as he shoots it through the kidnapper's neck. He's dead before he hits the floor. 

"W-what the fuck?" Sends the drenched feather along the windows, searching. Finally finds a latch and opens it up. Hawks drops down, eases open the window, sword in hand, just in case, and makes his way into the office. The dead man on the floor is in a pinstriped suit, sleeves rolled up to his elbows and knuckles spotted with blood. The only other person is tied to a chair, matches Giran's description, though bloodied and bruised, one eye swollen shut. Sees him and slumps against his restraints, head falling back with a sigh. "They really think I'm that much of a damsel they've got to send in their pet hero?" 

"They're worried about you, but I can leave you here if you want." He offers, smiling a bit. Yeah, he can see why Dabi thinks he's a dick, can see why Twice likes him too. Goes over and cuts him free. "So who are these people and why did they kidnap you?" 

"Metahuman Liberation Army, they want the notoriety the League has, wanted to either get them to submit or kill them." He leans forward, grunting. Hawks finds some of the painkillers, a few bandages, and an instant cold pack that he has for first aid on him, the broker takes the pills and cracks the pack, presses it to his ribs. Hawks listens for his breathing, with his feathers and ears, but doesn't hear anything wet in his chest that might indicate a punctured lung. They're probably broken though. 

"Mind hanging in there for a second while I take a look at his computer?" 

"Not a princess, I'm fine, hero." 

Hawks doesn't coddle him, goes over to the computer and starts to work. It takes ten minutes and he still isn't getting deep into the files, but he gets deep enough to see that this is an army and that the entire city is prepared to fight. An insurgency that wants to hurt the League. He opens up a private channel on his comms. 

His handler answers almost immediately, "Hawks," 

"I can't talk long, but the League of Villains is looking to ally with an insurgency group called the Metahuman Liberation Army. They have thousands of members with a large base in Deika City. I terminated the leader to stall out negotiations but the entire city should be put on lockdown as soon as possible." 

"Is your cover at risk?" 

"No, they don't know I heard them discussing it." 

"Good work. We'll have heroes mobilized within the hour." The call ends and Hawks turns it off again. 

Giran looks over at him, at some point pushed a cigarette between his split lips. "You're frighteningly efficient, anyone ever tell you that, cupcake?" 

"Frequently." He says mildly, a little amused. Yeah. This guy is definitely a League member. "Gonna have to fly you out, you think you can handle that? Only a twenty minute flight." 

"I'm an old man, not a damsel. Seems like a lot of trouble for you, hero." 

"You can call me 'Hawks', and like I said, everyone's worried about you." Pauses, "Yoko called Dabi, she was really scared." 

Sees some of the wry amusement fade, makes the exhaustion and pain more plain across his features. "Shit, kid didn't get hurt did she?"

"No, she found the blood though, Dabi sent her to a safehouse until we found you." He finishes copying what he can onto a secondary drive, knows the HPSC will take whatever they can too, but he's not sure if he'll be given access to any of it. Goes through the desk too, lays out the files and takes pictures of all of the pages he finds before returning them. Doesn't know if he'll get those either. 

Giran gets out of the chair, clearly aching but manages to stand without swaying. "Alright, let's go then, cupcake. Can't keep a lady waiting." 

"Yup, one last thing." Sends a handful of feathers to knock over the chair Giran was tied to, more to send the desk scattering, knocks the monitor onto the floor so it shatters, scatters the knicknacks around the office. Then closes the window. uses his feathers to lift the body off the floor, making sure to drag it through as much of the blood as possible, and then pitches it through the glass. Hears it hit the ground a few seconds later with a loud wet thud. "Alright, let's get out of here. Hopefully they'll think you escaped." 

"Frighteningly efficient. Very glad you're on our side." 

///

Hawks has been gone for all of an hour before Shig straightens up. "They're back." And Twice is off like a shot to the roof. They all follow after him, get to the stairwell at the same time as Hawks and Giran are coming out of it. 

"Giran! Kagero!" 

And the broker is bruised and bloodied, half curled in on himself in a way Dabi knows means broken ribs after walking like that a few times himself. But he's alive and here. Twice immediately helps get him down the last of the stairs and starts directing him to one of the empty rooms, Compress goes to get the first aid kit. Toga starts chuffing and chirping, going to get food and water. 

He, Spinner, and Duster linger, let the others tend with their pack instincts so they can hear what Hawks has to say. 

"Ever heard of the Metahuman Liberation Army?"

///

Hawks debriefs them. Giran's injuries are seen to. Two hours after they get back Hawks gets another alert from the heroes, apparently thirty mobilizing and surrounding Deika to try and subdue the MLA. They expect that will take ages to figure out, and with so many nearby heroes called away he and Hawks are going to take Giran back to the city and Yoko. 

"Be safe. If you run into any trouble, burn it all down, firefly. We'll come running at the first sign of smoke." Duster tells him, catching his hips in one set of hands, hooking another in the back of Hawks' jacket when he tries to keep going. 

"We'll be fine, Duster," but he happily accepts the kiss though, happy when Hawks also just chirps at Shig and accepts it too. 

"Huh, this one finally took the hint then?" Giran mostly says to Twice. 

"Not even a little. Had to tell him straight to his face. If saying 'I wanna fuck' counts as a hint!" 

"Shut up, Jin!" He hisses, ears pinning back. Swipes at Shig with his claws when his lover lets out a series of amused clicks, hisses at Hawks too when he also laughs. "Gonna kill you all, let's fucking go."

Compress steps up and marbles he and Giran. Makes them nice and easy to transport and Hawks will fly them there, unmarble them when they get where they're going. It feels like blinks before they're standing in the alley leading up to his old apartment. 

Dabi heads up to the door. Pauses on the third step as it squeaks loudly and waits the two seconds before the door on the first landing is opening a crack, barrel of a gun glinting in the flickering light humming at the end of the alley. 

"Just me, Iha." 

"First a grade-schooler and now a pro hero? You been up to way too much shit To."

"Yeah, you might want to pretend you didn't see any of that." 

"Oh I plan to, sonny." A slight pause. "Why 're you cosplaying a cat?" 

"My boyfriend has a fetish." Hears Hawks chirp indignantly, which makes him snort because he was talking about Duster but clearly his pretty bird feels some kind of way about the animal parts too. 

"Way too much shit." And the gun pulls back, the door shuts, and he continues on his way up the stairs, the others following. 

He reaches his door, knocks against it gently, "Yoko, it's us, don't gas us again alright?" He gives it a few seconds and then he hears the lock slide out of place. She turns it slowly and then peers out of the cracked door, just enough for him to get a look at her. Wolf this time, big sharp teeth and ears pinned back. But the little snarl twisting her lips immediately softens and falls away, her posture loosening, as soon as she sees it's really him. Thinks it must be the white hair that makes his chest fucking ache because of how much she reminds him of Fuyumi. Small as Toga as she throws open the door. Hugs him. Sees Giran behind him and goes to hug him too, 

"Ah, better not girly, a little bruised." 

"Are you okay?" A canine whine in the back of her throat. 

Dabi gets her back into the apartment, gets the others inside too, the place threadbare with stale air and a thick layer of dust from disuse for over half a year now. Sees Hawks staring at Yoko as she frets over Giran. Kind of forgot how vague they were when he'd first brought him to the mansion. Definitely hadn't mentioned she was barely as old as Toga and Hawks looks stricken . Horrified. There's a little sharp barb of vindictiveness in him. Doesn't know why he's really surprised that the police or heroes hadn't helped her. He knows as well as Spinner does the prejudice that heteromorphs face. Shouldn't be surprised that she's been hated since her quirk manifested, has been told she's unclean and disgusting for twelve years. Her family didn't even come looking for her. She must not have dosed herself too heavily because within half an hour she's back to her usual appearance. Long straight white hair with blunt bangs, pale freckled face, big washed-out brown eyes. No visible animal traits. Just a kid. Was still in high school before the CRC took that away from her. Been a long night, Giran goes to pass out, but he, Hawks, and Yoko end up staying in the main room. 

"How have you been doing?" 

"Okay, before this." She says, quietly. "Giran got me a job at a convenience store, I've been saving up to get my own place." Sees Hawks' wings tighten a little to his back out of the corner of his eye. 

"Well we took care of the guys who came after him. Don't know if he's gonna want to go back to the old place, but rent's paid up here for the next four months. Yours if you want it." 

He probably should have been expecting her to burst into tears. 

///

They stay at the apartment for an hour or two before they have to head out. Sunrise will be soon and they want to be in the forest before then. 

"You could just let me carry you." He says pointedly to Dabi. 

"If you want to be puked on so badly you're gonna have to ask Duster, 'cause I am not into that." 

Yoko steps right into Dabi's space and hugs him like Toga does. "Thank you so much, for everything." And Dabi looks like his heart is in fucking pieces. 

"Just keep your mouth shut, kid. Can't have you ruining my reputation." 

She gives a watery laugh and then hesitates, sniffs him, very deliberately and Dabi stiffens. "Smells like it's starting to fade. Probably only a few more days." 

Dabi looks like he's going to immolate himself with his excitement. 

///

They go back home and tell the others and his excitement is mirrored in them. Compress can't wait to be able to wear his suits again, Twice is excited to smoke, excited to have meat for the first time in months. Toga immediately corners him and tells him that when it's faded she wants to transform and go into the city with him for a grocery run so they can get all the foods they haven't been able to eat for months. They all speculate about whether or not Dabi's ears will be pierced when they reform or not. Everyone is excited for things to go back to normal. 

Hawks goes and sees Shig while Dabi's curled up enjoying what might be his last cat nap. Finds their other mate walking the halls, has been pulling down all of the webbing because once he changes they won't be able to get it off of them if they get stuck. Chirps and Shig stops what he's doing, always smiles whenever he comes to find him. 

"What is it, little bird?" Lets him move closer, lets him press himself into his side. Curls an arm around his waist, drops a kiss to the top of his head. Doesn't ask anymore, doesn't need to. Told again how much he wants him, Tomura told him the same thing, Hawks believed him this time. 

"Are you disappointed?" He asks. 

Shig considers for a few seconds, "Not disappointed. We always knew this was temporary, but it does feel like wasted potential. What about you, baby?"

"Not disappointed, none of the others liked being this way, but... it was nice to have a real flock for a little while." 

Feels his arm tighten around him, another joining to stroke his feathers. "We'll still be your flock when we're back to normal, baby. We're not just going to forget what this was like. We're still going to take care of you, you're one of us now, Hawks." 

Can't help it, mate slips out again in a coo, his feathers shiver and fluff as his chest goes so, so warm with his affection. Absolutely ruined by he and Dabi, by the League. Absolutely not going to be able to extract himself from any of them. 

"Tomura," And his voice is a little thinner, a little breathy. Gets a little series of clicks out of his mate, his arms tightening around him. 

"Come on beautiful, wanna have all my hands on you again."

Maybe he is a little closer to genuinely disappointed that his mate won't have all of the extras by the time he's a boneless puddle in Tomura's bed. 

///

Dabi is the first one to change back. Happens suddenly, one second they're in the kitchen and he's eating lunch and the next second he looks like he's gonna puke. Spits the fish into the trash and throws the package in after it. 

"Fuck, god that's bad . Why didn't I smell it?" 

Spinner and Twice are laughing at him, Hawks is restraining himself because he is really hoping to get Dabi into bed within the next twenty minutes and mocking him is not going to help his chances. He starts to move towards the fridge, either to get something else or get something to wash his mouth out with and then he winces, his step falters slightly, and then the ears and tail are shrinking back into his skin. Only takes a few seconds, the laughter dying off abruptly, and then it's over. Dabi isn't a cat anymore. He reaches up to his ears, 

"Still pierced, pay up Twos." 

About an hour later Jin isn't a rabbit anymore. When they wake up the next morning Compress isn't a peacock. And by the time he comes home from work Toga isn't a bat anymore. It still fills him with a little edge of loss. Spinner's a little disappointed too. It was nice being around so many people like them, but the others are so happy. He and Toga do go on a grocery run, anticipating Shigaraki's form to drop by the end of the day. But when they come back, nothing has changed. 

Nothing's happened by the next morning either. Or the day after that. Or the week after that. 

Takes so long that Dabi calls Yoko. The three of them are in Shigs room when he does, didn't really want to worry the others. 

"Dabi?" She answers, sounding a little panicked. "Is something wrong?"

"Well, we were hoping you could tell us that actually, kid. Me and the others are all back to normal, except for Shigaraki. We all turned about a week ago but he hasn't shown any signs of reverting."

There's a very long pause after he finishes speaking. "Oh, uh, then it might not."

" What ?" Dabi isn't mad but he's definitely more on the aggressive side of incredulous. 

"I-it's only happened twice before, in elementary school, when my quirk first manifested. I hit the whole class by accident, everyone turned back in a few minutes, but those two stayed. They liked being turned. I don't, I don't think it ever faded for them." Her voice goes smaller. "That's what put me on their radar." 

Dabi opens his mouth, but  no sound comes out. Shigaraki reaches around him to take his phone. "Thank you for your assistance, Yoko. Don't hesitate to get in touch if you need help," he considers, "Or if you'd like to join. We'd be happy to have you." 

"Uh, oh. Uh no thank you, but okay." He hangs up once she's finished speaking. 

Hawks chirps at him and Tomura makes a pleased series of clicks back. Dabi looks at them both, scandalized, then starts bitching, "Fucking of course you want to stay a spider you're such a sadistic psycho--"

Shigaraki reaches for him with one of his too many hands, and then he has three of them on Dabi, isn't wearing his gloves at the moment and their mate's breath catches in the back of his throat as each one just barely hovers a finger away from his skin to keep from becoming deadly. "Don't be petulant, firefly, know how much you like me like this too." Dabi doesn't have a tail or cat ears anymore, doesn't purr or hiss anymore, but Hawks can see just as clearly as Tomura how the touches have robbed him of his protests. "Too bad you didn't like being a cat, you were so cute when you purred, baby." 

"I am going to kill you."

"Sure you are, kitten," and then he has Tomura's attention on him. "You mentioned that you know someone who specializes in clothing?" 

"Yeah I'll have Twice give me your measurements, what are you looking for?" 

Dabi can't hiss at them, but he still snarls at them, heating his skin hot enough that Tomura has to let him go with a little laugh. Doesn't leave though, bullies his way behind Hawks so he can tug lightly at his feathers to express his annoyance, before settling in and starting to preen him. Like he does every night. Because they know he needs to do that, knows that the grooming is a way to reinforce their bond, mate or flock, and wants him to know that they are going to keep it strong even if the rest of them aren't animals anymore. He coos at both of them, mate , before continuing their conversation. Shigaraki stands, starts to reweave his webs around the room. Clicking a little with his own joy. Hawks feels Dabi relax behind him. Can't stay annoyed or embarrassed when their mate is clearly happy with this change of events. 

Especially doesn't think Dabi will be complaining given how much he also enjoys Tomura's extra hands and webs.