just like mommy
part 1: just like daddy
pairing: keigo takami x f!reader
contains: a little more of this + a little more of that, post-war setting, world-building, children ocs playing primary roles, bird of prey!reader (goshawk quirk), ua teacher!reader, uncle tokoyami mention, domestic life, still ooc hawks bc mars can’t write
word count: 2.3k
“happiness is those who sing with you”
A glance out the large penthouse-style window shows a familiar small child dropping at an alarming rate, followed by a dark figure. You furrow your brows, sighing as you rise from the couch to examine the scene. Worry stirs in the pit of your stomach.
Your son Yusuke, hardly 5 years old, had recently developed his quirk, a carbon copy of your own. Each day that passes grants a darker shade of gray to his fluffy down feathers, creating an abstract display even Picasso would envy. However, he wasn’t exactly getting the concept of flight, no matter how much intervention you offered. In an attempt to change things up, Keigo’s former intern Fumikage is taking his age-old approach: tossing Yusuke off the roof of your flat.
“He’ll get it soon, honey,” your husband reassures, wandering to stand beside you. “Maybe Fumi’s what he needs to, y’know… spread his wings?”
“I know, you’re right,” you concede, turning away from the window just as Dark Shadow speeds upwards with Yusuke.
The door swings open, revealing your daughter Towa. She drops her school bag by the door, kicking off her shoes. “Oh, you’re home. Hi mom, hi, dad,” she greets.
“Hey, honey,” you reply, turning away from the window. “How was your day?”
She toes on her slippers. “It was good! I got to train my quirk!” That makes you smile, as does Keigo.
“That’s great,” Keigo agrees, ruffling her hair as she walks over.
She stands between yourself and her father, resting her head on his side. “Is Yusuke flying?” She inquires, looking up at the two of you.
You shake your head. “Not yet, hun. Uncle Fumi’s tossing him around right now to try and get wind under his wings. Like we did to you,” you muse, reaching over to tap her nose.
She grins. “Momma, will you take me flying this weekend?” Towa requests bashfully after a moment.
“Of course. I’ll take you to U.A., maybe we’ll see someone we know.”
She chirps with excitement, running off to her room. Your eyes return to the window, watching Yusuke plummet once more. “Kei, can you go grocery shopping on Saturday?”
“Mmh… nah,” he declines, wearing that stupidly attractive smirk. “I’ve got plans.”
“Oh, really? Are you going on a date with your other girlfriend?”
“Mhm. I’m taking her to that nice new place. That one you were talking about,” he baits expertly, but you’ve learned not to bite.
“Right, right. Well, make sure that—after your date, of course—you do some errands,” you play along, bumping his hip. He slings an arm around your shoulder.
“I get off work at noon. I’ll swing by to get Yusuke so you can take Towa to work,” he informs, watching another close call from Dark Shadow and Fumikage. “Y’know, I don’t think he’s getting it today,” he decides finally.
“Yeah, nope. Let’s go.”
-
A very long half-week passes with the speed of a snail and the grace of a bumbling giraffe. Wednesday to Friday has never felt so long. Your hot-headed students were giving you more trouble than usual, absolutely wrecking the soft-spoken heroes-in-training. Recovery Girl, ever the savior, has had her work cut out for her from your class alone. Safe to say, negative progress was made.
Walking through your door Friday evening with Yusuke attached to your side allows you to unclench—both literally and figuratively. “How was school today, Yu?” you inquire, taking off your shoes for a little relief. He plops down, sloppily untying his sneakers.
“It was good! I drew a story!” He bursts, abandoning his task to open his backpack, fishing for a crinkled paper. A cute family portrait drawn in crayon, depicting yourself, Keigo, Towa, and Yusuke, alongside “Unkle Fumi.” He hands it over to you, eagerly awaiting praise. Yusuke fiddles with his thick laces.
You crouch beside your son, placing a kiss on his head. “I love it. I’ll go put this on the fridge.” He grins, watching as you venture towards the kitchen, fixing the picture on the steel refrigerator with a worn Star and Stripe magnet. Yusuke wanders up beside you, holding your hand.
“Honey,” you say gently. He tilts his head. “Finish taking your shoes off.”
Yusuke smiles bashfully, returning to the divot in the doorway to put on slippers.
The door swings open, smacking Yusuke with a hollow sound. “Hi, Mom!” Towa calls, stepping in. “Oops, hi, Yusuke.” He doesn’t respond, seemingly unbothered. “I went to the park after school and played with my friends,” she begins, changing her shoes and walking through the apartment. Towa recounts her day casually, eventually seating herself at the dinner table. She provides an entertaining podcast as you start on dinner.
Towa and Yusuke’s chatter, plus the TV and sizzle of the stove, covered the opening of the door. Keigo’s presence goes unknown until his arms snake around your waist, placing a soft kiss on your jaw.
“Hey, feathers,” he croons.
“Hello, Keigo,” you respond. Your lips tug upwards. “How was work?” You ask, not taking your eyes from the stir-fry.
“Stressful. Busy. Don’t care,” he brushes the question off, tilting to meet your eyes. “I missed you.”
You let out an amused puff, hip checking him to get some space. “I know. Yusuke has something to show you, and Towa has yet to tell you about her day, so why don’t you go attend to the kids?” You suggest, but there’s not really an option.
“Oh, you wound me, peep!” He whines, stepping back. “My wife doesn’t want my affection.”
“That’s exactly right,” you muse, flipping the veggies.
Dinner is a smooth event, thankfully, as is bedtime. With the shower wide open, you take your sweet old time washing off. Keigo wanted to join you, but that request was veto’d for the night. You lounge about on the couch, dealing with your hair and waiting for your husband. He emerges with only a towel around his waist, unruly blond tufts stuck to his forehead and nape. Once he’s in range, he shakes the hanging water dropletsmuch like a dog would.
“Stop that!” you yelp, shielding yourself with your wings.
He plops down beside you. “You’re too hot, I have to cool you down,” Keigo jokes.
“Corny.”
“You love it.”
“… Whatever.” Keigo chuckles. He preens your opening wings, plucking loose feathers as you channel surf. “Is the interview on tonight?” You inquire, fluttering your wings to rid of the odd tickling sensation brought on by his grooming. He’s insisted that you’ll get used to it, but you never have.
“Yeah, it should be on in a few minutes. Are we watching? He asks, lifting his hips to remove his towel, using it to dry his hair.
You nod, letting your eyes drift from the screen to his face, and-
“Keigo! Go put some pants on!” You demand, shielding yourself again despite near a decade and two kids. “Public indecency is illegal!”
“I’m in my own home!” He laughs, rising to fetch a pair of pajama pants.
You can’t help but to laugh to yourself, flipping to the channel of Izuku, Shoto, and Katsuki’s group interview.
The studio is rather sterile. White and empty with the exception of a bizarre red rug, an ivory couch, and a green plant far in the back.
“Ah, how sweet are they?” Keigo coos, reuniting with the couch. “Still messing with each other after all these years. Izuku’s finally got some backbone, though.”
You only hum, attributing that to teaching. He continues to brush through your feathers, occasionally glancing up at the hero trio on your cable.
You fall asleep in that position, on the couch with your favorite person.
-
You got a late start the next morning. Yusuke slept until 9, thank everything. Towa made herself cereal quietly, as not to wake anybody. She’s always been an early bird. Keigo was out early, important business at the Commission; his spot was still warm when you woke, the gentle kiss on his lips a welcome disturbance. Noontime creeps up quickly, though, and it’s time for you to take Towa flying.
-
You wield your badge, stepping into the fortified school walls marked by towering twin buildings. “Alright, Towa,” You start, “We’ll head to Ground Beta. That’s the one with all the buildings.”
“Cool!” She chirps, fiddling with her fluffy locks. A few dorm-dwelling students are spotted out and about, enjoying their weekend. They wave as they pass by, thrilled by the sight of Towa.
-
Meanwhile, Keigo totes his abundantly shy son through the bustling market of Musutafu, not bothering to conceal either’s identity.
“Alright, buddy, we gotta get groceries, cash a check, drop off your library book, and hit the pharmacy. Maybe we’ll get you a snack at the Family Mart, yeah?” He drones, allowing Yusuke to stick to his side.
A squeal sounds from behind the two. A very young lady, only a bit older than Towa, points at Keigo.
“Mom, it’s Hawks!” she shouts, and is promptly dragged away by an embarrassed parent. Before she turns away, he gives a polite wave with his free hand.
“Been a while since I’ve been called that,” he comments, laughing to himself.
Yusuke looks up at his dad. “Daddy, who’s Hawks?” he asks wholeheartedly.
“Who’s Hawks?” Keigo echoes. “I was Hawks back in the day, kid. That was my hero name. Did I not tell you that?”
Your duplicate shakes his head with a mumbled ‘no.’
“Oh. Well, your old man used to be a hero, and a pretty good one if I say so myself. So was your mom, but she was kinda underground,” he explains, making way for the boy in the crowd. Keigo stares down at his phone, attempting to locate his shopping list.
“Alright kiddo, let’s start shopping.”
The pair turns into a grocery store, grabbing a basket.
“Stay close, okay?”
Keigo takes them into the produce aisle, looking for… peppers, he thinks. He kneels down with a voluminous red pepper. “How’s this one look, mini-hawk?”
“Oh, Hawks!” A cheerful voice calls, making both birds turn. There stands Taishiro Toyomitsu, better known as Fat Gum, pushing a cart completely void of greens. “Hey man! Hey, little guy,” he greets. Yusuke waves and flits his wings, but otherwise stays quiet.
“Toyomitsu! What’s up?” Keigo grins, rising to his feet. “You look good, man, super muscular. Where are the fat reserves?” He comments casually.
“Building them back up right now,” Toyomitsu replies, gesturing to the carbohydrates and candies in his trolley. “Well, seems you’re very busy. Catch you later.”
A little smile stays on his face, long after the hero is gone. “My old friend,” he informs Yusuke.
-
The city provides a perfect backdrop as you cut through the sky with Towa. She giggles, feeling the wind ruffle through her hair.
“Dive between the buildings!” You instruct, shadowing her for safety.
She tucks her wings, practicing plummet before extending again, riding low. A falter has her rolling like a car tire, and you’re right beside her.
“You okay?” You inquire, inspecting for injury, but she’s alright. You check the time, seeing that it’s creeping up on 5. “Oh, we gotta get going,” You say, tapping her shoulder and helping her up. Thanks to the walkability of Musutafu, your journey home is relatively short. On the way, you pass by a 7-11, and Towa lights up. “Mom, can we get snacks? Please?”
You sigh. “Your father is getting groceries, and we’re gonna eat when we get home.”
She doesn’t take no for an answer.
Here you are, walking towards the corner store despite your pushback. A large crowd surrounds the entrance, seemingly filling the small shop.
“What in the world..?” You murmur. The sea of people chatters excitingly, the shudder of cameras accompanying the buzz. Towa pulls ahead, ever curious (and nosy). In front of all the citizens is-
Keigo?!
A gaggle of familiar heroes surrounds young Yusuke, leading to many people snapping flicks.
“Awh, he got so big!” One hero, unmistakably Ochaco, says.
“Yeah, he looks just like his mom,” Keigo comments, holding the child against his chest. Your still-not-subtle-husband announces your presence as soon as he spots you(or senses you, rather). “Speaking of! Hello, mother of my children, love of my life,” he fans, pulling you into a kiss for the cameras. He hasn’t been so dazzling to the masses in… well, as long as you’ve been married.
“Uh, hi,” you murmur after pulling away, clearly dazed, What’s going on?” You question.
He picks up the grocery backs he had accumulated, putting on a shocked face. You’re confused, to say the least.
“Oh, we gotta go?” He pretends to echo. “Alright then. Sorry guys, see you later,” he bids goodbye and weaves through the throng, expecting you to follow.
“What? Mom, I wanted a snack-“
“Let’s go, Towa.”
-
“So, what was that?” You interrogate your husband as the four of you walk home.
“Lots of people out today. I didn’t think that, seeing as I’m not a pro anymore, I’d still get such a crowd reaction,” he sighs. “Had to get out of there.”
You hum, understanding his plight.
“Also, Yusuke really didn’t like the pros. Did’ja, bud?” He looks down at the kid in his arms. Yusuke shakes his head, keeping his face buried in his father’s jacket.
“Awh. Well, at least you know you’ve still got it, Kei,” you tease.
“What am I, 50? Easy on that lingo,” he knits his thick brows. You allow yourself to laugh, and peck his cheek. Towa makes a noise of discontent. “Hush, Towa,” he chides, gently pushing her face.
A moment of comfortable silence passes.
“On a separate note, I didn’t get to cash that check. Or go to the pharmacy. Oh, and I didn’t get everything on the shopping list,” he admits.
“Keigo, are you kidding!”
a/n
hello hello! i had a lot of fun writing this, and i’m starting to love hawks as a character. he wasn’t nearly my favorite back in the day. imagine what would happen if i wrote a character i knew well…
xoxo, mars