The evening sun bathed the room in warmth as Dabi sat on the floor, Ryuu—his and Hawks’ adopted Nomu child—played quietly beside him. The boy, a test tube baby left behind after All For One’s fall, was slowly learning what it was like to be a normal 5-year-old child. Dabi absentmindedly ruffled Ryuu’s blue-black hair, a rare softness in his usual blunt demeanor.

Hawks strolled in from the kitchen, wings folded back, grinning as he flopped onto the couch. “You two look cozy. Should I be jealous?”

Dabi smirked. “Yeah, he’s replacing you.”

Ryuu glanced between them, trying to understand the joke. Hawks chuckled, reaching to ruffle the boy’s hair. “Your dad’s tough, but he’s a softie.”

Dabi sighed, watching Ryuu clumsily stack blocks. “I still can’t believe we’re doing this.”

Hawks leaned closer, pressing a kiss to Dabi’s temple. “Parenting? Yeah, me neither. But he’s doing fine, and so are we.”

As Ryuu proudly finished his tower of blocks, Dabi’s heart swelled in a way he wasn’t used to. He gave a small, proud nod. “Good job, kid.”

In the quiet of the moment, with Hawks’ arm wrapped around him and their son smiling up at them, Dabi allowed himself to believe in something he hadn’t before—a future.