𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧' |𝐭.𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐤𝐢

43- dates, dates, and dates!

"Keigo... I've been meaning to ask, but who exactly was Tenko to me?"

He blinked, clearly surprised by the sudden question. He hesitated, then looked at you seriously. "What?"

You shrugged, trying to keep your voice casual even though your heart felt heavier. "All Aizawa ever told me was that Tenko was a villain, the one behind it all with AFO, who I fought. But... I feel like there was more to it. Like he wasn't just some bad guy, but someone important. Someone who mattered."

Hawks' expression shifted; the usual cocky grin softened, replaced by something quieter, more hesitant. He glanced away for a moment before meeting your eyes again.

"It's complicated," He admitted slowly. "None of us know exactly what he was to you."

You frowned, the weight of that unsettling mystery pressing down. "What do you mean?"

Keigo shifted uneasily. "Y/N, 11 months ago, you were a complete different person."

"Yeah I know, I had a tumor and was fighting in a war."

"Not just that. You were so.. confident, outspoken, you had become someone almost unrecognizable. And I don't remember if you recall the last rooftop conversation we had but, I think it was Tenko who changed you."

You blinked, the words hitting harder than you expected.

"What about now? What am I now?"

Keigo sighed, hesitant but honest, "Now, you're reserved all over again, afraid to open up. You had finally let your guard down before the war and now.. we can see you lying through your teeth, smiling on these dates when in reality you're not happy, saying you're okay when you're not."

You bit your lip, not wanting to push too hard but desperate for answers, "So what are you trying to say?"

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Tenko was more than a villain. To you, he was—well, it's complicated. The details... they're buried deep, and honestly, I'm not sure how much of it you'll be able to handle right now."

He paused, voice dropping to a whisper, "But one thing we can all be certain, those of us who were there to witness that day of the final war, when we lost you, Tenko didn't stop screaming. Not once. His cries tore through the air like a man who'd lost everything, like you were his entire world."

The ache in your chest twisted, sharper than it had been even moments ago. You stared straight ahead at the blinking skyline, afraid of what you might see if you looked at him.

"I know everyone's kind of dancing around it," He said carefully. "They don't want to bring him up while you're still recovering. But I don't know, I'm a hopeless romantic and I think it's messed up what Aizawa is doing. I mean I get it, he's trying to protect you but.. right now I don't think it's protecting that you need, but to feel. I mean, sometimes I feel as if Frankenstein has more of a heart than you in times like these."

You swallowed hard. "I've been trying," You said, voice hoarse. "To remember him, Tenko. I can't explain it, but... I sometimes smell a certain fragrance, or eat a certain food, or just the sound of his name makes my heart do flips, but I didn't know why.. but now you're saying, he loved me?"

Keigo turned to face you more fully, tone softening further, "I'm sure of it."

You stood there in silence, staring at your hands.

"How could've you two let me get so close to a villain? Let alone.. let him love me?"

Keigo noticed the way your eyes dropped, because he nudged you with his elbow.