There were lots of perks that came with having wings. To no surprise, they pretty much all involved flying. Keigo made sure to take full advantage of his quirk, both when he was working and when he was off duty. What was the point of having a big set of wings like his if you weren't gonna fly everywhere? Hawks could clear distances easily without getting caught in traffic, perch on a rooftop to look for villains, and, most importantly, take his boyfriend to secret beaches.
"So what do you think?" Keigo asked with a proud smile.
He gestured to the small cove you found yourselves in. There were no roads or trails to it, and it was only accessible by air. Keigo had carry you through the air to get there, and while it was a little scary dangling in his arms hundreds of feet in the air, it was worth it in the end. The beach of golden sand wrapped around the turquoise water like a horseshoe. Palm trees sprouted out from the forest and hung over the water, their leaves gently rustling in the warm breeze. To top it all off there wasn't a cloud in the sky. It was the perfect summer day in the perfect spot, and the two of you had it all to yourselves.
"It's perfect. How did you even find it?"
"I have my ways." He said with a grin, now even happier seeing how much you loved the spot.
You didn't bring much along. You really couldn't. There was only so much that Hakws could carry in flight after all. So you brought along the essentials. Towels to lay on, sunscreen, water, even a little beach ball in case you got bored. But you were mostly looking forward to relaxing, soaking up the sun, and admiring the sights. No one could deny that he looked good in his outfit. A white button-up with red trunks, plus some aviator shades. Keigo always had style.
The shirt wasn't on much longer, no argument from you, and he was soon asking for help to get his sunscreen on. Happily lending a hand, you made sure to cover Keigo's whole back, paying close attention to the bases of his wings. You thoroughly massaged the lotion into his toned back, and after he did the same for you, you finally laid down on your towel and expected to be joined by your boyfriend. But, to your surprise, you heard him call your name. He wasn't anywhere close to you. Instead, he had other plans. He had gone to the water.
"Hey Y/N, aren't you coming?" He hollered back as the waves lapped at his ankles.
You were afraid this would happen. You had desperately hoped that you wouldn't have to confront this with him. Not today, not now.
You looked down at him as he stood there. He was expecting you to join him. In the water. And if you didn't come up with an excuse to answer him with, the silence would start to get weird. And that would only bring about more questions. It wouldn't be easy, but you knew you would have to convince him to go swimming and have fun by himself if you wanted to keep your secret. And you had to do it fast.
"N-No, no I'm fine. You go ahead."
You hoped he wouldn't pick up on your nervousness, but the slight stutter and empty response would make that unlikely. He stood there for a couple more seconds, seeming to think about what to do. And it didn't take him long to decide. To your dread, he started walking back up the beach. You knew that's what he'd do even if you had hoped differently. There was no way he'd leave you up there by yourself. He wanted to spend time with you, and if he thought you were sad or weren't having fun, he'd make it his personal mission to make you feel better.
Keigo plopped down on his towel next to yours. He didn't say anything for a moment. He just sat with you. Looking out across the cove and to the horizon, it was a peaceful moment you were glad to share with him. Even if it was only temporary, and a prelude to a conversation you weren't eager to have one bit. He knew you were bothered by something, scared even, and his nature wouldn't let him ignore that.
"You okay?" He eventually asked, sweetly and considerately.
"Yeah..." You answered softly, hardly even convincing yourself this time.
"Y/N. I can tell that you're not." He was so compassionate with his tone, not condescending or annoyed in the slightest. Just a pure desire to help. "It isn't the spot, is it?"
He was starting to blame himself for your discomfort, and you couldn't allow that. "No not all, the spot's great. It's just..."
He gently took your hand, giving it a light squeeze. "Just what? You can tell me."
He wasn't going to stop. He wouldn't rest until he knew. You knew you'd have to spit it out eventually. So you blurted it out, clenching your eyes shut to shield yourself from the fallout.
"The water. I'm scared of the water."
You refused to look at him. The water wasn't the only thing you were scared of in that moment. His reaction frightened you the most. What would he think? Your mind only conjured up the worst possible scenarios.
"But, you go swimming all the time." He pointed out. Not in a snarky or confused way. But with the same caring tone he had used before. He didn't fully understand what was up, and he wouldn't make judgements. But, based on how he'd watched you swim before, your sudden fear of the water did surprise him.
"In pools, yeah. But not the ocean."
Now it was starting to come together. It was a reasonable and common fear to have. The ocean wasn't a place to mess around with. It could be dangerous, and the fact of not being able to see what was underneath those waves could be a scary thought on its own. He was glad that you told him, it takes courage to put your fears out there. But at the same time, he was feeling pretty bad.
"Y/N... If I knew you were scared of the ocean I wouldn't have-" He started his guilt-filled apology, not getting far before you stopped him.
"Don't apologize Keigo, it's alright. I'm glad you took me here. Really, I am."
Smiling at your reassurance, he settled back down onto his towel. He was glad to have not upset you, that's the last thing he wanted to do. But still, he wondered if maybe, part of you wanted to face your fears. You did come to the beach wearing swim trunks after all. You could have picked any number of your regular shorts, but you went with the ones you always wore to the pool. Coincidence that you'd wear them to another place that also happened to be somewhere you could swim? Maybe, maybe not. There was a chance though, that all you needed was a gentle nudge.
"You know, if you're comfortable, we could walk down to the water and just put our feet in." He suggested nonchalantly, before grinning as his jokes came out. "We could do the cheesy couple thing and walk in holding hands, maybe do a kiss. And while we're at it we could wash off some of the coarse, rough, and irritating sand."
You laughed at his little offer. The idea was tempting, especially when presented with a Star Wars joke.
"It has gotten everywhere too, hasn't it?" You joked back, earning a laugh from Keigo.
"So you're up for it then?"
You could hear his eagerness as he spoke, his hopefulness. You could tell just how much he wanted to do this with you. It was so endearing. With a guy like Keigo at your side, what did you have to worry about?
Before you knew it, the two of you walked hand in hand into the water. The second your skin touched the salt water, every bit of apprehension left your body. Keigo could feel your tension evaporate, and it made him smile. More than anything he was happy that you had been freed of your fears.
And so, the two of you took another step into the cove together. Little by little, and step by step, you did it together at your own pace. There was nothing to be afraid of with your hero.
A/N: I'm not sure how this one turned out, but I tried! As always, thanbks for reading, and if you have any requests leave them here :)
- Tripp