"Be safe, you two!" Keigo slammed his bedroom door on their friends, Airi giggling at his obvious gestures of annoyance.
"This was your idea." Keigo reminded her, Airi standing from his bed to go to the master bathroom.
"You didn't have to invite the two of them. They're drunk, they wouldn't remember an invite the next morning." Airi pointed out, as Rumi and Kyo were probably going to either pass out in the living room or guest bedroom and not remember a thing in the morning.
The four of them had gone out for drinks. That changed from going to a bar, to a club. And drinks became Rumi and Kyo getting plastered, while Keigo and Airi danced to their hearts content.
They were celebrating. Hawks' agency had managed to round up a big villain ring in the city. People would sleep a lot more soundly tonight.
Sadly, they didn't get the villain Keigo wants locked up most. But they will eventually.
"Dove?" Airi turned on the hot water for his massive bathtub.
"Yes?"
"Can I join?" Airi giggled softly at his request.
Keigo was really trying. He's been trying since that day on the roof, she's surprised he's lasted so long.
"Come on in." Airi agreed, the handsome winged hero walking in not a second later.
"You sure?" Keigo asked, watching her where she sat on the edge of his tub to run a nice hot bath.
A certain Hawk could use himself a cold shower, after the night at the club dancing.
"Your tub is big enough for both of us. Just try to control yourself." Airi warned him playfully, seeing the way his wings puffed out excitedly behind him.
"Maybe I should just wait for you on the bed then. If I'm that close to you I'm not gonna be able to help myself." Keigo admitted with a flirty wink.
"Now I didn't say anything about what you're thinking, did I?" Airi asked, winking right back at him. "Come on, just soak in a hot bath with me?" Airi offered, running a hand through the water to see if it's hot enough.
"You're the worlds biggest tease, you know that?"
"I know, and I'm proud of it."
Keigo leaned over her, adjusting the water temperature before she could. "I assume you want me to keep my boxers on?" Keigo asked, kneeling on the side of the tub beside her.
"That's up to you, pretty bird." Airi answered, smiling his way when she saw the way his wings perked up at the nickname.
Airi slipped away to get out of her dress and make-up while Keigo finished filling the tub. By the time she was done, he was already sitting in the steaming water waiting.
He held a hand for her to hold onto him as she stepped in, wrapping his other arm around her waist to help her slip down into the water. "Ooh it feels good." Airi purred, leaning back against Keigo's chest with a sigh of content.
"You always do have the best ideas." Keigo praised, kissing the shell of her ear before reaching for a loofa.
"Thank you so much for acknowledging it." Airi teased, leaning forward when he nudged her back gently, sighing as he began to lather up her back for her. "I'll get yours next, pretty bird."
"Thank you."
They sat in silence for a few minutes, enjoying the hot water and comfort of each other.
But just as Keigo pulled Airi back, let her head rest on his shoulder with a soft coo and kiss to her cheek, they were interrupted.
A loud crash came through the door, both jerking apart and water splashing everywhere. "What was that?" Airi called out to the two drunken friends who no doubt were the perpetrators.
When they received no answer, Keigo growled in annoyance before standing up to go investigate. "Be right back." Keigo said, draping a towel around his waist to hide his wet boxers before exiting the bathroom.
When Airi heard Rumi's drunken shouts and laughter, followed by Keigo yelling, she knew he wouldn't be back until the water was cold.
So much for a nice romantic moment together…
Airi tossed her duffel bag over her shoulder, Shoto waiting out on the street for her. Today was a long one. She was exhausted because of last night, because Rumi and Kyo surprisingly didn't pass out right away from their drinks.
No, those two had to be watched by a hawk until they finally went to bed. After three in the morning.
Even then, neither Airi nor Keigo trusted them, so they didn't fall asleep for another hour.
Getting up for work this morning was the real challenge.
"We're going to redo everything we did today tomorrow." Shoto revealed as soon as she walked out the door to him.
"What? Why?" Airi asked, not in the mood for repeating what was already hard enough today. He was testing her climbing ability, which sucked today because she was so exhausted.
"Because your training was deplorable today. Go home and get some sleep, don't go out partying or stay up all night with Hawks. Your training is important." Shoto lectured her before turning on his heel and beginning to walk away.
Airi sighed miserably, shoulders slumping before following him since he wanted to escort her home now adays.
Ever since he found out the villain targeting her was his older brother, to be exact.
"So, Deku wanted me to let you know he asked Uraraka out finally." Shoto revealed as they walked, Airi immediately perking up at the news.
"What? Really?! I'm so proud of him!" Airi squealed, immensely proud of the up and coming hero, she'd been rooting for those two!
Since he went back to the town where his agency was established, she'd kept in contact through social media and sending him various gifs of green bunnies. She found it hilarious, he just laughed and played along.
But she'd been telling him how he'd look so cute with Uravity. And he finally did it! She's so proud of her little green hero!
It was also a lot of fun calling him her little brother, he got so flustered that she couldn't resist.
"They have their date planned for this coming Friday. Apparently, he's taking her to a nice dinner and can't decide on what after that." Shoto continued, ignoring her squeals of excitement for the two.
"A movie is always a good one if you don't want to call it after dinner. Or he could even ask her if there's anything she would like to do, it's always nice to ask the lady." Airi chimed, her day immediately better from this wonderful news.
She even could ignore the exhaustion in her chest from lack of sleep and trying to use her quirk when so tired.
"What about you and Hawks?" Shoto asked, catching her off guard as they had been talking about Deku and Uravity.
"What about us?"
"What would you do after dinner?" Shoto asked, tapping away at his phone screen.
"Oh, we typically just head home and cuddle up with a movie. But we've been together a lot longer, so it's acceptable." Airi said with a shrug since most of their official outside of the home dates were controlled by the commission still.
Who still somehow didn't realize their puppet was dating the other half of the contract?
Well, unofficially.
"You went to a club last night though. What about a club after dinner?" Airi sniggered at Shoto's lack of knowledge on dating.
"No, especially not on the first date." Airi answered, laughing harder when he turned to her in confusion for sniggering at him.
"I feel as though this was a bit inappropriate." Shoto showed her an article about her and Hawks.
At the top of it being a picture of them last night at the club. Dancing close with her head on his shoulder and his nose against her cheek.
…and they thought they were clear of paparazzi last night…
"We're free to dance with one another, it's completely normal." Airi covered for herself and Keigo since they did have a fun time last night.
"Grinding doesn't count as dancing. It's basically- "Shoto was cut off by his phone ringing loudly, a call moving him out of the article. "Hello?"
Airi tuned out of his phone call, not feeling it was appropriate to listen to his conversation.
"I'll be right there." Shoto ended his call. "I have to respond to an attack with my father. Get home safe." Shoto said before running off down the street.
Airi watched him go before sighing. She hopes the two of them will be safe.
"Here I thought my little brother would never let you go." Airi's hairs stood on the back of her neck, the person who spoke stepping up right where Shoto had been not even minutes prior.
"Dabi." Airi didn't need to even see his face to know who he was.
"Nice to see you know my name, songbird."
Airi reached for the notebook in her duffel bag, but Dabi scoffed beside her.
"I could incinerate that and you in a heartbeat if I was really here to fight, songbird." Dabi threatened, Airi's veins running cold with the threat.
"Then why haven't you?"
"Because I'm not here to fight you. I'm here to walk a pretty songbird home and have a quick chat."
"And if I don't want to have a talk with you?" Airi turned to the masked man walking next to her, watching him raise a hand to the mask. A hand that halfway down was marked with stitches and a drastic turn to purple scarred tissue.
Airi nearly gasped when she watched him remove the mask, not expecting the patchwork that is his skin. But his cerulean blue eyes threw her off, exactly like his fathers. Proof of his relation to Endeavor.
What is this man?
"Here I was thinking you were the sweetheart songbird the entire world believed you to be." Dabi responded with a lazy grin, but even so she saw the look in his eyes. A look of no good.
"I am to everyone but a villain who wants to hurt me and my family." Airi corrected him, keeping her hand near her duffel to be ready if he were to try to attack.
They were in public; would he really be so bold?
"Family? Wow, you really must be special to him if he considers you that. Considering his actual family is as good as dead to him." Dabi tossed off with a snicker, Airi narrowing her eyes at his malicious words about Keigo's parents.
She didn't know much, but she knew enough. They were only interested in Keigo for the money he pulled in as a hero. They weren't true parents, not true family.
"Who knows, maybe they are dead. Anything that bird touches turns to dust, and one day that could include you." Dabi warned ominously, Airi's entire body standing on edge and veins running with ice.
"Are you threatening me?" Airi questioned, hand on her duffel ready to yank out a notebook and fight to defend herself against this monster.
Dabi chuckled lazily, casting his gaze on her in a way that made her skin crawl. "No, but your life is threatened as long as you're near him. Take it as a friendly warning."
"You're not friendly. You've sent villains after me, tried to kidnap me. You're the threat, not him." Airi assured him, not for a second believing that if she stayed close to Hawks her life would be threatened.
Keigo protected her with every fiber of his being. Dabi threatened her because of his past with Hawks.
"Maybe I was the real hero in this scenario, songbird. Maybe I was trying to protect the pretty damsel from the corrupted vulture. Maybe you'll never know." Dabi said as he started to walk ahead of her, Airi taking the chance to grab her notebook and pens fast as she could.
She also brushed her thumb along the bristles of the secret defense that she kept tucked in the duffel, not needing to look to know it woke up as soon as she did.
"You're no hero, but the real heroes will stop you. Before you do anymore damage." Airi warned Dabi, but he kept walking.
"Word to the wise, run while you still can. Otherwise, you might learn some things about your bird boy that you don't like. It might just break your mind, before he lets your body break just like he let happen to his parents." Dabi warned, Airi's eyes widening at what he just said.
Airi immediately whipped her pen out, scribbling fast and leaping back when blue flame erupted from behind the villain.
Airi screamed when she was suddenly swooped up into the sky.
But this wasn't a villain that pulled her away.
"Hold on tight, lovebird."
Hawks.
He got away. Dabi got away, again.
In the time it took Hawks to swoop her up onto a nearby building, by the time he got back down to fight the monster he got there in time to see him be teleported away.
That was terrifying to hear. To know that the villain could teleport around. Now she would have nightmares of him teleporting into her room.
Hawks brought her back to the agency after, carrying her bridal style all the way up through his open office window.
They spent the next two hours going over everything that happened and every word that Dabi spoke to her.
With the ominous threat on his parents, he put her under watch by Taiki before flying off to investigate it himself.
Taiki then went over everything that happened with her, writing it all down with the reasoning that he had to report it to the commission once Hawks returned from checking on his parents' welfare.
But when Hawks came back after a few hours, she never expected the threat to have been so real.
Hawks told Taiki to take her back to his penthouse, barely gave her a kiss on the cheek, and flew off again with many of his sidekicks and heroes in tow.
It doesn't take a genius to realize what that meant.
The ride to the apartment was quiet, the air holding the gravity of everything that happened that evening.
"He'll be fine." Taiki suddenly spoke up, pulling her from her thoughts about the villain she had just met. "Hawks is going to try to track down that villain, but he'll be fine. He has some of the best heroes of his agency with him, he'll be back to check in with you later." Taiki continued as Airi looked out the window of the car in silence.
Airi wasn't sure she felt safe in Keigo's apartment anymore though, with the new knowledge that Dabi can teleport around. Were they safe anywhere?
"I will be downstairs if you need anything. Hawks' apartment is the safest place you can be, and I'll alert our men watching your shop and flat to double up. Don't worry."
Just because he says not to worry doesn't mean she won't.
Hawks came back hours later, covered in dirt and exhausted.
When he walked in, Airi was sitting on the couch with Rumi. Apparently, he had asked her to go guard Airi in the apartment. She showed up not long after she got in.
Hawks didn't say a word to either of them, just walked past towards his bedroom and closed the door behind him.
When Airi stood to go check on him, Rumi's hand on her arm stopped her. "Just let him have a minute. When he's ready to talk, he'll come back out on his own." Rumi advised her with a soft smile, Airi for the first time catching the sight of worry in her eyes.
Airi reluctantly sat back down on the couch with her, hoping she was right.
When half an hour passed, and not a single sound came from Keigo's room, Airi couldn't keep waiting anymore. Her body and mind were both screaming at her to check on him, she couldn't just sit and wait.
Airi slipped in quietly to find him sitting on the edge of his bed with his face buried in his still gloved hands.
"Kei?" Airi padded up to him slowly, but he didn't move from his position.
Airi sat next to him, realizing he hadn't even changed out of his work clothes. He must have just come in and sat down like this for the last half hour.
Airi reached back for one of his wings folded on his back, gently threading her fingers through some of the ruffled feathers. The reaction, like always, was instant.
Keigo turned to her and pulled her against him, burying his face against her neck and wrapping his arms tight around her.
Airi frowned into his shoulder when she felt the way his body trembled briefly, like he was trying to hold everything in but struggling.
Airi didn't say a word to him. She just let him hold onto her for dear life and do whatever he may need to.
An hour later, Keigo finally pulled away from her when they heard Rumi knock at the door. "Hey, if you guys don't mind, I'm gonna hop on out. I've gotta work in the morning, let me know if you need anything!" Rumi called through the door.
Her pounding footsteps away let them know she was gone.
Keigo seemed to notice them that he was still in his filthy costume too, standing up and starting to shed the dirty clothing.
"Keigo?" Airi called out to him, not moving from his bed as he walked to the closet.
"Hmm?"
"I- "Airi wasn't sure what to say. What was right for this situation? Yeah, he wasn't close to his parents. But he wouldn't have wanted to see them used against him like they were. He wouldn't feel nothing from their fate at the hand of a monster.
"We didn't find him if that's what you're trying to say. We rounded up some of his lackeys, but that's it." Keigo answered a question she didn't even have, tossing his visor over his shoulder and onto the bed.
"Your parents?" Keigo tensed the moment she said it, Airi standing immediately and walking over to him. "I'm so, so sorry, Keigo." Airi apologized, wishing that she hadn't gone out today. That she hadn't given Dabi a chance to come anywhere near her. That she never met him.
Maybe they'd still be alive if-
Keigo silenced her thoughts by turning and pulling her back into his arms. "It's not your fault, dove. They might be alive, but we're not sure. There was evidence of a struggle, but no bodies." Keigo revealed, Airi's eyes welling with tears as that seemed worse.
He didn't have a definitive answer, he just had to wonder until there was more proof. Wonder if his parents were alive or not.
"I'm just so happy you're alright." Keigo whispered against her as her tears soaked into his shirt, his arms tightening around her. "I promise, nothing's gonna happen to you. I'm gonna protect you, my love." Airi cried fresh tears into his shirt as he nuzzled his nose against the side of her neck.
Airi was so happy he's alright too. Even if today proved that the villains can and will strike closer and closer to home.
Because of what happened, her schedule switched up a bit. Most nights, Keigo now slept next to her. Most of the time at his own penthouse, as while her flat was safe for the most part they didn't want to risk it.
Kyo followed, Keigo promised he'd protect Kyo as well as he was her family too.
Another thing is that she now always had a permanent feather on her body no matter where she went. Keigo promised he wouldn't listen into anything private, but he would check in every randomly.
He wanted to make sure he could be there in seconds if need be.
Airi kept the feather tucked against her chest near her heart, finding out Keigo loved the sound of her heartbeat through his feathers.
The last thing was that Keigo hired more people to keep an eye on the shop and flat, as well as the gym she trained at with Shoto. Airi felt bad that he was going to all the trouble and using so much money to hire people specifically for her, but he promised it wouldn't be forever.
Just till Dabi is arrested.
Airi couldn't help the thoughts of if he is arrested. If he can even be captured with someone teleporting him around.
Today though, she was surprising the winged hero for everything he does for her and the rest of the world.
She also may be trying to distract him a little bit from the dark thoughts he's been having since Dabi threatened her, but it's worth it to make him smile.
Keigo was incredibly happy though that she was letting him fly her around now though, so that's always a plus.
Keigo carried her against him as he flew them up to the top of his agency building, laughing at how she held on so tight. "You act like you think I'm gonna drop you." Keigo teased lightly, swooping around the outside of the building once before coming to land on the top.
Right near where she had previously taken her gravity boots up to set up a rooftop picnic on the highest building in Fukuoka.
"Dove, you're amazing." Keigo praised, leaning into her and kissing the pulse point of her neck with a flirty chuckle.
"Don't praise me yet, we haven't gotten started yet." Airi revealed, sitting down on the pillows and blankets before waving him over.
Everything she had brought up she had specifically made herself. She wanted him to feel every ounce of love and appreciation she held for him. Know he was worth the extra mile.
"Oh, I should marry you. The fact that you can cook chicken yakitori, I should marry you for it." Keigo praised before taking another bite of the yakitori, Airi laughing at his genuine happiness.
"Wow, I see how it is. You'll only marry me for the chicken Yakitori." Airi teased, tossing her now bare skewer on one of the plates.
"Well not just for the yakitori." Keigo muttered with a playful pout, Airi giggling at his antics before watching him lean back. "I'm so full now, thank you so much for lunch, dove." Keigo thanked her, leaning on his elbows with a content sigh.
Airi watched his eyebrows quirk up when she crawled over to him, watched the way his golden gaze lit up while he smiled lazily her way. "You didn't even ask for dessert." Airi reminded, leaning on his leg and resting her chin on his knee.
"You brought dessert too?" Keigo asked, leaning back a little more when she sent him a wink.
"Maybe I did." Airi offered, before leaning forward and freeing his belt out from under his coat.
"Oh, woah, okay. Not gonna lie, wasn't expecting this." Keigo spoke up but didn't stop her as she unfastened his buckle. In fact, he dawned an excited look in his eyes.
The two have the worst luck though. Because as soon as she undid his buckle, the beeper on the side of his hip went off.
Keigo groaned loudly, head falling back onto the pillows as Airi sighed and pulled away. "Why?!" Keigo lamented, throwing his hands up in the air before grabbing the pager off his belt. His brows furrowed, so she sat up to let him sit up as well.
"We can finish later, pretty bird?" Airi offered, watching him glare angrily at the little device that interrupted their date together.
"Hopefully, come on babe. I'll fly you back down before I answer this." Keigo offered, Airi giggling at his genuine frustration to how something always interrupts their moments.
The villains are getting closer and closer each day. Striking far too close for comfort, especially poor Keigo. Maybe soon we'll find out if his parents made it or not. We're gonna have to wait until next time it seems. I wonder though, what's Dabi going to do next in his pursuit of ruining Hawks' life?
Yes, I'm posting early today! I've been switching up my schedule for posting a bit because I wasn't working the past week. I'm back today though, so I figured I'd leave yall with an early chapter before I head out. All the chapters for the rest of the story are done anyways, so why not.
Thank you all so much for reading! For the reviews/comments, everything you do! I'm so happy to see how many people are reading this! I will see yall next chapter!