Let's Build a Fire
By: Rise of the Blossom
Keigo Tamaki – or more affectionately and commonly referred to as Hawks – was usually a composed man whose easy-going nature allowed those around him to relax comfortably in the presence of the number two hero. However, it could also be confidently said that his tendency to tease and play around had the ability of driving a person absolutely insane.
He returned to the office that evening in neither of those moods.
It was rare for him to be in a foul mood and Sakura blinked in surprise at the dark aura surrounding him, heart lurching with concern for her hero.
She'd been his sidekick for a number of years now, standing loyally by his side as he steadily made his way up the ranks until he reached that number two status, learning so much more about him than either of them anticipated.
Usually, Keigo preferred to keep everything to himself and hid his discomfort of opening up behind witty remarks or redirecting the person's attention entirely – so smoothly that they never even realised until later on in the day when he was already long gone. In conjunction to that, she'd noticed his tendency to avoid commitment a heart-breaking number of times over the years she'd worked for him and as badly as she longed to smack the sense into him, she knew that, ultimately, it did no good. He just wasn't ready for that yet.
It did make her wonder what his tragic backstory was, seeing as there was definitely something that caused his discomfort.
"Oh, Impact. You're still here," he drawled while removing his headphones, hand running through his windswept hair.
Something was definitely up with the boss, she decided. And she was more than happy to drag his ass out of that mood.
Slinking off her desk and ditching the muffin she'd aimlessly been picking at, she approached with a raising eyebrow, demanding playfully, "I gave you permission to call me by my real name years ago. Why are you so adamant on using my hero name all of a sudden?"
His chuckle was soft and comforting and reminded her of the many times they'd ended a chaotic day with drinks in his office, letting themselves go and just… living. Gods, he could make her laugh for hours over absolutely nothing but what she loved more than that was making him laugh, for it took that invisible weight nobody else could see off his shoulders. Even if it was only for a few moments, he truly looked carefree – it wasn't just a front that she never dared to actually call him out on, not even after how long they'd spent together.
"Sorry, sorry," Keigo replied and gifted her with that toothy grin that never failed to make his fan-girls swoon and squeal. "Seems I'm stuck in that headspace right now."
She got that. Some days, shutting off from the mentality of wanting to save everyone was damn near impossible and it threatened to drive her insane as she suffocated under the pressure. It was common amongst many heroes and they more often than not burned themselves out horrifically.
"So, why are you still here, Sakura?"
"Just keeping an eye on things until the guys on the nightshift arrive." Appreciation shone in his golden eyes, making them soften on her somewhat. "I'm glad you're here now, though."
Intrigued, he asked, "Oh?"
Pervert, Sakura thought with an inward chortle. Keigo was notorious for never tying himself down to one woman or entering anything more than two weeks' long 'relationships' – said relationships reminded her more of Ino's flings, but while he would never outwardly admit it, she knew he didn't like it when she called them that. Why, she was unsure. Sakura preferred to call things what they were.
"That's my third muffin," Sakura warned him pointedly, biting back her smirk when he grinned lopsidedly. "The other guys aren't going to get a look in at the rate I'm going."
When she first started at his agency as a work study, it was safe to say that Sakura was awestruck and struggled awkwardly to feel relaxed around a man like Keigo. Contrary to what she'd already thought about his laidback personality, she was one of the few who allowed his genius to get to her head and it temporarily stunted her own growth as a hero. He made it seem so effortless that it was intimidating to her.
That was until he personally reached out to her and offered to lend a hand.
Over the years, sidekicks and students on work study came and went, soaking up the glory of working for the Hawks Agency and learning all that they could, before feeling inspired and daring enough to try and follow his example of opening their own agencies. Some succeeded, others eventually returned. Sakura had no such plans of leaving or doing the same, regardless of what her friends thought she should do. She was way too happy with being the number two hero's number one sidekick.
More than that, however, she knew that Keigo needed her hand to hold sometimes too.
And she refused to leave him behind.
"You need a distraction from comfort eating, huh?" came his lilting voice, eyebrows giving a single, suggestive raise.
"Keigo~" she sang his name in warning.
Her eyes narrowed mischievously at the predictable effect it had on him – he'd always gotten a kick out of her standing up to his authority. Golden gaze lit up, lips parting and eyebrows raising for just a fraction of a second gave everything away. That was more than enough time for her to spot it before he recovered, for his training wouldn't have allowed for anything less and continuously came back to bite him in the ass.
Keigo's hand reached for the back of his neck, giving it a single rub in the nervous tick she'd picked up on a while back (but would never admit to him that she knew), and Sakura relished in the fact that she could make a man like the Hawks tense.
"You should know better by now," she half-teased, half-stated. Scooping up what was left of her muffin, Sakura strode passed him confidently and granted herself access to his office, pushing the door open with her backside so that she could meet his eye, purring, "I'm not like the rest of them. It'll take more than a slice of your attention to break me."
Chuckling, Keigo followed after her without an utterance of a reprimand for her audacity and she smirked at the careless way he shut the door sharply upon realising she'd helped herself to a seat on his desk, ignoring the sofa on the other side of the office. It wasn't loud enough to class as a slam, but his wing certainly hadn't held back in announcing their presence in his office.
He only had himself to blame, Sakura thought cheekily while leaning back on a hand, other bringing her muffin to her lips so that she could return to its spongey goodness. Without his pushing and heart-warming encouragements and praise in her improving and training, then she most definitely wouldn't have had half the confidence she did now. He had a hand in creating the monster that plagued his desk now.
"So, what happened?" she enquired curiously while watching Keigo hang up his jacket and accessories. The weariness in his movements wasn't missed by her and Sakura ensured to keep a closer eye on her hero and friend, just in case. "Rough day?"
He sighed at that and finally joined her at his desk, though chose to sit in the chair. It prompted her to shift on the surface, twisting slightly until she was giving him her profile. Spotting his zoning out, she concluded it definitely had something to do with the higher ups of the company (they were the only ones who could cause him to retreat into his head the way he currently was) that he didn't like talking about, but sometimes did when it was grinding down on him too much.
Reading his cues told her he wasn't in the mood to talk about whatever they'd dragged him into this time, however, and Sakura felt her heart sinking in response.
"No plans?" he asked rather than replying to her question, proving her suspicions.
She was supposed to be meeting Naruto and Sasuke that evening for their tradition of a weekly catchup (Keigo would know that too), but Sakura knew they would understand if she skipped that week. It'd happened only a handful of times since her starting at the Hawks Agency and while the first couple of times they'd been miffed, upon realising just how close she was growing to Keigo and knowing she oftentimes took on the role of a confidant for all her friends, they hadn't argued. If a friend needed her, then they would never get in her way of being there for them. They knew it would weigh heavily on her mind and heart if anything happened to said friend.
Rolling her eyes in a show of fake frustration, she lied, "Sasuke-kun cancelled. Something about joining his father and brother on a patrol."
"Oh?" There was no way he bought that, Sakura realised at the drawled response. Definitely something with the higher ups then and if not, then something big was headed their way, she confirmed. He had information she didn't that potentially involved the Uchiha Agency.
But Keigo would tell her in his own time, she reminded herself. Just because he didn't want to talk then, it didn't mean he wouldn't eventually. She was his number one, he often told her.
"He's still trying so hard to prove himself," she added more genuinely, quietly. "Itachi-san's always been the favourite and it's getting him down."
"Aa. I've heard about that."
Of course he had. Keigo was notorious for having eyes and ears all over the place and they always kept him in the loop, never missing a beat and aided him in arriving promptly to the scene of a crime – sometimes before it even happened.
But right now Sasuke wasn't the concern. Her main concern was dragging Keigo out of whatever funk he'd found himself in and Sakura refused to leave until she succeeded. She wanted at least one real smile from her hero before she would even contemplate leaving his side.
There was never much, if any, clutter on his desk and so she stretched out a little bit further to allow herself to comfortably look to her boss. Thankfully, his eyes had lost that distant expression she'd noticed only a handful of minutes ago and met hers with a sharpness that had her smirking and ignoring the flutter in her stomach.
Denying any attraction between them was a blatant lie that sounded too stupid to say aloud and they were content enough in one another's presence not to be weighed down or overly distracted by it either.
Admittedly though, there were times when it became a distraction. Times like after training or just after a battle when emotions were running high and the adrenaline had them feeling invincible. It was impossible overlooking the other's allure when it was staring them dead in the eye in such beautifully raw moments, and Gods, she knew he'd mentally undressed her just as many times as she had him, envisioning that they were panting and sweaty not from the rigorous workout, but from other activities.
Still, she vehemently refused to be just a notch on his seemingly infinite belt.
It didn't mean she was above taunting him relentlessly though.
"I think we should order food," Sakura suggested even as she continued to finish what was left of her muffin and slid off his desk, feeling his eyes fixated on her every move when she sauntered around the desk until she was by his side.
Biting the inside of her cheek to hide her mischievous smile that he could effortlessly send back tenfold, Sakura knelt before him but turned on her heel just as she heard the small catch of air in his throat, cheekily opening the cupboard door beneath his desk to help herself to his secret stash of alcohol.
"We're going to need to line our stomachs with something if we're drinking this stuff," she finished, proud of herself for momentarily yanking Keigo out of his darker thoughts. Even his looking vaguely disappointed was better than the expression he'd been wearing while returning.
Nobody really knew how dark it got for their beloved Hawks. They didn't see that weight on his shoulders like she did. Hell, Sakura was fairly certain that Keigo himself wasn't aware of just how much she'd come to learn about him while working as his trusty sidekick, and she wasn't about to let him know either, for fear of him closing himself off from her. For a man who sought out a constant string of affairs that meant he was never without companionship of some form, he disliked people getting too close for reasons she just couldn't comprehend.
"I vote fried chicken."
"Of course you do," Sakura uttered with a shake of her head, though couldn't help but smile fondly.
Fortunately for them, a call from Hawks meant the establishment he frequented dropped everything to serve him their deliciously fried chicken and Sakura marvelled at the façade he had in place while accepting the food gratefully. There was no way to ever know that he was suffering inside, and she mulled over the implications for several long moments while Keigo dished out the food on his desk, knowing she refused to go anywhere near the sofa in his office, let alone eat there.
"Oi."
Damn, it seemed she was the one getting lost in her thoughts now and Sakura blinked owlishly when a piece of chicken was pushed demandingly against her lips. A hand was settled mere inches from her hip, arm bridging across her thighs as Keigo leaned across her with his hip pressing to her opposite knee persistently until he gained her attention. The realisation of being caged in had that fluttering in her stomach increasing, but she swiftly one-upped him by biting into the chicken without taking it from his hand, smirking at the disarmingly handsome grin she was rewarded with.
"Finally," he said with a mock sigh of annoyance. "I could hear your demanding stomach from the lobby. How is it you can ignore your own body's wants?"
Oh, she'd had years of practice, and Sakura knew that Keigo read that response as easily, as intensely, as he felt it himself. Working in such close proximity of an intimidatingly sexy man meant refining that self-control (while simultaneously indulging every so often, just because she was a masochist who enjoyed teasing herself with the possibilities).
"You tell me," Sakura pushed with a lilt to her tone that had him lowering his gaze not quite to her lips, but low enough for her to know exactly where he wanted to look. "I learned from the best, after all."
"Apparently I haven't taught you well enough," he shot back and languidly returned his eyes to hers, smirking impishly. "You're still acting like a brat."
But knowing exactly where to land a hit, Sakura said without a shred of remorse, "That's because your methods are too weak to put me back in line."
And the hit landed wonderfully, proving that she lived up to her hero name Impact. She could tell by the way the smirk faded and was replaced by what had to be, by far, the hungriest way he'd ever looked at her before. It easily topped all the brief lidded glances, darkening the shade of his eyes as they finally indulged him and dipped to her lips. Just the tiniest slips of composure, but it was so much more than what she'd previously managed to drag out of him.
Sakura straightened up knowing it would bring them chest to chest, and delighted when his wings gave away exactly how he was feeling as they shuddered ever so slightly, trying to expand at the sensation of their breaths mingling. If only people knew how expressive they really were – Keigo would never be able to hide a single emotion from any of them ever again.
Out of purely selfish desire, she had no intentions of sharing that with them.
But just as his head lowered by a meagre couple of millimetres, she made a show of stretching for the bottle of whisky and snatched it up with a triumphant, seemingly innocent smile.
"Shall we?"
It took him a moment too long to compose himself once more and Sakura lived for the rush of power that shot through her, empowering her.
Fried chicken wasn't her favourite meal, but she knew it was his, so ate what she believed to be enough for one of their drinking nights before allowing her boss to devour the rest. Typically, like her idiot best friend Naruto, it quickly became apparent that filling his stomach further bettered his mood and she gave herself a well-earned mental pat on the back.
"Thanks, Sakura," he told her earnestly when they poured their third drink. "You didn't have to stick around."
"Please," she snorted, much to his amusement. She'd always been the lightweight between the pair of them, so it didn't surprise either of them that she was already feeling the effects. "It's about time I returned the favour considering all the times you've stuck by side while I cried about some boy breaking my heart." Eyeing his pensive expression, Sakura gave her first and perhaps only push on the subject and asked softly, "What has you so down?"
"Right now?" His sighed response told her he still wasn't ready to talk and she pouted. Deep in her heart, she knew that his continued, insistent silence meant another difficult assignment for him, one that he had to trudge through alone until it eventually became safe enough to share – if the mental toll it oftentimes had on him allowed him to. Gods, she wished he could share the burden with her, though. She hated that he had to isolate himself. "Thinking about all the times you've cried over boys breaking your heart."
Her pout grew more pronounced. "Don't start teasing me about my taste in men again!"
"Boys," he corrected, snorting.
Relaxing back in his large office chair with his legs parted comfortably, Sakura couldn't help but once more admire his telling wings as they spread out slightly to accommodate his seated position. They were always a constant source of fascination for her, though she regretfully knew to only look and not touch. Considering just how impressively responsive they were to his commands and the recon he could do with them, it didn't take her long to realise that they were highly sensitive.
But holy shit the temptation to touch them was powerful enough to make her ache and she longed to give in to it.
Crossing her legs in front of herself, Sakura swirled the whisky in her glass and hummed in contemplation, uncaring for sitting on Keigo's desk so rudely since she knew if it bothered him, he would have told her already. Besides, there was nowhere else for her to sit and she refused to sit on the floor like an animal.
"Anything new in that department?" he questioned eventually, and Sakura couldn't deny that she dragged her gaze up his body appreciatively when the purposeful shifting of his feet easily tore her attention from her glass.
The angle he was reclined at that allowed him to comfortably lean on one arm of his chair brought her interest to the trim hips that gradually filled out the higher her gaze travelled, allowing her to admire the broadening of his shoulders. His black shirt did wonders for the eye and Sakura greedily soaked in the sight of his muscles until she met his knowing grin.
"I'll take that as a no."
"What makes you say that?" she demanded, amused and undeniably half-aroused. "I could have a boyfriend right now, for all you know."
"I do know," he returned fire. "You're as single as I am right now."
Just as easily as she'd learned to read him, she knew he'd learned to read her body language too. It was what aided in making their teamwork so seamless, allowing them to work around one another and accommodate any surprises without batting an eye.
Sakura snorted once more and stretched out her legs so that they were dangling off the desk, kicking them lightly back and forth in the distance between the desk and Keigo.
"How can you be so sure that I'm single?"
Clearly entertained by her efforts, her hero leaned forward and placed his glass down on the desk not far from her hip, forcing Sakura to still her legs before she accidentally kicked him.
"You wouldn't be so tense if you were getting some," he murmured without a shred of hesitancy and there was no denying her cheeks flooded with heat. "You wouldn't be this accepting either."
That wasn't entirely true and they both knew it. Even while in a relationship and getting some on the regular, she'd continued to ache with her wants for the man who stood and closed the distance between them, slipping smoothly between her legs like he belonged there but never quite touching her – yet. His hand remained on the desk where he'd left his glass and he glanced down at her features with an unreadable expression that forced her to look to his wings for a cue.
"Sneaky," he softly murmured and caused her breath to catch when he finally touched her, hand gently coming to her chin to redirect her attention to his gaze. "When did you learn that little trick?"
Sakura swallowed hard, unable to resist the temptation of looking to the sinful lips that were currently stretching into his infamous grin.
"Well, kid?" he pushed lowly, shocking her with a slight shake of her chin. "You going to answer me, or do I have to force the answer out of you?"
The alcohol had definitely served to lower her inhibitions, but Sakura knew in a heartbeat that even without it, she wouldn't have been able to control the clenching of her thighs at the insinuation that dripped seductively from his words, giving herself away pitifully when they came into contact with Keigo's hips.
Daringly, however, because she sure as hell wasn't letting him take her so easily, Sakura warned hotly, "You'll have to force the answer out of me."
"You look happy about it, you little masochist," he shocked her to the core by whispering, head dipping just as it had earlier. "I should've guessed you'd like it rough. Maybe that's where all those boys go wrong?"
Her lips parted in an invitation he ignored, seemingly too busy on torturing her by slowly smoothing his gloveless hands up her thighs, only dragging her to the edge of his desk once he'd reached her hips.
"Tell me I'm wrong," he muttered and sent her heart into overdrive by stepping into her, bringing their bodies together assertively. What really struck her was the thumb that came to her lower lip, tugging it downwards before he grasped her chin again, jerking her face upwards and closer to his. "C'mon, Sakura. Where's that sharp tongue of yours gone?"
She wetted her lips with said sharp tongue, causing his attention to zero in on her mouth. "They're never enough," she eventually managed to reply impishly, though the effect was ruined by the weight of her need leaking into her voice. "No one is ever enough."
"That so?" he breathed, and she shut her eyes at the nuzzling of his nose to hers. "Why is that?"
Needing to steady herself at the sensation of their breaths mingling since it was far more intoxicating than the alcohol she'd drank, Sakura reached out to hold onto his body, only to whimper with such a potent need that it shocked even her, when impossibly soft feathers belied their appearance by effortlessly pinning her hands behind her. They didn't move her backwards too much but they prompted Keigo into leaning further forward to close the new distance, and her thighs responded accordingly, encouraging him.
"They can't handle my needs," she whispered against his lips.
She reopened her eyes to the dizzying sight of Keigo leaning over her, his gaze piercing. "Which are…?"
"You," she admitted breathlessly like he'd hypnotised her, looking between his lips and entrancing eyes in the hopes he would take the hint already, but he didn't. He continued to tease her mercilessly. "Always you."
Low chuckles that had no right in sounding so sinfully sexy had the ache within her reaching new heights and Sakura strained against the feathery restraints. "You've always been too romantic for your own good." Keigo pressed his chest to hers so that he could place his lips to her ear, eliciting a wonderful shiver on her part when he whispered, "But you know already I've always liked that about you. Your ability to see the best in every situation. To help without a shred of concern about your own well-being. Your need to mend the hearts of others by sharing yours…" Need dripped from his every word and Sakura's brow puckered when he ran his tongue on the outer shell of her ear, teeth grazing the lobe. "I've come to need you too."
She hadn't intended for their evening to spiral out of control – she'd genuinely only wanted to take his mind away from whatever was plaguing it – but Sakura certainly couldn't find a single complaint within herself when a large hand slipped through her hair to cradle the back of her head, tilting it back for better access.
"I'll always be here," she assured him quietly and knew the words hit him hard, for Keigo froze in pulling back to look at her, cheek brushing against hers. "So don't be afraid to need me."
She never wanted to see such a tormented expression on his face ever again.
She just wanted him to be happy.
Keigo's forehead dropped to her shoulder without warning, and Sakura felt the restraints around her wrists loosen until they disappeared entirely to return to his wings. Said wings told her of his sudden shame and she felt her heart stutter in response at the sight of them expanding only to come around him, curling like he was trying to hide himself from her.
"What is it?" she questioned with a tinge of reluctance, because even with the alcohol in her system she knew where their conversation was headed. Could feel it in the hairs steadily standing to attention.
Gruffly, like he didn't really want her to hear the words, Keigo muttered, "This wasn't supposed to be more than sex."
Don't get mad, she told herself even when the hurt wracked through her at full force.
"It's so easy getting carried away with you," he continued at her silence, and she felt him hesitating in his next move until eventually, Keigo's hands settled on each side of her hips, curling into fists against the wood. "I'm always losing that line when we play around like this."
Her stomach dropped. "You thought I'd be easy."
"No," he said firmly and finally moved back to meet her eye, frowning. "There's nothing easy about you, Sakura."
"Then what is it?" Sakura couldn't help but demand even after warning herself not to get angry with him. "Was it realising that you still have to work with me when you usually leave before the girl's even woken up? Did you realise there's really no easy way to ditch me like you would the others? Not without firing me, anyway."
Damn it, what had she really been expecting? Even with all their back and forth teasing and flirting, even while knowing how badly they wanted each other, neither had actually taken a step in officially crossing that line. That was why she'd been so stunned when Keigo eventually crossed it for them, and foolishly, she'd overlooked the fact that it was never serious for him. She'd stupidly, so fucking stupidly ignored the facts.
"In my head it was supposed to be just sex," he repeated, much to her utter mortification and fury, but then his head dropped and caused those negative feelings to stutter when he added weakly, "But it could never be just sex with you."
What the hell did that even mean?
"I need you too much to ever use you like that."
Frustrated tears pricked at hers eyes, but Sakura bit her lower lip to keep it firm just as it began to tremble.
"You mean too much to me to ruin our bond like that."
It was the most serious she'd ever witnessed him when it came to his own feelings. However, she couldn't let it sway her as she remained sat there on his desk, unresponsive to his internal conflict.
She wanted him – Gods, she wanted him so fucking bad that she ached – but now that she was thinking clearer thanks to the spider cracks running up her heart from his words, Sakura knew that she didn't want it like this. Used in a moment of weakness and tossed aside once the deed was done, replaced in a matter of days by someone else eager to please Hawks.
Her hand raised between them and immediately captured his attention, but just as she reached for his face, she froze, expression scrunching up before she shoved him away from her firmly.
"It's not all on you," Sakura allowed while meeting Keigo's pained expression, the pair of them knowing there was no coming back from their meagre toeing over the line. Not after his admission. "But like hell am I ever letting you fuck me on that sofa like one of your eager fan-girls," she added in a snarl. "Have more respect for me than that."
"I do respect you–"
"Are you sure, Keigo?" she challenged hotly and slid off the desk, unafraid to show her hurt even when it had him turning his head away entirely like a scolded child. "Last time I checked, you don't use the people you care for or respect."
Taking a moment to compose herself, she activated her quirk to listen to their surroundings though did her utmost to block out the rampant beating of Keigo's heart, deactivating the enhancement once she had her answers.
"The nightshift guys are here. I'm going."
It was without a word on either part that she stalked out of his office and the extra stab of upset that stemmed from his silence had her childishly slamming the door shut.
Nobody disturbed her on the way home and while Sakura knew that she could still make it for her evening with Naruto and Sasuke if she rushed, she didn't want to bring down their moods too. It was bad enough that her attempts of brightening Keigo's resulted in damaging her relationship with him.
She'd messed up horribly. Thinking they could joke around like that – even though it was what they did on a regular basis – while in such a headspace had been reckless of her. It was bound to go that one step further considering the intense attraction between them and for once, she'd failed to predict that outcome. Sakura wasn't blaming herself, but she knew she wasn't innocent either.
What made it worse was that they were both hurting from it, and she couldn't shake the sight of his dejected wings that'd been seemingly drooping, telling her far more than his expression ever would.
Sakura came to a sudden stop outside her apartment building the second those vibrant red wings caught her attention, and she toyed with the idea of turning tail. But ultimately, she knew his being there meant he wanted to talk about it and once Keigo's mind was set, there was no changing it.
Besides, he was so much faster than she was. He'd catch her in a heartbeat (if the tension between them wasn't at a precarious stage of potentially destroying their friendship, then he definitely would have laughed at her weak attempts of evasion and toyed around with her for a while, making her feel more like his prey).
Jaw setting when his hands came to the steel railings of her balcony to peer down at her, Sakura felt herself bristling at the knowing look in his eyes, like he knew exactly what she was thinking.
"Don't try running," Keigo called out to her, uncaring for his volume. "We know how that ends."
Damn it, was he trying to get the attention of her neighbours?
"Hawks," she hissed.
He'd requested long ago that she never use his real name in front of others or let it slip to her friends what it was just in case it was leaked to the media. But using his hero name in that moment felt like she was kicking him in the teeth suddenly (that concern doubling at his barely noticeable recoil) and Sakura grimaced.
When he refused to answer, she stormed her way up to her apartment though definitely took her time in actually letting him inside too. Childishly, she wanted to yank the curtains shut on his unfairly beautiful face and take herself off to bed, but it was upon meeting his weary gaze that Sakura felt the ire crack because no matter what, she couldn't turn her back to his suffering. Slowly, she unlocked the balcony doors, head lowering as he entered without a word.
Why couldn't she hold onto her anger of almost being used for sex? The man – her hero – had never given her a reason to cry tears of sadness before, had never failed in having her back and protected her so fiercely at times that she was shaken. She had every right to hold onto the hurt and the anger of his suddenly shattering that illusion she had of him. So why? Why did one look at his expression have her crumbling?
The deafening silence of her dark apartment was too much to bear as it seemed to amplify the tense atmosphere clinging to them, but for the life of her, Sakura couldn't find the strength to turn on the lights or fill the silence. All she could do was stand there helplessly awaiting for the ending of her most precious bond.
It wasn't until the door was reluctantly shut once more that he told her firmly, "I respect you. More than I've ever respected anyone."
She raised a disbelieving eyebrow at that. "Even Endeavour?"
The playful hesitation to answer came at the wrong moment and Sakura impulsively threw her keys at him, not surprised in the least when they were expertly caught and tossed carelessly onto her plain coffee table with a heavy sigh.
"There's a lot you still don't know about me," Keigo eventually continued at length, brows knitting together. "There's so much that I'm still coming to terms with myself and haven't learned how to say out loud."
Frowning at his display of determination to get the words out, she sat down on the arm of the sofa and reminded him, "Going through a bad time doesn't mean it's okay to treat others badly. You told me that–"
"After Sasuke broke your heart for the final time just after you graduated. I remember," he murmured with a steeliness to his tone, one that had her sighing. Her turbulent relationship – now friendship – with Sasuke had always rubbed him the wrong way. "But I don't think it's fair comparing me to a guy like that, do you?"
…No. It wasn't. Whereas Sasuke was cold and distant at the best of times, Keigo was warm and inviting. Sasuke had repeatedly broken her heart during their years together at U.A, whereas in all the time she'd known Keigo, he'd always taken great care of her and ensured she was happy and comfortable. They hadn't once fallen out over anything serious or disrespected one another… until tonight, that was.
"How has everything just…" Sakura struggled to voice the words that were crushing her heart. Just thinking of them was making her emotional, and she sincerely didn't want to cry. "There's no pretending like this didn't happen–"
"I don't want to."
"Why?"
Keigo sighed and came to sit by her side, golden eyes meeting hers easily but tiredly. "Maybe this could be the turning point that we need." At her despondent silence, he questioned softly, "Can you honestly tell me that our bond – the way that we are together – has never impacted your relationships?"
That was…
True. Painfully, unavoidably true. Most men she dated disliked the closeness of her relationship with Keigo and couldn't handle how much they saw of each other in and out of work. Granted, their concerns were valid, and Sakura wanted to devote herself entirely to said relationship, but…
How could she devote a heart that didn't even belong to her anymore?
"You know I'm right," he murmured boldly. "You're not the only one who's learned how to read the other."
What relationships of his had she impacted, though? Keigo didn't do relationships for the simple fact that he struggled with commitment.
…or so she'd assumed.
"They're not flings, are they?"
The atmosphere was too heavy for his signature cheeky grin, and Sakura cursed herself for being so arrogant. She'd assumed that she knew Keigo better than most, that there wasn't a single other living person who knew his tells like she did, or managed to get him to open up on his darkest days – those people didn't even know that their Winged Hero Hawks had dark days.
But she was wrong.
She didn't know him at all.
"Some were," Keigo admitted uncomfortably. "Some were… experimental, of sorts."
Sakura grimaced at that.
"Hear me out," he requested quietly, no doubt sensing her disliking of his wording, but could he really blame her? It had her questioning if she was just an experiment too. "Until you came along – you with your fiery attitude and your pretty smiles and your unwavering determination to bulldoze your way into my life like you belonged there – I… never really noticed people in that sort of way."
She remained silent at his visible struggle, even when her heart lurched at his confession of how deeply she'd taken up residence in his life, because fuck, it was exactly how she felt too.
Without seeing it coming, Keigo burrowed himself deep into her life and heart until he snatched the latter away mercilessly – which had always been okay, in her eyes. She loved that he had her heart. Up until that night, Sakura had always believed it to be safe in his careful hands.
"I struggled with that side of myself. Being intimate with another – not just sexually, but intimacy as a whole – used to make me feel physically sick. Sometimes, it still does. But you opened up a door that I never even realised existed."
What…?
It was effortless on her part to push aside her hurt over his actions. The sincerity of his voice, the way his eyes fought to maintain contact with hers despite how clearly he longed to look away, hell, even the way his wings shuddered and began to creep around him like they were an actual wall meant to protect himself, had her anger shattering.
He was suffering more deeply than she'd ever realised.
"So why just sex, then?" demanded Sakura quietly, brows pinching together. "Why would you say it was only supposed to be sex?"
"Because I can't promise you anything more than that," Keigo replied swiftly and he shifted in his seat, causing her to consciously steady her breathing at the shame and self-loathing in his gaze. "The thought of leaving myself open and vulnerable like that makes me…" He shook his head miserably, unable to find the right words. "I don't want you to ever be hurt by those feelings. No matter how hard I try, I can't shake them. Even if I'm genuinely enjoying the company of another, they come creeping back and it…" His shoulders dropped with his slow exhale. "I feel sick with fear."
She'd always known that there was something deeper going on with him. Sakura had continuously pondered what could have caused such potent discomfort, such intense commitment issues.
"Some were… experimental, of sorts."
"You were trying to move past those feelings," Sakura deduced softly.
He shrugged, the smile he gave her small and hopeless and making her insides ache something vicious. "I thought if I found the right person that I could find something like what we have, without ruining what we have."
That…
"You idiot," she muttered without any real venom. Rubbing at her forehead in a show of frustration, Sakura forced herself to look away from him. "You can't replicate what we have."
…She would know. She'd already tried countless times. But like hell would she tell him that.
They were both idiots.
"I know," came Keigo's heavy response and his head fell back with a sigh, focusing on the ceiling rather than her. "I don't even like them using my name, so how can I possibly have anything meaningful with any of them?"
"Keigo…"
He smiled at the use of his name like she'd proven his point – a small, painful smile that reverberated deep inside of her – and glanced down at Sakura from the corner of his eye, gaze drinking in her features.
"It sounds… nice coming from you."
Nice wasn't the word he wanted to use, Sakura noted and she sighed tiredly, wondering if he would ever be comfortable enough to be upfront with her about his past.
Why didn't he like people knowing his real name? She understood wanting more privacy – she'd foolishly believed that was why he'd asked her to keep it quiet after telling her to call him Keigo rather than Hawks. Even heroes needed to sit back and unwind and that was impossible to do so when as recognisable as the number two hero.
They'd been tipsy that night when he'd made the request and looking back, Sakura knew they'd come dangerously close to crossing that line after she'd whispered his name to him, testing it on her tongue and feeling so fucking important when he'd appreciatively brushed the hair behind her ear, looking to her in awe and tenderness.
The sudden insistent buzzing of her phone shattered the heavy atmosphere and reminded Sakura that she'd failed to let her boys know she wouldn't make it that evening. Apologising to her hero, she shot off a message to Sasuke, knowing he wouldn't hound her like Naruto would, before returning her attention to Keigo, frowning at the distant look in his eyes.
What a disaster of a plan.
"I really made a mess of cheering you up," Sakura said ruefully, unable to offer him anything more than a weak twitch of her lips.
"You were trying to cheer me up?"
She nodded awkwardly and placed her phone down on the coffee table, soon slipping off the arm of the sofa to sit on the cushions with her body angled towards him.
Keigo had frequented her apartment many times in the past and each time felt like a novelty experience for the simple fact that the tension seemingly quadrupled between them when they were alone and away from the agency. Now was no different – maybe amplified by the openness of their emotions if there was a change.
"You looked troubled when you returned," Sakura informed him gently and brought her knees to her chest, arms coming around them. She could tell from the way his wings perked up ever so slightly that he was surprised, and Sakura looked up to him from her knees, admitting sulkily, "I had it in my head that I wouldn't leave until you were happy again."
"You weren't the one to mess that plan up," he assured her and leaned comfortably against the arm of the sofa, his wings shaking out slightly before hanging over the side. "I tried taking control of our bond when previously, it's always been mutual."
"Taking control…" She shook her head and chuckled disbelievingly, letting him know shamelessly, "I wanted it too, y'know."
He smirked knowingly and sent her still tender heart a sharp poke with the weight of his gaze, like he was recalling the moment in his office. "I know."
"You weren't taking control – more like I was giving it to you."
"Oh? You think?"
"I know."
The playfulness faded quickly at the hesitance in his expression and Sakura sighed heavily, forehead dropping to her knees.
They weren't beyond repair – she knew from the effortless way they'd fallen back to that teasing and how natural it felt – but there was no ignoring the hurt that continued to linger, stealing a fraction of the warmth that was once there.
"What changed your mind?" she couldn't help but ask, ignoring the voice in her mind that hissed about her being a masochist.
Keigo knew exactly what she referring to and she vaguely noted his attention dropping to the grip she had on her arms when they came around her legs to hold them in place. "Like I said, it's easy getting carried away with you and it felt natural to go that step further. I just… I can't stand the thought of hurting you."
So what happened now? Did they take a step back to allow themselves time to heal from the incident? Did they try taking that step further and see where they ended up?
The thought of ruining everything between them was terrifying and enough to make her hesitate now that she'd sobered up. In the moment, it was easy disregarding the consequences – they often got carried away, although admittedly never to such a degree.
Years of friendship and trust, of caring and comforting and relying on one another. They had one another's backs both on and off the battlefield and Sakura longed to see if that devotion carried into a relationship between them.
"Would you regret it if something happened?" she asked in a weak mumble.
Keigo sighed at her question. "I would regret hurting you if I can't mentally handle it. But…"
Sakura tried not to perk up when he trailed off, though couldn't stop herself from peering at him with wary hope and gently pushing, "But?"
"It doesn't stop me from wanting it," came his easy confession and he smiled.
Could their bond handle that? She wanted to say hell yeah it could. Of course it could! They were Keigo and Sakura – Hawks and his Impact. But at the same time, there was no way to ignore that they'd both been shaken by the intense moment in his office.
Thoughtfully, she propped her chin onto her knee and watched her hero as he fell into the same brooding silence, gaze warming against her will when the moonlight filtering through the glass of her balcony doors magnified the already beautiful shade of his distant eyes by making them appear more ethereal.
After their conversation, it was painfully obvious that Keigo was healing from a trauma that she'd been suspicious of for a while now but not willing to question him about. More importantly, there was no telling how long he'd already been on that journey for, or how long it would take for him – if he managed to complete it. Going into it as blindly as she had was wrong of her, especially since she'd been aware of something happening in his life to make him the way he was.
The healing process would be a long and difficult one. The road was going to be filled with bumps and obstacles that could very well try to tear them apart.
However…
"What do you call me?" she questioned suddenly with a small smile.
He didn't even need to think about it and met her eye affectionately, the nickname warming her heart when he said it so fondly, "My number one sidekick."
The one he trusted more than anyone else, the one he came to on his darkest days for comfort and companionship, even if he couldn't talk. Their teamwork was second to none and she wasn't afraid to admit (or assume) it was down to her love for her hero, and his for her. They'd overcome fierce enemies and villains in the past together and she knew they could do it again.
She absolutely would stand by his side during the healing process.
She wouldn't let him go through it alone.
"I want to try," Sakura dared herself to say aloud and her heart stuttered at the surprise that soon had both their cheeks flushing pink.
"But–"
"If you ever need time and space, you can have it," she assured him earnestly and leaned forward, making him swallow when her hands pressed down into the fabric of her sofa. "I just have three conditions."
He nodded numbly, eyes never looking away from hers.
"Number one is that you're always honest with me about your needs," she began and leaned closer on all fours. Sakura could tell her close proximity was having a major effect on Keigo when she pressed a hand to the space between his legs, so vexingly close to touching him but keeping it steady on the sofa, forcing him to swallow hard. "Number two: respect me and our relationship. And number three…" Free hand coming up to his cheek, she stole his breath away with the intensity of her devotion, and she trembled when his hand gripped at her waist gratefully. "Let me try to make you as happy as you make me."
She brought their lips together to conclude her conditions like they were sealing a deal, one that Keigo was visibly more than happy to sign away his soul for.
It started out gently at first, the pair tentatively testing the waters and savouring the rush of relief as years' worth of wanting to taste the other was sated only slightly, before Sakura gladly relinquished control and allowed Keigo to take over, sighing as he deepened the kiss and dragged her closer.
"Any objections?" Sakura wanted to confirm, creating a small amount of distance to show she was serious about needing to hear his vocalised agreement.
He hesitated for a brief moment, indecision lasting less than that until he requested, "Tell me if anything I do is hurting you." Tenderly, his hand came to her hair and brushed it back, allowing him to admire her features. "You're too willing to sacrifice yourself for the sake of others."
Sakura pretended to sit on the request for a moment and bit back a grin at the vaguely unimpressed glare she received in response, before agreeing with an impish, "Fine."
They were really doing it.
All those fantasies about what it'd be like to take that leap onto the level they repeatedly teased themselves with were about to be tested against the real thing, and Gods, she could feel in the way Keigo tugged her closer only to lower her to the sofa that they would pale in comparison. A knee wedging itself between her legs forced them to part and make way for him and Sakura couldn't help but tip her head back, eyes sliding shut at the feeling of his weight pressing her down further into the cushions.
How long had she wanted this for? Truthfully, longer than she should have, since it'd started as a harmless crush during her time as a work study, however it wasn't until the night of her graduation, when she was crying into his comforting shoulder about her broken heart that the true feelings started to develop for her hero.
The air distorted around them in response to his wings suddenly fanning out and distantly, she heard papers scattering from her coffee table, but focusing on them was impossible. His insistent hands on her body refused to let Sakura focus on anything but Keigo, and she whispered his name in a breathless sigh at the lowering of his kisses.
It was really happening.
"You taste so good," he groaned against her sensitive neck and her brow puckered at the praise.
Her hands were shakingly eager while dragging him back up to her mouth, the sealing of their lips capturing her short sound of pleasure upon registering the bulge in his pants. It was obvious Keigo was trying not to push too much and to show that she was more than happy to feel more of him, Sakura lifted her hips in the same moment as her leg drove him down against her, her heart soaring at his quiet moan.
"So impatient," Keigo chastised in a sweet whisper to her lips, teasing her by moving away just as she made to kiss him again. "I trained you better than that, didn't I?"
Fuck, his voice sounded intensely sexy when he was aroused. The lower tenor was without a doubt going to drive her insane by replaying itself in her mind long after the deed was done, and Sakura couldn't wait.
"What're you going to do about it?" she goaded, knowing that he'd always gotten a kick out of her pushing against his authority (within reason, of course).
A pleasant shiver ran down her spine and belatedly, Sakura realised his feathers were ever so gently running along the bare skin of her arms, tickling her wonderfully.
"What am I going to do about it?" came his soft repeat, the words dripping with implications that had her thighs clenching around his hips. "I'll remind you who's the boss here by fucking you back into submission."
Shit… "We'll see about that."
Keigo's chuckle was low and breathy and full of warning – the only warning she got before Sakura found herself being lifted from the sofa, her giggles full of mirth and anticipation when she was carelessly thrown over his shoulder with a swift swat to her ass following once she was in place.
"Don't blame me when you can't walk tomorrow, you fucking brat," he shocked her to the core by grunting.
Without needing Sakura to direct him there, Keigo found his own way to her bedroom and gave another spank before she was tossed to the bed. He stood over her imposingly and she loved every minute of that golden gaze piercing down on her, making her shift on the mattress with keenness.
"They're all going to know that you were railed the night before, too," Keigo warned darkly while leaning forward, caging her in on the bed but driving Sakura insane by not touching her. "Sweet little Impact limping around the office, still feeling my cock wedged deep inside you like I've only just finished with you."
She couldn't hold back the whimper.
"That's what you want, isn't it, kid?" he questioned lowly and she swallowed hard, lips eager when they were teased with a faint brushing of his. "You want to feel my cock deep inside of you after all this time of needing it–"
"Yes," she responded breathlessly.
Sakura really was going crazy with need. Having him teasing her, hearing the darker tone to his voice, had her longing to skip foreplay entirely – she was certain she'd be ready anyways. If only he knew the effect he had on her, and how many times over the years she'd pleasured herself after particularly intense flirting left her dripping for him.
It was finally, finally, happening.
A daring hand came to her throat, and she just about died at the taunting pressure. "Yes, what?"
What would he want her to call him? Her hero? Hawks? Keigo? Sakura scrambled at the possibilities for a moment, before settling on the name he'd given only her permission to use. "Yes, Keigo."
"Good girl," he praised with a toe-curling kiss to complement it. The quiet moan she responded with had him chuckling and Keigo leaned back to assess her with obvious admiration. "You've always liked it when I called you that, haven't you?"
As sad as it probably was to admit, she'd loved receiving any kinds of praise from their winged hero. Knowing that she'd made him proud or happy never failed to fill Sakura with a deep sense of accomplishment, and in that moment, the need to please him was stronger than ever.
"I like being your good girl," Sakura admitted with heated cheeks.
"My number one sidekick," he reminded her hotly, and she thrived under his appreciative eyes. What truly had her restless and needy was the way his hand drifted downwards, thumb finding its way to her clothed sex and applying a maddening pressure to his circular motions that wasn't enough. "I'd be lost without you by my side."
Oof, right in the heart, she thought, though couldn't contain the effect his loving words had on her, much to his amusement.
Keigo drove her insane with fleeting touches and heated gazes, set her skin ablaze while undressing her lovingly, ensuring to leave sweet, sweet praises against her to complement the open mouthed kisses that moved lower and lower and lower–
She cried out sharply, hands desperately clutching at ash blond hair to keep his eager mouth pressed against her.
"So fucking good," he groaned into Sakura's heated flesh, tongue slipping between her slick lips. "Better than I could've imagined."
It really was, she wanted to reply but was too caught up in the assault on her senses. Sakura looked to him through squinting eyes just in time to witness his wings fluttering, panting harshly at the realisation that he was enjoying himself just as much as she was.
Her hips were impatient against his hungry mouth and she was so thankful when Keigo took mercy on her by focusing his tongue on her clitoris, deeming her ready enough for him to slide a finger inside. He had her head throwing itself back against the bed when a second finger sunk deep with the first at the next thrust, the pair curling tortuously and leaving her momentarily dazed.
"You like that?" Keigo asked and holy shit, his looking up at her so approvingly from between her thighs was devastating. The sight of his slick mouth and chin raising like he wanted her to see the mess they were making had her whimpering shamelessly, hips demanding as they bucked towards him and he smirked impishly. "Of course you do. You've wanted this just as long as I have, haven't you?"
She was right earlier. The fantasies paled embarrassingly compared to the real thing.
"So badly," she whined to him without a shred of shame. How could she feel embarrassed when he knew the truth already? When he felt the same way?
"I know, baby," came his soothing coo.
She trembled when his feathers tickled along the backs of her thighs before they pressed them up to her chest, holding them in place for Keigo as he left her a quivering mess within moments of increasing the pace of his pumping fingers. He rose to his knees above her, left her imagination running wild with the image of him leaning over her. It left Sakura desperate for his fingers to be replaced with a different part of him, but shit, for the life of her, she couldn't find her voice to plead with him.
The feathers were no longer necessary in pinning her thighs when he lowered himself to her but they lingered anyway. They wrapped around her limbs and spread her legs wider to accommodate his hips, and Sakura whimpered at the new pressure against her, hips thrusting into his relentless hand.
"You going to cum for your hero, baby?" She nodded enthusiastically, fingers digging into his shoulders but longing for them to be bare like hers. Whereas she was fully naked, Keigo was still dressed, only ditching his outerwear. "Tell me," he encouraged before bringing their lips together seamlessly, tongues tangling and leaving her light-headed even when Keigo put a few inches of distance between their mouths. "Tell me what you want me to do."
She was damn near incoherent while begging for him to make that knot in her stomach finally implode, but as always, Keigo proved he knew her well. Even if the words were jumbled and couldn't be made sense of, he understood, and smirked maddeningly while pushing her over that magnificent edge. Sakura unravelled around him with sharp cries of relieved pleasure, hips undulating and eliciting soft exhales as Keigo pressed his own to hers to experience the pressure, eyes locked on her climaxing features with undoubtable tender awe.
Shakily, she yanked his head down to hers with a strong grip on his hair, though was forced to take a moment to try and calm the ferocity of her panting and mindless hips, grimacing with pleasure when Keigo eased her back down to reality with gentle strokes into her pulsating heat, with loving praises whispered into damp hair and soft, soft lips brushing against whatever part of her he could reach.
"Mission completed," he teased her and chuckled at the dazed look in Sakura's eyes. "You have officially cheered me up."
She forced herself to try and move against his restraining feathers, though her smirk was languid, the playfulness losing its edge due to his ministrations. "But I haven't had my turn yet."
"Who said you get a turn?" Keigo chuckled darkly and to prove his point, kept her pinned with his weight. One leg shifted upwards like it was cradling her ass, aiding him in an intense rolling of his hips that had them both breathing out near silent moans. "Don't go forgetting your place, kid."
Fuck, she couldn't get enough of his talking down to her like that. "Yeah? And where's that supposed to be?"
He smirked. "You belong under me."
Ah, but she wasn't about to go down without a fight and she revelled in the sparkling interest in Keigo's eyes as he immediately noticed hers beginning to glow from the use of her quirk. The enhanced strength had her easily breaking through the restraints and switching up their positions, although she was mindful of pushing him down onto his wings just in case they got caught. Sakura wanted to please him, not cause harm and she noted the flash of affection that warmed his expression as Keigo shifted to recline against the headboard with a big enough gap to accommodate his wings.
"I'm not satisfied with you saying you're cheered up when I haven't done anything," Sakura murmured and trailed her fingertips down his chest, smirking at the captivated look in his eyes as he shifted eagerly beneath her touch. "I want to make you feel good too."
Wasn't that how she'd spent the past few years? Standing by his side loyally and allowing him to lean on her whenever he needed her support? Doing all she could to bring him out of those dark moods? Gods, one of her favourite things to do was make Keigo laugh.
"Please let me," Sakura whispered and leaned into him, leaving open mouthed kisses to his throat that had him melting beneath her.
Fingers ran through her hair, making her stomach flutter wonderfully at the pressure that was telling her to move further down.
"Show me what that pretty mouth of yours looks like wrapped around my cock," he ordered, hand twitching in her hair to yank her head back to meet his eye and causing an odd pain-pleasure. The sight of her had his wings shaking lightly behind him with need until Keigo gently guided her into moving back for him, removing his shirt to save her the issue of dealing with it later. "I know you can do more than talk shit to me."
Oh, he was going to see exactly what she could do and Sakura smirked wickedly at just the thought of his shock when he belatedly realised the benefits of his training her.
Eyes drawn to his chiselled chest, she appreciated the muscles she'd seen many times before in the past. Usually during training more than anywhere else, and her thighs clenched together once more at the reminder of what he looked like after a spar. Sweaty, chest heaving, eyes lidded when he thought she wasn't looking. All those times she'd been so goddamn tempted to just throw all concerns to the wayside and give into the need to have him.
And now here they were.
"Remember those lessons you gave me to boost my quirk?" Sakura questioned softly, impishly, and she knew that he instantly caught on by the catch in his breathing. He didn't need to wait for her eyes to begin glowing once more to know what she was about to do, and Sakura felt so very empowered when Keigo immediately dissolved to the feelings she enhanced so effortlessly with a hand to his abdomen. "The ones meant for interrogating and enhancing what a person's feeling in that moment?"
He chuckled lowly even as he squirmed for her touch. "You're interrogating me?"
"More like…" Her lips stretched with her grin as she popped open the buttons of his pants, his bulge straining for release. "Helping you loosen up those tense muscles." His sigh of relief as she finally freed him from the confinements of his pants had her meeting his lidded gaze appreciatively, and Sakura subconsciously licked her lips at the feel of him hot and throbbing in her hand, changing that sigh for a hiss of pleasure by dragging her hand downwards. "You're always so tense, Keigo, but nobody else notices, do they?"
The chuckle broke off halfway through, his eyes squeezing shut in an almost pained grimace thanks to her enhancement. "Nobody… is around me as long as you are."
"Why's that?" she purred and leaned towards him, bringing his lower lip between her teeth.
His golden gaze cracked open to meet hers, lidded with the weight of his needs. "Because you're my number one."
Damn right she was.
Sakura released a shaky exhale against his neck at the feel of his already seeping tip, and she smeared the fluid around him with a swirl of her finger, rejoicing in the shiver he tried to repress.
"Can I taste you?" she asked coyly and saw the effect of her words in his tensing stomach muscles, felt it in his twitching cock. "Please, Keigo?"
He nodded quickly and she wasted no time in pleasing her hero, head dipping to leave lingering kisses and swipes of her tongue. She drove him crazy with his desperation to meet his end, had him clutching at the bedsheets with an unyielding grip that turned his knuckles white, until Sakura guided one hand to the back of her head. The meeting of their eyes was full of heat and hunger, and she had all of three seconds to relax her throat before he was thrusting his hips upwards in time to pressing her head down, groaning brokenly as her cheeks immediately hallowed during her travel back up when it proved too much for her gag reflex to handle.
That pesky detail didn't stop her from repeating the move, however and she knew he appreciated the way she left her ass in the air while bobbing her head over his length, hand stretching out as far as it could reach down her side and back, stroking her heated skin with palpable admiration.
"That's my girl," he uttered in breathless moans, hand returning to fisting in her hair. "You're such a good girl."
She allowed him to guide her for the most part while she discovered what he liked best, before Sakura showed him once more that she was a fast learner. In a matter of minutes, she had him squirming and groaning and sharp pains that she oddly liked shot across her scalp in response to his tight hold. Those reactions had absolutely nothing on the way he moaned brokenly when she swallowed his whole cock and held him there in her contracting throat, fighting her gag reflex, hand massaging his tightening balls and causing his hips to flex into her.
But just as she dragged her lips back up, the moment she swirled her tongue around her reddening tip and lapped up the precum, Keigo was yanking her upwards onto his lap, crushing his mouth to hers with a desperate groan that her quivering on top of him. Eager hands roughly pulled Sakura into position, making her heart skip beats and stomach somersault at the demanding pressure of his blunt tip against her opening.
It didn't seem to matter to him that he was still half-dressed – then again, Keigo's pants were baggy enough that they wouldn't restrict any of his movements. Besides, they were already ruined from their grinding and covered in her cu–
"Condom," Sakura remembered suddenly and caused her hero to whine softly into her chest when she lifted her hips away from his. She couldn't move too far due to the unrelenting hold he had around her waist, but she didn't mind in the least.
"You're killing me," he groaned, forehead coming to rest against her.
Sakura's chest was heaving from the intensity of wanting to say screw it all, of needing to just lower herself onto him. It was startling how easily they almost forgot about something as important as protection and she knew she would reprimand them both in the morning about it, but in that moment in time, she…
"You'll thank me in the morning." She wasn't sure who she was trying to convince, because neither of them believed the words for even a second.
Luckily for the pair of them, Sakura had a box in her nightstand and she heard Keigo snickering at the implications – more condoms meant more rounds, he whispered heatedly into her throat, though she was understandably distracted from replying because that was the moment he'd slid the condom on and without a second of hesitation, pressed himself into her slowly, his patience clearly non-existent.
"Fuck, you feel so good," he praised and she fluttered around him as he continued to guide her down, stealing his breath away. "It's a good thing your enhancement wears off after a short while otherwise you'd have me coming already."
How the hell was she supposed to last if he breathed such dirty words into her ear? Sakura struggled to remain in control as her lips sought his eagerly, relishing in the groan that had her recklessly pressing down harder, much to her body's protests and she winced in response to the sharp sting.
It was at her whimper that Keigo told her comfortingly, "Patience. It's all yours so you don't have to rush."
Gods, but she wanted him fully inside her already – he was stretching her so perfectly, hands kneading her ass cheeks and holding her in place as he began slow, shallow thrusts. The movement had her whimpering again, though not entirely out of pain.
"Keep taking it, baby," he grunted, lips finding hers and allowing them to swallow one another's breathy moans. "You can take it."
Holy fu-
Head falling back at the final thrust had Keigo wedged deep inside of her, Sakura squeezed her eyes shut, lips parting to release a low moan of utter relief.
Finally, she thought to herself.
She squirmed on his lap and rolled her hips experimentally, thankful that Keigo gave her a few moments to adjust to his girth, before she let him know she was ready for him with a heated kiss and her hands tangling in his hair, pulling his head back so that the kiss could continue as she lifted herself off him.
He was the one to bring her back down with a forceful slamming of their hips and Sakura jolted, breaking the kiss as she cried out. What made the thrusts that much better was the way Keigo watched her bouncing on his cock appreciatively, fingers digging into the flesh of her hips to show how much he liked it. He was panting, upper lip curling and brows puckering, the sight of his pleasured grimace so very beautiful to her.
Sakura pressed her chest firmly to his, hands swinging around him desperate for something to hold onto, and during the reckless way their hips clashed and only partly due her relentless bouncing that knocked off her destination, she accidentally grabbed at his right wing rather than his intended shoulder, and she froze when his composure cracked, at his tortured sob-like moan.
It had no right to sound so fucking hot.
"I-I'm sorry–"
"Don't be," Keigo groaned into her heaving chest. "Don't stop."
He… liked it?
"Play with my wings," he ordered while pushing her to lay back in the bed, leaving Sakura in a state of awe when his wings immediately fanned out behind him with a strong and blatantly demanding whoosh.
And because she was always eager to please her hero (not to mention fascinated by his wings and always tempted to touch them), she didn't hesitate. Gingerly, she ran her fingers through them, tickling the base of them and marvelling at the tremor that took over Keigo's form.
Only when he resumed a damn near brutal pace did she dare to be a little rougher with them, arms remaining tightly locked around Keigo just like he did her, using the grip to keep Sakura locked in place during his wild thrusts. The only downside to the pace was that she couldn't fully appreciate his wings like she'd always longed to, and several times, had to settle on merely holding them when he repeatedly brought her to that wonderful edge.
And when he finally pushed her over it, Sakura fell blindly and eagerly, her orgasm reminding her of all the times Keigo carried her through the skies at intense speeds that gave her the greatest highs. Desperately, she clutched at his wings to ground herself in all the quivering and moaning, unable to feel a shred of remorse for the unyielding grip on his feathers.
Not that he seemed to mind.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, good girl," he grunted into the humid air, head throwing back until he bowed into her, hips stuttering to a halt at a particularly rough grab of his wings that soon had him grinding tersely into her. "Fuck, I-I'm coming–"
Shockingly, it was exactly what she needed to help her ride out her orgasm and she cried out in approval when Keigo angled her hips up on to his. A strong gush of wind followed by the sounds of objects clattering noisily to the ground should have told her that he'd flapped his wings, but Gods, she couldn't focus on anything other than the feeling of his pulsating cock making her toes curl against his calves.
His come down came with heavy panting and nuzzling his nose into her throat and Sakura basked in the euphoric aftermath of their finally coming together, keeping Keigo pressed against every inch of her.
"We should've done that sooner," she said in her blissed out mind, only to shove her forehead into his shoulder when it finally registered what she said and Keigo laughed at the words.
It eased some of the embarrassment somewhat he peppered light kisses along her still-sensitive skin, but what finally erased it entirely was his telling her, "It was worth the wait."
Biting her lip to mask the giddy smile, Sakura accepted the softness of his caresses happily, fingers momentarily threading through his damp hair and causing her to lose the battle to hide the giddiness.
"You like people playing with your wings?"
It was his turn to feel sheepish and she grinned widely at the dipping of his head to her chest, giggling when he playfully bit her breast in retribution. "Not usually," was all he said.
Of course, that only made sense. Sakura had always been aware of how sensitive his feathers could be, particularly around the base of his wings, so she imagined it required a great level of trust for him to be comfortable in having another touch them.
She admired the sight of her naked hero as he slipped out of her and off the bed, disappearing for only a couple of moments to dispose of the condom. However, in the time he was gone Sakura sat up with the intention of grabbing a drink for them both, only to blush under Keigo's weighted stare when he returned to the room with a single bottle of water for them to share, eyebrow raising at her leaving.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Sakura blinked in surprise, saying, "Well, y-you came so I–"
"That doesn't mean I'm done with you," he told her with a low chuckle that had her insides clenching, that need reigniting as she was yanked beneath him once more without any warning. He finally kicked off his pants and lowered himself against her, teeth grazing Sakura's throat and leaving her dazed at the feeling of his growing erection. "I've wanted this for too long for it to be over so soon."
Good, she wanted to reply but couldn't, too busy returning his sudden deep kiss. She didn't want it to end either.
A/N - This was supposed to be a short PWP, but I got carried away after falling in love with this pairing haha!
Also, I know I shouldn't say this due to the risk of trolls, but I haven't read the manga, so please don't come at me if I'm off with his character! I've done the best I can with what little I've seen/had spoiled already.
I really want to continue this as a longer story or perhaps use that same AU but take this out of it so that it could be a different experience. What do you all think?
Anyways, hope you all enjoyed! Oh and if you want HawksSaku fanart, you can find some on my Twitter/TikTok/Tumblr/Ko-Fi/Instagram. All the usernames should be in my bio!