Through the Fire and Flames

by Rise of the Blossom

Bad times were coming, but they would be ready. She wasn't going to let anyone interfere with their future.

A/N - Next part of the Hawks x Sakura one-shots! Current order: Let's Build a Fire, Burn with Me Tonight and Through the Fire and Flames.

Thank you to sak-uraharu-no for commissioning me again!

---

Spending the night holed up in their cabin was the perfect way of shutting off from the world as it processed their relationship's turning point. While Keigo was unable to completely switch off his phone, he muted anything that wasn't important (unlike Sakura, who straight up switched hers off) and devoted himself entirely to their night of bliss.

It was in the early hours of the morning, when they were completely spent and unable to so much as shift in their tangled position on the bed, that Sakura asked softly, "What kind of place do you have in mind for us?"

A thoughtful hum was the only answer for the longest time, but she could tell from the distant look in his eyes that Keigo would answer – he simply had something going on in his head that he needed to work through first.

Then, quietly, he answered, "I don't have a specific place in mind. I just…"

She barely managed to prop herself onto an elbow to get a better look at him in the dimly lit room. The fire that was originally their only source of light was now on its way out, just short of being dying embers by that point. Neither had any intentions of getting up to rectify the issue however, not when they were teetering into the realm of unconsciousness.

"Just…?" she pushed gently.

His smile was small and sweet but was powerful enough to shatter her heart when she heard the sadness in his words of, "I want it to be a home."

Not just a fancy apartment or a luxurious house with an endless supply of rooms – he longed for a real home where they could be themselves and share good times and bad, somewhere to return to after a long day and feel at peace.

She reached out and brushed the damp locks off his forehead, returning his smile with warmth and determination and all the love she could convey in such a seemingly simple gesture.

To her, home had always meant family and while maybe it was too soon to call themselves such a thing, Sakura wholeheartedly believed that after years of caring for one another and always being there for each other, that they were a family. Long before they became romantically involved.

"I won't rest until it's the best home I can create," she vowed.

The response had Keigo chuckling light-heartedly, eyes creasing with his mirth. "I'll hold you to it, kid."

---

It was a good job she'd silenced her phone after turning it back on so that the constant sounds of notifications didn't drive her batshit crazy – the damned thing froze and crashed multiple times as her social media pages were flooded with all kinds of crazy messages. Even those who knew her personally and had her number didn't get a look in as they were lost amongst the chaos.

For the most part, many seemed genuinely happy that their winged hero Hawks found happiness and love, but Sakura had to admit she wasn't all that surprised by coming across hundreds of toxic responses to the news. While everyone was entitled to an opinion, they were ultimately unimportant in her relationship and so she didn't spare them anything more than a skim read before Sakura moved onto the next notification.

The only reason why she'd even bothered to turn her phone on not even twenty-four hours after their going public was due to Keigo making a run to a nearby town to grab them food. Having told him not to rush, Sakura wasn't expecting him to return for a minimum of an hour, seeing as they were out in the middle of the forest. To busy herself while the notifications flooded in, she tidied up the areas they'd used the night before and brought in more firewood, but other than that, there was absolutely nothing for her to do other than glimpse through everything that was said.

Fans' reactions were definitely the most important to Keigo, though there was no denying that Sakura was more anxious about the media's attitude towards their relationship. They were the ones who influenced everyone else's opinions and had the most potential for being merciless and downright toxic. However, she needn't have worried, for Hawks' fanbase was phenomenal and there wasn't a single negative comment or article that wasn't flooded with their passionate responses.

Smiling and hoping more than anything that her hero knew just how deeply he was cherished by others, Sakura set her phone down and started another fire in preparation for his return home to her.

Home.

Butterflies fluttered anxiously in her belly. Such a simple sentence that she'd used a thousand times in the past both about Keigo and regarding others now held a considerable weight behind it, one she loved perhaps a little too much considering the bout of sadness it brought along with it.

All Sakura could see now when thinking of creating a home with Keigo was the sadness in his gaze as he warily opened up that side of himself to her. It wasn't exactly rare to happen, for her hero had been working so damn hard facing the darkness that plagued him and oftentimes let her glimpse at it too, but it never got any easier – not that she would tell him that facing that look hurt. He needed to know that she was his safe space.

"I want it to be a home."

No matter what it took, she was going to give her all into creating a home for Keigo – for them both.

Returning to her phone, Sakura instantly copied Keigo's example of silencing social media apps before starting up a search for places in the surrounding area of his agency.

Although he said he didn't mind where or what they lived in, Sakura curiously pondered whether he wanted to rent a house so soon into the relationship, or if they were best off sticking to a single bedroom apartment. There were many implications behind going for a multi-bedroom place – even more if that place was designed to be an actual family home – and being where they were while still exploring their romantic relationship (the early stages, she meant) caused her to be wary, just on the off chance that it became too much for him.

The plan was to hopefully keep their new place a secret, but she knew that ultimately it was impossible to keep it up forever. At some point down the line somebody was going to accidentally give away the location or perhaps even paparazzi or hardcore fans would follow one of them home one day. She refused to have them drive themselves crazy trying to keep everything a secret.

Besides, the thought of creating a home with Keigo and not inviting friends and family around to experience the haven seemed… not pointless per se as it would always be their space, but Sakura loved the idea of sharing that safety and comfort with others.

Admittedly, a more superficial part of herself longed to show off too.

When younger and picturing what moving in with a significant other would entail, she'd always envisioned a big, fancy house with a garden and some kind of water feature, and it was all decorated to the highest of standards, always on top of trends.

It wasn't until recently that Sakura pictured a more homely setting, wishing more than anything that it was a perfect space to retreat into without any fears of judgement. Somewhere they could just shut off from the world without being completely restricted from civilisation (since they still had duties and needed to remain relatively close to their jurisdiction).

There really was no use in browsing by herself until they discussed what they wanted from their home, but even while telling herself that, Sakura remained glued to her phone and bookmarked all beautiful apartments and houses. It was only when Keigo returned with two large shopping bags that she even realised how obsessed she'd become, spending a whole forty minutes on the task.

"What's this?" her hero enquired curiously, kicking off his shoes before entering the cabin. "You're not reading through the articles, are you?"

Ah, so they were in newspapers and magazines already too, Sakura read the deeper meaning of his words. That wouldn't have been Keigo's first concern if he hadn't already seen something potentially upsetting.

Meeting him halfway and carelessly tossing her phone onto the sofa, she scooped one of the bags from his hold and led the way to the moderately sized kitchen, beginning the process of putting the groceries away. There were enough items there to tell Sakura that his leave was covered by sidekicks, giving them the chance to stay there for a couple more days before returning to reality.

"Should I be worried about them?" she questioned like she hadn't already skimmed through a couple.

So far from what she'd seen, there wasn't anything that was extremely damaging or overly upsetting. Having a few pointing out that there was an age difference between them (like it wasn't just over three years) seemed grossly unnecessary more than anything, especially with their being adults, but it was when they threw that deadly left hook of mentioning her being just fifteen when they met and her originally being a work study. That was where her concern stemmed.

Why people had to focus on the negatives was unknown to her. However, Sakura once more comforted herself with the knowledge of Hawks' fans pointing out the development of their friendship and how both of them had been involved with others during said friendship. There was no abuse of power or his taking advantage of her like some loosely implied, and Sakura was going to make damn sure those damaging accusations (even if they didn't outright accuse him of such atrocities) were obliterated.

For now, distance was probably what was best until the initial shock wore off, as it would grant them the opportunity to rationally plan a counterattack. Responding when blinded by emotions was a quickfire way of damning themselves.

"There's a couple worrisome claims," Keigo shocked her by admitting, though she could tell by his body language that he wasn't overly concerned. He explained why moments later while joining her in putting away the supplies, saying simply, "The commission won't let them tarnish an image they helped create. Worst case scenario?" He shrugged in a 'what-can-you-do' sort of way, hands pausing in placing the packeted seasoning on a shelf (they never bought actual tubs of the stuff due to only being there for a couple of days once a month). "Legal action will be taken for defamation of character."

He's spoken to the commission already, Sakura realised with a well-hidden jolt. Was that why Keigo decided to extend their stay (or why it was allowed)?

"Your supporters have been on the warpath, you know," she added lightly, warming when an almost relieved smile pulled at his lips at the knowledge. "Looks like I'm not the only one determined on making you happy."

Realisation had him looking to her in mock accusation. "You've been online."

"I couldn't resist the temptation," she shot back playfully. Finally with the groceries put away, Sakura slinked into the miniscule space between Keigo and the counter, looking up at him temptingly. "Surely you know how hard it is to fight against impulse?"

The hands that glided over her waist told her all she needed to know, bringing forth a victorious grin that had him rolling his eyes. "The fact that I can barely last a few days without having you proves I do."

Sakura didn't resist when she was lifted onto the countertop and the manner her legs parted to accommodate her hero was completely instinctive by that point. However, it surprised her when there were no moves to start another round like they usually would. Instead, the gentling of Keigo's gaze stilled any advances she could have made for her heart was too busy skipping beats at the suddenly tender moment between them.

"What is it?" Sakura softly questioned and her lips curved with a smile. Arms coming around him, she brought Keigo closer so that she could place a single, chaste kiss to his lips. "Where's your head, Keigo?"

His own smile was small and sheepish while telling her, "This time last year, I was so certain that I couldn't handle being intimately involved with another – emotionally intimate, that is. Now look at us."

Well, their finding that delicate balance hadn't been straightforward and effortless. There were days when Sakura desperately wished that Keigo would just let her all the way in already, because seeing him struggling now that he was comfortable with letting her see it (rather than her having rely solely on reading his cues), was agonising. Some days she knew he needed time and space to process whatever it was he'd been through, though shamefully, there were a few instances where she grew frustrated when he brought those guards back up.

Keigo's natural instinct when it came to baring his heart and allowing himself to be truly vulnerable with another – even her – was to redirect and escape during the distraction. Several times over the past ten months he'd fallen back on that defence mechanism. It took him a while to feel comfortable in voicing those darker thoughts and feelings and Sakura knew that there were times even now where he struggled endlessly with them. Sometimes, he didn't want her to be burdened by them either, confessing quietly only a few months into their relationship that he was scared of losing her by sharing everything.

However, they stuck to their original terms and conditions for exploring a romantic relationship and combining that with their unwavering trust and feelings for one another made finding the balance a little easier. Sakura didn't push for any more than what Keigo was able or willing to give, just as he continued to share what he wanted or needed from her. Above all else, they continued to respect and trust one another and their privacy.

"We've always had emotional intimacy," Sakura fondly pointed out. "We even had physical intimacy, to a certain degree."

Although it was definitely never sexual between them until their first time together, they'd never shied away from touch either and had repeatedly blurred that line. It was always easy between them, granting them the ability to seek comfort from the other. She'd never had such safety before in her life, or even a place to return to when she felt like all else was lost. No matter what, Keigo was always there for her.

"I don't think I've ever been able to connect with anyone like I have you," she continued softly.

"Careful, kid," he murmured teasingly, but there was no mistaking the warmth in his eyes. "You'll make us both emotional."

Sakura grinned at that and shot back, "Please. We both know you're the emotional one here."

"Maybe," he played, falling quiet.

There was that look again, Sakura noted with a mental sigh. The one that told her he wasn't sharing everything – that something big was weighing him down. She wondered if the worst part about that (on her part, anyway) was the helplessness it evoked within her watching Keigo suffering, being completely useless to change any of it for him. All she could really offer was her presence and even then, she believed that to be severely lacking at times since that look never ceased. It was always at its worst after talking with the commission.

"Hungry?" Keigo questioned after several long moments.

He was attempting to redirect her attention and she could tell from the clarity entering his gaze that he felt he'd shared too much in his expression. However, trust was key and so she nodded, accepting that Keigo would tell her everything in his own time.

"You're cooking," she told him haughtily.

"Ah, that's not fair," came his playful not noticeably relieved whine.

---

Chest heaving from the intensity of their workout, Sakura dropped her hands to her knees and grinned.

Regularly training to ensure the seamlessness of their teamwork was top priority, however there were times when she adored recklessly going all out against Keigo. Being at the cabin allowed that since there was no one for miles, not just confirming the safety of civilians or anyone who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, but they maintained that desperately needed privacy too.

"Good work," Keigo praised breathlessly. "You really had me backed into a corner."

Too right she did, Sakura thought proudly. It was no easy task outsmarting someone like him, so she basked in the praise and self-pride. She'd well and truly earned it.

To think that she had gone from a student at U.A. that no hero wanted to take the risk in having as their work study, believing that she'd hit a wall and it would never get any better for her than that school, to being not just anyone's number one sidekick, but the number two hero's. When everyone else turned their backs on her or reminded Sakura that she was a major liability, Keigo saw the potential.

Now look at me, she mentally gushed. Living the dream.

Sakura collapsed backwards a few feet from the lake and grinned widely when Keigo came to stand over her, his wings closing up. The breeze cooled her slick skin wonderfully and she relished in the sounds nature surrounding them, fingers sliding through the unkempt blades of grass.

Crouching down between her legs, Keigo asked in a way she knew to be rhetorical, "How do you still look breath-taking when you're sweaty as hell?"

"Maybe it's the enhancement," she quipped, winking. "Maybe my quirk unconsciously enhances my beauty?"

"Like you need it," he snorted.

That was what she previously meant by his positive affirmations. Even on days when Sakura felt like she belonged in a swamp, when she felt her ugliest, Keigo never failed to bring her confidence back up. It was never empty compliments – he expanded on them. He told her what he liked and why he liked it and seeing the devotion in that golden gaze, feeling how deep those emotions ran, made it impossible to not believe him.

Deciding to join her on the embankment, Keigo dropped to her side and leaned back on his hands, attention drawn to the light ripples dancing along the seemingly shimmering lake reflecting the setting sun. Combining it with the comforting silence that complemented it so wonderfully, the peaceful view was nothing short of perfection and perhaps one of the major perks of their quaint cabin.

"It's back to reality tomorrow," Sakura noted once she finally had her breath back, propping herself up on one elbow to offer Keigo her full attention. "Do you think anyone at the agency will say anything to us?"

"To me? Doubtful," came his thoughtful murmur. After only a second, Keigo looked to her from the corner of his eye and admitted, "But you're my eyes and ears there. You always catch the gossip before anyone else and feed it back to me."

It was how he kept his office employees and sidekicks so happy in their employment with him. As soon as Sakura caught a whiff of there being any kinds of despondency or disliking for the manner in which the agency was being run (because admittedly, Keigo's priority was ensuring the safety of the civilians and their city, so oftentimes issues went unnoticed until he spent an entire day at the office – usually while healing), she let her hero know what was up and what needed addressing.

Knowing how close she and Keigo were (even before the start of their romantic relationship), nobody had ever dared to badmouth either of them – not in front of her, anyway. There were a few who joined the agency merely to get close to the infamous Hawks, who then soured when it became evident that they could seduce him all they wanted but would never be placed above her, but again, they never directly came at her. More so childish rumours or so-called pranks that her friends at the agency instantly saw to on her behalf.

There was the chance of backlash if they believed her standing was down to their relationship. However, Sakura reminded herself that a lot of the employees had seen their bond from day one of their working there. They knew Keigo relied on her. If their opinion of her changed simply because it was romantic between them now, then that was their problem to deal with.

Still…

"I'm a little nervous," admitted Sakura sheepishly and she ducked her head, allowing her bangs to fall forward and cover the weak expression. "I don't want anyone to think I'm your number one or you're playing favourites like I've slept my way to the top."

"It is a possibility," Keigo relieved her by responding truthfully. She didn't want anything sugar coated or overlooked just to spare her feelings – they needed to be honest and prepared for their next step forward. "Those who know us – or you – best will know that's not the case, though."

"Unless they're blinded by what's being reported in the media–"

"Which is being dealt with," he reminded her. Keigo copied her example in leaning on his side, wings fanning out behind him contentedly while he reached out, hand coming to her hip and offering a reassuring squeeze. "There's no use in agonising over hypotheticals when the likelihood of the wind changing is high. You said yourself that there are supporters out there fighting our corner."

Sighing, she nodded.

He smiled. "Trust them. You're equally important to them as I am."

Lies, she wanted to accuse, but meeting his gaze quickly told Sakura that Keigo truly believed his words. "How are you so sure?" she asked instead, baffled by his conviction. "You're the number two hero."

"And you're my number one sidekick who's been there from the start," he assured her with great ease, eyes creasing. "It wasn't that long after opening the agency that you became my work study."

"That long, huh?" Sakura marvelled and turned her attention to the sky painted in orange and red hues, the blend in the myriad of shades stunning. "How have I not left already? Your singing alone should have driven me away."

Dark chuckling alerted her to what was about to happen before Keigo was on her and she grinned mischievously, having anticipated and longed for such a response. "You love my singing."

"Do I?" Playfully, she put on an expression of deep thought and told him haughtily, barely containing her smile, "I seem to recall telling you I was going to quit if you didn't stop."

"But you didn't," he shot back without pause. His wings gradually spread out behind him and not for the first time (certainly not the last either) she was in awe of their size, fingers outstretched to graze the softness of his feathers. "Admit that you secretly love my singing~"

"That's as bad as saying I love your whistling."

A fake, horrified gasp had her giggling freely, stomach filling with butterflies when Keigo pinned her thighs to her chest to be able to press his hips to hers with a snugger fit. "That's too cruel, Sakura," he murmured devilishly. "I can't let that remark go unpunished."

She snickered. "We both know your punishments aren't enough to make me take it back."

"That so, huh?"

"Prove me wrong," Sakura challenged and pushed against his hold to settle herself on his lap instead, eyebrow raising.

With that look officially retired for the time being, she felt the weight in her heart shift admiring the peacefulness that entered his eyes. Knowing that she played a part in putting such an expression on his face, knowing that she helped him find said peace, filled her with an indescribable happiness.

All she'd ever wanted was to make Keigo happy, after all.

"How about a swim?" Sakura coaxed her hero, gesturing with a tempting tip of her chin towards the lake.

"I'll one up you," he murmured, smirking. "How about we go skinny dipping?"

The mirth flowed freely with her chuckles and she tapped his cheek, smiling. "It's not one-upping me when I had no intentions of wearing anything."

His growl of approval was low and shot straight to her core, prompting Sakura to bite her lip to hide how much she enjoyed his reaction. "Naughty girl."

Just as Keigo leaned in for a kiss, she pressed a hand to his face and gently pushed it away to create some distance, soon bringing herself to her feet above him and coyly removing her vest top. And she knew he appreciated the show when he leaned back like Keigo wanted to really admire the moment, eyes languidly sweeping from hers to follow the movements of Sakura's hands so that he wouldn't miss a single second of the strip tease. It spurred her on witnessing his gaze growing lidded at the dropping of her sports bra, and Sakura was slow to unbutton her shorts, leaving them to hang low on her hips to expose the lacy waistband of her thong.

It was always such a rush pleasing Keigo out in the open. Although comparing the two was impossible, Sakura likened the experience to the rush of adrenaline when in battle. Even while knowing nobody was around, it wasn't impossible to be stumbled upon and she enjoyed the risk that it presented.

"Take them off," Keigo ordered, voice lowering an octave.

"What, these?" murmured Sakura, swaying her hips while teasing the shorts down ever so slightly, exposing more porcelain skin that his eyes greedily gazed upon. "Hmm, I don't know…"

The smirk on his lips was nearly cold and she felt herself heating up dramatically in response to the authority in his stare. "Are you disobeying your hero?" She bit her lip, heart skipping a beat when Keigo merely raised an eyebrow at her. "You do remember your place, right?"

You belong under me.

"I think you need to remind me," she hummed.

As he always did, Keigo left her in a state of awe for not just his cunning but his speed and accuracy, barely giving Sakura the chance to merely widen her freaking eyes before his feathers were ruthlessly pinning her to the nearest tree. With the wind knocked out of her she was unable to counter, though shit, she wasn't even sure that she wanted to. Not when Keigo's hand slammed to the trunk above her shoulder and he loomed over her exuding the most delicious type of energy that caused her thighs to try and clench, only for her to realise belatedly that he'd wedged a knee between hers.

Even with all their joking around and his overall jovial personality, it was impossible to forget just how formidable Keigo – Hawks – really was. Sure, it was an extremely basic pin, but she knew simply from how much he was holding back that she wasn't even seeing a fraction of his true abilities in that moment – knew that from experience, too. He was toying with her.

The abrupt and challenging spreading of his wings that came only after he was looking down on her was undoubtedly done to assert his dominance, and Sakura knowingly riled him up further by raising a single eyebrow, lips tugging upwards at one corner.

"Then again," she murmured naughtily, dragging her gaze up his body and back to his eyes, absolutely loving the darker gleam in his and the clenching of Keigo's jaw. "You're having to do an awful lot of reminding. Clearly your methods are weak."

Getting under his skin was a real talent of hers – one Sakura was more than happy to bestow upon him time and time again. Not that Keigo really cared all that much, for she knew if he seriously disliked her standing up against him, he'd let her know. No, from day one of their working together, he'd always gotten a kick out of it.

"Too weak, huh?" The way he murmured the words, combined with the mischievousness of his darkening expression, told Sakura she was in for it and she couldn't wait. "You sure about that?"

The fingers that stroked her through the shorts she'd refused to remove had her jolting in pleasant surprise, though she continued her farce and tormented him by replying with a half-hearted, "Mmhm."

The pressure increased into a delicious circular motion that had Sakura already struggling not to reach for him, the friction created by the lace of her thong intense – not that she could move even if she wanted to, since she was still being restrained by his feathers.

"Seems to me like you're succumbing to these weak methods already," Keigo muttered, and Sakura cursed herself for releasing a sharp gasp at the sudden pressure against her opening, the feeling of his knuckle straining through the fabric separating them making her weak. "Don't you think so, Sakura?"

Stubbornly, more to draw out that magnificent domineering moment (sometimes the teasing was the best foreplay), Sakura shook her head and grinned wickedly, telling him, "Nope."

He chuckled at that, the sound low in her ear and sending delicate shivers down her spine. "You fucking brat."

"Don't act like you don't love it," she whispered enticingly, unable to stop from biting her lower lip when Keigo looked down at her in palpable arousal.

"Maybe I just love putting you back in your place?"

Sakura shook her head and grinned. "You're deluding yourse–"

There was no holding back her sharp gasp or shudder when Keigo latched onto her neck without warning, teeth giving a playful nip before pressing down more harshly and with the promise of pain. But even with that, Sakura relished the thought of him littering her with his marks, laying claim for anyone who dared to get too close. It always transformed the pain into the most intense euphoria.

But just as the pressure increased, Keigo retreated and chuckled darkly, whispering into her throat, "Like I'm going to give you what you want." Her disappointed exhale had him grinning. "That's right, I made you cum once just from this alone, didn't I?"

Holy shit was that a wild night. Just recalling how intense it'd gotten between them following a sparring session had her tingling all over again. Keigo had unknowingly fulfilled a fantasy of hers that she'd had for years – taking her right after a sparring session when tensions were high and the adrenaline was still coursing through their systems, so rough that she was covered in bruises and bitemarks the next day and loving every second of it.

"Marking you up like you're nothing more than my possession," came his soft utterance, provoking another shiver that only served to exacerbate the pleasant tingles. "That's what you want, right? After years of us both needing each other, you want the whole world to know you belong to me now."

"Yes," she nearly groaned, eyebrows pinching together at the faintest traces of his tongue against her throat. "Please…!"

"Please, what?" he asked, amused. "Stop? I can stop if that's what you really want–"

"No," Sakura cried when Keigo made to move away from her.

His chuckling was downright sinful and it had her thighs clenching hearing it.

Still, despite the torture, she didn't regret riling him up whatsoever. Not even when he came at her with a vengeance and brought Sakura to the edge repeatedly, only to cruelly yank her away from it to talk down to her again. He had her suspended in a state of agonising pleasure, on the brink of losing her goddamn mind, quivering all over and relying entirely on his feathers keeping her upright and Sakura loved every fucking minute of it.

"Only good girls get to cum," Keigo told her mercilessly, lidded eyes drifting down to focus on her heaving chest before languidly sweeping back to hers. "You'll have to prove to me you're a good girl if you want it." He ran his tongue over his lip and took several steps back, appreciating her tightly wound body without a shred of hesitancy, ordering, "Strip."

So eager to please and finally be rewarded, Sakura prepared herself for the restraints to disappear and stood on jellified legs. To make up for the lack of support they offered her, she turned towards the tree and leaned forward, easing her shorts down and making sure to further arch her back as an invitation to him. And once they hit the ground with a thud, Sakura looked over her shoulder seductively, breathing growing shallow once more at the unrestrained hunger in his eyes.

A large hand came to her ass in clear admiration, kneading the toned cheek roughly.

"Keep going, baby," he whispered intimately into her ear, chest pressing to her back.

Goaded by the insistent hardness digging into her ass, Sakura did just that and her head fell back at the friction they created together, biting her lip to hold back just how much she enjoyed it when his hand came to her throat to pull her backwards. Lips pressed to the side of her face, then to her ear, his soft moan leaving Sakura weak.

She was taken by surprise when another feather entered the fray, her short sound eliciting a smirk from the man behind her. It was all she could do to keep gyrating her hips for him as he commanded it to rub up and down through her underwear, the pressure unbelievable. She was already a trembling wreck so when Keigo sucked softly just below her ear, Sakura knew she was a goner.

"How about we go for a swim?"

"Now?" she stressed, despairing at the thought of him stopping.

And he did just that, intentionally driving her crazy in the process. "Yes, now." Then, when it seemed like she wasn't going to move as she peered over her shoulder at him with a pout, Keigo spanked her once, ordering, "Finish stripping."

Gods, she was too far gone to keep playing around. To prove as much she carelessly kicked her underwear off and faced her hero, swallowing at the desire that met her. "Can I undress you?" Sakura whispered, skin tingling and nipples tightening at the intensity of his staring. "Please, Keigo?"

He removed his own shirt, but that didn't stop her from appreciating his muscles with her lips and tongue, leaving a loving path downwards. Just as Keigo thought she was about to get on her knees for him, she pressed a hand to his abdomen and gave a light shove. His look of disbelief had her grinning widely and shooting off into the lake, diving before he could punish her.

"Just when I thought you were starting to behave yourself," he growled playfully, kicking off his pants and following without a second thought.

Not that she really tried to outswim him, but Keigo had her in his grasp in mere moments. Lips instantly on hers, hands eager as they traced the soft curves of her body, it was all Sakura could do to simply return the kiss while getting so effortlessly lost in him.

Wading backwards, Keigo kept her close with the grip on her hips, coaxing Sakura to wrap her thighs around him, their lips meeting tenderly and savouring their coming together. And it was within minutes that he brought them both to completion, the rocking of their hips steady and needy and leaving her to groan into the humid air between them.

"I love being out here," she marvelled once her body had settled, and she drifted further out with languid kicks, drinking in the beauty of nature all around them.

There was a pause, one that was filled by a hesitant deep breath that had Sakura glancing over to Keigo curiously, offering a gentler smile at the clear nervousness in his expression. It was such a rare sight that even now, years later, she refused to interrupt or tease him for it.

And then…

"I love you," he murmured like it was something he'd been aching to say for a while now, shoulders slumping with relief at baring his heart.

Sakura came to an abrupt halt, lips parting in surprise before she was joining him once more with happy kisses and giggles. Their love for one another was never up for question – they knew exactly what they meant to one another without words and were serious enough to hunt for an apartment and go public. However, it was the first time saying they were in love with one another. Up until that point, they'd only said it light-heartedly as friends, never once saying it again when it became romantic between them.

"I love you too," she returned with every ounce of love she had to offer, returning his carefree grin. Kissing him again, Sakura kicked out to bring them closer to the embankment, allowing her to stand once more. "More than anything and no matter what."

"No matter what, huh?"

He offered a single, damn near infuriating smirk.

And then his wings came springing out of the water without a shred of mercy, flinging countless droplets of water over Sakura as they fanned out sensationally and shook themselves out.

"Keigo!"

---

Being back in the office after such a dramatic display was unnerving and Sakura found herself growing apprehensive while stepping through the doors, about to start her first day since overusing her quirk. Thankfully, the streets were unusually quite and allowed her to walk without being disturbed.

She wasn't sure what she was expecting at that point. Snide comments to her face? People bitching about her behind her back? Dirty looks? Condescension? Attitude whenever she tried relaying orders on Keigo's behalf? Was her standing in general going to be questioned?

The receptionists were pleasant enough, Sakura decided and returned their smiles, head dipping in acknowledgement while making her way towards the offices of Hawks and his sidekicks. There was a faint aura of knowing and disbelief that came from the three receptionists but for the most part they were fine and focused mainly on whatever was concerning them. Nothing that she couldn't handle.

It was just before entering the offices that got to her.

Sakura gradually came to a halt just as she reached the corner, eyebrows knitting together hearing the collective words blending together. Chances were, they weren't really saying all that much – if anything – about her, but the thought of walking through the office to her cubicle and having to face that telling hush, feeling the eyes from her peers who were just shy of bursting into condescending laughter, was too unsettling. It put her on edge.

Too far for the hushed words to really be of any use to her, she fell back on her quirk to enhance her hearing and her frown only deepened upon picking out a group of at least three gossiping about them.

"I stand by it going on for years. Why else would she be his number one? The rest of us don't get flown around or get given accessories personally from Hawks. We're lucky to get to spend more than ten minutes talking to him outside of meetings or prep talks."

"Right? That whole we're just friends act has always been just that – an act. Everyone knows how they are with each other. They've always been way too familiar."

"What makes it worse is that his relationship with Impact is–"

"Is none of our business," someone interjected, both shocking and relieving Sakura. With everything going on, she hadn't even realised it was time for the work studies to return. Gods, her head really had been up in the clouds. "Whether they have been together a few weeks or years doesn't matter to any of us. We have clearly seen already that it doesn't affect their teamwork or ability to protect the city and citizens – that's all that should matter."

Comforted by Hawks' work study's words, Sakura inhaled deeply and shut off her enhanced hearing. As she'd previously predicted, all fell awkwardly silent at her entering the office and she noted instantly that several couldn't meet her eye, though as much as it hurt, she refused to let it show.

Since she knew exactly who was talking shit (Tokoyami's presence by their side was the giveaway), she strode straight by them with an air of indifference, saying offhandedly, "If you have an issue with our relationship then you're more than welcome to take it up with Hawks – he's always gotten a kick out of conspiracies." Then, offering a smirk over her shoulder at the dumbfounded two women once she reached her desk, she added, "Or seeing as you're both such nervous little birds right now, I'd be happy to deal with your concerns on his behalf."

Their apologies were swift and full of embarrassment and shame, and Sakura merely raised a challenging eyebrow as they ducked away into their respective cubicles. She found out exactly who had issues when several others struggled to maintain eye contact but was relieved to find they didn't make up the majority. Of course, those who'd been with Hawks for a while now knew that their bond was precious.

Still, the fact that their names were getting dragged through the mud in the media no doubt stirred up the negative views, and the knowledge had Sakura slipping into a meeting room and retrieving her phone, calling the first person who came to mind when she thought of gossip.

"Well, it's about damn time you called me, Forehead," Ino groaned with annoyance. "It's tearing me up reading all these crazy lies in the news and blogs."

Gods, how much worse could it get? She'd steered clear since that first day after their reveal. "I need your advice," Sakura sighed. Glancing through the gaps between blinds at the communal office area, she smiled at Keigo's entrance and how he was immediately drawn to Tokoyami, grinning at his presence. "How should we deal with the media and the lies?"

"Leave the planning to me. I'll call you back in an hour with the details of how we'll clear this whole mess up so that you both get your happy ever after."

She left the meeting room just in time for Keigo to tip his chin in the direction of his office, intriguing her when she noted his work study in tow and everyone else suddenly rushing around to complete whatever orders he'd just given out. Barely sparing the rest of the communal office a second more of her time, she followed after the pair and shut the door behind herself.

"I heard what happened," Keigo started and leaned back against his desk, dipping his head towards Tokoyami as an explanation. "But that has to wait for the time being – I just wanted to acknowledge it."

Understanding (and since she hadn't really expected him or wanted him to go fighting her battles), Sakura nodded once. She folded her arms over her chest and looked between the two men, asking, "What's happened?"

Work studies came and went, though Sakura had to admit: Tokoyami was perhaps her favourite so far. Most who came were clearly children who had yet to experience the real world or the atrocities that went on within it – that was usually okay. They expected children to be children. However, it was when they allowed their naivety to take over because they were determined to prove themselves, putting others at risk when they disobeyed orders, that she got pissed. It'd happened many times over the years and was why Keigo limited the number of students he took on. Normally, if he couldn't keep an eye on them himself, he didn't want them to be a part of the agency.

Tokoyami, for whatever reason, was the exception.

But Sakura felt as though she understood just the tiniest amount. Tokoyami wasn't like his previous work studies, and she knew that was partly down to his serious personality and the battles he'd already faced in his young life. Whether Keigo had a greater reasoning in mind was unknown to her, but that was what she made of the situation.

"We're teaming up with Endeavour-san's agency again," he told the pair of them. "There's reports of terrorists in the city."

Terrorists? "They're either stupid or brave to attack the city where the number one and two heroes live," she muttered with a deep exhale. "Do we have any leads?"

The thought of teaming up with Endeavour wasn't unpleasant per se, though she didn't necessarily like the thought of working with his students again either. Two of them had rubbed her the wrong way and even a solid two weeks later, left a bitter taste in her mouth just thinking about having to deal with them again.

"I have an informant who caught wind of their plans to target both agencies. It's all been kept silent until this morning, hence the last minute announcements. Whoever these terrorists are, they've succeeded in attacking with the element of surprise."

Holy shit.

"That's insanity," Sakura replied breathlessly, unable to fathom just how mentally gone a person had to be to go after either agency, let alone both.

"It's suicidal," Tokoyami added and she noticed his cloak shifting in a manner that had her believing he was dropping his arms to his sides, perhaps just as stupefied as herself. "I can't imagine they have any hopes of coming out of it alive."

"Meaning they're sending a message," she murmured. Looking back to her hero, she finally saw how his wings were closed tightly, damn near flat to his back. He was unnerved by whatever he'd heard or seen. "Have there or will there be any other targets?"

Keigo sighed at that and strengthened his grip on the edge of his desk, turning his knuckles white from the strain. "We need to move forward with the assumption that every agency in or around the city is a target. I already took the liberty of sending out warnings."

"Patrols?"

"Doubled," he confirmed.

"Civilians?"

"The police are currently evacuating them, though it's going to take some time."

Terrorists.

In their city.

"We'll find them," Sakura assured her hero, offering him a sharp smile that had his wings drooping ever so slightly. "Just tell us where you want us."

The skillset of each agency was well-balanced, and she knew that they could spare their pros to grant Endeavour and Keigo the chance to sniff the rest of them out. If the terrorists slipped through the cracks and managed to launch an attack on the building itself, then they wouldn't make it out unscathed. They were chosen personally by Keigo, after all. He aided them in not only realising but unleashing their potential. The same went for all other agencies and their pros, too. Just because they weren't there to protect the building personally did not mean they were vulnerable or open to attack.

"The sidekicks are evacuating all other employees – they'll be joining the citizens," Keigo confirmed and pushed away from the desk. "You're both sticking with me. The others have this place well protected."

It was only once Tokoyami accepted the orders and left to prepare that Keigo caught her arm to still Sakura in following, quietly shutting the door and asking, "Are you up to working with those guys again?"

Affronted, she snapped, "Of course I am!"

"This is deadlier than before, Sakura," he murmured, volume dropping considerably to keep the conversation private. "The terrorists are…"

"I'll manage," she promised. Briefly glancing through the small window of his door and seeing nobody was looking, Sakura pressed her hand to his chest and smiled. "Just cover me if I beat that explosives kid to a pulp, okay?"

So obviously reluctantly, Keigo smirked.

---

Their descent from the sky was quiet but amongst the deserted street they landed in, they may as well have crash landed and she felt a creeping discomfort seeping into her pores.

The city was always bustling with life, especially where they currently were which was mere metres from the mall. Of course being as busy as it was, it was probably one of the first places to be evacuated, but seeing it so devoid of life, so unsettlingly silent, had goosebumps breaking out across her skin. She knew they were obvious from the way Keigo subtly squeezed her hands while releasing her now that they were on the ground once more.

"It's about time."

Here we go.

Looking to the entrance of the mall as Endeavour and his students left the building, Sakura shoved aside how badly she disliked two of the three kids, using the abandoned area to cement herself to the urgency of the situation. Cars were abandoned, bags dropped in a hurry with their contents spilling out of them. There was even a stray heel that'd been kicked off, and Sakura wondered how scared a person had to be to not realise they'd lost a shoe or realised but chose to go on without it.

Those poor people must have been terrified.

Sakura wasn't naïve enough to say they'd never had a threat of terrorists before, but she could confidently state that even from her time as Keigo's work study, they'd never had such a dangerous threat of them. Never on such a massive scale that was enough to start an evacuation of the huge city, rather just the affected areas.

"The mall is clear of civilians," Endeavour informed them. He came to a stop opposite their team, his students fanning out on either side of him and Sakura commended the seriousness of their expressions. Thankfully, they weren't taking it lightly or as a chance to prove their strengths. "We're heading to the entertainment section next. Last we heard it was in the process of being evacuated."

That would be one of the main places to hit if what the terrorists wanted was a reaction. It was evident from the fact they were being so reckless that they didn't care for life – they didn't even care for their own. Taking out a whole block that was a notorious hangout for groups of teenagers and children wasn't going to weigh heavily on their conscience – they weren't even planning on living.

"The evacuation is on a scale nobody has ever seen before," Keigo told the other pro. "We need to assume they're struggling and civilians are still present."

"Agreed."

Already aware of where his head was at, Sakura wasn't surprised by their abrupt take off. She hadn't even bothered to remove her flying gear since it was obvious that they were working at a fast pace. Instead, she busied herself with enhancing her sight and hearing and scouring the streets from the aerial view, heart growing that smallest bit lighter upon realising they were empty. Not a soul remained down there, and she felt herself finding new respect for the police officers who were no doubt working themselves to the bone to achieve such a feat (it'd only been an hour since her entering the agency, after all and she hadn't heard a peep about terrorists).

However…

"As you expected," Sakura confirmed. Glancing behind herself to keep track of Endeavour and the kids, she was relieved to find they were keeping up fairly well with Keigo going at half speed (he would have gone at full, had they not wanted to ensure the streets were evacuated). "The entertainment section is still full."

He merely nodded and gradually descended, giving Sakura the ability of looking into windows as they found themselves surrounded by apartment complexes. Again, everywhere was empty and clearly abandoned in a rush.

And then the first bomb went off.

The shockwave alone was enough to throw them off course and once Keigo stabilised them by briefly touching down on the roof of a complex, Sakura looked back in horror at the plume of smoke that almost entirely covered what was once the mall. With her enhanced hearing, she could hear the continued destruction of the building that was already collapsing in on itself, the roaring of flames causing her to cringe. Subconsciously, she gripped a tight hold of the arms wrapped around her and soaked in Keigo's comfort for a couple of seconds when he brought her closer, before swallowing down the instinctive panic and diving straight into hero mode, nodding that she was ready for them to move again.

Tokoyami was by their side the moment Keigo dove off the roof, falling back to his left flank. Although serious by nature, she could tell by the widening of his eyes that he was shaken by the savageness of the attack. And why wouldn't he be? It was noon on a Saturday – the busiest time for the mall.

It was difficult but not impossible to differentiate Bakugo's explosions to the terrorist attack. Still, Sakura had to fight the natural response to flinch whenever she heard his blasts, stomach churning as she unwillingly pictured more parts of the city being blown up.

"We're he–"

That was when she heard the bang. An incoming threat heading straight for them at an insane, whistling speed that barely even gave her the chance to warn Keigo.

"Hawks!"

But it was too late and Sakura yelped as she was involuntarily dropped from at least seventy feet, eyes wide and fixated on Keigo as he took the brunt of an attack. Fortunately for her, they were always prepared for anything, and she forced herself to turn her back on her hero, arms and legs spreading wide as she activated her windbreakers. The sudden slowing allowed Tokoyami to catch up to her relatively easily and she thanked him when he gripped a tight hold of her hand, guiding her down to the ground now that they were at the start of the entertainment section of the city.

"Are you okay from here?" Tokoyami asked, already ascending to assist Keigo.

"Be careful, Tsukuyomi-kun," she warned him, brow furrowing. "It sounded like canon fire."

"The only way they can keep up with Hawks' speed," he said more to himself then her. "Will you be okay?"

"Of course she will," Endeavour muttered, only pausing to give out orders. "Assist Hawks. The rest of you will assist me."

Inhaling deeply once Tokoyami was all but launching himself up into the sky, Sakura bounced lightly on her feet as black markings wound themselves around her body, emphasising the glowing of the diamond-shaped mark on her forehead and her eyes. She spared a nod with Endeavour and shot off from her place with newfound speed that allowed her to travel alongside him, making sure each blast of her enhancement was well thought out, not a single movement wasted.

Then, she surprised the kids behind her by leaping high into the air and vaulting off a building at the sound of another shot, tackling the assailant away from Endeavour to keep his path to the civilians clear. And because everything was enhanced with her mark activated to its full power, Sakura managed to end the assault before it even began. The one she knew to be Endeavour's kid, Shoto, came to an abrupt stop by her side and assisted in restraining the unconscious enemy, the pair of them sparing a concerned glance at how easy it was.

Too easy.

It took a second too long to register the expanding of the person's body but she quickly dove behind Shoto once it did, ordering, "Freeze them."

It wouldn't stop the explosion and they would still experience the aftershock (if it was anything like the one at the mall), but it would be muted, in a sense. Dulled by the ice taking the majority of the impact. And that prediction came to fruition as the kid did as she ordered, imprisoning the bomber in layers of thick ice just as the bomb detonated. The force was still enough to knock them back though they managed to steady themselves fairly quickly, eyes drawn to the undeniably beautiful sight of snow falling around them.

"We're lucky it wasn't shards of ice," Sakura said with a relieved sigh.

"Todoroki-kun!"

"We're fine," he called back to the boy who'd come rushing to their aid (making her feel a tiny bit better about their last mission as she realised he hadn't repeatedly tried to protect her because he thought she was a weak woman). "We condensed the explosion."

"We need to keep up with Endeavour-san," she instructed, already dashing after the number one hero. "They could be targeting him specifically to try and stop him helping the civilians."

As twisted as it sounded, it made sense to target the number one and two heroes. Their influence alone was impressive and impacted the entire city – that was individually. Without their presence all over the city, offering the population their strength and protection, then where would they be? Plunged headfirst into all kinds of crime and violence. There was no use in denying it.

A terrorist's main goal was to incite fear and intimidation with the use of violence – usually to promote and push their political or religious beliefs. Sakura had already deduced it to be some kind of political movement against the pro hero system considering the targets were the agencies and the pro heroes, which wasn't really so out of the blue considering all that was going on in the world. As for their targeting civilian heavy places… That also made sense. It was the best way to breed fear and hatred, making them question whether they were really safe. If they were still being harmed or slaughtered in the city of the number one and two heroes, then were said heroes really necessary to keep them safe? Could they ever be safe?

Sakura glanced upwards once she caught up with the explosives kid, relief warming her heart upon noticing Keigo and Tokoyami flying low above them. Neither were injured from what she could see and she allowed the knowledge to ease some of her tensed muscles.

Hysteria was what greeted them at the entertainment centre and Sakura immediately put herself to use of directing the civilians the best she could considering their panic. Some seemed comforted at the sight of them, but they were mostly too freaked out to really notice. The others were busy scouring the area for potential threats, leaving her uneasy whenever they regrouped and shared that they couldn't find anything. There were no tells, no traces.

"We have it from here, Impact-san," one of the officers assured her. "Please go and back up the others."

She returned to the group in time for Keigo and Tokoyami to take off into the sky once more, her hero offering her a gentle nod during his departure, his wings giving an extra, unnecessary flap to detach more feathers that drifted around them. Knowing what he wanted, Sakura plucked one from the sky and attached it to her utility belt so that they could stay connected, giving it an extra brush of her fingers to assure him she was good. And with that, he disappeared in search of stragglers or potential enemies.

"Spread out and search for civilians," Endeavour ordered. "If you see anything suspicious do not engage. Report back to one of us."

Uncaring for the blond's grumbling and palpable annoyance, Sakura turned away and reactivated her enhanced hearing, willing herself to go beyond the chaos of the panicking civilians and dig deeper. Stretch farther. To hear the littler noises that were often overlooked.

Then, once she'd caught the sounds of stragglers, Sakura reached for the feather and murmured, "Next street up. First building straight to the sixth. Multiple occupants in each one. I can't get exact numbers."

"Don't worry," he called down to her, not needing to raise his voice for her to hear. "I've got them."

Knowing that was her part done, Sakura returned to listening for more civilians and directed the students in the direction of them. Altogether, each boy had to make two separate trips, but she had to admit that she was impressed by the determination in their expressions and movements.

They were going to make for the greatest heroes, she thought warmly.

"Is that all of them, Impact-san?" asked the youngest looking student – Deku, she reminded herself after a moment.

Once more stretching out her hearing and picking up on only the civilians behind her, Sakura offered the trio a smile and nodded. "From here, we'll be on the lookout for the villains themselves. Keep Endeavour-san's warning in mind, however and do not engage even if you find them. We don't know who we're up against."

"Do we know what's being used to create the explosions?" questioned Deku with a thoughtful frown.

"I didn't see any kind of device on the one I took down," Sakura informed them, noticing Shoto nodding in agreement out of her peripheral.

"They're not machines," Bakugo deduced. "It feels more like a direct explosion when they detonate."

"Like your quirk," Deku stated, not asked and frowned deeply at the gritting of the blond's teeth. "So there's no way we can pinpoint them."

She was no explosives expert – had extremely limited experience in the area – so left the discussion up to those who knew what they were talking about. That didn't mean she wasn't paying attention, however. No, Sakura could still hear every word even while focusing on the evacuation process and the search for suspicious activity.

It wasn't guaranteed that there would be any kind of attack on the entertainment area, but if the terrorist targeted the mall which came first for being the most heavily populated area in the city, then it only made sense for the second most popular place to go next. The pros going straight to said place only solidified that outcome, if they were being followed.

Although the targets were off (though fortunately for them still predictable), they were lucky that Keigo had so many informants, Sakura thought with a weighty mental sigh. How many lives were saved because of it? How far of a head start did they have?

They were all on high alert the second another explosion detonated, and she narrowed her eyes when she noticed Keigo circling a specific building before retreating. The other two were out of view but she knew not to worry too greatly. Keigo would never let harm come to his work study and Endeavour was impressively durable.

"Going off the assumption the explosions are similar to Kacchan's, then we can assume the villain has to present and hasn't moved onto a different area after planting them," Deku continued his strange ramblings, prompting Sakura to glance over her shoulder at the trio with barely concealed disbelief since now was hardly the time to look so lost in thought. However, the other two appeared used to it by now and were fully alert, putting her at ease once more. "Within close range of the explosions, too. We can probably track them before too many–"

"We've pinpointed the terrorist," Keigo informed them, descending from the sky not far from them. "It's the wanted villain Deidara–"

It was impossible missing the shadowed figure stepping out of the alleyway barely fifteen feet away from Keigo, the grin that soon stretched across full lips unsettling her greatly, because it was followed by an odd white creature that slithered across the ground. Had her sight not continued to be enhanced, it would have blended effortlessly amongst the rubbish and belongings left behind by the panicked civilians. Thankfully because of her diverted attention, her hero knew exactly what was up and had a feather pin the creature in its place, though their eyes widened at the flash of light that burst from such a deceivingly small creature.

Sakura was moving to cover him the moment the bomb detonated, launching herself over Keigo as he was thrown backwards from the force. At the grazing of her hand to his wing, one of his feather blades dropped into her palm and she instantaneously enhanced the strength behind her swing, bringing the blade way up over her head in both hands, expression furious when she locked eyes with Deidara.

That coward had aimed for her hero while his back was turned!

But her stomach twisted sharply and worsened the trickle of dread that ran down her spine, promptly stopping her from going through with her attack the closer she got to Deidara. His skin had an unusual texture that she only noticed with her enhanced eyesight, growing more obvious once Deidara realised she could tell the difference. From wherever he was hiding, he detonated his fake body but luckily for her, the feather she'd slipped into her utility belt came to her rescue and yanked her away from ground zero.

"Where are the kids?" Sakura demanded, horrified to find the trio gone.

"Going after the real Deidara with Endeavour-san." She felt more than saw his concerned glance but kept her attention completely on the area before them, ready for Deidara's bombs to reappear. "How are your ears?"

"I deactivated my quirk once I realised what was happening," Sakura assured him. "They're no worse than yours right now."

There was a simple nod of relief before he was asking, "What can you tell me about the fake bodies? How do we differentiate?"

They couldn't. Not really. All the agencies (hopefully) knew Deidara's face because of his criminal activity and their needing to be on the lookout of such a high threat, but she was ashamed to admit that his face was lost in a sea of villains with targets on their backs. Sakura didn't know if he had any distinguishing marks that were possibly missing on his fake bodies, or whether there were any defects. All she knew was that his skin texture was different and that was only because her eyesight was enhanced.

Fortunately, Keigo seemed to understand and didn't push the question further. Instead, he said, "You remember the details for his quirk."

Explosives, though unlike Bakugo's quirk, they were made from clay that was consumed by the unmissable mouths found on his palms and could be launched or left behind, as they didn't detonate until Deidara commanded them to (however, like Deku construed, he had to remain within a certain distance of them – they just weren't sure how far he could stray). Going off the information they had on him, Sakura knew he moulded those bombs into whatever he saw fit – apparently including his own image also. It perfectly explained the two random attacks earlier and why they'd almost sounded like canon fire, in a sense. He was creating diversions.

"Getting close to him is going to be difficult," Sakura noted, then tensed as she heard more explosions going off in the distance. However, they couldn't leave their station. Not with the crying and screaming civilians still being loaded into vans and buses. Until the area was clear, they were essentially stuck. "Are we certain the real one is here? What about your intel?"

"I can't pick up on the fakes until they're in my line of sight or being detonated," he responded. Glancing over his shoulder, Keigo shifted his weight but showed no other signs of impatience towards how long it was taking to evacuate. "We're–"

He was cut off by the rapid approach of five different bombs that were in the shape of birds, his feathers swift in their response of impaling the creatures and hurtling them further from the civilians. The following explosions were powerful and had the police struggling to maintain even a modicum of order, but there truly wasn't much either of them could do to help. Any less attention on Deidara's bombs and the civilians would be harmed.

"We'll push back," Keigo instructed. "There's only so many hiding spots in such a tightly packed area."

They were thorough but quick in their search, combining Keigo's feathers with her enhanced hearing and eyesight. In that time they heard the tell-tale signs of battle with many bombs detonating, and she felt her bones rattling with each one that shook the entertainment centre, ears ringing and the sounds of buildings collapsing echoing hauntingly. She had to remind herself repeatedly that all the civilians were out and that they were in safe hands with the police, though it never worked. It couldn't when she found signs of their being there only moments before, belongings abandoned and littering the streets.

Having Keigo by her side was reassuring. His presence reminded her of all the difficult missions they'd been through together, tackling villains and defending their city with all that they had. Now was no different, was what Sakura reminded herself.

But it was. She had never faced someone on Deidara's level before – however, that wasn't what scared her the most. What really scared her was the unsettling dread winding itself up her spine until it reached her throat, the hold growing tighter and tighter and unbearably tighter because this was just the beginning. She could feel it in her gut. She could tell by Keigo's uneasy wings repeatedly flattening against his back that there was more to it.

To any regular person fighting through a terrorist attack, his mannerisms and emotions were understandable. They made absolute sense. But this was Keigo – this was Hawks. Even in the scariest situations he kept up that jovial front that put others at ease and while Deidara was a formidable opponent, someone like that wasn't nearly enough to unsettle her hero. Not alone, anyway.

He was on the lookout for something more.

What was he keeping from her? What did he know?

They caught up to the U.A. students in no time and Sakura discreetly assessed any injuries they potentially sustained, only to breathe a mental sigh of relief when she discovered they were relatively unharmed. Just a few bumps and scrapes.

"We can't get close to him," Deku panted.

No, those explosives of his were too much – they were devastating. Many in the past had tried and failed to slip through his defences, either losing limbs or their lives in the ridiculously short process. Keigo's speed was perfect in going against Deidara as the blond couldn't keep up with him, however, speed only took them so far. Going off the reports, the guy was a great strategist and capable of producing bombs that wouldn't go off until he willed them to, essentially meaning that just speed wasn't good enough, for Keigo could be diving headfirst into an ambush.

If only Nighteye was still around, Sakura thought miserably. Of course, there was the Uchiha agency, but they were hit or miss because of that bastard Fugaku's temperament. Even for a pro hero he wasn't a team player – only a small percentage of them were. Besides, with his prodigal son currently being the number six hero and showing no signs of slowing while climbing the ranks, they were likely being hit just as greatly as the rest of them were. Fugaku would be keeping his number one close to him for the duration of the madness.

"I'll go ahead and back Endeavour-san up," Keigo informed them, making Sakura's heart sink at the realisation he was leaving her behind to babysit a bunch of kids. "You three–" He gestured to Deku, Shoto and Tokoyami with his chin. "–focus on the evacuation of civilians from the immediate area. Make sure they get out."

Make sure they get out?

No, that wasn't the real issue, she thought to herself with dread trickling down her spine.

Realising who she'd been paired up with, Sakura felt her eyebrow ticking furiously.

Keigo offered her an apologetic smile that she totally wasn't accepting, the raising of his defensive hands meaning nothing to her. "Impact, work with Bakugo-kun and sniff out anyone else who may be working from the shadows."

She knew it.

Deidara wasn't working alone.

Seemingly finding his opening, Keigo shot off from his place by their sides, joining Endeavour with a barrage of separated feathers that prevented more bombs from reaching their target.

Sakura inwardly groaned and looked to the four students, barely managing to school her annoyance at the situation and Keigo's silence on what he really knew to be happening.

"Don't make the mistake in assuming all Deidara's bombs look the same," Sakura felt the need to warn them once more, concern growing despite her not really liking two of them all that much. At the end of the day, they were still kids. "They're all made out of clay, but–" She cut herself off abruptly at the huffing of Bakugo and she bristled at his giving her his back, walking away like he didn't care about what she had to say. "Oi, I wasn't finished!"

"You're wasting time repeating yourself," he snapped back.

That little–

The sudden crash into the tallest building the entertainment centre had to offer silenced Sakura from arguing with Bakugo, and she forced herself not to react at the sight of her singed hero crashing out of the other side, shards of glass falling around him.

"Is that Hawks-san?" demanded Deku, eyes wide with concern. "We should back him–"

"Focus on your part," Sakura ordered calmly despite the rampant beating of her heart, reminding herself repeatedly that Keigo always had an ace up his sleeve. It would take more than a few knocks to take him out. "Neither of them can go all out with so many civilians down here."

There were too many civilians to evacuate all at once, and her heart sunk as she heard the scurrying footsteps that rapidly approached from all sides, because in conjunction with that was the heavy breathing and terrified cries of civilians.

The streets outside the entertainment centre weren't evacuated.

Damn it, they should have assumed as much! The city was huge and to expect the police force to be everywhere all at once evacuating hundreds of thousands of people…

"Move out," Sakura ordered, though hid the panic from her voice. People looked to them for safety and reassurance during such tragedies – she couldn't go losing her head. "Widen the search for civilians and keep your guards up. It seems like they're all rushing to the buses."

"One of us should stay at the buses if that's the case," Shoto surprised her by suggesting. Glancing in the direction of said vehicles, he frowned faintly, adding, "As soon as the others see there aren't many of them left, the chances of fights breaking out are high."

That idiot Bakugo was too far now for her liking, so Sakura rushed through her wishes of them staying safe and dashed after the irate blond, just barely fighting the intense urge to slap him upside the head once she'd caught up.

He didn't offer apologies for disobeying. He didn't show any signs of acknowledgement as he calmly scoured the darker sections of the streets, eyes frequently going to the main building in the dead centre of their entertainment industry. It prompted her to follow his line of sight and Sakura frowned witnessing Keigo diving out of the way of a fast-paced bomb that detonated the instant it made a connection with the skyscraper. It wouldn't handle many more hits like that, and she willed her hero to try and lure the battle elsewhere.

At the third strike of the building, Sakura swiftly plucked the feather from her utility belt and warned, "The tower isn't going to hold up much longer."

"Which is Deidara's intention, moron," growled Bakugo like it was obvious. "All of his targets so far have been the lower north section of the tower. The other side has barely taken any damage."

Did he just call her a fucking moron?

Rather than reacting despite the constant twitching of her eyebrow, she told Keigo via his feather, "Hear that? And there's more civilians from outside the area rushing for the buses, which will hold up the evacuation."

Keigo wasn't physically strong enough to prevent a building of that stature from falling if it was already gone. However, she noticed her hero sending out barrages of feathers to intercept more bombs, seemingly creating an opening for Endeavour who dove in on the terrorist who was flying on the back of what she assumed was another creation of his.

It wasn't going to be enough, she realised with building dread. If Keigo continued such a defensive move then he wasn't going to be able to fly much longer.

The sudden firing of Bakugo's quirk had Sakura shielding her face and neck, ears buzzing as it forcefully detonated one of Deidara's and creating a bigger explosion.

"Stop focusing on them," he snapped once the threat was dealt with, glaring down at her. "You'll get yourself killed, you stupid extra."

Nope.

She was so done.

Patience finally snapping, Sakura sent her enhancement throughout her limbs the moment the coast was clear and rounded on Bakugo. He didn't see her coming let alone have the chance to stop her as she clotheslined him to the ground unforgivingly, eyes glowing with her rage as she kept him pinned.

"Stop calling me a goddamn extra, you little shit," she snarled. "I'm the number two hero's number one sidekick – show me the respect I've earned."

"You–"

Her hand locked his jaw and finally prevented him from speaking. "I'm tired of your bullshit attitude," she warned. "So you either learn fast how to be a team player or you step aside and let us grownups work. Like hell am I going to let you jeopardise the safety of others. This is too serious."

Shockingly, he had absolutely nothing to say to her, though Sakura believed his refusal to accept her hand when she tried to help him up told her all she needed to know: his pride was bruised.

But his bruised pride had to wait.

It felt like the most natural occurrence for her eyes to instantly find Keigo as dozens of bombs slipped through his defence, and she only felt a trickle of the relief when he dove out of the way of the others. Already he was taking a risky gamble by expending so many feathers – anymore and he was opening himself up to the enemy.

"We need to prepare for the worst case scenario," Sakura mumbled without looking away from her hero, attention glued to the fiery wings that were fiercely flapping to get himself out of harm's way. "That skyscraper is coming down."

Fortunately for the both of them, Bakugo didn't argue but merely nodded instead. His gaze was narrowed thoughtfully while he considered the humongous building, and after a moment of unbearable silence, Sakura glanced over to him and noticed that he was once again calculating the distance to the civilians who were now scrapping over the limited capacity of the buses. Seeing the two pros being pushed so far was only creating more hysteria, and she found herself momentarily at a loss of what to do. That helplessness only exploded to new levels at the sight of a terrified child fixated on the unsteady building, his brown eyes wide and filled with tears.

"We're clear of civilians between us and the building," Bakugo stated, not asked.

Still, she nodded numbly and returned her attention to his resolute features, that helplessness cracking upon realising he had a plan. "What are you thinking?"

"We blow it up."

They…

"Okay."

…had no other option.

"I–"

Just as he turned to get started, Sakura jumped in front of him to bring Bakugo to a halt, ignoring the indignant, blatantly pissed off glare directed down at her. "I'm going to one up you."

His suspicion made way for intrigue and she noticed the brief glance up at the diamond shaped marking on her forehead. "Your quirk."

"I can enhance another's quirk for a limited amount of time," she informed him despite previously never feeling comfortable sharing such details. While it wasn't exactly a highly classified secret, Sakura knew that there were many out there who would kill to have their quirks enhanced for evil intentions. Not only that, but… "We can probably get this done in one shot rather than you expend yourself trying to cover every part of the building with multiple explosions."

The suspicion returned and had him contemplating her words for several long moments, until he finally questioned, "What are the drawbacks?"

It was such a shame he had a godawful temper that naturally repelled others. Combining his observation skills with that impressive strategic thinking, as well as the combat abilities, they had an up and coming pro on their hands who could very well make the top ten status.

"Fatigue," Sakura replied at length. Then, because she knew the dangers of withholding such information just in case there were enemies lurking, she inhaled deeply and added reluctantly, quietly, "If we take too long there's a risk of it putting me out of commission."

"How long?"

That all depended on how much of an enhancement Bakugo needed, and for how long. Every quirk came with some kind of flaw – it just so happened hers could be pretty damning.

"It varies," she admitted. "But if we take it out in one go, then it shouldn't be too long." Sakura took a half step back and offered him a teasing smirk, asking him, "Think you can ditch that shitty attitude long enough to be a team player and have my back?"

And much to her astonishment, it became evident she was making some kind of headway with the usually irate teenager, and Bakugo had her biting back a grin when he returned the smirk with equal fierceness

"Just don't get in my way," he shot back.

Enhancing a quirk like Bakugo's was hit or miss – it all depended on his ability to control the explosion. Like any other person with a quirk, a great deal of time, energy and patience was required in order to master what they could do and even then, there were those who still experienced difficulties such as herself or Deku. He was about to go way beyond anything he'd ever done.

They decided mutually to get closer to the building to reduce the chances of other buildings and businesses becoming collateral damage. All the while, Keigo and Endeavour fought valiantly to close that pesky distance Deidara had mastered, and her heart skipped uneasy beats when she noticed her hero being forced to make risky moves as all else proved futile.

"It's coming down any second now – here will have to do," muttered Bakugo, briefly glancing down the side streets for civilians. As he'd stated, the skyscraper was crumbling away in the parts that were targeted, the whole thing looking like it was slowly leaning towards them. "Besides, any closer and they'll know what we're planning."

Essentially giving Deidara the chance to wipe them out. Nodding in acceptance, Sakura took all of three seconds to ensure there was nobody lurking in the shadows before making her way over to Bakugo. She tried to ignore the uneasy twisting of her stomach (especially since it was her plan), but there was no denying that she was uncomfortable.

"I'm warning you," Sakura told him quietly, startling him by coming to stand behind him with her chest pressing to his back, hands settling on his biceps since his quirk was fired from his palms (like hell she was going anywhere near them – biceps were as close as she was getting). "This feels really…" The best way to describe it was intimate, but saying as such felt awkward, so Sakura settled lamely on, "invasive."

And she knew Bakugo instantly understood what she really meant when her markings caressed their way along his skin and caused his breathing to catch for the briefest of moments, the black seals winding themselves around his arms securely and binding them together with a sharp tug that winded them, proving any attempts of maintaining distance pointless.

Only two others had ever had their quirks enhanced by her – mainly due to U.A. expressing concerns after she'd shared the ability with Sasuke back in their first year. Other than Sasuke, only Keigo had experienced the astounding sensation and confessed the moment they were separated that he'd never felt such a deep connection to another in his entire life. According to her hero, it felt like they'd become one person.

Admittedly, he was the only person she felt comfortable sharing such an experience with, but they needed more power.

"Prepare yourself for the kick back," Bakugo growled, strengthening his own stance to accommodate the surge in explosive power.

She was glad he wasn't taking it lightly because already, his quirk was ridiculously powerful. What they were doing could very well be devastating for the city if it wasn't timed or measured perfectly, however they really had no other choice. Too many lives were at risk. That skyscraper was a minimum of a hundred feet tall and would crush them all.

"Move, damn it," he snarled, eyes narrowing on the two pros jeopardising his target.

Grimacing at the strain, Sakura remained as still as possible and opened herself up to Bakugo, and she felt more than saw his hands and arms twitching with surprise.

"Hawks, get out of there," she grunted towards his feather. "We need to stop the tower from falling."

She didn't see her hero glancing over to them in disbelief, didn't see him using his feathers to get Endeavour from the immediate vicinity. Sakura's attention was focused solely on the shocking build-up of destructive force, her heart seemingly beating in time to the warmup explosions as Bakugo adjusted to the power.

"There," he growled.

Holy fu–

It happened so fast that she didn't even realise he'd fired before the air was promptly ripped from her lungs at the collision of her back against a nearby wall – having Bakugo slamming into her too certainly didn't help matters – and Sakura's vision doubled sickeningly, the ringing in her ears making any attempts she made at standing impossible. There was damage done to her hearing, she noted with a grimace and in response, her balance was thrown off even when Bakugo reached down and used her jacket to bring her to her feet. Luckily for her, the loudmouthed brat seemed to empathise somewhat and wrapped an arm around her waist to keep Sakura up, other hand keeping her arm over his shoulders.

"Don't throw up on me," he sharply demanded and made sure she was reading his lips since her hearing was obviously shot, but she noticed the harsh edge to his expression was gone, telling Sakura he was also shaken by the destructive power boost she'd given him.

Gods, she couldn't even focus on her blurry surroundings. Everything was out of focus and time had slowed nauseatingly. Like he was trying to give her a chance to adjust, Bakugo kept them still for several moments and she wondered how the hell he wasn't affected like she was. Even if he was used to explosions (and she had cushioned his collision with the wall), it wouldn't be on such a massive scale. The only reason she could come up with in her dazed mind was that her enhancement had backfired on her once again.

"I-Is…" Sakura swallowed hard and bit back her yelp when her legs buckled, forcing Bakugo to strengthen his hold. "T-Tower…?"

"Gone," he muttered and with him remaining still, the blond became the only thing she could really focus on without feeling as though she was going to vomit. She looked to him with squinting eyes, stunned to find that angry mask had vanished entirely while he surveyed the destruction. "It worked."

She was given a few more minutes to get her breath back before Bakugo dragged them forward. After what she estimated to be a few metres, Sakura stumbled into a dip and her eyes widened impossibly at the damage caused by their explosion, ignoring the disorientation as she followed the charcoaled street dotted with white and grey specks.

"Snow?" Sakura questioned stupidly as her mind refused to cooperate, eyes drawn to the flakes drifting down around them.

"No, you idiot," he muttered, head tilted in her direction to allow her to read his lips. "Ash. That's all that's left."

Even with the sensation of having her ears clogged with water and blocking out most noise, it wasn't enough to stop the intense ringing that reverberated in her head. Irritated, she weakly reached for her left ear but recoiled at the agony that flared up at her touch, horrified to find her fingers were coated in blood.

That was why he was ensuring she could read his lips.

Shit, she hoped it wasn't permanent hearing loss.

There was no time to panic about her injuries when they still had a part to play and she swallowed hard, eventually managing to ask weakly, "Are the civilians…?"

"Hysterical," was all he replied with.

Not that she could really blame them. However, if there happened to be any repercussions for such a rash move, as his superior Sakura would cover the kid. It was her idea, her quirk and essentially her order, in a sense. If he wanted the glory then by all means he could take it, but she wouldn't let it damage his future as a hero.

Besides, guys like All Might and Endeavour had destroyed cities ten times over in their attempts to take down formidable villains – one empty already ruined building was nothing.

She hoped.

"They'll live," Sakura grunted, breathing a sigh of relief as her eyesight finally returned to normal. "That's all… that matters."

"There's no one around," he muttered after several more minutes of dragging her through the streets.

After double checking, he approached a side street with a bench and lowered her to it, vaguely surprising Sakura by showing his own weakness as his hands came to his knees, eyes shutting. The Bakugo she and Keigo watched all those months ago at the sports festival had vehemently refused to do anything that showed weakness, yet there he was letting his guard down in front of her. It was quite the sight and she allowed herself to view him in a new light, admiring the shaking of his tired limbs until she noticed that his gloves (which were clearly supposed to be fire retardant given his quirk) were in tatters.

But asking him if he was injured was the quickest way to bring back the eternally pissed off Bakugo, so Sakura kept her mouth shut and acted like it was nothing major. Well, she kind of had to, for that was the moment the all too familiar pain flashed through her system and caused her to unintentionally jolt, a short cry being silenced by the clenching of her jaw.

"Normal," she forced out with a grimace at Bakugo's glance, body shuddering at the second wave. "It'll pass."

While they certainly pushed the limit, she didn't go all out like the last mission so it wouldn't be even half as bad as before. Still, Sakura found herself longing for Keigo to hurry up and find them, to tell her that Deidara was defeated and that it was over.

And as she'd known it would, within five minutes, the paralysing pains were gone and Sakura slumped with relief, head dropping. She was grateful that Bakugo continued to not be an ass and watched her back as she recovered from their reckless move, because it certainly was a novelty experience to have someone other than Keigo witness the major weakness, one she quickly discovered that she disliked.

Not being able to hear what was happening around her unsettled Sakura. Even with Bakugo obviously watching the area, her gaze anxiously swept around the street that was gradually being covered in thick ash and darkness. Really, they should have vacated the area, but it wasn't possible in their condition. Unlike Keigo, who was rarely ever harmed by the effects of her enhancing his quirk, she could tell that Bakugo was experiencing side effects due to the nature of his.

The realisation prompted Sakura to assess his body language and noticing the attempts to alleviate himself of whatever was wrong with his shoulders, she quickly deduced they were dislocated.

How the hell had he managed to assist her so far? To basically carry her weight?

"I can put them back into place," Sakura offered before she could stop herself, then inwardly winced at his glare. "Your shoulders. They're dislocated, right?"

"You know how to do that?" he questioned sceptically.

Rolling her eyes, she took a couple of moments to gauge her balance after standing and once certain she wouldn't fall on her ass, Sakura approached him without permission and assessed his shoulders. "My mother and godmother both have healing quirks and are in the medical field. They taught me a few things."

Luckily for her. She couldn't imagine mastering or coping with her quirk without their assistance – Keigo's too. Going through that agony was almost enough to convince Sakura to give up any dreams of being a hero, but she wasn't alone.

He told her to hurry up and get on with it when she tried to explain the process, leading her to believe it wasn't his first time being roughed up by his own quirk, and she commended his stiff upper lip while she popped both shoulders back into place. It wasn't that he was indifferent to the pain, Sakura noticed while admiring the determined rolling of his shoulders. He was composed in the face of a crisis and remaining calm whereas anyone else would have been caught up in the pain.

Like with Tokoyami, she found herself appreciating the seriousness of Bakugo's personality, growing more hopeful for the future of their world with the new heroes they were soon to be blessed with. They'd lost a disheartening number of heroes in the past year alone, but hope remained in the newer generation.

That was why Tokoyami was Keigo's exception, she realised belatedly. He strongly believed in them too.

"Why do you stick around as his sidekick?"

Blinking in surprise at the sudden and seemingly genuine question, Sakura hummed thoughtfully, trying to find the best way to explain the situation without seeming like a total liability. However, considering it was just the two of them until their heroes returned to them, she knew honesty was best just in case Bakugo ended up needing to cover her.

"As you can see, there's drawbacks to my quirk which makes me a liability," she answered reluctantly, further surprised when he merely nodded, apparently already recognising the issues and how far they likely progressed. Not many knew or even grasped how serious it could get for her. "Hawks and I have worked together since… Well, pretty much since he opened his agency, back when it was just the two of us. Nobody wanted to risk having me as their work study, let alone a permanent sidekick, but Hawks was happy to take that chance."

"Why?"

"We complement each other, in some ways. He knows my weaknesses, I know his and because of that, we're able to become each other's strengths."

Where he lacked physical strength, she backed him up. Where she physically could not continue any longer, he lifted her effortlessly and kept her covered.

Keigo helped her achieve her dream just when Sakura believed she would never progress any further than that first year of school, when everyone else turned their backs on her. Hell, she'd suspected for the longest time (and still did to that day) that the only reason she was offered a place at U.A. was simply because they didn't want her quirk falling into the wrong hands.

"I'm not just his sidekick," she continued fondly, gaze growing distant. "We're a team."

"Just say you don't have any ambition to go further," Bakugo muttered, rolling his eyes.

Without any real venom, Sakura kicked debris over at the teenager. "Don't be an ass or I'll put you on your ass. Again."

"What's this?" came an amused hum.

Finally, she thought with a strong wave of relief. Eyes warm on her hero as he descended with Tokoyami following seconds later, she felt herself finally able to relax. Signs of battle littered him from head to toe and it upset her noticing the considerably shorter wings and singed appearance, but he was alive. That was all that mattered.

"I told you you'd have to cover me if I beat the kid to a pulp," Sakura shot back, ignoring Bakugo's aggravated yell to focus on Keigo's chuckle. Although not one hundred percent, he was more relaxed than earlier, telling her they were good for now. The immediate threat was gone. "Fortunately, it didn't go that far."

"For his sake," added her hero.

She grinned wickedly. "Of course."

The two students went ahead to the evacuation point, though she took a few extra moments to bask in the relief now that they were gone. Much to her gratefulness, Keigo didn't push her and instead came to sit by her side, their arms brushing comfortingly just as they had countless times in the past. It was after careful consideration that she lowered her head to his shoulder only to wince suddenly and straighten up.

"What is it?" he asked. Shifting in his place, Keigo assessed her features before blood caught his attention and Sakura grimaced as he gingerly brushed her hair back. "Your ears are bleeding," Keigo pointed in with obvious concern, tilting her head to the side to get a better look at them. "Was he aiming at you?"

She caught his hands and told him, "I'll go and see my mom or Tsunade once everything has calmed down. The damage isn't too bad–"

"How bad is it?"

Sheepishly, she told him, "I can barely hear a thing."

Disbelief, guilt and upset somehow swirled around into one expression and Sakura felt her heart ache as the reactions kept coming. "Sakura…"

"The civilians and the city are safe," she assured him with a smile, not in the least bit concerned about her own well-being. "That's what matters." Thinking that redirection was the best move, she asked, "So, what happened with Deidara?"

Apparently she was wrong with the attempt however, because Keigo could no longer look her in the eye, only keeping his head turned in her direction so that she could read his lips and understand him as he muttered, "He got away during the distraction."

Her heart sunk.

They helped him escape.

---

It only took one healing session with her godmother for Sakura's hearing to return to normal, and she'd thanked the woman with several bottles of the finest sake she could get her hands on. While she'd originally said it was worth it (and would stand by that), she had to admit that life without one of her senses was disorientating as hell.

Naturally, she and Bakugo were reprimanded for purposely destroying a decent chunk of the entertainment centre, but their heroes along with those who were present came to their defence and backed them up. The tower was coming down regardless – all they did was stop it from crushing hundreds of innocent people. Sadly, the whole area was out of commission for a while, but it could have been so much worse.

Shortly after Deidara's swift escape, they discovered it wasn't only their city that was suddenly targeted seemingly out of the blue. A total of six cities and towns were attacked and left in various degrees of disorder, and they received the message loud and clear: they were making a move against the heroes or, more specifically, the way their world ran. They were all on high alert and awaiting their next move, but just like before the assault, it was silent.

With little else they could do but wait, life unnervingly resumed like nothing had happened.

The pinging of her phone had Sakura glancing downwards, heart stuttering nervously at Ino's pushy reminder about their interview for her podcast and behind the scenes vlog tomorrow.

The world already knew of their relationship so she shouldn't really be anxious about it, but they were planning on addressing the so-called concerns about how long the relationship was going on for, and how it came to be. Gods, she wished that it wasn't even necessary, that people could mind their own damn business and be happy for them. Alas, they couldn't. So, they were going to address it just once and from that point on, if they continued to have a problem, they could deal with it themselves. They'd said their piece, in their eyes.

"You ready?" her hero asked fondly.

At least there was one thing to be excited about, Sakura thought to herself while shaking off the weight that tried bringing her down. She smiled warmly at the estate agent approaching them with an undeniably starstruck expression, the keys in their hands jangling with their nervousness. To try and maintain privacy, they'd offered to pay extra for the agent's silence (although Sakura suspected Keigo may have taken it one step further to ensure they wouldn't be exposed).

They remained in the lobby of the house while the agent gave them a lengthy (and perhaps unnecessary) description of it, and she longed to explore by herself. It was a house they had both fallen in love with online and Sakura admired the large garden waiting for her through the glass doors as the agent continued to try and hype it up – not that it needed it.

Surprising her, Keigo had expressed his desires to have a house, not an apartment and as though that wasn't enough to tell her he was serious about a future together (not that she questioned it), he wanted to buy the house. She'd expected to rent an apartment for a couple of years while their relationship progressed, but shit, she wanted the picture her hero painted for her. The gardens, the space, the dedication.

They were serious.

Sakura envisioned what each room what look like once she'd poured all her savings into decorating, the giddiness growing greater the further into the home she got. It was perfect for them, she thought with each step, delighted to find that the pictures online weren't exaggerated or enhanced in any way.

What made it so much better was that while they would remain in the city, they were on the outskirts and surrounded by acres of land. It wasn't secluded like their cabin was, but it was enough to become that haven – their escape from reality.

Their home.

"What do you think?" Sakura asked once they were left alone to discuss how they felt about the house.

Lidded eyes met hers and she felt herself coming alive under the surprising attention, that feeling only doubling when he told her, "I can imagine taking you in every room in this place."

She burst into carefree laughter. It was the response she should have predicted (for he tended to shy away or redirect when it came to massively emotional serious moments) but for some reason, hadn't.

Keigo was insatiable since the start of their relationship, although she'd noticed that since Deidara's attack on the city, he'd been more affectionate than ever, always eager to show her just how much she meant to him. Did it worry her? Hell yeah, especially combined with the unease that continued to linger within him. However, he would tell her when it was safe to do so (for she knew that his silence in those matters were always due to safety and genuinely being unable to share).

"Why stop there?" she demanded seductively once the chuckling ceased. "There's a perfectly spacious garden out there that needs christening too."

"And you call me insatiable," he teased.

Daring to take a step closer, Sakura ran her fingers through the feathers that were now back to normal, ensuring to show her appreciation of their beauty before murmuring, "You better go and sign those papers so we can get started."

He was gone in seconds, leaving Sakura to her thoughts once more as she considered his behaviour since the attack.

Bad times were undeniably coming, but they would be ready.

She wasn't going to let anyone interfere with their future.

---

A/N - The mission wasn't supposed to get so serious but I had fun writing it and couldn't stop once I started haha. Hope you all enjoyed!