Present—UA

Hawks woke up to the sound of voices speaking urgently in the hallway outside of the infirmary. He sat up as the door opened, a vague feeling of unease settling in the pit of his stomach.

He was safe at UA. The Commission wouldn't have needed him as a spy in the first place if they were able to easily get past UA's security. He was safe. He was. Except he knew he wasn't. Knew that they might not have been able to get someone close enough to spy on All Might, but that didn't mean they didn't have someone else planted in UA.

Hawks pushed his covers off, body quivering with anticipation as adrenaline flooded his body as the doorknob turned.

The door opened, revealing Aizawa, Midoriya, and a small woman that Hawks didn't recognize. Hawks wasn't surprised at all when Midoriya was ushered to one of the beds, while the woman—his mother, probably—hovered awkwardly by his side for a moment before allowing Aizawa ushered her into a chair.

"Are you okay?" Hawks asked, relieved when he didn't see any obvious broken bones.

"Yeah," Midoriya said, turning towards him and revealing a rather spectacular bruise on the side of his face, a broken nose, and some blood. "Our apartment was broken into."

Hawks frowned.

"Are you okay, Hawks?" The woman asked him, voice surprisingly kind. "You look pale. You're not sick again, are you?"

Turning toward her, Hawks willed himself to recognize her, to put a name to the face that was staring at him with such concern, but nothing came. His memories were full of holes, and he realized with a sinking feeling that some he wouldn't ever know were there. The breath in his chest froze, but he forced the thought out of his mind. He still needed to hold it together.

He was saved from answering by Recovery Girl coming out of her office. The look she gave Midoriya could have curdled milk, and Midoriya visibly wilted at her glare, but it immediately softened when Aizawa explained what happened. With a sigh, Recovery Girl accessed his injuries and planted a kiss on his forehead, sending him slumping down onto the bed. He blinked sleepily but managed to stay awake.

"I appreciate you taking charge of this, Aizawa-san, but I still don't understand why we were brought here instead of going to a regular hospital," The woman—Mrs. Midorya—pursed her lips, looking stressed. "Is it—is it the League again?"

"It's still a possibility, but I have hunch…" Aizawa pulled out his phone and walked around Midoriya's bed to Hawks's side, showing him a picture of two men. "Do you recognize them?"

He didn't need more than a glance. "They're with the Commission. They attacked Midoriya?" He asked, eyes wide.

"Yes," Aizawa sighed and ran a hand over his eyes. "Probably to draw you out."

It was a message. A threat. They knew who Hawks was closest to in UA and at this point an outright attack against UA students was less risky than letting Hawks live. Hawks hadn't talked to Aizawa about it, but he was fairly certain that he knew enough about the Commission to bring the whole thing toppling down with his testimony. All of the other kids that had been rescued were younger and weren't as close to debuting as Hawks was. They wouldn't be able to identify anyone beyond the staff at the facility. Hawks on the other hand, had been entrusted with a mission directly from the Commission president herself. He'd been a favorite of the Commission before the assignment to UA and it hadn't been uncommon for the president to come and observe his training. He was their biggest threat and they would do anything to silence him. Anything.

Breathing was suddenly difficult. "The others-"

"I've already sent heroes to the homes of Uraraka, Iida, Todoroki, Kaminari, and Yaoyorozu," Aizawa said, placing a hand on Hawk's shoulder. "They're safe. Breathe."

Hawks nodded shakily and tried not to think about how he didn't know who Uraraka was.

"I need to talk to Principle Nedzu," Aizawa glanced toward Midoriya's mother. "Midoriya-san-"

"Go," She said, a familiar look of determination in her eyes. "We can talk more later."

Aizawa nodded and stalked out of the infirmary without another word.

She sighed and absently patted Midoriya's hand. After a moment, she again turned toward Hawks. "You should get some rest, Hawks. It's late and I'm sure you need your rest."

"Uh—" Hawks debated with himself a moment before continuing. "I'm sorry, but I—I don't remember you. You're Midoriya's mother?"

The woman's smile faltered in confusion and Midoriya's crumpled. Midoriya leaned forward and whispered something in her ear. Her expression grew horrified and tears filled her eyes, but she recovered quickly. "T-that's right. I'm Midoriya Inko. You might not remember me, but you spent the night at our apartment once when you were sick, and your parents were out of town. Are you—are you feeling okay? Is there something I can get you?"

Hawks blinked. "I'm fine. I don't need anything, thank you."

"Let me know if you change your mind," Inko said, reaching out to ruffle Hawks's hair. He flinched, but she gave him a second to recover before placing her hand on his forehead. "You look pale, but you don't have a fever."

"I promise I'm okay," Hawks said, staring up at her in fascination as she started to stroke his hair gently. "Are you okay? You're the one who's house got broken into."

Inko chuckled, still looking a little frazzled. "I was scared, but Izuku is fine, so that's all that matters."

He doubted Midoriya would agreed, but was wise enough not to say so out loud. Instead, he turned toward Midoriya. "You got in a fight and didn't break your arm? I'm so proud of you," he said teasingly.

Midoriya positively beamed at him, the sarcasm going completely over his head. "Thank you! It's a major improvement. I only fractured my arm this time. Our training plan is paying off."

Hawks and Inko sighed in unison, then shared a commiserating look with one another.

He couldn't remember who had suggested the training first, him or Midoriya, but shortly after USJ they started having lunch together consistently to talk about quirks and strategies. Specifically, Midoriya's quirk and how he could use it without breaking all the bones in his body. From there, it had been natural to start training one on one. Midoriya had probably benefited from the sessions more than he had, but Hawks had enjoyed it nevertheless. Hawks thought that some of the others in their friend group had started to join them, but he wasn't entirely certain.

"I'm really happy you remember me, Hawks," Midoriya said, smile slipping from his face. "You're one of my best friends. I know it was hard for you to ask for help, but I'm so glad you did. Just… whatever happens next, trust us to help you, okay? We care about you and we're not going to let them touch you."

Who's going to protect you, though? Hawks wondered, tilting his head back to stare at the ceiling. He'd done his best to avoid bringing Midoriya and the others to the Commission's attention, but they'd found out anyways. Some of them, like Todoroki and Iida would be fine no matter what, since Iida came from a large family of heroes and the Commission wasn't stupid enough to go after the son of Endeavor. But the others… had he ever known what their family situation was? Were they really okay? What if the Commission went after some of the other students?

The Commission was only going after them because of Hawks, no doubt expecting him to offer himself up in exchange for their safety. In any other circumstances, they'd be right. The thought that he could end the danger to them instantly by leaving had popped into his head when he'd learned about the attack on the Midoriya's. The Commission knew Hawks too well, knew his weaknesses and strengths. Knew how to hit him where it hurt. However, they underestimated one thing—there was absolutely no way Aizawa or Midoriya would let him do it.

Hawks glanced at Midoriya, who would risk his life at a second if it meant protecting someone, and then at Inko, who had pulled up a chair and was sitting next to Hawks's bed. There was something about her presence that was undeniably comforting, but he wasn't sure why she was bothering with him.

"Shouldn't you be… over there with him?" Hawks asked, confused by why she was still next to him.

She turned to her son who gave her a big thumbs up. "Oh, he's fine," she said, taking Hawks's hand in hers. "Why don't you try to go to sleep? We'll be here."

He didn't really want to go to sleep, but the way she was stroking his hair and the soft warmth of her hand was soothing in a way he wasn't used to. He tried to stay awake, tried to savor the feeling of touch that didn't hurt, that eased the bone deep ache in his chest he hadn't known was there, but then she started humming under his breath and it wasn't long before he was swept away into a dreamless sleep.

Past—Hawks's Apartment

Hawks walked back into the living and started pacing, clenching and unclenching his fists. He'd open his mouth to say something, shake his head, and start pacing again. He could tell they were getting impatient, but Hawks wasn't sure what to say, or where to start. How did you tell someone that you were a spy? That everything they knew about you was a lie?

"Hawks," Uraraka said, the concern so obvious in her expressive eyes that he had to look away. "Are you in trouble?"

Yes. No. "Not exactly?" Hawks winced. "It's complicated. I've never had to explain this to anyone before and… If I say too much it might in endanger you."

"So, you are in trouble," Iida said, pushing up his glasses. "Hawks, we care about you and want to help you-"

"It's not like that," Hawks cut in quickly. "This isn't something that can be fixed, even if I—I don't need help."

They stared at, solemnly. Apprehensive. Concerned.

It was their concern that scared him most of all.

"Can you explain what it was we heard?" Todoroki said at last. "It didn't sound good."

Hawks blew out a long breath. "Yeah, okay," he paused for a moment, before deciding to simply be as honest as he could. "I was sent to UA by the Hero Public Safety Commission to spy on All Might."

Midoriya went pale, his eyes widening in dismay. Hawks forced himself to stare at the wall just past Midoriya's shoulder and continue.

"All Might is notoriously private and not a lot is known about his personal life," Hawks said, forcing his voice to remain steady. "I was sent to find his secrets."

No one but Midoriya knew what those secrets were. Or that Hawks knew them. The look of betrayal in his eyes made Hawks feel sick.

"I discovered his secrets a shortly after the start of term," Hawks admitted, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "But I haven't reported them to the Commission."

"What?" Midoriya's head snapped up. "You really didn't…?"

Hawks shook his head. "I didn't. He has good reasons for his secrets and I… I don't think the Commission should know. I don't know why they're so interested, but it couldn't be anything good."

Iida frowned. "Surely the Commission wouldn't do anything harmful with that information, although it is incredibly underhanded of them to resort to spying."

"Trust me, they can't find out his secrets," Hawks said, shifting uncomfortably. "The Commission is…"

He trailed off, mind wheeling as he realized what his next words were going to be. He felt like he was standing on a ledge, balancing precariously with one leg over the edge, seconds from disaster. Hawks stared into the yawning abyss in front of him and tried to find a way back to safety, tried to regain his balance, but it was no good. There was no going back. He was going to tumble in and plunge to his death. It was almost inevitable at this point.

With that in mind, Hawks decided to do his best so no one fell with him.

"The Commission has the public's best interest in mind, I'm sure, but their worries about the Symbol of Peace are unfounded," Hawks said, forcing his expression to go neutral. "All Might is right in saying that the less people know about his secrets, the better."

"You're really not going to tell them?" Midoriya asked, scrutinizing Hawks intently.

"No," Hawks said as vehemently as he could. "His secrets aren't bad, but they could endanger him if they got out. A large organization like the Commission wouldn't be able to stop a leak from happening. It's safer if they don't know."

Hawks had never spun such a ludicrous lie in his entire life, but they bought it hook line and sinker. Bitter laughter bubbled up inside him, but he forced it down, kept his growing hysteria from showing on his face, and forced himself to breathe.

They had no reason to distrust the Commission. They had no reason to think that anything underhanded was truly going on or that the Commission had anything but noble intentions. Why would they? The HPSC was the face of heroics.

"I believe you," Kaminari said, surprising him.

"I want to believe you, but that conversation sounded highly suspicious," Iida said, looking slightly apologetic. "If we could talk to someone at the Commission to verify-"

"No," Hawks said, heart skipping a beat. "Listen, they can't know that you know. I'd be in a lot of trouble and they can't know that you know about this, alright? You can't tell anyone."

Way to asway their suspicions, Hawks, he thought ruefully as Iida's expression tightened.

"Those men sounded like they were threatening you," Uraraka said slowly, thoughtfully. "Like they were going to punish you really harshly or…"

Hurt you went unspoken, but he could tell they were all thinking it.

"They were just making a point," Hawks said, voice deceptively light. "That's all."

"Those men," Yaoyorozu said, studying Hawks thoughtfully. "They said they 'owned you.' That's rather odd phrasing."

Biting his lip, Hawks shrugged. "They do, in a way. They've been training me to be a hero for a long time, so I owe them. A lot."

"Oh man, that does not sound legit," Kaminari muttered under his breath. "What kind of training?"

"How to use my quirk, hand to hand combat, investigation, rescue, pretty much everything UA covers but more… intense," Hawks answered. "And some things that UA doesn't, like undercover operations and espionage."

"More intense, meaning rougher?" Todoroki leaned forward, something dark flashing in his eyes. "You got injured a lot? Punished physically for failing or learning slower than they'd like?"

Despite himself, he could only nod. Could only be honest under Todoroki's gaze that saw too much, knew too much. Experienced too much.

"They isolated you, kept you separate from other children?" Todoroki pressed on, voice pained. "Controlled everything that you did, even what you ate? Pushed you until you couldn't move and then hurt you because they said you were too weak?"

"Yes," Hawks said hoarsely.

"Todoroki..." Uraraka was close to tears as she glanced between them.

Todoroki closed his eyes for a moment and took a few measured breaths. "Did they say you deserved it? When they hurt you,"

"Yes," Hawks whispered, feeling strangely ashamed.

Silence. Todoroki stared at Hawks a moment longer before burying his head in his hands. After a long moment, he asked, "How long?"

"Since I was six," Hawks said, stomach twisting.

He refused to look at them. Couldn't stand to see the looks on their face as they rejected him. As they started to hate him, because that was what he deserved—

"Hawks," Uraraka said, and he didn't have to look at her to know she was crying. "I am going to hug you now."

Glancing up, Hawks was too shocked to try to stop her as she stood up, walked toward him, and wrapped her arms around him. A moment later, Midoriya and Yaoyorozu joined the hug as well.

They didn't say anything. Didn't try to tell him they were sorry or say that everything was going to be okay. They just held onto him tightly and didn't let go for a long time. Long enough for him to know that they weren't rejecting him, that they didn't hate him. Long enough to overwhelm him, for his emotions to overflow into tears.

No one scolded him for the show of weakness. They just held him.

"You live here alone, don't you?" Yaoyorozu asked, head still pressed into Hawks's shoulder. "Where are your parents?"

"I haven't seen them since the Commission came to take me," Hawks said, swallowing hard. "This apartment was set up for me to use while I was at UA."

"They haven't come to visit you?" Uraraka said, pulling back slightly so she could look at his face.

"They gave up parental rights when they…" Hawks trailed off, the words dying in his throat. A feeling of worthlessness crashed over him.

He wondered why they seemed to care so much. His own parents hadn't cared about him beyond the money they could make by giving him to the Commission.

"When they what?" Uraraka prompted softly.

"The Commission gave them money in exchange for custody of me," Hawks said, staring at the floor miserably. "That's why they said they own me."

Uraraka stiffed a cry by clamping her hands over her mouth as Kaminari swore next to her.

"They sold you?" Kaminari asked incredulously.

"No, no, it wasn't like that," Hawks pulled back from them, suddenly feeling claustrophobic. "They… the money wasn't to buy me, it was just… my parents were poor, and they needed the money. It was to help them and me, since they wouldn't have been able to give me a good education."

"Hawks, it doesn't matter why they did it, it doesn't change the fact that they gave you up in exchange for money," Yaoyorozu said softly. "Do you have an actual legal guardian or does the Commission itself have custody of you?"

"The Commission," Hawks answered, half a dozen denials dying on his lips. It wasn't like that. It wasn't.

"They sold you, illegally, to an organization that then groomed you to become a hero," Yaoyorozu continued. "They think they own you. They've hurt you in the past and now they're threatening to punish you further if you don't accomplish your mission. This is wrong, Hawks."

"You just don't understand," Hawks said, shaking his head. "It's not like that."

"Yaoyorozu is right. This is so messed up," Kaminari said. "The way they treat you is wrong. You have to see that, right? You don't deserve any of this."

"I do though," Hawks protested. "It wasn't their fault they had to hurt me, it was my fault for being weak, for not being good enough. If I had been better, they wouldn't have had to, don't you see?"

Hawks regretted the words the moment they were out of his mouth. The pain on their faces was unbearable, but even worse was the pale, pinched expression of Todoroki. He looked like Hawks had just punched him in the gut, expression haunted.

"That's…" Uraraka shook her head. "That's not true. That's abuse, Hawks. They aren't right."

"Nothing you could have done would justify them hurting you," Iida said, placing a hand on Hawks shoulder. "It wasn't your fault. They are the ones in the wrong, not you, no matter what they tried to tell you. It was abuse and it was illegal and wrong."

Hawks shook his head. "You don't have the full picture."

"Then tell us," Midoriya said, eyes welling with tears. "Let us help you."

"If I tell you, I'd be putting all of you in danger," Hawks said, his anxiety threatening to overwhelm his tenuous grip on control. "I know on the surface this sounds bad, but the Commission has their reasons for what they do. You can't let anyone know about this, or it could cost you your careers as heroes. Or worse."

Midoriya's face darkened, and he opened his mouth to protest, but Hawks cut him off before he could speak.

"The Commission is a pillar of our society. They're not perfect, but they're a necessary evil. We need more heroes, now more than ever. If that means illegally finding potential heroes and harsh training, then the ends justify the means."

The ends had to justify the means, or what was Hawks's life? What was the point of everything he had suffered? He was fine, despite everything that had been done to him. If he could prevent the other children from suffering as he had, he'd do it in an instant, but he knew the Commission would never let them go. He also knew that none of them would receive training as harsh as what Hawks had experienced. Too many of the other children Hawks's age had cracked under the pressure, resulting in different training tactics being adopted for the younger children. They weren't hurting the younger children the way they'd hurt him. He asked them, every time he saw them and while the training was still difficult, it was nowhere near the levels that it had been for him. Hawks would have torn down the Commission himself if he thought they were hurting the other children, not that he thought he'd actually be able to do anything.

"Hawks, we need to tell Aizawa-sensei about this," Iida said. "Or All Might or-"

"Promise me you won't tell anyone," Hawks pleaded, growing desperate. "If you tell them and they try to do something, their licenses could be revoked. I can't let that happen. I'm fine, I promise."

"We can't just stay silent when we know they've hurt you, when they're threatening to hurt you," Midoriya said, shaking his head. "Let us help."

"I don't need help," Hawks said. "No one else can know. No one."

In the end, they argued about it for three more hours before they finally agreed to keep silent. They weren't happy about it, but Hawks had finally managed to convince them that saying anything was dangerous, while at the same time downplay the danger to himself.

The whole thing was emotionally exhausting. Hawks was dead on his feet by the time everyone but Midoriya left. Hawks wished he had left with the others, but he could tell that Midoriya still had something he wanted to say.

"Promise me that you'll ask for help if you need it," Midoriya said, eyes so concerned and earnest that Hawks couldn't deny him anything. "Promise me."

"I promise," Hawks said, not sure if it was a lie or if it was a promise he could ever try to keep.

Midoriya seemed to feel it too. He shifted from foot to foot, looking conflicted. "I'll stay quiet for now, unless it becomes obvious you're in danger. Then I'm going to act whether or want me to or not. But I promise this—if you need help, I will find a way to save you, no matter what. So, try to trust in us, okay?"

"Okay," Hawks said quietly.

Seeming slightly more relieved, Midoriya bid him good night and left without another word.

Present: UA

Sunlight streamed in from the infirmary's windows woke Hawks up the next morning. He blinked awake, brain fuzzy and disoriented as he tried to get his bearings. A jolt of panic hit him as he tried to sort through his scattered, fragmented memories. What if he had forgotten something again? How many memories had he lost?

Bathroom. His upcoming existential crisis could wait until he'd gone to the bathroom. Feeling nauseous, Hawks sat up, spotted Aizawa asleep in a chair next to his bed and froze. What was the man still doing here?

He studied Aizawa for a moment, confused. Were they worried that Hawks would run away? Hawks's memories of the past few days were a jumbled mess, but he knew Aizawa had been there almost every time Hawks had woken up. He thought he remembered All Might, Iida, and Kaminari visiting at some point, but he wasn't sure.

Sighing, Hawks ran a hand over his face and tried to force his thoughts onto something else. Like how he hadn't showered in days.

Recover Girl had removed his IV sometime during the night, so it was easy for Hawks to slip out of bed. At least, until he tried to stand up. A wave of vertigo crashed over him and he would have fallen on his face if he hadn't managed to catch hold of the bedrail.

Swallowing thickly, Hawks shut his eyes and held on to the rail as the world tilted upside down and his stomach threatened to revolt against him.

"Hawks?" Aizawa said, sounding groggy.

Blood shot eyes opened and zeroed in on Hawks at once, taking in his pale, sweaty face and shaking limbs. Suddenly alert, Aizawa walked around to the other side of Hawks's bed and grabbed him by the elbow, helping to support most of his weight.

"Are you okay?" Aizawa asked, pressing a warm hand to Hawks's forehead.

Unconsciously leaning into the touch, Hawks swallowed thickly. "Bathroom," he managed to croak, cupping a hand over his mouth to keep from gagging.

Eyes widening in understanding, Aizawa half carried Hawks to the bathroom and got him to the toilet just in time. Aizawa didn't leave, instead kneeling down next to him and rubbing circles in his back as Hawks vomited what little was in his stomach.

Unable to comprehend why Aizawa hadn't left the bathroom in disgust, Hawks wondered if he was hallucinating. Nothing else made sense and it would be just his luck. But Aizawa's hand on his back was too real for it to be a dream, despite how strange the action was.

Hawks sagged as he finished emptying his stomach and would have fallen into the toilet if Aizawa had grabbed him by the shoulder and gently hauled him back, until he was leaning against the man's shoulder.

"Done?" Aizawa asked as he reached out to flush the toilet.

Hawks nodded miserably.

Aizawa left Hawks in the bathroom for him to relieve himself and shower once he was sure Hawks wasn't going to keel over if left to his own devices. Hawks had to hold onto the railing in the shower for dear life, but the worst of the vertigo had passed.

Clean pajamas, socks, and underwear were waiting for him once he got out, which was a relief after so long in a hospital gown. The back of the shirt had already been cut to fit Hawks's wings and he managed to change into it without difficulty.

Wiping condensation from the mirror, Hawks stared at himself, taking in the small, bright crimson blood feathers that now covered his wings. It would be a few more days before the feathers were done growing back in, but Hawks didn't care. He was just thankful that the bandages were off.

He still looked far too pale and sickly for his liking, but he was improving. Physically, at least. Mentally… He wasn't sure. He knew he had to deal with what had happened at some point, but it felt like it was too much, this time. He wasn't sure if he would be able to pull himself back together if he tried to process it.

Aizawa and Recovery Girl were talking quietly to each other when he left the bathroom and shuffled back to his bed. They both looked noticeably relieved to see him, no doubt worried that he'd collapse before he could finish. Their hovering should have been irritating, but it was oddly nice as Recovery Girl took his blood pressure and asked him a series of questions.

On the other side of the room, Midoriya and his mother were both still asleep, a thick white curtain giving them a modicum of privacy. He could hear Inko snoring softly and suppressed a smile.

Recovery Girl took the time to explain the symptoms to expect for the next few weeks while he recuperated from his ordeal, confirming his suspicions about the headaches. A few of the possible after affects were alarming, but if they were concerned about it, they didn't let it show on their faces.

"Have you gone home at all?" Hawks asked, eyeing Aizawa's face as Recovery Girl left to get them breakfast. His normal stubble could almost be categorized as a beard at this point, and his hair, which was pulled into a messy bun, was in severe need of a good brushing.

"Not recently," Aizawa admitted, rubbing his neck. "Hawks, have you thought about your future going forward?"

Anxiety churned in Hawks's stomach. "Not really. I guess I'm still trying to process everything."

Nodding, Aizawa shifted in his chair so that he was facing Hawks without having to turn his neck. He stayed quiet for a long moment, studying Hawks intently.

Uh-oh. Serious talk alert, Hawks thought. He braced himself, wondering what Aizawa wanted. More information on the Commission? A detailed report on the things he'd told them?

"I read your file and I know that the Commission had very specific plans for your future," Aizawa said, leaning forward just slightly. "You didn't have a choice before, but you do now."

Hawks blinked uncomprehendingly.

"If you don't want to be a hero, no one is going to force you, Hawks," Aizawa said quietly, voice kind. "You have the right to choose your future for yourself."

After a moment of staring and wondering if Aizawa was actually serious, Hawks couldn't help it, he laughed. "I—I appreciate the sentiment? But being a hero is all I've ever wanted—and my memory may be full of more holes than swiss cheese, but trust me, this is one thing that I know."

Aizawa seemed to take Hawks at his word and didn't press the memory issue. "I'm glad to hear that. Just know that if you change your mind-"

"I won't," Hawks said firmly. He'd wanted to be a hero since he was six. All he'd ever wanted was to help people. "I might not have all of my memories, but I know who I am. The Commission… the Commission took a lot from me, but they were never able to take that."

The stare Aizawa was giving him was unnerving, but not nearly as unnerving as the smile that spread across his face. "You're a good kid, Hawks."

"I'm not a kid," Hawks complained, brushing a hand over his feathers to remind himself that they were there. "Since we're on the subject of the future… what happens now? To me?"
"You can continue at UA, if that's what you really want," Aizawa said, leaning back. "We're working on building the dorms, so you'll be living on campus during the school year."

During the school year. Did that mean he had to find a place to stay while school wasn't in session?

"Principle Nedzu is already on working to arrange a legal guardian for you," Aizawa said, half burying his face in his capture scarf. "You'll be staying at their house while school is out."

"A guardian?" Hawks repeated, leaning back against the pillow. Another handler, then. He blew out a long breath and tried to remind himself that UA wasn't the Commission, but it didn't quite stick in his brain. "If the Commission is targeting my—my friends, then I would be endangering them."

"That's why a hero has been asked," Aizawa said, straightening in his chair. "Someone you already know."

"Oh," Hawks tried to think of the heroes he knew who would be willing to take him in and came up short. "I don't want to trouble anyone. I lived on my own before-"

"We're not letting you live by yourself, Hawks," Aizawa said. "You deserve to have someone take care of you. You deserve the chance at having a family."

Skin crawling, Hawks clenched his fists. "I don't want to go back to my parents," he managed to bite out, voice wavering slightly.

"No one is suggesting that. And it would happen over my dead body," Aizawa said flatly, running a hand through his hair in frustration. He stared at the wall for a moment, as if he thought the secrets of the universe could be found on the uneven plaster, before turning back to Hawks and blurting, "I have a spare room."

"Okay…?" Hawks wondered if the lack of sleep was finally catching up to Aizawa.

Aizawa buried his face in his hands and groaned. "I'm doing a terrible job at this," he said, before lifting his head and scooting a little closer. "How would you feel about staying with me?"

What?! Hawks stared at him in disbelief. He felt as if his brain had finally been broken; he couldn't process the words, no matter how hard he tried. "Sensei, you don't have to feel obligated to take me in. I would just be a burden and cause you trouble. I wouldn't be worth it."

Sitting back in the chair, something close to sorrow flickered across Aizawa's face. He opened his mouth to speak, but paused, as if he didn't know what to say. "Hawks-" He tried, reaching out to him.

The door to the infirmary slid open.

"Ah, good, you're awake!" Principle Nedzu said brightly. "I have some things I'd like to discuss with you, if you're up to it."

Aizawa did not look pleased at the interruption. He glanced at Nedzu, looking conflicted for a moment, before sighing and resting a hand on Hawks's shoulder. "We'll talk more about this later, okay?"

"Sure," Hawks said, though he didn't see what there was to talk about.

Sighing, Aizawa ruffled Hawks hair. "We'll talk later." He repeated, the promise settling over Hawks like a warm blanket in spite of the growing confusion.

Pressing a hand to his head, Hawks wondered at the warmth feeling lingering in his chest.

The conversation that got this whole story started is finally here! Hope everyone enjoys this chapter :)
School is slowing the writing down a little, but I'm still managing to write a little every day. Part 10 is already done, so that should come out the 26th or 27th. Part 11 is the climax of the story so that might take me a little longer to finish. It all depends on how well the writing goes.

Please let me know what you think of this chapter :)