Category: Mild Romantic Fluff

Characters: Keigo Takami (Hawks), Fuyumi Todoroki

Requested By: ungewissen (Tumblr)

"Oh, dear," Fuyumi sighed. "Is it really that late already?" She was frowning deeply as she gazed nervously out of the spacious window beside her desk in her currently empty classroom. Above the silhouetted skyline, the night sky was enveloping the world in its gentle, dark embrace. The moon was a slim crescent, diminishing the amount of light it was able to cast upon the world, and the stars were blotted out by a combination of both wispy gray clouds and the light pollution of the populated city- meaning that the only things that would illuminate Fuyumi's way home were the puddles of light splashing down on the sidewalk from the flickering lampposts. She hadn't meant to stay in the school building so late grading papers, but once she got on a roll, it was very difficult to pry her attention away from her task. "Oh, dear," she tutted once more to herself, but there was nothing for it; she had to get home at some point, after all, and it wouldn't do to stay out any later than this. She quickly gathered her things into her spacious satchel before scurrying out of the door, being sure to lock her classroom behind her.

Fuyumi reflexively clutched her bag close to her hip as she scurried quickly and purposefully down the sidewalk. It wasn't like she had anything valuable to the average person. The act of grounding herself to the bag seemed to alleviate her anxieties somewhat, but only just. Even with heroes patrolling the city day and night, the streets at night were still a dangerous place for a young woman such as herself. Besides, despite everything, many crimes went unpunished and even unwitnessed by heroes, because they simply couldn't be everywhere at once, and if criminals had proved anything, they were adaptable and cunning. If I could just make it to the train station, I'll be just fine, she told herself with a small gulp. Statistically speaking, crime rates were still relatively low, so the chances of anyone hassling Fuyumi were favorable.

As it turned out, statistics were not in her favor that evening.

A shiver crawled up her spine as a sharp wolf-whistle pierced the cool night air. The fine hairs on the back of her neck began to raise as thudding, heavy footsteps overshadowed her own light, feverish ones. She knew that someone was walking behind her, perhaps even multiple someones. Stay calm, she told herself as she dug her trembling fingers further into the brown fabric of her satchel. If she stopped and acknowledged them, then she was pretty much allowing herself to become a victim. She cast a fervid glance into the glass window of the next building she passed; her face paled frightfully as she caught glimpses of two male figures tromping behind her own reflection. They were very obviously staggering drunk. Stay calm, she reminded herself. Even her inner voice was squeaking in fright.

"Hey, baby. It's a little late to be out by yourself," slurred one of the strangers. Invisible hackles raised over her shoulders at the proximity of his sluggish voice. Involuntarily, her pace quickened until she was jogging feverishly down the street. The train station was close, right? Her fear-fogged mind was mixing up the directions that had become second nature. Suddenly, the buildings didn't look familiar; had she somehow made a wrong turn? Surely not, she thought she recognized that little cake shop on the corner, but then again, maybe it just looked a lot like the one she bought a muffin and coffee from every morning. Was it even a cake shop at all?

Her breath came in ragged gasps as fear and exertion began to overtake her system. Dammit, she should have invested in that pepper spray like Natsuo had told her to! She could hear the men laughing raucously behind her and their slamming footsteps.

"Why are you running, doll?"

"Yeah, we just want to chat! The night is young! Let's go drinkin'!"" the other yowled not unlike a feral beast on the chase. Scared tears began to sting Fuyumi's eyes as she desperately repeated "train station, train station" under her breath like a prayer. The soles of her flats scraped loudly against the sidewalk as she whirled around a corner, hoping the sudden and athletic movement would be too much for the drunkards to replicate. It was; they cursed angrily as they slammed halfway against the brick corner and tumbled over some silver trash bins. Had Fuyumi executed her plan perfectly, she would have created enough distance between them to escape. However, it was clear that luck had abandoned her. She whimpered pitifully as she stared wide-eyed and tearfully at the eight-foot-tall dirty brick wall that was obstructing her path.

"Aw, doll, you just wanted to find somewhere private? How nice of ya," one of the drunks crooned before giving a disgusting, loud belch. Stay calm, stay calm, you just have to catch them by surprise and push by, Fuyumi told herself frantically as she whirled on her heel and faced her stalkers. She gulped loudly as she held her satchel up to her chest, almost like a shield. Their hulking forms eclipsed the little amount of light pouring in from the lit street; their shadows stretched yards, ending right before Fuyumi's quivering form. "Don't be scared, doll," echoed the sing-song voice laced with ill intent. "We just want to have a nice talk over a couple o' drinks."

"You look like such a pretty, nice lady. You'll indulge us, right?" the other cooed in a soothing façade.

"I am not interested," she stated clearly. Her voice was much stronger and firmer than her frantic soul; even in this state, she could somehow summon her teacher's scolding voice. "Please excuse me." It was a fool's thought that politeness would get her anywhere with these thugs. All she earned in response were a pair of bitter resounding laughs. Fuyumi reflexively backed up against the wall as they continued to lumber towards her, swaying like nightmarish beasts.

"Why the hurry?"

"Yeah, all you uptight girls just need to let loose and have a little fuuuuuuun," he stretched out the word into a slurred drawl that made every inch of Fuyumi's skin crawl. As one of them neared close enough for arm's reach, she snatched up the closest discarded item- a splintered slab of plywood- and lashed out at him.

"Get away from me!" she screeched. Her attack surprised him and his reflexes weren't exactly stellar given his immense inebriation, so the hunk of wood actually connected with his skull. Unfortunately, the wood was half-rotted and thin to begin with, so rather than knocking him out, it snapped in half on contact and only served to infuriate him. Fuyumi yelped as he roughly grabbed the remaining piece of wood and yanked it right out of her hands to toss it down the alleyway. The clouds parted just enough to allow the sliver of the moon to shine down on the harrowing scene unfolding in the alleyway; the thin trail of blood leaking from the gash in his forehead glowed like a fiery ruby, matching the flame of anger burning deep in the dark pits of his eyes.

"Lady," he snarled, "That hurt." Fuyumi inhaled sharply and pressed back so hard against the wall that the indentations of the brickwork were sure to be imprinted into her skin. Her knees buckled against one another and refused to unlock, leaving her just a quivering, vulnerable mess. Was this really it? Was she really just going to stand there and be a victim? She always prided herself in being strong and capable, willful and robust, but it was like every ounce of her courage had been siphoned away with that one dreadful, murderous look. She begged her body to do something, anything, but it refused to comply. She could almost see the cloud of mist pouring from her mouth as her entire body froze into a block of ice. She turned her attention to desperate, silent prayers, calling out on instinct to her family.

Natsuo. Shoto. In her addled state, she would even take her shitbag of a father.

"Someone, please save me," she breathed as four groping hands reached for her, unseen in the dark of the moonlit night.

"Now, that is no way to treat a young lady."

"Oh!" Fuyumi exclaimed as her red-and-white hair and the loose fabric of her dress ruffled wildly with the onslaught of a sudden, swirling wind. The air rang with the fluttering of countless feathers as the wind descended before her, and the hulking frames of the two drunks was replaced by a strong back adorned with two large, red wings. Lazily, a hand drifted up to weave through tousled blonde locks.

"Nope, nope," clucked the hero before her in scolding, "ladies should be treated with respect and dignity- not herded into a dirty alleyway like livestock for the slaughter." Though his tone started off lighthearted and almost unbothered at first, by the end of the sentence it had developed such a hard and savage edge that even Fuyumi winced, though it was in no way directed at her.

"Oh, shit, it's Hawks! What the hell is he doing all the way over here?" one of them cried fearfully.

"Who gives a fuck? Run!" The other barked. Fuyumi could not see them behind the sprawling mass of those ruby-red wings, but she imagined they were clumsily turning on their heels to flee like the cowards they were.

"Nope, nope. Class ain't dismissed," Hawks sighed. Based on the flex of his toned shoulder muscles, she guessed his arms snapped out to grasp them by the backs of their necks. She was so impressed with his speed and agility that she completely missed the very obvious reference to her profession that implied familiarity on his part. A very loud thunking combined with piercing yelps indicated he had banged their heads together to daze them. "Really? You dopes make all that fuss, and that's all it takes to knock you out? I'm disappointed," Hawks pouted with a tiny flutter of his wings. Fuyumi watched owlishly as he deposited them a few feet away; she grimaced at the very obvious goose eggs growing on each of their foreheads. They would be feeling that in the morning, for sure. "Now, to get you punks to the slammer before you wake up and have any more bright ideas," the winged hero muttered under his breath as he quickly typed a text into his smartphone. He gave no notice to Fuyumi. Blinking, she timidly peeled herself off the wall to take a few steps toward him.

"Um… Mr. Hawks… sir?"

"Oh, right, are you hurt, miss?" he laughed, shoving his phone deep into his pocket and rubbing the back of his neck with a bright smile. "Sorry, sorry, I was alerting the authorities; I didn't mean to ignore you." For a pro hero, he sure is… flighty… The adjective was almost too appropriate. He smiled wider when she shook her head. "Good, good. Endeavor would sure drive a stick up my ass if you got hurt on my watch- uh, pardon the language," he corrected quickly as a faint blush appeared on her cheeks.

"Oh! No, it's not that, um. I just wasn't aware that you were familiar with my father." Fuyumi had been under the impression that his assistance in her father's televised fight was mere circumstance.

"Nope, nope! We're buddies!" Hawks grinned widely. Fuyumi had to giggle; most definitely, it was a one-sided friendship, knowing her father's grumpiness. Though Fuyumi had been through such a harrowing experience, his easy-going nature and smile was doing wonders to drive her down from that adrenaline high. She hugged the satchel of papers to her chest as she smiled shyly.

"Oh, well… I appreciate your help."

"No problem~" he chirped with a dismissive wave. "You're a little late in your schedule, though, yeah?" Fuyumi's eyes widened as she stared at him blankly. How could he know that? It was his turn to blush. "Ah, no," he stammered quickly while holding out his hands in an appeasing gesture. "It's not like I stalk you or anything; I just, uh, always fly over here because there's this place that has suuuuuper awesome bubble tea, yeah, and I always see you walking home at the same time, you know? I mean, you're just, uh, really noticeable. In a good way! You don't look weird or anything! Um. Maybe I should stop talking?" His wings drooped low as he looked uncomfortably at her. Fuyumi ought to be a little creeped out, she supposed, but he was just so cute and flustered that she just found it all endearing. His eyebrows sloped downward worriedly as she began to laugh lightly.

"It's all right. I feel grateful that the number-two hero takes notice of a quaint little teacher such as myself." The bubble tea shop was right next to the school she taught at, so it wasn't much wonder he knew she taught, either. Honestly, Fuyumi was quite flattered. A famous hero, taking notice of her? It was dreamlike. A bashful smile graced his pretty face as he fluttered his wings hopefully. Fuyumi suddenly gulped as she beheld the marvelous appendages. She was no stranger to famous heroes, and after watching the televised fight, she had taken notice of Hawks and begun following his exploits. After all, she wasn't blind; he was handsome and, dare she say, dreamy. As such, she had harbored a wee little fantasy. "M-may… May I touch your wings?" she whispered. His eyes widened and he compulsively looked at one of them.

"Oh, uh, yeah," he shrugged and extended one out for her. She sucked in a sharp breath as she admired the way the scarce moonlight played over the surface of the feathers, tainting the red hue with a silver-red color. Hesitantly, as if she were about to commit some blasphemous act even though he had expressly given her permission, she stretched out a hand. The very tips of her fingers just barely shook as they journeyed across the small space before connecting with the blades of his wings. She could not help but openly sigh as her fingers came into contact with the impeccably soft feathers. Her expression melted as she softly stroked the downy mass. Somehow, it was relaxing. Her fingertips skipped up to run across the hard bone of the frame of his wings, feeling the occasional tiny notch of a scar. She wondered momentarily how many battles he had been in, but it flew from her mind as he jumped slightly. "Sorry, it tickles a little," he smiled nonchalantly at her as she looked at him. Her eyebrows crept up her forehead slightly, as the dusting of pink across his cheeks did not go unnoticed by her. She looked back down at the wings. Though she ached to just dive her hands into the soft feathers and play with them, that was stepping a little over the line, she reasoned.

"Erm… Thank you," she said and retracted her hand before she grew too bold. He rolled his shoulders as he pulled the wing back in, before lifting his visor to smile at her with glittering eyes. Sirens were beginning to wail in the distance, growing closer by the second. Fuyumi felt a little saddened by their implications. "I… suppose it is time for you to leave, isn't it?"

"Now, what kind of hero would I be if I didn't escort a young lady home?" Bird-like as he was, his voice still rumbled like a cat's purr. It vibrated in Fuyumi's chest, stirring her heart up into a frenzy. She straightened up reflexively as he took a few steps toward her, now standing less than a third of a foot in front of her; if he puffed out his chest enough, theirs would meet. "That is, if the young lady would grace me with her presence a little longer."

"Oh, dear," she breathed out. She couldn't help it. He looked impossibly sexy; the moonlight was framing him just right, catching all the highlights in his hair and accenting all the ridges of his face and making his wings shine like that of a true angel's. She found herself nodding before she could even command her brain to think about his question.

"May I?" he asked chivalrously and held out his arms with a slight stoop of his body, obviously intending to scoop her up into his arms. Again, her head bobbled in an entranced nod. As his thick arms slipped around her, one bumping into the backs of her knees and the other securing her around her shoulders as she stumbled into him, she automatically grabbed onto his sturdy shoulders. Immediately, her fingers itched with the inane need to trace the lines of his muscles so obviously encased by his hero uniform. Her face immediately flared pink at her indecent thoughts. This was a pro hero! Holding her close… His breath mixing with hers in close proximity… Really, she could kiss him without much effort… She wondered if it would be a welcome reward for her rescue? Oh, dear, Fuyumi! Hush! She begged herself. Almost as if he was reading her mind, he smirked knowingly down at her. "You'd better hold on," he remarked just as the police cars pulled up and the officers exited. "Thank you, gentlemen, but I gotta fly! I'll come and give report at the station later 3" he hollered over his shoulder with a mischievous cackle before giving his wings one powerful flap. Fuyumi was not prepared for the speed at which they took off, and she squeaked as she lurched and her cheek pressed right into the plush muscle of his pectoral. Oh, dear, that's nice… she thought absently, not even really aware of the way her two-toned hair was flapping in her face.

"You're missing the view," Hawks laughed at her. She wrenched herself back into the present and hastily swept her hair from her face to look around.

What a view it was.

"Oh, dear…" Though only a few seconds had passed, they were now sailing high above the city line. The lights of cars and buildings twinkled in little orbs below, mirroring the expanse of the black sky above her head. Everything seemed so small, so inconsequential, that it took Fuyumi's breath away. "It's beautiful."

"It is." She looked at him and blushed when she found him staring directly at her. Momentarily, she wondered if she had been watching too many cheesy chick flicks and was dreaming. She pinched herself, sure that she would awaken in her bed with no memory of how she got there, but though the sharp pinch made her nerves complain loudly, she didn't jolt up in her bed. This is… real… she thought as she stared deeply into his golden-brown eyes. "You know, we're acquainted so well, and yet I don't even know your name," he chuckled bashfully all of a sudden.

"Fuyumi," she answered with no hesitation. "Fuyumi Todoroki." The smile he gave her was one laced with obvious affection.

"Huh. Imagine that. A beautiful name to match a beautiful face." It was such an obvious flirt that Fuyumi became overwhelmingly shy and buried her face into his shoulder, feeling it jump as his laugh rang out in the night air.

"Do you flirt so shamelessly with every young woman you rescue?"

"Nope, nope, just pretty teachers." Oh, he's a rascal, she thought with a twist of her stomach, but she couldn't deny that she was very excited by it all. After all, she would be a fool of a woman not to be! Hawks seemed like he was genuine enough, too.

"Hey."

"Hmm?"

"Do I get to know your real name?" she asked, lifting her head to peer up at him. He gazed thoughtfully at her for a moment before giving her a lop-sided smirk.

"Depends. Do I get to have the young lady's phone number?"

Instead of an answer, she gave him another embarrassed squeal and buried her face back into his broad shoulder. He had been so flustered earlier, but now he was spitting game like it was second nature to him! He was laughing again, and the way her head was jostling up and down with every loud chuckle didn't help the nervous twisting of her belly. "Keigo," he said suddenly, making her look up at him in mild shock. "Call me Keigo."

"Keigo," she repeated softly. "It has a nice ring to it."

He snorted with a smile and turned his head as his wings shifted to bank sharply, catching the light of the moonlight in such a way that they glowed mostly white, but two-toned with occasional dark streaks of red with the way the shadows fell. Fuyumi smiled and reached up to play with the ends of her wind-swept two-toned hair, thinking that in the moonlight, they matched.

What were the implications of that, she wondered?