"Hawks, let me say, we are so excited to have you here with us today!" Hawks grins and looks out to the crowd, the bright spot lights momentarily blinds him.
"It's great to be here Uwabami!" He turns his attention back to the hostess behind the desk and she offers a smile of her own, the snakes in her hair swaying slightly. The crowd starts to cheer and she laughs.
"Now, Hawks. I understand that recently you and Endeavor have teamed up. That must be quite a force to be reckoned with!" Hawks rubs the back of his neck, hoping that the cameras can't pick up on how much he's sweating. He has no idea how Uwabami can tolerate the sweltering heat from all the lights and equipment but he has to give her props for it. Maybe she uses them as heat lamps, he doesn't know how snake-y she is and figures that would probably be a rude question to ask. Maybe, like Hawks, she's just been conditioned to deal with it. Fake it till you make it, Hawks thinks bitterly.
"We're the dream team!" He hopes that Dabi isn't watching this interview.
"By now, we've all seen what happened in Kyushu. Tell me, what was going through your mind during the attack?"
As the minutes tick by, he easily answers Uwabami's questions. His hour is almost up if the clock on her desk is anything to go by. A smile appears on her red painted lips and she taps the desk with one of her perfectly manicured nails.
"I've just one more question for you Hawks."
"Shoot away!" Uwabami leans over the desk, resting her chin against a palm, giving him her best smile.
"None of us can deny that you're a looker," Her eyes flick over his body and he inwardly sighs- knowing where this is going. "So a question for all of your admirers and your fans, have you been seeing anyone?" Have I been seeing anyone? He thinks to himself, what an odd way to phrase it. Before he has a chance to answer, Uwabami continues.
"It's been brought to my attention that there's been a few gossip forums that have been posting... rather interesting theories."
"Oh?" He's honestly at a loss for words and his heart feels like it's about to hammer its way out of his chest. She nods sympathetically.
"Yes. There's also this photo that's been circulating around the internet these past couple of days." The screen behind them shows an enlarged photo of Hawks walking down a street with an ice cream cone in one hand and a chicken sandwich in the other. A large hand drawn circle with three exclamation points brings his attention to a love bite peeking out from under his shirt. He mentally kills Dabi and wishes death for himself. He starts to laugh.
"Oh! That?" He waves his hand dismissively, "That was just a bruise from a fight with a villain earlier in the week!" Hawks turns to the crowd and shoots them a thumbs up.
"There you have it everyone! Your favorite hero is still on the market- just ready to have his feet swooped out from under him!" He laughs with the rest of the audience but on the inside feels disgusted for being exploited like this. He's a hero not an idol and in his humble opinion he shouldn't have to have his personal life aired out like this.
Just another tally against the system.
"So," Dabi's smooth voice cuts through the comfortable silence as his fingers run through Hawks' wings, "I hear you're on the market." Hawks shoots a glare over his shoulder.
"You saw that?" Dabi chuckles and buries his face in the crook of Hawks' neck, his breath warm against Hawks' skin.
"Oh yeah, the rest of the League too. Shigaraki got a kick on how many bullets you were sweating." Hawks brings up a hand and threads it through Dabi's hair.
"Did you defend my honor?" He hears a snort and Hawks rolls his eyes.
"Nah, it was too funny. He was doing these really shitty impressions of you."
"Wow, you know what, bitch? I don't even have words for you."
"Good. I can finally enjoy some fucking peace and silence." Hawks knocks his head against Dabi's.
"You'd miss my amazing commentary." All he gets back is an 'eh.' He suddenly remembers something and disentangles himself from Dabi, earning a growl from him. Hawks flits across the small apartment and digs through his closet. He returns back to the sofa, holding something behind his back with a grin, wings fluttering in excitement. Dabi narrows his eyes suspiciously at him.
"I heard from a little bird that you'll be doing some sort of top secret mission for the League and will be out of town for a while," He feels his grin grow wider as Dabi's frown furrows.
"Where did you hear that?" Hawks shakes his head and tells him that he would never betray the trust of his friends by ratting them out. Oh the irony of actually being a double agent. A double crosser. He will be nothing but the blade in their back in the unforeseeable future.
He tries to ignore the weighted feeling.
"I know how much you like having me around-"
"Bullshit. I don't need you." Hawks takes a step closer and waggles his eyebrows at him.
"Mm, that wasn't what you were saying last night." Dabi reaches forward and grips Hawks by his thighs, pulling him between Dabi's legs and buries his face in Hawks' stomach.
"I only keep you around for your ass." His voice is muffled and Hawks laughs.
"Glad to know that's the only reason why I'm kept around." He stares down at Dabi and- *god* he loves him so much. How did he allow himself to get so wrapped up in this? So involved in what was supposed to be a simple mission? A wave of guilt washes over him as he thinks about the dwindling time they have together before everything will be revealed to Dabi.
When he finds out that the truth, that everything was just based on a lie.
Except it isn't. Was it ever really a lie to begin with? He doesn't know anymore.
All he knows is that he's in too deep now, Dabi is like a drug. A delicious drug that Hawks can never get enough of.
"Well, I might also keep you around for your voice, pretty bird." Hawks wraps his wings around the both of them and reveals in the warmth. They stay still for a few quiet moments, allowing each other to be lost in thought. Hawks finally pulls away and finds himself lost in the blue hue of Dabi's eyes.
"Anyway! So you won't get lonely while you're gone." He hands Dabi a small box that's wrapped with black gift wrap with a thin sapphire ribbon pulled into a delicate bow. Dabi says nothing as he carefully opens the box. His eyebrows shoot up as he pulls out a small plushie of Hawks.
"It's from my new line!"
"Thanks, I hate it." Hawks fluffs up his feathers and sits down next to Dabi.
"Please, we both know you love it." Dabi side glances him with a smile before gently setting down the plushie.
"Maybe." Pulling himself closer to Hawks, "I'd really rather have you though." Hawks laughs as Dabi starts to pepper him with kisses.
Hawks finds himself in bed- alone. He rolls over to look at Dabi's side of the bed and feels empty. All around him are reminders of the scarred man. He pulls the pillow Dabi uses and hugs it to his chest, it's going to be a long week he thinks to himself as he falls into a light and restless dream.
"Damn! You look like shit!"
"Thanks Sherlock." He grumbles as he curls up at the end of his sofa, wrapping the blanket closer against himself. Miruko leans against the wall with a look of worry.
"Everything okay? Fight with lover boy?" Hawks sighs and looks down at his phone. Wherever Dabi was heading to for the week- he was instructed to leave his phone behind. Just three days in and Hawks already ate all of his ice cream tubs.
It's at times like these that he wishes that he had taken some pictures with Dabi but that would be a bad move if his phone happened to get lost or stolen. He could just imagine the backlash from that.
Instead, he finds small comfort in knowing that in his dreams- Dabi waits for him.
"No, he's just away on a business meeting."
"Well, at least I don't have to go and hunt him down for hurting you."
"You don't even know him." Her rabbit ears twitch and she pushes herself off from the wall, sitting next to him she wraps a muscular arm around him, bringing him into a crushing hug.
"And whose fault is that?"
"Look, it's really complicated." Complicated is probably an understatement. Miruko barks out a laugh and slaps Hawks' back.
"Have you seen my list of exes? Just 'bout the only thing that could get more complicated than that is if you're dating a villain!" He doesn't join in with her laughter and her ruby eyes widen.
"Hawks..." He still says nothing as he hides his face with his hands.
"Jesus, say it ain't so, Joe." Hawks just groans and peeks over at her from between her fingers.
"I'm really fucking stupid- huh?"
"You're beyond stupid! You're the Number Two Hero and here you are bangin' a fuckin' villain?!" He says nothing but shrinks into his sofa.
"Hawks," Miruko says slowly, "Who is he?" This time he does laugh, out of nervousness.
"So..."
"Just say it. You're my best friend- I won't judge. I mean, at this point of already getting it on with a villain, I don't think there's much else you can surprise me with."
"It's Dabi." She blinks a couple of times.
"The one who was in Kyushu."
"Yeah."
"The one who tried to kill you and Endeavor?"
"What can I say, I'm a glutton for punishment?" She wrinkles her nose.
"Totes did not need to know that. But seriously, that Dabi?"
"That's the one." Miruko shakes her head in disbelief.
"He's just so... ugly though." She deadpans and Hawks frowns into his hands.
"Well, I think he's handsome."
"Oh honey. Either you were dropped as an egg or became blind because that man looks like some sort of Frankenstein shit."
"Excuse me, it's Frankenstein's monster. Get it right." With an exasperated sigh, Miruko rolls her eyes.
"I'm assuming that when you said business meeting, you meant wreaking havoc to the public, terrorizing citizens and having the time of his life brûléeing heroes?"
"Probably." She pinches the bridge of her nose and shakes her head.
"But like, how did you two even become a thing? Going from enemies to lovers seems like some sort of shitty fan fiction trope."
"I know, it's complicated as fuck. I don't even know where to begin or how it even started to be honest."
Hawks tells her what he feels comfortable with. Completely omitting his reason for even having to reach out to villains in the first place. Towards the end of his story, Miruko nods sagely.
"Y'know, it makes more sense. I knew that you weren't this much of a slob. How does it even work though?" Hawks pats her shoulder and gives his best smile.
"Well when two men love each other they g-" She whaps his on his arm and shakes her head.
"No! The hell, not about that shit. I meant, with you being a hero and him a villain." Hawks shrugs. Not really knowing the answer to her question.
"We just take it day by day."
"I still think you're stupid as shit for doing this, but-" She pauses and grins, "I've seen how happy you've been lately. Love is love. Even if your situation is kinda fucked up."
"You won't say anything?"
"Who do you think I am? Some sort of snitch? Bitch please, we've been best friends for years. I'm not going to stand in the way of what makes you happy. Just don't get burnt in the process."
"I'll be fine! He would never hurt me. But thanks Miruko, for everything." She brings him into a hug and ruffles his hair.
"What are friends for?! Just letting you know though, if he does hurt you. I won't hesitate to absolutely kick his face in." Her red eyes glimmer and he nods, knowing she'll not only take his secret to the grave but also hold her promise true if anything were to happen.
"Miss me?" Hawks vaults over the sofa, flapping his wings to gain momentum and crashes into Dabi.
"You said it was only going to be a week you asshole!" Dabi's arms wraps around Hawks and the familiar warmth of his body relaxes Hawks as he melts into his embrace.
"What can I say, villains aren't the best at time management." Hawks cups Dabi's face between his hands and draws him into a long kiss.
"I've been so lonely." Dabi hikes Hawks up and pins him up against the wall.
"I suppose I could do something to fix that." He murmurs into Hawks' ear as he reaches for his belt buckle.
Author's Note
Guys, it's official. Only one more chapter until this first part of the series is complete!
Until then, fairwinds.
Reviews are always welcome!