A/N: Thank you all for the comments, favs and follows. To all my manga readers, if you've seen the spoiler scans I am sweating over here about our favorite burnt boy! I don't know what to think! So here is a chapter where something good happens to him, because we all know that poor man needs it! Hope you all enjoy! Please leave a comment to let me know what you think!
Chapter 44
Present Day – Day 50
She returns from the fair with a soft smile on her face as she hugs the Best Jeanist plushie close to her chest. Dabi watches the content smile spread across her lips as they wordlessly head towards the compound. The night air is crisp and cool against their skin as the full moon lights up the night sky.
Asami's head thoughtlessly cranes up to the sky as her movements become more robotic when something catches her attention. Dabi stares up at the sky to see her gaze tied to the stars shining back on them.
He approaches her as her movements halt altogether. He lifts his eyes to the same sky, feeling so small when he looks up at the stars like this.
"It's beautiful," her barely audible voice states.
His eyes turn to hers, seeing the light of the moon reflecting in her lilac orbs. He wants to kiss her so badly, but he refrains. "The moon is lovely tonight," he confesses.
Her eyes reach his and they stare at each other. "Do you mind if we stay out here for a moment?" her voice softly asks. "I just want to take this in."
"Course," Dabi's rough voice responds. "Let's go for a walk," he gestures over his shoulder and she smiles softly as she follows behind him.
They walk the outskirts of the compound wordlessly as they head deeper into the woods. Dabi has his hands dug deeply in his pant pockets as he leads her aimlessly around, while Asami hugs Best Jeanist tightly with her head shot up to take in the night sky.
"Remember when we used to go stargazing as kids?" his voice brings her gaze falling back down to the back of his head.
His shoulders are loose as he casually saunters in front of her, not looking back at her while he speaks. "You and Fuyumi would make hot chocolate and get blankets with pillows spread out. Natsu would join and be in a piss poor mood if he didn't get to sit next to you," and he would join them not because he enjoyed the hot drinks or looking up at the sky; that was the most boring part. Instead, he would join because she was there and he ached for her presence in his life back then.
A smile touches her lips as a soft blush heats her cheeks at the memories. "Fuyumi used to tell us what all the shapes in the sky represented," she reminisces but sometimes she admittedly didn't pay attention as her mind would be on Touya most of those nights.
"Yeah, I don't remember shit from those lectures," Dabi admits with a bashful scratch of the head.
"Me either," Asami giggles lightly.
Dabi turns back to her and she halts her stride. They are deep in the woods and are unable to see the compound beyond the tree line.
He looks up to the sky to see they have a perfect view around an encirclement of trees. Dabi shrugs off his overcoat and lays it on the ground between them. He motions her to sit atop it and she sinks down to her knees before sitting down. Dabi follows her lead, grunting slightly in discomfort as his staples tug at his skin.
He lays down, crossing his arms up and using them as a headrest while he stares up at the night sky. She lies down beside to him nuzzling up next to his hot body as she shivers at the cool weather. She loves how hot he is, having always been cold. She rests her head on his chest and feels his steady breathing rocking her back and forth. She can hear his heartbeat racing in his chest and she hopes it's because of her.
He tugs his left arm from his headrest and hugs her closer to him. His hand idly plays with her long hair while their eyes lock to the sky. His heartbeat picks up as he hugs her closer to him.
"I wish we had hot chocolate," Dabi muses.
I wish Fuyumi and Natsuo could be here with us.
She doesn't voice her desires and responds to him with a simple nod. He has to miss his siblings if he continues to bring up the memories that they all shared together.
Asami's hand traces the staples of his chest as they so often do. Dabi moans at the soft touch, feeling more accepted by her when she willingly touches his grotesque body like that.
She lifts her head off of his chest and turns to face him. He glances down at her, watching as her hands grip onto the collar of his shirt. Her fingers release their hold on the fabric and glide their way down his chest. He groans as his eyes fixate on her hands, making their departure down to his pants. She lingers on the waistband of his jeans before she begins to rub over his clothed crotch.
Dabi inhales deeply as he bucks off of the ground. A soft smile teases her lips as she continues to stroke him over his clothes. He's quick to harden for her, and when he does, she moves downwards to strip him of his jeans.
He contemplates telling her she doesn't have to do this, and that this day doesn't have to end with sex as a thank you. But he can't help but keep his mouth clamped shut as she glides the fabric off of his hips and he springs out of his boxers.
He pulls himself up into a slight crunch before her hand lifts to his chest and pushes him back down to the ground. She slides upwards to him, ghosting her lips against his as her soft voice says, "Let me make you feel good."
He responds with a ravenous kiss, snatching the back of her head and pillaging her mouth with his tongue. He begins thrusting against her hand that's now enveloped around his aching cock that's leaking with precum.
She plops away from his plundering kiss and he catches the lust in her eyes before she turns from him and departs to her task at hand.
She watches him for a moment, lust-filled gaze burrowing into him before a devious smirk takes over her lips and she dives into his cock.
"Fuck!" Dabi's head shoots back with a hiss as she begins bobbing her head in a steady rhythm.
Her hands are all over him, one pumping in tandem with her mouth while the other cups and plays with his sack underneath. He thinks back to when he forced his cock in her mouth while restraining her hands, but when he feels what they are capable of, he curses himself for ever tying her back.
He wants to fuck her face and hold her down while he pounds into her mouth, but she's making such good work of him on her own that he refrains. Her tongue teases the underside of his dick, while tracing the tip each time she lifts herself upwards. She's bottoming out his cock in her throat, shoving it as far as she can before she gags. Her hand twists and pumps with every move of her head and the lascivious sounds of her sloppily sucking up her drool screams out in the otherwise quiet night.
Dabi lifts his eyes off of her as she's focused on her task and stares up at the stars. She moans and the vibrations send a euphoric chill down his spine. He sees a star falling from the sky with a trail of sparkling dust behind it. He makes a wish that this night will never end.
He pulls his eyes from the stars and looks down at her. Her lashes are fluttering as she continues to take him so expertly. His thumb brushes against her cheek as his fingers grip around her jaw. She looks up at him, lips still enveloped around his cock.
"Let me fuck your pretty little face," he demands in a low tone that has her moaning against him in response. The vibration makes him hiss and he bucks against her.
She releases his cock and balls and he smiles that she's being so compliant. He takes her head in his hands and begins thrusting off the ground and into her mouth. His fingers dig into her nape, pulling at small baby hairs as he bucks into her.
"Fuck, you're such a good girl," he praises her as she opens her mouth to him. He shoves himself to the back of her throat and she heaves slightly. "Take it, Butterfly," he growls at her. "Take it like a good girl does. This cock belongs to you."
She shuts her eyes and he begins pumping with a relentless fervor. Her tongue tries to keep up with his wild thrusting but she can't any longer and she abandons the task. He tightens his hold of her head and begins pumping deeper inside of her. Her nose grazes against his public area and she gags at how deep he is. He continues to pump into the back of her throat, as if punishing her for gagging on him when he feels the all too familiar sensation approaching him.
"Gonna cum," he tells her with a throaty groan. "Gonna take it like a good girl, yeah?" he asks her and her eyes lift up to him. His eyes are closed tightly as he revels in the sensation of her.
She feels the pulsating of his vein on the underside of his cock and she takes in a deep breath before she feels the hot spurts of cum shooting into her mouth.
She begins to swallow and Dabi releases a lewd moan as her throat contrasts and collapses against his aching cock. Fuck, he loves that she's a swallower.
He shakily detaches his cock from her mouth and she wipes up the drool from her lips and chin with the back of her hand.
He looks back to the sky watching the stars as he rides his euphoric high into the clouds. He can hear her shuffling but he can't pay her much attention thanks to how much she stimulated him.
He feels her body shift atop him and his bright eyes finally drop down to see her now naked and climbing atop him. She grabs hold of his still hardened cock and guides it into her soaking pussy. He groans when she drops down on him. "Look at you, becoming the perfect little cock sleeve to me. Using all your holes for my pleasure," he teases her as her eyes shut tightly and she begins rocking against him.
"You feel amazing, Touya," her breathy needy whine responds.
He's back to being clouded with lust and the carnal pleasure of feeling her wrapped around his dick. His hands hungrily find her hips and latch onto them. He begins lifting and dropping her on his dick while her hips move against him in circular motions.
The feeling of his shaft rubbing against her exterior has her eyes rolling in the back of her head.
Dabi looks up at her with incredulous eyes. Her bare skin illuminates in the soft night sky and she looks like a deity with the stars shining behind her. Her tits bounce with every thrust they drive against each other and soft breathy moans escape her lips as she continues to ride and grind into him.
Dabi lifts himself into a seated position as he snatches one of her bouncing breasts and locks his lips around the perky nipple. He can feel her clench immediately at this and he lifts his cock inside her in response. His hot tongue swirls around her rosebud as her arms wrap around his head and bury his face in her chest. He could suffocate in these breasts and it would be the ultimate end for him if it meant being inside her like this.
Her thighs are shaking and he can tell that she's getting close to her own high. She bites down on her lower lip as he continues to tease her nipples. He trails his hot tongue across her mounds from one to the other as he ensnared the other nipple in his mouth.
"Yeah, Touya," her voice is deprived and panting and he wants to capture her in this state so he can hear that tone of voice endlessly.
He bucks against her and her thighs tighten around him. She's quivering now and she's so close. Dabi begins relentlessly teasing her nipples as he thrusts against her own movements. His hands fall back down to her hips where he snatches them and pounds her down into his cock. He lifts and drops her off of his throbbing shaft as her ability to thrust against him crumbles. He takes over from here, never allowing his lips to depart from her nipples as he bounces her up and down.
Her voice is increasing with breathy moans as the sensation builds and he can feel her walls caving in on him. He groans against her nipple, feeling himself harden to another climax.
"Yeah, Touya, fuck me!" she cries with a useless whine. "Fill me up!" she moans and his lips detach from her chest with a plop. He looks up at her with brightly lit eyes for confirmation and she giggles at the disbelieving look in his eyes. She bites her lip and nods at him with lust filled eyes. "Cum inside me, Touya."
He must have lost track of the days that she's been on the pill, not realizing that he can safely cum inside her now. The realization drives him over the edge and his blunt nails dig into her hips, leaving crescent shapes in her skin as he slams her down into his cock with a loud slapping that fills the meadow that they are in.
Dabi grunts as his cock begins to empty inside of her and Asami's body shakes violently when she finds her own high with the stimulation of his hot cum painting her insides. Their simultaneous release has them both panting and lightheaded as Dabi releases her hips and Asami tumbles off of him to lie down next to him.
Their chests heave with labored breaths as they wordlessly look up at the star-filled sky for a moment, both entranced in their euphoric romp.
After a moment of lying there, Asami lifts herself to get dressed since the cold air is too much against her bare body, even next to Dabi. He takes her lead and pulls up his jeans, lazily buttoning them, but leaving them unbuckled.
When she's back in her clothes, Asami turns back to him and lies back down next to him. Her head finds its place back on his chest, nuzzled against his scarred left side. He hugs her close to his heated body, warming her up as he buries his nose into her hair and taking in her intoxicating floral scent.
They find themselves dozing off into their own thoughts as they enjoy this moment of serene quietness. The stillness in the air is something they haven't had for a while and since the drama of late that's been unfolding around them, it's nice to just have a moment to themselves pretending none of their obligations are hinging in the horizon.
Asami lifts her head off of Dabi's chest to look at him. He watches her with brightly lit turquoise eyes that burn with admiration towards her.
"Thank you for today," she tells him with a quiet tone. "It was perfect."
He lifts his hand to her hair and brushes it back as he combs his fingers through her strands. "I don't ever want you to think it's just physical with me," he admits to her with hardening eyes. "Emotional shit is hard for me," he admits as a flash of hate flickers through his orbs. "I didn't have the best representation of what I'm supposed to do. So, I'm still learning…" He hangs on his words with embarrassment that he's not as romantic as she deserves and he hopes this is enough for her.
She shakes her head and her reaction makes him stop talking. "It's perfect," she assures him.
"Seems like you're still craving something more," he says and his tone is heartbreaking. She can tell that he's second-guessing himself and his actions of devotion rather than the truth of what she's truly craving.
She figures now is the time to tell him. "I just wish it could have been more… relaxed," she struggles with the correct words as she lays her head back on his chest and eyes back on the stars. "With the mask, and the hoodie, and the hat… all these disguises… I just wish we could step out without the worry of anyone recognizing us."
Dabi's jaw tenses tightly and she feels terrible for bringing it up. "Maybe after all is said and done, things will change and I'll be able to take you out like you deserve," he says vaguely as he strategically doesn't go into detail on Shigaraki's plans with how they will be able to do this, but she knows it will entail fighting and winning the war.
"Well…" she begins timidly as she stares up at the sky. "Things don't have to go that route. There are other ways…" his body tenses under her and she pulls at all her strength to get through this proposition. "Maybe if there was a way to speak with the Hero Public Safety Commission and get a pardon of sorts, your crimes could be forgiven in exchange for—"
She's cut off by the loud and amused snort that rumbles his chest. She blinks, not expecting that response as he begins snickering at her words. She lifts her head off of his chest and pulls her body into a seated position. She looks back at him as a wide grin takes over his marred face.
"A fuckin' pardon? That's cute, Butterfly," he chuckles as she looks down at him.
"I don't think it's completely out of the question—"
"Course it is," he scoffs at her. "I'm a villain. A well-known one at that. I've killed dozens of people—including pro heroes. They ain't gonna agree to shit with me."
"Well, in exchange for information about what the League is planning—"
"Don't be stupid, Butterfly," his gaze turns darker as he side-eyes her. "You're a smart girl, you know the HPSC would fall back on their word the second the information is given to them. And who the fuck would hold them accountable if they used their scummy tactics to go back on their word with a mass murderer? No one would bat a fucking eye."
Asami grits her teeth at his quickness to dismiss the offer. "You have leverage over them. They are scared about what Shigaraki is capable of, and if you come in and offer a solution to him, or agree that you won't fight alongside the League, they have a chance to win the war. They will know you're a key influencer to have on their side. Maybe not a pardon, but a plea deal?" she tries to sell. "You can agree to some jail time and then—"
"Then what?" he speaks over her. "The Commission gets what they want. Shigaraki's plan fails, the heroes win the war, the League gets arrested or killed, and I walk away with a medal of Valor?" he snorts again. "Nah, I get my ass thrown in Tartarus with the rest of 'em, only in this scenario I'll be attacked for being a traitor, and I fucking doubt those guards are going to do shit about it. 'An unavoidable tragedy' is what'll be written off as."
Asami gets flustered and continues to fumble through a way to get him to understand. "They will protect you, the heroes—"
"Fuck the heroes and this broken ass society they created," he snaps over her and she blinks back at him in shock. "This is exactly what I'm fighting against. Heroes running around pretending that they are holier than thou, only to be fucking hypocrites." He lifts himself into a seated position and she shimmies away from him on her knees.
"Do you honestly think the HPSC didn't know what Endeavor was doing when he married my mother? You really think they thought that shit was love and not a Quirk marriage?" she doesn't say anything and he continues. "You really think they couldn't piece it together when I'd show up to school with bandages wrapped around my arms? The teachers saw, I know they did. But they didn't say anything. Why? Because he's the fucking Number Two Hero! The amount of people he saved on a daily basis outweighed the fucked-up shit he was into behind closed doors in their eyes. And you really think they didn't know what happened when I died? I fucking died and did anything happen to him? Did he get suspended? Did his rank plummet? Did he have to release some half-baked PR bullshit of an apology?" His eyes grow dark as he looks at her. "No, he didn't have to own up to anything because he's their cash cow that keeps their salaries nice and inflated thanks to his resolves. Instead, my existence was wiped away like it was never there in the first place. Only the HPSC has that kind of power."
She doesn't know what to say to him. Was she naïve into thinking the Commission had the public's best intentions in mind? Was she foolish into trusting that they would hold their end of the bargain if he delivered on his promise? She isn't stupid, but did she allow her desperation for Touya to live a normal life cloud her judgment in this?
Keigo told her about his past with his family and the Commission. She was absolutely appalled that they would purchase a child from an impoverished family and train him up to be their personal dog of war. He was enslaved to their will with his image, his personality, and his life. Would it be completely outside the realm of possibilities that they're dangling this pardon idea just to double cross Dabi and throw him in a hole with the rest of them?
She's seen so many heroes rise from scandal at the expense of the person claiming the hero to be anything but. It was all through the help and support of the HPSC that most of the scandals were swept under the rug before PR had a chance to react.
"Why are you suddenly talking about pardons and plea deals with the HPSC?" he questions her with a building suspicion in his tone. "What's gotten into your head that you suddenly think this is the best idea for me?"
Asami glances away from him. She contemplates telling him that she bumped into Hawks and they had this conversation. She wonders how he will react, and all her mind can think up is violent images of Dabi burning Hawks without a second thought before his hand moves to take her life.
Will he be able to trust that she turned away from Hawks as he asked her to? Will he even believe her when she says she's plotting this whole thing for him? She can't imagine he will take it well seeing how self-conscious he is about his outer appearance and Hawks' natural allure. But if she doesn't tell him that Hawks is here to help, he won't believe that she has a chance of facilitating this plea and he won't take it.
"I'm just worried about you," her soft tone finally voices. "I know there is an upcoming battle on the horizon with the heroes and I'm worried things will go badly," her eyes drop from his. "I don't want to lose you again." It's the most candid thing she's ever told him. She doesn't want to lose him as she did before and she will do anything in her power to make sure he makes it out alive. Watching him die again and knowing that she again had the chance to stop it breaks her heart and she won't go through that.
"Listen," he says in a softer tone as he grabs at the side of her face and pulls her closer to him. His eyes soften up and he takes her in with a gentler approach. "I know you're worried about me, and all this talk about a pardon is to keep me from fighting so I don't get hurt," he says and she keeps her eyes lowered. "But I don't need you to worry about me. I'm not going away again because I have you this time. I will fight in the war, I'm gonna give it my all, and I am going to make damn sure that no hero is going to stand in the way of me returning to you." He promises her in a way that makes her think he's never been so passionate about anything before this. There is a visceral truth in his promise that he will do everything to return to her, and that truth frightens her the most.
"When this is all said and done, and Shigaraki is named the grand commander—or whatever the fuck he's trying to get at—you and me, we'll get a place together in the city. A big fancy ass place—anywhere you'd like. We'll have everything we want. We'll get out of these trash heaps we've been living in and I promise you everything will be worth it. I just have to fight first. I won't fail this time. I won't fail."
His words have a heavy conviction in them, and when he pulls her into a hard kiss, she can feel the weight of his declaration stacking on her chest. He may think the vow is an act of devotion, but all she can think about in his kiss are the lives that he's inevitably going to take before he loses his own. He will be driven by a blind rage to kill his brother and father. He will not take a pardon or a plea knowing that they are still alive. His flames will engulf his body, and with All For One refusing to give him any resistance to fire before this battle, he will see the end of his life before he allows Shouto or Endeavor to leave this battle unscathed. Regardless of his love for her, she can see in his eyes that he's unwilling to show them any kind of mercy. So, to keep Dabi alive, she will have to take matters into her own hands.
Present Day - Day 52
Asami has come up with the perfect solution to her dilemma. For the past few days she's mulled over the options that have been given to her. She doesn't like either of them, nor is she really a fan of this choice as well, but she believes this will be the best course of action for everyone involved.
All For One's proposition gave her something important: reprieve for Touya when it came to his Quirk constantly eating away at his flesh, however, the downfall of this path was the war he would inevitably have to fight in to achieve the Quirk. She knows men like All For One are not going to grant anyone what they want before they prove themselves, so Dabi will have to enter this war without a resistance to fire.
Fighting against the likes of Endeavor, his sidekicks, and potentially Shouto, she can't say without a doubt that Dabi will return unscathed. She knows he will fight beyond the limitations of his Quirk in order to get revenge against his father and brother, and she worries that he will take it to an irreversible point to attain this goal.
On top of his body failing him in the battle against his father and brother, there's the reality that more underage students will be put at risk as they are forced to enter the war thanks to the Hero Commission's inability to maintain pro heroes. With students joining the war effort, if Asami chooses the path All For One has set up for her, Dabi's involvement will lead to the death of so many innocent lives, and she cannot stomach the idea.
Then there is the Hero Commission's route that Hawks proposed to her. She doesn't like the idea of being roped into their schemes, nor does she like that she's been outright asked to spread her legs for information. It's making sex with Dabi uncomfortable as the realization that she is a tool to the Commission makes her feel vile and used. Beyond her own pride, there is the question of whether or not the Commission will hold up their end when it comes to the pardon. It was not something on the table that they proposed, but something that Hawks mentioned to soften the blow of her sleeping for intel. She can't trust that he will convince them to let Dabi off with a slap on the wrist after he's committed so many crimes against the Japanese people. Hawks may be the Commission's golden boy, but his sway can only go so far.
A plea deal to have Dabi provide information in exchange for a lesser sentence does put him at risk as he voiced. Not to mention that the Commission might just take the information and let Dabi rot. He's a villain after all; why would they care about his life when it didn't mean much to them when he was the son of the Number Two Hero?
She needs a way to protect the students that are set to fight against the PLF. She can't stomach the idea of kids being forced to fight in a war, and the intel she is able to gather will better prepare the heroes against the villains. And if she can get Dabi to stay out of the fight, their chances of winning increases.
So, what is the decision she's come to make? It's an addendum to Hawks' proposal to help her that will fully guarantee the victory of the heroes.
There is no plea and no pardon. Asami will gather the information herself. She will use her sway on Dabi unbeknownst to him and gather the information that Hawks needs to feel comfortable entering this war with the promise of winning. Once they have everything they need and they decide to strike, Hawks will find Asami and Dabi and he will help facilitate an escape without the Commission's knowledge.
It's the only possible thing she can think of where she gets her cake and eats it too. Dabi will have his freedom and the life in the countryside with her. They won't ever be able to return to the city and see his family or their friends, but this is the only way he gets out of here alive.
All For One will have him fight to the death.
The HPSC will go back on the pardon.
The plea deal will lead him into a prison of angry villains that will kill him for being a turncoat.
Escaping and never coming back is all they have.
The blonde in front of her however seems unconvinced. Her eyes fall from his hard gaze on her and she suddenly feels stupid for even mentioning it. She idly plays with the red feather in her hands, stroking the soft material aimlessly as she focuses on the sound of his breathing.
"That's not going to fly with him," Hawks finally responds after she sells him her pitch.
"He won't take the pardon, or a plea deal. He doesn't trust the Commission to hold up their end of the bargin. This is the only way," she returns.
"The second he seems me helping you, he'll think it's a trap and burn us both."
"He won't," her voice weakly protests.
Hawks tenses his jaw at the idea she presents him. Running away with Dabi. A villain. Throwing her life away for a murderer.
Hawks bites down on his cheeks so not to outwardly show how uncomfortable he is with her proximity to him. Her time with him has made her become sympathetic to the villains and blind to the reality that each and every one of them has killed countless people.
"How can you be so sure he won't turn on us when he finds out you've been talking to me and feeding me information to elevate the heroes in this war?" he asks her skeptically. "He's a Stain sympathizer, he hates heroes and everything they stand for. He's not going to willingly work with one to stay out of a war against them."
"Because he won't hurt me. I know he won't," her eyes remain transfixed on his feather in her hand while he stands stiffly in front of her. He feels himself getting sick with the idea that Dabi won't hurt her because that just feeds into the realization that it wasn't just sex with him. The marks on her body aren't just a possessive indicator to show everyone she's his property, it was all done in an act of… love.
He wants to vomit at the idea.
"And what about me?" he questions. "He can easily just burn me and fight. What makes you think he wants a life out in the countryside instead of a chance to dismantle the hero society?"
Asami doesn't want to tell Hawks anything about Dabi being Touya and the life they've lived and built. She just wants this all to work so she can give him a shot at a peaceful existence.
"It'll be difficult, but I know he'll be cooperative if I talk to him."
"And what about you?" he asks her. "This would mean the end of your career and life as you know it. Fuyumi, Natsuo, Riku, Emiko, Endeavor, all of them. Is this even the life that you want? It may be the life best for him, but what about you? You don't get anything out of this. You lose everything. You're willing to give it all up for… him?"
She finally looks up at him and the bloodshot in her eyes makes him feel terrible. He can see she's conflicted and this may not be fully the life that she wants to live, but ensuring that Dabi lives is the most important thing for her right now, and if losing her identity is the price to pay, she's willing to pay it.
Hawks sighs with a labored breath and nods once. "Alright," he says with an itch tearing at his throat. "If you think you can convince him to stay out of the fight with this option, then I can plot an escape route for the two of you," he begrudgingly agrees.
"But I will need specific information from you to make this worth it," he continues. "Location of the Nomu, who's engineering them, the exact numbers of MLA and PLF members, as many dossiers on their Quirks as we can get, any hideouts they might fall back to, and what Shigaraki's ultimate plan is," he informs her. "If you can promise me that, I can work on the back end to get you an escape route with him."
She thinks about the information that he's asking for and how she will obtain it. She's sure Dabi has most of that information and she will have to be sly about getting the information. She can't let him know that she is working with Hawks. He's already self conscious that she will run away with the hero and leave him behind. She knows he doesn't trust Hawks as much as she does, so she'll get this information behind his back for now until they've formulated an escape plan and she shows him she'd rather remain with him. He'll understand when all is revealed, and he will go with her. She's sure of it.
"I can get it," she promises him.
"And he stays out of the fight," Hawks stresses. "Without his firepower, the PLF is not as powerful. The heroes have a chance of fighting back, so you need to make sure he doesn't fight."
"I promise," she informs him. "When the time comes, I'll be with him and I'll make sure he doesn't fight until you can get us out of there."
Hawks nods and they agree on the plan. It's not the best and neither of them want to be doing this, but it is their only shot at getting what they both want.
"For now, all I know is we have four months," she tells him.
"Four months?" Hawks questions with tangling brows. "They have the manpower now. With the narrative of Deika City still fresh in everyone's minds now would be the time to strike."
"I'm not too sure, I'll have to get more information and let you know. But that is what I've been told."
"They must have something in the backend in the works. A Nomu being generated or something," Hawks guesses thoughtfully.
Asami thinks back about the man in the room of Nomu on the day that she was taken to speak with All For One. Her mouth is dry as she speaks. "I saw some of their Nomu," she informs the blonde hero. He looks up at her with shocked eyes and she sighs heavily.
"You what?" he lets out with a worried tone.
"I was in a room with a man—his name was Ujiko—in a room with Nomu being grown in various vats of liquid."
"Do you know how many? Who this man was to the League?"
She thinks about Touya and how All For One mentioned that he was a doctor who sent Quirkless kids or people with broken Quirks to him. "He's a doctor. I think I was in the basement of some hospital, but I don't know which one or where. I was warped there by a Nomu's Quirk. He was a short and stubby man with glasses and a mustache. He works for All For One developing Nomu as well as helping him find people with broken Quirks that he can barter with in exchange for their allegiance."
Hawks nods at the information, taking it all in. "And the Nomu?"
She shrugs, not fully remembering them all since her attention was laser focused on All For One. "Dozens for sure, but I don't know the exact numbers."
"Shit," Hawks exhales at the news.
"I can find out more, but that's all I know for now. He planned on dismantling the hero society and making the world dependent on him and his stockpile of Quirks. I don't know much else beyond that," she tells him apologetically.
"No, this is amazing," he informs her with a genuine look of gratitude on his face. "Whatever else you can get, just grab one of my feathers and we can meet here again. Even if it's something small, I'm sure it'll help. We can start by getting the real name of Ujiko and the location of the Nomu."
She nods her head strongly, "I'll find out and I'll tell you," she reassures him.
"Thank you, Asami. I know this is difficult, and I'm sorry I'm putting this all on your shoulders."
"I know," she responds simply and he notes that regardless of how important her information is to them, she's not pleased with being put in this situation.
She moves to leave the closet when he turns to her, "You look really nice today," he compliments her quickly before he can talk himself out of it.
She looks back at him, her eyes slightly widened from shock at his confession, not really expecting that to come out of him as they discuss the villains and running away with Dabi. "Ugh, thanks," she awkwardly responds as she brushes her palms against her black workout shorts and white tank top. She told Dabi she wanted to get back into running which will give her an alibi when she's locked away in the closet with Hawks.
"Sorry, that was weird," Hawks chuckles with an uneven grin plastered on his lips as he timidly rubs at the back of his neck.
"Well, you've never really been all that smooth," Asami states and Hawks blinks up at her. She smiles at him and he realizes that she's joking, and his smile returns on his face.
"I did always need my best PR girl on the case every time I said something cringy," she chuckles and she hides her proud smile shyly behind her hand.
"You really were a full-time job," she jests and he lets out a lighthearted chuckle. He missed this, and she admittedly did too. Despite everything, he does have a way of making her feel lighthearted and optimistic. His mood was always infectious in that way.
"I should go," her voice pulls him from admiring her smile as it drops to a more serious face.
Hawks nods, rubbing her upper arm reassuringly. He wants to pull her in for a kiss, he wants to embrace her and tell her everything will be alright, and he wants to admit his love for her and lift her into his arms to fly her far away from here. He wonders if confessing to her and telling her that he loves her would change her decision to run away with Dabi. Is she doing this because she thinks she doesn't have another choice? Because Hawks is no longer a choice?
He contemplates telling her. If he tells her that he loves her, she will know how he feels before committing to something as stupid as running away with a villain. But the sinking reminder that she wants to save Dabi's life weighs him down. She doesn't have to run away with him, and she doesn't have to go through all this trouble to make sure he gets out of this alive and free. She may not outwardly say it to him, but it's painfully painted all over her face that she indeed loves Dabi, and Hawks admitting to her that he loves her too, will not change that fact.
"Be safe," he says to her instead.
"You too," she says to him, and after a moment of standing before one another, contemplating a hug or a kiss or a handshake, she simply turns away from him and leaves him in the closet alone.