Hawks

Standing slumped against the wall, Estelle didn't need to look up as she felt the harsh winds above her. It didn't take long for her to be met with Hawks' face, a metre away from her own, grinning away as if he had won the lottery. Keeping the deadpan across her face, it was clear to Estelle that he didn't appreciate her lacklustre reaction.

Rolling her eyes from the disappointment across his face, she grumbled, "What is it?"

The male leaned forward, placing his hands behind his head, causing Estelle to tilt herself back with suspicion. "Nothing, General Alien Princess! I'm just surprised you accepted my invitation, is all."

"I'm only here for the intel, so spill."

As his hands drifted to his heart, the male sighed, "That hurts. Are you saying you didn't come for my amazing personality and good looks?"

"You are a bird."

"Yeah, so what?! Birds are hot!"

"Court a bird then."

"Court?!" The male guffawed, "What are you? An old lady?!"

"At heart? Yes, I am. I am tired," Estelle deadpanned back, a layer of truth lining her words. Yet, from the stunned expression on Hawk's face, it was clear he wasn't expecting her responses. It made the situation a little funnier.

"Jeez, you are something else, kid."

"At least I am not a bird."

"Stop insulting me! Seriously! My ego! Ow!" Hawks moaned dramatically, the smile across his face stating otherwise.

"Alright, alright. Are you going to spill now we've had our mandatory small talk?"

"Ooft. Ouch. Is that all it was? I thought it was a friendly talk between two colleagues. Keep hurting me, and I'll fall from the skies."

"And what a failure of a bird you would become."

"You. Are. Brutal. Come on, let's fly."

Opening her mouth to argue, Estelle didn't get very far before a gust of wind blew her hair out of her face. Glaring up at the red wings in the sky, Estelle felt she should have known he wouldn't play as nicely as he could have. Estelle allowed her fiery wings to form, sighing to herself before pelting her body into the air. Without wasting a second, the hero hurled through the air, fully expecting Estelle to follow as she watched his body begin to grow smaller.

Catching up to him, Estelle noted how his wings worked like a bird in contrast to hers. His wings flapped to the beat of the wind as he soared through the skies like he belonged there - which he did. On the other hand, Estelle's wings were steady, fire shooting out at the bottom of her wings like fuel. It reminded her of an aeroplane, which made sense as her wings weren't a part of her; it was just her means of travel.

"Look at us, two birds flying through the sky. Are you sure you weren't trying to hint at something?" Hawks examined, eyeing her wings with intrigue.

Tilting her head in confusion, Estelle answered, "No? Besides, my wings don't work like one."

"Sure," He drawled out before he was treated to the sight of Estelle speeding in front of him. "There's no need to rush. We have all day. Plus, you don't know where we're going!"

Slightly irritated by the fact he was prolonging this more than necessary, Estelle slowed her pace with a muted glare. "Tch, sure. It's not like I have more important things to do," She griped back sarcastically.

"Hah! You're the one who accepted. You can't complain now," the blonde male rebuked as his head motioned towards a tower in the distance.

Allowing the silence to settle between the two as they headed towards the building, Estelle enjoyed the feeling of the sun splaying across her back. The air was peaceful, so she allowed herself to relish the moment. Hawks seemed to be the same, with a slight smile as a few feathers drifted around him.

It was only when Hawks flew upwards that she was jolted out of her thoughts. She hadn't even realised they had already made it to the tower, her mind zen from the easy breeze. Following him up, Estelle allowed her wings to diminish once they landed and joined the male by the ledge of the tall building.

Deciding that now was the time to finally get into why they were meeting, Estelle started, her voice low against her own ears. "So, a double agent. How has it been around the league?"

"Aw, what can I say? It's like hanging around with a bunch of hilariously unfunny people."

"Pfft, I can imagine. Do villains sit and eat dinner together? For some reason, I can't picture it."

"Now that I think of it, I've never seen them eat," Hawks muttered in a hum, his head tilted as he tried to picture the image himself.

"Oooh, how evil!" Estelle muttered sarcastically, her hand making a motion to hide. Hearing a loud laugh behind her hand, Estelle peeked her eyes above her fingers to find the sight of Hawks doubled over In laughter. Smiling lightly from the picture, Estelle placed her arms by her side as she leaned back from the ledge.

"Honestly, part of me hoped you would have accepted their invitation to join them," He began, his laughter dying down as his tone became more serious.

"How so?" Estelle asked, her head turning to him in curiosity as he faced the sunset in front of them.

"It would have been a helluva lot easier getting their trust. You probably could have done my job," He chucked, his manner more sombre.

Observing him, Estelle noted how the male seemed much more tiredthan before. Feeling her thoughts slide into place, Estelle knew at that moment that Hawks was a man who hid behind positive emotions. It was speedy of her to figure out, but it was only because Estelle was the same in a way; she just hid behind different ones.

Turning her gaze back to the setting sun, Estelle matched his tone as she prodded further. "Let me guess...They're ordering you to do villain stuff to prove yourself?"

Sighing, Hawks could only question, "How did you know?"

"They're all the same."

"Yeah, well. It's a pain in my ass. But sometimes you gotta get your hands dirty to help people in the long run."

Turning back to him, it seemed that the longer they remained on the subject, the more evident his exhaustion became. His eyes, which usually were filled with mirth whenever Estelle saw him, were now drooping towards the ground below. His wings seemed to follow suit, the bright red feathers clashing against the dirty concrete. Pursing her lips, the female's heart ached slightly in understanding.

Estelle knew all about playing dirty and working alone. It was a tiring process, but if done right, it was rewarded with a good outcome. Following suit with a slouch, she breathed, "Yeah, I know the feeling."

Jerking back, Hawks broadened his eyes with surprise as he whirled his body to face her. Leaning forward, the male seemed almost eager as he asked, "You do?"

"I was in a war. My hands could never be clean. No matter how many times I washed them. The only solace I have is that I won, and there was peace. But here I am, doing it all over again, and it's barely just begun."

"What got you through it?" He interrogated, his emotions unrecognisable to her as he glimpsed away.

Giving a soft smile, Estelle gazed at the sun as if it were the last time she would ever see it. "The innocent spirits. The children and the cambions who died. If I let everything be in vain, I knew the outcome would be a million times worse. If I had to fight dirty, which went against everything I wanted to stand for, for them to come out of the other side. Then I would do it all over again."

The duo stood silent after her answer, and Estelle knew he was just soaking her words in. Maybe he was connecting it to his own experiences, but whatever it was, it seemed like he needed to hear it. Surprisingly, he quickly changed the topic. "I heard about your speech in front of the hero agencies."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, you seem to have impressed them. Can't say I'm surprised, considering your circumstances. You sure are special."

Feeling a glimmer of disgust for a word that shouldn't be anywhere near her, Estelle scoffed. "There is nothing special about me. I'm just doing my job, just like you are."

"You don't even realise it, which makes you even more special," He countered instantly, a small smile lining his features.

"What about you?" Estelle countered, uncomfortable that he was praising her so outwardly.

"Huh?

"Someone who has to work in the grey for the betterment of everyone else. Why did you have to bear that burden? I can already tell that most of today's heroes wouldn't have been able to shoulder that alone, and you've done it without looking for acknowledgement or praise. Why? Doesn't that make you special too?"

"Oh, you're sure digging for information about me, Alien Princess! Why are you so curious? Are you interested in me or something?" The male cooed, leaning towards her with a wide smirk.

Rolling her eyes, Estelle could tell he was just trying to dodge the question. She could see his defeat follow suit by keeping her mouth shut and letting a hum through her lips.

Hawks bluntly answered, "Well, I ain't like them. Heroes and villains look at everything so black and white. Me, I see them as shades of grey. If I gotta do something to make future heroes chill back and relax, I'll do it. It's as simple as that. Seems like we're the same."

"Yeah, it's kinda refreshing," Estelle muttered, her shoulders relaxing at the fact her defences weren't automatically rising within the conversation. Estelle tried her best not to talk about the greyness of her world, but it became more evident as time passed that her thinking sometimes differed from the rest of her class. It wasn't anybody's fault, as beings were just a product of their circumstances, but it did make her feel the need to shy away from those topics in fear she would disgust them.

She knew it was her own worries, considering that everything she had told them up until now had been accepted without any major hiccups. But It also felt like she was tainting them somehow by talking about it because they were just innocent teens. It made her feel guilty and only pushed her further down the route that leaving was essential.

As much as she was beginning to care for them, she was burdening them. It wasn't fair for her to do.

Once they get out on the field, their innocence will wilt away, and they'll see the bad for what it is. But they had plenty of time before that came to be, and she would ensure that it wouldn't come early. It was the least she could do.

"Golly, you'll make me blush," Hawks gushed, jerking Estelle out of her thoughts.

"Shut up."

"Honestly, I don't have much intel for you about the league at all," He continued.

"What?! Why the hell did you call me out here then?!" Estelle barked, her face quirking up in vexation.

"Just wanted to talk."

"Hawks!"

Laughing loudly at the irritation on Estelle's face, the blonde continued with a grin, "Yeah, well, what I can tell you is that they're planning something alright. But, the whole situation with Nyx around them has made them a bit wary about making any moves."

"Is Nyx around often?"

"Nah, not really seen him very much. He crops up now and then to demand them to do something, but they're listening to your advice and not pissing him off."

"I don't know if I should have done that, considering their villains."

"Ah well, you did."

"Oops?"

"They're laying low, for now, I'm guessing, until your situation blows over. But, the league is defiantly planning."

"How big of a risk are they?"

"Right now? Not so much, but a year from now? Maybe a big deal."

"I see; I'll keep training the students, so they're ready."

"You know, it would be much better if you were with us? Taking down another big bad seems right up your alley," Hawks hinted, his eyes intently watching the otherworldy female for her reaction.

Shrugging, Estelle murmured, "I have faith you all can handle it."

"Really? You're going to play that card? What if the whole world blew up, and you could have stopped it?" He pressed, curious if she was attached to this place enough to warrant her staying.

Widening her eyes, Estelle forced the air to leave her lungs as they tightened. She didn't want to think about that, and honestly, now that he said it, the thought was running through her head like a catchy song. "The likelihood of that?"

"Not telling."

Groaning in aggravation, Estelle knew he only did that so the words would stick to her like a parasite. Glaring at the mirthful male, Estelle could only scowl at the response. "You are so annoying."

"Pah! We really are alike then, huh?"

"Shut up."

"Come on, I'll fly you back to your dorms."

"I can do it myself."

"Humour me. I always like it when people fawn over me. After talking to you, my ego is running a bit low."

"Ugh, shut up."

"No can do!"

Flying back to Heights Alliance was relativity quick, though Hawk's voice was grating on her nerves. She didn't know what the song he decided to sing the whole way back was called, but she had forced her ears to tune out during the halfway mark.

"You know, my fan club would have killed to be able to listen to my angelic voice," He stated, almost offended as their feet touched the ground.

"Angelic? Sounds like someone scratched chalk against a board."

"You wound me, General alien princess! Honestly, you're in a once-in-a-lifetime position!" Hawks voiced loudly as he walked behind Estelle through the entrance.

"Exactly, so shoot a bullet in me because it was detrimental to my health," Estelle gritted out between her teeth.

Giving a loud gasp, Hawks placed his hand on his heart as he voiced, "Honestly, my ego can't take anymore. Tell me more about how I'm special, please!"

"Special as the toe on my right foot."

"No take-backsies! You can't switch up on me now that we have an audience," Hawks smirked, his head moving to the right to view the sight behind her.

Startled by his words, Estelle suddenly realised they were in the entryway of the dorms. Twirling around, Estelle choked slightly from the view in front of her. The students seemed frozen in various positions as if they had turned to stone.

Kaminari appeared to have stooped mid-bite into his food. Others had simply jammed in their tracks, and a few seemed to be leaning against the wall in disbelief. Gobsmacked by the new arrival, Estelle failed to hold back her fury at the scene they had unintentionally caused.

Whirling back to face the smug hero, Estelle snarled with a fist raised high, "You didn't have to follow me in here!"

"I told you I needed a boost in self-confidence! What else would I have done?!" Hawks countered, his hand moving towards the students in a wave.

"Walk down a street! Didn't you say you had a fan club?! Talk to them!" Estelle argued, disbelieving the fact he needed students to achieve his goal.

"They're boring! All they want to do is get me into bed!" He groaned almost childishly as he folded his arms.

Pausing as her anger left her body, Perplexity replaced the emotion as she furrowed her brows. "Why would those weirdoes want to do that? Do you chirp in your sleep?"

"That's so not funny," The hero groaned before straightening up, "You think about how I sleep? You'll make me blush again, babe."

"Why would I care about how you sleep?" Estelle stated, her tone rising as her brain struggled to figure out what he was talking about.

"Oh, you were actually talking about sleeping?" Hawks answered, his eyes innocently wide as the conversation took a turn he wasn't expecting.

"Duh! What the hell did you think I was talking about?" The female grunted, shaking her head at his strange words.

"Weeelll, when a guy and a girl like each other..." The hero started, his hands raising to make a gesture she didn't recognise. Before he could begin, the duo jolted out of their heated conversation as a shrill and panicked voice emanated around the room.

"Ahem!"

Unable to place the voice because it was so high-pitched, Estelle realised it had come from Momo once she turned to her right. She appeared to have teleported to Estelle's side, her gaze focused on the hero with a warning that made a few boys shiver behind her. "This isn't really the space to have this conversation. Please don't ruin Estelle's innocent mind in the process."

Her? Innocent? Unlikely.

Snorting, Estelle folded her arms as she turned her head away with a light pout. "My mind is far from it."

"In this department, you are. Now please, how may we help you, Mr Hawks?" Momo bluntly stated before focusing back on the hero.

Ignoring Momo's enquiry, the blonde male folded his arms with a thoughtful expression as he reflected on their previous conversations. Understanding began to settle in, an audible click in his brain once he realised where the student was coming from.

"Ohh, that makes sense now," He grumbled, his eyes flicking back down to Estelle for a moment before he answered. "Nah, I was just dropping Estelle off. We bumped into each other in the air. Cya! Oh, and before I forget, Endeavour will be back soon for the press release. Bye."

Opening her mouth to question him about the press release date, he was already out of the door.

"Soooo, how was your day?" The class questioned simultaneously, a mutual grin floating around the dinner table as they eagerly awaited her answer.

Flushing slightly under their gazes, Estelle reminded herself that she had promised to try with her conversations. Still, it felt challenging to allow the words to leave her mouth. "Well, nothing exciting. I did hero work and bumped into Hawks, who decided he wanted to bug me. He flew me back here, and here I am."

'That was enough? Right?'Estelle questioned herself, unsure of the amount of information she was supposed to divulge.

Recognising the hesitancy in her voice, Tsu prodded further, "What did you guys talk about? You both seem awfully close, ribbit!"

Hearing an inaudible grumble next to her, Estelle pursed her lips as her eyes drifted to Katsuki sitting by her side. Taking a second to scan him, she noticed he was avoiding her gaze, his eyes focused on his chopsticks which were about to snap within his grip.

'Maybe I need to get him metal ones too?'She internally wondered. Regardless, he was clearly unhappy with the topic of conversation, and she felt the urge to rectify it. "Nothing special. He is quite talkative, which can be a nuisance."

"Come on! Give us the gossip!" Toru cried out, groaning at the lack of information.

"The man is terrible at singing," Estelle relented, hoping it would satisfy their curiosity enough for her to continue eating.

"He did what!?" The females cried out incredulity, catching Estelle's attention as she narrowed her eyes towards them.

"Don't tell me you guys are a part of his fan club!" She accused, her metal chopsticks pointed towards them menacingly.

"No! He's just a cool hero," Momo murmured, her hand rubbing the back of her neck slightly as the girls retook their seats.

Hearing Katsuki grunt next to her, Estelle recognised that their conversation didn't seem to be helping to make the blonde feel any better. Estelle pondered quickly in her head, unsure of what to do, unable to take the time to wonder why she was bothering so much.

Before the chopsticks bore their breaking point, Estelle dropped her hand below the table. The female didn't have to go far for her fingertips to reach his thigh. When they met the heat of his limb, she held her breath momentarily and wondered what the hell she was doing.

Keeping her eyes on the talking students, Estelle ignored him when his head snapped up to meet hers, his eyes scanning her features for a few moments before he relaxed. Continuing the conversation like nothing had happened, Estelle voiced, "Well, don't boost his ego any further. The man doesn't need it, and we are just colleagues."

Feeling warmth encase her hand, Estelle kept her face blank as her heart warmed to the gesture. Trying to focus on everyone, she failed to tune in, her mind stuck on what was happening beneath the table. It didn't take long for fingers to slide into her own, their hands now intertwined tightly as if they mutually agreed to not let go.

Katsuki couldn't help but feel bugged when Estelle and Hawks initially entered the room. He knew that as much as Estelle was cold to the people around her, she still drew them in like a moth to a flame. How was it that everyone she met wanted to get to know her more? Was it the air of mystery that constantly surrounded the girl? Or was her facade not enough to hide the true Estelle that hid beneath the surface?

Maybe that's why he was instantly drawn to her when he met her. It was addicting to be around Estelle, and there was always a new side to her. So, watching her banter back and forth with the number two hero irked him, but he knew it was his selfishness talking again. He was always possessive of the things around him, his toys, his beliefs, and his goals. They were his, and his only.

Yet, he had never felt possessiveness for another person before. As much he wanted to tuck her into his side going forward, he knew that would never end well with who Estelle was as a person. She was independent and strong, which are factors of what he liked about her, but It would still bug him no matter what, and as annoying as it would be, he needed to remind himself to keep it in check.

Though, he couldn't deny that the image of her reddening cheeks slipping through the moment his thumb trailed circles into her hand warmed the back of his neck. He knew he was staring; quite frankly, he couldn't care if anybody else noticed. Watching her, Katsuki allowed a hint of a smile on his face to arrive as he realised it was the first time she had intentionally instigated something.

'How does she always look this fucking stunning?'He wondered, his eyes tracing over her features as he took her in.

Jerking to the left, Katsuki's lips dipped back into a scowl as he whirled around to the male next to him. Growling in vexation, he met Kirishima's knowing face as he looked down at their connected hands. Moving to stand with a yell, the blonde didn't make it very far as the hand holding his own kept him in his seat.

Not wanting to remove his hands from hers and accidentally reveal to the whole class what they were doing, Katsuki leaned back on his chair, his fierce eyes staring into a mirthful Kirishima's with promise.

The redhead only sweat dropped at the action, his features turning slightly nervous at the irritation on Katsuki's face. "Chill out, man. I was only trying to warn you that you were staring for too long."

The class, who quickly glossed over the moment as expected, had already resumed speaking, yet the blonde still trailed his eyes over them to ensure they weren't listening in. Forcing his voice into an aggressive whisper, he snarled, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yeah, man. You do. Don't worry, the whole Baku-squad pretty much figured it out."

"The hell you talking about?!" he barked back loudly, causing the class to turn to them again.

With a loud laugh, Kirishima grinned, his eyes flicking towards the class, who once again carried on talking. "We'll talk about it more later."

"Tch, whatever," The blonde scoffed, his ruby eyes trailing back to Estelle instinctively. He couldn't care less now because Estelle was holding his hand; dammit!