"Here." You sat down next to Dabi on the new couch. The same one that he'd been so upset over just a little while ago, looked like he'd gotten over it. "This is most of the information that I found."
He took the papers that you'd printed with a hint of smugness. You ignored the expression.
While taking your shower, you'd made the decision to give him the information and pretend as though nothing had happened. The two of you were partners, no matter the fact that it had been unwillingly. If Dabi had found a potential lead you would want him to share it with you. Therefore, you needed to do the same.
The scene in the bathroom had been a moment of weakness, nothing more than the two of you needing to relieve yourselves of the stress that had accumulated in the recent days. It didn't change the fact that he was nothing more than a means to an end, a partner, for the time being, and there was a goal you both needed to work together to reach.
"So," Dabi looked up. "From what I can tell, you believe that the woman who'd given birth to the first child to possess a quirk came in contact with this weapon at some point in her life. That, or it was the child who did. Either way, I'm assuming that you want to try and access the families' records?"
Huh, you hadn't expected him to piece all of it together so quickly. "Yeah, which is why I let Hawks think that I'm willing to accept his friendship. Something that I was trying to explain while you were accusing me of betraying you."
"I thought I already apologized for that, didn't I?"
"Maybe, but I tend to hold a grudge." You leaned over, meeting his heated gaze. "You'd do well to remember that, by the way. Because what happened back there won't be happening again. The next time you try and speak to me the way that you did, you will be apologizing with blood."
Your threat seemed to have the opposite effect of what you'd intended it to. Dabi's expression didn't falter in the slightest. "And when that does happen, the blame will lie on you for assuming that your punishment wouldn't be something that I'd enjoy."
"God, you are insufferable." You turned away, taking the pages from his hands. "Anyways, you'll need to get used to Hawks and me spending time together. To gain access to those records, I need him to trust me. Or, if that doesn't happen, I need to be in a position to where I'm close enough to him to swipe his access card."
Dabi shook his head. "I agree that getting close to him would be beneficial, but you also need to be extremely careful. Don't let his title deceive you, the number-two hero is conniving, if he figures out what you're doing, he'll report you to the commission, or the League of Villains, wherever his loyalties lie at the time."
"The League?" You asked. "You're saying Hawks is in contact with them?" A memory resurfaced, reminding you of when Dabi had mentioned that there was a leak within the commission.
"He recently became a tentative ally, someone to feed us information that we would otherwise not have access to. The other League members seem to trust him, but I don't. I believe that the commission sent him to work as a spy, a double agent of sorts. That's why I was so upset when I learned that you'd seen him. If you get close to Hawks, you are taking the risk of getting us both caught by both of the major groups who are seeking to take the weapon."
You were stunned. It wasn't that you'd thought Hawks was the most trustworthy guy, but for him to be the one potentially working with the villains? Even if he was a spy, that meant that he knew of the League's plans, and yet he would stand by and let them happen so that he wouldn't be discovered. The number-two hero, a man that millions of people looked up to, a man tasked with the protection of the people, was working closely with the group that yearned for the destruction of society and everyone within it.
"Either way," he continued. "You just need to tread carefully."
"Yeah," you blinked a few times. "You have a bad habit of not telling me things."
Dabi leaned back, "it's my nature, princess. Someone like me can't afford to be very trusting."
"Ok, well, you're gonna have to cut that out. If it's something that could put me or both of us in danger, or if it has to do with what we're looking for, you need to tell me. Secrets are only gonna put us at a disadvantage." You looked over, noticing that he was staring at you intently as if contemplating something. "I'm not asking you to tell me everything about yourself," you stood up from the couch. "I'm just saying that you were the one who originally blackmailed me into this situation, you can't force me to work with you and then refuse to tell me things that could help us reach our goal faster."
"I guess I can agree to that," he said.
"Good," you started in the direction of your room but stopped as a fiery rush of pain erupted from the side of your arm. The papers fell from your hand as you gripped the section of skin where your injury remained.
Shit, there had been mild flare-ups throughout the week, but this was the worst by far. You could feel the remnants of the poison ripping its way through your raw skin, catching your nerves aflame. You gritted your teeth, trying to let the feeling pass.
"What is it?" Dabi was at your side.
"Nothing," you managed to say. "I'm fine." You could already feel the burning sensation beginning to subside. Bending down to pick up the notes that you'd dropped, you tried to keep your breathing from sounding unnatural. Dabi didn't need to know about your arm, about how you'd refused the treatment offered by the doctors. The pain was a necessary reminder of why you were doing this.
"That didn't look like nothing."
You shook your head. "I just twisted my shoulder wrong, the pain surprised me." Before he could press any further, you continued walking to your room. "Night."
His eyes remained on your back until you'd shut the door behind you.
The sound of your phone vibrating from its place on the nightstand caught your attention. Your mother was calling, it was the first time since you'd spoken to her at the hospital that she'd made any attempt to reach out. It was likely that she'd just gotten distracted with her personal life and forgotten that her daughter had nearly been killed.
You declined the call, not in the mood to hear about whatever hero work she'd been up to, or have her ask about your life and be forced to lie. You'd call her tomorrow, hopefully when you were feeling more put together.
Ugh, tomorrow was Monday, you realized. That meant you'd have to wake up early.
Another day of being surrounded by pretentious assholes who looked down on you, but somehow always managed to need your help with their tasks. It was clear that everyone there understood that you had skills that reached far beyond a normal secretary, they just didn't want to admit it.
You thought of the things that Hawks had said, how he spoke against the commission with no hesitation. It wasn't hard to believe that he was working with the League, but there was something like Dabi had said, keeping you from being sure that his loyalties lied completely on one side or the other.
That seemed to be the case for almost everyone these days. You sighed and laid down in bed, hoping that sleep would find you quickly. Trust was a ridiculous notion, no one could be trusted completely. Everyone had their motivation, and in the end, it didn't matter if you trusted them or not, people would only ever make the choice that would benefit themselves.
You were included in that, Dabi too. The two of you may be working to destroy Izanagi to keep it from falling into the wrong hands, but would you really be doing this if Ami hadn't asked you? If it wasn't something to help ease the guilt you felt over her death? And Dabi didn't even pretend to claim to be doing it for selfless reasons. He wanted it destroyed because if the heroes or the villains came in control of it, his life would be inconvenienced.
Of course, you cared about what could happen to the people if Izanagi were to be found. You hated the thought of anyone being hurt. So, maybe there was some selflessness involved, but at the root of it all, was the desire for personal gain. No matter how hard people tried to deny it, it was human nature.
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Dabi's POV:
He wouldn't say it aloud, but the new couch was quite comfortable. The Number-Two hero may have been an annoyance, but his taste in furniture wasn't all that bad. The only issue was the color. Red was quite obnoxious.
Maybe that was just a personal bias, though. He never had liked warm colors. Red, orange, yellow, they only created unwanted reminders of the life he'd left behind.
An image flashed in his head, the red, lacy set he'd spotted in your laundry basket. Imagining you wearing it, standing before him like a ripe offering... well, maybe red wasn't always bad.
He pushed the thoughts aside before his body could have a chance to react. He'd already pleasured himself twice tonight, a third would only be shameful, embarrassing. No person should ever be able to hold that much power over him.
He'd never met someone who could evoke such strong feelings of desire. Maybe it was the fact that everyone he'd been with had been quiet, much too submissive. There'd been no fun in it, no chase. They'd all been eager to do what he said. It was boring.
But you'd stood up to him, slapped him, even though you were fully aware of the fact that he was a villain, someone who'd killed people for doing much less than you had. It had made him angry. No one had stood up to him like that before, spoken to him in such a harsh tone, they'd all been too afraid.
And he relished in that fear, took pride in the power he held, it made no sense why a girl like you wouldn't react the same as the others. At first, he'd been impressed by your strength, now it only seemed to piss him off.
Maybe that was why he couldn't stop thinking about you, why he wanted so much to break you, piece by piece until it was you who couldn't keep yourself from wanting him, until you no longer held any of your pride or defiance, and would beg for him to fulfill your needs. Once that happened, he would be satisfied, there would be nothing to keep him from discarding you once the mission had been completed.
And it was clear that you wanted him, as much as you refused to admit it. That little scene in the bathroom had proven it, proven that what he wanted was not an unattainable goal. He hadn't expected it, he'd simply needed to relieve his stress after your argument, you walking in had only been a pleasant surprise.
Dabi briefly shut his eyes, exhaustion creeping in further. His time with the League had been draining.
He'd have to make up for the time that he'd lost. The fact that you'd managed to find a lead in such a short amount of time was a bit of a blow to his ego. He would do some investigating while you were at work.
What he needed was to find someone able to access police records. The case that he'd told you about, the one where the two men were found dead by the riverside, had been completely classified. It was the first potential appearance of the weapon in decades law enforcement wouldn't want the public to catch wind of it.
If you could access the records that you were looking for, and he could get the police file in his hands, the two of you could compare the two, try and figure out a pattern that could potentially make it easier to discover the location of the weapon.
Pulling his phone from the pocket of his hoodie, Dabi noticed the time, almost past midnight now. If he had to guess, you would still be awake by now.
Your sleep schedule, or lack thereof, had been something he'd taken note of within the past week he'd spend living with you. At first, he'd assumed that the events of last weekend kept you from feeling safe enough to sleep, but there seemed to be something else.
The person he'd left to watch you had informed him of something that had happened after you'd fallen asleep, something that appeared to be a nightmare at first glance. According to the spy, though, it turned into something more, something that had been startling enough to almost cause the guy to break Dabis' rule and make his presence known to you just to ensure that you were still alive.
It wasn't that Dabi was concerned for you. He couldn't be. Concern would mean that he would need to possess empathy, and there was no way that a person like him could have that. It wouldn't make any sense.
No, he only worried because your lack of sleep could cause your mind to dull, your strength to fall, things that neither of you could afford if you were to be successful. He only cared because it could influence his plan.
That was why he'd been so quick to check on you when you'd suddenly stopped in the hallway, he'd just done it without thinking. The worry that had come over him had only stemmed from his fear of his mission being impacted if you were hurt. That had to be the reason, nothing else would make sense.
Dabi shut his eyes, pushing away the complication of it all, allowing the exhaustion to take hold of his mind. The last thought that he had before falling asleep, was about how funny it was that Hawks had bought you this couch, only for it to serve as a villain's bed.
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Y/N's POV:
Being forced to wake up before the sun had risen was surely a crime somewhere in the world.
Getting yourself out of bed was a hard-fought struggle, which was funny because you hadn't felt tired enough to sleep all night, but as soon as it was time to get up, your body was suddenly gripped by the claws of fatigue.
Your motivation to get up and get ready for work only arrived once you made the promise to yourself that you would stop by your favorite coffee shop on your way to the Commission building. The image of a hot latte allowed for you to push through your morning routine and make your way into the living room.
You stopped after spotting Dabi on the couch, his eyes shut and his breathing slow. It was a sight you hadn't seen before, an odd sight. He looked peaceful, different from the threatening calm that often held his demeanor.
Wait, he was sleeping on the couch. The same couch that he had berated you for accepting. The asshole had made such a big deal about it and now he lied across it sleeping comfortably. Your moment of interest had passed, you now had the strong urge to push him off.
You didn't though, only because you didn't feel like speaking to him before leaving. And anything you did would only increase the time you'd have to wait before getting your coffee. Dabi wasn't worth even an extra minute.
Grabbing the rest of your things, you locked the apartment door behind you and began the tedious descent down the stairs. While walking down, you passed a few other people who were also on their way to their jobs, they too grumbled about the lack of competence from the people who were supposedly fixing the elevator.
The coffee shop was conveniently located about halfway between your apartment building and the commission office. If you had the money, you would make a point to come every day before going to work, but good coffee was expensive. So, you usually only came every Monday morning. Ami had suggested it as a way to start the week.
"You start the week off with a good cup of coffee," she would say. "And then make the joy from that coffee last through the shitty week until you start again with a new one."
You smiled as you stepped through the door, the sound of the bells alerting the employee of your arrival. A customer was sitting at a table in the far corner, but they didn't look your way.
The man at the counter smiled brightly as you approached. "Hello! It's so good to see you again, my dear. I noticed you didn't come in last week and I was worried."
"Oh, I didn't mean to worry you, Akio. Something happened last week and I wasn't able to make it in." You didn't feel like giving any details. Akio was an older man, he owned the shop and ran it by himself with the occasional help from his daughter. He was kind, someone who didn't deserve to bear the weight of hearing about your troubles. "But I don't plan on missing another day," you continued. "I think my entire week was thrown off without my Monday morning latte."
"Well, of course, it was!" He nodded his head vigorously. "There's magic in this coffee, you know. My recipes are made to heal and brighten."
"I believe it," you said, handing him the money to cover your drink. Akio took it and busied himself with his equipment. You walked over to the other end of the counter where the drinks were brought out.
Before you could make it all the way, something bumped your arm, causing a flash of pain to explode in its wake. A gasp left your lips as you looked over to see the man that you'd walked into. "Sorry," you said through gritted teeth.
"No, that was my fault," he said, adjusting the white cloth that hung around his neck. "Are you alright?"
You stared at him, his appearance evoking a small spark of recognition within you. His long, dark hair hung below his shoulders, the color of his clothing matched the black of his hair, the only exception being the cloth he'd been adjusting. "Yeah, I'm ok, it's no big deal."
"Good," the man started toward the exit once more. "Apologies, again," he mumbled.
Just as he walked outside, Akio approached the edge of the counter, your drink in hand. "He's a new regular. Started coming around last week and has been in here every morning since."
You thought about the dark circles shadowing the man's eyes. That alone was enough to make you believe that he was an avid caffeine consumer. Taking the drink from Akio's hand, you thanked him, promising to come by at the same time next week, and continued on your way to work. The hot coffee made the trek through the cold weather much more enjoyable.
When you were about two minutes from your destination, you were joined by another. Hawks landed by your side gracefully, holding a coffee cup of his own. "Oh, look at that. Seems like we both have to suffer the early wake-up call sent by the commissioners."
As soon as you saw him, all you could think about was what Dabi had told you the night before. It was difficult not to start trying to question him. You made a huff of amusement. "Yeah, welcome to my everyday life."
Hawks winced. "I could not imagine having to do this for work. Honestly, having to work so early that you're forced to wake up before sunrise should be against the law."
"Right! I was just thinking about that." You looked over. "Why are you here so early anyway? Don't you normally just come to give your reports at the end of the week?"
"Yeah, but some of the higher-ups are supposed to be coming for a visit soon. I have to help the commissioners make preparations for their arrival." He sighed and continued speaking, but you didn't hear anything that he said.
The Higher Ups are supposed to be coming for a visit.
You hadn't even noticed that your feet had stopped moving until Hawks stood three feet ahead of you, a look of concern etched across his face. "Yo, everything ok?"
Say yes. It wasn't that hard, why couldn't you speak?
The hero walked back to you, placing a hand on your shoulder. "Did I say something? What's wrong?"
"Nothing," you managed to blurt out. "Nothing's wrong."
Hawks still stared, but then his eyes went wide. "Wait, you were working here when the higher-ups visited last time, weren't you? Were you the one who-"
"I'm gonna be late, sorry." You pushed past him, "we'll talk later. See you."
You could feel his eyes on you, but he didn't follow. The cup you held in your hand shook as you tried to keep yourself steady. The higher up's, how soon would they be here? Could you try and take the time off? No, your boss would never allow that. Even after what happened last time, they wouldn't care. They had never cared in the first place, even when they'd walked into the room and seen what was about to happen. They'd managed to chalk it up to 'a simple misunderstanding.'
After finally making it inside of the building, you pushed past a group of employees, who all responded with a harsh string of insults, and made your way into the restroom. Setting your coffee onto the counter, you turned on one of the faucets and splashed the cool water against your face.
Getting worked up wouldn't make the situation any different. You needed to be prepared, needed to make sure you stood your ground. And besides, Hawks had said they were coming soon, not that they were already here. You had time.
The bathroom door pushed open and another girl walked in. You recognized her as one of the interns working for the people on the top floor. In fact, you thought she may be the one working directly for the President, an impressive position for someone who looked just around your age. When she spotted you, she attempted to smile. "Oh, good, I've been looking for you. The President asked me to bring you up to see her."
Of course. You had a good idea as to why she wanted to speak with you too. "Ok, I'll be out in just a second." The girl nodded and stepped back out. You dried your face and grabbed your drink, taking a few long sips before heading back to where the intern waited.
You followed her into one of the elevators and stood quietly as she pressed the button for the top floor. After a moment, she cleared her throat. "Um, you're the quirkless girl, right?"
You took another sip of coffee. "Yup."
"If you don't mind my asking, how did you manage to get a job here?"
"I'm just good at what I do."
Her head cocked to the side. "What do you actually do, though? Like I'm wondering how you managed to be useful. I've heard things from some of the workers here, not that I completely believe them, that don't exactly make you sound like a star employee."
The girl didn't sound as though she was trying to be rude, her questions were sincere, but you still glared. "I handle a lot of the communications and filing. Technically, that's all I'm supposed to do, but since a lot of the people here realize that I'm better than them, I do a lot of the second-level work too." You turned your head. "They won't ever admit it, though."
"Really? How is it possible for you to be better than them?"
"Because a quirk doesn't make you automatically special. I'm better than most people, kid, and you should think about the ignorant shit you say, or you'll end up sounding like all of the assholes that work here."
Her mouth moved to speak again, but the elevator doors slid open and you stepped out in front of her.
The presidents' office took up almost the entirety of the top floor, only leaving a small section of space for the interns to do their tasks. The blond woman sat at her desk, only looking up once you'd stopped directly in front of her. The girl spoke from the doorway, "I brought her, as you requested, Ms. President."
"Yes, be on your way now." The intern ducked her head and stepped away. The president turned to you. "I apologize for calling you so suddenly. There is something I would like to quickly discuss."
"It's no problem," you responded, the fake kindness of your tone making you inwardly cringe.
"I wanted you to be aware that the higher up's will be visiting us next week. We are not yet sure how long they will be staying, but it will be for fourteen days at the least."
Two weeks, fourteen days of being near him. Why on Earth did they need to be here for so long?
The president continued. "Among the higher up's is Tachi Zankoku, I'm sure that you remember him?"
Your facade nearly broke after you heard her last question. Of course, you remembered him, and she knew it. "Yes."
She nodded. "Although it is doubtful that any of them, let alone a man like himself, would bother themselves with you, he has been told to keep his distance. Do not expect him to attempt to speak or interact with you during his visit."
A small sprout of relief blossomed in your chest. "Ok."
"That being said, I do hope that you will stay away from him as well. I don't know what feelings you hold, but please try and restrain yourself from approaching Zankoku. If you initiate anything your job will be forfeit, understand?"
You stared in disbelief. "Initiate anything? What are you trying to say? You do remember that he was the one who sought me out, not the other way around."
"I've heard your story plenty of times, no need to remind me."
The air in the room seemed to grow hotter. It took all of your strength to keep yourself from lashing out at the woman. "Well, I can assure you that there is no need to worry. I will keep as much distance from the man as possible." You turned, walking to the doorway without bothering to wait to be dismissed.
"Your condition is already enough of an embarrassment to this organization," she called after you. "Do not cause that embarrassment to worsen just because you seek attention."
You slammed the door behind you.
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