"Nugget!" A voice suddenly cried out, causing him to scowl as he pressed his back further against the rough wood of the barn. His palms burned, forcing him to pull them away from the wall before he managed to set the entire barn ablaze as he watched Keigo through narrowed eyes. It wasn't hard to hear the devastation in the other man's voice as he ran towards the dead chicken, but it was honestly pathetic. Who the hell goes through the trouble of naming a chicken? It was just a bird for God's sake, food at best, so why the hell was he acting as if he'd killed his favorite dog?
He warned the fucker to stay away, but apparently cracking his head off the window of his truck wasn't enough to get the message across. He should've finished the fucking job Dabi started in Japan and set him on fire when he had the chance. The drugs really must've damaged his fucking damn brain, because, despite his warning, he continued to hang around with Anthony anyway. This meant he was obviously still seeing her because It wasn't like Anthony did much without her nearby. Seeing them together today has just confirmed what he'd already known to be the truth.
He heard footsteps walking across the barn floor and he steeled himself, gently easing himself to the side to get a better view of what was happening, finding the perfect spot to keep concealed but still providing a decent view of the scene in front of him.
He rolled his eyes, watching as he cradled the damn thing in his arms like a baby, the blood soaking into the fabric of his shirt. Asher's gaze flickered over to Y/N, unable to stop the smug smile from his face as she watched Keigo with wide eyes.
Finally, she could see who he truly was, weak, pathetic, and someone she had absolutely no business interacting with, especially considering his role in the goddamn war. He'd recognized him in the market that day easily, the markings around his eyes a dead giveaway. He'd spent the next few days googling everything he could find, reading the articles about how he'd become an addict after losing his quirk, how he'd almost died in a damn alleyway and that nobody in Japan really knew where he'd ended up. He'd apparently cut all ties, fleeing after leaving rehab, never to be seen again.
Well he'd finally managed to find out where Japan's infamous rogue hero had disappeared to.
What were the fucking chances?
And for him to end up interested in her, of all fucking people. It was beyond infuriating. But at least he'd now shown her the truth about who he is and now he could go back to his habit and she could walk away and finally be with a real man. Someone who would actually fucking protect her, heal her heart the way she deserved.
He'd known her since she was eighteen and he was twenty-two, when he was just the assistant manager of the market stand. She was fucking beautiful even back then, capturing his attention almost immediately, but sadly, she was already taken.
He liked Luke enough, respected him and kept his distance as their little trio navigated their lives together. Anthony and Y/N came to work for him at the market and Luke went off to basic, putting a damn ring on her finger before he did. In the end, he had very quickly accepted his loss. Her and Luke were happy, that was all that really mattered.
He even gladly attended their wedding almost four years later, observing them dance and laugh, blissfully unaware that not even two months later Luke would be deployed and would never come home. He would be lost in a conflict that had nothing to do with them, a war that could have been fucking prevented if Japan had managed to get its shit together sooner.
God, it was a nightmare. He would never forget walking out of his office that day, the market eerily silent except for the sound of whatever dumb song was playing on the radio. Two uniformed men stood in front of the counter, Anthony and Y/N staring back at them, eyes wide. His own eyes quickly landed on the folded flag in their hands, his heart stopping in his chest as he finally put it together.
She was being notified.
Anthony was so disgustingly pale, his face strained as he clenched his fists by his side. They handed her the flag, confirming that Luke was killed in combat in Japan, his own eyes widening as he sucked in a breath. He watched in horror as she took it, her hands trembling, before falling to her knees screaming. Anthony moved, but he had been quicker, instantly on his knees beside her and wrapping her into a hug as she screamed and cried into his chest.
The days that followed had been fucking horrible to witness. It was like she had died herself once she was handed that flag. Luke's mother and father moved in with her, but from what Anthony would tell him at work was disheartening. She wasn't eating, wasn't really drinking, and refused to be seen by other people. She let Luke's mother take over planning the funeral and she spent her days crying and sleeping and the effects of her loss were more than obvious the day of the funeral.
The church had been decorated beautifully, Luke's mother had really gone all out to say goodbye to her little boy. A large wreath of flowers stood next to the shiny dark wooden casket, various snapshots and pictures tucked into it as people shuffled around to look at them. There were various shots, pictures of him as a baby and child, his military pictures, pictures of him, Anthony and Y/N in high school and of course their wedding pictures.
He had just taken his seat when the doors to the church opened and she appeared, the vision of her that day forever etched into his memory. The church went deadly silent, nobody could even take in a breath as they watched her. She was so thin, her expression hollow, her eyes lifeless and dull as she stared straight down the aisle at the coffin. She was dressed in a black dress, the fabric rustling slightly as she made her way towards him, the heaviness she carried obvious with each step she took.
How the hell was it possible that not even two months ago, he had watched her make this very same walk towards Luke, dressed in white and looking so unbelievably happy?
His throat was tight as she reached him, her hand running along the smooth wood of his coffin. He could see her eyes welling up as she said something to herself quietly, before finally breaking. She flung herself over the coffin, crying as she pressed her face against it. Anthony and Luke's mother were by her side in an instant, quickly gathering her and leading her to a seat.
He had watched her torture herself for months after, slowly putting herself back together piece by piece as life went on. It took almost a year before she had finally gained back the weight she had lost in her grief, finally looking more like herself. She came back to work, she laughed, she started to act like herself again and despite feeling guilty for even thinking of it, now she was single. He finally had his chance and he worked on it for years, waiting for the right moment to ask her out.
He wasn't stupid, he knew that nobody would replace Luke, but fuck he wanted the chance to try. He could give her everything she wanted, he would do anything, but then he had shown up out of no where, capturing her attention without even fucking trying.
The night of the bonfire had really set him off. She'd finally agreed to dance with him, just to tell him to go dance with Lacy? Sure, Lacy was nice. She was decently pretty with a great set of tits, but she wasn't her. But before he could even say anything, the fire was lit and it triggered that dumb asshole into a panic attack, his jealousy exploding as she ran straight from his arms after him into the woods with zero fucking caution.
He didn't understand it. He really couldn't figure out why she seemed to be different around him. It wasn't like he was anything special. He was a washed up, quirkless, hazbin hero who would only end up hurting her more when he decided to relapse and overdose in a fucking alleyway again. His warning at the bonfire had done nothing, so he had to take matters into his own hands and teach him a fucking lesson he wouldn't so easily forget.
The second he'd seen his name on the list for the chicken show, he'd decided to end this entire thing once and for all. He would kill his prized chicken, it should be easy enough. He had waited until Anthony dragged their small group out of the barn, quickly slipping inside with his dog once everyone was distracted. It was over in a matter of seconds, him quickly hauling Bella out as the other chickens squealed and squawked in panic.
He was lucky he managed to get Bella loaded back up in his truck before anyone had noticed him. Quickly locking the door of his truck before sneaking back into the barn to watch the fallout.
He narrowed his eyes as he watched Keigo with interest. Was he seriously fucking crying? He almost let out a laugh, until Y/N suddenly moved, coming to stand in front of him before sinking to her knees. He furrowed his brows, his fists clenching as he watched her take the chicken from his arms, placing her down gently before wrapping her arms around his neck and curling up to him. It took everything he had not to walk out and punch him straight in the jaw. Who the actual hell did he think he was?
Anthony soon joined them, and Asher watched, his eyes angrily fixed on the back of the blonde's hair as Y/N defended him against the crowd, standing up for him before they all began walking towards the barn's entrance together. His hands trembled, threatening to burst into flames as his temper finally erupted. His plan had failed, and he had only succeeded in driving her further into his arms. Well, that simply wouldn't work; that fucker was going to pay for taking what was rightfully his, he would make sure of it.
He spent the following days sulking, though he wasn't too proud to admit it. He resolved to concentrate on work for a few weeks, giving himself more time to devise a better strategy to rid Keigo from his life. Thus, most of his days were spent holed up in his office, avoiding everyone as much as possible, and today was no exception. He sighed as he sifted through papers, groaning as he dealt with various purchase orders and seed shipments for the upcoming planting season. What the hell was Mrs. Patterson realistically going to do with forty pounds of tomato seeds? The old bat had likely forgotten to wear her glasses while filling out her damn order form again, which meant enduring at least an hour-long phone call conversation where she would attempt to set him up with her granddaughter once more.
He groaned, rubbing his temple as his headache intensified, reaching for the phone. He hadn't even dialed the first number when Anthony suddenly burst into his office, the door slamming against the wall with a resounding thud. He narrowed his eyes, glaring up at the other man with a scowl.
"What the hell is your problem?" Asher demanded, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms. "You don't just barge into your boss's office like that."
"We need to fuckin' talk," Anthony said through gritted teeth, taking a step into the office and shutting the door behind him. He stood in front of the desk, arms folded as he glared down at him, anger blazing in his eyes.
"Leave him alone, Ash," Anthony insisted firmly, causing Asher to narrow his eyes in response. "He hasn't done anything to warrant your actions. Threatenin' him at the bonfire, claimin' that she belongs to you? What the hell has gotten into you?"
He clenched his jaw, inhaling sharply as he locked eyes with Asher. So, he was here about Keigo; well, that was fine. Perhaps he'd be less eager to defend him if he knew the truth, if he knew what Keigo truly was.
His lips curled into a sneer, his eyes smoldering with resentment as he scanned Anthony from head to toe. "My problem? My problem is that he's been hoverin' around her like a damn dog in heat. My problem is that he doesn't know when to back the fuck off."
"And what gives ya the right to dictate who she can or can't be with?" Anthony retorted, his fists clenching at his sides. "She's not interested in ya in that way, Ash, but there's something between them. I'm telling ya, you can feel it in the air whenever they're together; I swear I felt it myself just the other night. You're the one who needs to back off."
"Anthony, do you even know who he is?" Asher asked with a frown, "Who he really is."
"Of course I do. He's Keigo-"
"Yes, I know his fuckin' name, but that's not what I'm talkin' about." He interrupted, sitting himself back up and quickly typing his hero name into the search engine. He was quick to bring up his wiki page, before turning the screen towards Anthony. Anthony leaned forward, his brows furrowing as he read through it before they suddenly widened, his surprise palpable.
"Oh my god, he's Hawks. How the fuck did I not recognize him sooner?" Anthony mumbled, ripping his gaze away from the screen as Asher gave him a smug grin.
"He sure is. I don't know how much ya know about the Japanese heroes, but he is not a good person-"
He was cut off by Anthony slamming his hands down on the desk, leaning forward to look at him, his expression firm and serious. "I've read about Hawks before, I remember seeing the articles, but how could ya possibly go around sayin' somethin' like that. He is a fuckin' hero. How dare ya sit here on your ass and tell me he's not a good person, like he didn't risk his life fightin' for his country."
"He killed a person that was just runnin' away from him, Anthony." Asher retorted, pushing his chair out and rising to stand. Anthony straightened himself in response, their stare off intense as Asher sneered. "He let the government control him, and pretended to work for those villains for months. He could've killed Shigaraki at any point, but instead played best friends with 'em until he was found out. Then when things got hard after the war, he gave up and turned to drugs. He is fuckin' pathetic and she deserves far better than someone like that."
Anthony's eyes flickered with a mix of emotions—anger, disbelief, and a hint of unease. He took a step back, as if physically recoiling from Asher's words. "I can't fuckin' believe this," he muttered, his voice trembling slightly as he shook his head sadly. "You're spewin' all this crap about him, as if you've got any room to judge. You jumped him and threatened him at the bonfire and if you don't think I know you're behind what happened to his damn chicken, you're foolin' yourself. You're lucky I decided to talk to ya instead of just callin' Jaxson. Now, let me make one thing perfectly clear, Ash. You don't know the first thing about him or the things he's been through. You ain't ever been in a war, you don't know the things he's seen."
Asher folded his arms, maintaining his stance. Was he seriously justifying the things Hawks had done back in Japan? "Oh, and you do?"
"I know enough," Anthony snapped back, his fists clenching at his sides. "I know he's a hero. I know he's saved countless lives, lost his quirk, and that he almost died over there. He has been through hell and back and who the hell are ya to judge the way he dealt with those demons? He got himself clean didn't he? Doesn't that count for somethin'?"
"Yeah, well, maybe he shouldn't have let those demons control him in the first place. Then he wouldn't have anythin' to get clean from," Asher retorted, his voice dripping with disdain.
Anthony shook his head, his expression hardening. "Ya have no idea what it's like, Ash. To face that pressure, the expectations, the constant battles... You have no fuckin' right to judge him."
"I have every right to protect her from someone like him," Asher countered, his voice rising in frustration. Why the hell was he siding with someone they barely knew? He'd known Anthony almost his entire life. "I won't stand by and watch her get hurt."
"He's actually doin' good for her. She wants to get back into barrel racin' again and I fully expect ya to give her the time off for it, because she ain't done that since before Luke went to war. She seems different somehow, better. Ya shouldn't be tryin' to mess it all up for her like that!" Anthony said before shaking his head in agitation. "Who do ya think you are? Some knight in shinin' armor, swoopin' in to save her from the big bad ex-hero?"
Asher's jaw clenched, his fists tightening at his sides. He had seriously talked her into getting back into racing? "I'm not perfect, but at least I'm honest 'bout who I am. Can you really say the same for him?"
Anthony hesitated for a second before taking a deep breath, clenching his jaw as he gazed back at him defiantly. ""Like you've been so damn honest with your own feelings, Ash? So, he hasn't told us who he really is yet. I'm sure he will eventually when he's ready. I'm not kiddin' with ya, Asher. Leave 'em the hell alone. She likes him, I know she does and she deserves to be happy and ya know what. So does he. Ya lost this one, but at least ya still got Lacy."
Asher's expression softened slightly, but his stance remained defiant. Bringing up Lacy was pointless; he had no interest in her in the slightest. He glanced up, scowling slightly at the sight of Lacy standing in the doorway, just behind Anthony. She must've heard his office door slamming and wondered what was happening. How much had she heard?
He took a breath, shaking his head, before sighing. It wasn't perfect, but this at least gave him the chance to turn her down without having to have an awkward conversation. "I have no interest in Lacy, that will never happen so it's pointless to even go there." He kept his eyes on her, watching as she sucked in a breath, her own eyes watering before she turned and ran off into the stand somewhere.
He hated having to hurt her like that, but that conversation was past due anyway. She needed to get over him and move on to someone else. He turned his attention back to Anthony, narrowing his eyes slightly as he frowned.
"But, what happens when those demons of his come back? When he can't handle the pressure anymore and he ends up just as broken as he was in Japan? What happens when this all goes to shit?"
"I'll be there for them," Anthony replied firmly, turning and walking back towards the office door. He grabbed the handle, looking over his shoulder with narrowed eyes. "Because that's what real friends do. I highly fuckin' suggest you do the same unless you want to lose her completely."
He left without another word, slamming the door shut and causing him to flinch slightly at the sound before he sank back down into his seat with a groan. He scowled, glaring at the image of Hawks staring back at him from his computer monitor. Anthony had no right to talk to him like that, to take a damn stranger's side over someone who he'd known for his entire life. What the hell was happening?
"This is far from over Hawks," he snarled at the monitor before grabbing the mouse and angrily closing the webpage. "You'll fuckin' get what you deserve eventually, I'll make sure of it."