Dabi really clung to me throughout the next couple of weeks.
It was sickening, having to pretend that his affections were wanted, so much so that I even had to excuse myself to go be sick in the nearest bathrooms. His presence turned my stomach.
"Why don't you ever wear red, Songbird? You looked so good in that dress during our interview.~" Toga sighed, brushing her finger up and down my forearm, which sent shivers down my spine.
"I think Hawks shows enough red for the both of us." I replied as politely as possible, shifting a little further away and stuffing my third muffin into my gob.
As if having been summoned by mention, Hawks strolled into the room, an arm slung over Twice's shoulders and laughing as though he wasn't planning on double crossing him. It was sad, really, knowing just how much it would hurt the both of them.
"Sunshine, I wanna show you something!" Parting from his faux friend, my husband strode over and leaned over the back of the couch, holding an opened magazine right in front of me. Crumbs fell from my mouth onto the glossy article, but he brushed them away without a word, tapping his finger down. "There's this new restaurant opening in Tokyo! Best chicken this side of the globe, so it says!"
Of course, that wasn't what he was trying to show me. I knew him better than that, and he was well aware. Instead of skimming over the advertisement, I zoned in on the specific word the tip of his gloved finger had tapped against.
Tomorrow.
Wait...tomorrow? We strike tomorrow?!
Without letting the fear show on my face, I leaned my head back so I could look at him, swallowing the glutinous lump of food that didn't want to go down.
"It opens tomorrow. Did you wanna go then, or later, after the hype has died down?" I wanted to be sure. Some kind of confirmation so I wouldn't have to panic over nothing if I was mistaken.
"It has to be tomorrow. Why? Because I already reserved us a table!" Hawks grinned, but I could see past that. He was on the very edge, barely hanging in there. Humming, I reached up and stroked the underside of his chin, humming in thought.
"Well, if you've already gone ahead and done that, how can I refuse?"
Every pro hero this side of Japan is ready for this. We're ready.
"How romantic! Watching you two be all married and shit makes me wanna barf! Can you bring me back a doggy bag?" Twice squeezed in, simultaneously patting both of our heads, and Hawks chuckled, straightening up and starting to lead the body-suited villain back out of the room.
"Sure thing, buddy! Just let me know what you want and I'll bring it all back for ya!" He paused before exiting, turning back to meet my eyes with sharp amber. "I'll see you later, Sunshine. I love you." Off he went, and I sat there in a daze, completely ignoring Toga, who had moved closer to find my pulse.
I wanna speak to Endeavor. Natsuo. Tsunagu. Suzu. Akitsugu...
Abruptly leaping to my feet, I brushed a hand through my loose (H/C) hair, barely glancing over my shoulder at Toga as I started off.
"I think I'm gonna go and do some training. I'm sick of just sitting around doing squat." Not waiting for her response, I left, choosing to just throw myself out of the nearest window instead of using the stairs.
Flying out to the furthest reaches of the courtyard, I landed and tried to compose myself. It was still too soon, in my opinion. The others may have been ready, but I still had so much to learn. I needed to work on myself so I could be of use.
Starting off with some generic stretches, I hummed the only tune that came to mind. The same one Hawks would sing to me whenever I needed comfort. Despite not having done much hero work since being dragged to the Liberation Front, my back ached, and I had to continuously bark back at myself for wanting to go back to lazing around and stuffing my face with comfort food.
I need to try to get a hang of whatever happened in Enji's office. What was it that his feral little intern always says? So I can blast them all to hell?
My guts felt rancid as I began to kick at the air, grunting each time my boot struck the highest point. As long as Shigaraki was recovered as planned, we stood a good chance. The villains fought dirty, and with very little discipline, but pro heroes knew that. This was what they had trained for their whole lives. What I've trained for.
There was only one person I aimed to take down, and just the thought of it sent white hot pulses through my veins. As a hero, I knew I couldn't kill him, as much as I wanted to. He held secrets that Hawks and I hadn't been able to gain access to, so he had to live. However, I could maim him. I could pick him apart, staple by staple, until he begged for mercy, then I'd have my revenge.
No, that'll never be enough...Even killing him won't be enough...
The violent heat I had felt in that compact office began to wash over me again, and I allowed it to happen. I grasped onto my anger and let it consume me, coming to life in raging bursts of scorching light. Temporarily blinded, I spat curses through my teeth, having to use the heels of my hands to rub away the static spots so I could see what I had managed to do.
The earth around me was scorched, but not as badly as I had hoped. There had been no plants around to catch fire, and the only thing that really sustained any damage was the material around the back of my shirt, where my wings passed through. It was no longer there.
"Trying to be a copycat, babe?" My nausea spiked when I heard that voice, but I passed my slight gag off as a cough, turning to face the patchwork villain who was coming my way.
"You know, copying is the highest form of flattery." I snickered, making sure to localize the flinch of tension when he reached to touch my in my feet. "What can I say? You inspired me."
Dabi's fingertips brushed against the bare skin of my back, just shy of my luminous wings, and I shivered. It was a horrific feeling.
"In a confined space it could do some nice damage." He hummed, his stormy eyes trailing across my face. "I'm impressed. Glad you're on my side."
Deactivating my quirk, even though every cell in my body screamed for me to keep my guard up and stay ready, I walked my fingers up his chest, stopping right below his jugular. Feeling his pulse made me despise him that much more. He didn't deserve it, and it would almost be too hard to let him keep it.
"On your side, or by your side?" When he grabbed me by the wrist and pulled me into him, I seethed at the feeling of his leathery lips abusing mine. Even when they were so stifling hot, they still felt dead.
"Both." He murmured, pulling back but keeping the tip of his nose against mine, almost nuzzling me. "I heard you and number two were going out for dinner tomorrow. Pity, I was gonna do something special for you."
I would rather die.
Frowning, I nuzzled him back, putting on my sweetest pouty face. One I had perfected when working the clubs.
"I'm sorry. You know I'd rather stay here with you, but I need to be seen in public with him. We're gone so often, people will start to talk if we don't make appearances. The last thing any of us need is suspicion."
My reasoning was sound. Heroes, especially those with high ranks like Hawks, had to keep up appearances. The more people talked, the closer people looked.
"I get it, but that doesn't mean I like it." Dabi sighed, moving to wrap his arms all the way around me, forcing me to remain against his body. "Promise you'll come straight to me when you get back. I have plans, but they can't stay on hold for long. I don't have the patience to wait."
The last thing I wanted was to know what was going on in his sick little head. I already felt like I was going to be sick all over the courtyard, and the way he squeezed me close made my lower back ache even worse.
"Cross my heart. Straight back to you, the absolute second I get back." Wriggling away from him, I traced an X over my chest, smiling like normal, which seemed to appease him.
"That's my good girl." He chuckled, slinging his arm over my shoulders and starting to lead me back towards the hellish mansion. "Now, let's go get you a change of clothes. Can't have every man and his dog seeing so much of your skin..." His possessivness was unnerving, but I had to go along with it. This was the last day, and then it would be over.
Then I can cause you as much pain as you caused us...
.
.
.
.
.
.
***Sorry, Dabi stans. I'm gonna hurt ya boy.
I think I'm going to wrap this fic up soon. I don't want to wait months to see where the manga goes, so I'm going to take it into my own hands and veer away from the canon storyline more.
I see a lot of you asking for a happy ending.
I see you.
Next Time: Sick to Death***