Other Side of the Tracks (Hawks/Keigo Takami x Reader)

Prologue

TW: Blatant mention of suicide

 The wind whistled through the station as the 4:30 train pulled out of the tunnel. You rushed down the platform, weaving playfully in and out of the pillars that lined the tracks; yet, your tiny pounding footsteps were completely silent. Typically, there wasn't much to do for fun around the station, but when your friend came around, hide-and-seek was always on the table. Despite having a quirk that gave you a ridiculously unfair advantage, Keigo always agreed to as many rounds as you wanted.

Taking your place behind one of the columns, you stuck your head out to peek at your feathered friend, whose face was still pushed into the concrete corner on the other side of the station. The boy's voice resonated through the empty tunnel as he counted.

"...six... seven... eight... nine... ten!" Keigo spun around quickly, searching left and right for any sign of you. When you didn't immediately make your presence known, he began to move further into the empty terminal, a small smile pressing on his lips. With his bright red wings pinned back in anticipation, he tip-toed ever closer to the yellow-colored drop-off of the tracks. You giggled as you watched your friend carefully examine his surroundings. If not for your quirk, your laughter would have surely echoed in the spacious station and given away your position.

The boy drew ever closer. You swiftly jogged off to the next pillar and stationed yourself behind it, putting a little more distance between the two of you. You still had a couple of minutes of invisibility left, but keeping hidden was still your best chance at reaching 'base' without Keigo catching you. Despite your knack for being unseen, you knew that if you so much as disturbed the air around the boy's feathers, you'd be found in a second. You peered around the side of the stone once again to find your friend circling the cement pole you'd just fled. A proud grin spread across your face. It was a good idea to change hiding spots after all. You turned back around to face the tracks.

It was always eerily quiet when there weren't any trains pulling in or leaving. Looking down at the ground, you shuffled back a few steps, careful to not allow your feet to touch the bright yellow tactile pavement beside the drop-off. You weren't allowed that close to the tracks. Still, curiosity would sometimes get the better of you, and you found yourself craning your neck to look as far as you could down the pitch-black tunnel, wondering where the trains were headed.

'To the next station.' That much you knew, but you'd never been there. You pondered what it might look like down that way. Was it any better than your own dingy, dimly-lit abode? You bet it was. Many times you imagined arriving at a pristine place where working lights would properly illuminate a shiny, polished white floor, and the platform would be dotted with potted plants. That might be nice. Formally dressed business people would wander around the clean station as they waited for their ride to work. Perhaps it would have one of those fancy LED signs that counted down until the next train arrived. If you were lucky, maybe you could ride the train and see for yourself one day.

"Mmm- gotcha!" Keigo's excited voice sounding so close suddenly startled you.

"Ahh!" You let out a yell that only you could hear as you lost your balance and fell to the floor. Your body plopped soundlessly onto the concrete. Your hand landed palm-down on the bumpy surface of the yellow-painted stripe on the ground.

"Hm? Hey, you're here, right? I felt the air move; did you fall? I think you fell." Keigo stared down blindly at the spot on the floor he thought you ought to be. You reluctantly released your quirk, revealing yourself to the winged boy. Upon finding your hand on the forbidden yellow stripe, you jolted back with a gasp, pinning yourself against the concrete pillar.

"Ahh, you scared me! You didn't have to sneak up on me like that!" You pouted. Keigo shrugged.

"I'm sorry, I thought you would've seen me coming." He replied, gripping the hem of his dirty shirt.