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

I: Wake-Up Call

You were met with the familiar sight of a filthy floor. Your heart pounded so furiously in your chest that, for a moment, it was all you could hear. With the way your lungs felt starved for oxygen, you were nearly certain you'd stopped breathing for a second. You raised your head as nonchalantly as you could and took a quick glance at your surroundings. The stale scent of dirt and dust hung in the air. You couldn't exactly remember where the League had decided to hole up last night. Finding adequate places for your little band of criminals had been difficult ever since the heroes raided the bar. This place looked to be some old apartment. Judging by the blackened scorch marks on the walls, it had likely gone up in flames before it was abandoned. That would certainly explain the dilapidated state of the sofa you found yourself on.

"Fuck..." You breathed quietly as you slumped back down into the old couch. Somehow, despite the stabbing springs, torn fabric, and minimal cushioning, you'd managed to fall asleep on it. Your back felt obliterated. Nightmares were a fairly rare occurrence for you. Hell, dreams of any kind were a luxury you only experienced occasionally, but that didn't make the haunting images you saw any less troubling. You rested your head on your hand and pinched the bridge of your nose. For a moment, you focused only on steadying your breathing. The aching in your skull subsided as your blood pressure gradually lowered, and you rubbed small circles into your forehead. Moments of relaxation were becoming less and less frequent. In most cases, someone in your position might appreciate the calming quiet; however, despite having just woken up from a major fright, the stillness of the room was more eerie than soothing. Typically, your comrades would be up and about, making at least some kind of noise. Where was everyone?

"Are you always so whiny in your sleep?" Dabi's husk voice broke the silence with a cocky tone. A jolt of surprise shot through you, though you did well to hide it. Damn, he was quiet. You shot the audacious man a venomous glare as he stepped past you, feeling amply annoyed by his rudeness.

"Kiss my ass." You spat back. You were never an overly confrontational person. Throughout your life, you'd managed to get along well enough with nearly every acquaintance, partner, or ally you found yourself working with. Everything was simpler when you steered clear of conflict. Given that you typically only had to do nothing to keep tension low, it wasn't a terribly difficult thing to avoid. This flaming asshole, however, almost always managed to make your blood boil. Dabi was rude from the moment you'd met back at the League's old bar, and, though you tried to be civil with him in the beginning, his condescending attitude persisted. These days, it wasn't uncommon for the two of you to argue openly (and rather indecently) in front of the entire team. These feuds nearly always managed to have one or both of you storming out for days at a time. Seeing as how neither of you would relent in your pride, your relationship was unlikely to improve much. You couldn't have cared less.

"Not a very friendly greeting, if you ask me." Dabi remarked as he glared at you from across the room. You sat upright on the creaky sofa and rubbed your tired eyes with the back of your hand.

"You started it." You pointed out matter-of-factly. It was rare that your retorts didn't end with some kind of insulting moniker like "asshole" or "dickhead", but given the fact that the guy had been MIA for nearly three days, you opted not to start a fight right off the bat. By now, you knew his limits. "Where have you been, anyway?" You questioned with a huff. The more important question might have been how he found the temporary hideout despite having not been around when the rest of the group settled in.

Dabi stretched his neck nonchalantly and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Been out looking for new recruits. I figure someone's got to since it looks like I'm the only one around here willing to put in any actual effort."

You kissed your teeth. 'Yeah, disappearing is totally helpful.' You sneered internally, not wanting to risk another altercation. As much as you hated to admit it, Dabi was one of the League's strongest members, and, since your own quirk wasn't very useful for dealing damage, having him around could be really useful in a fight. Besides, you didn't have the energy to argue right now. A friendly voice sounded from behind the couch.