Feathers and Flame // Dabi x Reader x Hawks

36: Feathers

"I'm bored."

Toga sighed from where she stood, leaning against the railing that overlooked the headquarters foyer from the floor above. You occupied the space next to her but kept your gaze on the villains below. Watching. Waiting.

"Jin is off with Hawks again," she continued, rolling her eyes. "You'd swear he's like a celebrity or something."

You raised a brow. "Well, he kind of is."

"In the hero world," she scoffed. "Not to us." Toga sighed aloud again. "I'm just bored and he promised he'd help me make cookies today."

This. This was what would get you sent to the deepest, most foul ring of Hell imaginable. This was yet another reason your heart was blackened beyond repair. Yet another reason you deserved never to feel a shred of happiness again. And still, you looked Toga in the eyes and lied to her as if it was as easy as breathing.

"He'll be done soon, then you can bake all the cookies you want."

Because it was as easy as breathing. It was who you are, and who you'd always been. A perfect manipulator. A perfect agent. It took you no effort at all to infiltrate the League. To become one of them. Earning Dabi's trust was yet another hurdle to your success, and you manipulated your way beneath his scarred, ruined skin as if you'd always belonged there. And you almost convinced yourself of that, too. The only thing that ever held you back was that useless organ that beat steadily in your chest.

"He better," Toga muttered. "Mr. Compress went and got the ingredients for us."

Toga was still talking, mumbling to herself, but you stopped paying attention at least a couple of minutes ago. Your focus was now fixed on the villain who appeared from the stairwell. Dabi paid no attention to either of you as he glanced your way before turning to stride down another hallway, his hands dug into his pockets.

"I need to talk to him," you said to Toga, dashing off after your villain. "See you later."

Toga grumbled something incoherent about being abandoned again, but you were already halfway to Dabi and cared little about hearing the specifics. If he heard your approach, he didn't seem bothered enough to turn around.

"Wait!"

Dabi halted but didn't turn. "I'm busy, princess."

"I don't care."

Finally, your villain turned to you, the hard edges of him softening just slightly, but not enough that his fiery gaze didn't feel like it was burning you. "What is it?"

You furrowed your brows. "I don't know what crawled up your ass and died today, but I don't need a reason to come and speak to you."

The corner of his mouth lifted. "This is one of those days where you decide you're going to be difficult, isn't it?"

Your stupid, reckless heart squeezed painfully. "I can't help it, when you're broody it makes me want to taunt you."

"And what if I'm not in the mood to be taunted."

"All the more reason to do it." You grinned through the guilt-slicked hurt. "And besides, you asked for this."

Dabi's gaze burned right through you, but the slight smirk that graced his lips told you everything you needed to know. He jerked his chin at you and started walking. "Come on, then."

You followed along after him. "Where are we going?"

"I need to find—"

Both of you were thrown sideways as the floor warped and cracked beneath your feet, the roar of splintering stone and shattering glass a direct accompaniment to the ringing in your ears. Pain lanced through your side and skull as you peeled yourself from the jagged floor.