Feathers and Flame // Dabi x Reader x Hawks

43: Lady Nagant

It was raining again.

The chill of it didn't bother you tonight, though part of you still craved the warmth of Hawks' jacket. You'd left it behind, not wanting to run into him while still wearing it. You could imagine how he would tease you for it, inciting your frustration with an arrogant twist of his lips. And every taunting comment would be completely true, yet you would vehemently deny each one. You only needed it because it was cold, not because it reminded you of him, and certainly not because it smelled like him.

Of course not.

If anything, the rain was a welcome reprieve for your aching muscles. You hadn't stopped for hours or even days. At times, you found yourself so singularly focused on finding him that you didn't want to stop, not even to sleep. Deku seemed to share your destructive determination, though you were worried for him. There was only enough room in this duo for one emotionally unstable vigilante.

As for the object of your cursed manhunt, you couldn't allow yourself to think of his name. It was easier to imagine he was a job and not a person. Merely another villain, thief of lives—and hearts. There was a wound inside of you and it had been festering since he'd inflicted it upon you, though the blame was solely yours. So many hateful words were said, yet it was those left unsaid that were far worse. If you let it in—if you stopped holding back the ever-growing storm inside you—it would break you irreparably. That, you were sure of.

"What are you thinking about?"

Deku's voice tugged you back to reality. You focused on him. The ragged, dark green hood and metallic mouthpiece he wore made him look far more menacing than the freckled teenager he was. He'd stopped moving, standing on the edge of a rooftop to survey the area. "Oh, just our impending doom."

You couldn't see his face, but you imagined he cracked a smile. "We'll find them."

"I know," you replied.

That's what I'm afraid of.

Would you ever be ready to face him again? Or would you crumble like you did before?

"You still haven't told me what happened with you and the League," Deku said after a moment of silence. You were thankful he didn't utter his name, though you knew that's what he was asking about.

"Careful, Deku, I only trade truths for truths. Were you running from a little girlfriend—or boyfriend—when you left UA?"

Deku fiercely shook his head. "No... no. Nothing like that. I just..." He trailed off.

"You don't have to justify anything. I'm here too, after all." You brought your gaze back to the dark, derelict city below. "But I know you have so many people that care about you. Let them."

"Shouldn't you be taking your own advice?"

You glanced sidelong at him, a grin curving your lips. "And face my crippling fear of emotional intimacy? I think not."

Deku laughed awkwardly and pulled out his phone, bringing it to his ear. It was about time to catch up with All Might, wherever he was in the streets below. You wondered if Hawks was near too, or if he was—

You heard the shot a split second before the bullet connected with Deku's phone. It vanished from his hands, pinned against the concrete wall behind you.

The colour of the bullet caught your attention. Pink and purple.

"The boy in the green outfit." It was a woman's voice. The device she spoke through came from the bullet. "You're coming with me."

I know that voice.

It was so familiar, but you couldn't quite grasp at the memory. It was from before—from the Commission days. Wasn't it?