Feathers and Flame // Dabi x Reader x Hawks

46: Composure

Deku was spiralling.

You knew what that looked like better than anyone.

His positive disposition had vanished following All For One's message. Hope was fraying at the edges and not even All Might could get him to slow down. You, who had come to think of the young hero as a partner, only caught glimpses of him as he leaped from one place to the next, following Danger Sense with a blatant disregard for his wellbeing.

It was almost like you were looking in a mirror.

But only I'm allowed to be so jaded.

You'd basically said as much when you caught him last. "Wilful self-destruction is my thing, not yours."

Deku had only stared through you, those piercing green eyes aglow through the darkness of his mask. It was truly an unnerving sight.

And then he'd shot into the air and left you behind in a plume of his dust.

So, in an obvious effort to solve everyone else's problems except for your own, you sought to enlist the help of someone better suited for optimistic pep talks. And it certainly had absolutely nothing to do with the fact you wanted to see him.

You found Hawks outside his agency building, hands dug into the pockets of his jacket as he spoke casually with Best Jeanist.

Both of them abruptly stopped talking when you dropped down from a streetlight into the midst of their conversation.

"Hi."

And for some very odd reason, you were at a loss for words.

"Hey," Hawks replied, his gaze sweeping over you the way it always seemed to this past while.

He was tired—that much was evident given the darkened skin beneath his eyes and the slight pallor to his golden skin. And then there was the shallow cut that scraped over the left side of his jaw. It was clear he'd been fighting, despite still not having enough feathers to fly.

"I need your help."

Hawks' mouth curved, and despite the fatigue, he was still as dashing as ever. "Interesting way of saying you missed me."

You rolled your eyes at the teasing comment, though the tips of your ears still burned. Best Jeanist regarded you with a look that bordered on disdain and you fought the urge to glare at him, instead choosing to ignore his presence altogether. His approval was not something you wanted nor needed, and you couldn't exactly blame him for his wariness of you.

"We need to help Deku, he's not himself. He won't stop, won't eat, won't sleep. I'm worried about him."

"Sound familiar?" Hawks asked, amused.

"That's precisely why we don't need another one."

Hawks pulled his phone from his jacket pocket. "All Might has been trying to get him to slow down, especially now that foreign heroes are on their way." He quickly typed out a message and hit send. "But I think I know what we need to do."

"I'll leave this one to you, Hawks," Best Jeanist said, stepping away. "Update me later."

Hawks nodded, waving him off as he turned his full attention to you. "Let's go."

"Where is he?"

Hawks' fingers brushed over the arch in your back as he directed you toward the car. The touch was feather-light, but it still made your traitorous heart race.

"According to the GPS, he's on the other side of the city. All Might is already on his way."

He opened the passenger door for you and you slid inside, pulling on a seatbelt as he rounded the car and took his place behind the wheel.