𝐟𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 ⟢ 𝘁. 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗼𝗿𝗼𝗸𝗶/𝗱𝗮𝗯𝗶

𝟏𝟓

𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫
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𝐢𝐢

𝐲𝐨𝐮

"hey!" mei hatsume greeted me cheerfully as soon as i walked in. "just wanted to let you know we're almost ninety percent finished with all the current hero requests!"

"really?" i asked, genuinely impressed by her talent and hard work. "that's amazing, mei. how about you take the day off?"

"well," mei considered it for a moment, "i could use a shower right now. so i will, thank you, y/n!"

we both laughed, and mei left my office, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

as i sat at my desk, my eyes wandered to the locked drawer containing confidential information and personal belongings. i opened it and pulled out dabi's dna results.

99.999% match to touya todoroki...

as i analyzed the words, my fingers brushed against a big plastic tube filled with an old prototype design for hero equipment. wiping off the dust, i put dabi's document away and unrolled the papers.

the design was something i'd created years ago, a set of high-temperature resistant arm braces meant to regulate the user's body temperature—designed specifically for someone like touya in mind.

as the hours passed, i became lost in my work. i used high-tech equipment to print three-dimensional prototypes and create holograms to visualize every small component, tweaking the design with each iteration. it was around seven in the evening when my assistant interrupted.

"pro hero hawks is waiting for your approval to see you," the assistant said.

i sighed, focused on my task. "tell him i'm busy."

"he's insisting, saying he won't take no for an answer."

hawks, you feathered stubborn idiot.

reluctantly, i agreed.

no sooner had i given the go-ahead than hawks flew into my office, he was wearing a casual outfit instead of his typical hero suit, which threw me off for a moment, his curiosity piqued by the sight of me quickly stashing away the holograms and prototypes.

"hey, nerd," hawks greeted with a grin as he walked over. "what were you working on?"

for a moment, i debated whether to show him, but he was my friend—i couldn't keep everything from him.

for once don't keep something from him...

"have you ever heard of people whose bodies can't withstand their quirks?" i asked. "people who get badly hurt just by using them?"

"hmmm..." hawks thought for a moment. "i remember izuku midoriya being one of those people during the sports festival a while back."

"well, ever since i was little, i wanted to create equipment to help people with those conditions," i explained with a small chuckle. "this design was made back in my high school days, but i've been so busy with other requests that i haven't had time to focus on it."

i showed him the hologram of the braces, and hawks admired it silently for a moment, his eyes tracing the lines of the design.

"that's pretty neat," hawks finally said, his tone serious before it shifted into something more playful. "anyways, are you free tonight?"

"huh?" i laughed, caught off guard. "are you planning to take me out for dinner every single friday?"

"well, it's been a while since i last saw you wear something nice instead of your usual lab gear," hawks teased, a glint of mischief in his eyes. "come on, i'll fly you home. i'm not taking no for an answer."

like i said, stubborn.

"alright," i said, giving in with a smile. "but you'll have to turn around while i quickly change."

hawks obliged, turning around as i pulled out an outfit from my "emergency meetings" drawer. after removing my lab coat and usual sterile attire, i slipped into a sleek classy short black dress with small silver accents—perfect for formal meetings, and maybe a night out.

"ready," i announced, catching his attention.

hawks turned back and nodded appreciatively. "looking good, y/n. you actually do have nice outfits."

"shut up."

his eyes then lingered on the necklace around my neck—the one i had when we met, the one touya gave me. "it's nice to see you use that necklace once again."

"thanks," i replied, my fingers brushing against the pendant, feeling the weight of it against my skin.

we both headed downstairs to close off the lab. hawks wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me closer before taking off into the night sky.

as we soared through the cool night air, i couldn't help but wonder how much longer i could keep everything from him—the truth about dabi, me using this necklace once again, everything. but for now, i pushed those thoughts aside, focusing on the fleeting moments of peace i still had left.