𝐟𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 ⟢ 𝘁. 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗼𝗿𝗼𝗸𝗶/𝗱𝗮𝗯𝗶

𝟐𝟑

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𝐲𝐨𝐮
the next morning, i woke up, my body a tangled mess of soreness and memories from the night before. every ache pulls me back to touya—his rough hands, the way he clung to me like i was the only person on earth. i barely had the energy to stand as i wrapped myself in a robe and shuffle toward the kitchen.

the moment i step inside, something on the counter catches my eye. a single red rose, petals soft and vibrant, with a small note underneath. i reach for it, my heart tightening as i recognize the scrawl of his handwriting.

for you, until the end.

a smile breaks through the heaviness on my mind, though it doesn't last long. his words from last night still echoed in my head—come with me—run away from all this shit and just... leave it behind. or you can stay here and face whatever comes next. how am i supposed to choose? i glance back at the rose, the symbol of his softer side, the side only i get to see, and for a moment, i wonder if i actually could just drop everything and run with him. but the reality weighs me down. how could i abandon everything i've built, the people i care about—hawks, and the todoroki's, especially?

but i push the thoughts aside. i have work. today, i needed to focus.

as soon as i walk into the lab, mei is her usual hyper-focused self, tinkering with some new gadget. the hum of machinery fills the air, and the smell of metal and burnt wires is comforting in its own way. i try to bury myself in the details of her latest creation, but i can't stop my mind from drifting back to touya. to what he said. what we did. the desperation in both of us last night.

"you good?" mei asks, not even looking up from her project.

i blink, snapping back to the present. "yeah, just... didn't sleep much."

"no kidding," she mutters, distracted. "you look like you fought a villain and lost."

before i can respond, i hear footsteps behind me. my heart jumps—just for a second, i think it's touya. but obviously, it's not.

"y/n, again with the tired look?" hawks' voice cuts through the lab, playful but with an edge to it.

i turn to see him leaning in the doorway, his wings folded neatly, arms crossed, watching me like he always does—too carefully, too perceptively.

"what can i say?" i try to joke. "work's been... exhausting."

he steps further in, his striking golden eyes narrowing slightly as he takes me in, head to toe. then his gaze lands on the faint bruise just below my collarbone. his eyes flicker with something—an emotion he hides quickly behind a smirk.