| DABI | Echoes in the Midnight Ember | Book 1 |

| 15 |

It was nearing midnight, and the bar was finally settling into a quieter lull, though a steady hum of conversation still filled the dimly lit room. Rina wiped down the bar, her mind drifting as her hands moved automatically over the sticky surface. She hadn't seen Dabi in a week, which in the chaotic world she lived in was a small eternity.

She wondered where he was, her mind running over scenarios she knew she had no right to dwell on. Maybe he'd been laying low after a job gone wrong, hiding out somewhere the heroes couldn't reach. Or maybe he'd moved on to another part of the city, losing interest in their routine meetings or in whatever strange pull had drawn him back to her again and again.

It was almost maddening, this odd space he'd left in her life. She couldn't pinpoint why it bothered her, why she even cared—he was unpredictable, infuriating, and sometimes downright reckless. And yet, he'd become a part of her routine, slipping into her life with that quiet, unspoken intensity that always lingered even when he wasn't around.

"Hey, Rina!" a regular called out, snapping her back to the present. She plastered on a faint smile, moving to fill his order with a calm she didn't quite feel.

As she poured his drink, she let her thoughts slip back to Dabi. The last time they'd seen each other, he'd just shown up at her apartment, as though he owned the place, lying on her couch and demanding his due for bailing her out of trouble. He'd left an odd kind of comfort in his wake, one that had somehow lingered even as his footsteps faded out her door. And since then? Silence.

She'd gotten used to his random appearances, the way he'd show up when she least expected it, sometimes to push her buttons, sometimes just to sit in silence like he was waiting for something unspoken. But now? A week felt like too long for Dabi to be silent.

Tat's gruff voice cut through her thoughts. "You awake, Rina?" He looked at her with one eyebrow raised. She gave a slight nod, brushing off her distraction and focusing on the next drink order, pushing Dabi's absence to the back of her mind.

Still, as the night wore on and the bar grew emptier, she couldn't shake the thought that something was wrong. She tried to ignore the small pang of worry gnawing at her, reminding herself that she knew what kind of life he led—what kind of risks he took. This was Dabi, after all. Disappearing was practically his trademark. And yet, the thought hung there, irritating and unresolved, as she closed out the night and wiped down the last few tables.

Rina finished up her shift with a heavier heart than she'd care to admit, her mind still lingering on that missing figure.

Rina walked through the empty streets, her hands stuffed into the pockets of her jacket, head down as she traced the familiar route home. The city was quieter than usual, with only the distant hum of traffic and the occasional flickering streetlight to break the silence. She welcomed the solitude, letting her mind drift as she moved through the shadows, her thoughts lingering on all the oddities of the past week.

She heard footsteps approaching but didn't break her stride. She recognized the steady, casual rhythm, and it didn't surprise her when Hawks appeared beside her, his golden eyes catching the glow of the streetlights. He kept his pace in line with hers, hands in his own pockets, a small smile playing at the edge of his mouth.

"Didn't expect to see you out here so late," she said, not looking directly at him.

"Just felt like taking a walk," Hawks replied smoothly, as though it was the most natural thing in the world to be wandering the streets at midnight.

She raised an eyebrow at him, a faint smirk tugging at her lips. "Isn't this a little far out for the Number Two hero to be on a stroll?"

Hawks gave a small shrug. "Not a crime to get a little fresh air, is it? Besides, I figured you could use the company."

They walked in silence for a while, the sound of their footsteps mixing with the occasional distant siren and the gentle rustling of leaves. Rina glanced at him from the corner of her eye, wondering what had brought him here. With Hawks, there was always a reason—whether he chose to reveal it or not.

But tonight, he seemed unusually relaxed, almost unguarded. There was no hint of the calculating look she was used to, no subtle probing questions or gentle nudges for information. Just him, walking by her side like a regular guy out for a late-night walk.

"So," he finally said, breaking the silence, "been a quiet week for you?"

She scoffed lightly. "Guess you could say that. Apart from the bar getting trashed the other day. Not exactly what I'd call quiet."

"Yeah, Jiro's really is getting out of hand," he replied, his gaze turning thoughtful. "But you seem... distracted. Even more than usual."

She shrugged, not offering much in the way of an answer. "Doesn't seem like that's any of your business."

Hawks chuckled, the sound low and easy. "Fair enough. But, you know, sometimes it's good to have a little backup."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Backup? From you?"

"Well, I'm not exactly your knight in shining armour," he replied, flashing her a playful grin. "But I know the city can wear on people, especially with... certain types lurking around."

He didn't say it, but she could hear the implication—the not-so-subtle reference to the villains she sometimes crossed paths with. To Dabi. She looked away, rolling her eyes at Hawks' indirect approach. He was good at toeing that line, bringing things up without saying them outright.

After a pause, she asked, "Why are you really here, Keigo?"

Hawks looked at her, slightly surprised she'd used his real name. But he only shrugged, his expression softening a bit. "Can't a guy just want a change of scenery?"

She shook her head with a faint smile. "Guess heroes need downtime too."

"Even heroes need friends," he said, his tone turning unexpectedly serious, and for a moment, she felt the full weight of his gaze on her. It caught her off guard—she was used to Hawks' carefree mask, the one he always wore when he was around her. But now, there was something raw there, something genuine.

"You make it sound like I'm the one you're calling a friend," she muttered, glancing away.

"Maybe you are," he replied softly, surprising her again.

Rina wasn't sure what to say, so she just kept walking, letting the silence stretch between them. They were near her apartment building now, its worn bricks and faded paint a stark contrast to the gleaming lights of the city in the distance. She stopped at the door, turning to face him.

"Thanks for the walk, I guess," she said, offering him a rare, small smile.

He tipped an imaginary hat, his usual playful grin returning. "Anytime. Try not to miss me too much."

With that, he took a step back, stretching his wings just enough for a quiet, effortless lift. Rina watched him until he was just a shadow in the sky, disappearing into the night. As she turned and headed inside, she couldn't help but feel a little lighter. Hawks, for all his schemes and secrets, had a way of doing that.