Pretty Bird - Redemption Part One

A Deal is Made

He woke up in the warehouse where he usually met Dabi, the space illuminated by a small gas lamp. His wrists had been cuffed together and secured to a hook suspended from the ceiling. His neck and shoulders ached, his arms were numb, he'd been left there for a while it seemed. His head pounded and his forehead was itchy and tight where blood had dried.

His memory was fuzzy. There had been a fight, some of the UA kids had gotten involved...

He'd blown his cover.

Hawks pulled at the chains, kicking his legs and flapping his wings a few times in an effort to dislodge the chains, but nothing helped. A few feathers scattered around, billowing on the dregs of air his movement created before settling on the cement.

The slap of hard soles echoed through the building and Hawks went still. A pair of dress shoes and bare ankles stepped into the ring of light cast by the lantern. The golden light played over scarred skin, casting jagged shadows that made the villains expression unreadable. Hawks held his breath.

Dabi stooped, picking up a stray feather from the floor and deftly twirling it between his fingers. He ran his thumb against the vane, sending a chill up Hawks' spine. The villain eyed him curiously, then repeated the motion, his eyes locked on Hawks'.

Hawks bit back a whine at the sensation, dragging his gaze away from the smirk on Dabi's lips. Dabi's voice was low, softer than usual when he spoke. "So you can feel that. Tell me, pretty bird, what does this feel like?"

A wave of heat washed over him and this time Hawks couldn't stifle his gasp. He ground his teeth. Damn it. Why did it have to be Dabi, of all people? The one villain who truly scared him, and not because of anything he'd done. No, Hawks was afraid of the chill that ruffled his feathers whenever Dabi locked him in that heated gaze. The way his stomach flipped at the low tones in his voice. Afraid of the nights he spent alone in his apartment, imagining what his touch would feel like.

Dabi stepped a little closer, fully engulfed in the lanterns light now. A few feathers crumpled under his steps and Hawks shivered.

He was going to die.

The realization struck him suddenly. He'd blown his cover, gotten knocked out, and now Dabi was going to kill him. Of course, he'd known going into this there might not be a way out. But no way was he just going to hang there and let it happen.

Hawks stretched his wings, feathers bristling and sharpening. He launched them with a strong flap of his wings, wincing as the motion pulled at the cuffs around his wrists.

The feathers burned up before they reached their target, and really, he should have seen that coming. Heat flooded through him again, more intense this time and Hawks bit down on his lip to keep from crying out. He tasted blood.

Dabi's smirk grew and he dropped the singed feather he'd been holding. He circled Hawks slowly, gaze roving over his body. "Y'know... Shigaraki wants you eliminated. And I don't really have a problem with that. But..."

The villain trailed off, standing behind Hawks, close enough for him to feel Dabi's breath teasing the ends of his hair. He jumped when Dabi's hands landed on his shoulders and he was pulled flush against the villains chest. Dabi whispered in his ear. "What if we made a deal?"

Hawks swallowed hard. "What kind of deal?"

"Well... I always did want a pet bird as a kid."

A pet... bird? Wait, hadn't Dabi had called him pretty bird earlier? "You want me to... be your pet?"

"'S not that difficult a concept." Dabi's lips skimmed the skin just below his ear.

Dabi was giving him an out. If he agreed to be his damn pet, knowing what that probably meant, he'd live. If not, Dabi would probably kill him before he could take another breath.