𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 | 𝘵. 𝘬𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘰 [𝘩𝘢𝘸𝘬𝘴]

𝘴𝘪𝘹 : i think i'm getting the hang of this whole flying thing

The span of his wings took me aback. Crimson feathers gently ruffled in the breeze, surrounding Hawks in an almost enchanting way.

Awestruck, I finally began to speak up. "Actually, I—" my voice was abruptly cut off when he suddenly pulled me close.

"Hold on!" He called out, and his wings pushed against the air, sending us upwards in a matter of seconds.

My grip on Hawks' jacketed arm tightened to a vise-like strength as I watched the sidewalk where we once stood become smaller. I let out a yelp of surprise and horror. Was he crazy or something? I was sure I would die at that moment; if not from being dropped, then from a heart attack. My legs dangled loosely, yearning for the security of the ground.

"What're you doing?!" I yelled, trying to turn towards him to show him my concern and fright.

"Don't squirm around too much," he warned. "You might make my hands slip." I could hear his smile in his words and wanted to punch him square in the nose. The last thing I needed on top of my relationship issues was being splattered on the pavement that was now plenty of meters below.

"Where are we going?" I shouted over the wind.

"If I tell you, it'll ruin the magic!"

I rolled my eyes. I chose to just let him do his thing while I took the time to actually absorb the scenery from above. Tall buildings towered over the lamp lit streets, with tiny dots of people peppering the sidewalks and parking lots. His speed slowed, and we were simply hovering in one place in the night sky.

"You ready?" He asked into my ear. Chills ran up my neck, and my scalp tingled.

"...For what...?" I hesitantly questioned. His hold on me loosened, and a tidal wave of terror hit me like a bus. "What are you—"

A single red feather clung to the collar of my shirt, and I felt clumps of feathers steadying me under my shoes. Hawks stretched his arm out, which I was still clinging onto with both hands for dear life.

"[Y/N], you're gonna crush my arm," Hawks laughed. "I won't let you fall." His words slightly comforted me enough to ease my hold and attempt to maintain balance. My knees wobbled anxiously, and my arms flailed to keep me from tipping. When my struggle subsided, I calmed down and met eyes with Hawks. His smile seemed to outshine the moon, and I gave a weak smile back.

"This... isn't so bad," I muttered to myself. I was now standing completely on my own. A feeling of accomplishment and lightheartedness surged through me. The cold wind made my face feel numb, and locks of my [h/c] hair tangled with my eyelashes.

Stupidly, I then decided to look down. My head slowly tilted towards the ground, and fear overcame me yet again. My stomach flipped, and I was a shaky mess once more, which led Hawks to reach out and take my wrists in his hands.

"I've got you; I've got you," his reassurance floated with the brisk wind into my ears. "Why didn't you say you didn't like heights?"

"I was gonna tell you before you dragged me all the way up here, asshole!" I exclaimed, sticking my tongue out at him to emphasize my annoyance.

A hearty laugh escaped his lips. "Oopsies?" He chuckled. I couldn't help but catch onto his contagious laughter and found myself giggling with him. For the first time in a while, my heart felt full and content.

My enjoyment was interrupted by my phone ringing. I peeked at the screen discreetly to check who it was, and my chest clenched uncomfortably.

Dabi.

"Who's that?" Hawks inquired.

"Um," I stalled for a second, "I really need to take this. Can we go back down?"

Hawks' once jovial face crumpled into an expression of dismay. "Oh, yeah, of course!" I could hear fake enthusiasm saturate his words, and my guilt had altered into something more personal. I was actually having a good time, as was he, but Dabi just had to intervene in one way or another to remind me of my place.

His arms protectively wrapped around me once more to descend back in front of the sushi restaurant. The warmth coming from his jacket was immensely inviting to my chilled skin, and I felt myself furrow deeper into his embrace.

We landed, and I parted from his hold. "Thanks for making the night not so awful," I expressed lightly. Even if he was sort of a prick, he was actually easy to be around.

"Anytime." Hawks shoved his fists in his pockets as we gazed at each other. "I'll see you around, kid." His smile was frail and masked his dejected demeanor. With a nod, I turned to walk to my car, and I heard him walking the other way.

Missed call (21:09)-
Dabi

My phone screen burned into my unadjusted eyes, and my anger reappeared. Perfect timing, babe. Not like I was waiting for over an hour or anything.

I debated on calling back. What good would it do at this point? I fidgeted with my keys, my eyes still locked on my phone. Whether or not I liked what he had to say, I still needed to hear from him myself. I pressed on the notification on the screen and held the speaker to my ear.

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