Are You Mine? - A Cheating Hawks story

The New Room

It's funny how good food can change your mood, even if it's something as mundane as instant noodles. After I gulped the last of the broth, I let out a long, satisfied sigh and sunk further into the distressed couch, snuggling into the fresh clothes Dabi had provided. I patted my content stomach, "that's better". Dabi was still taking time to slurp his portion of noodles, obviously not as ravenous as me, who had demolished the pot in record time. I couldn't put my finger on it but being with Dabi somehow put me at ease. Whether it was because he hadn't killed me the first time he saw me, or the subtle softness in his turquoise eyes, or it may have been that he seemed like the kind of guy who had experienced a similar sort of heart-ache. Yes, he was a villain, and yes, I knew he had done some horrifying things, but surely, he hadn't always been like that? There must have been a catalyst for it all.

"Can I help you, mouse?" Dabi turned to me with a mischievous grin, placing his finished carton on the ground. I felt my ears burn in embarrassment, quickly realising that I had been staring intensely at him during my inner thoughts.

"I, urm, no...I..."

Before I could continue my rambling, an oozing blackness manifested behind us. I slowly turned as an oppressive aura filled the room as Shigaraki materialised, tendrils of the warp clinging to him possessively.

I felt the noodles stir in my stomach, threatening to make a return. Just his presence alone was enough to make anyone want to turn tail and run, but I didn't have the luxury of that. The anomaly shifted to form a somewhat humanoid figure with creepy yellow eyes and stood protectively close to Shigaraki. Dabi's large hand gently squeezed my thigh, bringing my attention back to him. I looked into those beautiful eyes, reassurance radiating from them. I could tell he was trying hard to mask his own fear for my sake. He stood up, placed his hands in his pockets and walked nonchalantly around the couch to face Shigaraki. "You're back early," Dabi said coldly, leaning against the couch in front of me, though I still had a partial view. Shigaraki took a few purposeful steps forward, the majority of his face obscured by one of the many hands he always had attached to him. That was just straight up macabre. I tried hard not to cower back with each step he took, focusing on Dabi.

"What the fuck, Dabi?" His voice was steady, no malice or harshness to it, which was why it sent shivers up my spine. I could see Dabi visibly stiffen as his boss stopped just inches from him.

"Tomura Shigaraki," the sentient black mass piped up. His voice was deep, smooth, slick, exactly how I would expect him to sound; it had a bite of warning to it as he called out.

"Shut it, Kurogiri," Shigaraki said flatly, not bothering to look back as his companion.

Both he and Dabi were evenly matched for height, but Shigaraki's tyrannical aura seemed to shorten anyone who stood close to him.

"Care to tell me what they are still doing here, alive?" Shigaraki's composure slipped as he pointed towards me, getting into Dabi's face; his once steady voice rose to a scream by the end of the sentence. Dabi did his best to keep his cool, I noticed his scarred jaw clench several times. I couldn't help but shrink back at the volume of Shigaraki's voice, grabbing on to Dabi's top for comfort.

"Oh?" My eyes grew wide as the pale hand that clung to Shigaraki's face was suddenly in front of me, psychotic eyes peering through the fingers, "look how they cling to you, Dabi!" Hysterical laughter followed, though it stopped as abruptly as it started.

"You've gone soft."

The statement made Dabi sharply intake a breath, body rigid and growing warmer. Shigaraki was now back in his face.

"Well," the ghoulish man sighed, seeming to have regained his composure, "looks like I'll have to do the job myself."

Shigaraki's hand snaked around Dabi, and was coming for me at speed.

Fuck, this is it.

So much happened next.

A wall of blue flames roaring before me, Dabi shouting for me to run, Shigaraki's pained cries as he held an already blistering hand. I fell off the couch, scrabbling at the concrete floor to try and get myself to the exit. It was just within reach.

"KUROGIRI!!"

Before I realised what was happening, I was running full speed into a warp. It was black, slimy, suffocating. The exit was just as dark. My foot landed awkwardly on the new surface, causing me to tumble and roll noisily. The floor was cold and hard under me as I lay there trying to orientate myself.

I took a quick survey of my limbs as I started to get up.

"Shit," I yelped as I tried to put weight through my right ankle, "that's probably broken." The rest of my body seemed ok, just a bit battered and bruised. Sitting upright, I tried to get a better look at my surroundings, but my eyes had yet to adjust to the darkness. There were no windows.

What was it with bad guys and their lack of windows?

"Where the fuck am I?"

I had meant for the question to be rhetorical, so when it was answered with a groan I froze.

My breath was stuck in my lungs. Did I imagine that?

Another groan, slightly louder this time, accompanied by a faint rattling of chains.

"H...hello?" My voice came out timidly, barely above a whisper, "is someone there?"

"B..." the disembodied voice was weak as it started to speak.

"Hello?" I prompted again, a little louder and braver this time.

"B...B....rd?" More chains jingling.

I tried to crawl a little way towards to voice, "are you ok?" I tried to elicit another response, eyes becoming more adjusted to the dimness and finding a faint outline of someone slumped over in a chair.

"Oh...oh my God," it was clear they were in a bad way, "hey are you..." My voice disappeared.

Wait.

I was still a little way from him...

No, this has to be a mistake.

...but there was no mistaking it...

How?

"Ba...by Bird?"