Dabi mentally scolded himself for what he had almost said back there. "Could I stay?" It was true that sleeping with Hawks had calmed him and given him a peaceful night, but he couldn't just admit that. He wouldn't admit a weakness to a hero. He wouldn't admit a weakness to anyone.

Dabi entered the LOV HQ and collapsed on a bar stool, burying his head in his hands. He was tired and annoyed- he hadn't actually returned the night before since he hadn't wanted to deal with Shigaraki's nagging about the mission.

"Hiya Dabs!" Toga skipped up to him, enveloping him in a hug. "How was the mission thingy with the recruit person thingy?"

Dabi shrugged. "It was fine," he replied, turning back to face the bar once more.

"Did the glamour work?" Toga looked at Dabi hopefully.

Dabi nodded. "Like a charm, as usual." Toga's face seemed to be- disappointed?- before her smile returned, lighting up her eyes with their usual manic light.

"Oh good! I don't wanna have to get mad at my little friend..." Toga giggled and slid her finger gently over the blade of her knife, which had just appeared out of nowhere.

Dabi nodded, pushing away the bad feeling in his gut.

"Ah good, Dabi you're back," Shigaraki exclaimed. He had just arrived. "I'm not going to ask why you're an entire day late, as I'm sure you have a perfectly reasonable explanation, and I'm not going to get mad at you at all."

Dabi glanced at his boss and shrugged. "Okay."

Shigaraki let out a soft groan of annoyance and shooed Toga away. She left, with an annoyed huff, but she did leave.

"Okay. Care to explain?"

"I didn't want to listen to your annoying ass."

Shigaraki glared at him but otherwise seemed to ignore the comment. "How'd the mission go then? Was..." he glanced around then added in an undertone, "Hawks helpful?"

Dabi honestly couldn't understand why Shigaraki still didn't want the rest of the league to know about Hawks but he didn't say anything on the matter. "Yeah he was. I never would have gotten in there with Toga- they had some crazy passwords and tests. Glamour helped too."

Shigaraki nodded, seemingly pleased with that answer. "Alright."

Dabi watched as Shigaraki began to walk away, sighing and returning his head to the confines of his arms before he was forced to sit up again in order to hear Shigaraki more clearly. Surely he didn't hear right.

"What was that?" Dabi asked, incredulous.

Shigaraki let out an annoyed huff before repeating himself.

"I said I think it's time we let him know we 'trust' him," Shigaraki said, making quotes around the word trust. "I want you to bring him here. Don't worry about hiding our location, but take his phone and any other contact devices."

Dabi thought this was a stupid idea, and he would have said so too, but he met Shigaraki's eyes and saw the rest of his plan plainly laid out in his blood red eyes.

Once I'm done with him, he won't talk if he values his life.

Dabi nodded, ignoring the shiver that threatened to run down his spine.

For some reason... he didn't want the bird to get hurt.

~

Dabi slid back into an alleyway as people lazily roamed the streets, most looking half asleep. The villain watched as a couple walked past, fingers intertwined together as they talked softly. As soon as the couple was gone, Dabi sighed and continued his trek to Hawks' apartment. He wanted to get this over with as soon as possible.

Dabi took a deep, steadying breath before wedging in a crack in the wall, hand quickly reaching up and gripping the apartment above's balcony fence. He pulled himself up and continued his climb, focusing mostly on his breathing. Why did Hawks have to live so high up?

Dabi took a moment to steady himself before hauling himself back onto the fence and pushing himself onto Hawks' balcony, accidentally crushing the flowers on the balcony fence below. Ah well, not Dabi's problem.

Dabi found Hawks' spare key and moved to enter it into the hole but found that the door was already unlocked. Dabi narrowed his eyes slightly before shrugging it off and replacing the key then pushing the door open.

A startling- to say the very least- sight met his eyes.

Hawks' couch was upturned and his cabinets were smashed, as though something- or someone- had been thrown into them. Feathers littered the floor and glass crunched under Dabi's feet. Hawks' TV was cracked down the middle and his front door was slightly open.

It was eerily silent.

Dabi swallowed his horrible feeling and began making his way toward Hawks' room.

"Agh-" Hawks' yelp was immediately cut off. Dabi picked up the pace, ignoring the burning in his lungs from overexertion and lack of oxygen. Breathing was a problem he could deal with later, right now he had to find whoever was hurting his bird.

Dabi slammed his shoulder against Hawks' door, surprised when it opened with ease. The window was shattered and Hawks' bedsheets were scattered and torn across the floor, his bedside table was on its side and missing a leg. Dabi scanned the room until he met Hawks' eyes who seemed to be fighting against...

Nothing?

His mouth was open in a silent scream and his eyes were widened with fear. He was kicking and thrashing around, his wings were flapping, but he wasn't able to move, it was almost like a person was holding him back.

Dabi's breath caught in his throat as Hawks' eyes met his and he mouthed go.

But Dabi didn't go. He was tired of running. Dabi allowed a small flame to burst to life on his arms and it spread rapidly through the room, straight at Hawks, who tried to move out of the flame's way- but Dabi had control of it.

"Shit-" the mumbled profanity was heard and the spell was broken. Hawks fell out of the person's grasp. Dabi swore he saw a flicker of movement outside Hawks' window, but before he could say anything about it, Hawks came barreling into him, gripping his arm and pulling him out of the room.

"We have to go- fire-" Hawks gasped. Smoke was already flooding out after them into the hall.

Oh God not again- Dabi thought in a vague panic.

Hawks and Dabi ran until Dabi couldn't any longer and they collapsed against a wall, gasping for breath, Dabi pulling in ragged breaths before turning to Hawks and gasping out, "what- the hell- w-was that?"

Hawks took a steadying breath before answering. "I don't know," the hero's voice shook. "I thought I heard a noise and I- and I went to go check it out and then this... invisible force- it felt like a person- slammed into me. I tried to call for help but they crushed my phone and I couldn't make noise. It had to be some sort of quirk."

Hawks' voice got stronger with each word. He had just been attacked- why did he sound so calm?

Dabi looked into Hawks' eyes as he finally caught his breath. "I don't doubt it," he mumbled. But he couldn't think of who it could be.

"If you hadn't come... I don't know what would've happened," Hawks said. "Um.. also, why did you come?"

Dabi didn't think this was really the time but he explained anyway.

"Okay! Let's go!" Hawks chirped happily.

Dabi stared at him.

"What?"

"You were just attacked- Hawks are you okay? I can make up some story, you don't have to go now-"

Hawks cut him off. "Nah I'm fine! Let's go, yeah?"

What the hell?

~

Mkay! I promise this will all make sense soon! This book will probably be over in ten-ish more chapters so it's not gonna be SUPER long, but I'm finally getting somewhere. 

I promise they'll actually kiss at some point. I did say it was slow burn.

Okay today's quote! 

"It's kind of fun to do the impossible." -Walt Disney

I LOVE Disney!! Sorry that's random but like- do you?

(1320 words)