Dabi felt his breathing even out as he stared into Hawks' golden eyes, which were warm with compassion and a slight twinge of worry. The hero didn't say anything and he didn't try to move towards Dabi, which the villain was thankful for. He hadn't had a nightmare like that in ages.

The fire was everywhere. Everything hurt. Smoke entered Dabi's lungs in waves, blocking off his airway, choking him, killing him-

Dabi pushed away the memory and returned his face to its usual mask of nonchalance, only for that same mask to shatter as he saw Hawks' hand and neck. His neck was tinged a pale pink shade, some of the skin peeling slightly as though he had been burned there. The mark was in the shape of a hand.

And Hawks' hand. Hawks' hand was blistering, bubbly skin forming over the back of his palm.

"Ow, Dabi! You're hurting me!"

Dabi didn't really remember that, but the words were clear in his memory now. Dabi swallowed the rush of bile that filled his throat. Like father, like son.

Sure Dabi had killed people before, he'd never pretend he hadn't. It didn't affect him all too much. But he'd never physically hurt someone, tortured them, anything of the sort.

Until now.

Hawks seemed to sense his thoughts, or maybe he just saw his eyes as they stared at Hawks' hand where a blister had just popped.

"It was an accident Dabi, you were having a nightmare." Hawks said firmly. "You can't help what you do in your sleep, I probably should have been more careful waking you up."

Dabi tried to nod but he couldn't move. He was terrified. Not of the nightmare... of himself.

Hawks crawled over the bed slowly and dropped down in front of Dabi, not quite touching him.

"I promise it wasn't on purpose..." Dabi whispered, edging away from Hawks as much as he could, which wasn't much as he was already pressed against the wall.

Hawks nodded. "I know."

The hero edged closer and held his arms out. Dabi didn't have the strength to turn the hero away, to make him mind his own business. He allowed himself to be pulled into a hug, allowed his heart rate to slow in the safety of Hawks' arms and wings, which also wrapped around them, allowed his mind to race with countless possibilities of having someone there to comfort him from his nightmares, allowed himself to wish things were different, allowed himself to believe- if only for a moment- that this wasn't all an act so Hawks could get closer to the League.

Perhaps he shouldn't have- almost certainly he shouldn't have- but Dabi couldn't help it. At some point, Dabi's subconscious had decided that he should allow the hero to pretend to be a villain, that he should trust him and confide in him, that he should allow Hawks to see the more vulnerable side of him, the side that was still a scared little boy, too scared to even seek help.

Why, Dabi couldn't explain. He didn't deserve this sort of kindness from anyone, let alone someone like Hawks, whether he was really a traitor or not. He had decided upon that the first time he had killed someone, the first time he had ended an innocent's life, he had told himself that he was a monster, because how can one defeat a monster without becoming one? It bothered him and he tried not to think about it, tried to make himself feel human with cigarettes and the occasional drink, but he knew deep down what he was.

It was selfish of him to taint another with his monstrosity, especially after hurting them, even if by accident. He should have pushed Hawks away and told him to leave him alone. The words were on the tip of his tongue, 'Go home Bird, and pretend this never happened. I didn't have a nightmare, you're imagining things. Leave.'

But Dabi couldn't get the words out. He wanted comfort, if only for a second. And so the villain cuddled deeper into Hawks' arms, allowing the warmth of the hero to lull him into a peaceful sleep.

~

Dabi woke up in Hawks' arms, the soft breathing of the hero the only noise in the surrounding area. They were still curled together by the wall, one of Hawks' wings draped over them like a blanket, the other laying behind them, flat on the floor.

"Hey Hawks, get up, we can go home." Dabi said, hating how he almost hadn't said anything, how he had almost just let the hero sleep. How he had been entranced watching the hero- for real this time, unlike the last time when he was just checking in on him. (A/N: In case you don't remember, that was the chapter with the Twilight references lol)

Hawks mewed and curled himself deeper into Dabi's chest. He mewed. Dabi felt his heart melt slightly, but he quickly shook off the feeling. He was back in his wits and he wasn't about to let himself catch feelings for the number two hero, no matter how much he may have allowed himself to imagine a few hours prior to that point in time.

"Bird," Dabi demanded, shaking Hawks' shoulder roughly. "Time to wake up."

Hawks groaned and mumbled, "five more minutes," burying himself in Dabi's shoulder.

Dabi rolled his eyes. "Get up Bird," he hissed in Hawks' ear.

The hero shot up, a blush staining his cheeks a light pink, powdering over his nose and cheeks softly.

"Finally," Dabi grumbled, pushing himself back onto his heels, teetering dangerously on the edge of falling backwards or forwards.

"Sorry," Hawks mumbled, standing up and walking toward the bathroom, a feather grabbing his bag and speeding into the bathroom behind him.

Dabi took that as a sign that the hero understood that they were leaving and he grabbed some clothes to change himself.

Pretty soon the two men were standing together in the middle of the room, packs slung over their shoulders as Dabi pressed the button to get Kurogiri's attention. A portal stretched to life before them and they stepped through it, the memory of the night before fresh in their minds, but neither of them saying anything on the matter, Dabi secretly hoping Hawks would forget about it, Hawks secretly hoping Dabi would bring it up.

~

This was a crappy chapter but eh Idc also the title is... 

Anyways moving on~

Today's Quote: "I'm having too much fun today to worry about tomorrow." -Johnny Depp (I'll find new people I promise lmao)

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