A/N: I apologize for not updating sooner. I had finished writing both chapters six and seven and was going to publish them however, in the process of transferring them, the entire piece was deleted and I was unable to retrieve it. Afterward, I lost motivation to (re)write causing a delay in updating. I hope these chapters aren't too bland or boring. In the case that they are, I promise to make it up in future chapters.

...

Whether Dabi's words were genuine or not, Hawks's cheeks flushed a vibrant red. Embarrassed, the hero attempted his hide his face by turning his head to the side, bringing a hand to the back of his neck, and smiling sheepishly.

Dabi, on the other hand, stood silently while he observed the hero's reaction; his hand remained knotted in his hair.

After a moment of silence, the dark-haired villain dropped his hand from his hair, closed his eyes, and let out a sigh. "Don't think too much into it, pigeon," the villain said, his voice monotone.

Likewise, Hawks dropped his hand down to his side and turned his head back toward the villain despite the vibrant red that painted his cheeks. "Yeah-" the blond paused before straying his eyes away from the villain, "-I'll try not to."

...

The day had gone by way too quickly for the number two hero, Hawks. After his bizarre encounter with the dark-haired villain in the alleyway, his mind wasn't able to focus on his hero work. It felt as if every leading thought somehow ended in thinking about Dabi.

The blond set down his glass of water on his kitchen countertop before sliding his hand down his face.

It had only been a couple of nights since Dabi's first arrival in his apartment and he was already feeling the urge to see him again. Where did this urge even come from?

Hawks let out a sigh of shame, knowing that his mission was what mattered most. He had a sneaking suspicion he had been becoming too accustomed to the villain, despite the short amount of time they'd known each other. However, Hawks hardly ever had time for personal relationships—friendly or romantically—so, having Dabi around as often as he had been for the past few days was... nice.

"Shit," the blond muttered under his breath before taking the last sip of water that was left in his glass. At this point, it might as well be alcohol, Hawks thought.

On a whim, Hawks pulled a familiar whiskey bottle from his cabinet and poured it into the glass. Hawks noted that a third of the bottle was empty, most likely due to Dabi.

Bringing the rim to his bottom lip, the blond allowed the liquor to flow into his mouth and swallowed it. Unprepared for the strong taste, he twisted his face into a sour expression.

Hawks did not like alcohol; he did not know why he had even decided to drink it in the first place. Nevertheless, he continued to drink. It wasn't like he would be going anywhere; the blond had every right to drink.

Pouring and downing another glass of the sweet yet spicy alcohol, Hawks let out a small grunt. A moment later the sound of laughter escaped the blond's lips.

What started out as a light and level laugh turned into a delirious, uneven fit of laughter. The hero's eyes squinted as water seeped through the corners.

Hawks had hardly known what it was he was laughing at. Perhaps it was just pointless laughter or even the final straw that led him to insanity. Either way, his carefree laugh lifted an invisible weight off his shoulders. That was nice, he thought.

The red-winged hero found his way back down from his laughing fit and leaned against the counter using his elbow for support. His gaze fell on the glass before him. Absent-mindedly, he lifted his index finger and circled the rim of the glass. Hawks hummed a melodic melody allowing a field of thoughts to flow into his head, specifically about a dark-haired villain.