The Phantom of the Opera • Dabi x Reader/Hawks x Reader

10. The Point of No Return

A/N: Sorry for the delayed update! I've been in the process of moving so I haven't had a chance to write! Here's a kinda cheesy-romantic chapter to make up for it <3 HUGE thank you to rjbaxter for helping me write this one!

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Keigo pulled Elle into the lead soprano's dressing room a little too harshly for her liking. The room was no longer covered in roses and flowers as it was when she had debuted all those months ago. The furniture was covered in dust cloths, but the floor-length mirror across from the vanity remained uncovered. The fireplace was lit, giving the room a warm glow unfitting for the cold ambiance they brought with them. He slammed the door as she stumbled in over her feet. As much as he was worried about her, he was angry that she had left the opera house without telling anyone, and infuriated at the fact that she went without any kind of escort. Elle understood his frustration, but she could have done without the manhandling. Keigo turned to face her with an angry expression that was mitigated by worried eyes.

"What on Earth were you thinking?" he asked.

"I needed to breathe," she said.

His eyes became harder as confusion and frustration replaced concern. "You could have done that with an escort in the courtyard. I don't understand what prompted you to go somewhere miles away and alone!" he sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Keigo it's impossible to breathe when everyone else is on my back at all hours of the day! I'm constantly being watched and pushed around. I just wanted space," she explained.

"You can get space whenever you need to as long as you're within my line of sight!"

"That's not fair!" Elle huffed.

"Not fair? Not fair?! God, you sound like a child!" Keigo fumed.

He paced back and forth across the room. His hands had moved from the bridge of his nose to pulling at his hair. How could she not understand what kind of danger she was in? Did she want to get kidnapped again? Maybe she does. The thought almost made him laugh out loud. Every time he looked away for even a second, she seemed to throw herself into the Phantom's clutches. He could feel his hair turning white from the stress. He snapped his head towards Elle and looked at her angrily.

"What's 'not fair' is the fact that I seem to be at your beck and call, and you can't even manage to return the favor by just staying put for a couple of days!" Keigo said, raising his voice ever so slightly. "I could have died trying to protect you! Does that mean nothing to you?"

She hadn't thought about that. Her expression mellowed slightly as she thought about his words. He had a point. She had been selfish, incredibly so, by running off. What was she thinking? How many times had he sacrificed his well being, put his life on the line for her? His words rang through her head again. I could have died trying to protect you! He was rightfully angry with her. She had shown him no gratitude for anything he'd done for her. He cared so much, and she never even stopped to say 'thank you.' How could she have been so stupid?

"I'm sorry, I should have known better." She said to the floor. "I wasn't thinking clearly."

"Obviously..." he said bitterly.

"I'm trying to apologize!" she snapped. "You can be angry with me all you want, but the least you could do is acknowledge that I'm sorry."

Keigo's face softened slightly as he considered what she was saying. She had a point; no matter how angry he was, he could at the very least be civil. He let his arms fall to his side, which made the cut on his chest and shoulder sting. He winced in pain, and in a second she was at his side and looking over his injury. They hadn't had a chance to cover the wound since they arrived back at the opera house. Honestly, Keigo had forgotten about it until now. The cut wasn't too deep, but it still bled and might have needed to be stitched soon if he wanted to avoid infection. Elle instructed him to sit down while she went to go find something to cover it up until they could send for a doctor. She dug through the room until she found first aid supplies and a small bottle of hard, clear liquor that was likely meant for the dancers when they suffered injuries from their pointe shoes. She grabbed what she needed and went back to Keigo. She helped him lift his shirt and doused the cotton in the liquor before pressing it into his cut. He hissed in pain as she applied pressure.