Forgive And Forget

Chap. 9 🔥

A week into his initiation, Hawks was already getting along with Twice and Kurogiri. And while both were confusing in their speech and manners, he was glad to know that at least two people in the group weren't trying to kill him. Shigaraki was being unsubtly wary, Toga was still weirdly obsessed with his blood and Dabi was... well, he was Dabi. There was no trying to comprehend the guy. Although he was definitely attractive, Hawks felt as though he would be turned into ash if he said one wrong thing. It didn't stop him trying to talk, but he had to be careful.

The hero was patrolling in the evening, basking in the warm glow of light as he flew, making sure everything was normal. His phone rang, disturbing the silence of the peaceful night. He pulled it out of his pocket and groaned when he saw who was calling.

"Why does the commission like to interrupt my patrols so much?" he asked to no one in particular, "It's the second time this month."

He made a U-turn midair and headed towards the Public Safety building, going noticeably slower than usual. He opened the door to the lobby as soon as he landed, suddenly remembering he had a meeting with the LOV in half an hour. He mentally cursed as he headed towards the elevator, greeting everyone with the best fake smile he could manage. The hero arrived on the top floor and knocked on the big wooden door without much conviction. He wanted to jump out of the window as soon as he saw Commissioner Gordon's big grin.

"Ah, Hawks! You're here! Perfect, we can start the meeting. I believe you've already met Madam President?" he asked joyfully, motioning to a familiar elderly lady.

Hawks didn't recognize her until she spoke. It was the sharp voice that haunted his nightmares, the one he'd tried to block out for 9 years. He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding when she asked him a question.

"You can do it, right?" she said, menacingly.

"Sorry, what is it you want me to do? I zoned out for a bit," he answered, wincing at the death glare she shot him.

"I thought I trained you better... Anyway, I need you to kill Twice."

"What?! No! I'm not killing anyone else, especially not the only one in that damned group that could still be saved!"

"This isn't a yes or no. You are fulfilling this order or I'm stripping you of your hero title. And you wouldn't want to go back to living on the streets, would you?"

                                 ~~~•~~~

The door slammed as Hawks sluggishly entered his apartment, a bottle of booze in one hand and takeout in the other. He dropped everything on the coffee table, going to change into something more comfortable. Once he was back in the living room, he turned on the TV and put on some crappy show he barely watched. As he ate, he remembered the bag Mirko had given him, full of movies he actually enjoyed.

Two movies and a couple glasses of rhum later, a knock interrupted Hawks as he was pouring himself another drink. Slightly swaying, he went to open the door to find two bright blue eyes staring at him. Too drunk to ask how the villain found his house, he invited him in, tripping over his own feet a couple times.

"What do you want," the hero slurred, plopping on the couch and clumsily clearing the table.

"Shigaraki wanted to know where you were this evening. It was a pretty important meeting, y'know," Dabi responded, eyeing the apartment, "Don't know why he sent me though."

He picked up a random disc laying on the floor, smirking when he read the title.

"Dark Water, huh? Either you actually have good taste, or you knew I was coming and you're trying to impress me."

"Shut up, Mirko gave them to me."

"Who's Mirko again?"

"My best friend. She has... hair... and bunny stuff"

"Oh, you are so far gone. Not my place to ask, but why are you drinking so much?"

Hawks stayed quiet for a while, thinking about his answer, not wanting to accidentally reveal his secret.

"Heroes and commission are difficult... I'm under too much... Expectations are bleh," he managed.

"Never thought I'd agree with a hero, but here I am," Dabi sighed, grabbing a pack of cigs and a lighter from his pocket.

When he lit it, Hawks groaned and shooed him away from the living room. He understood and headed towards the balcony, where he was impressed by the view. It wasn't of the city like he expected. Instead, it looked out on the beach. The moon was shining bright, reflecting on the rippling water, adding a splash of silver in the navy blue sky. A couple of stars were showing, but most were drowned out by the lights of the city and the moon. Dabi hadn't realized how long he was staring into the night until his cigarette was reduced to almost nothing. He caught a glimpse of red in the corner of his eye and soon after a weight was added to his back.

When he turned around, a drowsy-looking Hawks was resting on him, using his feathers as an extra cushioned layer. He ever so slightly opened his eyes, silently staring at Dabi for a while, before bursting into a giggling fit. The villain looked at him concerned, a small smile creeping onto his lips.

"What's so funny?" he asked, unable to contain his own laughter.

"You look fam-famlier? Farmilar? Have we met?" Hawks struggled, trying to keep a straight face.

"Maybe? I mean, you are a hero and I'm a villain, so it's definitely possible that we've crossed paths."

"No... No, I'm saying before the adult part. You remind me of... someone, I don't know who."

The winged man started to ramble on about how they definitely knew each other before. Dabi listened, not wanting to disrupt the flow of the other. At some point, whether it was 5 minutes or an hour later, he felt Hawks' eyes on him. He shifted a bit, noticing how quiet it was now that the hero had stopped talking.

"Hey, Dabi?" Hawks questioned.

"What do you want, birdie?" he responded, curious of the sudden tension in the air.

"Can I kiss you?"