It didn't take long for almost the entirety of the original League members to commune in Dabi's room, much to his dismay and my delight. Despite wanting to have alone time with the man I loved, being able to hang out with my friends was therapeutic, too.

Eventually, however, Hawks made it clear that he wasn't going to wait any longer, and insisted we had to leave. Dabi threatened him, Toga and Mustard complained like children, but surprisingly, the one who had the most dramatic response was Twice.

In the kitchen, as Hawks grabbed a snack for the road, Twice dropped to the ground and wrapped his arms around my middle, sniffling and snuffling loudly.
"Don't go, (N/N)! Family ain't supposed to split up! Think of the children! It's me! I'm children!" He wailed, and, even though it was a little over the top, it damn near broke my heart.

(Illustration by my beautiful, talented, denkilicious Wi-Fi wifey, pseudo_eternity)

"Jin, I'll be back before you know it, I promise...I don't want to go, but I'm doing this for all of us." It was already hard enough, trying not to cry, but the man clinging to me was making it that much harder.
"I won't let you! Have a safe trip!" He whimpered as he stood up, and I gave him a tight, warm hug, rocking him to and fro on the spot.

"Listen, I want you to be careful when it comes to Hawks, okay? I have a bad feeling...so don't tell him anything too important, alright, sweetie?" I made sure I whispered low enough so only he could hear me, and he paused for a moment, nodding slowly before pulling back to give me an energetic salute, the eyes of his mask still damp.

"Aye aye, capt'n! I can't hear you!" He shouted in what I hoped was confirmed, and I gave him one last smile before turning, only to be knocked back with yet another embrace.
"If you see that metal bastard who broke my face, can you break his for me? Just a little bit?" Mustard asked hopefully, his meek voice muffled by his mask.

Everyone's making this so hard! It's not their fault I'm an emotional wreck, but ahhhhhh!

"I'd probably break my hand, but we'll see..." I chuckled sadly, feeling my eyes begin to water. Toga asked me to gather some blood samples, which I wasn't too keen on, and Spinner gave me an overly-masculine bro-fist, telling me that Compress sent his well wishes. The poor magician was holed up in his room with a cold.

Lastly, came Dabi. The one temporary farewell I wasn't even remotely prepared for.
"Don't do anything stupid. I'm not gonna be there to save your clumsy ass..." He muttered, his warm hand coming down to ruffle my hair. There it was. The inevitable waterworks.
"O..okay...I'll...t..try..." I murmured in response, wiping at my eyes with the back of my sleeve.

"Don't worry, Dabi! I've got her back!" Hawks tried to put the ravonet at ease from across the room, where he leaned on a bench, crunching on a stick of celery he'd found. Turning rigid, Dabi gave him a blank stare before he leaned in towards me, scooping my face up in his hands and giving me a kiss.

The act in itself was a shock, albeit a pleasant one, though what really blew me away was the fact that it was deep and passionate, in front of other people. When he pulled back, Spinner and Toga's whooping (and Mustard's melodramatic gagging) was white noise as we gazed into each other's eyes.

He moved in again, though this time he merely pressed his forehead to mine, hands slipping down from my cheeks to my shoulders.
"I love you..." He whispered, solidifying his statement with his ocean eyes, brewing storms within.
"I love you too..."

Touya...

The clapping of hands caused us to jolt apart and both glare at Hawks in unison.
"Such a cute couple! What's that term teens use? Ship? Is it ship?" He turned to Toga and Mustard for confirmation, but only received a pair of harsh glares in return. "Yeesh, tough crowd. Okay, kiddo, let's mosey on outta here!"

A wave of upset washed over me, and I quickly pressed another kiss to Dabi's lips before tearing myself away, moving over to follow Hawks out the side door that lead to the garden.
"I..I'll see you guys soon! Next time I'm back for good!"

Up in the air, I didn't even bother using my quirk to turn myself into a small critter, but Hawks didn't seem to mind. We flew along in silence until the chatty hero couldn't take it any longer, and he opened his mouth.
"So...things are getting serious between you two, huh..?" His question offended me a lot more than it should have, but I didn't even try to respond politely.

"Things were serious from the start." I muttered, agitation evident in the way I spoke. "It sounds like you're just trying to make me doubt Dabi. It's ticking me off." Raising his hands in defence, Hawks dipped lower in the sky to avoid a gaggle of geese, flying in formation.

"Not my intention at all, cross my heart and hope to die, bake my wings into a pie!" He laughed, expression dropping into something more serious. "As I said the other day. I just want you to really understand how serious this whole situation is. You love him, I get it. Believe me, I really do...but a connection with someone who has countless murders tucked under their belt? It's dangerous, kid..."

Gritting my teeth, I reached up and pulled the cup of his headphone out just enough so he could hear me properly.
"I've made my decision, and not without thought. Heroes do more harm than good, I've seen that first hand now. Villains do harm, too, but Dabi and the others are fighting for something the world needs. They're good people, they just have to do bad things to achieve that...So quit trying to lecture me! If you keep it up, I'll turn into an elephant and squash you with my big elephant butt!"

Ending my rant, I released the cup of his headphone and let it smack back against his ear, causing him to flinch. He seemed a little taken aback for a moment, but he quickly erupted into a fit of laughter, which was kind of unnerving, seeing as we were a few hundred feet up in the air.

"Elephant butt! I love it! I'm gonna start calling you Sassy Pants, kid!" He snorted, but he went on to clear his throat, looking dead ahead. "Alright, no more lecturing. I suppose it does get annoying, huh? Just let me know if you're worried about anything, 'kay? You're one of my interns, after all! It's my job to take care of you!"

That's not your only job, I bet...

Hawks landed upon my dorm balcony again, letting me down gently before fluffing up his wings.
"Alright, so, tomorrow, after classes, apparently Shoto has requested a sparring session with you. Endeavor seems to be all for it, too, which is almost unheard of!" Upon hearing that, my spirits lifted, just a little. Making sure my balcony door was unlocked, I rested against it and watched as the pro cleaned his visor of bug splatter.

"Great, so I'll hopefully be able to get some information, as well as work on some weaknesses." My fingers tapped against the glass behind me, and I silently prayed that everything would soon fall into place.
"Weaknesses?" This seemed to peak Hawks' interest, and I shrugged, not wanting to really let him in on my plans.

"Well, no animal I have access to is fire retardant...No animal is, really. If I work with Shoto, then he can get some flame training in, and I can try and figure out what genes to splice to give me a better chance if up against someone with a quirk related to heat."

...And perhaps create a special attack...but that's not his business...

Clapping his gloved hands together, Hawks seemed impressed, his wings stretching so wide that the tips nearly reached the balconies either side.
"Smart thinking, Sassy Pants! Love the enthusiasm! Anywho, I have places to be, so you rest up, and I'll pick you up after class tomorrow, yeah? Meet me at the gate!"

He was gone in an instant, soaring off into the distance, and I groaned, sliding my door open and trudging inside. Of course, I wanted to sleep, but if I didn't make an appearance in the common area, Mirio, Amajiki and Nejire would hunt me down with the power of friendship, so I didn't have much of a choice.

Once downstairs, I was greeted by a cheery Mirio, who was dishing up dinner. Normally, I would have greeted him, but an unexpected guest took me way off guard.
"E..Eri..?" I didn't k ow how to react. Should I be happy? Should I be scared? Hearing her name, the girl turned to face me, looking confused.
"Uh...hello, Miss...um..?"

That's right...She never met the real me...

Clearing my throat, I crouched down and gave her my warmest smile.
"Sorry, I've just heard so much about you. You can just call me (Y/N), or (N/N), if you'd like!" Without hesitation, the girl smiled back, and it nearly knocked me into another realm.
"Nice to meet you, Miss (N/N)!" Seeing her happy was almost overwhelming, but I kept my smile, not wanting to freak her out by sobbing like a lunatic.

"Heya, (Y/N)! Eri, this is my friend I was telling you about! She can turn into cool fluffy animals with her quirk! Do you think you could show her?" When Mirio asked me, I couldn't refuse, and even though it was a stupid idea, one that Dabi would have smacked me up the side of the head for, I couldn't help myself.

Making sure Mirio had turned his gaze away, I looked back to Eri, lifting my finger to my lips to tell her to stay quiet. Taking a deep breath, I stood up and did my old showy spin, transforming into the one animal I knew she'd recognise. When I refocused, the little girl's eyes were wide, and almost watering.

Yeah, it's me...but please remember to stay quiet...

Slowly at first, she walked towards me, but it turned into a flat out sprint, and when she threw her arms around me, I could feel her sniffling into my brown fur.
"I'm so glad you escapeded alive, Nozomi..." She whispered in such a hushed, gentle voice, it set me off, and behind my quirk I was sobbing like a baby.

Dammit...does this mean I have to be against you, too..?

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***People asked about Eri, so I had to toss her in there.

Did I forget to write Compress in, so to cover my own ass I gave him a cold? Yes.

Next Time: The Youngest Brother***