"You know, you could've told me at the start I'd be collateral, you ass!"

Was it a smart idea to stand in a room filled with villains and yell at Dabi? No. No it wasn't. Was I doing it anyway because I was pissed off? Yes. Yes I was. People were staring, and getting a little antsy, but the man who was being targeted by my mouthy wrath? All he was doing was smirking.

"I like surprises. Besides, you wouldn't have come if I'd told you. Don't tell me you would have, cuz that's a lie and we both know it." The ravonet replied with a yawn, kicking his feet up onto the desk, which made his lankier companion with the long, greasy hair irk.

"Well, not willingly...but at least I wouldn't have gotten my hopes up about making a difference! Do you seriously expect me to just sit around all day while my husband gets to work?! I don't think so!" I barked, daring to shake my finger in his direction. "I'm not some housepet! I need some element of freedom!"

His lazy eyes looked me up and down before his smirk grew, the chair creaking as he pushed his weight back a little more.
"What if I promise to take you on walks and play with you every day?" He purred, capturing his tongue between his teeth, waiting for my reaction.

Okay...steady...Play his game...

"Come on, Dabi...Can't you at least give me something to do? I get so bored just sitting around...I prefer being a little more...physical..." I had sickened myself in the past, but this was taking the cake. Brow raised and attention seized, Dabi took his boots down, leaning forward and resting his chin on his hand.
"Well, I can't let my pet get bored, now can I?"

"If you would excuse me, I do believe I need to vomit." His companion, who honestly reminded me of a band named after a species of primate, stood abruptly, stalking out of the room, followed by one or two of the others. Chuckling to himself, Dabi watched them go, glancing back to me shortly after.
"You really wanna help, sweetheart?"

No...I just want to find every possible way to take you down...

Nodding, I moved a little closer to the desk, tucking a strand of my (H/C) hair behind my ear.
"Duh. Why else would I have agreed to come here in the first place?" I really just wanted to stick close to Hawks, but that would seem too suspicious. I knew that. If I wanted to make my risk count, I had to get my hands dirty. Intrigued, Dabi tapped his fingers against his cheek, two against his pink flesh, and two against his grafted mess.
"Alright then, I've got the perfect job for you. You can be my personal assistant. Sound fair?"

The way he emphasised the word personal activated a bout of nausea, but I managed to keep it hidden, blocking my grimace with a smirk of my own design. One I had perfected in the sleazy VIP rooms in the old club I used to work at.
"What would my work load be? I mean, I don't just wanna be a gopher. Desk jobs are boring, and I pinned you as a more exciting guy."

I also have the sudden urge to vomit.

The only remotely attractive feature on Dabi was his eyes, and I knew I had reeled him in a little further when they glimmered, watching me closely.
"Oh, it'll be a big load, you can bet on that. Sure, I'll have you run around a bit, that's a given. You're pretty fast, so it'll save some time...but I also have other plans. Come on, let's see what you can do..." Standing, Dabi started towards the door, beckoning for me to follow, and I did, easily matching his lazy pace.

"Other plans? Such as..?" I was begging for something other than a sexual innuendo, but I didn't have my hopes up. With one hand in his pockets, Dabi slung his other arm over my shoulders, the faint scent of burnt charcoal making my nose itch.
"You a decent cook? The halfwits only ever want sushi, and that shit makes my guts turn."

His question was unexpected, but I answered honestly. No point in lying about stuff that wouldn't get me caught.
"I mean, I'm not the best, but I can make stuff that's at least edible. So, what, I'm gonna be your personal chef now?" I scoffed halfheartedly, glad to see he was falling for my ruse.
"Maybe every now and again. Might even have to get you your own little uniform, hmm?"

As to whether it was a joke or not, I wasn't sure, but I pushed myself to laugh anyway, relieved when we rounded the corner to find Hawks, who was having a rather energetic conversation with Twice.
"How's my ray of Sunshine?!" The blond beamed a little too brightly, dashing over to me and tugging me well away from the cremation villain. "Wanna grab some lunch with me down in the mess hall? The food's kind of shitty, but we can make it a date!"

It was obvious he was trying to get me away from Dabi, and he wasn't trying to hide it, either. Of course, that alone wouldn't jeopardise anything, considering our marital status. Actually, it could work well, seeing as they both seemed to heavily dislike each other.
"Well, if it's okay with Dabi, sure. I'm his new assistant, after all." I revealed, feeling his grip tighten just a touch.

"His assistant? Why not mine? That's not something I'm all that into..." Hawks turned a sour glare to Dabi, who just gave him a lopsided grin in return.
"Why not mine?!" Twice jumped in, likely just wanting to be included. "Hi, Birdy!" Giving him a small wave, I wrapped my arms around my husband's middle, resting my chin on his collarbone so I could look up at him.
"Come on, it isn't that bad. You want me safe and out of the battlezone, right? Dabi's nice to me."

Please just pick me up and fly us away to Venezuela or something ugh...

"Yeah, that's right, Mr. Doting Husband. I'll take good care of her, and don't worry...She'll always come back to you at bedtime, safe and sound..." Yep. Dabi was taunting him alright, and even though it made me want to outwardly wretch, I kept my composure. Hawks pouted, starting to play with my hair between his fingertips.
"Yeah, well, touch her and I'll file for harassment charges..." He muttered, irking a little as Twice joined our little embrace. He didn't creep me out at all, surprisingly. His innocence was both obvious and pure.

"Noted. Anyway, take her on your little cafeteria date. She can come and find me later." Dabi shrugged and started to walk away, his boots dragging with each step. "Oh, and Skeptic wanted to talk to you when you get a chance." We all watched him leave, and Twice was the one to break the silence, grabbing each of us by the hand and tugging us in the opposite direction.

"Come on then! I hope it's Taco Tuesday! The food here tastes like ass!"

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Who knew that somebody could convey their disappointment so vividly through chewing?

Well, I did now, seeing as that was exactly what Hawks was doing as he sat across from me, a limp burger in his hands.
"Don't look at me like that. At least I'm being honest about my plans." I mumbled quietly, thankful that there weren't too many people around. Twice had jetted off for seconds already, and it was just the two of us at the table.

"At least I wasn't hanging off of a villain and giving him bedroom eyes..." He replied curtly, retracting his statement the absolute moment I narrowed my eyes. "Look, I just...I want you to be careful. Don't go anywhere alone with him. Don't do...what I think you're trying to do..." We were definitely kind of on the same page, but not completely, but telling him in such an open space was too big of a risk.

"You have your plan of attack, and I do too. Put a little faith in me, okay?" I sighed, scouring the cafeteria as I pouted my lips. "We both have different skill sets, so let's just do what we each do best, hmm?" I wasn't intending on sleeping with Dabi. Not if I could do less to get information out of him. It was definitely the last thing I wanted to do, but if there was even the slightest chance it would lead to him getting what he deserved, then I'd do whatever it took in a heartbeat, whether Hawks agreed to it or not.

Reaching across the table, Hawks took my hand in his, his gloved thumb gently sweeping against my palm.
"I know I can't stop you...but just...you've got more skills than just...that...okay? You can't blame me for being completely against the idea, Sunshine. You're my wife..." Before I could respond, Twice waddled back over, humming a peppy tune as he sat beside Hawks, lifting his mask up to reveal the lower section of his face.

"Aw, you two are so cute! No PDA at the dinner table!" He grinned at us before digging into his food, and my husband and I shared a look, though his was definitely different to mine. His was filled with frustration, annoyance, even, whilst mine, to begin with, had been amusement.

How can he not like this guy? I mean, yeah, he's a villain, but he's not evil...Anyone with half a brain can see that...

"So, uh, Twice, I was wondering if you knew when I'd get the chance to meet Shigaraki? I've heard so much about him, it'd be awesome to meet him in person." Hawks' fingers linked with mine, and he squeezed a little too tightly, silently telling me to shut my mouth.
"Sorry, princess! You're new so I can't go running my mouth just yet!" The villain apologised, pointing his chopsticks towards me. "I trust you, totally, but Shigaraki's away at the moment, having a special proce-" The man flinched before yanking his mask back down to cover his mouth, shrinking down in his seat.

"I..it's okay! I understand, don't worry! I'm new, and things need to stay confidential when it comes to fresh faces. I won't pry." Oh, I wanted to, but I knew better. Hawks was more on edge than usual now, and I had no room for mistakes. My being there was already a possible compromise to the mission, and all I wanted was for it to be over and done with so Hawks and I could go back to how things used to be.

Standing from his seat, Hawks stretched his wings to their full span, nearly knocking over some grunt who was walking past.
"Well, I have to go run a few errands. Sunshine, do you want me to grab anything for you? (F/snack)? (F/drink)?" Pondering for a moment, I shrugged my shoulders, pursing my lips before answering.
"Actually, could you please grab your Hawkward shirt for me? Some other changes of clothes too, maybe my costume? I only have what I came here in, and it's getting a little ripe."

Twice began to laugh, nearly toppling off of his chair as he banged his fist on the table.
"Hawkward! That's so lame! I love it!" He chortled, and this time both Hawks and I smiled a little.
"Sure thing." He agreed as he rounded the table, leaning down to give me a small kiss on the lips. "Don't go getting into too much trouble while I'm gone. Twice, you think you can keep an eye on her for me, buddy?"

Our villainous companion lit up, completely over his laughing fit and nodding eagerly.
"You got it, buddy!" Instead of a thumbs up, he flipped us off, but we knew what he meant by it. Mumbling our quiet exchange of 'I love you's, Hawks left, and I turned my attention back to the man across from me, tenting my fingers beneath my chin.

"So...Twice...Do you know where Dabi might be lurking around..?"

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***I said 📢 TWICE RIGHTS!!

Next Time: Slave***