Top pic credit: unknown. Tell me if you know

The walk out of the villain territory had been tense and quiet, as Keigo and I were forced to make our way through clumps and clumps of angry evil, bad guys.

It wasn't so much that we were stressed about dying by their hands, since Keigo's feathers, combined with my own quirk, could take these low grade villains out in three seconds flat.

But, it was more that Keigo was already walking on very thin ice with Dabi at the moment, and any situation where he needed to beat up Dabi's men would most definitely exacerbate the, already peaking, tension between them.

Ditching his usual, charming Hawks persona...a murderous, somewhat eerie, glare dawned the bird boy's face instead as he kept his wing tightly wrapped around my figure.

Villains crowded around us on all sides, starting to veer into our walk way a little too close for comfort. Most of them were much bigger than Keigo and I.

From underneath the safety of Keigo's wing, his hand was tightly wrapped around my arm to keep a hold on me, trying to ensure that no one would attempt to reach out and take me away from him.

His grip was so tight, it was painful. I felt like a little kid getting dragged into time-out by my parent, if I was being honest.

I mean, seriously. From the moment I met him, Keigo's always been a very protective guy. No matter what, he's always looked out for me, been very perceptive to what makes me happy and what makes me distraught, and has always been constantly vigilant to the world around us.

But today....especially with all that's happened....he's been on a whole new level with his protection, seeming more than ready to take out anybody who stands in his way of getting us out of here.

The scummy villains crowding us in the alleyway got closer to Keigo and I as we walked, only making the bird boy let out a soft breath of irritation.

He's already snapped once today, making him possibly prone to another outburst. If these villains could have seen the way he man-handled Dabi a few minutes ago, I have no doubt they'd be rethinking their strategies at the moment.

But, Keigo's a young guy, with pretty boy features. Two things stupid villains easily seem to mistake for being weak and incapable, even if he is the number two hero of Japan.

The bird boy's blank glare became darker at the sight of increasing enemies, yanking me closer against his body and curling his wing against me impossibly tighter. It was almost hard for me to walk with the restraining hold he had on me.

Some particularly big looking villains walked further out of the crowd, standing in front of Keigo and I to stop us from walking.

"Are you fucking kidding me right now? I don't have time for this." Keigo groaned out under his breath, scoffing slightly in annoyance at the fact that villains were trying to give us problems.

However, unlike the heroic show he puts on for the civilians when he stops villains out in public, there was no need for Keigo to put on his 'Hawks' performances with these villains in our current environment.

In other words, he didn't need to put on a charming hero front with them, like stopping them with a smile and throwing out a lighthearted joke to make the crowd laugh.

No.

We're in the sketchy shadows right now, where the citizens of Japan can't see us. These guys were nobodies. Some of them were quirkless. They were so low in the food chain, that no one would believe a word that came out of their mouth. Not even the league of villains. Not even Dabi.

And Keigo knew that, as he didn't even hold back on his next, very unheroic, words.

"Oi, someone got a problem? Let me tell you exactly how this is gonna work. Unless one of you wants a good stab through the skull, I suggest you get the fuck away from us. Now. Understand? I won't ask again. I'll kill all of you without hesitation if you come any closer." Keigo stated lowly, making it a point to visibly sharpen his feathers for everyone to see.

I averted my gaze to the floor blankly, as I took in Keigo's words.

Surely, he's only saying something like that so we can leave here without any problems. I have no doubt Keigo would retaliate if these villains initiated a fight.

But....kill them?

No....I'm sure his threat to kill was an empty one. Right?

Heroes never kill. He knows that.

But, apparently, the villains don't know this, as most of them had decided to back away a few steps at Keigo's words, intimidated by his dark face, combined with the array of lethal feather blades hanging off his back.

Others were still pretty stupid.

Like the big, burly guy who suddenly decided to jump out of the crowd and charge straight at Keigo and I, pointing a shot gun in the direction of my head.

Well, I'm a little offended by that. Not gonna lie.

Keigo was much faster than me. I didn't even get the chance to think about activating my quirk as I watched two feathers shoot towards the villain faster than the blink of an eye.

One feather snatched the gun out of the man's hand, while the other yanked onto his shirt and suspended him up about thirty feet into the air.

I thought that was the end of it, until I realized the little red feather never ceased its movements, taking the man up higher into the sky.

Of course, the villain screamed in fear as Keigo continued lifting this guy's body further and further away from the ground.

My gaze shot up to the man in slight surprise as I noticed he was still being brought up into the air-probably over a hundred building stories high now.

The rest of the villains watched in silent awe at the man who was being dangled at a lethal height by this feather, some of them turning their fearful eyes back on Keigo in disbelief, who didn't even give the guy in the sky a glance.

He just kept walking forward, a blank look in his eyes as he slightly relaxed his grip on me.

The man's screams started turning into blood curdling shrieks as Keigo's feather started harshly rocking him from side to side, seeming to be putting quite a bit of psychological torture on this guy at the moment.

Yet, Keigo heard all of it and didn't even bother to stop.

Alright. Well, this is a little unnecessary.

Furrowing my brows in unease, I slowly turned to him.

"Keigo...c'mon, let him go already." I whispered quietly, the man's shrieks of fear starting to make me uncomfortable.

He didn't even bat an eye at the horrific sounds the villain in the sky was making, keeping his fierce gaze straight ahead.

"I will. I'm just waiting 'til we get to the exit to make sure no one else stirs any trouble." He whispered back, his voice too quiet for me to sense how he was feeling.

Swallowing thickly, I simply nodded...trying to pick up my pace a little bit so we could get out of here quicker.

Keigo matched my speed, relaxing his painful grip on me almost completely now as he realized the rest of the villains were too scared to come after us.

Gritting my teeth in stress at the dangling man's cries for someone to help him, I couldn't help but feel relieved once Keigo and I reached the secret door that would lead us out of this hell hole.

I quickly turned to Keigo, nodding at him slightly frantic.

"Okay. We're at the exit. Release him." I uttered softly, watching Keigo nod at me to open the door first.

It wasn't until the door opened successfully, that he casually released the man from his feather-letting him start falling 200 feet from the sky.

I looked on as Keigo kept his hands in his pockets, his back to me with his wings cross tucking behind his body, as he watched the man plummeting to meet an early grave on the pavement.

There's no way Keigo will let him die.

He'll probably stop him from falling at the last few feet. I'm sure of it.

But...

He's still descending.

Closer.

And closer.

.....and closer

To the ground.

Getting a little nervous, my eyes shot over to Keigo, watching him do absolutely nothing but stare as the man was no more than 50 feet away from being brutally murdered by his hands.

Wait a minute...

He's not really going to let him die....right?! Just because this guy's a villain, doesn't mean it's okay to kill him.

Inhaling sharply, I quickly extended my hand out to activate my quirk on the falling man.

But, before I could do anything, a red feather had swooped onto the man's shirt, catching him just before he splatted to the ground like a bug.

The villain let out a loud whimper of relief as he realized that Keigo had spared his life, visibly trembling in fear as the little red feather slowly lowered him to the floor. Safely.

....yeah. See? I knew it. Keigo wouldn't have let that man die. It's not like he's a killer. He's a hero. It wouldn't have made sense for him to let someone die. That's not in his nature.

But, even so, my jaw dropped open at the man on the floor, watching him sob in a broken heap from Keigo's psychological, manipulative torture.

"So see? Now you know....that's not a good idea." Keigo called out to him deflatedly, gaining the attention of the other villains as well.

Everyone was quiet in fearful silence as they waited for him to speak again.

"Because, I'm no hero down here." He finished emotionlessly, shrugging his shoulders as he subtly threatened the crowd.

Psychological manipulative torture that reminds me of a certain person I know...

It's moments like these where small aspects of Diane's training force themselves into Keigo's ideals, whether he likes it or not.

Moments like these to remind me that while Keigo is learning to think for himself, he's still not completely there yet. He's not completely free.

Keigo let out a small, tired sigh at the sight of the broken spirited man, giving his wings a slight flap as he turned around to face me now. While he just played a game with a man's life, it didn't seem like he enjoyed it.

I could have sworn I even saw hints of guilt behind those golden orbs.

And once again, because he's still in the process of learning to be Keigo, Hawks is still forcing him to suppress any guilt or remorse he may feel for almost killing that villain.

Because, if he didn't threaten him the way he did, that villain may have tried to kill Keigo and I again in the future. Or someone else. Maybe he'd cause a revolt of villains and end up killing innocent people.

Keigo's threat was one that was meant to invoke fear. A fear strong enough to where this villain, and the ones who were watching, will be too scared to cause any serious crimes when Hawks is around.

And in Keigo's mind, while he may have caused this villain some permanent post traumatic stress, this situation was probably for the greater good.

His glare was more relaxed now that we had reached the exit, giving me a gentle nod to walk out first.

He quickly followed me, closing the door to the underworld behind us. We were back in the secluded, dark alleyway of the city. The same alleyway I met Dabi in just a few hours ago.

I let out a small sigh of relief, before I felt a gloved hand grab my arm and pull me backwards towards the culprit.

"What the hell were you thinking today, chicky? Going there by yourself? Meeting Dabi alone? Again? What if I hadn't been there, huh? What would Dabi have done to you, then?" Keigo stated sternly, yet his voice was quiet and still somewhat soft.

He kept his hold on my arm, although his touch was much different than it was when he was holding onto me in the villain territory.

Now his hand was gentle. Caring. Gloved thumbs subtly caressing the material of my hero suit, almost involuntarily. Like he didn't realize he was doing it.

His eyes were no longer trapped in a heartless stare, the way they were when we faced the villains a few moments ago. Now, all that was left were soft golden orbs, giving me a light, threatless glare that held nothing but concern for my well being.

But, at the same time.....he also looked a little disappointed.

Was it because I let Dabi put his hands on me? Or because he snapped and lost his meeting with Shigaraki? I don't know.

But, either way...I felt bad about it, and had the underlying feeling that this was all my fault somehow.

Today, I felt shaken.

I sighed softly at his words, slowly averting my gaze to the floor in shame and, admittedly, a little embarrassment for what happened today. I wasn't expecting Dabi's threats to escalate to a new low, such as threatening one's family for sexual advances, and this almost cost me a part of my morals.

I also wasn't expecting my desperate response to Dabi's threats, practically giving in to his wishes in front of the man I love, in order to save other people that I love.

I...just didn't know what else to do. What's wrong with me...

I swallowed thickly at my guilty thoughts, furrowing my brows together as I felt myself becoming troubled.

"I......I-I'm....I'm sorry, Keigo." I whispered out meekly, feeling too ashamed to lift my gaze off the dirty alleyway floor.

From my peripheral vision, I could see Keigo's mouth involuntarily open to form a counter response to my words, meaning he was probably expecting me to try and justify what happened with Dabi. Or fight with him about the way things went down.

But, I couldn't find it in myself to try and justify my actions. And the fight has left my spirit for today.

And Keigo knew this, as any words of reprimanding discipline he was going to say suddenly fell silent.

I could feel his gaze studying me as a fatigued, comfortable silence ensued between us. We continued standing in the alleyway, and I was thankful that the shitty lighting system had failed this part of the city, because it was almost pitch black and I didn't want Keigo to see my face.

A tired breath fell from his mouth a few moments later, before he gently pulled me into his arms, wrapping them around me tightly and securely.

I closed my eyes upon feeling him holding me carefully. His touch was so familiar. It made me feel safe. Comforted.

Yes, this is what I needed. Him.

Keigo.

He'd never do to me what Dabi tried to do.

He is my safe place. And I need him in my life. I knew I loved him. I knew I loved him a lot. But, I didn't realize how much I truly rely on him, on his touch and his presence, until I felt his arms encircle me at this very moment.

Oh god, I needed him today. With Dabi. I needed Keigo. I didn't want to be alone. He promised me I'd never be alone in this again.

And he kept his promise. He was late, but he kept his promise.

I wasn't alone today. Keigo saved me once again. The way he always does.

He always saves me. Always.

Like a guardian angel. He's always there to save me when I need it.

He's like my very own angel.

"K-Keigo..." I whispered weakly, slowly placing my arms around his shoulders before burying my face in the crook of his neck.

I became so lost in this hug. So caught up in his embrace at this moment, that I practically forgot we were still in this crummy, sketchy alleyway.

Keigo didn't seem to care about our location either, as I felt him lean his head into mine, nuzzling his face into my hair.

"I'm here, I'm here. It's alright. I've got you now." He whispered soothingly, leaning his back against the dirty brick wall to support my body better.

"I'm sorry. Keigo, I'm so sorry...." I breathed out against his warm skin, causing him to hum softly in acknowledgment.

"Shhh. Ari..." He sighed out sympathetically, before I felt soft feathers pressing against my back.

His wings had wrapped around me. He knows that's one of my favorite things.

I hugged him a little tighter, feeling him reciprocate by curling his wings fully around the two of us to create a tighter, more intimate embrace.

We stayed like this for a few moments. Hugging in comforting silence in the middle of this disgusting, dull alleyway.

And it was wonderful. Just being with him. Being in his arms. His touch. It was truly wonderful.

Keigo was the one to break the silence a few moments later, not being able to hold back his concerns any longer.

"Are you alright, little dove? That's the real question I should have asked you. I'm sorry I didn't get there sooner. I came as fast as I could. As soon as I found out about your private meeting with Dabi, I left to get to you right away. There's no way I wouldn't have come. No one could have stopped me from being there for you, baby." He whispered emotionally, any traces of the blood lusted man I saw a few minutes ago, completely lost in this embrace.

He was just my Keigo now.

And I was happy to have him back.

"I-I'm okay.....I'm just....I-I'm sorry. I.....I'm sorry..." I repeated out quietly, feeling guilt starting to consume my being the more I thought about the situation.

I made a mistake going to see Dabi today. I don't know what other choice I had, given the circumstances he put me under. But, right now...I just regret everything. I regret it all. And I feel like scum.

Keigo's hands shuffled around behind me, before I realized he was removing his gloves.

Oh, that's right. It's because they're drenched in Dabi's face blood.

A few moments later, I felt his clean, bare fingers lightly tangling themselves in my hair, gently combing through it with care.

"Stop apologizing..." He whispered softly, but his words didn't really register with me.

"I can't. I'm sorry."

"Stop it. It's not-"

"I-I'm s-sorry. You had to watch, Keigo. A-And...I wasn't going to stop him, if you didn't stop him first. Do you understand? I need to be honest with you about that. I-I wasn't going to stop Dabi from-I wasn't going to stop him from-" I choked out, my hiccups at the end not allowing me to finish my sentence.

"You don't need to say it. I already know what you're talking about. And what I'm saying is, you don't need to apologize to me. Or to anyone, for that matter. You didn't-"

"I didn't want it. I didn't want it from him. I only want you. It didn't mean anything. I swear. Please believe me. I-It didn't mean anything-"

"Shh, Ari. Hey, listen to me. Chicky. You're in shock and you're not listening to what I'm saying-"

"And your meeting with Shigaraki. I-It's all my fault you lost that opportunity. All my fault. Everything is all my fault. I didn't stop Dabi, and that was my fault. You two almost killed each other over me and that was my fault-fuck, I feel like such scum. S-Such, shitty, awful-" I babbled out uncontrollably, vaguely hearing Keigo trying to stop me from saying such things, but not being able to register his words.

That is, until I felt his hands on my face, gently cupping it between his fingers and pulling my head up from his shoulder so I could face him.

"No, no, no. Stop saying these things about yourself. Stop. They aren't true." He stated softly, keeping his hands cupped on my cheeks as he brought my face inches away from his.

His eyes met mine tenderly, thumbs lightly caressing my cheeks in an attempt to keep my attention on him.

A small, genuine smile ghosted his lips as he saw my face, very slowly leaning in to press his forehead against mine.

"I love you. Do you hear me? I love you." Keigo coaxed out in a whisper, his soft puffs of breath hitting my face with each word he spoke.

I felt my lip starting to quiver at his gentle tone, the more soft and caring he became with this situation only making me more emotional and close to breaking.

"B-But, I ruined it. Shigaraki-"

"You didn't. I did, Ari. I ruined it. And anyways, I don't care about that right now. My only concern is you."

"Dabi's onto you now-"

"I don't care."

"But, what if he makes you do something horrible now? He said he wants you to prove your loyalty in another way. What if-"

"Can I kiss you?" Keigo interrupted me, closing his eyes as he gently pushed my hair out of my face.

His words caught me slightly off guard, as I looked at him in question, seeing nothing but his closed, birdie eyes.

"H-Huh?"

"I said, can I kiss you? After everything that happened today....I don't wanna startle you with something too physical like that. I want to ask. I know you're still shaken up. And if you're not ready for a kiss, that's alright. But, if you are.....then, just let me kiss you, baby." He uttered gently, not daring to lean in towards my lips unless I gave him permission.

I couldn't help but study his face as he kept his eyes closed, noticing the way his brows furrowed together in concern.

His question, even as silly as it may have seemed, actually managed to somehow center my mindset again as I finally understood what Keigo's been trying to tell me.

He doesn't blame me for what happened today. He doesn't blame me for any of it.

I slowly raised my hands from his shoulders to his face, gently tracing my fingertips along the features of his face.

Pieces of his wind swept hair that had fallen into his face.

His smooth cheeks.

The stubbled hairs of his chin.

His soft lips.

Keigo's eyes opened halfway at my actions, watching me as my gaze trailed over his face.

"Yes..." I uttered out barely above a whisper, causing Keigo's gaze to capture mine warmly.

He nodded in acknowledgment, gently tilting my jaw up to get a better angle to my lips.

He slowly leaned in, keeping his fierce gaze locked on mine the entire time he did so, to make sure I was okay.

I kept my eyes open as well, parting my lips softly as he got closer and closer.

"I'll be gentle." He breathed out against my lips, before I felt them softly pressing into my own.

My eyes didn't close just yet, so neither did Keigo's, as he barely grazed his lips against mine.

So gentle. So patient. So loving.

How could this be the same man who almost killed Dabi with his bare hands, no more than ten minutes ago? If it weren't for the morbid blood splatters that still coated his face at the moment, I may not even believe it now.

How could this be the same man who psychologically tortured a villain and almost murdered him in cold blood, no more than five minutes ago? If it weren't for that man's blood curdling screams and whimpers of fear still ringing through my ears, I may also not even believe it really happened.

You know why?

Because that man isn't Keigo Takami, but rather the demons who still try to imprison his soul.

No.

Keigo Takami is good. Keigo Takami is caring. He's a man who wants to save people and be free. A man who will protect others before himself, and always try to do the right thing.

He's the man who's trying to engrave his gentlest touch against my skin right now, so that these actions of love won't be forever tainted by the man who tried to take advantage of me.

Keigo Takami is the man who's going as slow as possible, and being patient to show me that everything is okay...that I don't need to beat myself up over things that weren't my fault.

Feeling more comfortable, I slowly leaned into his touch a little more, noticing how he let me be the one to place a kiss to his lips now.

"See? This is what you deserve. Consent. Love. Patience. Kindness." Keigo stated quietly, his words coming out slightly slurred since they remained parted against my own.

His statement coaxed me a little more, as a soft, shaky sigh fell from my mouth. I gently placed another kiss atop his lips.

He carefully returned it, slowly starting to pull me in now.

"You deserve a man who makes you feel safe. You deserve a touch that makes you feel comforted and cared for." Keigo uttered, before he was the one to kiss me this time, keeping it short and sweet.

"Respect. You deserve respect. You deserve to do what you want. To feel how you feel. You deserve it all. And no one should ever take away that choice from you. No one has that right-" He breathed out, not being able to finish the rest of his statement as I was the one to connect our lips for a real kiss this time.

Keigo immediately responded, leaning back into the wall as I gripped onto him tightly.

I cursed the soft tears that fell from my eyes and onto our connected lips, wondering why there was this new side to me that always made me feel emotional.

It's not a side I discovered about myself until I met Keigo. I never used to feel this strongly about anything. Ever.

"I-I love you." I whimpered pathetically against his lips, quickly pulling him back for more.

I'm so weak for him. So vulnerable.

A soft, breathless sigh escaped Keigo's mouth at my words as he returned my needy kiss passionately, very gradually starting to apply more pressure and heat.

"Ah, I love you too. So much. And so, now....do you understand, Ari? You don't have anything to apologize for. It's not your fault. None of it is your fault. Don't let Dabi make you think so. Don't let him take your spirit. Don't let him break you. Because he doesn't deserve anything from you. And he sure as fuck doesn't deserve to take that fire in your soul. Don't let him take it. You're strong. So strong. And I believe in you more than you know." He stated carefully, keeping his eyes open with mine as he spoke the words.

Don't let him break me.

Don't let Dabi break me.

Keigo's right.

That's exactly what Dabi wants. He wants that power over me. That was part of what he tried to do today.

I am strong. Stronger than I think.

And I will not give Dabi the power that he so desperately wants.

For the first time in a while, I finally felt a smile slowly starting to spread across my face. A genuine smile. Happy. Content.

Okay. I'm going to be okay.

Keigo's own smile immediately followed my own as he saw my demeanor starting to return back to normal.

"There she is..." He quietly whispered, his voice filled with peace and relief.

My smile only grew at his words, causing my cheeks to start heating up as I suddenly began feeling a little bit shy for some reason.

Keigo chuckled softly at the sight, the corners of his eyes crinkling up happily as he saw me starting to glow again.

"You know, you're always so confident. From the moment I've met you, I realized you were never one to get flustered so easily. You're not one to blush a lot. So, seeing it now....mm, it's oh-so adorable, Chicky." He whispered in amusement, grinning softly as he brushed his thumbs across my heated cheeks.

I couldn't help but let out a small giggle as I felt myself becoming more flustered at Keigo's words, and he totally knew it as he kept that cheeky grin plastered across his face.

Our quiet, little laughs slowly died down a few moments later as we stood there comfortably, wrapped in each other's embrace.

Compared to a few minutes ago, where I was eating myself away in guilt for something that wasn't my fault, I felt so much better. At peace. I had no one but Keigo to thank for that.

And that's when I realized something...

"You know..." I started off quietly, feeling a slight rasp in my voice from the exhaustion of today.

Keigo's eyes met mine again in soft question, patiently waiting for me to continue.

"It's only now dawned on me, that in all the time I've known you, Keigo....I don't think I've thanked you enough for everything you've done for me." I uttered out shyly, gently running my fingers through his wavy blonde hair.

He looked at me in confusion, shrugging his shoulders softly.

"Hm? Thank me? You don't need to thank me." He said casually, softly grazing his feathers along my back.

"I do. I do need to thank you, Keigo. I need to thank you for agreeing to take me on to be your intern, even though I was a little difficult to work with in the very beginning. I need to thank you for being so patient with me. For always listening to me. Making me laugh. Always trying to protect me. For loving me, and just....for being a good person. I don't tell you that enough. So.....thank you." I stated, my eyes trailing over the dried blood stains on Keigo's face from his fight with Dabi.

He smiled softly, slowly averting his gaze to the ground as he formed his own thoughts.

Judging from the new glow that currently lit up his eyes, I could tell he was taking in my statement wholeheartedly, eating up every word.

I'm glad.

I can tell Keigo doesn't get thanked a lot by people for just being there. This much was obvious by the way his smile continued gracing his face, seeming as if he was replaying my words in his head on loop.

Even if he didn't know what to say, or how to respond...he wasn't awkward about it. If anything, he was adorable about it, looking like a little kid who just got his favorite present on Christmas morning.

"I....well....you're welcome, chicky. Y'know, I've got a lot to thank you for, too. Like the way you always-"

"Nuh-uh, uh, birdie. Stop right there. This ain't about me. It's about you and how wonderful you are." I reprimanded softly, causing him to laugh sheepishly as he realized he wouldn't be able to deflect the compliment.

I slowly brought my hand under his chin, gently lifting it so he'd bring his gaze off the floor.

His eyes slowly raised, meeting mine in question.

"It's about you, Keigo. How amazing you are. How good you are. And that's how I want it to stay." I whispered, gently brushing my thumb against his bottom lip.

He nodded softly at my words, gently parting his lips as my thumb continued brushing against their softness.

"Well then....guess I have no choice but to accept the compliment, huh." He breathed out, gently puckering his lips against my thumb.

I know that was his silent way of telling me he wanted another kiss.

And truth be told, I wanted one, too.

I slowly tilted my head, watching Keigo's tongue glide across his own lips in anticipation as he saw me leaning in.

"Mhmm. You're gonna accept the fucking compliment, and you're gonna like it." I smirked, finally closing my eyes this time and kissing him deeply.

Keigo moaned softly at my passion, immediately pulling me closer by the back of my head as I pressed him up against the wall.

"Ah, darling. You always do have such a way with words." He chuckled, not holding back this time as he returned my kiss in full.

**********

Next chapter title: Birds of a Feather