*** top pic credit: sugarforkfull****

Touya POV:

The months became longer. The training became harder. But, the only thing I could focus on was that my days became brighter.

I have little Ari to thank for that. I'll be completely honest in saying that I couldn't have survived the next eight months without her.

If there had been one piece of information that I'd remembered from that small conversation I had with her on the rooftop, in what seems like forever ago now, it was the indication of when and how I'd be able to see her again...

"The security guards don't patrol this area during lunch hours. But, there's also a break in the schedule from midnight to three in the morning. That's when I'm usually here, since I can't sleep."

The decision was an internal struggle, at first. Even though I'd told Ari my name and said we were friends, I still spent the next few days after she gave me the burn cream, actively avoiding the rooftop.

I had every intention to. Every right. We never said when, or if we would ever see each other again, when it was time for us to finally leave, that day. It's not as if she would ever expect me to go and find her.

But, I couldn't help myself from doing just that, anyways, because now....from midnight to three am, I just couldn't sleep, knowing she was up there.

She'd been surprised to see me, the first day I showed up on the rooftop, five minutes after midnight. She was so surprised, in fact, that it immediately made me insecure about my decision, and turn around to leave.

"Huh-wait, wait! Don't go, Touya. Come sit! The weather's perfect out tonight. The stars are extra bright in the sky." She had stated softly. I already knew that she was smiling through her words, even if I had my back turned to her.

But, one word above her others had caught my attention.

"You....remembered my name?" I asked blankly, immediately wishing I didn't ask the question because I didn't want to sound so curious in her eyes.

Only, none of that had mattered after I heard her response.

"Of course, I remember. How could I forget the name of my friend?" Ari chuckled sweetly, patting the spot next to her eagerly.

And that's how it started. Just like that, Ari and I suddenly had an unspoken agreement to meet on this rooftop, every single day, during lunch, and every single night. An unspoken friendship that I came to rely on, even more than my first one.

The closer I became with Ari, the further apart I drifted from Keigo. The more I even came to hate him and everything he stood for.

I ignored his knocks on my door now. Pretended I didn't hear him when he called my name. Avoided his direction during training, as if I didn't know the guy. And honestly, I don't know him, anymore. So, it's not really a lie.

I had no sympathy for the way I saw how much it hurt him. No sympathy in knowing how lonely and sad he was without our friendship. He's got it all. He's got everything. He'll get over it, and eventually forget about me, anyways.

I'll admit, it was for a selfish reason. I didn't care, and I didn't bother to try and let him back into my life, because I wasn't the one who was alone. I finally had something he didn't have-which was a friend. My friend, not his. A friend who brought me happiness, not him.

A friend who admired me, and saw me as someone amazing. A person who didn't pity me or see me as fragile, but rather, as someone strong and, even, cool!

It was refreshing to see Ari look at me, the way everyone else looked at Hawks. It's almost as if I was the Hawks in her life-the amazing hero that she saw. And yeah, while it was an ego boost, too....being around Ari made me feel like I was in another world. She gave me a new perspective on things. She made the dark nights brighter. She made me feel happy.

And for some reason, it gave me a little comfort to know that the kindness and friendship I know Keigo was craving for so badly was mine and not his.

In a way, it was almost like some sort of punishment. Sure, he didn't know about my friend, Ari. But, I did, and it was a way for me to silently give him consequences for his own actions. A way for me to beat him at something this time.

He wants to be a hero so badly? Fine. Go ahead. Be successful. Be amazing. But, at least, he'll never be happy. He'll never be able to have it all. He'll never be able to have an Ari in his life.

And, as stupid and cringe-worthy as it sounds, I didn't feel the need to have it all, now that I had Ari in my life. I just needed that friendship, and everything else would be fine.

No matter what beatings I endured that day. No matter how badly I got yelled at, or how close I came to dying during training. No matter how many people I saw die in front of me, I could block it all from my mind so easily, just knowing that in a few hours, I'd be able to retreat from this life, and go talk with Ari on that rooftop soon.

Of course, some days were better than others. There were times we just couldn't escape from our daily problems. But, unlike Keigo, who always made it a point to avoid anything related to the hero commission, Ari wasn't able to not talk about her day. And because she talked about hers, it gave me the comfortability to talk about mine. We talked about a lot...

The simple things to start-like, how tiring the day had been. Or, why I don't just "order the carrots for lunch, instead of the broccoli trees!"

The heavy things, like the very first time she saw someone die during a training exercise. She cried for hours that night, letting me hold her silently, since I didn't know what else to do.

And, of course, even in those eight months of precious time I had with Ari...I could still see the small changes taking place within her everyday. The changes that Diane was already drilling into her head. Like, the way her smile slowly became a bit duller, even at her happiest. Or, the way she started becoming just a bit more melancholy as time went on.

Once again, just like I'd done with Keigo, I ignored these things; hoping that Ari wouldn't disappoint me, the way everyone else did. Hoping that the world wasn't mean enough to where it would prey on this perfect girl, who just wants to be a good person.

But, while things may seem uncertain or unclear at times, the world always finds a way to let you know the truth. The hard, cold, mean truth.

It just took me sixteen years and eight months to finally figure it out....

"What do you mean that Tuesday training days are the worst?! No, it's definitely Fridays that make me wanna die." Ari groaned out in tired disbelief on our very last night on the rooftop, continuing to lazily reach her hand up towards the starry night sky as we laid on our backs.

I pursed my lips in disbelief to her words, feeling the midnight fall breeze tickling up my bandaged arms.

"No, cause at least on Fridays, you said the girls side doesn't get that trainer guy with the handle-bar mustache. My ribs still hurt from how hard he hit me." I uttered casually, lazily turning my head to the side to direct my attention to her.

Ari continued looking at the sky with purpose, shrugging her shoulders slightly in reply.

"Yeah, that's true. He's pretty scary. But, Fridays are the days where the girls side always has the most casualties. I guess that's why I hate it so much." She stated softly, with the words causing the peaceful look on her face to fall a bit.

I kept my attention on her, furrowing my brows in annoyance for her comment as I gave her shoulder a small jab with my finger.

Ari's sight immediately ripped away from the sky at my touch, quickly looking over at me in question.

"Stop being such a Debby Downer." I mumbled slightly, causing the smile to quickly turn back up onto her face.

"Wowww. The king of the Debby Downers is telling me to lighten up? I must be getting really emo, if that's the case." She smirked, giggling softly as I ruffled up her hair messily.

"Yeah. You are. And it's not a good look for you, so knock it off." I stated lightly, not second guessing the quality of my teases anymore because I knew that Ari understood my awkward humor by now.

She let her jaw drop in fake offense to my comment, quickly knocking my hand off the top of her head.

"And being that sassy is not a good look on you." She grinned mischievously, beaming her warm eyes into my cold ones with delight.

Too amused by the sight of her, I couldn't find the interest to look away....giving her a small smirk of content.

"Yeah, I know it's not. That's why I'm supposed to stick with the emo, while you stick with the annoying sass, blabbermouth." I pointed out softly, giving her another obnoxious poke in the shoulder.

And once again, Ari's smile fell ever so slightly as another thought crossed her mind. She always seemed so distracted, lately. It just seemed harder and harder for her to continue staying so bright as time went on.

"Mhm, well....I guess it fits, since a trademark of Hourglass' character is flirty sass." She uttered quietly, letting her bright grin softly melt down into a mellow, sad smile now.

My brows furrowed into confusion to her words, trying to wrap my head around whatever it was she was talking about.

"Hourglass? What about an hourglass?" I asked curiously, pulling my worn out training jacket tighter against my body as another night breeze rolled over us.

And while Ari is usually one to get cold during the night and shiver until I heat up her jacket with my quirk, today was different.

I know she felt the cold. That was obvious from the way wisps of her chocolate hair ruffled peacefully with the flow of the wind. But, tonight? It's almost as if she didn't even notice the bone chilling air seeping into her body. She didn't even react to it, as she continued staring blankly at the sky, looking more numb than I've seen her.

"Yep-Hourglass. I guess....um...it's my hero name now. They gave it to me today." Ari sighed emptily.

That's expected of the hero commission. They only give their protégées hero names this early on. They do it, so that the hero name becomes an identity to them. None of the other kids here have a name picked out, yet.

"Huh? Really? Hourglass, you say? I don't remember that name being one of the ones you said you wanted." I pointed out in question, keeping my eyes locked on Ari as she kept looking up at the sky.

"That's cause it wasn't. But, it turns out that I never had a choice to begin with. They said they were always going to pick it for me." She stated softly, voice low and dull as I watched her beaming light slowly fading out.

I felt my teeth clamp down in pain at the sight, rolling over on my stomach so I could face her better.

"But, what about all those names you wanted? You know, Ari Safari, and Ari The Great, and Starry Ari-"

"Those names are too childish. They aren't creative, and they're just plain stupid. I need a name that will enhance my appearance in the eyes of others." She rehearsed mechanically, clearly just mimicking the words of whoever poisoned her with them today.

She sounded so lifeless when she said it. So robotic. So much like...them.

It's happening all over again, isn't it?

Not finding the heart to respond for a moment, I felt the chilly air seeping deeper into my soul, as I blankly stared at the pavement now. I didn't want to look at Ari, because I had a feeling that her eyes weren't as bright as they normally are. I didn't want to see that.

"Oi. They're not stupid, you know. Not if you like them, they aren't." I muttered practically inaudible a few moments later, slowly turning my cerulean gaze back towards the sunshine girl.

Her face was still blank-so blank and dull right now, that you'd think she was dead if it wasn't for her blinking every few seconds.

"Yeah. Well......it doesn't matter what I like, I guess. Hey, that's alright, Touya. It's just a name. It doesn't mean anything." She shrugged emptily, keeping her deep green eyes locked on the stars.

'It doesn't mean anything,' says the girl who was so excited about picking her hero name a few months ago.

Regardless, I didn't press the issue with her further. If it was Keigo, I would have. I would have told him that he wanted a specific name, and that he's a total pussy for succumbing to all of Diane's desires.

But, it was different with Ari. Especially, since I didn't believe that stuff, when it came to her. While I saw Keigo with the ability to fix his situation, I see Ari as the victim of hers.

Yeah. It doesn't make sense. We're all going through the exact same thing, there's no reason why one should be the victim, and one should be the problem. But, that's just how I see it. I've let my dislike and growing jealousy for Hawks gradually start turning to hate for Keigo, I guess.

"Whatever.....we don't have to talk about it, if you don't want to. But....just know.....it does matter what you like.......Starry Ari." I stated quietly, hoping my last words would perk her up a bit and make her smile brightly again.

But, they didn't get me anything more than a weak, courtesy smile as she kept her gaze on the sky, instead of me.

Her constant attention on the sky started to get me fed up as I groaned softly, waving my bandaged hand in front of her face.

The motion of my hand caused Ari's dazed eyes to barely come back to reality, before she quickly turned her attention back on me.

"Why do you always do that?" I muttered with light annoyance, causing her to furrow her brows in confusion.

"Do what?"

"Pay so much attention to the damn sky, instead of me? You're always looking at it, or reaching your hand up towards it. Every time-whenever we come out here. It's like you're always searching for something." I explained with a small huff, remembering all the times over the past eight months that Ari was obviously tuning me out because she was too focused on the stars above.

Her eyes widened ever so slightly at my words, almost like she'd just been caught, before her smile grew sheepish.

"H-Huh?-oh. Uh....there's no reason. I just....I like the sky." She lied horribly, causing me to roll my eyes in slight amusement with her shitty deceptive skills.

This girl couldn't trick anyone into believing anything. I'm sure Diane absolutely hates that about her.

"You just, you like the sky? Yeah. That's real convincing, Sherlock." I retorted, causing Ari to groan as she knew I saw right through her.

She pursed her lips in distaste to my comment, slinging an arm over her tired face now as if to shield her vision from the sky.

"I'm sure other people would be convinced." She muffled out from under her arm, causing me to snicker softly at the words.

"I'm pretty sure they wouldn't. Now, tell me. Come on." I pressed, gently trying to pry her arm off her face.

Ari fought me on the action slightly, muttering sassy, little words at me as she kept her hand over her face.

"Why are you so nosy." She huffed out lowly, getting back a bit of her fiery spirit.

I chuckled at her tone, ceasing my intentions of trying to remove her arm from her face as I rested the side of my head back against the cold pavement.

"Why are you so secretive? Got some double life I don't know about, or what?" I teased, earning a small, genuine giggle from her.

Letting out a long, very over dramatic sigh, Ari slowly released her arm from atop her face a few moments later-showing me her, now flushed, cheeks as she finally turned to face me.

She suddenly seems embarrassed now.

"You're gonna think it's so stupid." She pouted out softly, gleaming her eyes back into my own as she spoke.

I couldn't help but smile as I held her gaze, giving my head a small, mischievous tilt to the side.

"Yeah, you're probably right. So, what is it-" I started off teasingly, breaking out into a small laugh as she sloppily shoved her hand over my mouth to stop me from talking.

"You're such a jerk!" She cackled out happily, finally livening up a bit the more we tried to relax from the day.

She was always able to come back to her usual self by the end of our nights on the rooftop. As the months went on, it would take her a little longer to return to that bubbly Ari I've come to know. The angst of daily life seems to weigh her down, more and more.

But, she always finds her way back at some point. And, it makes me feel good to think that just maybe, I have something to do with that. It makes me feel good, knowing that I have the potential to actually make someone happy with my presence.

The new, radiating look of happiness from her instantly made me soften up, as I shot her a small, genuine smile of reassurance now.

"Alright, hey, I'm only messing around. It's not stupid. Seriously. Tell me. Why are you always so interested in the sky?" I asked patiently, keeping the blissful smile turned up on my face as I looked at her.

Ari pursed her lips softly in contemplation to my request, seeming to have an internal war with herself about whether or not she should tell me what she was thinking.

But, a few moments later, she seemed to have made up her mind.

"I.....alright. Well, like I said, it's kind of silly. But....do you.....remember The Great Attack of Fukuoka, by chance?" She asked sheepishly, slapping her hands over her blushing cheeks as she waited for my answer.

My eyes and ears gradually perked up after hearing her words, causing me to lift my head off the floor so I'd be able to hear her better.

"The Great Attack of Fukuoka? Oh, yeah, sure. That was only like, what, a year ago, I think? I was there, you know. The boys training groups went as part of our exercise for the day." I explained, remembering the time back when there were still more than ten recruits left on the boys side.

That was also back when Keigo and I were still pretty close-

"Well....I was there, too. I never really told you, but that's how I got into this program. Diane was there, and I guess she saw me trying to save a civilian, with my quirk. But, the thing was....I got too close, and....I ended up being the one who needed the saving, instead. I was being stupid." She chuckled out softly, shaking her head slightly in amused disbelief for herself.

My brows raised in surprise for her words. Of course, Ari told me she was from Fukuoka, but it wasn't something that ever really stood out to me, the way it did with Keigo. I mean, for starters, she talked like an American tourist, who was still a bit fragile with the Japanese language. She didn't have the typical dialect.

So, to hear that she was caught up in one of the nation's biggest terrorist attacks? Yeah, that's surprising. Especially, with how many casualties there were that day. It was so bad, we even lost a few recruits amongst the wreckage.

How in the world did a ten year old girl get 'too close' and still manage to make it out of there, unscathed?

I scoffed slightly in impressed disbelief for this new information from her, becoming too distracted by the conversation to feel the winter air chilling me up, anymore.

"What-how the hell did you get out of there? I wish I could have seen you. I was patrolling that day. I would have saved you, you know-" I started saying, before Ari's eyes suddenly lit up the brightest I've ever seen them as she interrupted me.

Her sudden excitement caught me off guard. Especially, since she's been so deflated with her demeanor, lately.

"Well, I did get saved that day, you see. By an-ugh, this is so embarrassing to say-but....it feels like it was by an.....an angel." She stated sheepishly, quickly hiding her face in her hands to conceal her blushing cheeks.

And, while normally, I'd find the action from her totally adorable, I was starting to become too interested in her story, the more she talked about it. Just from her reactions, I could see that this was something she obviously spent a lot of time thinking about. It was clearly important to her.

"An angel? What makes you say that?" I asked curiously, absentmindedly looking at the ground in thought as I patiently waited for her to continue.

My attention was quickly redirected back to Ari when she abruptly took her hands off her face, giving me another extremely bright smile as she thought about this angel.

"Oh! Well, it's just-I've never told anyone this, other than my parents, but.....wow, he was just amazing, Touya-" She started gushing, causing me to quickly cut her off as my curiosity only heightened.

"He?"

"Hm? Ah-yeah!-well, I mean, I'm pretty sure he was a he, if I remember correctly. I dunno, the whole thing was pretty blurry to me. I was practically half dead, when it happened. But....reflecting back on the small bits I could remember about his voice....yeah. I think he was a he. Not to mention, he sounded very young, as well. Could have even been from that side of town-Definitely couldn't have been much older than me-or you." She pointed out happily. The memory caused her eyes to glaze over with a happy daydream as she told me the story, yet, her last words caught my attention once again.

A 'he,' who couldn't have been much older than her, or I? Huh, interesting. The boys were all patrolling the area, that day. It sounds like it was one of us recruits who saved her-

"But, there's not much to it, really. I was dying-about to get crushed by a falling piece of debris, when all of a sudden this guy-no, this boy saved me! My vision and my head were too cloudy to make out his features, or anything else about him. All my mind allows me to remember is his shadow. But....the reason I call him an angel...." Ari started off softly, face and eyes suddenly beaming with more awe and admiration than I've ever seen her give for anything or anyone else.

"The reason I call him an angel, is because I could have sworn he had big, actual...wings on his back!" She finished excitedly, gesturing to her own back to emphasize how big her savior's wings really were.

And just like that, I felt every bit of life in my body suddenly run ice cold at the words.

Suddenly, I felt a foul taste in my mouth, and a toxic darkness wash over my heart. I felt the color drain from my face. My lungs suddenly forget how to breathe. My mouth forget how to speak. My mind forget how to think.

A young boy. With wings. Saved her life.

A kid with wings. From 'that side of town,' as in Fukuoka...

No. No way.

I could have sworn that my heart had decided to stop beating right then and there, as the realization slowly began to drown me from the inside out. I could hear Ari still blabbing away with her story, yet, my attention immediately shut off, after hearing her very vague description.

And, even though I wasn't really listening to her words, anymore, the effects her angel had on her were suddenly burning a damn hole in my face now-her voice sounded more alive and excited than it ever had with me. Her eyes were filled with a leveled up light that I've never seen from her before.

Just talking about him, it's clear to see that this is the happiest she's ever been around me.

But, no. It's not true, right? Obviously, I'm just jumping to conclusions. You can't possibly tell me that Keigo is her-

"Angel of the Sky. Yeah. That's what I call him. Ugh, I know you probably think it's stupid, cause that's what you're supposed to think when you're edgy like yourself. But, man, Touya. If you could have just seen how amazing he was that day. How powerful, and so majestic. So beautiful-so calm and collected under pressure!!-I mean, I always wanted to be a hero, but wow....he really inspired me. He's literally my hero. He is the greatest hero I've ever seen. I wish I could see him again." Ari breathed out in awe, slowly trailing her green eyes back up towards the starry sky as I felt my heart silently turning to dust.

The greatest hero she's ever seen, she said. That's what she thinks of Keigo-no, of Hawks.

Even just hearing the words, it's suddenly a deja vu all over again-a deja vu of everything I've been forced to hear for the last four years.

It's funny. That's what everyone else says about him, too-or, that's what they imply, anyways....

"You're so amazing, Hawks!"

"So strong."

"You're gonna be the one of the greatest heroes, soon!"

But, Ari was supposed to be different.

It's disgusting, and it's everywhere. I can't escape it. In the morning. In the evening. At training. That's what I seem to hear every day, no matter where I go. One of the reasons I always enjoyed talking with Ari so much, was because it was my chance to finally get away from that, and forget about it for awhile. We never talked about Hawks, because she didn't know how amazing he was. She didn't even know he existed.

But, now.....she looked so happy as she talked about her angel. So happy as she talked about her true hero.

"But, you see, he left before I had a chance to thank him. He left before I could really see him, and get to know who he was. The last time I saw him, was when he flew back up into the sky. That's why I always look at the sky. I know, it sounds ridiculous, but...I guess I'm just wondering-hoping, that if I just keep looking up, then somehow....I'll see him again." She whispered softly, slowly reaching her arm back up towards the stars.

I watched her blankly as she tried to touch the stars, unable to look away from the new, unfamiliar gleam of life that glimmered in her eyes.

And, the only reason I'm seeing it now, is because she's talking about Keigo.

Yeah, technically, she doesn't know that it's Keigo she's talking about. She doesn't even know him. But, I know. I remember that day.

I remember that stupid smile he had on his face as we walked out into the chaos together...

"I'll take the west side of the street, and you take the east?" I suggested, before he was the one to quickly correct me.

"Nah. There's more falling debris on the west side. I'm able to stop that stuff with my feathers. I will take west and you take east." He corrected, giving me a small pat on the shoulder, before he flew off.

I remember him flying his wings towards a burning, collapsing building to go and save some civilians. I remember everyone in the area looking up at him in awe, already burning the image of some flying bird kid into their mind for the future hero to watch out for.

It was him. I know it. I can feel it through my anger. I can feel it through the sense of completely unjustified betrayal I'm suddenly feeling.

Keigo is Ari's angel of the sky. Keigo is the one who saved her life, without even knowing it, probably. And Keigo is her savior; the one she looks at in awe, like everyone else does. The one she thinks is so powerful, heroic, and amazing. It's Keigo.

It's always Keigo. Every time, it's him.

It's always...someone else.

I realized that Ari had still been talking about Keigo when I came back to the reality of the conversation. I suddenly felt very deflated and tired. I didn't feel like talking, anymore. Especially, now that the only person I really cared about, cared more about Hawks, than anyone else.

So, I guess Keigo did win, after all. And the part that angers me the most, is that he wasn't even playing the game.

He just did it by doing what he does best, which is just being himself-or, being who everyone else wants him to be, anyways-

"But, yeah. That's why I always look at the sky. It reminds me of my angel. My beautiful, perfect angel. And, I guess, I'm just hoping that I'll see him again. Ah, but I know I'm only kidding myself, right? It was a chance encounter. It seems nearly impossible that I would ever even be in the same place as him again." Ari chuckled softly, letting the bright smile on her face dim into something more mellow now as she continued to stargaze over her thoughts.

I kept my eyes on her in silence, letting her words seep into my brain with a sudden feeling of dilemma.

It's obvious to see that Ari wants nothing more than to see her stupid angel again. She's clearly a bit bummed out, because she thinks that such a thing will never be possible.

But....me? Well, I hold the literal answer to the biggest question of her little existence. The answer that I know would ignite that dying flame of brightness inside her soul, and maybe even give her the strength and motivation to fight Diane's bullshit for good.

I have the power to make her happy again, and give her hope.

It's the answer that could change everything. I could tell Ari the truth-that Keigo's her angel of the sky. Then, I could mend my friendship with Keigo, and allow all three of us to enjoy these peaceful, late starry nights on the rooftops.

We could all be friends and endure our hardships together.

All I'd have to do is tell Ari that Keigo is her angel. All I'd have to do is tell her that the person of her dreams is literally one floor below our feet, right now, probably drooling all over his pillow from his exhausted sleep.

Yeah. That would probably be the right thing to do.

But, if I do that......then what?

Well, I'll tell you what. The moment I tell Ari that Keigo is her angel of the sky, is the same moment I lose her. It's the same moment that she succumbs to his bullshit, the same way everyone else does. It's the same moment she stops looking at me, and falls right into his arms.

It's the same moment she leaves me in the dust. The part where she forgets about me, turns her back on me, and goes off to bask in the presence of Hawks. It's the same moment I lose the only person I've really come to care about.

She will like Hawks, more than she likes me. Everyone always does. She'll find him more interesting. She'll find him funnier and more charming-not so awkward and cold like me. And, I have absolutely no doubt that he'll like her right back. I know Keigo, and I know he'd love this girl's bright demeanor. Its everything he's always wanted from a person, he'd probably end up getting a crush on her, think she's adorable, and do everything he can to make her laugh and grow closer to him. And she would fall for it. Easily.

And, eventually it will be Keigo and Ari, together, giving him the happiness that he doesn't deserve.

Like I said, Hawks gets everything he ever wants. He has it all. He will have it all.

And, if he has Ari, too? The only person who makes me happy? The only person who actually likes me and is interested in my well-being?

Well, I think I'd just about lose my damn mind over that.

He doesn't deserve her. He doesn't deserve her warmth and care.

Ignoring the frustrated grinding of my teeth inside my mouth, I turned my attention back on Ari-not even realizing the dark look that had consumed me for a moment, until I relaxed my face.

Luckily, she was too occupied with the stars in the sky to notice, humming softly to herself as she basked in the peaceful night.

And just seeing her there. Seeing her next to me...

My decision was clear.

I cleared my throat softly to speak, ignoring the way that Ari still kept her attention away from me, and on Hawks instead-well, on the sky. But, still....

"Well......that all sounds...pretty intense-but, yeah. You're right, you'll never see him again. Not to mention, mutation quirks, like wings, are becoming pretty common nowadays. It's not like every person you see with wings can be your angel. You don't even know what color they were-Like you said, it was a chance encounter. No one ever gets those twice, that's why they call it chance." I lied effortlessly, feeling my mouth suddenly coating over with a sour taste as I said the dishonest words.

And, trusting Starry Ari believed me right away. Why wouldn't she? I'm her best friend, after all. She has no reason to think I'd lie to her.

She pursed her lips in deflated agreement, sighing softly as she finally turned her gaze away from the sky, and over to me.

And, as wrong as it was...just seeing those sweet, green orbs focused on me with such warmth and care gave me the motivation to continue lying, not wanting Keigo to have this perfect moment and this perfect person, right in front of me, because that's simply not fair.

"Yeah, Tou. You're probably right. I'm ridiculous to even think I'd see him again, huh?" Ari smiled a bit sadly, now finally allowing herself to feel the bone chilling cold of the night as a slight shiver ran through her body.

I scooted closer to her, not breaking her eye contact as I took her freezing hands in my bandaged ones, activating my quirk to the lowest possible setting to warm them.

She huffed adorably at the comfortable heat, causing my heart to melt to mush as she scooted closer to my warmth.

"Nah, you're not ridiculous. It's not your fault for hoping. I'm just saying, don't get your hopes up, since it isn't likely to happen. Especially, because I'm sure he doesn't even remember you. I bet he doesn't even care about you." I lied again, taking my words a little further with the intention to hurt her.

Oh, but it's not me who's hurting her, you see. It's Keigo who's hurting her. It's Keigo who doesn't care. It's her precious angel's fault that she's upset, not mine. Her precious angel, who I want her to realize isn't so perfect, after all. The angel who I want her to forget about.

But, it seems that maybe I took my words a bit too far as Ari's brows furrowed in sadness, before her gaze fell softly to the ground in hurt.

Shit-

"Damn it-h-hey. I didn't mean it like that, Ari-I'm just saying.....uh.....angels are busy. He probably saves a lot of people everyday, so....because of that.....he'd....have no time to remember you." I bullshitted choppily, forcing myself to do some damage control and dance around what I really wanted to say about that bastard Keigo.

And, it's not necessarily untrue. Hawks is a selfish person, and he's the one who saves people. He probably really doesn't even remember saving Ari that day. And that only pisses me off more. She gives him all of her happiness, and he doesn't even give a shit. Ironically, I'm the one who cares, and she can't do the same for me?

Although, my statement didn't seem to help as Ari simply nodded wordlessly, becoming more depressed by the second as I manipulated her head with lies that tarnished her angel.

"Yeah. I-I.....guess you're right." She uttered softly, causing me to warm her hands more comfortingly to try and alleviate the purposeful mental pain that Keigo was causing her.

But, I can't say I'm all that sorry about it.

Keigo's not perfect. So, Ari doesn't need to think so.

And then, the perfect follow-up response from her....

"Heh, and anyways, some people even say I'm crazy for thinking the guy existed at all. I mean, my parents believed me, but when I arrived here, I told Diane the whole thing. You know what her response was to it? She made me see a therapist, here at the commission! Yeah. The therapist said that it's possible to make things up during traumatic situations as a way to.....cope, I guess. She doesn't even think my angel is real. But, I dunno. What do you think?" Ari breathed out naively, slowly trailing her green eyes back to me with a subtle look of hope glimmering in her eyes.

I know what she wanted my response to be. She wanted me to be on her side, and feed the dream that her angel is real. She wanted me to say "no, it's not crazy, at all. I totally think he's out there."

Yeah. That would make her happy, and I want her to be happy.

But, I also don't want Keigo to be the one to make her happy. Sure, there's beauty in the sacrifice, but I won't be the one to sacrifice anything. I won't sacrifice my friendship with her for that happiness she could have. I won't give it up.

Holding her gaze firmly, I said what I needed to.

"Yeah. It's definitely possible that it was all made up in your head. Like I said, though, that's not a bad thing. You went through some traumatic shit. Like that therapist lady said, it's helped you cope, and return back to normal. Nothing wrong with that." I replied without missing a beat, instinctively holding Ari's hands tighter within my grasp as I spoke.

If the hero commission training all these years has been good for one thing, it's teaching me how to manipulate people. That's right. Keigo's not the only one who can do it. I'm even better than he is, during those exercises.

And, all of that horrible training paid off in their favor as I felt myself slipping a bit. I always talk about how I notice Keigo and Ari losing themselves over time, but I never talk about how the same thing is obviously happening to me, too. I never talk about how it's happening to me in a slightly different and darker way, compared to them...

I felt a toxic wave of relief and satisfaction wash over me as I watched that beaming hope in her eyes finally fade away into nothing upon hearing my words.

That's right. Forget about him, Ari.

Upon feeling her hope dwindle, Ari finally reciprocated the hold I hand on her hands, innocently intertwining her fingers with mine as I warmed her up.

It felt nice. Comforting. She was everything I could hope for. I love her. And, yeah, I know she's too young now. But.....what about in the future when we're both adults?

Maybe. Just maybe. If she wants to, then of course I would.

Ari sighed softly now, looking down at our intertwined hands absentmindedly as she spoke her next words.

"I'm sorry." She whispered barely audible, closing her eyes tiredly.

My brows furrowed in curiosity to her words. I gave our intertwined hands a squeeze as I continued to gently heat up her skin.

"Huh? What are you sorry for?" I uttered in genuine confusion, not understanding the reason behind her apology.

"For.....blabbing on about my dreams. They're stupid. They're not important. I need to learn to stop saying what I really think." She rehearsed mechanically, as her spirit dwindled away before my very eyes.

That's alright, though. It was a spirit she had for Keigo, after all. She doesn't need that happiness. I'll make her happy and show her that she doesn't need him.

"Hey..." I uttered as gently as I possibly could, feeling the foreign tone reverberate awkwardly against my vocal chords.

Ari's gaze slowly trailed back up to meet my eyes as I spoke, wordlessly waiting for me to continue.

"Don't apologize, alright? That's just the commission and Diane talking. Don't listen to them. You're better than all of them." I reminded her, watching as she nodded her head in half-hearted agreement.

She gripped my hands a little tighter in her own, no longer smiling anymore as she looked at me tiredly, instead.

"Yeah, well....it's hard not to listen to them, Touya. It's all I hear. It's drilled into my head, every second of every day. Pretty soon, it will be all I know." Ari said quietly, giving her shoulders a small, hopeless shrug for her future.

I felt another hole forming in my heart upon watching her do the simple action, remembering Keigo doing the same thing so clearly when he really gave up on himself.

It's just history repeating itself. I knew that, and yet, I still fooled myself into thinking it wouldn't happen with Ari....

And, even so....even though it's currently happening right before my very eyes, I can't help but feel absolutely ridiculous that I still have hope.

Even though I can see Diane's eyes starting to grow in Ari's, I still have hope that she's different. I still have hope that she won't be the one to disappoint me.

Because, through it all, she's different. She's not like everyone else. She's Ari.

She's Ari. Not Hourglass. And, that's how I want her to stay.

And, yeah, maybe Keigo is her stupid angel of the sky. Maybe he's the one who saved her.

But, who's to say that she can't be saved more than once? Who's to say she can only have one savior? Who's to say that I can't be the better hero to her?

I let out a soft sigh as I felt crazy ideas suddenly swimming around inside my mind, ignoring the sudden nervous pounding I felt in my heart at the suggestion I was about to lead into.

"Don't you wish.....you could just run away from it all, sometimes?" I asked barely audible, mimicking the exact words I once told Keigo eight months ago.

It was more of a rhetorical question when I'd asked him. Just a way for us to vent and talk shit about our lives. Maybe, if he hadn't taken it so literally and never answered the question, we'd still be friends now.

But, with Ari....even if my tone of voice was unreadable in meaning, I was still waiting for her answer.

A few moments of silence went by as I anticipated her response. It was a comfortable, unassuming silence for her. But, a tense, nervous silence for me.

And, then, when she responded.....my heart jumped.

"Yeah. I do. I wish I could run away." She whispered softly, chewing on her bottom lip at the dissatisfaction she felt for her life.

I didn't respond for a moment, waiting for a follow-up reply from her. I waited for her statement with a laundry list of reasons as to why she couldn't run away-her ifs, ands, or buts, the way Keigo had done when I asked him.

I waited, what felt like an eternity, as no other words came out of Ari's mouth, keeping her soft wish lingering in the air.

Her voice was honest. Longing. Hopeful. And I could have sworn I felt her give my warm hands a small squeeze with her response, probably silently asking me for my own thoughts on the matter.

I wasted no time in giving her an answer, keeping my focused gaze on her face.

"Me too..." I uttered softly, sharing the simple reply to try and gage her reaction to it.

She didn't really give me anything though, simply shaking her head in absentminded agreement, as I could see her demeanor going to drop the topic.

And, while I'd normally be inclined to follow her lead-and I have been ignoring that little voice inside my head for years now, it was because I met her that I couldn't find it in myself to let the conversation go.

Instead, I did the exact opposite, blurting out the silent thoughts I've always held in the back of my mind, but never had the hope to say them. Not until I met Ari.

"So......what if we did?" I asked quietly after a few heartbeats of time, carefully peering my gaze to Ari as I spoke the hazardous words.

Even saying the words felt strange. They felt strange, because they were always just thoughts. My own what ifs on a new life, one that wasn't so full of this hopeless despair I always get caught in.

Ari obviously didn't understand the true meaning behind my words, furrowing her brows in soft confusion to whatever ridiculous notions I was saying.

"Hm? Did what?" She uttered softly, more focused on the site of our intertwined hands than my eyes.

Her lack of immediate understanding caused me to feel a bigger rush of anticipation and determination as I spoke again, not bothering to mince my words this time.

"Ran away. What if...we ran away together?" I asked clearly, feeling the foreign suggestion roll off my tongue so damn easily now.

Mostly, because my mind had already started to churn before I even said the words. I'd already started imagining the possibilities of it all.

Ari and I would run away together. We'd finally leave the hero commission behind. We'd leave Endeavor behind. We'd leave her stupid angel of the sky behind, and we'd finally be free to live our lives. The two of us. I'll take care of her. I'll take care of her forever, if she wants me to.

I wouldn't have to wait until midnight or the strict lunchtime hours to see her face, anymore, because I'd finally be able to see it, whenever I wanted.

And, I could make her smile. I'd make her happy. Happier than her angel of the sky ever could.

But, even though my face and internal demeanor had suddenly brightened up, more than they have in the past sixteen years of my sad life, Ari kept her brows furrowed in silence, looking at our hands vacantly.

"Run away.....from....the hero commission....?" She asked slowly, asking the question in disbelief, as if she didn't hear it correctly.

"Yes. Run away. From the hero commission. You and me. I know how much you hate it here, and you know the same is true for me. We could get away from it all. Away from Diane. Away from the death, you hate so much." I suggested in subtle hopefulness, continuing to wait for the lightbulb moment to show on Ari's face and finally show delight for the idea.

She tells me everyday how much she hates it here. I have absolutely no doubt that she would be happier without this place, not to mention, she just agreed to run away. Right?

Her face continued to radiate dull energy. Her jaw softly fell open to speak, before closing again as she didn't know what to say.

A few silent heartbeats of time went by, before she finally reacted.

"I.....are you-you're not....actually serious, are you?" She uttered blandly, seeming completely unimpressed with my suggestion.

My growing smile slowly fell at her words, the response catching me off guard a bit. I wasn't expecting her to be in so much disbelief over the idea.

I mean, seriously. Is it that hard for her to picture a life with me, away from all of this?

"I am serious. Come on, don't act like it's something so outrageous. Don't act like you haven't thought about it before. I can see that you don't want to be here. You've told me." I tried to persuade lightly, hearing Ari's small scoff in reply grate harshly against my eardrums.

"Well, yeah. But.....I mean......we're just....you know, talking." She stated quietly, keeping her words short and simple as she continued looking at her hands.

But, now I was the one who was less than amused, as I furrowed my brows at her in dissatisfaction, finding her lazy answer annoying.

"And what does that mean? We're just talking? It's exactly why we talk that I suggested it."

"No, no, no, Touya. We're just talking. It means, we're just venting our frustrations. Dreaming of the stuff we wish could happen. But, just because we wish for it, doesn't mean it's gonna come true." She explained emotionlessly, letting a small, tired sigh fall from her mouth as she said the words.

Now, I was the one scoffing as I felt my annoyance growing.

"And why can't it happen? Why can't it come true?" I asked bluntly, watching her eyes suddenly whip up to me as if I had three heads.

"Why?-is that an actual question?-Touya, to start, they'll find us-"

"Not if we're careful. We can cover our tracks-"

"But, then, I'd never get to see my family again. Plus, deserting the program is illegal. We'd be criminals." She tried to argue again, but my mind was already wanting for one outcome now.

"So, what if we're criminals? You think what the hero commission does here isn't criminal activity? Huh? This entire program is black market stuff, Ari. It's all behind closed doors-Killing children and abusing them to be work horses? Strapping their sobbing bodies down to tables and yanking the feathers out of their back as the kid begs them to stop? That's what I call being a criminal. Not to mention, if you stay here, you won't get to see your family, anyways." I pointed out, causing Ari's dull eyes to quickly liven in disagreement as she saw I was, in fact, serious about this.

She slowly pulled her hands free from my warm grasp, quickly rising up to sitting as she tried to process what I was saying.

I rose with her, running an agitated hand through my hair as I waited for her to see things my way.

But, even through the blooming tension of silence, she began shaking her head rapidly in total disagreement, shooting her attention over to me as if I was crazy.

"But, they'll harm my family, if I desert the program. They'll harm yours, too, you know-no, Touya.....I can't just....leave-" She started off, the simple beginning of her sentence causing a wave of growing irritation to wash over me as I cut her off.

"Yes you can! Stop making it more difficult than it really is!-"

"No I cant!! I have responsibilities here!! And so do you-"

"Oh, and what responsibilities could an eleven year old possibly have here?" I snorted out condescendingly, accidentally downplaying the entire situation, even though I knew perfectly well of the responsibilities she was talking about.

Ari's green eyes flinched in hurt and slight betrayal at my mocking tone, clearly also realizing I was sweeping her problems under the rug, in order to make a point.

"Gee, I dunno, Touya. I figured you would understand them, better than anyone. But, it seems I misread the situation." She huffed out, quickly rising to her feet in an attempt to walk away.

My eyes widened in slight panic at her attempts to leave, causing me to quickly rise with her and grab ahold of her arm to stop her.

"Okay, hold on-yeah, alright? I get you have it rough here. And it's exactly because I know your situation that I'm trying to get you out of it-" I started off, before Ari gently pulled her hand out of mine.

"You always say I'm the naive one, but you're kidding yourself, if you think we can just get out of it! There is no way out of it! You either become a hero, or you become nothing at all!" She yelled, causing me to grab her arm with a bit more force to drag her back over to me.

"No, hold on a second. That's not true-stop listening to, and repeating everything they tell you!!! You're starting to sound like a broken, fucking record! Just like everyone else! Just like him!! Stop acting as if being a hero is everything, Ari!! Being a hero is shit, and you know it!! You see what they do here! You see it, firsthand! How could you see that with your very own eyes, and still call it heroic? How could you still want to be like that? I don't understand!! There's no such thing as being a hero-"

"Yeah, sure. It's a shitty situation! And yeah, I hate it here. I hate my life, and I'm miserable. I wish, more than anything, that I could take it all back and go back to the way things were, before I came here, but I can't. I'm too afraid to leave. Too afraid of what will happen to me and my family if I do. I-I'm just a kid. I wouldn't know where to go. Not to mention, you know it's always been my dream to become a hero. And yeah, the hero commission is shit. But, being a hero isn't. I've always wanted to be a hero. It's my dream, and I won't be tied to the commission forever. It's just for a little while, until I get stronger." Ari reasoned matter of factly, running an anxious hand through her hair as she sat strong in her answer.

"They'll break you down before then, and you know it. You'll never get stronger, because they'll destroy you, first. That's the whole point of this program." I stated blankly, feeling my muscles going cold as I spoke the truth.

"Yeah. Maybe. But, I have to try. And, if putting up with a little pain and discomfort gets me to where I wanna be? Then, I'll do it." Ari said firmly, causing my eyes to fall closed at the deja vu that was currently happening to me.

And there it is. It's happening all over again.

Her words struck a chord with me. The sentences coming out so familiar, as I've already heard some of them before, feeling history repeating itself as I asked her the question that would prove the inevitable.

"Even if they break you down a million times? Even if they turn you into a monster, just like them? Even if you become just like Diane? You'll still accept that?" I rehearsed word for word, asking Ari the same exact question I asked Keigo all those months ago.

Once again, I already knew the answer. I could tell from the way my body was slowly starting to become numb. From the way my mind was starting to shut down. From the way my heart was starting to break for the final time.

I didn't want to hear it, but at the same time, I did.

I didn't want her to disappoint me, but at the same time, I was angry and almost wanted another reason to feel justified in my hatred.

And I love Ari. Yeah, I love her. But, I realize now that I hate the hero commission more. I hate heroes more. I hate my father more. I hate the world more.

So, when she spoke her next words, I didn't have it in me to just ignore them, anymore. I finally felt nothing upon hearing them, letting the memory of the Starry Ari I truly know ingrain inside my mind, and my heart, forever.

Cause, that's the girl I love.

Not Hourgla-

"Yes. I'll accept it. If it means I can protect the people I care about. If it means I can follow my dreams and save people.....then, I accept it." She stated with a foreign tone of acceptance, boring her empty green eyes into mine as I watched the last embers of innocence fade away from her eyes.

Even if I take care of you? Even if I try to give you a better life? Even if I hug you kindly everyday and make you smile, instead of hit you, the way everyone else does...

Even with all of these things, you still choose them over me. You'd rather be here in hell, than be with me. How could I be the lesser choice? How could I still be the lesser choice?

I stared at her vacantly with the starry night sky as our backdrop, not even feeling the sudden rush of chilling winter air course through both of our frigid bodies.

Ari stared back at me with a look matching my own, suddenly looking unrecognizable as the bright, bubbly girl I've come to love.

I thought she was different from the others. I really thought that maybe, she was better than the rest.

But, her look now is one I see from everyone here. The recruits. The trainers. Diane. The hero commission. Keigo.

It's a look that suddenly makes her fade away into the crowd of everything I hate. A look that makes me realize the world is mean enough to destroy even the most innocent, good-natured souls.

It was a look that ended up being the final straw for me.

A look that made me realize that even though I love her, I can't forgive her for choosing them over me.

Even the most good ones will turn on you.

"So be it then, Starry Ari. Guess you're just another soul sold to the devil, I see."

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Next Chapter Title: When The Smoke Clears

Good morning/afternoon/evening to wherever you are! I really hope you guys enjoyed these flashback moments from Touya's POV! I was experimenting with his perspective for a few reasons that I'm sure you might be able to guess ;) If you'd like, please let me know your thoughts on these, in the comments and/or a vote.

I really appreciate every comment I receive. I always try to respond to as many as I can. I really appreciate every vote I receive, as well❤️

Both actions let me know for future chapters/stories what parts/writing styles stand out to you most, and which things I should focus less on.

And while these were definitely some of my favorite chapters to write, I do understand everyone reads this book for Hawks;) I probably have only five chapters left to WRITE in this story now, but there are many more UPCOMING chapters than that, left for you to read.

Next chapter, we will be returning to present time, to bring together the most important pieces of the story. There have been some of you in the comments who have guessed a few upcoming things correctly, though I won't say which things ❤️👀