Author's Note: The cover picture for this chapter was created by levisbench and it is absolutely INCREDIBLE, and makes me fangirl for their art even more than I already do XD thank you for making it, you talented friend. You're the best!!!❤️

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Ari POV:

"Well, what are you waiting for? Don't be shy! Come on over and have some dinner." Re-Destro exclaimed, looking at me as though he's known me forever.

I felt every pair of eyes in the room burn into me curiously, causing me to immediately become nervous.

Trying to hide my anxiety behind another smile, I let out a small chuckle.

"Oh, don't mind if I do! I sure am starving." I said absentmindedly, looking around the full dining table for a place to sit. But, there were no open seats.

Feeling a heavy arm lug around my shoulders, before pulling me close, I immediately realized it was Dabi as the smell of hickory and tobacco hit my nose.

"Don't worry. You can sit next to me, Princess. After all, she's my date." Dabi stated firmly, before quickly turning his malicious smirk on Hawks.

Keigo's golden eyes were already starting to turn three shades darker at the sight of this entire thing, and regardless of where the two of us stood right now with our personal problems, I just needed to make one thing perfectly clear.

"Date? Not even close, buddy." I scoffed out firmly, lightly shrugging Dabi's arm off me as I naturally began walking towards Keigo's area of the table.

Re-Destro chuckled in amusement at my rejection towards Dabi, leaning back in his chair with content.

"Wow. It's not everyday someone gets to speak to him like that. Man, I haven't known you longer than a few minutes, Ms. Parker, but it already seems like you might be a little spit fire!" Re-Destro said happily, burning his eyes into me with an underlying gaze of lethal suspicion that made me continue to keep my guard up.

"Oh? Me? Nah, you got it all wrong. You see, Dabi and I go way back. That's the only reason I speak to him that way." I tried to justify, not wanting Re-Destro to think I'd be a rebellious problem for the PLF.

Re-Destro's brows raised in shock, not expecting such an answer.

"What? You do? Oh. Dabi didn't tell me that. How long have you two known each other?" He questioned, tilting his head to the side in curiosity.

Dabi's body froze, blue eyes suddenly going blank and unreadable as he slowly turned his attention in my direction, clearly very interested in what I was about to say.

Jeez, what's with that look, Stitchy?

"Oh, we've only known each other for about six months now. But, hey, that's longer than I've known any of you, and most people. So, I consider that as going way back." I explained with an honest sort of bullshit, giving my shoulders a careless shrug to convey that I wasn't really interested in talking about this matter anymore.

Dabi remained quiet, not chiming in with a nag or snarky remark, as he simply stared at the ground in lost thought. Re-Destro chose to let out an 'ah, I see' response of fake interest, watching me closely as I walked around the table, looking for a place to sit.

Seeing me coming towards his side of the table, Keigo quickly stood up, using one of his feathers to grab an extra chair from the corner of the room.

"Here, Ari! You can sit next to me, if you'd like!" Keigo stated in fake cheerfulness, pulling out the new chair slightly so I'd be able to sit down quickly.

I looked at the chair, before turning my gaze up to look at Keigo.

He was already staring at me. And while he looked like he was trying to hide the sudden wave of anxiety he felt, upon my unexpected arrival....I also noticed the familiar, nostalgic way his eyes warmed into my own, trying to remain calm and silently tell me that everything's going to be okay.

"Thank you, Hawks. Don't mind if I do." I smiled politely, forcing my gaze away from him quickly so it wouldn't linger any longer.

"Oh, that's right. You two also know each other, don't you?" Re-Destro immediately asked, barely giving me time to finish my 'thank you,' before he started the, not so subtle, interrogation dinner.

And already, I don't know where to start.

Re-Destro already knew who I was, before I got here, which means I've probably come up in conversation at this place. Who mentioned me? Was it Keigo? If it was, what did he say? Did he say we're friends? Acquaintances? Colleagues?

I sat down in the chair as slow as possible, trying to take the minuscule second to gather up an excuse.

That is, before Keigo spoke first and saved us both.

"Oh, I already told ya, remember? Ari's an old colleague of mine. She works for Endeavor's agency now, though. Sad to say we've become more like acquaintances. Right, doll face?" Keigo pouted fakely, clearly trying to give me a little bit of information with a statement like that.

But ironically, at the moment, his statement wasn't too far from the truth.

I was about to speak before I saw Re-Destro's eyes slowly turn away from me and over to Hawks, causing a shiver to run down my spine at the creepy, dark smile he gave Keigo.

"I don't believe I was speaking to you, Hawks. Come on, now. You've been talking all night. You've had your fun. Now, I'd like to hear what Ari has to say. Is that okay with you?" Re-Destro asked in fake politeness, his eyes crinkling up slightly as his mock smile became forcibly wider.

Keeping his body language relaxed and slouched, Hawks let out a small chuckle of surrender, looking 'bored' as ever as he took a genuinely heavy swig of his scotch now.

"Sure thing! Sorry about that. Won't happen again." He uttered with ease, giving Re-Destro a respectful nod to continue the interrogation.

I jumped slightly as I heard an obnoxious ruckus coming from my other side, looking over to see Dabi begrudgingly slamming an extra chair down next to me for himself.

Great. Keigo's on one side, and Dabi's on the other. How cute.

"So, Ari Parker." Re-Destro spoke again, quickly causing my head to turn in his direction.

Stay cool, Ari. Stay relaxed.

"Yessir." I drawled out nonchalantly, giving him a lazy smile as I waited for his questions in utter panic.

"Dabi was telling me that he wanted to recruit you into the Paranormal Liberation Front. I can only assume that means you're supportive of the cause?" Re-Destro asked casually, picking up his chopsticks again as he continued to eat now.

The non-league of villains members at the table-the guys I didn't recognize, immediately followed Re-Destro's actions, only starting to eat again once he did.

They must be Meta Liberation people.

I let out a small sigh of fake content, as I tried to take a moment to get my thoughts together and answer Re-Destro's question appropriately.

If I say I'm a huge fanatical supporter of the PLF, then Re-Destro might quiz me with questions on the cause and expose my lie.

But, obviously, I can't say that I know nothing about what's going on. Even though that's pretty close to the truth.

I need something in-between.

"Ah, well, I am a supporter of the cause. But, a new one, too. After all, it's thanks to Dabi that I was able to truly gain more knowledge on the wonderful subject of liberation, and I'm still learning more about it, everyday. I think it's really amazing what you're doing here!" I started off, absentmindedly fiddling with one of Keigo's unused pieces of silverware to give my fidgety hands something to do.

But, he must have taken it as a sign that I was hungry, or he pretended to, as he quickly excused himself from the table for a moment.

"Lemme get you a plate." He uttered quietly, stiffly walking over to the serving stations in the corner to grab me some dinner. He probably just wanted an excuse to step away and compose himself for a moment, from the stress this situation was bringing.

No!! Don't leave, you jackass-

"That's wonderful, Ari. We could always use more liberators for our cause. Especially, young ones, like yourself-And what is your quirk again?" Re-Destro followed up quickly, seeming as if he already knew what my quirk was, but wanted to see what I would tell him, anyways.

If Re-Destro knows who I am, he probably knows my quirk. I can't risk lying about that.

"My quirk...is immobilization. I can stop any three things in place for forty-five seconds each..." I started off truthfully, suddenly thinking of a good lie I could throw in there to get on good terms with Re-Destro and this liberation business.

"Ah, but of course, I can't practice it as much as I'd like to. As you know, quirks are only allowed to be used by the heroes. But, even so, UA high school limits the time we're allowed to use our quirks during class hours. It's their way of ensuring they can still control us students, somehow, and keep us from using our powers freely. That's another reason why I'm so excited about a cause like this. No more rules or regulations telling me when I'm allowed to use an advantage that was given to me." I shrugged out, hearing Keigo's booted footsteps trudging back over to the table now.

Re-Destro's brows raised in curiosity at my lie, tilting his head to the side in genuine interest.

"Oh? Really now? UA does that? How ridiculous! But, you know what? It's also useful information. I'm sure if you feel that way, many of the other kids there also feel the same way, right? Perhaps, you could be a recruiter for us in the near future!" He suggested excitedly, the original suspicion in his demeanor slowly starting to melt away now.

That's it. I'm winning him over. Gotta keep going.

I nodded in agreement, giving a mock smile of eagerness as Keigo slowly started placing the plate of food down in front of me.

But, he instinctively paused for a moment when he saw the small pile of broccoli he'd put on the plate, letting out a small 'ah, whoops' of realization, as he was about to scoop the vegetable off my plate and onto his own.

That's right. Keigo must have remembered I don't like broccoli.

Shit! But, he shouldn't be doing that-

"Problem with the food, Hawks? What is it, Ari? You don't like broccoli? That's quite a thing for an acquaintance to know about you, isn't it?" Re-Destro quickly cut in, watching Keigo about to scoop the broccoli off my plate with pure suspicion back in his eyes.

That's right. According to Keigo's lie, him and I barely know anything personal about each other. So, in that context, he shouldn't really have any knowledge about what kinds of food I like.

As if realizing his instinctive mistake, Keigo paused his actions for a millisecond, before quickly continuing the actions of scooping off the broccoli as he was clearly about to make up an excuse he'd formed in his mind.

Before Dabi was the one to cut him off.

"No. That plate's for me. After all, you know the number two moron loves to help out around here, right? He's like the friend that nobody wants. Yet, here he is. He's always been that way. And he knows I hate broccoli. Can't stand the sight of those little, fucking trees. Now, finish scooping it off and give it here, already. I'm starving." Dabi commanded him with a snap of his fingers, causing my brows to furrow slightly at what I just heard.

Did Dabi just....cover for Keigo and I? Why?

I slowly looked back over at Keigo-who's jaw was subtly tensed upon hearing Dabi's orders, before he began scooping the damn broccoli off the plate with a little more angry force than before.

Keigo doesn't seem surprised that Dabi covered for him, meaning that he probably knows something here that I don't. Plus, he actually seems angry about it.

So, my only question is, what blackmail does Dabi have over him this time? That broody fucker.

"Mhm, Dabi. Here you go." Keigo mumbled with mechanical friendliness, sliding the broccoli-less plate across the table with a much rougher force than he needed to.

Dabi hid his smirk of amusement at the actions, quickly stopping the plate with his hand before it could topple off the table and crash to the ground.

"Alright, servant. That's all for now." He snickered in triumph, starting to eat his food.

Ignoring the comment from Dabi, Keigo let out a small sigh to control his anger, before turning his eyes on me.

"Now, Ari. Would you like some broccoli?" Keigo asked with a fake, dwindling patience that couldn't stop, both, Dabi and I from letting out a small, quiet chuckle at his annoyance.

"Yes, please, Hawks. I love...broccoli." I said, trying to hide my bummed attitude for the fact that I'd have to eat those little, fucking trees.

But, of course, I'm not gonna say I hate broccoli now. I need to throw these guys off my trail with anything I can.

Keigo came back much too quickly this time, with a plate filled with a giant mountain of doom-I mean, steamed broccoli.

He very slowly placed the plate down in front of me, with an unnecessary, hyped anticipation. It was an obvious attempt to silently make fun of me as he knows how much I hate the food.

He put so much of it on the plate, too. Way more than the first plate. Damn bastard thinks he's funny.

"Hope you don't mind. I put a little extra on there for ya. Eat up, it's good for you." He smirked obnoxiously, giving the plate an encouraging push closer to me so I could eat it.

"Oh, that's a lot of trees. Lucky you." Dabi pointed out casually, clearly jumping on the make-fun-of-Ari train with Keigo for this small second.

I chuckled forcedly, before slowly picking up a pair of chopsticks so I could eat.

"How very heroic of you for giving me so damn much." I mumbled begrudgingly, before shoving giant piles of broccoli into my mouth.

These tiny, little trees make me sad-

"Well, Ari, I think it's great that Dabi wants to recruit you into the PLF. And I'd love every new liberation member that Shigaraki and I can get. But, of course, I still have my reservations about you." Re-Destro stated matter of factly, the creepy, fake grin on his face completely betraying the obviously accusing tone of his voice.

I choked on my food slightly at such an outright threat, expecting Re-Destro to ask me more questions before claiming such a thing like that.

Basically, he just said he doesn't trust me. It's not a surprise. I guess, I'm just curious as to why he didn't give me much of a chance to prove myself first.

He must already have some idea of his own brewing in that evil mind.

Oh boy....

Nevertheless, I nodded in understanding, chewing on my vegetables with a little more effort to give myself more time to come up with an answer.

Re-Destro must have sensed this, as he explained his reasonings a few seconds later.

"I guess what I'm saying, is that I'd like to see you in action, before making a final decision to let you in. From what Dabi tells me, you've got a lot of talent and control with that quirk of yours. I've got some ideas for how I wanna use it to our advantage. But, I'll be honest with you, Ari, you haven't stood out to me so far, and I don't feel comfortable letting a hero into our ranks, who doesn't completely impress me. So, first, I'd like to see if you're strong enough to handle the big stuff. How do you feel about giving me a quirk demonstration?" Re-Destro suggested, causing me to swallow my food much too quickly.

I winced slightly as I felt the half chewed broccoli get stuck in my throat, quickly grabbing Keigo's water to chug since I didn't have any of my own.

A 'demonstration' could mean a plethora of things. It could mean an execution, because Re-Destro's already secretly figured me out. It could mean I'm forced to kill someone to show my alliance. It could mean I fight someone to prove a point.

No. A demonstration sounds much too fishy to me. Plus, it's just a way for the bad guys to get familiar with my quirk. I have to remember, I'll still be fighting them in four months, if this war ends up happening. I can't let them figure me out completely.

I need to think of an excuse to get out of this.

The room was tense with awkward silence for a few moments as I aggressively gulped the entire contents of Keigo's water, wishing for anyone else to speak so I wouldn't have to.

But, of course, that didn't happen.

Slamming Keigo's, now empty, water glass on the table a few seconds later, I let out an obnoxious, quenched sigh before lazily turning my gaze back to Re-Destro.

"A demonstration, you say? Sounds fun-but, you know what, I've been experiencing some pretty serious back pain, lately. So, as much as I'd love to do something like that for you, I think I'm gonna-"

"Are you declining my request, Ari Parker?" Re-Destro chuckled in disbelief, yet it was easy to tell that the man was very much not amused.

Before I could respond, I suddenly felt a warm hand tightly grip onto my thigh from under the table, causing me to stop myself from jumping in surprise as I held in a gasp.

It was Keigo's hand that was on my leg, causing me to catch a half glance at him from my peripheral vision.

Obviously, I couldn't turn my full attention on him without drawing suspicion, but from what I could see from the corner of my eye...he was doing his best to make the action go unnoticed-continuing to casually take bites of his food and stay quiet like he was originally told to.

He looked like he wasn't even listening.

But, of course, the death grip on my leg let me know how he was really feeling, as I could easily tell it was one of stress and warning.

As if to silently emphasize what he was trying to say, Keigo kept his hand on my thigh from under the tablecloth, firmly digging his gloved fingers into my leg with another squeeze as he desperately tried to get a point across to me.

And, unfortunately, I already knew exactly what he was trying to tell me to do.

And that was, accept Re-Destro's challenge of a quirk demonstration.

Damn it.

If it was anyone else who told me to accept the challenge, you bet I would have still declined.

But....Keigo.....he's different than everyone else.

I trust him. Through all of the messy chaos....the unknowns of where we stand....the tense, unspoken hurt that's still lingering from the fake, yet very real, breakup....the stress and doubts that I'm currently having about this offer from Re-Destro...

I trust Keigo. With my life, I still trust him.

And if he's telling me that I should accept this offer, then I'll do it. He's more knowledgeable about the PLF, than I am. He's been here longer than me. He knows the people better. I'm sure, he knows what's best in this situation.

Letting out a small sigh to relax my stress, I quickly turned my eyes on Re-Destro, giving him the biggest, confident smile I could muster.

"What?! Of course I'm not declining your request! No, I'm more than happy to fulfill it-I guess, my hesitation was just that I'd be fighting on a full stomach. Can't really give you my best with a belly full of broccoli, I'll admit." I chuckled, leaning back in my chair and giving my nauseous stomach a full smack with my hands.

Yes, I'm trying to stall time. I want to, at least, try to use this night to come up with a plan and get my thoughts together for whatever is to come tomorrow.

Re-Destro laughed with me, seeming to have calmed down now that I hadn't fully shut down his order to show off my quirk.

"Oh, well that makes more sense! Yes, you did eat a lot of that broccoli. No worries then, Ari. We'll let you get a good night's sleep tonight, and perform the demonstration tomorrow morning. How does that sound to you?" He asked with mock interest, clearly not giving a fuck how it sounded to me.

But, nevertheless....

"It sounds great! I'm really excited to show you what I can do." I smiled warmly, involuntarily gripping onto the table cloth to try and hide my nerves, somehow.

However, my grip on the table cloth quickly loosened when I felt Keigo's hand-that was still resting on my leg, give me another squeeze.

But, this time, his touch was much softer than the one from before, as he clearly wasn't trying to warn me of something, anymore.

No.

This squeeze....was one of comfort. It was light and more gentle.

Watching my hands slowly release my anxious grip on the tablecloth only encouraged Keigo to continue his actions, as his thumb lightly began brushing against my leg in an attempt to soothe me.

And it did, as I quickly relaxed my hands and placed them back on the table, waiting for Re-Destro to let me off the hook for the night.

"And I'm excited for you to show me your talents. Now, eat up, and enjoy, Ari." He finished, giving me a concluding smile before he finally moved on to talk about something else now.

I couldn't help but slump my shoulders in relief as Re-Destro finally took me off the spot, noticing the way Keigo's shoulders did the same.

And even then, his hand remained on my leg for the remainder of the dinner, tracing soft patterns into my clothed skin with his fingers, in a way that seemed to comfort both of us.

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I couldn't hide the tired glare from etching onto my face as I trudged down the hallway.

I was tired from the hours long dinner I'd just participated in with Re-Destro and the others. Luckily, the rest of the evening went rather smoothly, as he didn't ask me anymore questions once I accepted the quirk demonstration challenge.

And I was glaring because of the guard who was currently walking directly behind me, ordered by Re-Destro to kindly escort me to the room I'll be staying in for the time I'm here.

Dabi had originally offered to walk me to my room, with totally chivalrous intentions no doubt, but you can bet I declined that offer real quick.

Not that I had expected him to, but Keigo didn't offer up his services in walking me back. How could he, after that little broccoli slip-up at dinner? Nah, I understand he's gotta be more careful.

But, still, it would have been nice to speak with him, and see if there's anything he'd be able to tell me about this whole thing.

And it would have been nice....just to......see him-

I was ripped from my inner thoughts when I felt a rough shove to my back from the guard.

"Pick up the pace, you little brat. You're walking too slow." He ordered rudely, causing my cranky glare to deepen as I continued to face forward.

Forcing myself to hold my tongue and not cause any trouble, I kept my mouth shut to the guard's comment, barely picking up my walking pace as the two of us trudged down the dark, empty hallway.

It was very late now. Most people in the mansion were already asleep.

Or, so I thought. Hearing the guard's phone abruptly start ringing from the inside of his pocket caused me to jump at the loud noise that seemed to wake up the night a bit.

I heard him let out a groan from behind me, muttering profanities as he pulled the phone out of his pocket.

Being the nosy person I am, I subtly slowed my walking pace once again, wanting to get a listen to who this guy was talking to so late at night.

I am here to get information, after all.

"What do you want now?" The guard mumbled into the phone, answering it with a knowing annoyance for whoever was on the other end of the line.

And as soon as I could hear the other person on the phone start speaking, I knew exactly where the annoyance came from.

An exasperated sigh came from the guard's mouth as he listened to Slidin' Go's nagging through the phone, hearing him mention multiple times about an emergency incident at the front gate that needs attention right away.

Hah, knowing Slidin' Go, I'm sure the incident is nothing.

But, regardless of whether he was exaggerating or not, I couldn't help but let out an internal sigh of relief once I heard the guard behind me let out a small "I'll be right there."

Quickly hanging up, the burly dude grabbed me by the shoulder and spun me around to face him.

He was looking at me sternly, and I could already tell that meant he was trying to intimidate me enough to stay in line.

Which means, he's probably about to leave me alone.

Pulling a set of keys from his pocket, the guard quickly shoved them into my hands, wagging a disciplinary finger at me.

"Listen here, kid. Your room is just around that corner over there. I expect you to go straight to it, with no detours, and lock yourself in there for the night. Understand? Whatever that prick at the front gate is nagging me about, I'm sure it won't take longer than a few minutes to sort out. I'll be back to check on you then." He stated firmly, crossing his arms and looking down at me darkly.

Psh. Yeah. Okay, tough guy. Clearly this dude doesn't know I've been working as Endeavor's intern for the last month. Or, as Diane's bitch for almost nine years.

But either way, I need these guys to underestimate me. And that won't happen if I don't play into their games a little.

Letting out an obviously "nervous" laugh, I quickly held my hands up in surrender to the guard, giving him a sheepish smile.

"Y-Yeah, I get it!! Trust me, I'm not one for drama. I'm just tired and I wanna go to bed." I said meekly, giving the room key in my hand a small shake before bowing in respect to the guard in front of me.

I guess, that seemed to be good enough for him as he didn't even linger for a second longer, leaving me in a bowing position, before he quickly walked off in the other direction without a word.

Wow. That was way easier than I thought. I'm so used to trying to convince Dabi's stubborn ass of everything under the sun, that I forget most people don't actually require that much persuasion. Most people aren't as well versed in lies and manipulation, like him.

Quickly wiping the fake, timid look off my face once the guard was out of sight, I slowly stood up straight...starting to look around the empty, dark hallway with focused thought.

Alright, how much time do I have before he comes back? Well, let's see, the guard will need to walk, at least, six floors down to get to the front gate, not to mention the fact that this place is huge.

I'd say, I've got approximately thirteen minutes to get some snooping done in that time.

I began reflecting on everything I passed on the way to my room, trying to think of which area I wanted to start looking around in.

However, I didn't even get the chance to move before I suddenly felt someone grab onto my arm from behind me, and start dragging me backwards with more force than I'd like.

"Wha-hey!!-" I called out, before a hand quickly slapped over my mouth to keep me quiet.

Thinking I was being attacked, I furrowed my brows in anger as the person continued quickly dragging me backwards...about to activate my quirk and start fighting.

But, my fight or flight response immediately hesitated once I noticed the hand that was covering my mouth was gloved. It was a specific black glove that I've definitely seen before.

Being so close to this person allowed me to take in their scent. It was a familiar scent that immediately caused my heart to jump up my throat.

Oh shit...

I didn't have the time to think any more about it, before I heard a door open behind me, immediately being pushed inside whatever room this was.

Oh, great. It's not even a room. It's a supplies closet-

I gasped slightly as I felt my back hit the wall of the, very small, supplies closet, feeling the warming presence of the familiar man who was standing in front of me....practically pressed up against me from the tight fit of the vicinity we were in.

Slowly trailing my eyes all the way up his clothes, to reach his face, I couldn't help but swallow thickly as I finally met those honey orbs. The, practically pitch black, lighting of the closet made them literally glow a warm gold, only giving Keigo Takami more allure and mystery than I thought ever possible.

There wasn't enough room in here for his vermillion wings to spread out fully, allowing me to feel the feathered ends of them tickling against the sides of my thighs as they caged around both sides of my body.

Seeing that I knew it was him who grabbed me and wouldn't freak out, Keigo very slowly released his hand from my mouth, before carefully resting it on the wall next to my head.

He didn't speak for a moment, keeping his gaze trained on me intensely...allowing his avian eyes to shamelessly trail over the features of my face intricately, as if the sight was something he was trying to burn into his memory.

I had a million things I wanted to say to him. So many questions. So many comments.

But, this sudden essence of his presence was too consuming. The feeling of his body pressed against mine. The feeling of his own heart pounding out of his chest, due to our dangerously close distance. Being close enough to hear the way his soft breaths puffed out of his mouth, caused me to lose my focus as I simply stared at him like a deer in the headlights.

Although, Hawks seemed to know exactly what he wanted to say. And based on his first words, he wasn't planning on holding back this time.

"Just what the hell are you doing here, huh? Are you fucking insane?" He asked me lowly, the natural, unforced tone of his voice causing my eyes to widen in surprise as I immediately realized....

That was Keigo speaking. Not Hawks.

Becoming more caught off guard by the fact that I was actually talking to the man I love and not his alter ego, for the first time in over a month, I simply glanced at Keigo in a confused daze, sluggishly opening my mouth to try and form words.

But, apparently my approach wasn't fast enough for him.

"Hey, hey, hey. Ari, c'mon. Get it together here, I don't have much time to talk. Skeptic went out back for a smoke and Dabi went to bed, so there's no one monitoring my cameras right now. I've got a feather hiding in Skeptic's office to sense when he comes back, but that could be any minute. So, hurry up and say something, before we run out of time." He stated somewhat bossy now, causing me to quickly snap out of my awe-struck daze and become annoyed instead.

I scoffed slightly, giving my head a shake of disbelief as I met Keigo's illuminated eyes once again.

"And what do you want me to say, Keigo? I don't even know where to begin. If anyone needs to give some answers around here, it's you." I whispered sharply, trying to keep my voice quiet since Keigo was obviously trying to keep us hidden in this closet.

Not liking my answer, his brows furrowed in annoyance with me, instinctively hovering his face closer to mine to ensure I could hear the hushed tone of his voice.

"Do you even realize how dangerous this is, Chicky? Do you know what you've gotten yourself into, just by being here?!" He whisper-yelled back, quickly sliding his headphones from his ears to rest around his neck so he could hear me better.

I let out an exasperated sigh at his words, leaning my head back against the wall.

"Yes, captain obvious, I already knew perfectly well how dangerous this was, but thank you so much for reminding me. That's very helpful. It's not as if I could just decline Dabi's offer to come here, you know-"

"Yeah, well, I was hoping you would have found a way around that, by now." Keigo muttered bitterly, rolling his eyes at me as his minty, cool breath fanned my face.

I gave him a deadpanned glare in reaction to that stupid comment, crossing my arms to distance the two of us a little since I was starting to become angry.

"Oh, yeah? Because I've done so well at denying Dabi's requests in the past?" I asked him sarcastically, not needing to give any further explanation to the ways in which Dabi has inserted himself into my life.

Out of character for the man he was currently trying to be, Hawks suddenly flashed a mocking smirk, raising a condescending brow at me as he spoke his next words.

"Then maybe you should get better at it, so I don't have to keep saving your ass every.fucking.time, sweetheart. Cause, guess what? It's exhausting." Keigo blurted out rudely, causing my jaw to drop in pure offense.

Before I knew it, I watched my hand whip across his face with a slap. Yet, he barely even flinched from the force of it, as he simply brought his eyes back to mine, completely unbothered.

Letting out an irritated sigh with both of us, Keigo rolled his eyes closed in annoyance, furrowing his brows in frustration at the rocky reunion him and I were currently getting off to.

I don't know what else he was expecting. I don't know what I was expecting either, seeing Keigo, not Hawks, again for the first time in over a month. But, I know, we both probably weren't expecting it to go this poorly.

Although, I guess we should have, huh? Keigo and I really aren't the most conventional couple out there. If anything, it makes more sense for our first interaction to start out this way, instead of falling right back into each other's arms with rainbows and smiles.

But, regardless, it seems that Keigo has been in the mindset of Hawks for too long now, as I can clearly see there's a lot of pent up stress and frustration he's been holding in, since arriving at the PLF mansion. After all, those are the only times he ever lashes out with mean words like that.

I get it. He's being watched 24/7. He never has a moment alone. Ever. That's enough to make anyone cranky and snappy.

But, at the moment, and with what I've got coming tomorrow with that stupid quirk demonstration, I felt my own anger rising as the urge to lash out hit me, too.

"Let's get one thing straight, you chicken fuckhead. I never asked you to save me. Ever. So, how about you don't? I can handle myself. I don't need you, Keigo. I don't need anyone-And last time I checked, you're the one who was asking me to save you when you wrote that damn message in the sandbox about being compromised!" I spat out quietly, giving his chest a push back as I attempted to free myself from the barrier that was his body, and get to the door.

However, the anger from Keigo's eyes immediately dissipated when he saw I was trying to leave, quickly grabbing my arm once again and gently dragging me back against the wall.

"Wait!!-No-Baby, wait-"

"Don't call me that-"

"Hold on-I'm sorry, alright?!-I'm just worried about you here!!-" Keigo said firmly, placing both hands on my shoulders now to keep me in place.

I gently shoved him back off me again in an attempt to create some distance, throwing my hands up in frustration.

"You're worried about me?! Is that why you told me to accept Re-Destro's challenge that will probably get me killed tomorrow??!" I accidentally blurted out much too loudly, causing Keigo's eyes to widen as he quickly stepped forward and slapped a hand over my mouth to shut me up.

My words were meant to match Keigo's rude and snappy tone from before....

But, it was a pathetic attempt since my voice came out as nothing more than a girl who's scared for her life. A weak girl. A drama queen.

Wordlessly, Keigo's eyes met mine...his distance much closer than before now, as he was still holding a hand over my mouth to make sure I would compose myself and stay quiet for the rest of this conversation.

Any residues of Hawks that were lurking around in his demeanor immediately faded away into nothing when he heard the vulnerable tone of my voice.

His gaze went soft as he slowly slid his hand away from my mouth once more, grazing the tip of his thumb along my cheek as he did so.

I let out a sigh of frustrated defeat at the fact that he saw through me so easily, slowly dropping my gaze to the ground in a stubborn attempt to keep my distance from him. Not just physically, but emotionally, too.

Regardless of what was real about the breakup, he still hurt me beyond belief.

And getting hurt over and over again? Well.....it gets tiring after awhile.

And anyways, this is what he wanted, right? He 'broke up' with me, because he wanted us to keep our distance from each other. Probably, because he didn't want me near him, due to the dangers of his mission. Sounds like Keigo, after all.

So, if that's true....then, why did he just take a step closer to me?

Why can I now feel his chest against mine in a way that makes him all too real in this moment? His jacket is unzipped, allowing me to feel the toned muscles of his clothed abdomen much too intimately. If he's trying to keep us apart, then why can I feel one of his hands gently sliding up my arm to rest on my shoulder....or the piercing look of his eyes, trying to find my own-

"Hey.....look at me. Please. I want to see you." Keigo whispered softly, slowly bringing his finger under my chin to lift my head up.

Damn. I missed that sweet voice. It's been so long since I've heard him speak like that.

Resisting him for a few moments to try and compose myself, it was deemed an utterly useless attempt as I finally allowed Keigo to lift my head...feeling a wave of longing nostalgia wash over my heart at the affectionate way he was looking at me.

I couldn't find the willpower to look away from his eyes, allowing them to captivate me in a lethal way that could surely damage my inhibitions if I stay here much longer.

"You're not gonna die, Ari. I won't allow that. I'll be watching the quirk demonstration tomorrow. I'll protect you, don't worry. I promise." He uttered sweetly, brushing his thumbs along both sides of my face now.

Instinctively trying to keep my guard up so I'd stop feeling so vulnerable around him, I couldn't help but lash out weakly in an attempt to push him away from me once more.

Don't let him hurt you.

There's always some kind of hurt.

"L-Like I said before, I never asked you to protect me. You don't need to keep saving my ass, everytime, as you put it...." I started saying, before Keigo began chuckling softly at my defiance.

My eyes focused in on his smile. His genuine smile that I haven't seen in so long. And even in this dim, dark lighting, I could see the beauty of it clear as day. The beauty of him. Keigo Takami.

It's been awhile since he looked that happy. It's been awhile since he laughed so honestly. And considering the situation and rough patch we're going through, it's very ironic for him to smile and laugh the way he is. There's not much to be joyous about, right now.

Not being able to wipe the smile off his lips, Keigo instinctively leaned his face forward, resting his forehead against mine so naturally.

I suddenly sucked in a breath as he fully shattered my personal space bubble, feeling his full, blonde locks falling onto my head...tickling my face and brushing against my own hair.

He kept his half lidded eyes open, gazing into mine with a familiarity I've missed every day, before his words came out barely audible to my ears.

"Ah, stubborn little dove, you are. Damn, I really missed that fire from you. My life was starting to get pretty boring without it...." He started off with a playful whisper, his smile turning into a small smirk, before reverting back to its sweet nature.

"I'm sorry for what I said, about saving you, Ari. I didn't mean it. Honestly. I really didn't. I know you never asked me to save you....and I know that you are perfectly capable of taking care of yourself. But, I want to protect you and keep you safe. I always do. I always have...." Keigo whispered, carefully tucking a strand of hair behind my ear as he kept our incredibly close distance.

I bit my lip softly at his actions, placing my hands on him to initially push him away.

But once my fingertips came in contact the warm, toned muscles of his chest, the thought suddenly became impossible as I felt my hands gently starting to trace up to his shoulders instead.

Keigo's mouth softly parted open with a small sigh, upon feeling me touch him for the first time in a long time. It seemed as if he was starved of the touch. As if it was something he'd thought about more than once, during our time apart from each other. His hot breaths mixed with my own, as I felt his gloved hand gently move to cup my jaw with the fragility of a porcelain doll.

Pull away, Ari. He's hurt you so many times in the past nine months.

There always seems to be...more hurt. It's tiring.

Wrapping my arms around Keigo's neck, I couldn't help but close my eyes as I pulled him closer to my body, feeling him immediately reciprocate and take an impossible step closer to me.

"Open your eyes. Flutter your eyes open, so I can see you, little dove..." Keigo whispered dazedly, trailing his gloved finger down from my jaw to my neck as he slowly started to get carried away.

I was right there with him, as his touch caused goosebumps to rise to my skin. Not needing to say it twice, I fluttered my eyes open to meet Keigo's gaze once again, feeling the situation around us fading away as we began to get drunk on each other's presence.

Keigo kept his touches light and gentle, with his face slowly starting to close in on mine, golden eyes becoming tempted to give in to what he truly wanted as they focused on my lips for the first time.

It's as if he just couldn't help himself, despite the impossible circumstances.

And neither could I.

But, fate and timing had a different idea as Keigo's wings suddenly fluttered up with panic, causing his hazy gaze to suddenly become clear as he interpreted the sound waves of his wings.

He muttered profanities, eyes closing in defeat a few seconds later, before he quickly pulled away from me in a flash.

The sudden change allowed me to get myself back to reality as well, letting out a breath I didn't even know I was holding as I slowly peeled my back off the wall.

"W-What's going on?" I asked raspily, hearing Keigo softly clear his throat and shake his head-as if to quickly put Keigo on the back burner again so Hawks could return.

"Skeptic's comin' back. I gotta go, I can't be seen with you. But, I'll be there tomorrow. For your quirk demonstration, alright? You won't be alone. I promise." He hushed out quickly, suddenly grabbing my hand in his for a single moment.

I dazedly looked down at our loosely intertwined hands, before looking back up at Keigo's face....seeing one last genuine smile gracing his lips.

"I promise." He whispered once more, giving my hand a reassuring squeeze, before he reluctantly released it and made his way to the door as fast as he could.

I didn't get a chance to say anything more as I watched Keigo leave the supply closet, feeling a hornet's nest of emotions buzzing around inside my heart for the situation at hand.

I've been at the Paranormal Liberation mansion for less than a day, and I'm already completely done with it all.

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Next Chapter Title: Healthy Competition.