Top pic credit: KadeArt

Ari POV:

"Do you have anything else I could wear? I mean it. Anything else. A potato sack. A bed comforter. A bathrobe." I threw out casually, trying to be as nice as possible as I assessed the little black dress on my body that was much more than just little.

Toga let out a small giggle as she came up behind me in the mirror, making my adrenaline instincts kick in when she abruptly placed both hands on my shoulders.

It took everything inside of me to not activate my quirk on her.

"No can do, silly! This is the longest dress I own. Besides, it's not even that short. You're just way taller than me, so it's shorter on you. If anything, that makes it your fault, right?" She grinned playfully, giving my ass an unannounced smack which caused me to jump.

"Yeah. Guess it's my fault...for....growing." I mumbled, puffing out my cheeks as I stared at my outfit in distaste.

The day went by way too quickly, leaving nothing left but the night of the Paranormal Liberation party.

Per Re-Destro's 'kind request' (ahem, orders), any heroes within the PLF ranks are required to wear casual clothes for the event, instead of their hero suits. He claimed the reason for this was because he didn't want any dividers between the heroes and the PLF members, and that it's more in fashion with the liberation spirit to just wear what we want.

But, me being the dipshit that I am, I didn't pack any casual clothes with me-or, I didn't pack anything useful that I can actually wear out in public, meaning I'd need to borrow clothes from someone so I could fit in.

Toga's the only person I could think to ask, which is how I ended up in her room. In one of her casual dresses.

I groaned uncomfortably, yanking the dress further down my thighs, yet it still only reached barely below my butt.

Not to mention, it's the dead of winter and absolutely freezing outside....

"Hey, I think I'm gonna throw my winter jacket on over this. Just to warm up a little." I suggested, reaching for my beloved big, puffy black jacket that was resting on her bed.

At least that can make this outfit a little more modest, somehow....sort of.

"Suit yourself, Ari! I really don't mind. I'm just happy there's finally another girl here that I can chat with. All the girls on the liberation side are bleh....not to mention that all they take about is Hawks this. Hawks that...." Toga started off cluelessly, tying up her hair in the mirror.

My lips scrunched up in annoyance with her words, causing me to put my jacket on a little more...passionately.

"Oh yeah...?" I uttered begrudgingly, saying the words as more of a rhetorical question. I didn't actually want Toga to expand on that.

And yet....

"Oh yeah, totally! It's always how hot he is. Or how dreamy his eyes are. Or what he would be like in bed. Hah! There are even contests around here to see who can get Hawks to sleep with them first!!" Toga cackled out in pure entertainment, causing my eyes to bug out of my head.

Keigo. I'm going to kill you. Even though the contest thing isn't your fault, I'm going to kill you, just because, damn it-

"And has anyone....you know...won the contest?" I asked through gritted teeth, pointlessly yanking my dress down a countless time.

Toga pursed her lips in thought, tossing me the hairbrush before she began placing Bobby pins in her hair.

"Mmmm, don't think so! I think one girl is close. You know, that cute blondie he's always hanging around and buying coffee for. I don't really know-but, anyways, who cares right?? The reason I like you, Ari, is because we can talk about other things! Don't gotta talk about Hawks, because he already dumped you!" She exclaimed happily, causing me to internally die inside upon hearing her words.

She really didn't mean it in a bad way though. She's just oblivious to her surroundings.

Jeez, no wonder her and Twice are friends. These two probably roast each other all the time and don't even realize it, because they're both so happy-go-lucky.

Heh, that's kinda funny.

Chuckling in slight amusement at the thought, I quickly ran the brush through my own hair, before buttoning up my jacket.

"Sure, you have a fair point." I shrugged casually, walking back over to her once she looked ready to go.

Toga turned around to face me, giving me a big smile as she saw my finished look.

"Ooo, you look sexy!" She smirked, giving her brows a suggestive wiggle.

I couldn't help but sigh in defeat at the fact that my jacket didn't do much to cover my legs, realizing I'd just have to walk in like this and do my best to own it.

"Thanks, Toga. You look good, too. Guess we should head downstairs, then?" I asked quickly, just wanting to get this damn party over with.

She nodded eagerly, quickly grabbing her own jacket before throwing the door open.

"Sure, lets go! Hopefully, it's not boring." She chuckled, holding the door open for me.

"Yeah. Hopefully not." I uttered halfheartedly in fake agreement, hoping it would be boring.

Because, if it's boring, that means nothing bad will happen.

************************************************

I hugged my jacket closer to my body as Toga and I walked downstairs, noticing through the windows that it had started to snow outside.

I haven't really had much time to take in the appearance of the place, since I've been too busy trying not to die. But, it's actually a pretty nice mansion.

To start out, it's huge. I don't know how many stories tall, but it's definitely similar to a hotel fashion. More than twenty. That's for sure.

As Toga and I reached the ground level, there was a giant chandelier hanging from the ceiling with millions of diamonds adorning the thing. It acted as a sort of centerpiece for the soft, dim lighting of the lobby-which I now noticed was filled to the absolute brim with people.

So much for a little gathering.

Damn. That means all of these people are villains...

The party had already begun as there was light music playing, with clumps of people conversing in their groups. Everyone was everywhere-on the stairs, in the courtyard, at the bar, sitting at tables. The scene was a little funny to me as it seemed that everyone had their own clique here, similar to high school.

Hopefully, no one breaks out into simultaneous song about 'sticking to the status quo.'

I immediately began scanning the crowd for a guy with red wings and blonde, wavy hair like a sex god, but there were too many people in my way to see much.

Instead, a loud whistling sound of greeting was heard from my right side, causing Toga and I to quickly turn our heads towards it.

Standing at one of the cocktail tables was a brooding Dabi and an enthusiastic, waving Twice, who was trying to get our attention.

"Hey!! Yoo-hoo, you two! Over here!" Twice exclaimed, suddenly waving his hands around more frantically-as if his over the top greeting wasn't already enough to make us notice him.

Toga immediately matched Twice's behavior, waving back as she grabbed ahold of my wrist to drag me over.

"Hi, Jin!!" She grinned, nudging Dabi out of the way so she could hug the split man warmly.

I begrudgingly showed up behind Toga, seeing there was no other choice than to stand next to Dabi.

Great start to the night....

Dabi took a sip of his beer, trailing his ocean eyes over my appearance until they stopped at my bare legs.

He chuckled in amusement at the sight, giving his head a slight tilt.

"Want some pants to go with that shirt you got on, Princess?" He teased, raising his brows playfully as he took another swig.

"Oh, shut up." I muttered blandly, rolling my eyes lightly as I rested my arms atop the clothed table.

He simply shrugged at my remark, hovering his distance a little closer to me, while Twice and Toga babbled on about whatever it is they talk about.

"Hey, I ain't complaining. It's just cold. I'm merely looking out for you." He retorted mockingly, propping his elbow on the table as he kept his attention on me.

I don't have the patience for this.

Already tired of being here, I decided to take my chances on my own, instead of sticking with the league.

"Gee, you're a real Prince Charming." I snarked out to Dabi sarcastically, immediately turning on my heel to hang out in some other part of the mansion.

"Where you going?" He asked casually, quickly popping up right behind me as I walked.

"Away." I responded curtly, starting to scan my eyes around the unfamiliar terrain to decide where I should go. Or, who I should talk to-

"Want a drink?" Dabi questioned boredly, easily shoving his way past the people to catch up to my side.

I scoffed in irritation at his persistence, feeling my mood souring to a new level-and I've been here for less than five minutes.

"No, Dabi. I don't want a drink. What I want, is to get away from you-"

"Yeah, well before you decline my offer completely, you should know that your precious bird is currently sitting at the bar. I'm sure that'll change your mind, right?" He quickly said, causing my steps to slowly halt in their tracks.

Letting out a small sigh, I subtly peered my gaze over to the bar area, finally noticing a head of messy blonde hair, along with a set of vibrant vermillion wings. His back was turned to me, as he spoke to the bartender.

I didn't really know anyone else here. And while I know Keigo and I can't really converse too much tonight, I....at least, wanted to just...say hi.

Especially, if Dabi's gonna continue following me around everywhere. At least Keigo's presence seems to act like some sort of bug repellent.

"Mhm. That's what I thought. So, want a drink, or what?" Dabi asked again, keeping his hands in his pockets as he nodded towards the bar area.

I pursed my lips in final thought before begrudgingly agreeing, following Dabi over to the bar.

I was thankful that he didn't make small talk on our way there. If anything, he was probably already starting to get in a bad mood, since the only way I'd even talk to him is if he bribed me with Keigo's appearance. That's pretty pathetic on both our parts, if you ask me.

That damn bird is a pain in both of our asses, it seems....

Coming up behind Keigo, Dabi harshly patted him on the back, causing the bird boy to jump out of his bar stool in slight unease.

Turning his attention away from the bartender, Keigo's half lidded honey orbs turned to Dabi with lazy boredom, tilting his head at him in careless question. He didn't notice me yet, since Dabi's body was blocking the sight of my presence.

"Sup?" Keigo drawled out to him smoothly, slowly playing with the swizzle stick of his whiskey between those perfectly white teeth.

Damn, that's hot.

But, it wasn't just the action of what he was doing with his mouth that made him hot. It was his entire presence.

I've become so used to seeing the goofy chicken that Keigo truly is everyday, that I forgot how much sex appeal and allure Hawks manages to ooze with his presence on the daily.

Shit. No wonder all the girls want a piece of that.

He was in casual clothes, just like he was supposed to be. Even so, Keigo's color schemes and look weren't all that different tonight than his usual attire. He still sported a thick brown jacket with a big collar. But, compared to the flight jacket that accompanies his hero suit, this jacket was clearly more for style, rather than durability.

I was extremely jealous of the warm, winter scarf and thick undershirt combo he had on underneath, as he was clearly very appropriately dressed for this snowy weather. Unlike me.

His blonde locks were still messy and disheveled, yet thick and soft in a way that made me wanna run my hands through them.

To top it all off, the dim lighting of the bar illuminated his jeweled eyes in a way that outlined their avian appearance, while also adding a piercing glow of attraction.

Too busy drooling over my ex-boyfriend to even properly come up next to Dabi, the stitched man quickly reached around behind him, gently dragging me in front of his body so Hawks could see me-as if I were some show-and-tell project.

The moment Keigo's eyes landed on me, their suave, sexy appearance quickly dropped and morphed into surprise, instead. His jaw fell open slightly at my appearance, causing the swizzle stick to fall out of his mouth.

"A-Ari. Hi...." Keigo uttered softly, losing a handle on his Hawks demeanor for a moment as he met my eyes with a gentle warmth that I've become so nostalgic for.

It made my stupid heart flutter.

I smiled lightly, hovering just a tad closer to him as I felt his presence pulling me in.

He was still sitting, yet I was close enough to smell his sweet, familiar scent and look down at those arms of his, that looked so inviting....practically begging me to take just a few more steps forward, so they could wrap around me and hold me close, the way they always have. I couldn't help but quickly imagine how it would feel to just give him a simple hug.

There was so much I wanted to say to him. So much affection I wanted to give. So badly did I want to tell him to ditch this mission and just run away with me, forgetting our responsibilities.

But, of course....I couldn't say any of that.

So, instead...

"Hey." I simply uttered, knowing there wasn't really much else I could say with all of the barriers that were blocking our real communication. Dabi, the wing cameras, the overall situation. You name it, and it's probably a hindrance to Keigo and I.

.....not that I'm trying to be negative tonight. I guess...I'm just a little tired, since this seems to be how it always is....

Letting out a small sigh to try and clear the negative thoughts from my head, I was about to make small talk with Hawks, in an attempt to speak with Keigo, any way I could.

That is....until a certain someone gave me the rude reminder that even something like that isn't possible.

"So, where's your ditz, bird?" Dabi stated from behind me, ensuring that I would hear his question properly.

Ditz, huh. I bet, he's talking about Groupie Girl.

I immediately tensed up when I felt Dabi's body warmth radiate dangerously close to mine, feeling the scratchy tufts of his black hair brushing against my cheek as he leaned over my shoulder to speak to Keigo.

I was highly considering shoving him off me, until I looked around the premise and noticed a few liberation eyes 'subtly' looking at me.

Those are Re-Destro's people. I need to appear like I fit in here, which means I'll just need to tough out Dabi's close distance for now.

Keigo's eyes quickly noticed Dabi's new close distance to me, causing any previous warmth or softness in his eyes to immediately flee and replace with a look of lethal sharpness instead.

And I know it was killing him that he couldn't say anything about it, considering his monitored situation. So instead, he took a deep, slow breath, swallowing the growing anger he was feeling with a swig of whiskey.

"That girl's not my ditz. She's just a ditz." He muttered dismissively, tearing his gaze away from Dabi and I as his jaw clenched tightly.

Dabi chuckled lowly at Keigo's, obviously bitter, words, allowing me to feel the vibration of his chest tickling between my shoulder blades.

"Yeah. You said that about the last one, too. And the one before that. You know, Ari, this guy's got quite the record here with the ladies. He's known for being a bit of a....heartbreaker. Not that you'd know, or anything. Right?" Dabi smirked, before quickly turning his direction towards the bartender to wave him over.

Wow. Thanks for that brutal reminder of the problems between Keigo and I, Dabi. You asshole.

I kept my attention on Keigo, wanting to see if he would say anything to me about Dabi's comment. Especially, now that the stitched man was temporarily occupied with trying to flag the bartender down,

I don't really know what I was looking for him to say, quite honestly. I don't know what I wanted from him in that moment.

But, it clearly wasn't the reaction he chose to give.

I know he could feel my eyes on him. Yet, not even looking my way, Keigo simply sighed deflatedly, ignoring me as he took a heavier swig of his drink this time....blankly staring ahead at absolutely nothing.

Ouch. That kinda hurt.

Yeah, yeah. I know, alright? He can't say anything to Dabi's statement. He can't deny it. He can't apologize for the way he broke my heart. He can't say anything with the way he's being watched. Blah, blah, blah.

It's all typical to his mission. Right?

Once again, it's just expected of him. Right?

And, also once again, it's still disappointing.

Just let it go, Ari. Let it go, the same way you do everything else. It's not important. You know Keigo can't do anything about this, so why get upset? It's not his fault.

Slowly tearing my gaze away from Keigo, I wordlessly faced forward, as well...tiredly propping my chin in my hands as I rested my elbows on the table.

Luckily, the bartender was the savior of this conversation tonight, as he interrupted this tense moment of unspoken hurt between Keigo and I, looking expectant as he waited for someone to order a drink.

"Another Scotch." Keigo muttered to him lifelessly, quickly downing the rest of his current glass before sliding it aside.

The bartender nodded, already starting to make Keigo's drink, before he turned to me in question.

"Oh....uh...." I mumbled in awkward thought, realizing he wanted my drink order.

I jumped slightly when I felt a heavy arm lug over my shoulders now, already knowing the touch was from Dabi.

"You probably like it sweet, right?" He asked in genuine question, surprising me with the natural tone of his voice this time, instead of that usual malicious mock he always uses.

Yeah. I know the drinking age in Japan is twenty....

But, I'm almost nineteen years old, and a little curious. Eighteen is the legal drinking age in some places. One glass won't hurt, and it's not as if I'm planning to go Kamui Woods crazy on everyone again.

"Hmm. A little sweet sounds fine, I guess. What drink is sweet?-"

Keigo muttered some type of bitter insult about Dabi 'corrupting me' from his spot, waving his hand at the bartender, before Dabi could order me a drink.

"No. No way-Hey, man, this girl's too young to drink, so don't take her order-"

"As if he cares. Clearly, you're forgetting where you're currently at, hero." Dabi interrupted with that familiar, sharp rudeness laced back into his voice now.

Keigo's fists suddenly balled up atop the bar counter, as I know the stitched man was starting to get to him. Ignoring Dabi completely, Keigo turned his bloodshot golden orbs on me with a powerful authority that, admittedly, sent a nervous shiver down my spine.

He never looks at me like that. So threateningly. So cold.

"Listen here, don't even think about getting a drink, Ari. Alright? I'm serious. I won't allow you to even, so much as, touch it." He ordered rudely, his low tone of irritation only growing the longer me, him, and Dabi sat here.

Keigo's not the controlling type, so this behavior from him is very unfamiliar and unusual to me.

He's always been a guy who encourages us to have our own independence from each other at times, and I do, too. Because of that, I know a commanding statement, like what he just said, was only him misdirecting his anger for Dabi and taking it out on me, instead.

But, even so....I was feeling a little annoyed with the way we've been interacting tonight. And this morning. And for the past damn month-

So, I couldn't help but scoff at his stupid order, giving him a dismissive roll of my eyes.

"Watch the attitude, Hawks. I don't appreciate it, so you better knock it off." I warned him firmly, giving my hair a flip off my shoulder as I turned back towards the bartender.

"I will take a drink." I said confidently, pursing my lips in thought to an order, before Dabi cut in.

"Give her a Moscow Mule, and I'll take another one of these." Dabi stated, giving his empty beer bottle a shake for emphasis, before turning to me.

"You'll like the Mule, I think. Tastes like ginger ale." He explained casually, causing Keigo to harshly slam his whiskey glass on the counter in anger.

"Yeah. Hopefully, you control yourself and don't get shit faced this time. But, who knows. Good luck to you." He muttered bitterly, clearly speaking to me, yet still ignoring me at the same time, since he kept his eyes straight ahead.

I felt my blood immediately boil up at this continuing attitude from him, making me want to involuntarily start talking back.

But....Dabi was here, currently smirking in entertainment as he watched this tense moment with Keigo and I go down, clearly hoping it would escalate into something angrier.

I refuse to give him that satisfaction. So, being the bigger person, I decided to just let it go.

"Look....if I were you, I'd think about cooling it. For your own sake." I said to him as calmly as I could, before the bartender handed me my drink.

Keigo chuckled condescendingly as he watched me take a sip of it from his peripheral vision, clearly in the mood for a fight now.

"That's funny. You're acting as if I'm the bad guy here-" He seethed out to me quietly, before a girl tapped him on the shoulder from behind.

As quick as lightning, Keigo immediately cleared away the sour attitude he had with me, turning around to give this girl his full, positive attention.

It was Groupie Girl.

"Hey, Hawks." She smiled cooly, ignoring Dabi and I as she practically eye fucked my boyfriend-or ex-boyfriend, right? I don't fucking know, anymore.

Acting as if he'd been in a fantastic mood all night, Keigo forced his eyes to light up at the sight of this girl, faking a look like she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen.

"Hey there, cutie pie! Ya made it-ooo, and can I just say, you look smokin.'" Hawks stated over-dramatically, letting out a douchey cat-call whistle at her as he grinned mechanically.

"Oh, gimme a break, before I barf." I groaned just loud enough for him to hear, purposely turning my eyes away from the two so I wouldn't have to see this.

However, I could still hear. And what I heard was the girl laughing and walking closer to Keigo, causing him to quickly speak up again.

"Woah there, sweet cheeks. Personal space. Let's pump the brakes on the pda, alright? What I meant to say is that you're so smoking, I'm afraid to even touch you. Wouldn't want this bird to turn into teppanyaki now!" He rehearsed, quickly throwing in a strategic laugh afterwards to ease any tensions his words may have carried in the girl's eyes.

His tone with her was forced. It was uncaring and insincere. So much so, it was almost a little too obvious that he wasn't interested in her. I know he doesn't want to flirt with her.

And yet, it still annoyed me. It still hurt me. It still made my patience run thin, anyways, as I felt myself breaking a little bit.

I know. It's part of his job. Hawks is a charmer. That's how he's always been. It's always the same with him.

Sighing deflatedly, I took a sip of my drink, not really in the mood to focus on the actual taste of it as I heard the vibrant chats and giggles of Hawks and Groupie from next to me.

"Hm? Don't like the drink?" Dabi asked me with fake curiosity a few minutes later, clearly already knowing what had me down.

But, me being the stubborn person I am, I didn't wanna indulge him with the obvious truth.

"Yep. Don't like the drink. Sorry you had to buy it." I muttered dryly, taking another small sip of it.

He chuckled knowingly, giving his head a small nod of acknowledgement.

"Whatever. I don't think it's the drink that's the problem, anyways." He pressed teasingly, before a new person forced their way in between Dabi and I.

The shove from this person caused me to stumble backwards, making me about to lose my balance before Keigo quickly hopped off his bar stool to catch me.

The only way he'd even be able to catch me like that, is if he'd been paying attention to what I was doing.

Turning his back to the girl he was talking to, Keigo caught me in his arms, instinctively wrapping his wings around me for a second.

"You okay? Don't tell me you're already tipsy. Do you need me to take you back to your room? Cause I will." He asked me quietly, yet his voice wasn't angry, anymore. It was full of nothing but genuine concern.

Knowing everyone was watching curiously to see how Hawks and I, two heroes in a room full of villains, would react to each other...I quickly scrambled out of his arms, barely giving him a glance.

He shouldn't be so focused on me. He should be focusing on trying to charm this girl to learn more about the war that's coming. I should be focusing on trying to learn the names and faces of the PLF ranks. He should be focusing on his work. I should be focusing on mine. We should all just be focusing....on our work.

"No, I'm not drunk. I'm fine. I fell. J-Just....don't worry about me. I'm not what you should be focusing on. It's alright." I uttered to him quietly, quickly turning my attention back towards Dabi so I didn't draw anymore eyes on Keigo and I.

He simply nodded in acknowledgement, immediately turning back to Groupie without hesitation.

Yeah, Keigo and I have gotten pretty good about playing off our attraction for each other in public. It's the usual, after all. That's how it always is. How it's always been. Even in the hero world, Keigo and I are never allowed to be seen together.

We can't ever just go out like a normal couple, no matter where we are. It's disheartening.

Disappointing. But. Expected-

But, it's okay. I'm fine. We're fine.

....it's okay. Stay positive.

Forcefully pushing away the poisonous thoughts that continued to hack away at my heart, I turned my attention to the person who pushed me, immediately getting a look at who it was.

Oh....give me a break.

I don't have the patience for this right now.

"You blind? Or just plain stupid? Don't shove me like that again, pretty boy." I retorted at Geten, taking a sip of my drink as he glared at me over-dramatically.

"I didn't shove you." He spat out in a lie, before he was harshly shoved to the side by Dabi.

"Hey, watch where you're going, ice bastard, before I wring your neck out like a squeaker toy." Dabi stated casually, looking unbothered as ever as he bore his eyes at Geten.

The ice man simply rolled his eyes dismissively, giving a shrug to his shoulders as he leaned his back against the bar counter.

"Maybe you morons shouldn't be clogging up the room, so I'd have more space to walk then." Geten huffed out, his switch of position unintentionally allowing me to see the black and blue bruise that littered the side of his face.

Courtesy of me.

Smirking softly, I just couldn't help myself....

"How's that shiner, pal? Couldn't have felt good to lose that fight, huh?" I uttered with a click of my tongue, grinning widely when he shot his icy eyes at me with hot fury.

"And who said I lost? Last time I checked, you got a brain full of ice. Good thing, too. At least now, there's something to sit inside that empty head of yours." Geten spat out, making me laugh at how angry he was.

Keigo continued speaking distractedly to Groupie, barely looking over in my direction when he heard Geten practically screaming at me.

"Yikes. Didn't mean to strike a nerve and hurt your feelings." I stated in mock apology, feeling the sound of Keigo and the girl laughing grating uncomfortably against my ear drums.

I hate this. I hate it so much. I'm unhappy-no, I'm not unhappy. I'm fine-

Losing my focus on roasting Geten, I felt the smirk fall from my face as I pinched the bridge of my nose in irritation.

But, Geten being the dipshit that he is, thought I was getting upset because of him.

And that's truly laughable.

"Hah! You can dish it out, but can't take it? Just what I'd expect from a dog of the state like you." He said smugly, causing me to groan in annoyance for the little bug he is.

I need a good retort to this whole "dog of the state" nonsense...

But, apparently, I'm in no mood to think of anything clever.

"Oh, shut up you....cat...of the...country..." I uttered in distracted, lame insult, before I saw Keigo's groupie inch closer to him from the corner of my eye.

He still didn't touch her. But, he didn't push her away, either. He simply bore his flirty eyes into her face, allowing her standing knees to brush against his sitting ones while she talked his ear off.

And even the simple action of that hurt my feelings. Damn. I've become so sensitive, lately. It annoys me, that I'm being such a drama queen.

It shouldn't hurt me this much. Right? After all, I knew what I signed up for when I started dating Keigo. The double agent mission. The appearance as Hawks. The secrecy our relationship has to have, in order for us to stay together. The sacrifices we both have to make, in order for this to work.

He already told me he comes with a lot of baggage. He's told me he considers himself damaged goods. And for all this time, I've tried to keep this in mind. I've always tried to be patient, and positive, and convince myself that I'm okay with this 'normal.'

But, as if it weren't already completely obvious lately, Keigo and I have been going through a major rough patch with each other, ever since the 'breakup.' We don't get to speak much, anymore. And when we do, it usually always escalates into a fight. Or it's always rushed, because we're trying to get a word in before something bad happens again.

There's always a feeling of gloom looming over our heads now, because in the back of our minds, we know our time together can't last for more than a few moments.

And then, because we can't seem to gain the power to fully resist each other, and just let go....and acknowledge that things aren't going well between us, we give each other these bouts of unhinged affection whenever we can...putting our feelings and relationship in a state of limbo that makes it impossible and painful to keep up with.

And I'm tired. I am tired.

And distracted by it. So is he.

For example, Keigo and I are here....sitting next to each other, not speaking, and surrounded by a crowd of villains, letting them chat our ears off.

Yet....it's clear to see that neither one of us are actually listening to what's being said-and that's not how it should be. We should be listening and acquiring a list of mental notes that we can drum up for this war.

But, no. Instead, Geten's speaking to me, but all I can hear is Keigo's blank voice ringing through the air a few inches away....trying to work this girl over into giving him what he wants.

And Keigo. His job is to charm her and make her feel like she's the only girl in the room, yet I can see how distant and empty his eyes are towards his culprit, not being able to stop those distracted, golden orbs from flickering back over to me every few moments.

We're both failing our tasks. Because of each other.

So, not only are we going through a rough patch in our relationship....but to make it worse, we're still managing to distract each other from even getting our work done properly. And that's not okay.

"Idiot. Did you hear what I just said?" Geten nagged in my ear, causing me to pop out of my gloomy haze.

I blankly turned my eyes on the ice man, unable to even hide the fact that he didn't have my attention.

"No. What?" I asked blandly, no longer holding up this arrogant act with him. I didn't really care, anymore. I was starting to not care about anything.

"I said...." Geten began rambling on, before I heard....

"Wanna dance, Hawks?" Groupie asked casually, biting her lip softly before she grabbed ahold of his hand.

Keigo hesitated for a moment, resisting the urge to glance at me in his peripheral vision, before he roughly cleared his throat.

"I'm not that great on the dance floor, actually. But, I really enjoy talkin' to you. I was really interested in what you were saying about this liberation stuff, so why don't we just stick to that, huh?" He asked smoothly, leaning his back against the bar counter and resting his arms atop it to get more comfortable.

But, this girl wasn't dumb. She was a little more well spoken than someone like Kiara. She knew what she wanted.

"Tell you what, bird boy. You wanna keep talking? I'll only do that if you dance with me." She smirked challengingly, wrapping her hand firmly around Keigo's limp one in an attempt to get him on the dance floor.

Yeah. I know what's coming. Better prepare myself, I guess. Right?

Keigo was silent for a moment, acting as if he actually had some sort of choice in the matter before he came to his damn senses.

Chuckling halfheartedly, he now allowed himself to touch her as he grabbed her hand in his.

She smirked coyly with victory, dragging him off his barstool lightly.

"Let's continue our talk on the dance floor then." He uttered roughly, having a tough time concealing the exhaustion in his voice.

He's tired, too.

"Maybe. Dance floor's loud though, so you'll have to hold me close if you wanna hear." She stated confidently, making a clear advance on him now that made me wanna puke.

Relax, Ari. It's just part of his job. You know this. You signed up for this. Don't be so immature and dramatic-

"Don't have to tell me twice." Keigo flirted back emptily, his voice coming out obviously guilty that time, as he knew I heard the words.

I watched blankly as Keigo and the girl walked onto the dance floor, feeling my throat tightening up when she pressed her back into his chest.

I watched her mouth move as she spoke, causing Keigo's eyes to suddenly hyper focus at what she was saying....meaning that it was probably useful information for our cause.

Buttering her up a little more, Keigo's hands now went to her waist, holding her stiffly so she'd continue talking. And she did.

He didn't look over at me. I didn't expect him to.

A rough patch. Yes, that's all this is. Keigo and I are going through a rough patch. Every couple has them, right? It's okay.

"No one's listening to you, fucker. Hit the road." Dabi suddenly stated, the sound of his voice pulling me back to reality.

I dazedly looked over at him, realizing he was talking to Geten, who apparently had been talking for the better part of a few minutes.

Geten's eyes widened in fury, about to argue again, before another liberation member came up behind him. I didn't recognize this person.

"Geten." The guy said, quickly causing the ice man to turn around.

"Re-Destro already turned in for the night. Skeptic's absolutely wasted, so can you take him back to his room? He needs to sleep it off. Don't want Re-Destro to know he got drunk." The liberation guy said, before gesturing to a passed out Skeptic at one of the bar tables.

What a moron.

Letting out a small scoff of annoyance, Geten begrudgingly trudged away....not wanting to take Skeptic back to his room, but having too much respect for Re-Destro to say no.

Whatever. At least it made him leave.

But, it's a double edged sword, since it now leaves me left alone with Dabi once again.

Resisting the urge to look at Keigo and his new girlfriend on the dance floor, I turned my back to them in an attempt to make things a little easier on myself.

It's like the Kiara and Kamui situation all over again. Have Keigo and I really made no progress since then? That's very disappointing.

I took another small sip of my drink, realizing it's been sitting for long enough to where the ice had melted and watered it down already.

Damn. We've been here for that long, huh....

"You okay?" Dabi asked me boredly, leaning his back against the bar counter as he watched Hawks and the girl dance.

I heard that liberation guy, who spoke to Geten, say Re-Destro has already left the party...meaning he's no longer watching me here. Plus, it doesn't seem like I'll be able to find any liberation people to speak with, since they don't seem to enjoy outsiders invading their space. Not to mention, I'm just not in the mood.

Taking one more sip of my watery drink, I slid it aside, standing up from my seat.

"Yep. Peachy. I actually think I'm gonna turn in for the night. I'm tired-"

"You don't have to pretend, you know. It's just us, here. No need for the act." Dabi quickly cut me off, keeping his eyes on Hawks and the girl as he spoke the words smugly.

I immediately let out a sigh of annoyance at his words, not having the energy to do this with him right now.

"Look, Dabi. I just want to go to bed-"

"I know you've been thinking about what I said the other day. Whether you wanna admit it or not. Whether you wanna admit that it's my voice in your head, or not....I know you are." He stated casually, lazily turning his eyes on me now as he waited for my response.

Trying to let his words bounce off the inner workings of my mind, I simply shook my head dismissively.

"No. I don't know what you're-"

"You're tired, Ari. I can see it in your eyes. You're tired of getting disappointed. You're tired of getting hurt. By him. You're....tired of it." He said smoothly, voice clear and calm so I'd be able to absorb every bit of his statement.

And to be honest with you, I really didn't reflect much on the conversation that Dabi and I had, the other day. It really wasn't something that had stayed with me.

Or, at least, that's what I thought until now when I felt his words leave an unexpected pain inside my heart.

Balling my fists atop the counter in frustration, I refused to give Dabi the satisfaction that he wanted.

Yet, my overcompensating tone of anger betrayed the words that came out of my mouth.

"You don't know what the hell you're talking about, so just stay out of it." I seethed out lowly, giving my head a small shake of denial as I kept my gaze trained on a random crack of the table.

Dabi simply shrugged, hovering his body a little closer to me so he could whisper into my ear.

"At least for your sake, stop lying to yourself. It's hard to watch, when it's so clear to see how unhappy you are..." He whispered maliciously, carefully placing his hand on my shoulder to try and turn me around to face the dance floor. To face the problems I've been trying to avoid for too long.

However, I didn't allow him to turn me, harshly smacking his arm off me as I ran a hand through my hair.

No. Come on, Ari. Keep it together. You love him. It's okay. Everything's fine-

"It must hurt. To never have his full attention, huh? To constantly watch him flirt with other women? Love you in private, yet never actually show your relationship off to the world. Always making excuses for his behavior. Always playing off his hurtful actions as okay. You're not a priority in his life, Ari. You never were. You never will be, no matter what sickly, sweet bullshit he spews about it. Sure, it's not his fault, right. The dipshit probably means well, but he just can't seem to ever deliver on his promises. Right? Heh, call me crazy, but that kinda makes it sound like you're just his side bi-" Dabi chuckled, before I quickly cut him off.

I snapped my eyes at the stitched man, glaring at him in honest rage as I've finally had the last straw with him for the night.

"Let's get something straight, okay? You don't know me, Dabi. Sure, there's a lot you can learn when you stalk a person. You know my family. You know my quirk and my fighting style. But, despite what you may think, you don't know me. You don't know Hawks. And you don't know anything about our relationship. So, whatever game you think you're playing in trying to poison my head and tell me lies? Guess what, you're losing this game. There's nothing you can say that would ever make me listen to you. Nothing." I spat out angrily, keeping my voice rude and hostile in hopes that he would get the picture.

Yes. Of course, I believe what I'm saying. It's the truth.

Yet, all Dabi did was simply nod his head in the direction of the dance floor, not even glancing in my direction.

"Sure. I may not know you, the way he does. But, I know you. I know how much you really love him. I can see it. And if you really wanna know the truth? I actually feel sorry for you. Especially since your entire relationship is gonna be a lifetime of that." He said, causing me to reluctantly turn around to see what he was looking at.

Keigo was on the dance floor, still holding onto the groupie....laughing softly as she planted a kiss on his cheek.

And that action alone was what did it for me. Sure, it's not the worst thing I could have caught sight of. It's just a cheek kiss. But, it was the equivalent to the straw that broke the camel's back. The thing that finally got to me and forced my heart to evaluate the unhappy reality that Keigo and I have been living in. The unhappy, hopeless future that we have to look forward to.

When does it end? His infiltration mission? Hawks? The lies? The apologies? The heartbreak?

When does it end? Does it ever end? Even if he retires, he's been this man, Hawks, for so long, can he even stop being this person of manipulation and lies?

It's not just this past month. I've tried. From the moment I've met him, I've tried to love him and support him, no matter what. I wanted nothing more than for him to share his life with me and indulge in the unreachable, fairy tale ending that we all so desperately crave.

But, I see now...

That an ending like that will never happen for Keigo and I. No matter how hard we try, it seems that there is always something that's going to stand in our way.

And I am tired. I am so tired of trying to fight to make it work, when it clearly won't. It's just hurting both of us.

This was it for me. My snap. My breaking point.

And it's different from how I imagined it would be.

I didn't cry. I didn't yell. I didn't cause a scene. I simply stared into oblivion, feeling my heart falling apart, bit by bit inside my soul. Feeling the darkness washing over me like the waves of a stormy ocean.

It hurt.

It hurt so much, that I couldn't even react.

"All I'm saying is....you deserve better." Dabi finished boredly, watching me stare at Keigo blankly.

He knew. He knew he got to me. He knew he won.

Calm as ever...I carefully set my, mostly full, drink down on the table as I began walking away.

"Eat a dick, Dabi." I said to him emotionlessly, before making my way out of the lobby.

He simply chuckled with a hint of bitter victory laced in his voice, not bothering to follow me as he got himself comfy at the bar.

He knew he finally broke me.

"Goodnight, Princess. Sleep tight." He called out in mock cheerfulness before slamming the rest of his beer in his own type of masked pain.

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Next Chapter Title: Beauty In The Sacrifice (Part 1 &2).

It will be a double update to celebrate 400k reads on this story! Thank you so much, it means the world to me ❤️❤️