Chapter Text
Sneaking into the Hero's home was surprisingly easy. He doesn't make a single sound, just slipping in and locking the door behind him. He sneaks though the house, trying to find any sign of the winged traitor. Dabi finally finds Hawks in his bedroom, pacing back and forth like something agitated him.
"The guilt finally getting to you?" Dabi snarls, surprising the hero out of his thoughts. Hawks scowls, sending three feathers his way. Dabi burns them without a second thought, enjoying the way Hawks winces. "What's wrong Hawks, can't handle a little heat?"
"Go away Dabi." Hawks snaps. Dabi chuckles, leaning against the doorframe.
"Nah. I don't think I will." Dabi's answer only seems to make Hawks even more pissed off.
"I said go away. Get out of my house Dabi. I'm a traitor, remember?" Hawks spits the word out, like it's something vile in his mouth that he can't stand the taste of. "I'm a spy, I sold you out. So why the fuck are you here?"
Dabi studies the man before him, letting the silence stretch until it's almost uncomfortable. Finally though, he shrugs and pushes off the wall, walking towards Hawks. Hawks raised his primaries, ready to attack or defend himself.
"Eye for an eye and all that shit." He says, stating the words as if it's one of the most obvious things. Hawks pales, but Dabi keeps talking. "You took one of ours, so I think it's only right to take someone form the heroes. And who better to kill then the one who struck first."
"Twice.... I didn't mean to kill him. I didn't want to kill him. But he-"
"Shut up. You're a hero. Heroes like you don't care about villains like Twice." Dabi snaps, the flames on his skin rising in both size in heat. Hawks stumbled back, trying to get away from the fire.
"Twice was a danger! I tried to offer him a way out, but he didn't want it!" Hawks says, voice rising to be heard over the flames. Dabi rolls his eyes.
"Sure. Whatever helps you sleep at night, hero." Dabi scowls. Hawks flinches, but doesn't defend himself. Dabi sees it now that he's looking closer at the man before him. Hawks' wings were messy and unkept. His hair hadn't been washed in three, maybe four, days. There were dark bags under his golden eyes, rivaling the scars that lay beneath Dabi's own. He was guilty. Truly guilty. Whether it was over killing Twice or betraying the League, Dabi doesn't know. But he'd be lying if he said he didn't care.
"This is eating you up, huh Hawks?" He taunts, enjoying the way his words got under Hawks' skin. "Which is it that keeps you up at night? The fact that you lied to the League? The fact that you knew you were never going to stay, and yet you kept leading everyone one? The fact that you killed Twice, who was a good man? Or maybe it's the fact that the Commission's golden hero is just as bad as us. Can't handle the fact that you're a villain, just like-"
"Shut up!" Hawks snaps, surging forward and pinning Dabi to the wall. Dabi blinks in surprise, not expecting the hero to actually respond to his taunts. His flames flickered out sharply from the jerked movement before Dabi sneers.
"Just admit Hawks. You've got just as much blood on you hands, if not more, as I do." Dabi says.
"I said shut up Dabi." Hawks voice cracks, and Dabi realizes the man is crying. Dabi had never once seen Hawks cry.
"Hawks-"
"Kill me." Hawks says, not looking up. Dabi falters, the words taking a moment to register. Sure, killing the hero is exactly what he came here for, but he hadn't expect the hero to actually ask to be killed.
"What?" The words scrapes against his throat uncomfortable, like Dabi didn't want Hawks to repeat what he said, but he needed to hear it again to make sure he heard Hawks correctly. Hawks looks up, eyes glossy with unshed tears.
"I said, please kill me." Hawks whispers. "I can't.... It feels like I can't breathe most days. I can't enjoy doing anything anymore. Every room I'm in feels too small. I'm so fucking tired. Please, Dabi, just kill me. It's what you came here for, right? To finish me off. Eye for an eye, like you said." The hope, the fucking hope, in Hawks voice when he asked Dabi if he came here to kill him made him feel utterly sick.
"I- Yeah. That's why I came here." Dabi says, watching as the hero sags in relief, in fucking relief, that her came here to kill Hawks. Hawks lets go of Dabi, stepping back. Dabi just stares at the man before him, not quite sure how to proceed.
"Dabi?" Hawks tilts his head, the same damn way he did whenever he didn't understand something one of the League members were explaining. Fuck, Dabi didn't want to admit it, but he loved him. He loved Hawks, but he had to kill him. He steps forward, but instead of roasting Hawks, he grabs him by his jacket collar and yanks him into a bruising kiss. Hawks lets out a surprised squawk, before melting into Dabi's touch.
"Dabi, I love you," Hawks whispered against his lips, causing Dabi's heart to skip a beat. "But please kill me." Dabi pulls back, looking at Hawks. There was no way he could be happy if he stayed alive. Or maybe there was, but Dabi didn't see it. Didn't see anything but the man he loved begging for death. So Dabi nods, slowly, kissing Hawks once more before leaving the house. He stands outside for a minute, before he sends fire to the building before him. He watches it go up in flames, knowing those flames are killing someone that he was never supposed to get close to.
When he gets back to the League's hideout that night, the news in on. The reporter is talking about what happened, how Hawks was dead. Toga looked at Dabi, unshed tears for her friend in them.
"Did you kill Hawksie.... because he killed Twice?" She asks. Dabi opens his mouth, mans to tell her he illed the bird because he could, but can't. Instead, he simply says the truth.
"I went there to kill him for killing Twice. I ended up killing him because he asked me to." There's a tense silence that follows.
"Maybe Hawksie and Twice will be happy, wherever they are. They'll wait for us, right?" Toga asks. Dabi isn't sure. He doesn't know what comes after death. But he is hopeful.
"Yeah Toga. They'll wait for us." Dabi isn't quite sure who he's trying to convince with those words, Toga or himself.