Flying to Fukuoka Tower felt like going in for an interrogation. There was no way Meiko could hide from Hawks. As much as she said she disliked him (or pretended to), his intelligence was no joke. It would have been easy for him to figure out why she had to run after their meeting with that man (not dad, never dad). The similarities she shared with him were far too obvious to be ignored.

Meiko had intended for this secret to remain buried forever, but life did not work out that way.

Arriving at the tower early would have meant taking in the view of the beautiful sunset. It cast the sky in beautiful glows of orange, red and yellow, all colours she adored. However, today was not a day to admire the sun and the sky. Meiko sat down on the circular, metallic net on the top of the tower, lost in the vicious maze of her buried feelings. It also didn't help that she felt a lot.

She watched the sun go down, down and down till it sank beneath the horizon. Now the sky was covered in inky darkness, barely any stars visible except for the pole star. But even that was a small, blurry dot in the sky, hidden by the pollution from the city.

Hawks would arrive soon, Meiko remembered. Today was another planned day of patrolling. Before anything else, he would have questions. And there was no way she could run away from answering. She was prepared to tackle questions...wasn't she?

She slapped herself hard, and that too with her gloved hands, not even caring how badly it would hurt. This was not her. She didn't care about unimportant things such as the non-existent relationships between her and the man who had once been someone who mattered. She was Astra, the Stellar Hero. She was fine. Meiko did not let petty things affect her at all. She was okay.

Probably.

A loud flap of wings caught her attention. She felt him land right next to her on the platform. Meiko didn't say anything, waiting for Hawks to start this conversation. But there was quiet. Things were so quiet that Meiko couldn't help but start fidgeting with her hands, wondering why the hell was Hawks, a man known to be talkative, so quiet.

She stared at her hands, absentmindedly tracing the tiny scar on her right knuckle. Suddenly, a hand landed on her head, and she jolted. She turned around and looked at Hawks, who of all the strange things to do, had started patting her head.

"Uh exactly why are you doing that?" Meiko just stared at him, unable to understand the meaning of his actions.

"You looked like you needed it," Hawks simply answered.

Huh? Why was it so hard to read him today?

There was no easy way to respond. She looked away, staring out at the stunning cityscape at night. After a few moments, Hawks stopped patting her head. "I kind of figured that the guy we.."

"It was my dad," Meiko blurted out, unable to stop herself. Maybe it would be nice to admit this to someone she didn't know enough. "We don't really have a good relationship. Frankly, we don't have a relationship. I haven't seen either of my parents in four years, so seeing him like this was not good for me. He didn't acknowledge that I was his daughter, which is fine, he and my mother were the ones who disowned me in the first place. I hate him so much...it was just heartbreaking, you know? He's...he was my dad after all. It's just hard to deal with him...I just..."

"Some people are just horrible," Hawks quietly said. "They don't deserve to be parents."

The way he said it was softer and quieter than she had expected. Like he knew what it was like...like he understood.

"Got terrible parents too?"

"Yeah," The finality in his tone signalled an end to that line of conversation.

They sat in a strangely companionable silence, the whistles of the wind loud and the night as dark as it had always been. Hawks, once again, was the first one to speak.

"So," He poked her side, grinning widely. "Your last name is Tanaka. What's your first name?

Meiko looked at him sharply. He was acting the same as he always did. Or maybe...just maybe, this was his way of trying to make her feel better. Even if there were ulterior motives behind his behaviour, she'd like to think there was a part of him that was just nice. "How come you're so curious all of a sudden? I'm not telling you just like that."

"You could just tell me," Hawks looked like he was pouting. Or pretending to. "I promise I won't reveal it to the media."

"So why don't you share your name?" Meiko answered, feeling a smile spread on her face as well. "An equivalent exchange."

For the briefest moment, Hawks' expression shifted into something darker, as though a shadow was passing over his face. Just as quickly, that shadow disappeared and his expression brightened once more, like a mask that had been put on. "My mouth is sealed."

"Then I'm not saying anything either. Guess we're going to be at a stalemate now."

"I guess we are."

Meiko took a deep breath. Was she fine? Probably not.  But this short conversation with Hawks had been surprisingly helpful, and the storm of emotions brewing inside her had settled, albeit to a calm breeze. But thoughts of her parents, of her father, still remained with her. Meiko only wished her feelings would remain as stable as they were now. "We should go now. We have work to do."

"Right. The case."

"Yeah, the case. Don't tell me you forgot?"

"Of course, I didn't. But you...are you up for it?"

"Hmm...of course," Meiko answered with a snort. "Maybe I feel a bit discombobulated. But I'm still in control.

"If you want to skip patrol today and just sit..." Hawks started to say, but Meiko raised a hand to stop him.

"Sit out and let you take all the glory? Hell nah."

"Weren't you the one who was wallowing in emotions just a few minutes ago-"

She shook her head and let out a laugh. Maybe she still felt a bit shaken. But...damn it, her interaction with Hawks and him being himself was just making her feel a million times better already.

Meiko shook her head and let out a laugh. Yes, she still felt like she was in pain from her encounter with her father. But damn, her interaction with Hawks and him being himself was just making her feel ten times better already.

"Let's go, number 3."

*

Their next night of patrolling took place three days after that night on the tower. Other cases and events in the town took up their attention. But today was another dead night of patrolling. Nothing happened. No movement at their designated location to indicate that Suzuki was making his move. After the clock hit midnight, Meiko and Hawks decided it was time to go.

"That was boring," Meiko muttered as they got ready to depart. She was looking forward to passing out in her bed. "I thought we'd finally get something here, and be done with the case."

"That eager to get rid of me now?" Hawks looked indignant. "I am a fun person, just to let you know."

"If you have to say that you're fun, then you aren't fun."

"This conversation feels too familiar."

"Considering your tendency to talk about yourself, it sure must be."

Hawks dramatically huffed and turned away, his scarlet red wings spread out in the air. Even at night, they looked majestic, akin to a bird of prey. He looked ready to fly away, but turned back around.

"You coming or what?"

"And where are we going?"

"Just getting drinks."

"And you willingly want me there?"

"Yes, that is something that I would want."

"And you're not trying to get me drunk so that you can find out all my secrets?" Meiko quickly evaluated her options. It was a boring night, and tomorrow was going to be a slow day - there was a bunch of pending paperwork and reports she needed to complete as the leader of the Astra agency. And she knew the exact place where Hawks was going to go for drinks. It was a bar that was frequented by a lot of heroes in Fukuoka. The place was nice and cosy, the food was pretty great and the people who worked there were nice (and knew how to be discreet, which was needed as heroes).

"You know what?" She said out loud. "I'll join you for drinks. If you're treating me, that is. I'm warning you in advance, I have expensive taste."

"That's all good with me," Hawks answered with a smile, which confirmed she had chosen correctly. "I like a woman with expensive taste."

HUH?!

Wait, was that flirting?

The Gallant was a bar hidden in a quaint alleyway. If you didn't know it was there, you wouldn't be able to find it. And that made perfect sense since most of the people who actually visited the bar were heroes, who were looking for privacy and a break from their daily lives. The staff were always discreet and there were rumors, at least among those heroes who lived in Fukuoka, that the manager had his employees sign NDAs. The veracity of those rumours was not confirmed though.

The location itself was small with a maximum seating of twenty people. A sign at the entrance indicated the opening times of 3PM to 3AM, a twelve hour time period during which heroes would come and go as they pleased. The interior was decorated with care and resembled something out of a vintage movie set.

It really was perfect. Meiko nodded at the manager as she followed Hawks inside. Although she wasn't a super frequent visitor as she presumed Hawks was, she had come here enough that the manager knew who she was.

(Also, she hoped being in the news enough meant the manager would know her even if she didn't come to the bar)

At midnight, there was no one around and Meiko couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. After all it was the end of a tedious and unproductive day of patrolling and her social battery was dangerously low.

"What?" Hawks looked at her strangely, as he settled into a chair directly across from her. Behind him, the wall was covered in pictures of older heroes from a bygone era.

"Just that there's no one here that I need to make small talk with," Meiko pointed to all the empty tables. "Especially after that boring ass day we've had. And none of the others who work at night are gonna be here anytime soon. So..."

"Not a fan of small talk I see," Hawks leaned back in his chair. "But you forget that you're stuck with me. And I won't stop until I know all of your secrets."

"I came willingly though," Meiko said, knowing that he was joking...right? "Besides, you can't get me to talk. Why would I tell someone I don't like all that much about myself."

"By the time we're done, you're gonna like me very much."

"We'll see, mi amor. We'll see."

In the warm lighting, Hawks' blond hair seemed to shine a little too brightly. "The challenge is on."

*

A few drinks in (who was counting?) and a pleasant buzz had settled over Meiko. She was still in her senses, but her worries from earlier today were currently erased from her mind. She had been talking so much, more than she had expected to. Thank god she still knew what she was saying.

At some point in the conversation, they had started playing twenty questions. It was a childish game, but the alcohol had removed any resistance that Meiko might have had.

"It's my turn," Meiko couldn't stop giggling. "What number were we on anyway? Doesn't matter. I want to know if you have a hero that you idolise. Or are you in it for the money?"

"That's rude," Hawks mumbled. "And technically you asked two questions."

"Just answer me."

"What if I don't?"

"Then I'll...fight you. Probably."

"You're asking to lose."

"Just answer me, birdy."

Hawks suddenly looked deep in thought. The answer wouldn't be so hard, would it? For her it was straightforward. After all, like so many others, she idolised All Might. He was fifty percent the reason why she had become a hero. Maybe Hawks would have the same answer. Or he could be one of those people who idolised the heroes of a previous generation. Such as that one hero with white wings...what was her name again...

"Endeavor."

"What?"

"Endeavor. That's my answer to your question," Hawks crossed his arms.

"You mean the number two hero? Big bulky, always angry guy? That Endeavor?" Meiko couldn't believe his answer. "Why him? He's so..."

"He's so what?" Hawks sounded a little defensive.

"Nothing, he seems like he's always angry," Meiko replied. "Just not my style."

(Plus all those rumours of him being a complete asshole to people when there were no cameras were enough to have solidified Meiko's opinion on the number 2 hero)

"Though," She continued. "He is the number two hero and has done some good work, so I can understand why you like him."

"Yeah," The light in his eyes dimmed a little, almost as though he was sad for some reason. But just as quickly as that light had disappeared, it returned and he was smirking as he always did. "Now it's my turn to ask. What was the last thing you googled?"

Meiko let out a quiet snort and pulled out her phone. If she was remembering correctly and she probably was, she had been looking for new hair ties to buy. She pulled up her search history and turned her phone towards Hawks.

"See?" Meiko felt oddly victorious for some reason. "Nothing incriminating here."

"So no skeletons in your closet?"

"None at all, unless you count my estranged parents as one then yes, I have one. You must have a lot too, don't you?"

Hawks leaned forward, propping his chin on his hands. The look in his eyes was a little dangerous and admittedly a little sexy. "That a question, darling?"

Completely against her wishes, Meiko's heart skipped a beat. The sultry tone of his voice plus the buzz of the alcohol was causing her body to be aflame. She was sure her face was a bright red. She let out a nervous laugh before responding with a quiet "Maybe".

Meiko thought he would have moved away, but instead Hawks leaned closer. Close enough that he could easily reach for her right hand, that was currently tapping against her empty glass, close enough that she could easily recognize that she'd added gasoline to a burning fire with her answer. Hawks was close enough that she could see all the colours in his golden eyes.

Surprisingly amidst the amber, there were shades of bright gold and dull grey, amalgamated into a gorgeous combination of colours. Hawks had extremely pretty eyes and Meiko wanted to keep looking at them, to decipher all the colours they held within.

She held her breath, watching him tap each of the fingers on her hand with the lightest of touches. Yet all of these burned far warmer than any fire.

"If I told you the truth," Hawks quietly murmured. "Would you accept who I am? Would you still think I am a hero?"

"I-"

Meiko's heart raced, faster than ever. Hawks was a good guy...wasn't he? Sure she thought him obnoxious, but at the end of the day, he was a great hero, amazing at saving people and everyone liked him. (Deep down, she did too)

So there really could only be one answer. But before she could say what she wanted, Hawks had already moved away, ending that moment like it was a magical spell of some kind. "I'd rather not know right now. Tell me when the moment's right."

"And that's not now?" Meiko was starting to feel strange, and no it wasn't the alcohol.

"Not when we're both buzzed, no."

"Then when-"

"You'll know."

The next morning, Meiko woke up with the arrival of a text message.

She opened the message and almost immediately dropped her phone on her face.

Hawks was a fucking menace.

i wish i had an excuse as to why i didn't update this fic, but i don't really have one beyond a massive lack of inspiration. however i have been slowly rewatching mha and falling in love with the anime again. and also now that the manga has ended, i know where i want to take this story now. so hopefully (hopefully) updates will become more frequent

hawks and meiko's dynamic is always so much fun to write and i'm so excited to be returning to them. i can't wait to share more chapters!

i hope you all enjoyed this one! comments and votes are always appreciated <33