#beyondheroic

                                                                         [it’s the gremlin’s birthday & my inbox is open!]

      There is an initial moment where his teeth grit, his fists clench, habit takes over and he’s ready to snap like he always does for Deku to leave him the fuck alone---it’s the same stupid routine every damn year; Deku won’t stop wishing him a happy birthday like they’re friends, no matter how much he yells at him to fuck off. But it’s not middle school anymore---nothing at UA has been anything like the rest of their past, and it’s enough to make his reflex falter, enough to remind him things are different between them now, too.

      Doesn’t make it any less fucking annoying, but where his hands had been heating in preparation to spark menacingly, he feels them cool.

               Looks up from where the other had shown up, ready to say something before he’s already talking about how even they are. Oh, those are her favorite types of chocolates? Looking back up at Katsuki, she can’t help it, she’s giggling and taking one out, putting it up against the other’s lips. “  I guess we are even.  “  Cheeks flush a light shade of pink. 

                                                                            poetry sentence starters [accepting!]

      This is not the kind of shit Hawks signed up for. He knew this mission would be rough---and it is, it is---but having a kid wrapped up in everything adds about a thousand factors he never wanted to account for. This is what he didn’t want. This is what made his skin crawl the moment the mission was broached, the moment he realized he had no choice.

            So you’re telling me to just ignore all the victims they’ll create while I’m off trying to butter them up?

      And he knows a victim when he sees one---he may not have decades of hero experience under his belt, but he’s got enough to know the look of someone scared and not in control, someone who’s been convinced that they can’t ask for help. She’s just a kid, and while that shouldn’t matter, that doesn’t always matter... he knows the kind of wackos who hang around the league---this girl was a far cry from the manic glee and murderous enthusiasm of Toga or the remorseless self-satisfaction of that Mustard kid; she’s not at all the same as the other kids in the league, clearly, not in it because she wants to be here.

      So that just leaves what the hell to do about it---rat her out and get a child arrested for something outside of her control, or keep quiet and let her get tangled up even further in all of this. He sighs heavily, lifting a hand to push his visor up and away from his eyes.

            “You and me both, kid.” His tone is tired, and maybe that’s reckless; to not put up a front, to not play a part as he always has to, but something about this situation makes him reckless.

      He guesses---whatever he decides to do about this all will have to be up to her.

      He doesn’t know how closely the league is keeping an eye on their mole, or on him, so he’s been careful about this. A damn good excuse for being on UA’s campus and the most inconspicuous way he could manage to pull her away from prying eyes and ears so they can talk. So that’s exactly what he’s gonna let her do. Eyes carefully guarded in a way his tone wasn’t, he studies her a moment, before sighing again.

                                                                            poetry sentence starters [accepting!]

            “...Huh.”

            “Come on, it’s fine, I got permission from your teacher.” He doesn’t mention that ‘permission’ was, in fact, just him tacking a note to Eraserhead’s door with one of his feathers, reading ‘i borrowed your bird i’ll feed him - #2 hero hawks it’s fine’ in just barely legible chickenscratch handwriting. That detail is unimportant, really.