Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

‘Hey, you read the latest article about the villain’s league?’

‘Yeah. It's insane! And the writer verified everything, too.’

‘I wonder how they found out all that, though. And who they are.’

I walk away from my co-worker’s desk, a shit-eating grin on my face. So the article was a hit, after all! I just wish I hadn’t kept my identity a secret, so I could bask in the glory of my amazingness. No, I had to keep it secret, so the villain’s league didn’t come after me for revealing so much about that. With the grin still plastered on my face, I sit back at my desk, searching up the latest trends, so I could write about that too. My quirk was the ability to read up to a hundred thousand words in under 10 seconds, with my memory being able to retain it perfectly, but it was too draining, so I restricted its use to just my work. There’s no point in trying to write anything, I think as I close my eyes and lean back on my chair. I’m still too high on the success of my latest article

‘Hey boss, some scary guy wants to talk to you.’ I hear someone say. ‘Some non-employee.’

I open my eyes to see one of my co-workers knocking on my boss’s door, a terrified look on his face.

‘Tell them to come by after my lunch break which ends in an hour,’ a lazy reply wafts over from inside the office.

‘Boss, please , he’s scaring the shit out of me! I can’t tell him that!’ my co-worker pleads, and at this point, everyone’s eyes in the office are trained on him, the meanest, burliest guy to ever work here. Now I'm curious. What did it take to terrify Toshi?

‘Hold on, Toshi, I’ll handle him.’ I say as I stand up and head to the visitor’s room, my curiosity getting the better of me, and when I open the door..

Oh.

He’s breathtaking. In every sense. The first thing I notice is his eyes. Holy shit, his eyes . Bright electric blue eyes, analyzing my every movement. Then, I notice his burns; under his eyes, his lower jaw, his neck, his fingers, I could see why Toshi was scared. But shit, his eyes . And his jawline could probably cut a knife, I think as I keep my expression straight. Or try to. ‘Uh, hey, you wanted to meet Mrs Yuki, right?’

The stranger nods, annoyance flashing in his eyes for the briefest moment before turning into indifference. ‘Yeah, if that’s who’s in charge here,’ he says in a low, rough voice I could only describe as hot. So, so hot.

‘I’m incredibly sorry, but she’s so busy right now, maybe come back-’

‘I’m not going without talking to her,’ he cuts in, a venomous hint barely concealed in his tone. ‘Either you bring her to me right now, or I’ll-’ he stops talking and gets up from his chair, walking towards me ever so calmly, his hands lazily shoved into his coat pockets. There was a glint in his eyes that made me freeze right where I was. ‘Wait, you, you’re one of the ones who write the news articles, right?’ he cocks his head slightly and gives me a once-over, not in a creepy way, but in the is-she-important way.

‘Yeah, I’m a journalist, why?’ I stammer out, confused by his question. He ignores mine and sighs, running a scarred hand through his jet-black hair. Woah, kinda hot. No! Not hot! I vigorously push the thought away and take a step back, a bit intimidated by his tall farm. He doesn’t seem to notice.

‘Alright, you’ll work, what the hell. Who wrote the article about the villains?’

‘What? I don’t know.’ I take another step back, the dots suddenly connecting in my head. Shit shit shit shit shit. This guy’s a villain. Ohhhh shitttttt. He can’t talk to Yuki, she’ll rat me out instantly. I knew writing that article was a mistake! I consider yelling for help, but think better of it.

‘ ‘course you don’t,’ he mutters, more annoyed than angry.

‘Ah, we have this work rule enforcing privacy that no one has the ability to find out the identity of an anonymous writer, not even the boss.’ I lie through my teeth, a forced smile on my face.

‘Then how’s it get published?’ he asks, huffing impatiently.

‘Anonymous email,’ I shrug, hoping my attempt at bullshitting my way out was working. It better be working.

‘Waste of fuckin’ time,’ he mutters before walking out the front door. I sigh in relief when he bangs the door shut behind him, anxious to get back to my desk. That was close. Way, way too close. That guy cannot ever find out about me! As i go back to my desk, I spot Toshi shooting me a grateful look.

‘Thanks so much for takin’ care of that guy. Yuki’s a bitch, I swear. What did he want to talk about?’ he asks, dropping by my desk in what seemed like a casual visit.

‘Oh, he thought this was some other place.’ I lie once more, desperate to get this situation behind me.

‘Ah makes sense. Looked like a thug, ya know?’

I nod stiffly, a little weirded out about the fact that I was having a normal conversation with Toshi without him cussing me out. He walks away, and the rest of my day passes in a blur. I was too distracted by my encounter with that hot- no, dangerous man to focus on anything else, so when I decide to walk back home instead of taking a bus, I stop by my favourite cafe to treat myself for a job well done.

‘Hey! I’m so glad to see you!’ the barista, my friend of four years, greets me as I step inside, the scent of warm, rich coffee and vanilla enveloping me and making me feel a whole lot better.

‘Ichigo! How was work?’ I ask as I sit down near the counter.

‘Same as always. How’d your villain article go? Didn’t check the news yet,’ she says as she shakes up an iced latte for me. I swear, she’s a literal angel.

‘Shhhhh! Don’t mention it in public,’ I whisper anxiously. ‘A super scary guy came over today to ask who wrote it. I barely got away from him!’

‘Was he hot?’ Ichigo smirks as she passes me my latte. ‘Something tells me he was hot.’

‘Not the point! He’s a villain!’ I hiss. ‘But yes, he was so, so hot.’

She laughs at my pained expression. ‘Tell him next time that if he goes out with you, you’ll tell him who it is.’

‘What? No! He didn’t seem interested in me, like at all.’

Ichigo grins. ‘Have you seen yourself? Shit, I’d make a move on you if I wasn’t straight.’

‘You’re one to talk,’ I snort as she hops from her side over the counter to mine. Ichigo was gorgeous. Long blonde waves, sky-blue eyes, though not as striking as that villain’s ones’, and a personality to die for. Literally. I’d die for her personality. ‘Anyway, he’s not exactly the

conventionally attractive type. Hell, he’s not even my type! But, I don’t know, I found him really hot.’

‘Then maybe, he found you hot too?’ she ventures carefully, a sly smirk evident on her face.

‘Forget it. We used the word hot too many times. Hey, I’ll update you if he comes back again.’

‘When. If he’s a villain, he’s not letting go so easily.’ Ichigo grabs a donut and puts it on my napkin. ‘Tell you what, I’ll come by tomorrow to see this mystery hot guy.’

‘AaaaaaAAAAAH. Please don’t,’ I plead, knowing she would totally fo this.

‘Then do yourself a favour and get his name.’ she chirps, eating the same donut she gave me.

‘He’s a villain!’ I groan, yanking the half-eaten donut back. ‘A villain!’

‘Ok? Big deal. Live for once, you never take any risks!’ Ichigo jumps back to the barista’s side, since a customer just came in. Guess it was my cue to leave.

‘Bye Ichigo! Take care, okay?” I call out as I leave the cafe, feeling much better about my whole situation. Okay, maybe it wasn’t as bad as I made it out to be. No, it was very bad. But there wasn’t any point worrying about it, right? As I enter my apartment, I yank out my bobby pins and uncoil my braided hair, suddenly getting an urge to run my fingers through my hair. I’d never done that casually, but after seeing that guy do it in such an attractive manner, I just had to do it. So I do it. Almost instantly, my fingers get stuck in a knot. Man. How’d he do it so effortlessly? What if I ran my fingers through his hair…. No. you idiot. I sigh and roughly finger-comb my hair, trying to erase his thoughts from my mind. Not working. Okay, girlie, let’s stop fantasizing about villains that can kill you, okay? Okay. Like an erratic hurricane, i whirl around my apartment, rushing through my night-time routine in an attempt to get to bed asap.

Finally, I flop onto my bed not unlike a beached whale, desperate to get to sleep. My quirk had annoying consequences if I didn’t get enough sleep after using it, which made for a nice excuse if I was ever caught napping at work. But right now, I truly was exhausted. So exhausted, in fact, that when I hear someone break my balcony window and climb in, all the while cursing like a sailor who got into a fight, I don’t even try to move.

Chapter Text

Which might have been a bad idea, because when I get knocked out with a sharp jab, and wake up with a throbbing pain behind my forehead, I find myself tied in a chair, my hands cuffed behind me. And, in front of me, lo and behold, is the hot guy himself, leaning against the wall and casually twirling a knife around his slender fingers. Wow. I mean, not now.

‘Good morning!’ I say with a chirpy smile. He looks up at me, curiosity flitting across his face for a split-second.

‘Morning, idiot. Only took you about, what,’ he checks his watch briefly. ‘Thirteen hours? How’d you sleep for that long?’

Trust me, scary hot man, you don’t want to know.

‘Idiot? That’s nice. Also, you stayed here for thirteen hours? I’m flattered.’ I yawn, trying not to look scared. That knife didn’t seem too inviting.

‘Nothing better to do. Now, will you talk or will I have to torture you first?’ he asks with a grin, as if he didn't think torturing was a boring task. Oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit. Oh shit what the fuck did I get myself into.

‘Woah woah woah tough guy, talk about what?’ I chuckle uneasily, and his eyes narrow dangerously at my impulsive nickname. I instantly regret it.

‘Tough guy?’ he whispers in my ear, slowly trailing his knife across my cheek. ‘Do you even know who I am?’ goosebumps erupt on my arms, and his electric eyes drop down when they notice them. Wonderful.

‘No! All I know is that you’re a villain, that’s it!’ I hiss in pain as he cuts a thin line across my jawline, crimson red droplets running down my neck. Shit shit shit shit. ‘Stop it, please! What do you even want me to tell you?’ I plead, trying not to break eye contact from his piercing blue eyes. Neither of us say anything for a while, and slow, the insane grin disappears from his face, instead replaced with confusion.

‘You don't know me?’

‘No.’

‘I thought you would’ve, after writing so much about us.’

‘Clearly, I don’t.’ I snap, a little frustrated. `How'd you know it was me?’

‘Mind your own business,’ he snaps back. Hah, he probably didn’t expect me to have an attitude. I give him a smug grin, something which earns me a quick slash on my cheek.

‘Ow!’ I yelp, feeling the sting of the unusually hot metal ten times fold. What’d he do to it? ‘Jerk.’ I mutter under my breath. Thankfully, he pretends not to hear it.

‘Tell me how you found out about us. If you don’t, the next slash will be across your neck.’

‘Jeez, you asshole. That was easy, some drunk colleague of yours was rambling about his job and how much it sucked. People were ignoring him, but most of his complaints coordinated with the recent news, something only I noticed. I bought him a few more drinks, and, well, here we are.’

‘Here we are,’ he muses, studying my irate expression intently. ‘Okay, here’s a deal. If you cooperate with me, I'll let you go, and you can do your boring news shit.’

‘It’s called journalism!’ I say indignantly, trying to ignore the knife slowly glowing red.

‘Too bad I don't give a shit. If you don't, well, let’s just say, these scary burns of mine felt as painful as you’d think.’ he has a fire quirk! That explains a lot.

‘I’ll co-operate. Also, your burns aren't scary.’

‘What'd you say?’

‘I’ll co-operate,’ I repeat, emphasising every syllable in an exaggerated manner.

‘Not that, idiot.’

I roll my eyes, not surprised to see that he does the same.

‘I said, your burns aren’t scary. Should I repeat it once more?’ I add sweetly, enjoying how easily he got taunted.

‘Huh.’ he puts his bloody knife on a table and turns towards me, all trace of enmity gone from his expression. ‘Somehow, I don't quite believe that.’

‘What, you have a complex?’

‘A complex?’ he snorts, an amused and unbothered look on his face. ‘Far from it. I’d like to think my different appearance helps me do things normal people can’t.’

‘Yeah , you have a complex. Is it insecurity or-’

I’m interrupted by the sound of him chuckling at my comment. What! The mean, hot- no - grouchy man can laugh? I peer at the extreme change in his expression. The bright, blue eyes seemed even brighter. Wow. That was even possible? It was… shut up . No. not hot.

‘As I was saying, is it insecurity or superiority?’

‘How do you talk to me so casually?’ he asks with a grin, completely ignoring my question. ‘Aren’t you afraid I'll kill you?’

‘Of course I am. But there’s no point in cowering like a mouse if i'm going to die anyway,’ I say with a shrug, or as close to a shrug as someone whose arms are tied can possibly get.

He’s impressed, I can tell by the way his eyes widen before he ruefully grins. ‘That’s fair. I want you to write a series of articles defaming the heroes.’

‘Uh, I don’t mind,’ I wiggle my hands, trying to loosen the uncomfortable rope. ‘But Yuki won’t let me publish that.’ I wiggle a little more, trying to get my point across.

‘Don't worry about that part. Will you do it?’ oh wow, he can be polite too?

‘I don't think I have a choice,’ I say grimly. He gives me a dirty look. ‘What? You know i’m right. Anyway, can you untie me? Now that I've established an interest in staying alive, that is.’ I stop wiggling, and he walks over behind me. Please don’t burn me, I add silently.

Surprisingly, he complies, and cuts off the rope tying my hands. But before I can move, I feel a warm breath down my neck. ‘If you even think about running away or telling anyone, remember,’ he whispers, ‘ my eyes are on you. Understood?’

Oh. oh. I don't think this was the emotion he wanted me to feel. ‘Yes ,’ I breathe, trying to steady myself. ‘Understood.’ Why was I such an idiot? Why? you idiot.

‘Good.’ he lets me go and heads to my broken balcony window, ready to jump off, but before he can do that-

‘Wait!” I call out stupidly, and he turns his head to look at me, curiosity flickering in his eyes.

‘What?”

‘I don’t know your name. What is it?”

Is he smiling? Yes! The maniac is smiling, and it almost makes me swoon. Almost. Very close, though. ‘It’s….. If you know it, you’ll be in deep shit.’

‘Can’t be worse than my current situation,’ i retort, lightly crossing my arms across my chest. ‘It didn’t stop you from going after me and cutting me up like I was a block of cheese, did it?’ Carefully, I touch  my wounds. They’d stopped bleeding, but still stung like high hell. They’ll be cool scars though, i console myself.

His grin doesn’t falter. ‘Wish you’d screamed. Screamers are always fun to shut up, ya know?’

‘Actually, I wouldn’t know that,’ I mutter. ‘Anyway, your name?’

‘It’s Touya. Blabber that name around, it’ll get you killed before I can. Got it?’ he jumps off the balcony, something i’m shocked he can do in the middle of the day. Touya. What a pretty name for such a dangerous villain, I muse as I clean my cuts with some antiseptic liquid and a cotton. The name was a little familiar, but I wasn't quite sure where I'd heard it from. Maybe just a coincidence, I conclude, stepping into the shower to quickly clean off the blood. Ow ow ow ow ow. The warm drops sting against the broken skin, but I grit my teeth and bare it. 

My mind wanders to the conversation I had with Touya, against my better judgement. Writing articles to defame heroes? I didn’t really mind, to be honest. Heroes, most of them, were an obnoxious bunch that took a huge share out of every paycheck, but how was I supposed to dig up dirt on them? Gingerly, I scrub off the dirt and dried blood of my body. I’ll think about this later, I think as I change into a decent outfit.

‘Touya,’ I say out loud, liking the way it sounded. It’s soft, gentle, unlike the man who it belongs to. But maybe, he was like that once, too. Nobody’s born a villain, right? I quickly tie my hair in a ponytail, eager to step out for a quick walk. The events of today seemed like a fever dream, maybe a breath of fresh air would help solidify my thoughts.

The weather is dull, I note as I leave my building. Grey clouds, a thin drizzle not enough to be a bother, and just enough wind to not make one wet and frigid. Dull, but comfortable. I take a deep breath, in, and out, enjoying my moment of Zen. Calm down. In, and out, in, and out, in and- my phone vibrates. Yay. sighing, i scan my fingerprint and open my phone. Oh, an unread message from an unknown contact. Jeez. I wonder who that could be. Anticipation pooling in my stomach, I open the chat.

Ah. i knew it.

By the way, I've hacked your phone and sim. I can read all your messages and track your location. Do anything stupid, i’ll be glad to take you out. Got it?

I push back a strand of hair, and quickly write back;

Aw, that totally isn’t creepy. Also, where will you take me out to? Please choose a good restaurant, I don't want to be bored.

Fighting back a grin, I mentally congratulate myself. Whatever Touya was expecting, he definitely didn’t expect this. My phone buzzes once more. Aw, he sent me a middle finger emoji. I send him back a red heart and close my phone, a little irritated. Breach of privacy much? What. a. Jerk. i press the shutdown button. It doesn’t register. My phone vibrates again.

Don’t try to shut off your phone. Makes it harder for me to track you, so i disabled the option.

‘Ohhh, you little shit.’ I hiss in frustration, knowing he couldn’t hear me. Why was he such a pain in the ass ? I shove my hair back in place and open directions for any nearby cafe. I couldn’t go to Ichigo’s, that would put her in too much risk, so I decide to settle for a cute bakery/café just round the corner, a little desperate for human contact that didn’t include villains.

As I enter the cosy little café, I'm greeted with the fresh scent of baked pastries, mingling with the strong, heady scent of coffee, something which completely wakes me up. Always a pleasant combination, I muse as I walk up to the serving corner. The barista is a cheery girl the same age as me, or at least looks the same age as me.

‘Hi! Can I have an iced latte… and… uhm…’ I peer at the menu in front of me. ‘A chocolate croissant?’ 

The girl types it up, and her electronic cash register discreetly displays to me the total. Not bad. ‘Sure. Should I prepare your order as a take-out? She asks, her brown eyes twinkling in a friendly manner.

‘Nah, I'll have it here.’ I reply as I take out my wallet.

‘Okay, it shouldn't be more than five minutes.’

I pay my bill and sit at a corner table opposite a window, admiring the colourful little flowers they’d planted in pots on the windowsill. As soon as it’d be safe to visit Ichigo, I'd tell her to plant some flowers in her café as well. The weather outside takes a turn, the drizzle turning into a steadier rain that makes an audible sound when it splatters onto the ground, even inside the café. The bell rings, indicating someone just entered. I wonder who-

Oh.

Dirty blond hair.

Golden eyes.

Hawks, also known as Takami Keigo.

Also known as my ex.