[That actually startles a chuckle out of Hawks, his wings shaking with the laugh.]
I was a bit more distracted with the implications this was going to repeat, and forgot about that. Can't say it's the worst thing a group has thought about me though. [The worst were the probably back when he first started out as a Pro and didn't have a loyal fanbase. He didn't exactly have UA's reputation behind him, or past footage from a Sports Festival for people to look up.
Dabi isn't exactly hard on the eyes either, so it's better than most "Hero Hawks' New Beau?!" stories that show up.
Wait a second--] You read what the tabloids print about me? I'm blushing.
The brat took care of that. [ The most credit Dabi is willing to give Bakugou and he's not even around to hear it. Fortunately, he doesn't need to linger on that thought with the new insinuation.
Without missing a beat, he smiles. ]
Oh yeah, I'm the first in line every Sunday. [ His smile curves, wicked and wry. ] I don't even read what they say about me, Hero. And you really need to work on your blush.
[Bakugou will be sad he missed it--not. It's not like Hawks would let him in his room to hear it, anyway. Hawks' room is reserved for gray morality and risks.]
Oh, but how the public sees you can be very enlightening to how society is turning. Surely you've seen the news trends from just the hero line up changing, let alone the reactions your fires are getting when they pop up. [Stain too, Kamino Ward, the highway incident despite being suppressed-- all instances where reading public opinion had been very worth while.]
...then you can tell me all 'bout what society thinks of me. Throw in what you think of me while you're at it. [ He shifts on the bed, leaning forward in the pro hero's direction. ]
The Hero Commission Director always looks like she’s having an aneurysm when your name comes up, for one. [Maybe that’s exaggeration, but with so many bodies left behind very obviously and yet no great amounts of information on Dabi, it’s no wonder she’d be ticked.] News sites think you’re dangerous but seem to downgrade you more than they should, there’s some gossip rags that wonder where you’re from... There’s at least one medical blog that’s used you as an example with old fashion medical techniques related to surgical staples in leu of quirk healing.
[Not his field, not really, but that one had been a decent read. Hawks shifts his weight to lean his shoulders and upper body towards Dabi]
My opinion? The news doesn’t give you enough credit, even if that lets you fall a little more under the radar. You’re spiteful and uncompromising, but you’re also probably the holder of the most stimulating conversations I’ve had in months.
[He doesn’t have to stop and explain or slowdown or walk him through it. He couldn’t even really recall the last time that happened.
An eyebrow raised in a challenging look] Are you going to return the favor? Tit for tat.
[ Like most of what comes out of his mouth, the request for inquiry was half done sarcastically. It's surprising then, that this is actually useful information. Dabi hadn't been lying when he said that he didn't check out the news much, for no other reason than that he couldn't be bothered. When the time came to make everything come crashing down, the news would be unavoidable anyway. ]
Aww, now you're gonna make me blush. Guess the least I can do is not leave you hanging. Floating? [ He grins, apparently amused, his blue eyes sharp in contrast. ]
So you wanna know what the League thinks of you, number two. Sure. Haven't told Toga cause it's not worth the headache of her going on and on about her type. Same thing with Twice, kinda. Spinner doesn't get to know anything until it happens and Mr. Compress and me discuss info via a gambling system. And Shigaraki? He trusts you less than I do.
And as for me... You're a whole lot less stupid than you put on. Can't say the same 'bout your ego. Perceptive too, which is more than the rest of the heroes who are too busy staring at their feet. Always flying ahead and moving forward, but y'know what they say right—move too fast and you'll get burned.
[This information is easily something Dabi could have deduced if he had the gumption, except maybe the degree of how upset the Director was, so the information is no great hardship to share.
The floating comment earns Dabi a huff of laughter and half a smirk, but he's paying almost laser-like focus to the villain. This information would be a very useful insight to how much information the League has, and no matter how unsettled today has gotten him, he needs to absorb this.
Hawks ticks the names off down his mental list, and makes sure to remember the last part especially. "And Shigaraki? He trusts you less than I do." means that there's some true measure of trust here. Even is it's mostly a ceasefire. His actual opinion on Hawks is almost unnervingly similar to something he would say at points.]
Are you worried I can't keep pace with you, hot stuff? Can't say that features in most people's opinion of me.
[ There is some level of trust here, even if Dabi's not willing to admit it in plain terms. But it's also about well—everything Shigaraki is, really. They'll cross that bridge when they come to it though, if they come to it. ]
Yeah, well most features are all 'bout your face. Or that jewelry line of yours. [ That isn't what Hawks meant, but his point still mostly stands. Most people got distracted by all the glitz and glam that surrounded the rising hero, shit Dabi doesn't deem worthy of his time. For the most part anyway, cause he may have been lying about not reading any gossip rags before. But catching a few glimpses of advertisements on tattered magazine's Toga and Magne brought in didn't really count, did it? ]
[It's a fair point, and probably better than yet another "gotta go fast" joke. Dabi is probably one of the only people not caught up in Hawks' very misleading existence. #ModelLyfe hides the important parts very well.]
According to my agent my face is my "best asset." [Also says his mouth is his worst, but that's hardly something Hawks is going to bring up himself.]
Oh! Hear that a lot myself. [ Dabi has no business looking as smug as he does right now. His smirk is overly sardonic and he even leans forward onto his left hand in a mock model pose. ]
Really. [ So what if the last time someone brought up his face it was an insult, and so what if they were nothing more than a human shaped pile of ashes shortly after. Details, details.
Dabi leans back onto his hands, scanning Hawks from head to toe from his seated position on the bed. Usually their positions are reversed, but he can't say he hates the fact that the pro hero chose to remaining standing right now. ]
You seriously tryin' to make me blush, hero? Gonna take a lot more than primary school flirting.
So that's what our first night together was about. Good to know. [ Testing the limits of their quirks on each other was a far call from childish teasing—or was it? The thought flits through his mind before his attention is pulled away by the movement, no matter how slight it was. Dabi affords Hawks an amused exhale before letting himself fall back on the bed, landing satisfyingly onto his pillow he let fall earlier. ]
There, fixed that problem. ]
Too bad you went for junior high. Might've said yes to spendin' the night with you like brats do on their senior high trip.
[It's certainly the most innocent these two have the will to get. Even then, way too much competitiveness to stay any degree of innocent for long.]
And what would you call this then?
[At 'this' he gestures to the room--Dabi splayed on the bed, Hawks' bed, Dabi having his own pillow in Hawks' room, the late night sneaking to get in here, Hawks taking several steps closer until he stood just near Dabi's feet.
Suspiciously reminiscent of high schoolers sneaking around.]
Seems like I don't have to be high school level to get you in my bed.
Somethin' stupid. [ Cause there's really no choice but to be frank about what they've been doing. He hasn't come to terms with it yet, but in full Dabi fashion he shrugs and stretches on the bed, his shirt riding up his midriff a bit as he does. ]
You don't have me in your bed, birdbrain. Just half of me, and not in the way that counts.
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I was a bit more distracted with the implications this was going to repeat, and forgot about that. Can't say it's the worst thing a group has thought about me though. [The worst were the probably back when he first started out as a Pro and didn't have a loyal fanbase. He didn't exactly have UA's reputation behind him, or past footage from a Sports Festival for people to look up.
Dabi isn't exactly hard on the eyes either, so it's better than most "Hero Hawks' New Beau?!" stories that show up.
Wait a second--] You read what the tabloids print about me? I'm blushing.
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Without missing a beat, he smiles. ]
Oh yeah, I'm the first in line every Sunday. [ His smile curves, wicked and wry. ] I don't even read what they say about me, Hero. And you really need to work on your blush.
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Oh, but how the public sees you can be very enlightening to how society is turning. Surely you've seen the news trends from just the hero line up changing, let alone the reactions your fires are getting when they pop up. [Stain too, Kamino Ward, the highway incident despite being suppressed-- all instances where reading public opinion had been very worth while.]
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[Not his field, not really, but that one had been a decent read. Hawks shifts his weight to lean his shoulders and upper body towards Dabi]
My opinion? The news doesn’t give you enough credit, even if that lets you fall a little more under the radar. You’re spiteful and uncompromising, but you’re also probably the holder of the most stimulating conversations I’ve had in months.
[He doesn’t have to stop and explain or slowdown or walk him through it. He couldn’t even really recall the last time that happened.
An eyebrow raised in a challenging look] Are you going to return the favor? Tit for tat.
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Aww, now you're gonna make me blush. Guess the least I can do is not leave you hanging. Floating? [ He grins, apparently amused, his blue eyes sharp in contrast. ]
So you wanna know what the League thinks of you, number two. Sure. Haven't told Toga cause it's not worth the headache of her going on and on about her type. Same thing with Twice, kinda. Spinner doesn't get to know anything until it happens and Mr. Compress and me discuss info via a gambling system. And Shigaraki? He trusts you less than I do.
And as for me... You're a whole lot less stupid than you put on. Can't say the same 'bout your ego. Perceptive too, which is more than the rest of the heroes who are too busy staring at their feet. Always flying ahead and moving forward, but y'know what they say right—move too fast and you'll get burned.
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The floating comment earns Dabi a huff of laughter and half a smirk, but he's paying almost laser-like focus to the villain. This information would be a very useful insight to how much information the League has, and no matter how unsettled today has gotten him, he needs to absorb this.
Hawks ticks the names off down his mental list, and makes sure to remember the last part especially. "And Shigaraki? He trusts you less than I do." means that there's some true measure of trust here. Even is it's mostly a ceasefire. His actual opinion on Hawks is almost unnervingly similar to something he would say at points.]
Are you worried I can't keep pace with you, hot stuff? Can't say that features in most people's opinion of me.
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Yeah, well most features are all 'bout your face. Or that jewelry line of yours. [ That isn't what Hawks meant, but his point still mostly stands. Most people got distracted by all the glitz and glam that surrounded the rising hero, shit Dabi doesn't deem worthy of his time. For the most part anyway, cause he may have been lying about not reading any gossip rags before. But catching a few glimpses of advertisements on tattered magazine's Toga and Magne brought in didn't really count, did it? ]
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According to my agent my face is my "best asset." [Also says his mouth is his worst, but that's hardly something Hawks is going to bring up himself.]
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Really? I would have thought it was your wit and impeccable delivery, though I can see how your face would be popular.
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Dabi leans back onto his hands, scanning Hawks from head to toe from his seated position on the bed. Usually their positions are reversed, but he can't say he hates the fact that the pro hero chose to remaining standing right now. ]
You seriously tryin' to make me blush, hero? Gonna take a lot more than primary school flirting.
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Wouldn't I need to pull your pigtail for primary school flirting? Here I was thinking I was starting off in secondary school.
[Don't think he didn't notice that look, Dabi. He'll shift his stance minutely, just enough to look slightly more model-like. Eat your heart out.]
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There, fixed that problem. ]
Too bad you went for junior high. Might've said yes to spendin' the night with you like brats do on their senior high trip.
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And what would you call this then?
[At 'this' he gestures to the room--Dabi splayed on the bed, Hawks' bed, Dabi having his own pillow in Hawks' room, the late night sneaking to get in here, Hawks taking several steps closer until he stood just near Dabi's feet.
Suspiciously reminiscent of high schoolers sneaking around.]
Seems like I don't have to be high school level to get you in my bed.
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You don't have me in your bed, birdbrain. Just half of me, and not in the way that counts.