Birds of a Feather Collection

Yours Truly

— Its your wedding day and you couldn't be happier. Right? Well, in your time of doubt who else but your soon-to-be husband to know that your in trouble.

"Come on, relax. Try to enjoy this!"

"I can't, Mako."

"Girl, it's your wedding day and I'm the one who's starting to freak simply by looking at how stressed you are."

Though you're sure it's meant to be reassuring, that Makoto kept trying to brush back the one unruly strand of your hair that never wants to cooperate only to fail adds to your wrecked nerves. She must've noticed your annoyance though, as she stops altogether and gives you one of her bright signature smiles. Simply seeing it makes you return the gesture, but she'd have to make do with your lopsided excuse for a smile instead. 'Cause as things stood, you weren't up for much more.

Makoto would have to correct her bs-o-meter though, because you weren't a complete nervous wreck. A good part of you is actually happy–ecstatic more like it–about the mere fact of finally getting married. You had never thought the idea as surreal and magnificent as many of your relatives and friends made it out to sound like at first. Weddings were enjoyable to you because they gave an excuse to leave the boring routine of life and allow you fun with plenty of drinks involved. Now that it's finally your day, you realized what all the big fuzz was about. And you came to realize that it isn't so much the day itself as with whom you chose to be with on that day. And your man of choice certainly had been a doozy of a ride.

Even with Hawks being the No.2 hero in all of Japan, your relationship with him over the years had truly been grand. Sure, it hasn't been without its wonderful highs and super ridiculous lows, but the fact that even after all that transpired, you two remained a part of each other's lives was testament of what your love meant. You loved him, no question about it. You loved the way he woke you up with tender kisses every morning, and gingerly wrapped his arms around you at night to soothe you to sleep. How he wasn't at all deterred by what slander got thrown his way but fought heaven and earth if anyone even said anything remotely horrible about you. The little ways he said 'I love you' without doing so; waking up early when he could to make breakfast for you two, pulling you out of work when he knew you just weren't up to it anymore, saying sweet nothings only for you to hear exactly when you needed to hear them. Every little thing he did told you so much about what he felt that you swore your heart was always ready to burst from how much he adored you, and you welcomed it with open arms.

Now, after years of being together and him asking for your hand felt surreal. But not in the way everybody said it'd be though. No. This is way more than that. Hawks is much more than that to you.

Which brings you back to the predicament of just why the hell your mind is so at odds with itself, simultaneously elated and terrified as could be. You want to walk down that aisle. You want say yes so, so badly. And yet your stomach turns on itself, threatening to expel absolutely everything you had for breakfast that morning.

Finally noticing that something isn't all that right after all, Makoto kneels before you, sincere concern etched on her sweet features. "You need a minute, sweetie?" You swear your head would've popped off from how hard you nodded had it not been attached to your shoulders. Giving a small pat to your shoulder as she stands and heads to the door, Makoto only holds off briefly to look back at you. "I'll stall for as long as I can. And also, I don't know if it's what you'd want but it may do you well to remember that you're not them."

Even the mere insinuation of that hits you like a truck going at 100 miles the hour. Mako has always seen right through you—most of the times, about things you don't want to see about yourself—and she'd done it again. This time on a matter you hadn't even realized you were thinking about until now.

She's right, I'm not them. I'm not my father, I'm not mother, and I'm certainly not the dirt bag she remarried and that hurt—

Just thinking about it makes bile rise up your throat. Swallowing before you somehow mess up your gown isn't enough to keep the distaste out of your mouth or the claustrophobia out of your mind. All at once, the walls start caving in on you and as you start hyperventilating, all you can think of is air. You need fresh air. Now.

Without a second thought, you haul the trail of your gown and head opposite of where Makoto left to the other exit that led out to—honestly, you have no idea where but at this point anywhere was better than being in this tiny room. Running in high heels proves too much after awhile though. Thankfully, a small garden at the church you are in is empty. You suppose it's a private one since it's completely vacant too. That no other soul's in sight actually made breathing in the cold morning air much easier. Not caring where your feet take you for now, you come to sit at one of the stone benches scattered across the gardens which faced the small pond a few feet away. Thinking about nothing did you good and you let your mind empty of every thought it could as you busy yourself with smoothing the imaginary creases on your dress skirt.

But none of that does any good. Emptying your mind only served to chase the good and random thoughts out, leaving the harrowing ones that kept nagging at the back of it in. Before they can completely swallow you and tear you down into a mess of tears, a familiar voice calls out from behind you.

"Hey… everything alright?" You can't fathom how such simply words could harbor so much love and concern in them. Glancing over you shoulder, you can't help the small chuckle that escapes you—even through the tears pricking at your eyes—at seeing Hawks all dressed up like he's never been before. Those crimson wings, however, stuck out all the same, just like they always did, as they spread to either side of him to curl around you as he steps closer. Not wanting for him to see you like this on what was supposed to be such a joyous occasion for the two of you, you hang your head to wipe at your eyes.

"Don't." Gingerly, he takes your hands in his and away from your face prompting you to lift your gaze to meets his. Though perplexed, you can clearly see the worry in his eyes as well. "You can cry if you want. But would you mind telling me what you're so sad about that it'd make you want to do that?"

Hawks has never treated you like a child. He knew you preferred to deal with your problems on your own pace and terms and he let you do that. But through the years together, he also came to realize just how much of a double-edged sword that could be. It became pretty evident to Hawks just to what extremes you would push yourself to without saying anything to anybody—not even him—and how dangerous that was for you. You'd gotten better at talking things out—with him at first and then little things with others—but you still had a long way to go too. And you recognized his way of asking for permission to be let in, wanting to help carry whatever burdens you.

So you let him.

"…I'm scared…"

His head tilts to one side as his brow knits down at your words. That windswept hair of his comes a little undone at the simple motion which takes a dry chuckle from your throat. Reaching up, you card your fingers through it trying to mend what must've taken so long for him to do. But as your eyes drift downward to meet his, it's useless disregarding what you just said for much longer than that. "…I've stayed up for nights on end thinking about how happy I am, about how happy you make me, about how much of a dream come true this is for me. And the more I thought about that, the more I couldn't help think that maybe…it might just be that. A dream."

"y/n…"

"I think…what I'm truly scared of is this being too real to be true. Just like how it was back then. It'll be amazing and beautiful until it's not and I'm left…hurting again."

Without warning, Hawks leans down and wraps his arms around you, holding on like his life depended on it. His wings cradle you tenderly like a small piece of heaven it is. Everything about him soothes you out of the horrid memory that rose in your mind and you settle in, head resting on the crook of his neck and you hands coming to grasp at his back just between his shoulder blades and wings.

"I know that my words do little to comfort you sometimes. That what happened won't go away completely and every so often I can't do much to assure you of anything." His embrace tightens even more but you don't mind it. Having him close has always been better than his absence. "But I'll do it anyway because it's what I've set myself out to do."

What? "…what do you mean?"

Letting go of you to better meet your gaze, one of his hands comes to cradle your cheek and you welcome it graciously, leaning in to savor his warm touch. It's real. Closing your eyes to take a deep breath and let your nerves settle further, you open them to meet his amber gaze as it locks on yours.

"I love you, y/n. I've said it a thousand times and I'll say it a thousand more until all you can ever think about is that. Until you don't ever think about this being a dream ever again. It's not, love. This is real. You're my everything and have given me everything I've ever wanted. That's a dream I never thought I'd see come true. But it has. It came true with you, because of you. So trust me when I say that if you think yours is true too, then it is. No ifs or buts about it."

Your heart soars with every word he says and your lips turn upwards into a smile that, albeit small, couldn't be any more true. At seeing this, Hawks finally smiles again. This time it's his signature smirk that you love and simply that melts you. Finally, he leans in and brushes his lips against yours. The gesture is gentle and soft and your left breathless because of it. He leans forward again, this time to lay his forehead against yours as he says, "And I'll be damned before I ever hurt you, y/n. Of that, you can be sure as hell about."

"Much confidence," you mutter under your breath.

Hawks chuckles, catching your inadvertent reference that lightens both your moods. "Such wow."

Actual laughter bursts from you at him joking along and you hold onto your stomach a little from how hard that takes you by surprise. You pull a little away to wipe at your eyes one last time before reaching out and embracing him as tight as you can to whisper at his ear.

"Thank you for loving me."

"I'm the one who should be thankful, y/n." His arms come around you once more and return the gesture, "For letting me love you." Once you pull away and he gives you a little time to recover, Hawks nods over his shoulder at the cathedral. "Heard there's a wedding going on. Some second-rate hero and a gorgeous, topnotch journalist."

"Yeah," you say, scrunching your nose at his descriptions, "I also heard they're always late to everything though, so I don't think there's much of a hurry."

"True enough." Hawks offers his arm and you take it to help yourself off from the stone bench. As you make your way back into the cathedral, you stop in your tracks, stopping Hawks as well as he turns to you. "Something wrong?"

You shake your head but before taking another step, you lean in and kiss him, this time much more deeply than the tender kiss he gave you before. Hawks isn't taken aback for too long before he reciprocates deepening it even further. It lasts a long wile that ends with you two a tad bit breathless in the end. A wolfish grin spreads across his face, his amber eyes glinting as he looks at you.

"You know, that sort of kissing happens after the reverend says 'you may kiss the bride'."

"Really?" You play along with a mischievous grin of your own. "I always thought those types of kisses were for the wedding night."

Hearing this makes one of his eyebrows raise and his smirk spreads even broader from cheek to cheek. "Is that a suggestion to skip the ceremony and reception I;m hearing?"

Putting a finger to your pursed lips, you pretend to give his idea some thought before shaking your head as you chuckle. "Don't think our guests would appreciate that too much."

The only response Hawks gives is a dismissive shrug of his shoulders, the grin never leaving his lips. "Not like they paid for any of it, anyway."

"True. But Makoto promised me the fluffiest cake in existence and several people, myself included, have bets on that." Just as he opens his mouth to interrupt, you raise a finger and put it against his lips to quiet him with a grin that mimics his. "I also bet that she wouldn't find me the most delicious yakitori in Japan for the reception and since I'm no expert on the matter, I might need someone who is on my side."

Letting a laugh out at that one, Hawks takes your hand in his to kiss the inside of your palm before entwining your hands together. "For you, love, I'll gladly eat the whole coop of chickens it came from."

"You'd eat it regardless." Pulling him along to continue heading back to the ceremony, you tuck your arm back under his without letting go of his hand and give him a big smile. "First, though, we've gotta go do the whole 'I do' thing."

"Ah, yes. Technicalities."

"Technicalities?"

"Yep." Those amber eyes stare down at you as you two slow down at finally reaching the door that leads to the main part of the cathedral. On the other side, you cant hear a light chorus starting up, muffled by the closed doors but clearly signaling your arrival. Thought it'll surely be a surprise for all your guests to see both the groom and bride to walk side by side.

"Cause, at the end of the day, no matter what you ask of me, I'll always say 'I do'."

"Funny." A genuine smile comes to you then as you squeeze his hand and he tightens his hold back ever so tenderly in response. "I was just thinking the same exact thing."