Birds of a Feather Collection

Coffee or Cocoa?

— Hawks finds someone truly unlike him. Someone who likes the cold.

Hawks hated winter.

Wintertime got him debating at times whether to go in for work or just call in sick. He doubted there'd be a shortage of heroes this time of year anyway. Which is why Hawks thanked goodness that he was off during one of the busiest days of the season, especially when the weather was this hideous. His wings and snowfall didn't go well together after all.

But as he waited around his kitchen for water for a nice cup of coffee to boil, amber eyes caught the sight of something rather odd outside. The snowflakes that fell coated everything in white, but through that whiteness Hawks spotted a small spot of color running around in the already inch-thick snow. He didn't recognize you. Maybe not from here? Regardless of that, he could easily tell what you were doing out in the quiet snowfall the more he watched you from the warm coziness of his kitchen. Hawks tilted his head to one side as he watched you jump around rolling snow out in the street and stacking it on another snowball you had already made.

A snowman?

Curious. Especially since you seemed much too old to be doing that by yourself. But seeing you so giddily leaping out of mounds you've made to pick up more snow got a chuckle out of him.

Then he noticed what you were wearing. And why you were shaking so much. Hawks shook his head. It'd started snowing only five minutes ago but even he could tell that it was freezing outside. And watching you shaking in your colorful leggings, a rather thin-looking cardigan, and barehanded left him feeling cold as hell. It certainly didn't deter you. If anything, it seemed to encourage you to work harder on the funny looking snowman that was slowly starting to take shape before you.

How cute.

The whistling of his kettle brought him back to what he'd been doing in the first place and got Hawks to wrench away his attention from you to his coffee. But as he poured the hot water in his mug and watched the steam rise out of it, a thought came to him. Sending a couple of his feathers to his room, Hawks busied himself with taking another cup out and pouring another cup of coffee. Leaving it aside, he strode to his front door where he met his feathers now carrying one of his coats and pair of gloves. Hawks decked himself to withstand the coldness from outside before taking the coat and gloves and sauntering out of his home. Though he made his way straight to you, you weren't any the wiser of his presence busy as you were with your pirated Frosty there. It took him clearing his throat a couple of times before you finally whirled around to meet him.

Hawks was taken aback for a moment at the rather innocent and adulterated sense of joy you exulted in. Everything from your broad smile to the glint of wonder in your beautiful eyes brought a senseless smile to his face that he couldn't explain.

"You're looking a little cold there, miss."

"Me?" Though you said that, Hawks could tell just how badly the weather got to you after being out for at least ten minutes in that attire. Not only were you shaking but your cheeks and nose were a bright red and your hands more than raw from touching snow so carelessly.

He gave a swift nod to your hands which made you look down briefly before raising your head to see him offering the gloves in his hands. "They'll help keep your hands warm while you finish Frosty over there."

You blinked owlishly. Once. Then again. And then your smile brightened. Hawks was amazed it could even get any bigger than it already was. You thanked him, gladly accepting the offer and while you put on the gloves, he offered the coat as well. His wings curled behind him to preen before raising over the two of them to shield you mostly from the falling snow.

"You're most welcome," he said. You look at his coat briefly like you had the gloves before taking it as well with a breathed 'thank you.' For some reason, it warmed him to see such a small you engulfed by his coat. Certainly more than the coffee had. Remembering the second cup he'd prepared, he thumbed over at his house behind him before grinning. "If you'd like to better warm yourself, I could get you a cup of coffee. Freshly made."

A soft chuckle came out of you and you bounced a little in place, you reddened cheeks accentuating your smile. "Thanks but I'll be alright. I just got a little carried away when I saw that it started snowing is all." You turn halfway to point down the road to one of the nearby houses where a moving truck was parked. "That's actually my house. Just moved in today so warming up won't be a problem."

"Well, welcome to the neighborhood then."

"Thank you." Folding the coat over yourself, you nod, hiding your face under the collar of his over-sized coat before peeking out to say. "But if you give me a few minutes to go change, I'd gladly take you on that cup of coffee."

This time it was Hawks' turn to let out a chuckle at your unexpected turnabout. "You've got it then."

Smiling, you pivot and start off on a run back to your house but stop rather abruptly almost falling face first on the snow when you turn back. At first Hawks thought you'd forgotten to say something but the thought escaped him when you instead, bend down to fix your snowman. Not wanting to leave you there by yourself, he stood watching over you with his wings blocking off the falling snow. You didn't seem to mind that much though as preoccupied with your masterpiece as you were. Soon enough, you were pretty much done and stood back up to take a look at your art. The body was more or less spherical now, and the few twigs and rocks you found lying around went put to good use as the eyes and smile of the snowman.

You let out a small, breathy 'there' as you cleaned off your gloved hands off any residual snow. Once done, you turned to Hawks with a smile again and said, "I'll see you in a few then," before running off to your house.

Hawks kept an eye on your receding back as you practically trotted your way home and only let out a curious chortle when you kicked out snow from out of your front door before you went in. Glad to have your rather eccentric yet joyful person to accompany him for a chat over a cup of coffee, Hawks shook the small amount of snow covering his wings away before making his way back home.

And as he made his way back, he took a wild guess, thinking you weren't as much of a coffee person as you were a hot chocolate with marshmallows and cinnamon kind of girl.