Birds of a Feather Collection

Compassion

— On a special day, you reminiscence about the odd circumstances that brought you and Hawks together.

You stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, ignoring the sneers and chides from the crowd that passed you, and stared at one particular store.

A toy store.

One that looked quite festive with all the colorful decorations and bright lights. It was hard to forget about it. You'd seen it when you were little, back during your homeless days. Barely a child, your parents hadn't done much for themselves or for you. And with those harsh winter months, their weak, malnourished bodies succumbed to the cold. Yours barely managed to live through it since they focused more on feeding you that themselves. That kept you alive to live on alone, to fend for yourself.

And through hunger pangs and cold, hard ground to sleep on, this bright toy store was the only solace you had. It showed you a world bright and warm that you never got to live. One you yearned for.

It was there that you met a young boy with red wings. He was older but it wasn't something anybody would've noticed from the way he looked. He was just as small as you had been back then; skinny, but a little cleaner. Like he actually had someplace to sleep, to rest, to clean up, unlike you. Your eyes met the day that the store owner came out with a box he'd intended for donations. The owner knew you from the many times you stared through the window of his shop, but he also seemed to know the boy.

The owner offered to let you both sift through the box and grab something you liked. You two scoured through the box trying to find something that you would love. Every toy looked more fun than the last to you, something you chalked up now to being a kid that seldom had toys to play with and found them all curious and entertaining. But the one you saw that caught your eye most was the plush doll of a hero. One you remembered seeing in the display TVs through shop windows.

Liking its colors and the odd noise it made you pushed its belly, you took it, and when you did, you heard the boy next to you pout.

"Oh shoot."

Just from the sound of his voice you understood. You've heard it too many times from yourself when you passed food stands that smelled like heaven. He wanted the toy.

You don't know what compelled you to do it, but without thinking you extended your hands forward to him with the plush in hand.

"Here."

His amber eyes strayed to the toy and then to you. "Are you sure?"

You nodded. "I don't know who's it is really. I just liked the noise it made."

Those eyes turned gold from how bright they became as he took the plush gingerly in his hands and smiled at you.

"Thank you!"

You smiled back and intended to go back to looking through the box when your stomach churned. At first, it growling that loudly struck you as odd but that the red-winged boy was also embarrassed, cheeks flushing, that you understood what the noise had been so loud. It hadn't just been your stomach that growled.

"How about I get you two something to eat?"

You knew you liked the store owner for a reason. He ordered up something from the nearby deli and gave it to you both but since you didn't want to bother him anymore than you already had, you decided to take the food out with you. It had been one big sandwich for the two of you but you were at a loss as to where you'd eat it. You had nowhere to after all.

"Hey, wanna go eat at my house?"

More elated than shocked, you accepted, and he took you down the streets of town. He bounced from time to time as he talked on and on, almost as if wanting to avoid the awkward silence that would settle otherwise. You didn't mind. It was nice having someone to talk to after being alone for so long. But the further you followed him home the odder it felt. Not odd, familiar. These streets—slums. You'd lived in a place like this before with your parents.

Finally, he led you inside his home, the creaking door that he opened into the small abode being the only noise made. He made a point to hush you, putting a finger against his lips and leading you inside. You copied his movements as he tiptoed past the first door and led you to the farthest part of the small apartment where a couple of blankets were laid on top of each other. Once past the door, he hovered over to the blankets and plopped down there, patting the space next to him for you. Gladly taking it, both of you took to eating giggling as you played together with the toys you'd gotten.

When dark came and you had to leave though, you were hesitant to do that. You didn't want to leave. It was cold outside. Lonely. Here, you had warmth. You had him.

"Takahiro?"

"Mm?"

"You think…I could stay here. Just for tonight?"

His eyes widened for a moment before he got to thinking. He was clearly hesitating, thinking his answer through. It was clear by the look on his face that he was scared of something. Maybe of the person you could hear rummaging in the only room of the small apartment and never came out, you thought. Finally, though, he turned up and nodded.

"But we'll have to be real careful. Mom will be real angry if she sees you here."

"I'll be gone by morning."

"Alright."

So you stayed there with him, sleeping again in relative warmth next to him. And liked promised, you were gone the next morning before his mother ever noticed you were there. And that next day you met again at that same toy store. That became your norm.

You would meet at the toy store, spend time outside playing or getting something to eat wherever and however you could, coming to his home to sleep, and leaving before the sun came out. It wasn't perfect. You were still without a home. And he was still in an awful place where the one that was supposed to take care of him didn't care about him at all. But at least you had each other.

Until one day he never came to meet you at the toy store. You waited for days on end for him to come but he never did. You cried every night after that first one, thinking that you'd been abandoned again. And even after government officials found you in the streets, took you away and put in a foster home, you never knew what happened to that boy you met at this very toy store.

Well, not until recently.

"Hey, stranger."

At first, it took you a moment to draw away from your recollection of the past, but when the voice that had just called your way sank in, you smiled. Turning, you met a pair of amber eyes with a smug smirked on his handsome face, red wings curling closer to you to keep away the nippy breeze.

"Hey, you. Running late for dinner again?"

"Sorry," he said with a light chuckle. Hawks motioned down the street with a nod of his head. "Got held up at work but was flying there when I spotted you just standing here."

That perplexed you after giving it some thought. "Why did you go this way?"

"Like I said, I was heading to the restaurant for dinner—"

"No, I mean, this is out of the way of the restaurant. Why would this be on your way?"

Hawks pursed his lips, the smug smirk disappearing to be replaced by a much smaller and more sincere smile. "I got worried when you weren't at the restaurant when on time."

Your brow furrowed. You checked you wristwatch and grimaced at noticing the time. Shit, you were more than an hour late already yourself.

"S-Sorry, I didn't realize."

"I know," he said. "You're very air headed like that."

"Gee thanks."

"It's cute though."

You chuckled at his definition of 'cute' but was distracted when you saw the owner of the shop walking through the windowpane of the shop, turning the sign from 'open' to 'closed'.

"Brings back memories, huh."

"Yeah," you murmured. Taking one last look at the toy store and one last breath, you turn to Hawks. "Should we go get dinner?"

"Only if you want to."

Just as you were leaving though a surprised gasp took your attention as both of you turned to face the owner that had come out of the shop and spotted you. He was certainly older than you remembered. Then again so were the both of you. Which is why you found it surprising that he seemed to remember you.

"Well, if it isn't those two children from way back then."

You smiled and bowed your head when he called you by name after taking a couple of seconds to recall it. Hawks only grinned and nodded when he easily remembered his.

"Pretty amazing that you still remember us after all this time," Hawks pointed out. "Especially by name."

"Hers was a struggle for sure." He emphasized this with a nod at at which got a chuckle out of you. "But I couldn't forget yours if I wanted, young man. Kind of hard when your face is plastered every, Mister No.2 hero."

"Isn't it?" You played along which only flustered Hawks a bit more than the owner's teasing alone.

"What brings you young folk around here?" he asked.

"Nostalgia," you freely admitted. "He and I met here. That time you came out to donate toys, remember?"

"Ah, yes. I believe I do."

"Thanks again for the meal, mister," Hawks added. "Gotta say that I've liked chicken ever since."

The owner let out a hearty laugh. "Good to know that you too know better lives now. You kids out for a friendly lunch?"

One could say so. But before you could even tell him, Hawks got ahead of you. He took your hand in his, interlacing your fingers with his, and hoisting your hands up together. The silver bands on your ring fingers glimmered in the afternoon light and were clear for the him to see.

You could only smile at his antics and Hawks only grinned as he held tightly onto you.

"Little more like our anniversary dinner."