A Tempting Offer
Where are they… where are… oh! Is that it? …no. No, that's off brand… he eats like crap, but… not even he would drink that garbage.
Jun's focused eyes scanned the drinks aisle, searching almost earnestly for a can that matched the one in her head. She had seen him drink it so many times now, yet she only recently started to actually care about what it was that he liked to drink, for whatever reason. Eager eyes darted from one row to another, with no luck of finding it.
Wha…? Isn't this like, the top brand of coffee, or something? Hell, if the second-best pro hero loves it, then they should be promoting the hell out of it, I would think.
The moment her body turned 90 degrees to look elsewhere, Jun's sights landed to a machine packed to the brim with it, the letters displayed and lit up brightly at the top.
Wax Coffee.
Gross. But at least the search is over.
The paper grocery bag jostled along with Jun's steps as she huddled it close against her torso, struggling to balance all the junk she had managed to fit all in one bag. It was packed so full that she couldn't see the road ahead of her. Jun had found herself outside her home before the sun fully left the sky for once, the low orange hues of the sunset helped to guide her way back home.
Wow. This is much easier.
Just as her foot advanced another step, a loose chunk of concrete caught her toes, prompting Jun to tilt over and almost eat the dirt as she wrestled with gravity to reorient herself. In the chaos, a can of Wax Coffee toppled from the overstuffed bag and began rolling down the rugged path. All the while, she watched this transpire and groaned dreadfully upon the can hitting the edge of a rundown building overlooking an alleyway.
Nah. No way. This has 'evil mugger villain waiting to ambush me if I go any closer' written all over it.
Jun decided to cut her losses and stepped off the sidewalk to walk in the road temporarily to avoid the alleyway and continued her trek home. A moment later, an amicable yet flaunting voice rang through the area behind her, calling out to Jun from a distance, but she didn't stop. The muffled noise got clearer as they got closer, and her meek steps gradually hastened in response. Eventually the voice ceased, and Jun paused for a moment to turn back to verify her hopeful thoughts, a sigh of relief flowed through her upon another successful avoidance of social interaction.
"Don't you know it's rude to leave when someone calls out to you?" The same voice scolded as a mysterious civilian stood in front of Jun as she squealed in surprise.
How… how did he get in front of me…?!
"My sincerest apologies, my dear. It wasn't my intent to frighten you, honest." The tall man tipped his dark brown top hat to her.
"Uh, um… well,' Jun stuttered, her stumbling hands readjusting their grip on her paper bag out of nervousness. "You can't really blame me… It looks like you're wearing a ski mask. That has 'mugger' written all over it. Unless…" Her feet began to shuffle backward defensively. "That's still what you're planning to do…?"
The man pitied Jun with a chuckle, his dark orange shirt and green necktie jittering with the movement. "I wouldn't stoop so low as to concern myself with such ungracious nonsense like petty theft. No." He raised his open hands up to his chest, presenting his palms to Jun before his fingers and palms began moving and twisting as if he were kneading a magic ball. "I merely wanted to return this, to you." The can of Wax Coffee she dropped then materialized out of thin air and into his open palm before gracefully offering it to Jun.
"Th-thanks, but I…" Jun switched her focus constantly from his offering and to her occupied hands anxiously.
The mysterious man scoffed. "Where are my manners? Allow me, my dear."
"P-please don't call me that… and really, you don't have to - it's not necessary-"
"But I insist," he interjected while snatching the bag from Jun's hands and sliding the can effortlessly back into place.
The man unhurriedly paced forward toward Jun's apartment, her overflowing bag still in hand as she trailed him, making sure to keep a sizeable distance between the two of them. With his back facing her, the man spoke up.
"My, it's impressive for someone as miniature as you to be able to lift such a hefty bundle here. You must have some inner strength hiding in that compact form of yours."
"That's… a weird thing to say," Jun hesitantly piped up.
"No need for the hostilities," he replied amicably. "I would like to just get to know you better."
"Okay…" Jun's wary voice indicated that her guard was raised to maximum capacity.
"Please share with me your name, my dear. You can call me Mr. Compress," he announced while turning to face her while walking backwards to deliver a composed and elegant bow before turning back around to resume his delicate pace.
"….."
"This is the part where you respectfully introduce yourself, dear."
"…fine. If only to get you to stop calling me that. It's Tani."
"Ah, a pretty name for a pretty lady," he remarked in satisfaction.
Jun didn't know how to accept the attempt at a compliment. "Alright, what're you getting at? Do you want to sell me something? Because this is a pretty elaborate way of doing it."
"I suppose I can cut to the chase," he conceded with disappointment in his voice. "Are there ever instances where certain thoughts plague your mind – ideas, notions, about how you view this society?"
"…not really."
"But it is quite clear that you do, seeing the extent you will go to run and shut yourself from the rest of the world. Are you going to insist that there is no rhyme or reason for that?"
"I… suppose," she muttered apprehensively.
"My dear," his partially masked face turned over to look at Jun, his exposed brown eyes glazing over hers. "Are you aware of The League of Villains?"
Jun made an effort to actually ponder his question for a moment. "I've heard them being mentioned in headlines online, but I don't really keep up with the news."
"That is a relief, those shoddy media folk just don't understand the true purpose of our fruitful endeavors."
"Meaning?"
"We at the League of Villains strive to achieve a society that isn't dictated by petty rules placed upon us by society. Our vision allows for us to live a carefree life in however way we choose," he stated with a gross amount of enthusiasm in his tone.
"So what does this have to do with me?"
At that, Mr. Compress stopped in place, with Jun ceasing her steps shortly after. "You strike me as the type to wholeheartedly understand and further our ways." The villain then turned to her uneasy form to address her directly. "We at the League of Villains are interested in recruiting you, my dear."
"Whoa, hold on," Jun urged him while both of her pointer fingers crossed to form an 'X' sign. "First off, you have no idea who I am, and I only just really heard about this thing two seconds ago. Let's just slow down-"
"Oh but on the contrary," a sly smirk invaded his lips. "There is plenty that we know about you." The grocery bag suddenly puffed into a miniscule blue marble between his fingertips. "I am just extending an invitation to get to know you even better. An invitation that, unfortunately, you can't refuse," he trailed off ominously while advancing toward Jun with commanding steps at the same pace she was backing away.
"What if I told you that I'm not really interested," Jun anxiously suggested while gripping the brick wall by her side, rooting herself in place.
The tips of the sly villain's gloved fingers pressed elegantly against the space next to Jun's head, his antagonistic face leaning down and inching closer to hers. "I'm afraid that's not an option, my dear."
"Please go away. I-I'm not going with you."
"But I insist, or I am afraid I'll have no other choice than to-"
The villain's words were cut off upon a salient object drifting into his view, directly between both their faces that were now dangerously close together.
A scarlet feather liberated Jun from the eerie tension, the both of them turning their attention to the grand figure perching on the broken streetlight nearby.
Hawks had been observing the exchange as he peered down from above. The sun had set fully by that point, bestowing the pro hero with a frighteningly intimidating shadow as it permeated the entirety of his body. His fierce, glowing yellow eyes were the only distinguishable feature as his pupils dilated and pierced into Mr. Compress' now submissive ones.
In an instant Hawks hopped down and expertly landed on his feet next to Jun. As his upper body rose slowly to stand up straight, his exorbitant wings begun to splay out wide, almost threateningly, as if he had just cornered his prey. His intense body language directly complimented the strained expression on his face before it eased, his threatening demeanor he'd exhibited only a second before withdrawing from sight.
"Heyyy, how's it goin' you two? A little late to be sauntering through these parts… wouldn't you agree?" He addressed Jun with a distinct weight in his tone while a hand rested on his hip with his stance wide yet tense. His entire happy-go-lucky schtick felt eerily inorganic.
Jun blinked in uncertainty at Hawks, unsure on how to respond.
His attention then shifted, wiping the forced smile off his face while sharp eyes narrowed distrustfully at the now hushed villain. "Something I can help you with?" His suspicious tone acted almost too overemphasized.
"Hawks, wha-"
The winged hero then shot Jun a stern and urgent look that instructed her to play it cool, immediately shutting her right up.
"Nothing at all, dear hero! Absolutely no tricks here," replied Mr. Compress almost resentfully. "I was simply helping a pedestrian in need. I suppose it's about that time that I return this to you." He then flicked the marble into Hawks' hand, instantly materializing it back to full size. "Be a gentleman and carry this lovely lady's baggage for her, hero," he instructed with a certain straining rigidity in his tone as he and Hawks exchanged threatening glares at each other. The hero's arm wrapped around the paper bag and held it up with a noisy squeeze, signifying that the villain's subtle spiteful gesture did not go unnoticed.
"And one final bow for the lady." A hand pressed over his chest as the villain tipped his hat to Jun respectfully before leisurely strolling in the opposite direction. "Farewell, Tani."
Frowning, Hawks watched with daggers in his dilated pupils as the villain disappeared from sight before turning his attention back to Jun, still frowning.
Uh… this seems familiar.
"Alright, I'll give. How much do I have to bribe you to stay off these streets at night?" Hawks implored with a noticeably more authentic warmness in his voice than when he addressed that supposed recruiter moments before.
"S-sorry," Jun answered with a slight blush from her pride being shot. "Guess I never thought it could happen to me."
At that, Hawks' reprimanding expression softened. Why the hell couldn't he stay mad at her?
"Heh, and I was just doing my last round of patrolling before my one night off. Luck really is on your side. Either that, or you have a guardian angel," he winked, then released his hold on the bag as bundle of scarlet feathers supported the bottom to suspend it in midair as he took her home.
Along the way, the pro hero remained quiet. There was an evident weight of anger in his step, as if he were brooding over something. Jun thought about what she could say to make his night just the least bit less rocky.
Is he upset… because of me…?
Truth be told, Hawks was uneasy about leaving Jun after such a close encounter with that villain. Hawks recognized that face from somewhere. He was dressed like Mr. Compress from the League of Villains – but he would always conceal his face behind a black and white striped mask. So what would he be doing exposing a such a pivotal part of his identity to who he perceived as an unsuspecting stranger, and for any other passerby to see? Despite entering the scene midway through the interaction, the extraordinary sensing abilities of his feathers picked up the rapid pounding of Jun's heartrate that escalated as the exchange dragged on. His exceptional hearing also allowed him to decipher that the villain was trying to lead her somewhere. Those League bastards couldn't be trying to recruit her so soon, and so carelessly… are they?
"Jun."
Jun peered up to her friend, eager to soothe whatever was troubling his mind.
"What did that man say to you?"
Truth be told, he already knew. Hawks had to pretend that he didn't hear the exchange between her and Mr. Compress. He was trained since a young age to never miss even a scrap of intel, after all. But still, Hawks had to hear it from Jun to believe it.
"He kept talking about some League… and he insisted that I went with him right then and there," she said, disturbed by the implications of what could've happened to her if her hero hadn't stepped in to save her. It was then a powerful strike pierced Hawks to his very core. It was happening.
They really were coming for her.
The pro hero seethed. He wanted answers, and he'd be damned sure to seek them.
"Jun." His tone was low and hoarse. "If anyone like that ever approaches you again, call me. And I don't want to run your life, but please, take my word for it. Stay away from them. Seriously."
"Them? Who even are these people?"
Silence. Not even a feather ruffled on the pro hero's back.
"Don't worry, you can forget about it." He then mumbled under his breath, low enough so she couldn't hear, "I'll get it through their head not to mess with you again."
Upon approaching the front doorstep, Hawks paused in thought – his demeanor was eerily stagnant.
"Hawks?" Jun's concerned voice called out to him, pulling Hawks from deep within his thoughts.
"Shit, my bad." Hawks then snapped his fingers and directed his feathers to pass Jun the grocery bag before diving right back into his mind while she tilted her head out of genuine worry for her friend. Something was clearly troubling Hawks, to the extent that it dampened his honest and carefree approach to life.
There's gotta be something I can do to help…
"You said that you're off for a bit now, right?" she inquired softly as his attention drew back to her out of curiosity. "If you want, you can… come hang out with me for a while. You know, unwind for a bit?" Jun offered sweetly while toying with her fingers out of nerves.
"Heh, you know what, chickadee? That's just what I need about now," Hawks returned her gentle smile with warmth in his own, his eyebrows lowering in adoration. "Give me a sec. I gotta free myself out of this hero gettup. Go ahead in and I'll be back before you know it!"
The door to Jun's bathroom creaked open as Hawks stepped foot into the living room and kitchen area. She had been fidgeting on her tiny lounge chair, nervous about having somebody stay over for an extended period of time.
What can I do to entertain him? Should I offer him a drink? Snacks? The frozen chicken in the freezer? Gah! What should I do?
A bead of sweat dripped down Jun's cheek as she gawked stubbornly at her floor, until a pair of feet shuffled into and blocked her view, convincing her sights to trail up to meet with Hawks. Jun's lips cracked open in shock by just how… different he looked.
He had changed out of his trademark hero clothes in favor of something more casual – a white t shirt with a black unzipped collared jacket with slits cut in the back for his scarlet wings to fit through and stretch out comfortably. The jacket was noticeably much smaller than his puffy light brown work coat – it aided in revealing the true nature of Hawks slim physique that was otherwise concealed under his insulated hero outfit. His visors were folded inwards and clipped to the collar of his t shirt while his earphones were resting around his neck, allowing Jun to see his prominent ear piercing. On his left arm Hawks wore an orange and silver watch with a single red wing in its center, topped with a simple stringed necklace with a silver feather pendant displaying proudly on his chest.
It all looked good on him. Damn good. Jun blinked twice while scanning his features from top to bottom with a reddened blush dusting her cheeks. Hawks observed her intently as her blatant scanning of his body paused at the metal feather necklace on his chest.
"I don't think you could make your staring any more obvious if you tried." Hawks took a seat beside Jun and reclined while his arm and wing rested on the back of the seat directly behind her head. The lounge was so miniscule that it barely fit the both of them; their knees made firm contact with each other before Jun pulled them away up to her face as her arms wrapped around them gingerly.
"Hey, we're all friends here. Why the shyness, babybird?" he cooed to her. He was testing the waters by referring to Jun by a bolder nickname and was pleasantly surprised that she didn't scold him for it.
"I-I don't know. I guess… I've just… never seen you like, this." She lazily gestured to his entire form while forcing back the blush invading her cheeks from doing so.
"Look, I'm still the same guy. I'm glad to be chilling here with you." Those words felt foreign coming from his lips. Here he was, 'chilling' with someone, when there was still so much to be done. It took every ounce of the hero's strength to not fidget or tap his foot impatiently in place, but he couldn't restrain himself from tapping the tips of his fingers rhythmically over his knee, catching Jun's attention.
"Hey," she said with guilt in her tone. "If you're bored here, you don't have to-"
"Who said anything about being bored here?" Hawks happily interjected. "Like I was saying, I'll stay here for as long as you want me to, or at least until duty calls. 'Till then, I'm happily yours. Thanks for this. Seriously."
The sincere ring in his tone sent a pang of warmth through Jun's heart.
"With that said, I am dying of hunger over here. What about you? You hungry? What'chu got for food lying around here?" He bombarded her with an assortment of questions essentially asking her the same thing while crossing both arms leisurely behind his swept-back hair.
Way to ruin the mood, bird brain.
While shooting him an unamused look, Jun took note of the prominent bags under his eyes, displaying the true extent of his impossibly hectic work schedule. And yet, he sacrificed what little time he had, just for her.
"You look… really tired, birdie. You sure you're okay being here?"
"Hm? Oh." He followed her gaze to the dark lines just under his eyes. "Yeah, I'm good. Just haven't had my morning boost yet."
"It's 9 o'clock at night…"
That's when Jun remembered the little gift she had for him, the one she had went out of her way and almost got kidnapped for. "This might be a terrible idea, but… I got something. For you. Uh, a gift for you, I mean," she struggled to spit it out as one hand was hidden behind her back, becoming even more flustered when the pro hero peeked one golden eye open at her in curiosity.
"Getting to know you better made me realize two things." Jun held up a pointer finger. "One, you eat too much." She then stuck out another finger. "And two, you have an insatiable sweet tooth, and it looks like you really need the sugar boost. So… here." She presented the winged hero with a can of his favorite coffee while her attention was glued stubbornly to the adjacent wall as his face lit up at her sweet offering. "I've seen the pounds of sugar you ingest daily with these canned coffees. If I can't stop you, then I might as well indulge you in your hopeless addiction."
"For real, chickadee?" He plucked the can from her loose grip without a second thought. "Shit, I'm gonna start calling you my hero from now on," he gratefully added while taking a hefty sip, causing a twinge of pink blush on Jun's cheeks while squeezing her eyes shut and gritting her teeth from the rare compliment, still refusing to remove her gaze from the wall to address him directly.
"That seriously hit the spot, dove. You wanna steal a sip before I chug the rest?"
"Ah, nah. I don't drink coffee."
"Hah-whahaat?" He chuckled in disbelief. "Alright, c'mon. Just a sip." The pro hero tossed the half empty can to Jun with a genial gleam in his eyes, like it was no inconvenience at all.
Jun would admit she wasn't the biggest fan of coffee, though she was always soothed by the smell on the very rare occasion someone next door would brew some and it'd waft to her room.
"Honestly, Hawks, what's next? Sharing toothbrushes?"
"You can drop the act, babybird," he replied knowingly with his eyes closed in glee. "I know you don't mind trying, and I don't mind helping you try new things. You gotta learn how to expand your palette, and I'm not just talking about food, either. But this is a good start."
Jun wanted so badly to be disturbed that her friend was capable of seeing right through her. Though that was just an inevitable consequence of letting someone into her life again, especially a pro hero, Jun thought as her gaze bore into that lukewarm can of pure sugar before a content smile graced her lips.
"Thanks, Hawks…this is really… sweet of you."
The winged hero's entire face dropped in astonishment. Was that… did she just… make a pun?
After her horrible attempt at humor, Hawks watched with intrigue as Jun's pursed lips contorted into a pained smile as a snicker erupted from her throat, as if she was trying desperately to hold it back. Soon, the struggle became too much for her to bear.
It was then Hawks heard the sound of Jun's laughter for the first time. It was a pure, genuine, wholehearted laugh. The winged hero's lighthearted expression fell while watching her in the throes of laughter. He felt a spark surge inside of him upon witnessing that genuine, open-mouthed smile charming and enhancing her features. It sent an unfamiliar yet powerful blooming feeling all through his chest. A sincere smile rose from his face at the sight, and he couldn't help but laugh along with her from the sheer joy of seeing her so genuinely happy. With him.
"Hahaahah - oh no WAY, kid!"
"H-huh?" Jun managed to yell between shallow breathes, her tone matching his energy. "What?!"
"Your laugh!"
"Wh-what about it? Spit it out already, you jerk!"
He chuckled while sporting a toothy grin. "You actually have one!"
Hawks was pleased by how Jun no longer resisted one of the dozens of nicknames he had specifically for her.
But damn, he thought. Her laugh… another sign of her walls crumbling to let her out, and let him in.
She sounded… so beautiful.
The pro hero stayed by his side on the couch, the indent in the spot where he'd been lounging in told of how many hours passed by in each other's company. The conversations ranged from food, hero work, and, of course, jokes and lighthearted banter between the two of them. Eventually the chat lulled as Jun rhythmically tapped her fingers in what little space divided her and Hawks, her mind racing in what she could say to save her from the overbearing silence beginning to develop.
Though this silence felt… different. It felt - comforting in a way, as though the aura radiating off the pro hero melted away all of Jun's anxieties. With him, she felt free. All the while, Hawks was idly toying with the now empty coffee tin in one hand while the other fiddled with his earpiece while deep in thought, as if he had something to share.
"Jun," he voiced solemnly. "What suddenly gave you the urge to do this for me? To go out of your way to find something like this?"
She had expected Hawks to end his inquiry with some sort of jab at her, remarking something along the lines of she was 'getting soft on him,' but he didn't. By the steadiness of the pro hero's low tone, he was serious, as if he were momentarily allowing his inner self to slip out of that carefree façade.
"W-well," she stammered. "You've given me so much already… I just wanted to return the favor. Honestly the reason why I haven't done it sooner was because I'm sure you have plenty of girls throwing things at you – I just didn't want to come off like one of your groupies, or whatever. Figured anything I could ever offer would be no big deal to you."
At that, a low hum emanated from Hawks' throat. His eyes went half lidded, with an adoring grin to accompany it as he switched his attention from Jun to the simple gift between his fingers.
"It means the world to me, babybird."
"So what this app does is act as a GPS to take you anywhere to your heart's content, which would've been useful once, but you got me to chauffer you around now," Hawks winked playfully. "This one's a calculator, so you can work out just how much of your life is wasted by playing these mind-numbing app games," he teased while pointing to some game on Jun's phone where the goal is to be the top chicken farmer in the world.
"Hey, I like that one…" Jun's meek voice muttered while eyeing her phone. Her gaze then shifted slightly upwards at the circular pattern engraved into the top of her phone. "Is that a camera?"
The pro hero's wings ruffled slightly in excitement, as if a lightbulb had just flashed on above his head. "There ya go, now you're learning! Now press that app, that one right there."
"This one? Now what?"
"Nice," he voiced passively while nonchalantly snatching the phone directly out of Jun's weak grip then leaned back on the couch, using his layered wings as a cushion.
"Seriously, Hawks? You know what, I'm only realizing now that I don't think I've ever heard you say the word please," Jun voiced in a mix of disbelief and playfulness as he pretended to ignore her in favor of toying with her phone.
"Oh-ho, you're going to play the silent game with me? Keep it up, you're going to regret i- hey, wait, no, STOP!" she demanded as a dozen red feathers ambushed and surrounded her before closing in to brush their gentle bristles against her sensitive skin, just enough to evoke a strained laughter from Jun's throat as she rolled around in an anguished, squirming mass.
"Firstly, it's called silent treatment, not game." One of his hands briefly pulled away from her phone in order to pose air quotations to emphasize. "And second, no, I don't regret it. At all."
"Ahaha-ahh-hah! D-don't, don't flatter yourself, b-birdbrain! This is laughter of pain not- not joy~ hahahaha!"
From the outside, he may have appeared disengaged and nonchalant, but Hawks was secretly driving Jun to laugh because he was blown away by it. He had to hear it again, even if it was at her expense.
While still leaning back on the couch and without even glancing up from the phone, Hawks spoke up. "If you promise to start respecting me for a change… while also referring me as your Number 1 Hero from this point on… I'll think about laying off a few feathers. Maybe."
"B-bite me!"
Hawks shut his golden eyes and shrugged, smiling in feigned defeat. "Suit yourself."
After what felt like eons, Hawks did finally submit to what he perceived as empty threats as Jun's palm pressed against her chest while engulfing labored breaths of air, savoring the brief moment of respite. Disparately cheerful words poured from that feathered bastard in the midst of her frenzied recuperation, "Oh man, I just can't forget about this moment."
Before she had time to process what the hell he was doing, Jun watched Hawks lean against her, his face so close to making contact with hers as he held the phone above their heads while posing a victory sign with his free hand, the camera aimed directly at the two of them.
"Smiiiile!"
It was at that point Jun about had her fill with the pro hero's antics for the day. She not-so-subtly kicked him out shortly after tricking her into posing for a surprise selfie. He wasn't bothered by it. It was about the right time for Hawks to head out anyway.
After all, he needed to speak with some people who had some serious explaining to do.
After bidding farewell for the night between mutual and shared laughs, Jun then checked her phone and, to her surprise, that damned bird had managed to change her phone background to a selfie of him winking with his tongue out slightly. That bird brain always knew just how to get to her. At first Jun's eyes creased, and nose flared in irritation at his little prank specifically made to mock her, but then, to her absolute dismay, Jun's expression eased the longer she stared at that… stupid blond-haired…
…cocky know-it all…
…totally annoying…
…thoughtful, considerate, funny…
…witty, handsome… wait WHAT-
Jun shook herself out of her thoughts, deeply disturbed by them. She couldn't actually be feeling what she was thinking… was she…? No way, impossible. She made a vow that fateful day that she would never get close to anyone or anything again.
Not since the accident.
Never again.
And yet, Jun couldn't help but allow her heart to flutter when her eyes returned to that winged bastard's picture on her background, and that silly one of the two of them together.
"You know what?" Jun heard herself say as her eyes softened considerably at his smiling face. "I think I'll keep it."
