Chapter 11
Chance
.:+:.
"- I want nothing to do with you Hawks. Not ever again. We are done."
.:+:.
I should never have hesitated... damn it
.:+:.
Seconds of stony silence between the both of them seemed to stretch to millions of years, and the world around them meant little to nothing. They were both silent and unmoving, Hawks still pinned underneath Animal Spirit and their eyes locked with each other as they remained there in that park with no one around and no one to witness what was going on, or the No. 26's incredibly harsh behavior toward the No. 24. It seemed like it was just them, like they were the only ones in the world for those few moments, and certainly the only ones that mattered.
The longer they held one another's gaze, the more Hawks became convinced he wasn't seeing things- Spirit's eyes were glowing. Just a little, and it wasn't easy to tell with how light it was outside, but as they were there and the sun slowly kept on sinking behind the horizon, it began to be easier to tell. Those red eyes of hers were giving off an ethereal dark crimson glow that was odd, yet somehow... Cool was the word he used, though maybe he thought beautifully haunting was better.
A little too dramatic? Hmm... Maybe-
But how come he'd never realized her eyes did that? It couldn't have been new, yeah? So why had he never noticed it?
He supposed maybe they'd never really seen eachother when it was getting dark and the city lights weren't all around, so that might have kept him from being able to see this faint glow. Or maybe it was because she was so angry right now, and a sort of anger she hadn't ever been with him... This sheer anger he hadn't wanted aimed at him, if he were to be honest. But it was there and though he still wasn't entirely sure just why she was this angry, he knew well enough at this point he had missteped somewhere. And he honestly hadn't meant to, but really- how was he supposed to have known that his (albeit perhaps bad) habits for collecting info from all over the cities streets would set her off this much?
There was little doubt in his mind that there was something darker and deeper hidden behind her anger for his sort-of-spying, and immediately came that urge to ask about it, and to know- unsurprisingly. He was a curious person by nature and he sometimes forgot manners and common sense in that urge to learn and to figure people out, though he mostly didn't mean to. He just got hung up on the things that interested him, and sometimes that interest outweighed better sense or thoughts of consequence... as it surely had now.
She interested him though- like a lot- and a lot more than he ever thought possible or anticipated she could. He wasn't sure what it was that had her at such a high point on his list of 'Interesting Things', but she was there none the less, and for it he maybe, sort of, just a little, had gotten... Obsessed...? Not obsessed, obsessed... But more interesting than a passing fancy level of attention.
But any which way, his attention had gotten a bit too involved for Spirit's liking. And her reaction was harsh, and abrasive, and shocking... And damn it that just made her all the more interesting!
How am I supposed to stop being curious if you do this, Spirit...?!
He sighed internally, willing himself not to show his exasperation outwardly, lest it set her off more. She was clearly ready to drop him and any and all interaction between the two of them in the near future- ditch him and stay away and keep it like that, and he didn't want that. The thought made him a little panicky (if that hadn't been clear with how quickly he jumped into trying to calm her down...), and he really, really didn't want to destroy what little relationship they had established thus far... Which he had started to do now, though entirely inadvertently.
Maaaaannnn... I really messed up today... But I still don't get all of it...
He wasn't sure what he would do if Spirit didn't believe him and his apology. He didn't want to think she'd reject it, but he knew there was probably a really high chance she would- and then he just wouldn't see her anymore, huh?
No more popping by and chatting, no more late-night dinners, no more surprise paparazzi photos, and no more grumpy Animal Spirit on the other end of Instagram's messaging app... No more earning anymore Points with her and no more chances to learn more, and really get to know her.
Weirdly enough, the idea of that no more really didn't sit well in his core. It almost made him feel anxious, and like he was about to lose something that meant something to him... Again, why the hell does she seem important to me? Out of nowhere, and in so little time? I still don't get it-
-ah, ignoring that question he hadn't an answer for, there was one thing he was certain of; he meant it, when he said he was sorry. He had to mean it, because if he didn't there wasn't a chance she'd believe him, and that would mean there would no longer be a Hawks and Animal Spirit of any kind.
So his eyes locked with hers and he hoped she saw it in him, the honesty and the sincerity... And maybe even the want, too.
I don't want things to end here... You're too interesting to let walk away now, Spirit.
Her eyes narrowed at him and her lips curled. She almost looked sour and he wasn't sure if it was because of something his face did, or something else entirely.
Interesting, yeah... And maybe I've actually been enjoying it, being around you... Even as little as we've managed so far. Weird huh, Hawksy...? Definitely didn't anticipate that when this all started... Not that I'm complaining per say... Heh, though maybe I could have gone without getting thrown to the ground~
He felt her grip on his wrist tighten, her fingers digging in even farther than they already had, and he almost winced. But even despite that, she said nothing, and their tense staring contest continued.
The pause was a good sign though, yeah? At least she was thinking about it? And not just throwing him away?
"...tch... You bloody fucking..." Spirit hissed under her breath, almost too low for him to hear her.
Her grip around his wrist suddenly released, and in the split second that followed that a small, faint smile started to spread across his face- only to abruptly get cut off when her hand closed tightly around the collar of his jacket and shirt, and she jerked his head up off the ground to be inches away from her own. The dying rays of sunlight bounced off his visor for a split second as she did that, before their eyes locked and he got the feeling she was staring straight into his soul.
Dramatic again? Proooooobably-
"Hear me and listen well, Hawks." Spirit growled lowly, her tone nearly dangerous and he unconsciously sucked in a breath of air and held it. "If you ever try to spy on me, or collect secrets or information about me, or if you ever try to blackmail me or keep tabs on me and what I'm doing and my whereabouts- I will find out out. Doesn't matter what you do, or how careful you are, or how harmless you think it is. I will find out. And when I do, and without hesitation-" she hissed, her tone dangerously low and Hawks blinked. She pulled him just a hairs' width closer, her red eyes gleaming and her expression changing from icy rage to something darker, and something even colder... Something almost...?
"-I will kill you."
Hawks felt his heart skip a beat as a pang of fear struck him straight through his core. Pure and actual fear, and because he honestly couldn't tell if she was kidding...?!
He swallowed, a cold bead of sweat falling down the back of his neck and spine.
N-no she... She's like seriously serious...! L-like will without a doubt actually murder me...! T-that's n-not very Hero-like...!
For maybe the first time in his life, someone actually, and utterly terrified him... Like shake you down to your core and make your heart stop, make it impossible to breathe terrified. And it terrified him even more that it was Animal Spirit who did it.
Not a Villain, not a crime, not a disaster or a catastrophe- Animal Spirit!
W-what the hell...?!
Animal Spirit let her threat sink in for a few seconds more, before she scowled at him and roughly jerked his head back and let the front of his shirt go in the same instant. His head fell back against the grass as he elected not to keep it up himself, and he watched in rigid, slightly still terrified silence as she shifted and pushed herself up and off of him. She stepped over and away from him, surprisingly careful enough not to step all over his wings in the process, he might add... But her expression and her demeanor was anything but careful or gentle.
"You had best remember that, Hawks." She muttered lowly, he blinked up at her from his place still frozen on the ground. Her glittering red eyes moved away from him and she turned her back toward him slightly as she crossed her arms over her chest, growling lowly. "... You're only getting one more chance, don't screw it up." she added lowly, he bit the inside of his cheek.
Spirit seemed to force herself a calming breath, and for a moment she shifted like she intended to look his way again, but never actually did. He slowly sat up, adjusting to sit cross-legged on the grass beside her and his wings pulling into his sides, his eyes peering up at her quietly from behind his visor. His mouth opened to say something, but he stopped himself before a noise ever came out and pulled the collar of his jacket over his mouth to keep himself quiet.
Yeah... Probably shouldn't. I ought to just give her a minute to... Calm down, maybe...
So they just remained there in silence, and the same sort of silence that had come before her threat of homicide. Spirit didn't move, and she didn't look at him, and Hawks did his best to stay still too... But honestly, the longer it went on the more he was fidgeting, and the faster his glances grew as his gaze darted between her and the grass.
Hell, he even started to fidget nervously with the grass, pulling up strands and then messing with his feathers to try and keep himself from saying something, or getting up, or pissing her off again.
God, silence was painful!
Spirit stiffened at the sound of Hawks pulling up pieces of grass, her ears easily catching the clear snap of the vegetation and she spared a quick, imperceptible glance down toward him for the first time in a few long minutes. Her already narrowed eyes narrowed even further to see him sitting there and almost hunched over, picking the grass apart and switching between that and messing with his feathers, moving, incessant, fidgety... bloody fucking hell, is he pouting?!
Her lips curled and her teeth grit together as she actively fought the urge to smack him across the head for his childish behavior. She just eyed him as he kept on with what he was doing, her lips pulling further and further into a frown as she grit her teeth.
He is a fucking child!
"Grr... Quit it!" She snapped hotly, and he flinched at it, eyes wide and glittering as he met her furious red gaze for the first time in a long time. His fingers stilled in picking apart the grass, stiff as a board and quiet again as she glared at him, "You're bloody child, do you know that?! Can you not sit still and be quiet?!" She hissed furiously, he seemed to bite the inside of his cheek and he pulled the collar of his jacket tighter over his mouth. His eyes averted from her again as his posture wilted,
"Sorry, Spirit..." He mumbled around the jacket, she bristled further at the apology.
He is pouting!
God damn it, why did I say I was gonna give him another chance?!
I can't stand him acting like a child!
But he is a child, damn it!
Her jaw clenched so hard she thought she might crack a tooth, and her fingers dug into her arms as they crossed even tighter over her chest.
"Hey, isn't that Hawks?"
"Hmm? Oh yeah! Wait... Is that Animal Spirit with him...?!"
"Oh my god it totally is!"
"Haven't those two been together more and more often lately?"
"Yeah! You think something's going on..?"
"Why's Hawks sitting on the ground like that...?"
Spirit growled lowly at the pair of voices behind her somewhere, and undoubtedly belonging to a duo of (now) excited onlookers- who from the sound of it, were fans of Hawks, and among the many who had heard from the media and all around about that conjecture and rumors about herself and Hawks being around eachother... And what that might mean.
Because it had to mean something right?
Ugh
She usually didn't give a damn what the media or the press or anything said, and she usually didn't care what the general public said or thought either... But right now she was in no mood.
"I'm leaving." Spirit muttered lowly, he blinked at her, looking unsure of himself and she let out a hot breath.
I hate myself
"I said you had one last chance Hawks. If you don't think you're gonna blow it, you can come with." She muttered hotly, his eyes flashed in surprise. She shook her head at him and waved a hand dismissively as she started to walk passed him, and away from the looky-loos behind her.
"Otherwise, leave me the hell alone."
She walked passed him and her body got swarmed in a black-red haze of non reality, glittering pieces of hazy glass shinning in the dying light of the sun. Her figure shrunk down into something smaller, blurred at the edges as she Shifted, ebony feathers shinning smooth and her red eyes finding his as she stood there in the grass, an eagle now.
"Oh that is so cool...!"
"Heck yeah!"
The onlookers cooed and awed in the same way they always do in sight of the No. 26, though Spirit didn't cast a glance at them, and nor did Hawks. He stayed watching her as their eyes met, and she seemed to sigh at him, looking away again as she extended her wings and took off with little sound at all.
Hawks remained on the ground for a few moments after she took off, just watching her as she climbed higher up into the sky- before he realized what he was doing.
He scrambled to his feet, his wings lifting behind him and ready to take off, but he hesitated.
Should he really go after her? After all of that? Or would he just waste what last chance she had given him?
It wasn't like she was in a good mood right now, it might take very little to set her off enough to lose that chance altogether.
It would probably be better to let her cool off a little, give her some time alone and to herself, and give her time to forget all of what he did that had pissed her off so, so much- Aaaaaaaand he was already in the air...?!
He'd lifted off and into the sky before he even finished his thoughts or had any idea what his wings were doing without him asking them to.
His hands wrung together nervously as he found himself gliding through the air, trailing after the now avian Animal Spirit slowly. She didn't cast a glance back his way, but a small twitch of her head told him that she was aware he had followed, and he hoped she didn't mind that he had.
Why are you following, huh Hawksy? You totally pissed her off, it'd be better to give her some space, yeah?
So why did my wings take me after her on their own?
He let out a silent sigh, his shoulders sagging slightly. He made sure not to catch up all the way, but still stay in the quake of her flight-path... And he made sure to keep his mouth shut.
His hands moved up to his headphones around his neck as he moved them a bit, fidgeting with them a few moments and casting glances ahead toward Spirit, before looking below, and then on repeat. They were moving away from the park, out toward the heart of Heiku and the buildings and structures and its streets. He cast furtive glances between the urban area below and the soft orange and red gleam that the sun made off Spirit's wings and ebony feathers, his hands still playing with his headphones and chewing the inside of his cheek.
Silence really was painful
He forced himself a small, quiet breath and moved his headphones up and onto his head and ears- though he kept them tilted as not to cover both his ears all the way, so he could still hear the world around him... And Spirit if she wanted to talk to him, if ever again.
He really wished he knew why his sort-of-spying had set her off like that... Cause what caused all that anger and rage?
Was it something to do with why she'd gotten so touchy when the conversation about why they'd become Heroes? And about her doing it to 'spite' someone, and the world?
His eyes glittered as he cast her one long, lingering look, before he placed his hands in his jacket pockets and looked away for good.
I don't know... But... We messed up, huh Hawksy?
.:+:.
I should have just told him to fuck off for the day
Spirit grumbled under her breath, her fingernails digging into her hips and her teeth clamped down on the insides of her cheeks in sheer agitation.
Why did I even give him the choice to come along or not? I'm in a royally foul mood, and it's his fault and that god damn Director's too
The distant blue and red light of the police cars parked a ways away glowed brightly in the dim of the scarcely lit area. The chatter of radio and people alike so faint on her ears, and nearly drowned out entirely by the sound of Hawks' music blasting through his headphones on the endless cycle they seemed to have.
The only reason I haven't lost my mind being around him is because we've been dodging to and from this incident to that incident all night, and being busy with that hasn't allowed much time for chit-chat... Thank god
Which was true, in terms of Patrolling, tonight had been a busy night. Nothing seriously bad had happened, just a bunch of small things, little scuffles and places where they could lend a hand, or settle some trouble. None of which ever took more than half an hour or so to clear up, and none of which required any real leg-work either. No fighting, no running around, nothing like when she was going toe-to-toe with Stain, or even of the same caliber as that group of guys she'd faced the first night she met Hawks.
In short, it was busy-work, and there was a lot of it. So they kept busy, solving this issue here and splitting up this group of fighting kids there, then helping pick up a spilled shipment of packages, and then on to stop and attempted robbery- which only consisted of Hawks tying the would-be robber in a flurry of feathers before he ever even got a chance to say his first threat. And then after that came a multitude of checking this street and then that, tugging a pedestrian too involved in his phone back and out of the street he had been about to walk into, and then next to Spirit saving a girl's bag from getting snatched.
It was a kid, middle-school age (and really not old enough to be out as late as she was...) who had been on her way home, and subsequently got her backpack stolen by a lanky guy with too much leg and not enough sense. Said Lanky-Dude had popped up from fidgeting in an alley and snatched up the kid's backpack from where it had been slung over one shoulder, and then started to book it down the street and hopefully out of sight. The girl screamed loud enough everyone two and three streets over could hear it, and immediately she had the eyes and attention of everyone on the same street- including Hawks, who had previously been doing his best to find something interesting in a store window to look at, instead of looking at Spirit. Which meant his attention on the 'lookout' portion of Patrolling had been rather lacking right then.
He wasn't even sure of what all happened, one minute he was staring at the display, and then in the next there was some kid screaming her head off while waving her hands in the direction of whoever it was that had caused her to be screaming. The kid wasn't saying much that made any sense, but Hawks had gotten the gist, and was already gearing up to send a feather out and deal with Lanky-Dude, only to cut short when he realized that Animal Spirit was not where he'd last seen her, like, ten seconds ago.
And in the next second, his eyes found Animal Spirit already up the street from him and pinning Lanky-Dude to the ground, one hand with his arm twisted behind his back, and the other holding the kid's bag.
He was reeling so much about how she could have managed to get from where he was, to apprehending Lanky-Dude in like literally ten seconds, he'd just stood there, awed. He didn't even budge for a long while after Spirit tied Lanky-Dude up with one of those straps hanging from her waist (she was still in Hero Costume Version 1.0), and handed the kid's backpack back- and only slowly did he head over once she did that last bit.
Seriously, how did she react that fast? Had he really been that out of it?
Spirit handed the bag back and the teenage girl looked like she was losing her mind- rightfully so, since the whole ordeal had been done and over with in maybe like 30 seconds tops, and that was impressive in itself, but the real surprise?
It was Animal Spirit who saved her bag.
Yeah, it became very clear, very fast, that that kid was a fan of the No. 26... Like a really big fan.
(If the multitude of black cat/dog/bird/animal pins stuck into her backpack had been any indicator...)
And Spirit handled the excited teen with grace and patience and polite responses, as she always did with her fans and the general public. She smiled gently and treated the girl with kindness, thanking her for the support and telling the girl it was no problem having to step in and save her bag. When Stain and her fight against him came into the picture, Spirit simply nodded and smiled- a little less maybe, but still calm anyway- and she didn't let the fangirling linger on that too long.
There came a bit of a crowd in the quake of what was only a small little incident, and though Spirit had wanted to avoid any large amount of being questioned and whatnot- she handled the gathering onlookers with the same quiet confidence that she had with the teenage (fan)girl. She answered a few questions and comments here and there, many of which had to do with Stain- and nearly all of which she gave little more than a vague reply or small word of 'thank you' when being praised for her efforts, skill, badassry or whatever.
And all the while the usually very fan-oriented Hawks hung back, and did this best not to have a lot of (or any) of the attention on himself. He busied himself with the Police while Spirit was preoccupied, and he smiled and played it cool as things got wrapped up, and he made sure to ask one of the officers to walk the kid home. And once Spirit broke away from her crowd and started to head off, he followed slowly and let her take the lead- and offered up a small, clearly nervous smile, and a small praise about how quickly she'd caught Lanky-Dude.
"You were pretty fast there Spirit, totally impressive~!" He had hummed, and she shot him a glance, her expression nothing but unreadable, before looking away again and huffing as her only reply.
And that was just how it had been the whole night. Even through the numerous things they ended up doing on Patrol, they had hardly said more than 20 words to eachother the whole night... And it was like 2 in the morning now. And the whole night there had been this tense, prickling sense of unease between the two of them that was so so heavy, like a thick cloud hanging over them. They hardly even looked at eachother, and they kept their distance, and they didn't speak, but they still kept together from street to street and event to event... And it got a little less electric as the hours rolled by after what stormy confrontation there had been in the park, but it was still so tense. Hawks had tried a few times through the hours to lighten things up, like his praise about Lanky-Dude, but it was clear that Spirit was not in the mood for it, and every failed attempt was another blow to a very damaged sense of confidence in his ability to smooth things over with her.
He was just trying to not chase her off, or piss her off again, and he knew talking was the fastest way to do that... So he gave into the silence, and the not chatting, and the not looking at her and being cheery and all that even though the sullen and the quiet was so nerve-racking and almost maddening for him. Hawks felt like such a big twisted knot of anxiety and unspent energy he was feeling more and more nauseous as the hours dragged on.
This was not how he had pictured nor wanted his first time Patrolling with Spirit to go... At all.
And Spirit was very aware of how hard a time he was having trying to tread lightly around her. The sudden change in his chipper and cocky and childish attitude was immediate, and drastic... He was following her around and going through the motions of Patrol like a sad puppy who had been scolded and now didn't know what to do with itself.
And it was infuriating, and he was wearing on her nerves even as the initial anger and rage settled down with the passage of time. It was a very good thing they had managed to stay so busy, otherwise she would have kicked him to the curb by now.
But still, she wasn't sure why she hesitated to drop him in the first place, or even why she gave him another chance... Because really, Hawks did little but piss her off. Like every time they were around each other.
Spirit huffed again as she shook her head at herself. She heard the drone of Hawks' music fade and the sound of his wing beats do the same as he moved off just after mumbling something along the lines of 'I'll see what's up over there, gimme a minute' in regards to the distant police and whatever issue they were responding to further up the path from where she was.
What is wrong with me? He pisses me off much more than he ever is tolerable to be around, so why did I even subject myself to this?
Her eyes fell closed as she shook her head again, grumbling nonstop.
... Damn it I am so aggravated... Him pouting is killing me and what patience I have left... I need to go home and just be alone... And I should have told him to go away in the first place!
Damn me!
And of course the fact that she had missed out on sleeping today did nothing to improve her mood. She could feel the exhaustion itself creeping at the back of her mind, but the agitation had been keeping it at bay quite well. She was sure to feel it as soon as she managed to calm down all the way, but she wasn't sure when that would be, but she could guess it would be sometime in working at the Club... Well, unless those suddenly grabby customers that Tenshi mentioned made an appearance, and kept her anger going.
I might actually break someone's hand if they try that today
I'm sure that'll go over well with the owner... but damned if they won't deserve a fractured wrist for trying to grab at me or anyone else who doesn't fucking want it.
... Wow Spirit, you are a bitch, hmm?
She grumbled a bit more under her breath and cast the thought off, forcing a sigh. She probably ought to try and stop thinking about everything that was making her so mad, at least sooner or later... Maybe I ought to just focus on what I need to be doing for that Internship, hmm...?
Still got a lot to do, and buy, and pick up... Ugh
Her hand moved up from her hip and she pinched the bridge of her nose.
... I need sleep... I should just tell Feathers I am ditching him and go home to catch a few hours while I can...
"... Ah, it's just that Killjoy guy. He stopped a group of kids from trashing the park and spray-painting everything." Hawks' voice came back into play somewhere behind her, and up a little. She took a guess that he'd perched himself on the top of one of the lamps lining the walkway, though she didn't bother to look his way. "He and the police have everything handled, so we don't need to head over..." he mumbled quietly, she nodded just once.
"Fine." she muttered, her hand falling from pinching the bridge of her nose and eyes still shut as she stood there a few moments and he stayed where he was too. There was a few seconds of silence, before she heard the distinct sound of his wings again and then the sound of his boots hitting the cobble path just behind her, and she scowled, her eyes cracking open and glaring at the ground.
Remember that thing about him keeping his distance? Well, he seemed to have tossed that out now-
"Ah... Here, Spirit." Hawks said softly, and entirely uncertainly, and she blinked.
Here?
She turned around toward him, eyes narrowed in question and her brow quirking as she was met with the sight of him standing there and fidgeting, his eyes failing to meet hers and in his hands... Two cups of steaming coffee(?).
She stared, her brow quirking further at the cups of liquid and Hawks finally spared a glance up at her, smiling so very nervously.
"I spotted this little coffee stand a bit over that way, and it smelled good, so..." He told her, his head tilt in the direction of 'that way' and what little confidence he had had to start the interaction seeming to fade the more he talked. "... Ah... I figured a cup of coffee sounded nice, since we've hit a bit of a break in things to do and fix and whatnot...!" He said quickly, his hand extending with a cup toward her and she blinked at it and not him. "... So maybe we can just chill for a little, and have a drink, yeah...? I brought sugar and cream packets and stuff, since I don't know how you like your coffee...uh..." He broke off, suddenly looking even more nervous as he chewed on the inside of his cheek. "... Ah... or even if you like coffee...?" He added uncertainly, and Spirit sighed internally.
He's turned into a nervous wreck around me... My fault, yeah...?
His fault too
... But what does he think coffee is gonna do though? Hammer in the 'I'm sorry' just that little bit more?
... You're god damn tiring, Feathers
Despite the annoyance that flared anew in her core, her hand moved up and took the cup he was offering. Hawks looked at her in surprise, his fingers releasing the cup the instant she grabbed it and staring as she seemed to huff.
"Coffee is fine." She grumbled, her eyes falling closed as she lift the cup up to her nose and sniffed at it. "... And I drink it black, so I hope you didn't stuff your pockets full with sugar and whatever else, Bird-Boy."
Hawks stared, his jaw dropping slightly and his heart fluttering at the fact that she had accepted the drink, and his eyes shone at the sudden appearance of the 'Bird-Boy' jibe.
Ever since the whole unpleasantness at the start, Spirit had said little to him and when she did she'd been pointedly lacking on what array of jibes and nicknames he had grown accustomed to from her. No calling him 'Feathers' or 'Bird-Boy', 'Bird-Brain' or even 'Feather-Fuck'. She'd only referred to him as Hawks the whole night, and there was always so much venom in her voice when she did so, it was spine-chilling.
But to suddenly have 'Bird-Boy' pop back into the picture made his heart pick up, and a small fraction of that tightly wound knot he was in seemed to unwind too.
Does that mean she's calming down, just a little?
And maybe... I haven't totally screwed things up?
His eyes gleamed even more as he watched Spirit press her lips against the edge of the cup and take a drink.
His small smile grew a bit, and a bit more confident as his now free hand fell into his pocket, humming to himself as he dug around in it for a moment. Spirit cracked an eye open as he did so, about to remind him on her no need for sugar or anything since that was what she assumed he was doing, but she never got to it.
"The Coffee guy was selling these little Thirteen Marshmallows too~! They looked pretty good, so I figured I'd grab a few~" Hawks hummed, and both Spirit's eyes opened in the slightest bit of intrigue. "They're supposed to go in your coffee, but if you like it all bitter and stuff, ya can just eat them normally~!" He said brightly, his hand pulling back out of his pocket with a small plastic bag filled with said 'Thirteen Marshmallows'.
"He said he switches out Hero Marshmallows every day, so today was Thirteen Themed and he said tomorrow is gonna be Fat Gum themed~" Hawks went on, already pulling out one of the marshmallows (setting his coffee down on a feather that detached itself and floated at his side). "So if ya feel up to it, maybe we can hit up the same stand some other time, and see what Hero Marshmallow is on for the day~?"
He pulled one out and smiled, handing it out toward Animal Spirit, who watched his hand and nothing else, quiet as she stared at the palm-sized, black, white and yellow treat. There was a small second where Spirit didn't react to the offering, before her hand extended and took the marshmallow in between her fingers, her expression utterly unreadable as she looked it over. It was simple, shaped into the outline of Thirteen's rather oval-ish body with little grooves where their suit ruffled. There was darker paint on the head with little white light that resembled Thirteen's helmet, and there was even little yellow shoes on the bottom.
"It's actually pretty cool, yeah~?" Hawks went on, "It's like super simple, but it totally looks like Thirteen~! And it's kinda cute~" he chuckled, his smile lingering even as Spirit remained utterly expressionless as she looked at the treat. He smiled a bit more as she brought it up a bit more in front of her face, her red eyes trailing over the food as she gave it a few, evaluative squeezes. Her eyes narrowed slightly, almost pensive as he let out a silent breath. "I bet it totally tastes as good as it looks~!" He assured, but Spirit still didn't look at him.
He waved a hand a bit, his lacking cheer the last few hours suddenly reignited, at least a little.
"I might have to contact some dessert companies about coining one of these little guys after me~! I'm sure there are plenty of people who'd like to get a taste of a Hawk-mallow~!" He smiled, "What do ya think, Spirit-?"
His suddenly carefree attitude broke off abruptly as Spirit's lips pulled down at the corners, and she suddenly lift the Thirteen Treat up to her mouth and her teeth bit down on it's head with an audible snap- and then she promptly ripped the whole head off from the body and started chewing.
Hawks recoiled, a cold chill running up his spine and utterly horrified at how violently she had decapitated the poor Marshmallow Thirteen. And then she kept chewing like it was the most normal thing ever... Oh my god!
She has no remorse!
His hand fell over his mouth as he sucked in a sharp breath of air, sweating up a storm as she stood there chewing away at her victim's head with the utmost calm and neutrality and normalcy. It... It was disturbing..!
S-she's an animal!
Spirit popped the rest of the headless 'Thirteen' into her mouth and started chewing that too, her eyes closed and completely unaware of what horrified look Hawks had on his face. Her now free hand found her hip as she chewed the last bit, before moving to take another drink of the coffee, and Hawks did his best to shake off his discomfort- with little luck. Because somehow the next thought that came to his mind was an image of Spirit savagely ripping the head off one of the 'Hawk-Mallows', and he visibly paled, his hand falling to brush against his neck as he gulped.
S-scary...
Spirit took another drink and finally let her eyes open again as she glanced to him, and blinked upon seeing how uneasy he looked.
"... What the bloody hell is wrong with you?" She muttered lowly, and he jumped.
"N-nothing...!" He stammered and she gave him a look that clearly said she didn't believe him, but she shook her head and sighed.
"Then drink your coffee already, dumbass." She muttered hotly and he nodded, snatching his coffee up from where it had been on his feather and quickly taking one, two, and several drinks in rapidity. Spirit watched him practically gulp his drink down, his eyes averted from her the whole time and stiff as a board with his feathers fluffed up, almost like he was afraid of something...?
Oi... I can't with you, Feathers...
"... A... Uhm... Do you... Want another one, Spirit...?" Hawks after his rapid drinking, his eyes seemingly having a hard time staying on her as he lift the bag of marshmallows up a bit in gesture.
"No." she grumbled lowly, and he seemed to let out a silent sigh of relief, though she hadn't a clue why. She bit the inside of her cheek, holding the coffee cup up just in front of her lips and grumbling as she watched him put the bag back in his pocket, and then pull a marshmallow out for himself. He carefully dropped the little 'Thirteen' in his coffee cup and watched it melt away on top until only the head was put together, before he took another (tentative) sip. Spirit let her eyes close,
Apparently his suddenly aflame confidence and cheeriness was gone again, and replaced with that same unease he had had for hours now... Fucking hell
... You can probably afford to be at least polite, Spirit... But damned if I wanna be...
"... Thanks for the coffee, Bird-Boy..." She said softly and he blinked in surprise at the sudden words. Spirit didn't look up again though, and there was only a small pause before she kept talking. "... But next time ask me beforehand. I don't want you paying for me so often." Spirit mumbled lowly, he wilted a little.
"I don't mind paying, ya know... I mean, money really isn't an issue or anything..." He told her quietly, she huffed.
"I mind." She grumbled lowly and he swallowed a bit, before nodding slightly and glancing away.
"... sorry..." He mumbled softly, she shook her head but let it be.
There was awhile of silence again as they stood alone in that park, sipping at their coffees and listening to the distant and slowly fading sound of radio-chatter and sirens, and then the persistent low drone of Hawks' music being the only thing between them.
Spirit's head tilted back as she swallowed the last bit of coffee left in the cup, and sighed as she ran a hand through her bangs a few times, waiting for the bitter and warm liquid to settle in the base of her stomach. It was a pleasant sensation, regardless if the weather wasn't really suited for the temperature of the drink itself... and it was even more pleasant a sensation of filling her empty stomach.
...mmmm... maybe I'm hungry... when was the last time I ate...?
... back at the club, yeah...? I was so worked up after meeting the Director, and then with Hawks... I didn't think about it...
... ugh... fuck today...
Spirit pulled her phone from the pocket in her suit, clicking the screen to life for only a few seconds and only long enough to see the time and what few notification were available for her to see.
2:46 am
She tapped the lock button and the screen shut off, her hand replacing the device back in her pocket and casting Hawks a glance. He was where he had been standing, coffee half-drunk and fidgeting with his jacket collar and headphones both.
"Oi, Bird-Boy." Spirit murmured, catching his immediate attention and breaking the silence in an instant. Hawks eyes found Spirit's red ones and he blinked, "I'm gonna head home. Everything's gotten slow, and I'm tired." She grumbled and he nodded slightly,
"...ah... ok." He mumbled, Spirit waved a hand at him dismissively and started to walk passed him. Hawks stepped to the side a bit and turned to watch her go, chewing the inside of his cheek and pensive as he watched her move away. He grimaced to himself, rocking back and forth on his heels a few times before he shook his head at himself.
"Ah, sweet dreams, Spirit...!" He called quickly as she got a few dozen feet away, a little late sure, but at least he said something, yeah...?
Spirit's head twitched slightly at the sound of his voice, her steps slowing just ever so little as she slowly cast a glance over her shoulder and back toward him. Their eyes met for half a second, her expression unreadable to him and he really, really tried... but she looked away again, their gazes broken.
Spirit's hand lift, waving just once, and Hawks' eyes gleamed as his heart skipped a beat.
"... see ya, Feathers."
.:+:.
... Leave it to today to be slow as hell...
Spirit sighed as she leaned over the bar a bit, her elbows propped up on the countertop and cheeks in her hands. Around her the club was filled with the same music and smokey atmosphere, and the girls were milling about... Just lazily, and the usual chatter was low to nonexistent, and all because there was a curious lack of customers today.
And remember that exhaustion and tiredness she had creeping up ever so slowly at 2 something in morning?
Well it was now 11 something in the morning- and yes, close to the end of her shift- and she was all but asleep on her feet, and the lack of anything to do outside of filling the cup of the one guy at the bar was not helping to keep her awake and motivated. And the realization that she wouldn't even be able to head home and straight to bed after her Shift made it worse. She had supplies to go out and buy and things to pick up from the Support Office (her Hero Uniform in particular) and all these other little things to settle and put together for that Internship coming in the next two days...
... Ah, she had already cleared away a schedule change with the owner of the club. As much as she hated it, she was now slated to work from 6 to 2 in the morning- in other words?
Happy (rush) hour
The biggest block of time for the club and the most crowded and popular. Where all the actual shows were scheduled and the most people showed up and goggled and drank and generally made a big fucking mess.
Ugh
But what was she to do? She had to make sacrifices for this Internship thing, and grumble as she would on the inside, she would deal with it.
It's only a week, Spirit... You can last a week.
... Or at least, she hoped so.
She took some solace in the fact that tips would be better during this shift of hours than her regular one. But only some... Though honestly at that moment she was too tired to get worked up about the thought. She really wanted to sleep, but sleep would have to come after everything else.
I hate myself... Why do I always do this?
Never think ahead? Put myself in situations where I don't have time to sleep? Just generally kill what little of a 'normal' sleep schedule I have?
... I'm a fucking idiot...
"Kage, seeing as how things are slow, would you come with me for a little?"
Spirit blinked in surprise at the sudden appearance of Tenshi's voice to her left, and glanced over toward the older woman quickly. Tenshi was standing at the entrance to the back of the bar, cigarette in hand and heavy-lidded eyes halfway open as she caught Spirit's 'blue' eyes.
"Hmm? Do you need me to do something for you?" Spirit asked, Tenshi shook her head a waved a hand for her to follow.
"No, nothing like that." She murmured, already heading away as Spirit quickly moved to follow. She rounded the bar and stepped out onto the floor after the older woman, casting a quick glance backwards and at the bar only occupied by one person, before settling all her attention on Tenshi.
"So what's up then?" Spirit asked, the two of them skirting around the lounge and what spare few people were in it as they headed steadily toward a side hallway, and subsequently toward the doors attached to it.
"Hmm? I already told you, didn't I?" Tenshi replied dryly, and Spirit blinked in question.
Ah... No...?
Tenshi slowed up outside a door that lead to the dressing rooms, apparently taking Spirit's lack of answer as answer and sighing slightly.
"You need to introduce yourself to the new girl." Tenshi elaborated dryly and Spirit's eyes widened slightly, her thoughts clicking together quickly.
"Oooh," Spirit hummed, "I forgot about that, sorry..."
"Hmph... Well this will be her first day actually working, so do us a favor and be nice to her, alright?" Tenshi grumbled and Spirit sighed internally, though she smiled anyway.
"I'm always nice, Tenshi..." She pointed out lightly, and the older woman huffed.
"To the people you know, yes." the older woman agreed dryly, "To everyone else though, you are little bit frigid. You do realize that most everyone thinks you're a Stiff, right?"
A Stiff? Seriously...? Like... like a prude or something...?
"Ah, that's not fair..." Spirit mumbled as they pushed through the door,
"It is the truth." Tenshi mumbled, and this time Spirit shut up. Because... Well, maybe she had a point.
Spirit was not under any sort of delusion that she was all that likeable of a person, or that she didn't rub people the wrong way...That's just... Me.
But a Stiff, seriously...? Is that really how everyone sees me...?
She bit the inside of her cheek a little, her eyes falling to the floor for a moment.
...huh...
Many of the girls sitting closest to the door looked up and around as Spirit (or rather Kage) and Tenshi walked in, small smiles gracing their faces and smirks too.
"Ah, Kage~! Been awhile since you've visited us back here."
"Heard you're switching to Happy Hour for the next week?"
"Oooh, you think you can handle the rush? Hehe.."
Spirit smiled coolly at the calls and questions, "I'm sure I can handle it just fine." She replied, and the girls exchanged looks, smirking at one another.
"We'll see~!" Two of them cooed in a sing-song voice, and Spirit grimaced internally.
"Ah, give me some credit." Spirit chuckled, they just laughed. "I can handle the bar at any time, happy hour included."
"Oh we know you can bartend through anything, Kage~!" Jishi hummed brightly, her orange eyes glittering as she tapped a finger to her cheek. "But we all know you don't like any of the boys fooling around, and they're bound to be very interested in you~! You're not the usual thing they see behind the bar, ya know~!"
"Mhmm, you think you can handle all their advances?" Hana asked slyly, Spirit sighed internally.
They really do think I'm some sort of prude, huh...?
... I just... oi...
"I'm sure I'll be okay." Spirit replied softly, but there was only a few shrugs and smiles in return.
"Ah, leave poor Kage alone~!" Bisha hummed, "She's a tough girl, she'll be okay~!"
Hana and Jishi laughed, exchanging glanced with one another. "Tough attitude maybe, but have you seen her Bisha? Kage's real skinny~!" They called back without skipping a beat, and Spirit sighed, again.
"Play nice! Kage can take care of herself as well as the rest of us, I'm sure~!" Bisha quipped back, and Spirit just smiled wearily.
Little do you know...
"Now, you're here to see the newbie, yeah?" Bisha went on, catching Spirit's eyes as Tenshi moved off and toward her own little corner with little a word or glance back. Spirit offered up a small smile and a nod,
"Yep." She hummed back and Bisha grinned, her hands clapping together in front of her (oh, and only about half-dressed... Not that Spirit minded, or Bisha for that matter, or anyone else. Most of them were half-dressed or near...).
"Great, come with me Kage~!" Bisha replied brightly, her hands snapping forward toward Spirit and hooking her arm inside the Pro's. Spirit stumbled slightly as Bisha jerked her forward and further into the dressing room/studio.
"We're thinking we'll have her start with serving drinks on the floor, and then ease her into stagework and dances and things." Bisha explained as they headed further in, arms still interlocked. "Which means she'll be seeing a lot of you for her first few shifts after today with Jeriko. So better if you two get to know each other, and get along before the start~"
"... Alright." Spirit murmured, "And I'm sure we'll get along just fine. Why do you and Tenshi seem to think I'm going to scare her off?"
"Hehe, cause you're so imposing!" Bisha replied, bright as ever and not missing a beat. Spirit blinked,
So first I'm frigid, and a Stiff, too skinny and now I'm imposing?
Spirit smiled wearily, letting out a small, slightly amused breath
These girls can kill anyone's self esteem without batting an eye, huh?
"Aww, don't take it the wrong way Kage! You just don't come off as super friendly right away, not until someone gets to know you some more~!" Bisha hummed, "We all like you, ya know~ It's just the newbie is like super shy and nervous, and none of us have had much luck getting her to relax just yet~! So you're kinda our secret weapon! We're betting on the two of you getting along is all~"
"Oh, is that it? We're depending on my 'stellar social skills? No pressure at all!" Spirit murmured, smiling still as her tone became something more teasing.
"Hehe, see? You're funny, Kage~" Bisha chuckled, "And really no pressure, you'll be fine, just be yourself~!"
Heh, my Stiff, frigid, imposing and bitchy self?
Hawks would probably agree on those last three after last night...
Bisha kept tugging Spirit forward as they headed toward the back of the studio and closer to wherever the newbie was. Spirit hummed a bit under her breath, "So, how old is she anyway? Tenshi said she was young, but if she's as nervous as you say..." Bisha smiled still, though the brightness faded a bit and Spirit's eyes narrowed slightly.
"She's 17." Bisha replied, Spirit blinked.
... Ah...
She nodded, and Bisha smiled a little bit more, before they drew to a halt behind a girl sitting at one of the mirrors and all her attention fixed on the makeup she was somewhat excessively (or maybe anxiously) organizing on the tabletop. Spirit's arm got released by Bisha as she stepped up to the young girl's side, smiling as she leaned over a bit and lightly tapped her arm. The poor girl nearly jumped out of her skin, her head snapping around toward Bisha and looking stricken.
"Okita~!" Bisha trilled, her hand retracting as both her hands swept out to gesture toward Spirit almost in exaggeration. "I brought Kage to see ya~! You two get to chit-chatting, you'll be seeing one another a lot the next few days with you runnin' drinks back and forth from the bar~! Kage's shift is near over for today, so spend the rest of the time getting to know each other before you go and meet up with Jeriko, kay~?" Bisha hummed brightly, her eyes darting from Okita and toward Spirit. "I'm gonna leave you two to chat, have fun~!" Bisha hummed, her eyes glittering as she patted Kage on the shoulder and slid passed her, nearly skipping back the way they had come.
Spirit spared a glance after Bisha for only a single second, before she glanced at Okita as the younger girl turned around in her seat, slowly.
She was small, petite nearly and several inches shorter than Spirit was (at a guess, she wasn't standing at the moment), with a thin frame and tan skin. Her long hair reached her lower back and was curled at the ends, going from a pale baby blue to white near the bottom, and her purple eyes gleamed as she met Spirit's 'blue' ones and there was a small moment of sheer silence between them.
Spirit blinked, taking in a silent breath as she took a swift look-over of the new girl, oblivious to the somewhat stunned look she received from Okita in return.
Huh... she's pretty. And her hair reminds me of...
Spirit cast the thought off and offered up a gentle smile to the girl, her hand lifting in a small wave.
Be nice, Spirit
"Hey, nice to meet you." Spirit hummed softly, and Okita blinked, the slightly stunned expression on her face fading before it was replaced with something more... flustered?
Okita's face flushed, her cheeks staining bright red and nearly steaming as her purple eyes darted away from Spirit entirely, her hands moving up to brush her bangs from her face almost fitfully. Spirit's head tilted at the reaction, her smile faltering in uncertainty as she watched the young girl fidget in her chair and with her bangs and avoid looking at Spirit at all.
Ah... Okay...? Shy, right...?
Spirit's hand fell, biting the inside of her cheek as she moved and pulled a chair at the next mirror closer, and took a seat beside the still blushing newbie.
Maybe this would be good practice? For talking to someone younger, highschool age? Sorta?
Yeah we're gonna go with that
"Ah, I'm Kage, like Bisha said." Spirit hummed, "And you're Okita, yeah? It's good to have you here, I'm sure you're gonna do great." Spirit told her gently, and Okita switched from messing with her bangs to pretty much hiding her face in her hands, Spirit wilted.
... This is going well...
She blinked, her head tilting slightly as Okita's hair shifted and her ears poked out from the pale colored stands. They were pointed at the top, not drastically, but enough to notice since it differed from the 'normal' human physique. Grant you nowadays there were so many people who looked less human than they used to before Quirks kicked in, so a bit of an odd appearance here or an extra appendage there was nothing anyone even bated an eye at anymore. And Spirit didn't either, at least not in any sense where she was off put or had distaste for the 'mutation', but she did notice, and the minute she did there was one thought that came to mind;
She's an elf
... Which could be deemed offensive, if said out loud, or if certain people knew she had even thought that, but... Yeah, totally an elf.
Huh
Spirit bit the inside of her cheek a bit and forced herself a silent breath. "... Sorry, I wasn't trying to make you nervous or anything." Spirit apologized softly, Okita seemed to stiffen at it. "We don't have to talk if you'd rather not, as long as we at least got introduced and saw each other face to face before you start running orders for me, we can leave the 'chit-chat' alone." Spirit explained.
Okita shook her head slightly, her hands falling slightly to hold on to her bangs fitfully as her eyes finally moved upward toward Spirit again. She blushed again, just faintly as she seemed to chew the insides of her cheeks, and her voice was shaky as she managed her first bit of reply. "U-uhm, no... I'm sorry, I d-don't mind talking... I'm just not really good at talking to... people, sometimes..." The young girl explained quietly, and Spirit smiled a bit. "... sorry... I just... I haven't gotten used to the idea... of working here just yet... I'm trying to, but I... uh..."
"Hmm, don't worry, I understand." Spirit cut her off gently and Okita nodded a bit, her eyes darting to the side and away from Spirit. "You don't need to jump in straight off, we can ease you into things at any pace you need to start with." Okita nodded again, the flush in her cheeks seeming to deepen for a small second.
"...T...Thank you..." she nearly breathed, and Spirit's eyes flashed a bit as she mused for a few seconds on her next words.
"... you do realize that even if you're just taking orders and delivering drinks the next few days, you're still gonna get... eh, goggled at by the costumers, yeah?" Spirit asked softly, and Okita seemed to wilt at it.
"... I know." She mumbled, her blushing dying quickly as she sighed. "... and that part won't bother me, I promise... I can handle getting looked at, and flirted with and talked to and everything..."
"... Alright." Spirit hummed, "But you can step away and come behind the bar with me if you need a break, okay? Just until you get settled in... and you can tell me or any of the other girls and the security if someone's really bothering you, or making you feel uncomfortable, kay?" Spirit told her, and Okita glanced back her way in surprise, those purple eyes glittering as she seemed a little taken aback, before she smiled softly.
"Thank you." She murmured softly, and Spirit nodded.
"Yep." She hummed with ease and Okita seemed to relax a bit more at the reply, "I assume Tenshi and everyone else already made it clear that you're in charge of who's allowed to have any sort of contact with you, while you're here?" Spirit asked next, and Okita nodded firmly.
"Yes ma'am." She replied without skipping a beat, and Spirit internally winced at the name, though outwardly she just smiled... if a bit awkwardly.
"... good, and ah... you don't need to call me ma'am." Spirit replied, Okita blinked. "Kage is fine, there's no need to be so formal..." The younger girl blushed again, looking flustered at being corrected and nodding quickly.
"A..alright..." Okita stammered slightly, her nervousness suddenly reignited, though Spirit wasn't sure why. Not that she lingered on it too long-
"So, did you have any questions for me about what you'll be doing? I realize you'll be working with Jeriko for today, but it's not much different between working with me or him." Spirit asked, changing the subject in little time and deliberately steering toward something easier (and less awkward) to talk about. Okita shook her head, her hands falling from tugging at her bangs and folding in her lap instead.
"No, I think I understand." She murmured, shrugging slightly. "... I mean, taking drink orders shouldn't be too hard, and I don't think I'll have any trouble keeping track of who ordered what... I'm pretty good at memorizing things, so..." She explained, trailing off a bit as if she was afraid she was rambling or saying too much. Spirit let out a soft breath,
"That'll help." She mused and Okita nodded slightly to the comment. "And if you do ever have any questions, everyone here will be happy to help, alright?" Okita nodded,
"Okay." She hummed, "... thank you, I'll try not to be a bother or anything..." She added nervously, and Spirit shook her head slightly.
"Don't worry about it." She replied, leaning back in her chair a bit and propping her elbow up on the table. "And like I said, we don't have to chat if you don't want to just yet. I'm perfectly fine sitting here for the rest of my shift and just relaxing a bit." Spirit told her, smirking wearily as she waved a hand back toward where the other girls were a bit further away. "Besides, it's usually pretty entertaining to just listen to everyone else chatter away." She chuckled softly, and Okita smiled a little in amusement.
"... they do talk a lot..." Okita murmured quietly, her purple gaze trailing sideways toward the group of Bisha, Tenshi and Hana talking away and without a care in the world. "... they really seem to like gossiping..." The young girl added sheepishly, Spirit smirked wryly.
"That's an understatement." She quipped back with ease, and Okita smiled a bit more at that. She nodded, though she didn't reply anything and that was plenty fine. The both of Spirit and Okita fell into a somewhat content silence, and they stayed there with Spirit's eyes falling closed after Okita's attention moved to watch the other girls talk away. Spirit let out a soft breath, her finger tapping against her jaw at what bit of calm started to settle in instead of the slight tension and nervousness to start.
Ah... well, we managed to make introductions and talk a bit, huh? And she seems like she's relaxed a bit after the start and seeming so embarrassed out of nowhere...
Seems I can talk to younger people... maybe I'm not screwed on this Internship after all, huh?
Hmm... it's gonna feel like I'm running two Internships, isn't it? Both as a Pro and here at the Club... hopefully it's not bad timing... and hopefully things go smoothly on both ends.
Spirit cracked an eye open to shoot Okita a look, but the girl was very much interested in what Bisha and everyone else were talking about, though Spirit hadn't payed any mind to the rumble of their voices.
I hope she'll be okay... she is super young, and with how nervous she seems... is she gonna handle all the customers and their attention okay...? Even if she said she could, well... this isn't an easy environment to work and thrive in... even I couldn't really handle all the goggling and flirting and other bullshit.
... but then again, that is me... she might be fine.
... damn I hope both this, and the Internship with the UA kid go okay... for once, please... I know the last time I asked for something to go my way, I ended up facing Stain and-
She forced a silent breath, shaking her head at herself slightly. She felt the heaviness of her eyelids after opening them again, and since sitting down her exhaustion was steadily getting worse. To the point that now, getting up from the chair was an unpleasant thought, and the weight of her chin in her hand was getting unconsciously heavier. If she wasn't careful, she might just doze off sitting there like that- and with that in mind she turned her attention on looking over the various items on dressing table where Okita was sitting.
Her chin lift from her hand a little as her lazily scanning eyes found the girl's phone laying face-down on the tabletop, and subsequently, the various stickers she had stuck to the phone case itself.
Spirit grimaced, swallowing slightly as she felt her heart skip a beat and her stomach twist a bit uncomfortably- and all of that paired with the utterly unpleasant feeling of her face heating up. And she sorely hoped it wasn't noticeable,
Oh you have gotta be...
"... eh, Okita..?" Spirit murmured before she had a chance to stop herself, and the girl jumped slightly, looking Spirit's way in question.
"Yes..?"
"... are you, uh... do you like... cats...?" Spirit asked slowly, her hand gesturing toward the phone and the numerous black cat stickers littered across the case. And she hoped the answer was yes- cats are cute right? And popular? Who wouldn't like cats...?
... though the fact they were all black and had red eyes immediately gave her the sinking suspicion that instead-
"... or are you... an Animal Spirit fan...?" Spirit finished slowly, her voice dropping despite herself and Okita seemed to flush again, embarrassment rising anew as she struggled to keep a steady eye on Spirit and what utterly blank look appeared on the older woman's face. Okita's hands found that same fidgety hold on her bangs and she twirling her fingers around the strands, blushing again as she nodded tentatively.
"... uhm... yes..." She nearly whispered, blushing further when Spirit's hand fell almost limp at the reply. "I'm, ah... she's my favorite Hero...! And the stickers were so cute, I couldn't resist..." She explained quickly, Spirit felt her stomach twist further.
... geez... of course... damn it, now I feel flustered. Fuck me.
"She's really cool, I've been a big fan pretty much since she became a full Pro..!" Okita went on, embarrassed and as flustered as Spirit felt, though Spirit was doing her utmost to keep a straight face and just nod along with the younger girl as she rambled a bit. "I-it's been really awesome seeing her rising in the Rankings and everything...! A-and her Quirk is cool too..!" Spirit nodded again though she was chewing her cheeks incessantly now, and hand moved her hand to hold her chin and cover her mouth a bit as she listened.
... and don't get me wrong, I'm flattered, sure... but it's just... this is gonna be awkward..! I have to work with this kid and if she's a fan of me, that'll just... it makes it weird! Especially if she wants to talk about me, and she doesn't know it's me...! I don't ever have to be around fans for more than a few minutes out on Patrol or whatever...
"I like her cat form the best, cause I like cats just by themselves, and Animal Spirit is really, really good at using her Quirk and different forms to fight...!" Okita went on, smiling slightly to herself. "It's amazing to watch her work and fight, for what little news or video coverage there is about it..! She's so strong and capable and confident, I'm actually a bit jealous of that, heh..." Spirit swallowed,
... I really hate how popular I am sometimes... And I'm honestly not that confident... Ugh, damn me
"Okita~! Do I hear you right, we're talking about Animal Spirit~?!" Jishi's loud voice cut in from across the room, and Spirit's eyes dropped closed as she groaned internally.
Oh please no-
Jishi popped into the small circle consisting of Okita and Spirit, bright-eyed and grinning as Hana, Bisha and a few of the other girls in tow (Aimi, Kaoru, Shiga and Toyo... In short, TOO MANY PEOPLE)
They bunched in around the both of Spirit and Okita, and Spirit hid the bottom half of her face behind her hand as she sat in stiff silence.
Fuck. Me.
"O-oh, uhm, yes..." Okita replied, stammering slightly.
"Oh yeah! There's some juicy stuff about her right now!" Jishi trilled, Spirit quirked a brow but stayed utterly quiet.
Oh really?
Jishi whipped her phone from where it had been tucked into her bra, tapping against the screen frantically and with a newfound energy that seemed inappropriate just then. "So if you're a big fan, you're pretty up to date on all the news about her, yeah?" Jishi asked as she continued to flip through her phone, "All that stuff About Stain, and about who she's been hanging around with?"
"... Oh, yes..." Okita murmured softly, a bit of somberness appearing in her at mention of Stain- and Spirit felt it too, but she was more interested in 'hanging around with'.
Again, please no-
Jishi thrust her phone forward and toward Okita (and subsequently Spirit), a blog or whatever pulled up with a photo and a headline that read;
'Animal Spirit and Hawks Coffee Date?'
Oh you have got to be kidding me
Spirit's eyes narrowed to slits as she looked the photo over, grumbling under her breath at the picture that seemed to have been shot from a low angle and off to the side and in the trees and bushes or whatever a ways away from where she and Hawks were standing on the pathway. That same park they had been in at 2ish that morning and drinking the coffee that Hawks bought on a whim, or some sort of apology. The camera was far enough away you couldn't make out either her expression or Hawks', which was probably a good thing considering the mood had been little but electric... Of course that being said, without being able to see their faces, the picture did make it look like that were a pair of friends or whatever on a little 'coffee date'.
Though she was a little miffed that there had been some paparazzi person hiding in the bushes and taking photos this morning, and she hadn't realized it.
Twit
"So, what do you make of all these sightings of Animal Spirit and Hawks together, huh?" Jishi pressed of Okita, "They've hung out more and more recently and they even Patrolled together last night! A bunch of people are starting to think they might be partnering up!" Jishi announced, her orange eyes flashing. "It's either that or they're dating!" Spirit's jaw clenched as her teeth ground together.
Fuck no!
"Yeah, wasn't there some rumors that they went to dinner together at one of those all Pro places too?" Aimi butted in,
"Yeah! And he was totally boasting about her with the Press after she caught a group of bad-guys!" Hana said, "Hawks has been awfully chummy about Animal Spirit lately! He's not been like that about other Pros, right?"
"Nope!"
"You think we're gonna get an announcement they're a couple, eh Okita?" Jishi asked, rounding the conversation back on the newbie.
"O-oh, I'm not... Sure...?" Okita stammered uncertainly, Jishi nodded a bit and huffed.
"Well I certainly hope not! I don't wanna have to consider Animal Spirit a rival in terms of Hawks' attention!" Jishi said simply, and she earned nods from several of the other girls while Spirit just stared.
"Yeah! I like her too much to have to hate her for hogging Hawks all to herself~" Bisha chuckled,
"It's not like he'll ever know you exist." Hana smirked, Bisha and Jishi waved the comment off.
"Doesn't matter! If Animal Spirit snatches that man away from the rest of us, we can't just let that slide!" Bisha and Jishi announced in unison.
"I'd be way too jealous of her for getting Hawks all to herself!" Jishi groaned, "That man is just so god-damn hot!"
"No kidding, I'd be pretty jealous too." Bisha sighed, smirking a moment as she shrugged. Spirit bit the inside of her cheek as she suppressed the urge to sigh out loud.
...hmph... Of course they're all over Bird-Boy... Most woman are, huh...?
... If only they knew how much of a fucking child he is, and how annoying... Oi...
"Though I'd be disappointed that Animal Spirit wouldn't be single anymore either." Bisha went on, tapping her finger to her cheek in musing, Spirit blinked at that. "I mean I don't usually swing for girls, but Animal Spirit is pretty hot too~!" Bisha trilled,
"Mhmm~!" Hana hummed, and there were several other nods of agreement and whatnot that rippled among the girls. Even Okita nodded, though she ducked her head rather shyly as if she didn't want anyone to notice her silent agreement.
Spirit felt her heart skip a beat, her face on fire and glad she wasn't blushing when she cast a quick glance at herself in the mirror to make sure. She ground her teeth together and averted her eyes from the gossiping and cooing woman altogether, grumbling silently.
Fucking kill me now...
.:+:.
"... See ya... Feathers..."
Hawks sighed, plopping himself onto his bed in a mess of pillows and sheets and red feathers. He lay there, spread out and staring at the roof, Animal Spirit's parting three words playing through his mind and over his tongue on repeat since parting ways with her.
His hand dug in his jacket pocket as he pulled out the bag of marshmallows absentmindedly and popped one into his mouth.
"... She called me Feathers again..." He mumbled around the food, his eyes tracing over the spare few shadows on the ceiling.
His lips twitched upward at the edges, slightly, hesitantly so as he felt his core knot and his heart flutter all at once.
"... See ya... Does that mean see you later...?" He mumbled aloud, his hand moving to put another space-suited marshmallow in his mouth. He chewed a few times, tapping his fingers against his chest, musing. "... Did I not screw my chance up again, then...?" He asked of no one in particular, "... And that means we'll hang out again...? Maybe without her being all pissed at me...?"
He tossed another marshmallow in his mouth, and hummed a bit as his smile got a little less uneasy.
"... I mean it wasn't so bad, yeah? After that first bit...? She was like super mad at me... scary mad... and she seemed miffed the whole time... but if she started calling me 'Bird-Boy' and 'Feathers' again... that's a good sign, right...?" He murmured, still chewing. "... and she didn't straight up say that I messed up again, yeah...? She was a little stingy about the coffee but she still drank it... and said thanks... so 'see ya' has gotta mean that I still have a chance, right...?"
He pulled out another marshmallow and bit into the top of it, though he made no move to actually chew any off.
"... that's totally it, yeah...?" He asked softly, his eyes gleaming.
But honestly, how could he know? Animal Spirit was in all regards, the biggest, most enigmatic, mysterious, grumpy (and quite frankly bipolar) person he had ever met in his life. One minute she was touchy and irritable and the next she was so utterly emotionless and calm, and then after that?
Livid, or steely, or even passionate- and always about the most surprising, curious, and shocking things. Like about him and his trying to play off Endeavor as his favorite Hero? Or about how she'd told him not to jump into things, or leave people behind? Or even how stony she had been when she talked to the Press after the whole Stain thing?
Hell, what about during the fight with Stain? The Animal Spirit he had seen in that security footage was unlike anything he'd ever seen in her. She was so fierce, and so steadfast in her movements and her actions and her want to protect Ingenium. He wasn't sure he'd seen many other Pros with that much determination, especially in the face of a Villain such as Stain.
And she switched between different attitudes so quickly it had him reeling more often than he liked to admit. Her anger and her ire and all her rage and for things he had no clue about or why it happened... And she was so fiery in all her emotions she was like... like a whirlwind.
... all secrets and shadows and things... dark and mysterious but with a heart of gold... fiery and fierce and badass... and so, so interesting... and yet so secretive...
He let out a long sigh, smiling wearily as he bit a little further into the marshmallow and he crossed his arms and rest them against his forehead.
"... man... why are you so hard to figure out, huh Spirit...?"
He slowly bit through the marshmallow and started to eat it all the way, his arms remaining where they were and sighing again.
... hmm... I didn't get to hear why she was at UA today, huh...? Not after she got all mad...
"... shame, huh Hawksy...? That'd be an interesting story... she visiting someone...? Applying for a job, maybe...?" He mumbled to himself as he chewed the last of the marshmallow and swallowed. "Heh... Spirit-Sensei... somehow she doesn't strike me as the teaching type... but then again, she keeps surprising me... so who knows?" He chuckled softly, shaking his head slightly as he pulled his arms up off his forehead and let them fall out on either side of him.
.:+:.
... His eyes gleamed, his attention breaking briefly from her face and toward her shoulder as he saw a haze of black-red begin to appear behind her, bits and pieces of the air wavering like black shards of glass. It was a cloud of distorted reality that slowly but surely started to condense and form something he'd seen before-
She smirked, almost coy as she stepped up and passed him- her hands brushing along and parting the feathers in his wings as she kept walking, slow and purposeful as bits of black glass made of energy or whatever fell like a rain behind her. Dancing off and falling from the pair of large, slightly see-through, ghostly black wings at her back. Her red eyes caught his from the side in a single instant, her gaze glowing faintly- before their line of sight got broken. The simple sensation of her hand meeting his wing sent shivers up his spine. Her fingers ran through the feathers as she kept walking, his wings arching under the contact and stiff in his spot as he instinctively stretched them out behind him, following her movement and raising them up high as her hand left the sea of red. Her wings lift too, the topmost feathers brushing against his own and mixing- both wings extended in air and woven together here and there, both Pros standing with their backs to one another. Hawks with his hands in his coat pockets and head tilting back, smirking to himself and Spirit pausing, her hands on her hips and head tilted downward, smiling a bit.
Their feathers mixed, brushing against each other and clashing- his red and almost burning in the lights of the city nightlife around them... and hers dark and shimmering, swallowing up the light and ghostly- almost a shadow of his, reflected on water. A wash of glittering black sand in an ocean of fiery red, two pairs of giant, elegant wings touching and forming an arch- outlined in a backdrop of deep blue and the outline of rising buildings dotted among a night sky you couldn't see the stars in... and at either end the No. 26 and the No. 24, both of them smiling.
The few, fleeting seconds Spirit paused in her walking and stayed like that with him- they seemed to stretch to something much longer, somehow... in it's own way it was almost ethereal...
.:+:.
Hawks smiled wryly as he stared at the ceiling, the marshmallows in his pocket completely forgotten in the quake of the memory, and the all too tangible sensation of their feathers intermingling suddenly running rampant through his body.
"Ah crap... I am obsessed obsessed..."
Hello everyone! I hope you enjoyed this Chapter, and are excited for the next few! We'll be headed into the Internship with UA!
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