Ch. 37 The Betrayal Pt. 2

This is still part of the flashback...

Hawks proudly burst into your room, not even waiting for you to get to the door after he knocked, holding up two cups.

"I brought us bubble tea!" he exclaimed, forcing a big smile and holding one out to you.

"Um, okay? What's the occasion?"

"Does there have to be one?"

"I guess not."

"And you're done for the day, right?" Hawks asked, holding the tea back so you couldn't reach it, just in case. "They're not sending anyone else?"

"Not that I know of. The police all left hours ago. Thankfully that one dude wasn't here today," you grimaced.

"Oh. Good," Hawks said, remembering that officer being at the meeting with him hours earlier.

"Here," he said, practically pushing the tea into your hand. "Drink up. I have to go."

"Already? You just got here." You took the tea from him and took a sip. "Not bad."

"Glad you like it. I will be right back!" Hawks called to you, his red wings already brushing against your doorway as he flew out the door.

Breathing a huge sigh of relief that that part was over, that you hadn't read his thoughts and hadn't listened in his head to the awful lies he'd told the commissioner, Hawks took off into the night sky and flew around the building.

He checked his phone. Five minutes should be enough, he assumed, for the drug to work. Then he could go back.

Hours later, the two of you laid side by side on your backs on the roof of your building, staring up at the sky and talking about your day. He'd grabbed some pillows and blankets from your room and together you'd made a little bed on the flat concrete floor.

As you stared at the stars and tried to find the constellations, Hawks reached over and took your hand; it fit into his so perfectly, like it always did, like it was meant to be there. Sensing his touch, you rolled over onto your side to face him, and he did the same.

Was this it, he wondered? Was this your last night together?

"You don't want to do this forever, right?" he asked quietly.

"Do what? Sneak out with you and hang out on the roof? No, I do kind of like my bed...especially if you're in it."

"I'm not joking around," he said. "I mean this job. I can tell that it's taking a toll on you. I wouldn't want to spend one minute inside the mind of a criminal, and you literally do it all day long."

"Don't worry about me," you said, tapping him on the nose. "I want to be helpful. I want to do something useful. For the first time in my life, I feel important. And now that I have you, it's so much more bearable. You have no idea how much lighter I feel when you're here with me."

"Your work shouldn't have to be 'bearable,' y/n. I'm only saying this because I hate seeing you sad."

"Yeah, this job sucks sometimes, but this is something only I can do."

"The police can interrogate criminals, y/n. You don't have to do that."

"But I can find out so much more! Think of all the cases I've helped solve, the families that got answers... I may not enjoy it all the time, but this job is important to people; it makes a difference."

"What's important to me is you," he said. "I'm just saying, if you quit, I think you'd be a lot happier."

"You think I should quit?"

"I don't know. Maybe. Maybe I'm just irritated and wishing I could quit, too," he sighed. "I met with the commissioner today."

"Oh, that's right! You had your meeting with her! How'd it go?"

Hawks let go of your hand and rolled back over onto his back. He closed his eyes, wishing he didn't have to remember that conversation. "It was... fine."

Sensing that there was more to the story, you scooted over next to him and nudged him in the side. "That answer sounds like a cop-out. If you won't tell me, I could just read your mind and find out for myself, you know."

"But you didn't try to already... right?"

"No, I didn't. I know you'll tell me when you want to. I trust you."

"I know," he said quietly.

"Hey," you said, noticing the odd mood change happening with him. "Stop. I'm the serious one in this relationship. If something is the matter, let's talk about it, because otherwise right now I just want to laugh and be with you."

How could he resist that? Like everything with you, there was no resisting.

"Be with me, huh?" he asked, that mischievous grin you knew and loved coming back, finally. "You want to be with me, right here? On this rooftop? No one would see us up here."

He rolled over onto you, his weight pressing you down onto the hard concrete of the rooftop.

"I liked it when we did it on my bed," you said, "and in the shower, and even the couch was okay once we figured out the right angles, but I think I might draw the line on concrete floors."

"Even with all these comfy blankets I brought for us?"

Without answering, you pushed him off you, and immediately you threw a leg over to climb on top of him this time.

"Now this is better," you said, smiling down at him. "How does it feel now?"

"With you on top of me? Pretty fucking awesome." He reached up and grabbed your hips, pushing and pulling a little to get you to rock on his lap.

"Nu uh," you said, slapping his hands away. "You didn't ask for my permission first."

He threw his head back and groaned underneath you, but kept his hands away. "I love it when you make me beg."

"Oh, I'm sorry?" you asked sarcastically, one eyebrow raised. "I don't hear you begging yet."

"But you're right, it hurts. My wings are squishing into the concrete and it's not great. Want to go back inside?"

"Poor baby," you said. "But yeah, in a minute. But first..."

"Yes?"

"There's something I want to ask you."

"Go for it."

"It's awkward."

"I like awkward."

"Okay," you said, psyching yourself up for this. "So... uh....I was wondering... have you ever.... This is awkward, but have you ever been in anyone else's... nest?"

A laugh burst from his mouth. "Nest? Is that some weird way of asking me if you're the first girl I've slept with?"

"Yes. I tried to think of a joke involving eggs but that was too far even for me."

He couldn't help but chuckle. "I haven't been with anyone else. Just you. And you? Have you been in other... nests?"

"No. Just this one. But I happen to like this one."

Who needed stars when you were right here, just as beautiful and just as bright? For a moment Hawks simply stared up at you, wondering how much longer you would still look at him like this.

"It is pretty great." Hawks gently rolled you off him and tucked you next to him, right in the nook under his shoulder, his wing protectively around you as he pulled the blanket over you both. "Let's watch the stars for a little while longer. Then we can go back down to your room, and I'll see if I can make my little bird sing for me."

"If I remember correctly, I'm pretty sure it's usually you doing the singing, bird boy."

You both laughed and laid on the roof, snuggled against each other, and it felt like nothing could be better than this.

"I love you," he mumbled a few minutes later.

"I love you, too."

"And you know I'll always love you, right?"

"Keigo," you said, eyeing him suspiciously, "that sounds a lot like you're about to say something bad."

"No, I'm not, I swear!"

"Don't lie to me. I know which feathers to pull."

"I was going to say that I noticed that you're wearing the bracelet I got you," he said, his fingers leaving moving to your wrist, twirling the bracelet around your arm.

"I always wear it."

"So when I'm not here, you have that to remind you."

He let go of it and again his fingers wove into your own. You hadn't planned on it, but this moment was so easy, so nice, that you almost subconsciously reached for his thoughts. But for some reason, this was different from normal. Where there was normally warmth and laughter, the simple joy of enjoying each other's presence, now there was... nothing. You tried again, with the same result.

You immediately sat up and stared at him, brow furrowed.

"You okay?" he asked.

"No. Maybe? I can't seem to...." You tried again and nothing. "I can't seem to hear your thoughts."

Hawks put his hands behind his head and chuckled. "Now you know how I feel every day!"

"This isn't funny, Keigo. Is something wrong with me? Do I need a doctor? This is weird."

"Nothing is wrong with you," he said, sitting up and petting your hair. "You probably just pushed yourself too much today."

"Maybe. But why can't I use my quirk? If I can't use my quirk, I can't do my job. If I don't do my job, I won't be able to help anyone. I think – "

"Don't," he whispered, his hand going to the back of your head. "For once, don't think."

"But that's what I do."

He shook his head and brought yours closer to him, slowly closing the distance between your lips. "Not tonight."

In the morning, when your sleepy eyes opened the door, you weren't expecting three or four police officers standing in front of you. You knew you were tired from staying up too late, but this didn't make sense.

It wasn't a work day; there was no reason for them to be there.

You definitely weren't expecting the one police officer who always creeped you out to be standing in your door, looking at you like that, as if you'd committed a crime.

Instinctively, you reached for his thoughts. But... But... But what you saw didn't make any sense.

Keeping them in the doorway, you asked them why they were there, but then their eyes saw Hawks behind you, shirtless, guiltily stumbling out of your bedroom.

The officer's eyes turned to you sharply.

"Guess you were right, Hawks," he said. "We should have known the whore couldn't be trusted."