Vigilante Songbird (Hawks x Reader)

Chapter Five

Your heart pounds in your chest a few times as you glance over your shoulder. Hawks was standing just a few feet behind you. You were sure he would have some questions for you after the petty theft you got away with. Trying to put on your best poker face, you turned to face him and locked your eyes on his. At least if he was here to arrest you, there was an out for you to use your quirk on him again.

"Are you following me, hero? That's a little creepy you know," you flashed a mischievous smile at him which he returned with a hearty laugh. It sounded as sweet as honey ringing out in the space between you. "No, no, nothing like that. I was just on a night patrol when I heard your voice." He took that same pose he did the other day. His hands went in his pockets and he leaned back on his boots. "It's really beautiful by the way." He flashed a brilliant smile at you and you felt your heart flutter.

You couldn't help but smile back at him this time. "Oh, um thank you." Even though you were trying to remain cautious and prepared to run if the need arose, you involuntarily looked away from being so flustered. That was not even close to what you were expecting his response to be.

He takes a few steps towards you. Quickly you divert your attention back to him. From what you can read with your quirk, he doesn't seem hostile or threatening in the slightest. You're safe, even if it's just for now while he's clearly so curious about you.

"Hey, I'm just telling the truth. You really did sound like a little songbird up there. Maybe I should ask you for your autograph huh?" He chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck as he had in that crowd of fans earlier. "I uh, sorry about that by the way. Fans. What are ya gonna do, right?" Suddenly you feel another wave of emotion. It's there and gone so quickly you almost can't read it. Disgust...with himself. You make a mental note of that but don't let on that you notice anything different.

"What are ya gonna do? Even though a hero like you has a copious amount more fans than I do, I understand how it can be I suppose." You shrug it off like it's no big deal, but you can tell he read your sarcasm perfectly.

He motions on down the alley and returns his hand back to his pocket. "Were you headed somewhere? I can give you a lift and make the trip much faster." His tone is so confident and filled with that cocky attitude that first caught your attention with him. The feathers in his wings flutter as he extended them just a bit for emphasis.

You roll your eyes and turn on your heels to start walking the other way. Sure that sounded like the best end to your day you could imagine at the moment, but you weren't going to give that away so easily. "No thanks, hero. I can manage on my own."

You hear him sigh and his boots click across the pavement as he follows after you. "Hey, I have a name you know..."

"Oh, I know who you are." Your hand waves dismissively in the wind.

"Now just wait a minute." This time his tone was gruff and demanding. His wings lift him off the ground and suddenly he's right in front of you. He's there in an instant and you can't stop fast enough. Your bodies collide into each other and his arms catch you as you lose your footing. "Woah! Sorry, there kid, but I've got some questions for you." The way his voice flowed from warm honey into that stern deeper gruff made your head spin.

Feeling your cheeks fill with heat, you're sure he sees it this time when he smiles down at you in his arms. Before you pull away, you can feel a surge of emotions running through him - curiosity, nervousness, humor, and again infatuation. You get your balance back and steady yourself on your feet again. "Questions huh? Okay, walk and talk. What are they?" You tuck a strand of hair behind your ear and continue to walk as you try to ignore the emotions radiating off him even after breaking physical contact.

You hear him mumble something under his breath about your attitude with a slight chuckle to himself. "Ok for starters, what about you? You know who I am, but I don't know who you are."

"My name is Y/N. Next?"

His boots are still clicking just behind you but you don't turn around. You can still feel all the same emotions in him as before when you were pressed against that soft coat and his warm solid chest...taking in that scent that reminded you of vanilla and spice.

"That's a nice name actually, I like it." You can hear the smile in his voice without even having to look at him. "Ok, so what about your quirk?" He pushes forward with his wings and proceeds to hover just off the ground, flying backwards to face you as he moves ahead. "I could be wrong, but I think you had something to do with the fact that I can't get you out of my head since that surge of emotion I felt on the day we met."

It was your turn to laugh at him. Your eyes met his again and he was still grinning at you. "Can't get me out of your head, huh? Who's the fan of who here?" You can't help but tease him, it's fun to feel that surge of annoyance mixed with intrigue that keeps pulsing through him.

He returns your laugh and nods. "All right, you don't have to give away your secret if you don't want to I guess." He stalls his motion right in front of you while flapping his wings ever so slightly just to keep himself afloat above the sidewalk. "Final question. If you're not going to let me fly you home, would you at least allow me to walk with you to ensure your safety? Besides, I'm enjoying your company." Another of his brilliant smiles flash across his face and you can't deny him, especially with the strong sense of intrigue and the genuine interest you're picking up from him.

"Sure, he-I mean Hawks." You return his smile. He lands beside you and you both start walking along the streets together. It's late so there aren't many people still out that have their wits about them, but once in a while, someone says hello to Hawks as you walk along. He greets each of them with a nod and a wave.

"So do you have those gigs often?" He asks to fill the silence between you.

You nod, "Well it's really my only form of income from what you would call an actual job. We usually have them on the weekends, but sometimes on weekdays. We shoot for about 3 shows a week."

He's intrigued even further. "I stay pretty busy with patrols and whatnot, but I'd love to catch your next one if I'm allowed. Don't want to steal your show again." He winks at you playfully and the infatuation he feels with you is tense in the air between you.

You chuckle. "Out tip jar thanks you." You chew your lip for a moment and sigh. "I guess that would be ok, sure. Oh, and my best friend is going to be a complete nutcase over you being there. She thinks you're hot." The last sentence is a groan.

His wings flutter slightly again and he gives a quick chortle. "I'm sure I can manage. Here," he hands you his phone with the calendar application open. "Put down the date, time, and place so I won't miss it." You take it from him and begin to input the details when his phone rings in your hand.

The Hero Commission flashes across his screen and you stop touching it. You watch as his face falls momentarily and there's a wave of frustration that moves through him.

"Oh, that's probably important." He takes his phone from your hand and answers it with an unusually serious tone. "Yes ma'am. I'll be there soon." He moves his phone from his ear and puts it into his pocket. "Sorry, songbird. I've gotta go, hero business calls. But I'll see you at your next show, guaranteed!"

Before he takes off, he pulls his glasses down on his eyes and moves his headphones to cover his ears. He flashes you one last smirk across his lips and he waves goodbye with a casual salute. You return his goodbye with a small wave and another smile. A few of his crimson feathers float to the ground around you as his wings take him up into the sky faster than you could imagine.

You scoop up one of his feathers from the ground, studying it in your hand. They are so beautiful...and soft...so soft. You run your fingers across the surface and smile when you tuck it into your pocket. You could no longer deny it to yourself, Hawks had caught your attention and you had obviously caught his as well. How much deeper would his infatuation with you go? You wanted it to continue. But how close could you really let him get to you if you're not exactly living by the ideals of a hero or the most standup citizen either? You needed to be careful not to get so caught up in him that you lost sight of who you are. Don't be a fangirl. Be realistic, Y/N. After all, he's still a hero.