Beautiful Disasters- Hawks x OC

Chapter 20

Mariko nodded, "let's go."

The pair walked the six blocks to the restaurant.

"No flying today?" she asked knowingly.

He scoffed, "As if I'm gonna risk you kamikaze-ing yourself again."

She shrugged, "I probably wouldn't have been able to stomach anything if we'd flown anyways," she remarked.

"Are you trying to say I'm a bad flyer?" he raised an eyebrow.

"No... I'm saying you're a reckless flyer," she corrected.

"You're not one to talk," he pointed out.

The restaurant was packed when they stepped inside. That wasn't surprising. It was Friday night so lots of people went out to dinner. The number of people though was of no concern to the blonde superhero as he walked up to the host's station.

"How man-ohmygod," the hostess gasped.

Keigo wasted no time in flashing the young lady a dazzling smile that she immediately fell for. "Two," he answered amicably.

"Great! Please wait one moment. Would you like anything to drink in the meantime? She asked gesturing for him to sit at the bar.

"A beer would be great, thanks," he said taking a seat.

Mariko went over to follow him when she was stopped by the hostess.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"She's with me," Hawks answered, gesturing for the brunette to come over.

The hostess's eyes widened with realization.

"Ohmygod I'm so sorry! Please go ahead! I'll get you guys that table as soon as possible!" she exclaimed.

Mariko smiled in slight amusement, "Take your time, it's always full on a Friday night," she said understandingly. The hostess smiled at her and scurried over to one of the waiters.

Two minutes later, they were seated at a booth by a window. Hawks already had a beer in his hand.

"Your waitress'll be right over but don't hesitate to call me if you need anything. Please enjoy your meal!" she bowed before leaving.

Mariko looked up at the blonde, "How's the beer?" she asked.

He looked down at the glass and nodded, "Pretty good. Wanna try it?" he asked, pushing the glass in front of her.

Mariko brought the glass to her lips and took a sip before setting it down in front of him again. "It's good," she agreed.

"What are you gonna have?"

"Not sure yet," she said looking over the menu.

A small silence fell over the table causing her to look up at the male sitting across from her.

Keigo stared at her expectantly. "You're not gonna ask what I'm getting?"

"I already know you're gonna get the chicken ramen, so there's no reason for me to ask."

He scowled at her, "It's called being polite Mariko," he scolded.

The brunette sighed. "What are you thinking of getting?" she asked.

He gave her a shit-eating grin, "The Chicken Ramen."

Mariko giggled slightly, "Would've never guessed. I'm glad you're trying new things," she joked.

Keigo smiled in response.

"Good evening my name's Yoko and I'll be your server tonight. Is there anything I could start you guys off with?" A young woman with bright blue hair asked.

Hawks gestured for Mariko to order first, "I'll have soju and the Shoyu Ramen," she said handing the woman her menu.

"And for you Hawks?" she asked.

"Chicken Ramen and another pint of beer," he said.

Yoko nodded. "Great I'll bring those out to you guys ASAP," she said practically sprinting towards the kitchen.

"How was work?" he asked turning his attention back to the woman in front of him.

Mariko shrugged, about to say it was uneventful when she remembered a conversation she'd had with her boss. "Actually, my boss asked me to apply for this special training program in Okinawa," she told him.

Keigo leaned forwards slightly, "What's the training for?"

"It's to go into ICU. You need special training for it and he told me he recommended me for the program. All I have to do is apply."

"That sounds interesting. Are you gonna do it?"

She shrugged, "I'm not sure. I want to, but at the same time, it's three weeks long and I don't know if I wanna spend that much time away from home. I've traveled more than enough to last a lifetime."

"Three weeks? That is kinda long. You'll be able to work in the ICU though, and don't nurses get paid more there?" he asked.

Mariko nodded, "Yeah and the hours are a bit better.. I should look into it right?" she asked.

Keigo nodded making the brunette smirk.

"If I didn't know any better I'd say you were trying to get rid of me," she joked.

The blonde chuckled and shook his head, "Who would feed me then?" he asked.

A few minutes passed and Yoko reappeared with a tray full of their food.

"You weren't messing around when you said ASAP," Mariko muttered as she adjusted the bowl in front of her.

Yoko giggled, "Of course not! Only the best for our VIPs! Enjoy the rest of your date!" she exclaimed skipping off to attend to other customers.

The pair exchanged a look.

Keigo crossed his arms, "If this was a date you should've told me. I would've dressed nicer," he complained.

Mariko shook her head, "That's okay I was planning on breaking up with you tonight anyway," she said.

Hawks placed a hand over his heart in mock offense. "You're breaking up with me?" he asked.

She nodded taking a bit out of her ramen.

"Fair enough," he shrugged.

Mariko snorted as he popped a piece of chicken into his mouth.

The rest of the dinner was filled with chatter and laughter, especially after they'd had a few drinks. The brunette was practically in tears when Hawks had laughed at a joke and started to choke on a noodle. She extended her arm over the table in support as he pounded on his chest to dislodge the food.

"I can't breathe!" she gasped between laughs.

"I hope you die," he smiled, grabbing her outstretched hand and shaking it slightly.

She threw her head back laughing and pulled her hand back to her side. Neither one of them had noticed the man outside taking pictures of them.