Ebony {My Hero Academia}

Chapter 25- Want

Chapter 25

Want

.:+:.

She felt the tears splash against her cheeks, warm and stinging... his hands tight around her, gripping to her firmly, desperately... And shaking so, so much.

Her chest ached terribly, and she could barely breathe, let alone say it... Her voice didn't want to obey, the words were hardly a whisper- but it was all she could manage, and it hurt.

"... I am so sorry... Keigo..."

.:+:.

"-watch it-!"

SCRIICCCCCH!

What little of the voices he made out got overpowered by an awful sound of metal scraping against concrete, and then the burst if said metal and the patter of glass sparking against the cement soon after. There was another yell somewhere in there, fearful and a little breathless, though he hadn't a clue from who.

Hawks drew up for the second time in his pursuit of the conflict, rounding a corner on one of the lower sections of the garage, his eyes darting quickly about the space and taking in everything he could, and as quickly as possible too.

There was a man (a civilian) pressed up against the far wall a little ways behind a car, a small girl wedged between him and the cement, guarding her almost.

Then there was a big guy, with four arms rather than the regular two, bulky and well-built, and also about four heads taller than Hawks himself. He had a few bags of money and whatever else clutched in one hand, while he was using the other three to pry a bumper off a car.

There was another guy on the far end, trying his best to pick himself off the ground and sporting a rather heavily bleeding nose, not far from him the things he'd been carrying scattered haphazardly. And then there was a woman too, thin and dressed in dirty jeans and a hoodie, long pointed animal like ears sprouting from her head and arms wrapped tightly around a rather heavily packed duffle bag full of white the hell knows what. She hissed as she shot Four-Arms a glare, a thin dog-like tail lashing behind her.

"You idiots, we were supposed to be running, not fighting!" The woman snapped hotly, "Kumori took care of it, just leave her be, let's-!"

Any attention on what the woman said got shattered in the next second, Hawks' searching eyes moving from the one end of the room and then toward the opposite, and he stalled.

He saw the scarlet smeared across the cement first, trails of scraped thin and haphazardly, clashing brightly against the grey. Among the scarlet stain were bits of darker things, scraps of cloth tattered and torn, nearly glued to the concrete but the sticky liquid... And the thin splash for red grew a deeper shade as his eyes found the end of the trails, and the still, unmoving form of the Ebony Hero lying there.

She didn't move, she was still, lying on her side, her hair a mess and on the cement, hiding her face from his view. Her arms were plastered in red, cuts carved into her flesh all the way from shoulders to fingertips, her sleeves hardly that anymore and blood trickling still onto the floor in a constant stream. Her right arm in particular was gaining a the beginnings of a small pool of blood beneath it, the whole arm pulled out straight ahead of her and at an almost unhealthy distance.

Instantly the image of that crumbled body of the cat in the gutter flared anew in his mind, and he stiffened for it, eyes flashing as his heart skipped a beat.

"S-Spirit...?"

Her name came passed his lips breathlessly, his voice not even remotely more than a whisper and the world that had been going by at it's usual breakneck speed seemed to stagger to a snail's pace for those few seconds.

Those few seconds of taking in the situation, the Villains in the room, the civilians cowering in the corner, the destruction and the mess and seeing her lying there- motionless, her arms cut to ribbons, covered in blood- all of it.

She's not moving

And then it all came crashing down again lightning-fast, Four-Arms ripping the bumper from the car he'd been struggling with, and spinning on his heel with an angry roar. He hurled the chunk of metal across the space toward the downed Hero, and Hawks' hesitation died before even a single second could tick by.

The harsh overhead lights glinted against the metal of the bumper, the wind whistling slightly as it got chopped in half in the blink of an eye, both pieces veering off to either side and clattering to the ground harmlessly. The Winged Hero was there now, in his hands two of his longest primary feathers acting as the deadly blades that rendered the metal and it's intended path toward Animal Spirit entirely null and unfulfilled. Hawks stood in front of the Ebony Hero, getting there and warding off the attack in the blink of an eye- a barrier between her and everything else, his golden eyes narrowed to slits and lacking any amount of that mirth or cheeriness usually seen in the No. 15.

Four-Arms staggered slightly, wide-eyed at the sheer speed and the unexpected turn, the guy with the bleeding nose and the woman with the ears similarly stunned- before panic set in on the latter two. But Four-Arms didn't have time to get to the point of panicked before Hawks was gone again from where he stood, and in the next already in front of the larger man. A flurry of red feathers swept out toward the woman and the man with the bleeding nose in that same instant, both of them recoiling from the storm of vermilion headed their way- but Hawks paid them little mind (outside of mentally directing the feathers to overtake them, and diverting a few others to whisk away the man and the little girl huddled at the wall).

Hawks ducked under the quick (and haphazard) swinging of Four-Arms' fists, twirling in air and hands flicking deftly as he darted passed the larger and drew the edge of the Feather-Blades across the back of the larger man's hands- earning small wells of scarlet in their quake and Four-Arms yelled in a mix of pain and irritation. Hawks' wings beat in one powerful stroke that spun him around again without ever touching the ground, his leg swinging around with him and shin connecting with the side of Four-Arms jaw so hard it cracked, and several of his teeth probably did too for how forcefully they clacked together.

The hit was powerful enough Four-Arms hit the floor with a pained grunt, winding him. Hawks would have attempted to try and bind the dude in place, but his attention got diverted when the flurry of feathers meant to be dealing with the woman and the man with the bleeding nose suddenly got shredded to pieces.

His eyes snapped left to see the wisps of red plumage amidst a tangle of almost see through, thin white lines like string that had appeared out of nowhere. String that surrounded each of his feathers with absolute precision, and then pulled tight, cutting them into pieces and he frowned at it. He had no clue where they came from or from who- he knew it had to be a Quirk, and instantly he knew it must have been that Quirk that had sliced the skin all up Spirit's arms.

But where the hell did those come from-?

He saw a flash of light and stiffened, his wings stroking forward hard to push himself backwards and away from the several dozen strings suddenly streaming toward him. He swept his Feather-Blades up as he did, cutting through them with a small tug of resistance from each- they were a lot stronger than would be expected with how thin they were, but not so much so he couldn't break them. But clearly they were sharp as hell, and he'd do well not to get caught up in them, lest he get cut to ribbons himself.

Six downy feathers shot from the base of his wings and away from him, intent on finding whoever was responsible for the sudden strings in a quick sweep of the area- because clearly he had missed a Villain in his previous scan of events.

He backed up again, dropping down under the next line of strings trying to trip him up and landing on his feet, his body swinging around with his blades to cut them too, dodging and evading as his feathers searched quickly everywhere- under cars, in the far sections, any place and all places in between. He wasted no time in sending out another flurry of feathers to catch the woman with the ears and the other man too, being more prepared this time he kept them from being shredded again- which was just as well... His wings were thinning out faster than he liked, and he grumbled under his breath at it.

He ducked around another series of strings, one of them managing to catch around the bottom of his jacket and slicing a small piece clean off before he cut through the string itself. He stepped to the side as he did, pushing off again into air in one fluid motion and backing off again.

He was faintly aware of wrapping the dude with the bloody nose up tightly with his feathers, tripping him up in the process so he landed face first (and probably broke his nose, if not already broken)- but the woman with the animal ears evaded him for the moment by abandoning the bag she'd been holding and tossing it at the feathers, before starting toward the exit with ridiculous speed. Hawks had the feathers pursue of course, but he could multitask only so much- and he was more concerned with finding whoever had these strings coming at him every two seconds... Because hell, he still hadn't found them.

Where are they hiding that I haven't picked up on them yet...?!

Movement at the corner of his eye broke his attention for half a second, his teeth gritting to see Four-Arms had gotten up again and was charging straight for him with no small amount of rage (understandable he supposed, he had kicked the dude in the face...).

Dodging the guy was easy enough, but dodging him, the new sea of strings looking to cut him, keeping broken-nose dude bound, looking for the string-user, still ferrying off those civilians from before, directing the ones he'd had helping evacuation back to himself, and pursuing the girl with the ears- all of that, all at once?

Hawks was a master of multitasking to an insane degree, he could rescue hundreds of people from a building in the matter of a few minutes, he was on constant alert on streets several blocks over and in all directions- and he could detain and defeat Villains in so little time with hardly breaking a sweat... Generally though he had one thing going on at a time. He could save hundreds of people because usually it was just saving and looking for those people. He could keep constant eye on several places at once because he was usually just doing that- keeping an eye out.

And when he detained Villains? Well generally he did it so fast there was little to keep track of other then binding them and keeping them that way- but here he was dodging and evading while actively trying to catch and detain, and everything else on top of it... It was a little much, even for him. At the very least he couldn't pour too much focus into any one thing, and that meant some of what he was doing was lacking a bit in grace. Clearly so, because when he moved out of the way of Four-Arms he only barely managed to evade those strings again too... And cut it so close the tip of one of his primary feathers got chopped off.

Ah man, I have got to find the dude with the strings-

He dead-dropped out of air and ducked under the swing of Four-Arms fists, his lips pulling into a tight line and eyes flashing.

-I gotta finish this fast, Spirit wasn't moving, and she looked like she was bleeding pretty bad... Shit.

He couldn't spare the Ebony Hero a glance right then, though he really wanted to. He meant to keep a feather with her, as a sort of guard, but he'd not done so- he figured after the bumper he'd just zoom through and take out the Villains in quick, easy succession... He would have done so, based on the skill-level of those three he'd seen- but again, the person with the strings was unexpected, and much more nuisance than the others. And you add them all together with everything else- it was a huge nuisance, and a quickly more frustrating one.

He needed this done with, right now, so he could turn his attention toward where he wanted it to be, and he wouldn't dare waste any more time than necessary.

His feathers caught up with ear-girl trying to make a run for it, wrapping tightly around her and pinning her hands and legs- she struggled against them like broken nose guy, but them being stationary and rigid was a bit of relief on his divided focus all the same.

Now to find that string-user, finally-

Hawks swung one of the Feather-Blades up, the edge of it running across Four-Arms' shoulder and earning a spatter of blood in it's wake. It wasn't more than a scratch, it was supposed to just be a deterrent- but it didn't seem to do anything but make the guy mad, and Hawks growled, flipping both Feather-Blades the opposite way in his hands and crossing them over each other as a guard. Two of Four-Arms's fists connected with the feathers with a heavy thud, Hawks flapping his wings quickly to keep himself in place and not get pushed back with the hit- Hawks was strong, but sheer strength wasn't really his forte, this guy definitely had him beat in physical might... Which sucked because the guy had more than two fists, and the remaining too were swinging out toward him already.

-damn it..!

He forward-stroked to put distance between them and avoid the blows, which worked enough to avoid getting punched in the stomach- but he got jerked back by the larger man gripping tightly to the Feather-Blades and pulling Hawks in that way (and doing so regardless of the wounds his hands were earning for closing around the razor sharp edges). The jerking motion was enough to catch Hawks off guard for even the briefest of seconds, and that was long enough for Four-Arms to grab tight hold of the Winged Hero and throw him quite painfully to the side, and into the ground.

"Kumori, rip this guy to pieces already!" Four-Arms roared, his voice muffled slightly by the pained grunt Hawks let out as he bounced against the floor, his spine and wings aching for the impact. He struggled instantly to roll over and find his feet again, grimacing and hissing under his breath when he caught movement at the corner of his eye, and the hair on the back of his neck stood up.

He didn't know how it was possible, he'd had those feathers he sent out look through every inch of this area and found nothing- but he sensed them there now, almost like they popped out of thin air.

His eyes snapped in their direction, his view of them slightly unsteady as he rolled over and started to stagger to his feet at the same time as sparing them a glance. But what he made out was a woman, so thin she looked like a twig and with a head of silvery-white hair not unlike the strings that he'd been evading. She was crouched on the roof of a car nearby, her hands raising toward him and dozens of strings flowing from her fingertips with the slightest movement, and all of them aimed at him.

He didn't have his feet under him yet, and not much time at all to try and take to the air and attempt to dodge- maybe he could avoid some of them, but he doubted he'd escape them all, and he grit his teeth in anticipation for getting cut into. His hand snapped behind him, reaching quickly for another primary feather to use as a blade and better his chances, some smaller feathers detaching from his wings quickly too and starting forward toward the woman in a rushed retaliation.

Hawks faltered though, as did the woman, and Four-Arms behind him did the same- there was a sudden patch of dark that moved up toward the car from the left, quick as can be and none of then were quite sure...?

W-what the hell-?

The woman with the strings stiffened, her head snapping in that direction and face falling in panic and uncertainty- but she had only just turned her head all the way when the dark figure was directly in front of her.

THUNK

The woman's forehead was slammed into by another, denser, flatter skull- a goat, to be precise, and one with pitch black fur and furious red eyes.

Their skulls collided with a painful knocking of bone on bone, the string-user letting out a sharp yelp of pain that cut off near right away. She slumped, eyes whiting out, her strings vanishing, and knocked senseless in an instant. Her body thudded against the roof of the car she was on, and then promptly slid off the front and onto the ground.

The goat's momentum from jumping up to meet her faltered slightly, it's hooves skidding on the metal surface as it struggled not to step on the woman before she slid off, and to continue forward and off the other side. It managed to keep going, but as soon as it's front hooves touched down on the cement, it's (very bloody and damaged) front legs buckled underneath it and it hit the ground with a hard thump. It's body melted into a haze halfway through the fall, distorting and blurring, and ending the movement in a sharp yell of pain from Spirit as she crashed all the way down again, now in her human form once more.

Spirit

For a split few seconds Hawks just stared, stuck in an awkward position on the ground and frozen there as he watched the insanity of it unfold, and he could not wrap his head around any of it at all... Like seriously, what just... happened...?

His eyes snapped quickly from Spirit where she was now, and over to where he had seen her upon arriving- but all that was left there was the smear of blood, and he swallowed.

H-how did... She...?

I thought... She... She wasn't moving..? How did she... Get from there to there... Looking like that...?

I didn't notice she moved... And she took that woman out, even being cut to shreds...?

W...wha...?!

The Ebony Hero's face twisted as she rolled over quickly after hitting the floor, her hand shaking as she held her right arm tightly and rigidly so, lying on her back now and not even daring to pick herself back up again... Whether she couldn't or wouldn't, Hawks didn't know- but the strangled groan she let out was enough to snap him from his shocked stupor, and he cursed himself for halting at all.

He was moving again not a second afterward, the Winged Hero a blur of red and tan as he darted back the distance he'd been thrown and directly toward Four-Arms again. The larger man was stunned with the turn in events just as Hawks had been, but he had yet to shake it off- and didn't even realize what was going on before it was too late. The Villain was holding tightly to those two feathers of Hawks', and continued to grip them tightly even when they jerked in his hold and promptly pulled his hands up toward his own face. He hadn't sense enough to let them go before his fists came up quickly under his chin, his teeth clacking together painfully and the large man letting out a yelp as he bit his tongue in the process. He let go of the feathers right away then, stumbling back a pace or two and struggling to regain himself- not that it did him any good.

Hawks was in front of him in the next second, his feet ramming into Four-Arms shoulders at intense speed and forcing the man backwards into the cement with a painful crash. In the midst of it Hawks' hand clapped down on the man's head and forced it back into the cement too (maybe taking a page from Spirit's book and acting out a bit of his own frustration). The impact of the dude's skull with the ground and at so harsh a speed had him knocked out for good this time, and while Hawks doubted he was gonna get up after that, he left a few feathers to bind the Villain tightly, just in case.

But even as he did that, Hawks spared no time in moving again, his wings flaring as he darted quickly back the way he'd come and to the side of the Ebony Hero lying rigid on the floor and gritting her teeth.

"Spirit, are you alright...?!" Hawks asked instantly, landing down on one knee beside her and golden eyes glittering like mad. He looked ruffled, his feathers in his wings fluffed up and fidgeting as his eyes darted over her person in rapidity- for a few seconds his calm and cool of the last few minutes with all the fighting got shattered as he managed to get a more clear look at all the damage.

Spirit growled, her jaw clenching so hard her teeth threatened to crack, her body absolutely rigid and her left hand gripping tightly to her right arm. The cuts winding all down her arms and hands were still bloody and bleeding- slowly though for the most part... But there was a fair bit more blood dripping through her fingers where she had her hand gripped, the wounds on her right arm seemingly a bit deeper than the left. And worse still her right shoulder looked... Deformed, the top of it poking unnaturally under the skin and any small movement or even breathing seemed excruciating for her.

The Ebony Hero hissed, cracking one eye open to cast him a heated, painful glare, her teeth baring at him a bit and instantly annoyed.

"Of course I'm not fucking alright you dumb BIRD!" She snapped hotly, and quite loudly too- so much so she cringed when it jostled her right arm too much and that just made her all the more agitated. "T-tch, what a stupid question, do I look alright to you?! She dislocated my shoulder with those bloody fucking strings damn it!" Spirit snapped angrily, the slightly fearful and ruffled look on Hawks' face not even registering in her agitated mind.

Hawks blinked, wilting slightly at the heated response and exasperated, as well as faintly glad for it, all at once. Even though she was yelling at him rather harshly (and a bit unfairly), the fact that she was even being that usual grumpy Spirit he knew so well made him relax just a tad. And he relaxed a tiny bit more for the fact she was very much awake and aware and not seemingly dazed or anything of the sort- it was a huge improvement from having come in to see her lying motionless on the floor... Hell, her headbutting the woman with the string Quirk was reassuring, even if the action was a bit unwise with the state of her injuries.

(Spirit is a total a badass)

"Eh, right... Sorry..." He mumbled quickly, shaking his head a bit and frowning as he shifted a bit closer, his hands reaching out uncertainly. "... That does look pretty badly dislocated... Or maybe even broken, and you're bleeding a lot still. These cuts are all deep..." He grumbled, frowning a bit more and Spirit huffed at it, but doing so made her cringe again and he almost flinched for it.

Craaaap-

"Come on, we gotta get you to a medic or something." Hawks murmured lowly, his hands reaching for her and finding gentle place behind her left shoulder and under her elbow. She stiffened reflexively at the contact but he didn't pull away, he just tilted his head a bit as he caught her eye, the Winged Hero nothing but calm now and settling so easily into that levelheadedness regardless of the fact his stomach kept churning without end.

He pulled her up off her back and into sitting up, biting down hard on the inside of his cheek when she yelped a little at the movement- fiery pain coursing quickly through her from the dislocated shoulder at even the slightest bit of movement. It wouldn't stop hurting until it was back in place, and from experience he knew every second it was out of place was agony in a class it's own- and agony he'd only be adding to by moving her, but he had little choice in the matter.

He paused for a moment or two once she was sitting up, one of his hands staying steady on her upper back regardless of her needing the support or not. A few of his feathers plucked themselves from his wings and floated forward, bending themselves around some of the worst wounds on her arms to try and still the bleeding a little, and a few pressing in against her shoulder to steady it as much as he could. Spirit stiffened in surprise at the feathers and what they were doing, more than for what pain they caused- the Ebony Hero frowning deeply for the gesture but saying nothing against it. She was stubborn and in a terrible mood at the moment, but even she knew when to shut her mouth- and he was right, even if she wouldn't have said so out loud. She needed at least to get seen by someone to put the shoulder back in place, the other wounds notwithstanding... And if sucking it up and letting Hawks help her out made getting her shoulder put back in place all the faster, then so be it.

So she kept her mouth shut and let him do what he will, even if internally she was boiling for the fact she'd gotten hurt at all, and was in any position to warrant needing help.

God damn that bitch with the fucking strings!

And damn me for getting caught at all!

Stupid Spirit, stupid-!

Hawks adjusted, his arm curling behind her back and under her knees deftly, moving slowly but deliberately as he pulled her up in his arms bridal style and got to his feet with ease. He seemed to do his utmost not to jostle her too much with it, but another stab of pain raced through her shoulder, and Spirit's rage-filled yelling at herself in her mind got cut off. She groaned this time instead of yelping, her eyes snapping shut against it and the grip of her hand holding the arm getting tighter. Hawks bit the inside of his cheek harder for it, his eyes flashing as he shot her an apologetic look she never saw.

"Sorry, sorry... just bear with me for a bit Spirit." Hawks mumbled, "We'll be there real quick, and I'll try and make the ride as smooth as possible, kay?" He murmured softly, Spirit grumbled a bit at it, eyes still shut tight and grimacing.

"... Fine..." She mumbled lowly, a touch irritably still and he smiled for half a second at it.

They were off and out of the structure in no time at all, the wind rushing passed them at breakneck speed- but he was careful the whole way through. He took corners much more slowly than normal, his movements and flapping of his wings more tense and controlled- it helped a bit, but Spirit went more rigid in his hold nonetheless, holding her breath against it and stifling the hisses and winces of pain she was too stubborn to let slip out.

Hawks didn't say anything the whole time, or ask what had happened, none of it. A few times he mumbled small apologies under his breath when she flinched, or show of her pain got a little worse, but his voice was quiet as he did so. And even once they were out of the garage, skipping straight passed the barricades set up and dropping down next to one of the several ambulance idling nearby, he still said little to none. He got the EMT's attention as they landed back down, easing Spirit out of his arms and into sitting on the gurney that was pulled out of the cab hastily by the two workers- though as he did so Spirit did grumble something about not needing it and sitting on the back of the truck itself would have been fine... Hawks just shook his head at her, a small breath escaping the Winged Hero.

"... You are so stubborn..." He mumbled quietly, but he did not sound amused in the slightest. Instead he was subdued, exasperated sure, but... Just really tense and quiet, and so much so it made Spirit pause, any attention on the searing pain in her arms and shoulder dulled for a second as she glanced up at him questioningly. But he didn't catch her gaze, he'd backed off a bit and started to say a quick few words to the EMTs about the array of his own feathers covering her torn flesh, and something about her shoulder too... though the details didn't really register for her just then. She was too focused with why he sounded so weird, when he said that...?

... What the...?

The EMTs nodded sharply, grabbing quickly for supplies and whatnot after the little comment from Hawks, and then he finally glanced her way again, but he was calm as can be, his golden eyes gleaming slightly. She meant to ask him about it, comment on it, something- but the EMTs came back and her attention on Hawks was diverted by their quick and urgent hands and motions.

They started in on binding the wounds where the bleeding still persisted, mostly limited to 2-3 places on each arm (the rest had stopped bleeding freely by now, and stayed that way even as Hawks' feathers peeled themselves off the wounds, matted and cached in blood). Them working on her right arm was unpleasant as all hell, especially so since the wounds there were worse than the other one and needed more attention (and pressure), and her shoulder hated it. She cringed at every touch and movement, groaning under her breath and huffing when they finished for the meantime and moved on to the most irritating part- the dislocated shoulder.

"... This is very far out of place..." One of the EMTs mumbled lowly, "... Have you dislocated this shoulder before now, or is this the first time?" He asked of Spirit, and she frowned at it.

"... I have, 4 or 5 times when I was younger. The last time was when I was 10, and I haven't since." She mumbled lowly and the EMTs both stiffened at the reply, Hawks too, where the Winged Hero had backed up a few paces and was watching in utter silence.

... 4 or 5 times...? And when she was... A kid...?

"... Alright, but that does make this more complicated." He mumbled lowly, "I can put it back in place but it'll be hard, and you'll need to get an x-ray or a scan taken to make sure there's not any further damage. We'll take you to the hospital when I have it set, and you'll likely need stitches for many of these lacerations." He murmured, Spirit grumbled but nodded anyway.

"... Got it." She grumbled lowly,

"Alright." The EMT murmured, waving a hand at his compatriot in a gesture the other go grab something. "This'll be easier if we we sedate you-"

"Not happening." Spirit cut the man off rather sharply and he jumped at it, wide-eyed.

"B-but Miss Animal Spirit-" he started but she shook her head, red eyes narrowed to slits and utterly stony.

"Not happening." She repeated again, "Under no circumstance are you, or anybody at the hospital allowed to put me under, got it? You can use local anesthetics if you have to, and painkillers sparingly, but nothing else. Do you understand?"

"Uhm... Yes, I understand..." The EMT murmured uncertainly, "... Ah... Is there... A medical reason for that, that we should be aware of...?" He asked cautiously, and Spirit looked away from him, her eyes dropping closed.

"... It won't mix well with my Quirk right now." She replied flatly, her tone making it clear she wouldn't elaborate on the point, and both EMTs exchanged glances, before starting up again and leaving the topic at that.

They steadied the Ebony Hero between them, one holding her in place and the other gripping her right arm and starting to maneuver it slowly back into its place. Spirit puffed, her breathing elevating right away and trembling for how hard it was for her to stay still and not reflexively double over or pull away in the midst of it. It took about five minutes to get the bone back into place, and when it finally cooperated it jerked back into socket with an awful popping sound, and Spirit could not stop herself from letting out a sharp yelp at it.

The pain tapered off considerably once it was in though, Spirit letting out a long, shaky breath of air and her posture wilting a tad as her body lost that rigidness it had adopted and held on to for so long.

"... Are you alright?" One of the EMT's asked and Spirit nodded a bit, eyes closed and letting out a small sigh.

"Yeah.." She mumbled,

"Alright, we'll prep to get going. Please try not to move too much, Animal Spirit."

He moved off to grab things and start packing them back in the ambulance along with his partner, leaving Spirit alone for a moment as she sat there and began trying to settle herself and the rise in her own breathing as best she could.

This sucked, like really really sucked... It annoyed the hell out of her she'd gotten hurt at all, but it annoyed her more that she'd not even realized the woman with the string Quirk was there until she'd gotten her arms nearly cut off. She'd been chasing the Villains through the lower levels, picking the first two off with no issues and then about to get the third- but that man and the little girl with him had gained her attention, and she'd sidetracked from incapacitating the one guy to guard them from Four-Arms. That had ended in a tussle with the large man and quickly ended when the strings wrapped around her arms, jerking her violently enough it ended up dislocating her shoulder and slamming her into the floor hard enough to wind her. The shoulder had been the worst part of the whole thing, though all the slices worn into her skin were not fun either... But the feeling of the joint pulling out of place and grinding bone was sickeningly familiar, and she hated it.

That sensation in itself had winded her more than even hitting the floor, and been the primary reason she hadn't moved right off and what had prompted Hawks having to step in. Spirit had been sort of aware of the piece of the car incoming, but she'd been so caught up in the awful sensation and the pain that gripped her to really even think of moving- which was fortunate Hawks had showed up when he had, not that she'd likely admit it... And it was a bit more fortunate the Bird-Brain had showed up too, because he distracted the Villains enough Spirit could focus on pinning down the string-user, and subsequently put her out of commission as she had.

... I couldn't stick the landing after headbutting her though... That hurt like hell... Oi.

... Tch... Now it's not just my head that hurts, it's both my fucking arms... And hands... Ugggghhhh...!

The headache that had plagued her for near two days now, and sharpened to a fine point earlier today at the Club, was still hounding her even now. Her few regular hours of sleep had done nothing to get rid of it, and it hadn't eased it much either- she'd been struggling to ignore the headache all through Patrol today, and had stuck to high ground and roofs for it. It hadn't helped things had been slow all evening and she'd had nothing to take her mind off the throbbing in her skull- it had been a welcome change of pace when this whole mess started, even if some of her more heavy movements and running had made the headache a bit sharper for a time... Now though it sort of got buried under everything else, but with the overwhelming pain of the out-of-place shoulder being gone now, she was sure the headache would retake it's place of bothering her more than any of the other wounds.

Once again, ugggghhh...!

Can I not catch a single bloody break...?!

It's been one thing after another lately...!

"Spirit."

She blinked, her thoughts breaking off as she glanced up quickly, surprise passing over her face to see Hawks just beside her now- she thought he'd already left...?

"... Hmm?" She mumbled reflexively, and he offered up a small smile that was meant to put her at ease, though it wasn't as easy-going as was usual for him, and she stiffened faintly at it, her eyes narrowing.

"I'm gonna go ahead and help cleanup everything, and touch base with the police." Hawks told her lightly, "I'll handle everything here while they take you to get patched up, kay? Don't worry about a thing, all the Villains are already with the police, so it's just cleanup and such left~" He said, and she hesitated half a second, before nodding slowly.

"... Okay..." She mumbled, her voice dying quickly as his smile faded a tad, and he paused for half a second, looking like he was debating on what he wanted to say next, or if he wanted to say it at all. Spirit's eyes narrowed further at it, a heartbeat going by as he seemed to debate silently to himself, and then he shook his head a bit, perking up slightly. Hawks reached a hand forward and let it fall on top of her head gently, Spirit stiffening under the gesture and eyes flashing.

... Is he... Petting me...?!

But he didn't lift his hand to pat her head in any way, he just let it stay there and his shoulders seemed to sink a tiny bit, which was even weirder than everything else and she blinked several times over.

What the hell... Is up with him...? He's acting so... Odd...?

"Try and take it easy, will you?" He hummed, "And don't snap at the doctors too much, yeah? I know you're in a bad mood right now, and that's understandable, but you shouldn't be so stubborn if you can manage it, okay? Let them help you out and make you feel better, alright...?" He murmured and she just stared, still trying to figure out what the hell was going on with him...?

This is super weird, he's acting all... Gloomy almost...? And tense too, though he's trying to hide it...?

And he's telling me to... What does he think? I'm gonna tell the doctors to fuck off...?

I'm not an idiot, I know I need to get seen, so seriously...?

What the hell...?

He pulled his hand away and smiled a little more for a small second, before backing up a pace and flaring his wings out a bit. There were certain feathers in his wings among the many that were easily picked out from the rest- those feathers with rigid plumage matted with dried crimson- crimson a bit of a darker, browner color compared to the natural vermilion... The feathers he'd had covering Spirit's arms with before, to try and still some of the bleeding.

"... Like I said Spirit, relax for now, okay? I'll handle everything here, you just focus on getting fixed up." Hawks told her, continuing on with his talking even when Spirit faltered, her mind struggling to make sense of the gesture and what he'd said. "Ah, and thanks for earlier. You totally saved me getting cut up by that lady's Quirk... I owe you again, huh~?" He murmured softly and Spirit blinked,

Owe...?

... Why would... He even say that...?

... That... It's my job, it's not a matter of owing or anything...

... And besides, if he's counting then-

He flapped his wings, his feet leaving the ground as he hovered for half a second, one of those regular cheery, bright smiles of his making a sudden reappearance as he waved at her.

"I'll catch you later, Spirit." He hummed, before heading off at last and back toward the line of police and all the rest of the commotion. Spirit watched him go until it was little but a blob of red, her head tilting and quiet. Her left arm raised reflexively, her hand falling lightly on top of her head where his had been, and the sensation of such hadn't quite gone away yet.

... That was... Really weird...

... Why was he acting... So off...?

... He seemed... Almost... Uneasy...?

... I guess not nervous uneasy, or flustered or anything like that... Uneasy like... I don't know... 'Unsettled' maybe is the word...?

... And he was trying to act like he wasn't, just like how he tried to act fine after getting hit by that Explosion Villain... But this time... He could barely even pass at being 'fine'...

... I don't... Get it...?

A prick of pain in her temple bumped up the intensity of her headache another few degrees, and she grimaced at it.

... Shit... I gotta stop brooding over him and his damn behavior... It just makes it worse...

... Fucking hell Feathers...

... What is with you...?

.:+:.

"... Fortunately the damage to your muscles and tendons was minor, and you managed to get away without having any of the arteries in your arms getting nicked." The Doctor hummed, her eyes not on Spirit's face but rather her own hands and the needle and thread she was winding through the flesh of the Ebony Hero's right arm. The needle going in and out earned small pricks of pressure that were rather unpleasant, but a bit of local anesthetic had it numb so there was no pain... Both arms were that way, the other already bandaged up and finished with.

The right arm had required several places of stitches (which were still being worked on by said Doctor), while the left had only needed two, both lines of thread only a few inches apart on the upper portion of the arm and already wrapped up in bandages. The rest of the slices that had gone all the way down her left arm and to her hand had been shallow enough either to simply need a bandage thrown on top, or simple enough one of the nurses with a Cellular-regeneration Quirk had managed to get rid of them all the way... It sucked that Quirk wouldn't work on any of the more complicated wounds, Spirit would have much preferred if it could- but she supposed having one arm not shredded to bits anymore was better than none.

"... The tendons in the shoulder are strained though, and some of the old scar tissue as been re-agitated as well, so you'll need to go easy on it, and keep your arm in a sling for at least the next 5-6 days." The Doctor kept on, winding the needle through the skin again and humming to herself. "Which is just as well, limiting movement will keep the stitches from ripping in the meantime, and give them time to heal for a bit without agitating them further... The ones on your hand will take longer of course, since the cuts are so fine. They'll open up quite easily if you are not careful, so I advise caution, Animal Spirit. Especially with your shoulder, since you've dislocated it so many times before it's likely to come out of place again if you push it too far, too fast." She murmured, threading the last bit through and starting on tying them off. "I'm going to start you on a course of antibiotics to make sure no infections develop, and I'll write a prescription up for some more of the painkiller you already took, to manage any discomfort from here on out."

... Right... The painkillers... Ugh

Spirit had been coaxed into taking some already while being here, at the insistence of all the nurses and the doctors combined- though she really didn't want to... Not that it mattered, she knew they had a purpose, and she knew was at that stage of needing them- but she would have gladly dealt with being in pain over taking them, if it had been entirely up to her.

The pain had dulled to none but a throb now, which was a nice reprieve, and would continue to be once she was up and leaving- but it was not so nice, not for the gradually worsening sensation of heaviness crawling through her limbs and her mind, and the drowsiness that would eventually come with it... And the fucked up dreams too, oi...

... I seriously can't catch a goddamn break, can I...?

Oh, and of course her headache was worse now too after everything, and even more so for the painfully harsh hospital lights... And hospital smells heavy on her nose- blood, sickness, disinfectant, what have you.

... This sucks...

"... Animal Spirit?"

Spirit blinked, her eyes moving off the floor and toward the Doctor as she paused in her work and caught the Ebony Hero's attention more directly. The older woman quirked a brow as she caught Spirit's eyes, and the Pro shook her head a bit.

"Ah, sorry... I heard you, and I understand, I'll take it easy." Spirit murmured quickly, and the other woman nodded a bit, her eyes returning to finishing up her suturing, and then bandaging said wounds. Spirit looked away again, her left hand moving up to her face and pushing a lock of hair back from her eyes with a small sigh.

... No Hero Work for a week at least then... And what am I gonna do about the Club...?

... I can't show up with my arm in a sling and cut to pieces... They'll never let it go, and I wouldn't even know what sort of cover story to make up...

... I'm supposed to be there in a few hours for my shift too... I'm gonna have to call Jeriko... He's gonna be all 'you've been calling in so often' and everything too... Ugh...

... I suppose I'm not gonna be able to fly home either, huh...?

... And I can't really grab a cab from here and head home either, without raising questions from the cabbie, or anyone else waiting outside the hospital, after this whole mess...

... Damn it... I'm gonna have to call Tanaka for a ride, aren't I...?

She grimaced deeply at the thought, biting down on the inside of her cheek rather hard.

... He'll probably lecture me about dislocating my shoulder... And he'll probably insist on 'catching up' too... Oi...

"... Are you feeling alright?" The Doctor asked after a few moments, snapping Spirit from her thoughts yet again. "No dizziness, weakness, or nausea?" She asked and Spirit shook her head slowly.

"No, none of that. I'm alright." Spirit murmured,

"Are you sure?" The doctor pressed still and Spirit paused, her eyes narrowing in question.

"... I have a headache, but that's not that bad." The Ebony Hero mumbled at length, and the Doctor nodded slightly.

"Hmm, I was just wondering... your blood work came back with a bit of elevation in your white blood cells, which could be either from infection already set in from these injuries, or maybe some other illness your body is trying to fight off." The Doctor murmured, "They aren't high enough to be any real concern... How long have you had the headache?"

"... The last two days."

"Hmm... I suppose you might have the beginnings of a cold or a flu then. Your temperature was only a little high, but I wouldn't be surprised if you start feeling more ill later in, or in the next few days. With any luck the antibiotics might stamp it out before it gets to that, but I would be wary of it anyway... Especially so after the stress of all this."

"... Ah... Right... Thanks for the warning..."

Fuck... Maybe Sasaki had a point earlier...? About me maybe getting sick...? Ugh...

... I was already gonna be feeling like crap because of the drugs... I'm just gonna be exhausted, and hazy... Probably soon... But to get sick on top of that...?

... Fucking hell... I wanna go home...

... But even when I get there... I don't know if I'll want to sleep...

... Damn it all...

.:+:.

"Here you are Miss Animal Spirit." A young nurse hummed coolly, handing off a small bag filled with her Hero outfit. "Are you sure you wouldn't rather us send it to the Support Department for you? It wouldn't be a bother." He murmured, the bag leaving his hand as Spirit reached for it with a small shake of her head.

"No it's fine, I'll handle it myself." She murmured, "I don't need the whole thing repaired, just the sleeves... And besides, it'll give me something to do in the meantime." She mumbled, and the nurse smiled slightly in amusement at it.

"Ah, I see." He hummed, "Did those clothes fit alright for you?" He asked with a quick once-over of the Ebony Hero, and Spirit smiled faintly.

"Yeah, thank you for finding me some to wear." Spirit hummed lightly,

As he said, she wasn't in her Hero uniform anymore, she'd changed into what he'd managed to find- a simple pair of black sweats, some slip-on's provided by the hospital just generally, and a pale blue t-shirt that was a bit too big on her figure and that she'd had to tie a bit at the side, but it was better than hospital clothes... And besides, the more noticeable thing than the clothes was the sling her arm was in anyway, and the bandages up her arms. Nobody was gonna be looking at her for her fashion choices right now.

"My pleasure, I'm happy to help." The nurse replied, "Well, you've been discharged, and the medications the doctor prescribed are in that bag. You are free to head out, Animal Spirit." He told her and Spirit nodded slightly,

"Ah great... Thank you for letting me know." She murmured, and the nurse smiled a tad more, before turning to head back out of the room. Spirit adjusted the bag with her things into sitting on her wrist as he did so, reaching next for her phone in the pocket of the sweatpants. There were some notifications about what had gone on tonight, and a few with her name in the title but she paid them little mind- there was a message awaiting her attention that caught her interest a little bit more, and a message from Mamoru-Killjoy... It was something along the lines of 'are you okay?' but she didn't take the time to read it in full just then. The only reason she'd pulled the phone out was to check the time, and she sighed internally at the numbers on the screen.

... It's already midnight... Hell...

"Oh, I almost forgot." The nurse murmured just as he was about out the door. He turned back her way a bit and Spirit blinked, her eyes snapping from her phone and toward him. He tilted his head toward the hallway, smiling slightly. "Mr. Hawks is here, he arrived an hour or so ago. You'll find him in the waiting room just down this hall and to the left." The nurse told her simply, and Spirit stiffened.

... He... What...?

"... Hawks...?" She mumbled and the nurse nodded, though his head tilted a bit at the questioning tone of the Ebony Hero's voice.

"Yes... Were you not expecting him...?" The man mumbled, and Spirit bit the inside of her cheek, her eyes flashing.

"... No, but it's fine. Thank you for letting me know." Spirit mumbled lowly and the nurse paused a second, before nodding a little and dipping his head to her once, and then heading the rest of the way out of the room again. Spirit grit her teeth after he was out of sight, her grip on her phone tightening with a sudden flare of agitation in her core, and she huffed hotly.

"Of fucking course he's here." She muttered under her breath, stuffing her phone back in the sweats pocket and starting toward the door, adjusting the bag back off her wrist and into her hand again. "Tch... Why the hell am I even surprised...?" She grumbled with a shake of her head.

... He was acting so weird earlier I didn't think he'd pop back up so soon...

... And he's already been waiting around for an hour too...? Dumbass...

... I don't have the energy to deal with him... Or the patience...

... Plus I have sort of... Been avoiding him the last few days too...

She had been doing her best not to bump into the Winged Hero, following her conversation with Death Arms. She'd had enough of Hawks earlier in the week with him dropping in everyday, and then after bringing all of those nagging thoughts in regards to him, and her life, and all that unpleasantness that had promoted that terrible headache still hounding her- well, she didn't want to be around him, because it would just make all that unpleasantness sharper and more nagging... And she'd been sort of stuck on that last bit- the idea of whether there was anything about Hawks she actually liked.

She'd not been able to stop debating it in her head since, and she still had no answer to the question, which was as infuriating, as it was exhausting.

But of course the world would have it that she couldn't avoid him for very long, it seemed... Oi.

She headed out of the room and down the hall in the direction she'd been told, the hospital quiet and sparse on people for the late hour- and what rush had been with the few people and officers injured by the same Villains that had brought her here, that had tapered off about an hour beforehand.

... Whatever, maybe I'll figure out what the hell was wrong with him earlier... Or maybe he's gotten over whatever it was by now...?

... I hope so, trying to figure out his insanity is just... Exhausting... And mind-numbing...

... Ugh, especially right now...

... I would settle for just the headache to go away, forget everything else... I'm so done with it...

She sighed heavily, shaking her head again and turning the corner left as directed- another short hallway, passed a nurse's station, and then through a set of double doors at the end brought her into the waiting room. It was utterly quiet, and empty of anything but unfilled chairs (naturally so since visiting hours were soooo over), and one Winged Hero sitting (quite childishly) on the back of a chair, his feet in the seat itself (and not where they were supposed to be).

Hawks had his elbows on his knees, in his hands one of his own feathers and fiddling with it, the plumage quite damp and wet and the Winged Hero doing his best to straighten the fibers (though unnecessarily with his hands... he could have totally fixed it in a snap by just thinking it, but hey- it was something to do). There were several other feathers floating stationary in air around him, damp themselves but already straightened and put back in order. He was a little too invested with what he was doing to take note of the doors opening, or Spirit stepping through them at first- but he seemed aware of her presence quite soon after and he looked up quickly, golden eyes gleaming and instantly at attention.

"Spirit...!" He hummed, the feathers floating before him quickly reattaching themselves in his wings as he hopped off the chair almost way too fast. He came up to meet her halfway as she stepped into the waiting area, his eyes darted up and down her person very quickly, scanning every inch of her, every little detail, her change in clothes, her hair being pulled out of her usual ponytail, the sling her arm was in, and the bandages- all of it. He gave her a full once over in about five seconds flat, and in that amount of time his face went from surprised and relieved at seeing her, and then to frowning and tense as his shoulders hunched a tad, and he seemed to falter in that last step her way.

And she noticed it, right away- which made her frown at the off behavior from before apparently not having gone away as she hoped it would.

"... Are you okay...?" Hawks asked as he came to a halt, his hands hovering slightly before him and Spirit quirked a brow, her red eyes gleaming as she shot the hovering hands a quick stare, before meeting Hawks' searching gaze.

"... I'm fine." She replied flatly, and he seemed to swallow a bit, nodding stiffly, his eyes darting toward her right arm and shoulder for half a second.

"... How did everything go? I figure you're probably gonna have to keep from using that arm for awhile, huh...? Was anything super wrong...?" He mumbled, and she frowned further at how uneasy he sounded as he asked it.

He'd been nervous and guilty-looking as all hell about her getting scraped up when they hit that roof during the Explosion Villain thing- but this wasn't that. Back then he'd been jumpy, and flustered, and maybe even a bit panicky too- but this wasn't jumpiness, panicked, or flustered... This was quiet and subdued and tense, and she grit her teeth at it.

Seriously, what the fuck?

It took a lot not to growl about it, but she kept it to herself and just let out a small huff- remember Spirit, you don't have the energy to deal with his dumb behavior, and it'll just make your headache worse if you brood about it. Just let it go.

"... I have to keep the sling on for a week." Spirit replied evenly (or as even as she could get), "And no, nothing was 'super wrong' or anything like that. I got a few stitches, and my shoulder is gonna be sore, but that's all." She explained lowly, and he nodded stiffly again, a quiet breath escaping him as his lips pulled into a tight line.

"... I see." He mumbled, a small (slightly strained) smile gracing his face as he seemed to try and shake whatever was bothering him off, and Spirit's teeth grit harder.

God damn it Hawks-

"Well, I'm glad you didn't get too hurt after all, Spirit~" He hummed, but her eyes narrowed to slits and he paused at the somewhat agitated look she was giving him now. "...uh...?"

"What is wrong with you?" She asked bluntly, and he stiffened at it. "You have been acting weird as hell this entire time- you're all tense and gloomy, and generally like someone told you your puppy died- and your attempts at acting all fine and dandy is not even a little convincing. You can't even begin to pass at being 'okay' tonight, so what the hell is your deal?" She grumbled hotly, and Hawks seemed to wilt a little at what she said, his face falling further with every word until the smile was gone completely.

How could she always tell...? He didn't get it, it was like he couldn't hide anything from her- but why was she so easily able to see it? Where the rest of the world never could...?

Grant you he knew he'd been a bit lackluster in his attempts at acting like everything was all 'fine and dandy' even before she pointed it out, but still.

Why can she always... Tell..?

"And on top of that, why are you here? I was just fine when I left with the ambulance, you knew that before I went anywhere- there's no reason for you to be here sitting around waiting on me." Spirit kept on, huffing again as she shook her head at him. "Plus it's late Feathers, shouldn't you have gone home and gone to bed by now?" She muttered rather sharply, and Hawks' shoulders sank, his still hovering hands falling a bit with it.

"Hmm, well if it was that obvious, I would have figured the reason why I've been acting off was kinda obvious too...?" Hawks replied softly and Spirit paused, her red eyes narrowing at him and questioning still.

... Guess not...?

He smiled wearily at the look and let out a small sigh, his wings sinking a bit behind him just like his shoulders did, and Spirit just kept waiting for the explanation.

... Heh... She can tell something's off, but she can't figure why...?

... I suppose maybe I'm not surprised... Given what she said about... Not being that kind of person...

"... Well, it's kinda a weird thing, but there was this cat earlier today when I was on Patrol that I met, and then later on I think I found it again... But it'd gotten hit by a car." Hawks murmured softly and Spirit blinked once, still waiting for the explanation and not sure what the tangent was about, or what it was meant to explain...?

"... I dunno, seeing it just kind of gave me a bad feeling- like it was a bad omen or something... And then right after that I heard all the commotion going on with those Villains at the parking garage, and then when I got there and seeing you on the floor all covered in blood..." He kept on, smiling wearily still and a bit uneasy now too. "It...mmm, well it kinda freaked me out little, honestly." He mumbled softly, and Spirit stiffened faintly at it, her eyes flashing.

... Freaked him.. Out...?

"... Why...?" She asked reflexively and he blinked, "We're Pros, we get hurt, it's a part of the job- it's not something to get freaked out over. And just because you saw a cat get hit by the car doesn't 'bode ill' or whatever... That's nonsense Feathers." She pointed out quickly, and he nodded a bit.

"Yeah I get that, you're not wrong... it's pretty much expected that Heroes will get hurt, and more often than regular people do- and I'm really not a superstitious person either ya know...! Usually I wouldn't have even batted an eye about the whole cat thing, but it just kinda struck a chord for some reason- and since I saw it so soon before the Villain mess, I guess... It just kinda hit harder than usual, ya know...?" He murmured with a small wave of his hand in a bit of a dismissive gesture, before it stilled again and he seemed to wilt a tiny bit. "... I know the whole cat thing doesn't make any sense, but it was only a little part of it. Mostly it was just seeing you injured at all, is what really hit the hardest." He murmured and she blinked at it, her head tilting slightly for the sort of sad smile that came across his face next.

"You're my friend and you got hurt, so of course it freaked me out a little." He told her softly, and Spirit stiffened without meaning to, her heart skipping a beat though she a had no idea why it would at so simple a statement... Or why it felt so much weightier than it should have.

...w...what...?

"Hmm, and there shouldn't be any wonder I'm here either- it's only natural to be concerned when your friend gets hurt, and especially so when they have to go to the hospital." Hawks kept on calmly, smiling a tad more and golden eyes glittering."I was worried about you, and I wanted to make sure you were okay. It being late or anything else doesn't really matter much to me, as long as I got to see you were alright, Spirit." He added, and she swallowed at the way her stomach... Fluttered.

What the fuck...?

She sucked in a quiet breath of air and held it, hoping it would dull the sudden bit of churning in her core, and staying utterly quiet for a few heartbeats that seemed to stretch way too long.

He was calm about what he said, and sincere- she could tell that right away... And even though it surprised her and made her feel so... So weird all of a sudden- what he said made sense, she supposed.

She just hadn't thought of it in terms of 'friends' at all herself- which probably just went to show how undecided still she went about the whole notion... But it... Was sort of understandable, if you looked at it the way he was, right...?

... He isn't... Saying anything that doesn't... Make rational sense... So why...?

Why do I feel so... Flustered all of a sudden...?

Why does him saying that... Make me feel so...?

Her face must have done something she was unaware of, because Hawks' smile went away and his head tilted at her, his hands hovering again uncertainly.

"... Spirit, are you okay...?" He asked slowly. She swallowed again, diverting her gaze from him in the next second and cursing herself and whatever the hell was wrong with her so suddenly and that she did not get.

It doesn't make any sense... Tch...

... Just stop, let it go... My head hurts a million times more now just trying to understand why in the fuck... Him saying that...

... Oi, quit it... Just not now damn it, leave it be.

"... I'm fine." She replied lowly and he didn't look all that convinced, not that she saw it- she was looking away from him pointedly still, chewing on the insides of her cheeks in... Was that agitation he was seeing...? Or... Nervousness...?

He wasn't really sure, all he knew was she'd gotten very still and very quiet all of a sudden, and he didn't much like it- especially so when he'd noticed she sort of stopped breathing for about a minute there.

"... Sorry for... Being so short with you before, back in the parking garage..." Spirit said next and at length, and very quietly too, catching Hawks completely off guard and his eyes widening for it. "... And for being... Grumpy about you being here too... I suppose..." She mumbled softly, her eyes falling closed and forcing a small breath. "... Thank you... For... Coming to check on me..." Spirit added quietly, so much so her voice was scarcely above a whisper and Hawks stared, his eyes going wide and his wings fluffing up a little too as he watched the sudden tinge of red appear appear on her cheeks so suddenly.

S-she's... Blushing...?!

"... It might not seem that way... But... I do appreciate it... Even if I don't think it... Was necessary..." Spirit mumbled softly, "... I'm not... All that good with the notion of... The 'friendship' thing or... But... I understand why you're here... And that you're being kind... So thanks..."

Hawks swelled a bit, golden eyes glittering like mad and almost starstruck for a moment- it took a lot for him not to grin like an idiot, and he kept himself from doing so only because he knew if she saw him doing it, it would probably just put her off, and he didn't want that. He kept himself in check as best he could, forcing a breath that was meant to calm him down and nodding a few times (and perhaps a bit too eagerly still).

"Of course...!" He chirped softly,

Ahhhh, this is adorable...!

And it certainly was- because him being here now was really no different than her checking on him after the Explosion Villain thing, yeah~?

But of course it didn't seem to track the same way in Spirit's mind, as she said she wasn't good with the notion of friends- when she did it for him it wasn't something she did with it being a friendly thing, it was just her natural behavior. So him doing it (as he said) because they were friends and he cared for her as such wasn't something that came naturally for her- because she just didn't think of it in that way, or was even used to doing so... He understood it, but having pointed it out making her blush and be embarrassed was a surprise, and a cute one~!

Spirit huffed quietly under her breath, shaking her head at herself and the heat in her face (which she cursed herself for several times) dying out along with the sudden churning in her core she still didn't get. She sighed a bit, her shoulders sinking with it and earning an uncomfortable throb from the right when she went a little too far.

... Okay enough... I barely have the mental capacity to deal with him right now, and soon enough I'm not gonna have any at all...

... I wanna just... Not...

... Time to call Tan-

"Anyway Spirit, can I give you a lift home?" Hawks asked, changing the subject with ease and she stiffened at the inquiry, her eyes opening slowly. "You look pretty beat, and it is late. I'd be more than happy to give you a lift, so you don't have to hassle with finding a cab or whatever... There are a lot of Press and Media crews parked outside the hospital right now too, you'd probably prefer to avoid them, huh...?" He added lightly, and she blinked once, quiet.

... A... Lift... Home...?

From... Hawks...?

She couldn't do that. That would mean telling him where she lived, showing him there, and she couldn't do- well... She supposed technically she totally could do that. There was nothing that could actually stop her from doing it outside of herself, but did she want to...? Was she comfortable with that...?

Years of being taught not to share such personal things, or give people leverage, show weakness, trust, all of that- all of that said no... Always no.

... Should it be no...?

Do I want it to be... No...?

... I don't... Know...

Hawks seemed to sense her hesitation, though she was a little too wrapped up in her own thoughts to even be aware of her outward behavior or anything- but he noticed something. Because his smile faded near all the way, and he let out a little breath.

"... Or if you'd prefer, you could crash at my place for the night instead." He suggested lightly, and her red eyes widened in surprise, the sudden stint of uncertainty and questions she'd been pulled into falling away at the sound of his voice, and she stared.

... Crash at... His place...?

"I wouldn't mind having you over, and it could be like how you did for me, yeah? It'd give me a chance to look after you for awhile~" Hawks murmured lightly, "I know it might not be as comfortable as your own place, but if you don't wanna be alone for tonight and you wouldn't mind being fussed over just a little on my part- then you're totally welcome to stay over." He hummed, "I promise I won't fuss too much if you do, I know you probably don't like to be hovered over- but enough you're comfortable and can relax~? You could use a nice little break after tonight, and I will do my best to help you have a nice, quiet rest of your night...!"

Spirit blinked once, her eyes falling slightly from his face for half a second.

... I don't wanna have him take me home... I don't want him to know where I live... I'm not... Okay with that...

... But I really don't wanna call... Tanaka for a ride either... He'll lecture me for sure and I just... Can't tonight...

... Not that being 'fussed over' by Hawks sounds any more pleasant, even if he does it only little... I know him, he doesn't do anything only a little...

She let out a small breath, her eyes dropping closed.

... But... Maybe...

"... Fine." Spirit murmured softly and Hawks paused, stiffening in surprise at the almost too easy agreement from the Ebony Hero.

She actually said yes...?!

"... If you really don't mind, it'd be easier to just stay with you for the night." Spirit mumbled quietly, and Hawks faltered still for half a second more, before nodding quickly.

Seriously, she actually said yes...?!

He had no hope she would agree at all...!

"O-of course I don't mind..!" Hawks replied quickly, Spirit nodded a little, her eyes still closed.

... I think maybe... This is the better alternative for tonight...

... Not that either option was all that appealing...

"... Alright." Spirit mumbled, "... I'm ready to go whenever you are Feathers... Let's just avoid any of the Press or whatever you said were waiting outside, okay...?"

"For sure." Hawks hummed with a little thumbs up, Spirit catching his eye finally as he smirked faintly. "Discretion is one of my strong suits, they'll never know we left~!" He told her brightly, and she just blinked once.

... Discretion...?

Hawks tilted his head toward the hallway leading out of the waiting room, oblivious to the somewhat unconvinced look she gave him just then. "So, you said you were ready to go?" He hummed, and she nodded slowly. He smiled a little brighter and swept his hand out in that direction, bowing slightly and placing his other hand on his chest. "Well then, this way milady~" he chirped, and Spirit huffed at the mannerism.

"... You're an idiot..." She sighed, stepping passed him and the Winged Hero close at hand and taking up a place at her shoulder. She followed him without really paying much mind to where they were going in the winding hallways, her eyes fell shut and she ended up more following the sound of his footsteps, and the subtle sensation of his body-heat being given off from him on her left, rather than using her eyes... The hospital lights were doing nothing but make her head hurt worse, and had her eyes stinging under their glow too.

Hawks noticed she wasn't really looking where she was going of course, causing the Winged Hero to inch ever so slightly closer to her- so much so their shoulders nearly brushed, but not quite. Spirit didn't say anything as they walked and Hawks left it be for now, simply settling in to the walking and focused on getting where he meant for them to go. When finally he did deign to gain her attention, he did with a gentle tap on her right shoulder and she paused, glancing up at him as he gestured toward a balcony door to their left. Spirit stared for a few seconds, before what he was intending finally seemed to dawn on her, and her lips pulled into a tight line. She cast him a wary look and he simply returned it with a calm smile,

"... you wanna fly us there..?" Spirit asked lowly, and he nodded.

"Yep." He hummed, "You wanna avoid all the Press and stuff in the front yeah? This is the easiest way to do that- like I said, they'll never know we left~!" He told her, his head tilting as she seemed to frown a little at the idea, "Hmm? You worried that I'll drop you~?" He asked lightly, and she grumbled a bit under her breath. "I didn't drop ya earlier when I brought you to the ambulance, did I~?" He chuckled, and she grit her teeth a little at it.

Yeah, but you weren't more than a few feet off the ground for lack of space, at the time. If you dropped me then it wouldn't have done more than hurt... But up in the sky, over the city...?

... I won't be able to Shift into a bird and catch myself, not with my shoulder like this, and not while wearing these clothes...

Hawks blinked, his smile softening a tad when Spirit remained quite still, and he let out a quiet breath. He stepped up and in front of her, extending a hand her way and golden eyes gleaming. Spirit's eyes locked with his outstretched hand, still frowning slightly as she glanced up slowly from his hand to meet his eyes warily.

"Come on." He urged gently, "I promise I will not drop you, you are perfectly safe with me Sunshine." He murmured, his eyes flashing as his hand moved a tad closer, and Spirit bit the inside of her cheek, hesitant still. Hawks let out a quiet, slightly amused breath at it.

... Heh, so stubborn...

"Hmm... Trust me, will you?" Hawks asked quietly, and Spirit stiffened faintly at the question, her own eyes glinting as she moved her gaze quickly from his and to his hand again.

... Trust you...?

... I don't... trust... anybody...

She grit her teeth, swallowing rather hard and unsure still... but her left hand moved forward slowly, nervously so, and shook ever so faintly as it fell into his outstretched hand gingerly.

His fingers curled around hers and he pulled her with him and out the balcony door so, so gently, Spirit's eyes never leaving his hand even as he did so and Hawks did not mind. Not even when she seemed to do her best not to meet his eyes, the Winged Hero pulling her closer and enough so he could both take the bag she was holding, and pick Spirit up with what seemed a ridiculous amount of ease. Spirit hooked her left arm around his neck right off, her hand curling tightly around the collar of his jacket and still not looking up at him. Hawks paused a moment with the Ebony Hero in his hold, smiling in amusement- and she saw him do it from the corner of her eye, but she would not give him the satisfaction of letting him see her face just then... she knew she was blushing a little, despite herself, so she kept her head turned.

"Heh, you are super light, ya know~?" Hawks chuckled, "You hardly weigh anything at all~!"

"... tch... the same can't be said for you, dumbass." Spirit muttered back sharply, "You are a million times heavier than you look, it was like trying to catch a bus in air back with that damn Explosion Villain." She hissed and he chuckled a bit at it,

"Ah, well I'm generally not really what I seem on the outside~" He murmured lightly, "I am sorry to have dragged ya down though, but I am more grateful you came to my rescue at all~!" He chirped, Spirit about to huff in agitation at him, only to draw up a bit on the first part.

... what does he mean, generally not what he seems like on the outside...?

She had no time to question nor wonder about it, not before Hawks flared his wings out and took to the air, bringing both himself and Spirit with him quickly passed the edge of the balcony and climbing higher into the dark sky overhead. She went rigid for it, her stomach lurching with the movement and her grip on his jacket collar growing instantly tighter. She even instinctively pulled closer to him, shrinking back from the open air on her right and so much so her face came within an inch or two of his, and she hated herself the reaction... especially so when she saw how amused Hawks looked with it, the blonde smirking slightly in the corner of her eye and she clenched her jaw at it.

"I wouldn't think you were scared of heights Spirit, not with how much you fly yourself~" he hummed brightly, "Or is it not a problem with the height, and more with a lack of control~?" He asked and she grimaced at it,

"Shut it."

"Hehe... well try and relax if you can? It won't take long to get there, but I'm gonna take it slower than usual so it's a more pleasant ride for ya." He hummed lightly, and Spirit only huffed in reply, her eyes falling closed (so as not to look at him, or end up looking at the endless drop she was only a Hawks-hold away from). He cast Spirit a small look as she went quiet again, smiling still to himself for the disgruntled expression still etched into her face, but he left it be and focused more on where he was going.

She relaxed only a little as they kept going, the tenseness of her figure in his hold unwinding after about ten minutes had gone by, and her grip on his jacket waning too... But it was not so much the unease at their height lessening, and more her energy that had been ebbing away growing continually more faded, and a bout of grogginess biting at her heels starting to dig in a bit more. Grogginess that was ushered in all the faster for the sudden (and very welcomed) disappearance of any of those harsh lights that had been making her head ache worse, the somewhat pleasant sensation of the cool night air enveloping them as they went, and the light, fresh scent it brought with it- leaving no more nasty hospital smells to dog her nose... just sky, and rain and... sunshine spot showers.

... that's Hawks' scent...

... of course he smells like sunshine, the dumb... bird...

... sunshine... and rain... and fresh air...

... hmph... with how much... yakitori... he eats... I'm surprised... that isn't what he smells like...

She let out a quiet sigh, banishing the thought and intent to think of literally nothing at all- not how high up they were, not the closeness between them, not the fact she was being carried, and most certainly not about him... Him who was definitely the primary cause of her headache.

I would never have started thinking all these nagging thoughts... If not for his dumbass... And trying to figure out his behavior is just hopeless... And more of a headache...

... Goddamn it I am still thinking about him... Oi...

She sighed heavily that time, tossing the thoughts out the window and finding some sort of relief, and solution that came in the form of reciting cocktail recipes in her head... It wasn't exactly thinking about nothing, but it was mindless, and that was as best as she could manage in the moment.

Hawks blinked curiously when Spirit let out that sigh, though her eyes never opened and she seemed to fall into her own head afterwards- so he let it be and kept on. And he paid her little mind afterwards, besides glancing to her every 3-4 minutes or so just to check and see- but she stayed quiet, unmoving almost... Until once she seemed to jerk back into focus, her lips pulling into frown and grumbling under her breath but little else... He wondered what pulled her back so abruptly, but he didn't ask.

Only when his apartment came into sight did Hawks decide to break the quiet, their flight slowing up as the approached the balcony and the Winged Hero smiling coolly.

"Here we are~" he hummed brightly, lighting down on the balcony floor with grace, and Spirit blinking her eyes open slowly at the sound of his voice. A feather detached itself from his wings and darted ahead of him toward the glass door, squeezing into the frame and pushing it open- with Hawks already walking toward it, and without setting her down like she anticipated... Though it took him walking more than a few steps before her mind snapped out of the daze it'd fallen into, and she realized what he was doing.

"... Oi, I don't need to be carried in...!" She mumbled quickly, wriggling slightly in his hold but he did not let go, nor seem fazed with the bit of fidgeting, and he didn't stop walking either.

"I know, but I don't mind carrying you a little longer~!" He hummed brightly, stepping inside the threshold as he said it and the door sliding closed behind them via another push of a feather- to which that same feather darted ahead again and flipped on the lights in the apartment. Spirit grit her teeth though, red eyes glinting in agitation and shooting him a disgruntled glare.

"Tch... Put me down damn it...!" She hissed furiously, and he smiled at it, but drew up a few steps into the dining area on the other side of the door and obliged. He set her back on her feet with ease, his hands holding to her long enough to make sure she was steady- even when she growled at him and pulled away rather stubbornly. He just smiled a tad more in amusement at it, and especially so when the first thing she did once she was on her feet again- was step back from him, and then quickly (and a bit awkwardly) do her best to slip her shoes off and pick them off the floor. She saw him watching her all through the action, his expression full of mirth, and she huffed at the look.

"Well, welcome back to my humble abode~" Hawks told her, deciding not to comment on what he found funny and instead go to a different topic instead. "Like before, make yourself at home, Spirit, kay~?" He murmured, and she huffed again.

"... Alright..." She grumbled, pinning her shoes under her left arm and gesturing for him to hand over her bag next. He gave it over with nothing but a smile and she backed up again, her eyes darting from him and slowly heading to the front door and the genkan to set her things down in their proper place there (stupid Bird-Brain should have let her take them off outside damn it, wearing them inside was rude- and he damn well knew it!).

"So I figure you're pretty tired yeah~? You wanna just hit the hay, or are you hungry maybe?" He asked just as she finished putting her things down, and she stiffened slightly for the inquiry. "I know it's pretty late already, but if you're up for a late-night snack I am more than happy to oblige~" He hummed lightly and she swallowed hard against the idea, and the sudden bit of queasiness that hit her at the thought of food.

... Damn it... That's gonna start now too...?

"... I'm not hungry Feathers." Spirit replied quietly and he paused,

"Hmm, okay~! No food then, but would you like some tea before you go to bed maybe~?" He asked next, and it was her turn to pause, her red eyes flashing as she glanced from him and then quickly toward her hands, unsure almost... Before she nodded slightly.

That idea didn't make her feel so nauseous, and besides- maybe it'd settle her a bit, both with her headache and just generally before she went to sleep... She wasn't exactly looking forward to sleeping, regardless of how more and more exhausted she was starting to feel. There was no telling what her mind would conjure up after today and everything else.

"... Yeah, that would be nice..." She mumbled softly and he nodded,

"Well then take a seat, settle in, I'll start making it~!" He chirped, already heading into the kitchen and shrugging his jacket, and his gloves off. He tossed the jacket over the back of one of the dining room chairs he passed, a familiar cloud of red feathers starting in on floating quietly off to his room, de-bulking the size of his wings as they did so. Spirit paused a moment where she was standing to watch them float by and down the hallway- the image of a line of fire-ants marching across her path came to mind at the sight of it, and she sighed internally for how stupid a comparison it was.

She waited until the trail ended before she stepped toward the living room, Hawks already digging for things in the kitchen but she really didn't pay him any mind. She busied herself with moving some of the pillows littering the couch, clearing herself enough space to sit down rather heavily... Her body and her limbs were adopting that familiar and unwanted heaviness her head was already being clouded by, and any start to sitting was more than welcomed (and needed). It felt nice to sit down, even after having been standing for what brief little bit she had been- but as nice a feeling as it was, she couldn't get too comfortable, lest she start to nod off where she didn't want to.

So she didn't let herself lean into the back of the couch, she stayed sitting on the edge, bent over a bit with her elbows on her knees (tilted slightly to keep from putting too much pressure on her right shoulder) and busied herself with her phone while she waited. She opened up the still pending 'are you okay?' message from Mamoru-Killjoy and replied with nothing but a short 'I'm fine'... Which then prompted her to text Death Arms a similar (less curt) message saying she was alright, and to which would hopefully keep him from worrying too much when he woke up and inevitability saw something in the news about all that went on tonight. She meant to distract herself with a game of solitaire after that, but the light from the phone screen hurt her eyes too much for even what little she looked at it, and the headache sharpened too- so she had to shut it off, and set it down on the coffee table with a weary sigh. Her eyes found the plastic hospital bracelet around her left wrist as she did so, put there by the staff and whatever- you know, as general protocol. Usually she'd have taken it off before she ever left the hospital... But she supposed she'd gotten a bit distracted, and failed to remove it.

She grumbled, her eyes falling closed as she brought her wrist up to her face and bit down on the plastic with her teeth. She pulled her arm back, tugging at it and hoping it would snap off, or tear- but several tugs in, nothing happened. So she tugged backwards a bit harder, a few of the not so healed slices in her skin pricking uncomfortably as the bracelet dug in, and still the damn thing wouldn't snap off-

"... Do you need help?"

She stopped mid-pull, her eyes opening to slits and stiffening at the question. She glanced right, finding Hawks standing there at the edge of the coffee table with a tray and the tea in hand. He tilted his head at her, golden eyes glittering in amusement, though he refrained from smiling just then, not that it put her in any better of a mood.

"You're gonna hurt yourself if you keep jerking at it like that, ya know." He hummed and she bit into the plastic a little harder in agitation.

"... I ain't gonna hurt anythin'." She hissed around the bracelet, and he seemed to sigh a little.

"Maybe not, but still- it'll be off quicker if you let me do it." He murmured, setting the tray of tea down on the table and stepping closer toward her. He held out a hand, beckoning for her to give hers over and Spirit didn't move at first, and he blinked. "... Come on, it'll take two seconds, tops." He told her, and she grumbled at it.

She let go of the plastic with her teeth, grumbling still as she moved her hand toward the Winged Hero and he grabbed gentle hold of it with one hand, while he curled a finger from his other hand under the bracelet and pulled it up off her wrist as far as it would go. A small feather detached itself from his wings and floated forward, sliding itself gracefully under the band and through the gap Hawks had created, then turned rigid- cutting through the plastic with ease. Hawks pinned the now broken band between his fingers before it could slide off and hit the floor, the feather returning to his wings and he gave her a small smile, releasing her hand once more.

"There we go, that wasn't so bad was it?" He hummed lightly, and she only shook her head a bit.

"... I guess..." She muttered,

Hawks hummed a bit at the still very grumpy behavior (she seemed in an especially prickly mood tonight... Though he figured that was because she wasn't feeling all that great), before he turned his attention on the bracelet out of faint curiosity. It had her name printed on the side ('Animal Spirit', not her real one... Privacy and all that), her blood type (O negative), a patient ID that was just a string of numbers that meant nothing to him, and then the last thing; 'DOB'... Date of Birth.

He blinked, his eyes widening slightly for the date printed after it, and smiling faintly.

"Hmm, so I'm actually older than you, huh?" He murmured lightly and Spirit blinked, her eyes narrowed and shifting sideways toward him. "When we first met I'd passed you in the Rankings and taken the spot as Japan's youngest top ranking Hero, remember? But I guess I wasn't the youngest one after all, hmm? The Media and Press got it wrong- cause according to this, I'm actually a few days older than you... Three days older, to be exact." He hummed, tilting his head to the bracelet in hand. "And you're a New Years baby, that's kinda cool! Kinda makes me wonder though, are all the animals of the zodiac part of your repertoire~? I know a goat definitely is after tonight, and a snake, and rabbit too... And a mouse, which is close enough to a rat I think- but what about all the rest~?" He asked brightly, "I realize dragons aren't really a thing, but you could probably get close to it with one of those Chimera Shifts, right?" He mused, and Spirit just blinked slowly at the questions. He noticed the look and tilted his head, "Hmm? Are those questions too personal...? I'm sorry if they are Spirit, it just popped into my head is all~!"

"... No its just... A weird thing to ask..." She mumbled slowly and he paused, "... It's an... Odd... Jump in topic... all of sudden..." She elaborated and he smiled,

"Ah, I guess it kind of is, huh?" He chuckled, "But like I said, it just sort of popped into my head right off~!" He hummed, shrugging his shoulders a bit and his eyes moving from her toward the tray he'd set down. "Hmm... I don't know why it occurred to me though, it just did~" he added lightly, and Spirit paused a moment or two more to watch him as he started mucking with the cups and whatever, before her eyes fell from him and she let out a weary breath.

"... It's because you're weird..." She mumbled dryly, and he smirked at it, though she didn't see it. "... But whatever... In short, I can Shift into all of them... I could probably do a sort of 'dragon' with a lizard and a bat, but I've never tried..." She answered softly, and Hawks nodded a bit as he set the cups down and started pouring.

"That's cool- so you can even turn into a chicken then!" He chuckled,

"... Yes... Even a chicken..." She sighed.

... But only because chickens... were... Kind of... Easy... To start with...

... Otherwise I wouldn't... It's not like... they have much in the way of value for... Fighting... Or... anything...

"Here ya go, Spirit." Hawks hummed brightly, sliding a now full cup of tea closer her way across the table and earning her attention again. She nodded a little with a quiet thanks under her breath, her left hand curling around the cup and bringing it up. She sniffed at it before she went to take a drink, to make sure it didn't turn her stomach too much, and hopefully maybe the scent would take the edge off her headache a little. Hawks settled down into sitting on the couch at one of the 90° corners, picking his own tea up in his hands while Spirit took her first sip.

"... How is it?" He asked lightly as she pulled the cup back down, and she let out a quiet breath at it.

"... It's good Feathers."

... Not that making tea is a terribly hard endeavor, mind you...

"Glad to hear it...!"

... Hmmph...

She told another few sips, both of them quiet for a bit and not saying anything. She took the time to just sink a little bit into the smell of the tea and the warmth of it settling in her core, sighing under her breath when some of the pounding of her head began to lessen... But it brought with it some more of that drowsiness she was doing her best to stave off, so she needed to do something other than sit there.

... Nows as good a time as any to ask I suppose...

"... Feathers, what happened with the Villains and wrapping everything up?" Spirit asked quietly, breaking the silence of the room and Hawks blinked at it, perking instantly.

"Hmm? Oh, nothing much really- they got the fire put out in the mall, it was just a small little thing, and most of the damage done was fairly minor. They seemed more interested in stealing as much as they could, and then freaked out a bit when they got stuck in the lower levels of the parking garage- so they started tearing things up a bit more." He murmured, "And there were only a few civilian injuries, none of which were all that serious- the worst of it was an officer who got cut up by the lady with her String Quirk, just like you did. But he's fine, it wasn't as bad as... what happened to you." He mumbled, trailing off a bit at the end there uneasily and her grip around her cup tightened a bit for it, but she said nothing about it. "... They took the Villains off to the police station and had mostly finished with cleanup when I left, everything was settled fairly easily, all things considered." Hawks finished and Spirit nodded a little.

"Alright." She murmured softly, things falling quiet again between them as she finished the last of what was in her cup slowly. Hawks' eyes darted from her and to his own tea more than a few times, fidgeting slightly- the silence was a little uncomfortable for him, to be honest, and he wanted to chat... But he figured she probably didn't want to, so he kept himself quiet as best he could. And Spirit didn't notice any fidgeting or whatever on his part, how could she?

She didn't open her eyes again until a few minutes after her cup was empty and she'd just held on to it for awhile. She'd (unintentionally) slipped right back into that corner of her mind she'd fallen into on the fly over, teetering dangerously on the edges of nodding off and being overcome by oblivion- but just like then, she realized right before the fall was she was doing, and jerked herself back... Quite literally, she actually jumped a little- and Hawks noticed it instantly, his golden eyes gleaming and watching her intently from where he sat. Spirit sighed, her lips pulling into a frown as she silently cursed herself for jumping at all. She shook her head a bit, her hand and the cup with it lifting out of her lap as she opened her eyes at last and shifted forward. She set the cup down on the table quietly, Hawks' eyes following the movement intently and the Winged Hero stiffening faintly when he saw the way her hand and arm trembled as she did it.

... Is she... Shaking...?

He bit the inside of his cheek when she pulled her hand back, her head bowing a bit as she pinched the bridge of her nose with a small grumble, scrunching her eyes closed as she did so... And again, her hand trembled ever so faintly and he grimaced a bit at it, and further still to see the trembling echoed every once in awhile in her shoulders.

"... Spirit...? Are you alright...?" Hawks asked quietly, and she failed to answer right away... Or at all, actually.

She didn't move, and she gave no indication of having heard him at all, which made him stiffen a little further, his hand moving to set his cup down and eyes narrowed.

"... Spirit?" He tried again, and this time she reacted- she jumped a little again, her hand jerking away from pinching the bridge of her nose and blinking several times, crimson eyes bleary and sort of dazed.

"... What...?" She muttered lowly, casting him a slightly agitated look from the side and he tilted his head, his eyes flashing.

"... I asked if you were okay...?" He mumbled, and she blinked at it, her eyes averting from him quickly.

"... I'm fine." She grumbled, but he grimaced further at the answer.

"... are you sure?" He pressed slowly, and Spirit let out an agitated sigh at it.

"...mmm... I just have a headache..." She mumbled lowly, "... but it's not something to get worked up over, Feathers..."

"... a headache...?" He echoed softly, and she nodded a bit. "... well, do you want some more tea..? Or can I get you some aspirin or something for it...?" He asked, and Spirit sighed.

"No Feathers, just leave it be... adding more drugs to the mix is just gonna make it worse..." Spirit mumbled quietly, and he blinked.

... more...?

... Ah, I guess they probably gave her something at the hospital already, huh...?

"... and I'm good on the tea... but thanks for offering... anyway..." Spirit kept on softly, pushing her bangs back from her face a bit, and Hawks nodded slightly.

"Ah, yeah of course..." He murmured, his eyes narrowing slightly as he chewed on the insides of both cheeks, his eyes moving slowly from her and toward the teacups on the table.

... She said something about that earlier, right..? About her not wanting to be put under... because it wouldn't mix with her Quirk well...?

He blinked, his head turning and intent to ask her about it- but cut off when he saw her reaching for her phone now, her eyes halfway open only and sighing as she pushed herself to the very edge of the couch. She picked her phone up from the table and set it in her right hand instead, letting out a quiet sigh, and he tilted his head at it.

"... you getting up...?" He mumbled quickly and she nodded, still without looking his way again.

"... yeah, I have to call someone." She mumbled, her left hand finding traction on the couch and grumbling as she started to push herself forward and on to her feet... with difficulty, her body felt like it weighed a ton, but she pushed against it.

Hawks swallowed, already shifting in his seat as she started to stand up, and eyes flashing at the way her entire body shook with the effort of it- her legs especially, though Spirit seemed either unaware or uncaring of it, and still forced herself up and onto her feet. He didn't even wonder on the who it was she was to be calling, or the why (or even that it was like 1 in the morning now, why call at this hour?)- his eyes never left her, and he grit his teeth a little despite himself.

"... I'm gonna just step outside for a few minutes, to do the... call..." Spirit mumbled, her voice breaking off in a slightly weary puff of air that escaped her from the sheer effort it took to stand up all the way. Like seriously... I feel like a million pounds...

She blinked as she straightened up, her eyes narrowing to slits and swallowing hard against the way her vision seemed to blur slightly all of a sudden, and her legs burned a bit with the effort of holding her own weight. She took a small step forward, jarringly so and grumbling for how hard it felt to just... stay... straight.... shit...

The step she'd taken forward retracted as quick as it had happened, and then came another half a step more back in that direction- her leg hit the edge of the couch again, and she growled under her breath.

All in the matter of the few seconds since she'd gotten up, the faint bit of trembling Hawks had noticed right away was now getting a little stronger, and Spirit noticed it right then too- because she felt the shaking in her limbs and her body, and it was making it very hard not to let her knees give out on her altogether.

... bloody... hell...

It wasn't lightheadedness that hit her right then, or dizziness either, not really... it was a little different than those- a sort of heaviness all over that made her body want nothing than to crumble underneath it. Like gravity had increased tenfold, and the effort of moving at all was a million times more taxing than it should have been. She wasn't dizzy, she was just... utterly without any energy or strength left to just function, even when she wanted to, and it was mind-numbingly exhausting.

... fucking... damn it...

"Spirit...!"

Hawks' voice sounded a tiny bit muffled, but she heard it anyway- and she was especially aware of his hands suddenly finding her arms. He held on to her tightly, the blonde on his feet and in front of her the instant she'd taken that first step forward and back, his feathers fluffed up and ruffled as he steadied her as best he could. She blinked her eyes open and caught his golden ones, glittering like mad and the expression on his face could have been described as ruffled too, just like his feathers- not that he paused on it, or Spirit for that matter.

"Please sit down...!" He murmured quickly, his hands on her (still trembling) arms tightening a little more and pushing against her so she'd back into the couch the last bit that was left. She grimaced at it, her eyes dropping from him as soon as he did it, and the weight of her in his hands got all the heavier too. She'd have probably crashed back onto the couch rather roughly, given how quickly her legs seemed to stop holding her up just then- but he slowed the motion as best he could, holding her steady and easing her back down into sitting on the couch. She groaned a bit once she was down all the way, the Ebony Hero leaning forward a little into his hands and sort of doubled over, with Hawks bent down on one knee just in front of her, his expression twisted and uneasy. She was trembling still, less so than she had been when standing, but it persisted still, and her breathing had picked up a tad too- which did nothing to help with the way his stomach had knotted so suddenly.

"... Hey, you okay...? You looked like you were gonna tip over..." Hawks mumbled quickly, his head lowering a little to try and get a better look at her face, while his one hand left her right arm to find a place on her knee instead.

(He was all too aware he was probably hurting her shoulder pushing up against her elbow as he had)

"... Spirit...?" He mumbled tensely when she failed to answer right away (yet again), and he swallowed.

She'd been acting a little weird before now, a little subdued, a little quiet- but nothing like that. She'd not seemed dizzy or anything at all since meeting up with her at the hospital, and he'd been watching for it, intently and like a hawk (no pun intended). He'd noticed her hands shaking, and okay- that made sense. She was probably tired from everything, right? That was expected, and she'd been so short with him and prickly- she was being grumpy, which was so like her, but definitely did say a little something about how she was feeling... But this was not that.

She wasn't focused, she kept getting quiet, kept trailing off and almost nodding off- that's why he figured she seemed to jump once or twice after being quiet for a little too long. She could be tired, but she shouldn't be this tired so soon, and not tired enough to be acting dizzy, or weak, or... Almost drowsy... like it was hard for her body to... move, and keep up...?

... Is that why she was shaking...?

He paused, his eyes narrowing to slits and grimacing faintly as his mind quickly followed that track of thought, and it registered as familiar in some way... Or maybe not 'familiar', but something that fit in line with what he was seeing now, and guessing at.

... She... Said something... Sort of about this... didn't she...?

Back after the thing with Dark Shadow... What she said about painkillers making her feel... weird...?

.:+:.

"... I hate the way they make feel, alright?"

Hawks jumped, his eyes opening wide and completely taken aback by the sound of Spirit's voice, and the fact that she actually answered...?! Her actually answering the question was the exact last thing he expected to hear next from her... Like very last thing!

He hadn't expected any explanation or answer at all, or hoped he would ever get one even sometime later in the future! So wha...?!

Spirit was biting the inside of her cheek, not looking at him and instead glowering at the table as she said it. The anger and annoyance that had been so bright in her just a few moments before was now almost nowhere to be seen- she looked uneasy, a bit begrudging too maybe... But again, wha...?!

"... Pills in general just make me feel really heavy and tired, but painkillers are the worst." Spirit grumbled quietly, her red eyes glittering. "... I can't focus when I'm awake, it's hard to stay on my feet, and it takes a lot to just do anything... But I can't just take them and sleep them off either, because..." She trailed off, her shoulders hunching a fraction of an inch and Hawks blinked slowly, his eyes narrowing.

.:+:.

Hawks' face fell as his thoughts finally started to click together- and the understanding came a bit too slow for his liking, honestly.

He should have remembered it sooner, or at least noticed something was more off than he had before now... Hell, even her agreeing to come back to his place should have been a big clue there was something else going on with her. This is what he did, he noticed things about people, he remembered the little details, picked up on the little clues- he never missed anything, or failed to notice things amiss, and when he did it was incredibly rare... But still... He really couldn't tell with her, and he really wished he could- more so just then.

I should have noticed

"... You weren't kidding, when you said pills make you feel funny, huh...?" He murmured quietly, and she stiffened a bit in his hold. She growled, forcing a low breath and straightening up a little so she wasn't leaning into him so much, her eyes still closed and frowning now.

"... Why the fuck... Would I 'kid' about that...?" She muttered sharply, and his face pulled a bit at it.

"... I know you wouldn't, I didn't mean it it like that." He replied quickly with a small shake of his head. "I just meant... Well, I'm sorry I didn't realize sooner that you were feeling so off, or why." He told her softly, "I do wish you'd have said something, though, since clearly you're feeling worse than what a headache would warrant... But that's okay. I kinda figure you agreeing to come here and let me keep an eye on you at all is a pretty big thing coming from you, huh...?" He hummed quietly, and she frowned a little more at it, disgruntled, but maybe a tad uneasy now too, and that was answer enough.

He still should have noticed sooner, but-

"... thank you for giving me chance, Spirit... Even if I'm a little slow on the uptake." Hawks murmured lowly, his voice barely above a whisper as he said it and she opened her eyes to look at him finally, quiet and a little unsure of... Why he was thanking her...?

It felt... Weird... And besides- this was the better choice of the two not at all great options she'd had... She didn't choose to be here as a way of... Giving him a 'chance'...?

It was just... A lesser evil... So... I don't...

Hawks shook his head a little though, to himself it seemed mostly, and he did not linger on the odd (in Spirit's mind at least) bit of gratitude anymore than that.

"Well anyway Spirit, you should probably sit still for a bit, alright..? I don't want you passing out trying to get up again too quickly." He murmured softly, his hand tapping her knee lightly a few times while the other finally pulled away from holding her elbow. He leaned back a bit, remaining settled down on his knees for a moment or two more as he gestured faintly to the couch. "Maybe you should just lay down and relax for a little?" He suggested, and she frowned a bit at it, her red eyes flashing.

She didn't want to lay down. As soon as she did, that would be it- there would be no way she could keep herself from slipping off into sleep, and she did not want to find out what was waiting in the throes of unconsciousness, not yet... Not for as long as she could manage to avoid it.

"... Please...?" Hawks murmured quietly, "... You'll probably feel better if you do lay down, Spirit... Even if only for a little bit." He pointed out, before smiling faintly and a little glint coming into his eye out of nowhere. "Or I could just carry you to the spare room and tuck you in to bed, if you'd prefer-" He added lightly and so quick too- she grit her teeth at it, growling.

"Not a chance..!" She hissed hotly, and he only smiled a little more, his hand still gesturing to the couch and she huffed.

... Cheeky git...

"...tch... Fine. But only for a bit, damn it." She muttered lowly and he let out a quiet breath at the agreement, but Spirit pointed a rather accusatory finger at him next and he blinked curiously at it. "And I ain't using you as a bloody fucking pillow, so don't even suggest it." She hissed and he chuckled lightly at it,

"... Ah, you beat me to the punch~! I was totally gonna offer myself up!" He hummed lightly and she only grumbled a few choice things under her breath. 'Stupid bloody bird-brain' was the only one he really made out, the rest were a bit too low for even him to hear- not that he paid the grumbling much mind, he was already on to the next thing.

His hands reached forward as he pulled some of the pillows on the couch aside and adjusted them, wordlessly building up a place for her to rest her head and clear enough space on the for her to settle in comfortably, and he did it without hesitation- though Spirit looked a little less than thrilled with him doing it. She could have done all of that herself, but he didn't give her the chance, and she shot him a disgruntled look he never quite saw- though he was acutely aware of the look, he just let it be. After all, this was supposed to be his chance to fuss over her a little, and he took whatever he could get- he was more than happy to have her glaring at him, as long as she let him help her out.

"There ya go." Hawks hummed as soon as he was done, pushing himself onto the balls of his feet and then all the way into a stand. Spirit huffed again at it but said nothing, she looked away from the Winged Hero altogether and shifted, turning herself and pulling her legs up onto the couch (with again, a bit of shakiness with the effort of it). She lowered herself slowly back into laying down, her shoulder aching for the movement but finding solace when she lay back all the way and the pillows Hawks had set up supported the injured shoulder almost perfectly. Spirit let out a heavy sigh as she sank into the cushions all the way, her body giving up it's rigid and stubborn posture almost immediately- she hadn't the energy to stay stiff, or anything else... She kinda just melted, and her body thanked her immensely for the break from staying up in it's own.

... Hell...

She narrowed her eyes against the little bit of glare that came with the ceiling lights overhead, her left hand moving up wearily and her lower arm landing on top of her forehead and blocking the light enough it was bearable.

Hawks stayed quiet as she settled in, hands on his hips and intent in his watching all the way through- and once she was down all the way he let out a little breath he hadn't known he'd been holding.

"Better?" He hummed, and she huffed wearily at the question.

"... Fuck off..." Was the quiet, very tired reply, and he nodded a bit.

Better

"Hmm, do you want a blanket or something?" He asked next and she shook her head a little, though only just, and her arm never moved from resting against her forehead.

"... No." She grumbled, "... I just want... You to sit down... And talk..." She mumbled and he stiffened slightly,

"... Heh..? Talk...?" He echoed in surprise, and she grumbled a little.

"Yes... Talk." She repeated lowly, "... Hmmph... For once in your life, I do actually... Want you to talk... I don't care about what... Just... Make sure whatever it is, that it's enough to keep my attention..." She sighed, "... Don't tell me you've... Run out of things to... Chatter on about now..." She grumbled in exasperation and Hawks blinked slowly.

"... Well, no, but... Wouldn't you rather I be quiet...?" He mumbled, "... Generally you only tolerate me talking your ear off, so it's kinda weird you want me to talk, when you're not feeling so good..." He murmured and she let out a heavy sigh.

"... Feathers... If I'm asking you to talk... Assume I actually want you to talk... Alright...?" She mumbled, "... Don't read too much into it... Just chat... you're good at it... Keep talking... Keep... Me awake..."

Awake...?

He paused a moment longer, his expression softening as he nodded a little.

... She said something about that too, huh...?

.:+:.

"... They mess with my head, and make my dreams weird, or just altogether... unpleasant." She finished at last, her voice barely above a whisper and Hawks stared, quiet.

Unpleasant...? Unpleasant how...?

"... I don't take them unless I don't have a choice, and generally I can manage just fine." She added lowly, breaking him off from thinking any more into 'unpleasant'. "... Now just drop it Feathers, I don't wanna talk about it anymore, alright?"

.:+:.

He backed up a pace and sank down slowly into sitting on the coffee table behind him, his hands folding in his lap and quiet for a moment or two even when he was supposed to be doing as she asked.

... Unpleasant dreams, yeah...?

He figured some of what happened today would be unpleasant enough to persist in her dreams, but he didn't think just the day's events were ever unpleasant enough to make her avoid sleep altogether... He'd had his suspicions that there was dark and twisty things in Spirit from the start, and become more certain that what made up her dark and twisty was really not good the longer he'd known her- and tonight? He was all the more certain whatever was treading at her heels was really not good, and maybe even more so. Everything about what had happened had stuck hard and fast in his head, but what had stuck just as hard as seeing her all covered in blood was what she said when she got to the ambulance, when asked if she'd ever dislocated her shoulder before now.

4-5 times, and all when she was a kid. She'd dislocated that shoulder that many times before, and before and when she was 10 years old... That little bit of information was a major red flag, and he grimaced slightly as he thought back on it just then too.

He wanted to ask, but he was 100% sure that question would not go over well at all... He had other things he wanted to ask too, a little less pressing than that, but pressing still- only he was still about 90% sure those other questions would not go over well either.

But the 10% uncertainty and Spirit's own slightly odd behavior had him willing to at least ask... Well, ask if he could ask-

"... Mm... Well, I can do my best to keep a conversation going Spirit, sure... But ah... Would you mind if I ask a few things...?" He mumbled quietly, and she let out a small huff.

"... Hmph... you can ask... but there's no guarantee I'm gonna... give you any answers... Feathers..." She mumbled lowly, "... depends on... what the questions are..." She grumbled and he nodded a little bit,

"Right... well, first off... I'm wondering why you told the EMT guys that they weren't allowed to put you under...? And to take it easy on the... medications they gave you...?" He murmured, "You said something about it not mixing with your Quirk?"

Spirit blinked slowly, her eyes opening from having fallen closed and staring at what little bit of the roof she could see behind her arm over her face.

... so he'd stayed at the ambulance the whole time she was there before driving off, huh...? She'd really not noticed... understandable maybe, but that just meant he heard what she said to the paramedics... and of course he was wondering about it... oi

... but I guess... it's fair... to wonder...

She let out a long, low sigh, her eyes dropping closed again and shaking her head just a tad- while Hawks just waited patiently, his eyes glittering slightly.

"... goats don't do well under general anesthesia... most ruminants don't..." Spirit murmured quietly, "... I Shifted into a goat... there's the biological makeup of a goat floating around in my body right now... So it might... React to it in a bad way..." She explained softly, and his eyes widened a little.

"... oh..." He mumbled almost breathlessly, "That... huh... that's... totally not something I'd have... ever considered..." He admitted, and Spirit just let out a little breath at it.

"... mmm..."

"... so... your Quirk is like... really, really complicated, isn't it...?" Hawks mumbled softly, "... Do you... have to think about stuff like that, every time you go to the hospital? Or take medications and stuff...?" He mumbled, his eyes widening a little more as his thoughts pulled together with the info. "Wait, is that why painkillers hit you so hard...? Because... well, human medications can be toxic to certain types of animals, right?" He asked quickly, earning him a small nod from the Ebony Hero.

"... mmm... Yeah... that's the gist..." She hummed quietly,

"... Is the chances of the animal DNA reacting badly to medications really high?" He murmured, "Like high enough if you aren't careful, it could be really bad...?"

"... No... the chances of something like that aren't... like super high... but it's enough I don't wanna risk things if I don't have to..." She mumbled softly. "... Generally the worst is just... Feeling off for a bit... I've just... Had to be mindful..."

Hawks nodded slightly in understanding- though even with the explanation, he ended up wondering more... Mainly how it was she, or anyone else, came to find out medicines and drugs had that effect on her in the first place? Was there a time early on where there had been a reaction, that went beyond 'feeling off'? And maybe something really bad..?

And then he wondered about her having to be mindful... She was a Pro, so getting hurt in the job was an inevitability- so she'd have to keep track of what animals she'd been recently, and what drugs might earn a bad reaction any time where she got hurt, yeah? It seemed an easy enough thing to do in normal circumstances he supposed (like having an allergy to something), but what happened when she got hurt enough she couldn't keep track? Or was unconscious and couldn't warn paramedics and doctors away from doing certain things?

Who would warn those trying to help about what might do harm, or whatnot...? He didn't imagine this was something nearly anybody knew, she was so reserved and private- maybe it was something written down in her medical records that medical personnel would have access to...? It had to be, yeah...?

But if it was, why make the distinction so bluntly back with the EMTs? About them and no one at the hospital being allowed to put her under? Was she just being overly cautious...?

That made him wonder if Spirit had someone...? You know, that person (or persons) listed as your emergency contact(s) in case of dire need and whatnot. From what happened tonight, Hawks had seen no one else pop up to check in on her (even if she didn't really need it), or heard any mention from Spirit either. He did know that after the whole Stain thing there'd been sightings of her leaving the hospital with that Death Arms guy, who was her friend, as Spirit had put it... But what about someone else? Like family, relatives?

Spirit had never mentioned anything of the sort, not even faintly- and to be fair, he hadn't either, but still.

Most people mentioned something of family some time, an offhand comment here or there... But no, Spirit had never said anything in regards to family of any kind, not even when he'd brought up her not being originally from Japan. And of course this lack of mentioning family rounded him back to the earlier thoughts about her several times over dislocated shoulder, and he swallowed hard against it.

He straightened up a bit from having bent over in thought, forcing his hands folded in his lap to unwind a little and shaking himself out a bit.

"Alright then, that kinda clears up a bit." He hummed quietly, "... I'm sorry you feel gross, Spirit. But hopefully it'll pass soon."

"...Hmph..." Was the only reply he earned and he smiled slightly at it.

"... Well, since you shared a bit about your Quirk with me- I'll share a bit about my Quirk too, kay? It's only fair." He hummed next, perking up slightly and a little bit of his carefree demeanor returning, just faintly. Spirit glanced his way finally at that, her face peeking out from under her arm enough he caught her eyes, and she narrowed them at him.

... Share... About his Quirk...?

"... I'm pretty sure you already explained it to me." Spirit mumbled and he shook his head,

"I didn't actually!" He hummed brightly, "I mean yeah, I told you about hardening my feathers when I send them into dangerous stuff, and keeping them more feather-like otherwise, but that was it..! You guessed about my Quirk more than I told you anything about it~" He explained, and she blinked just once.

"... there's more to it...?" She deadpanned slightly, and he smiled a little more.

"Well it's certainly not as complicated as yours, but yeah...!" He chuckled, she looked little convinced though, not that Hawks really noticed. "For one, and this one's pretty obvious, the more feathers that I lose or get destroyed, the harder it is to fly~!"

... extremely obvious...

"... aaaand, while I can make them super hard and sharp, and have them be really tough- they aren't totally indestructible!" He kept on, and again- obvious.

... that String-woman earlier was cutting your feathers to shreds, Hawks...

"Generally it'll take a lot to make a dent when I've geared them for risky situations, but some high-power Quirks can do damage." He explained (like the String-Lady? Seriously...), "But overall they're pretty sturdy, if I do say so myself~!" He hummed, and Spirit let out a low sigh, her eyes moving from him and falling closed again.

... I already figured all of that myself... but I guess he's just talking now... like I asked-

"My wings are a lot stronger than most things, but that being said they aren't totally infallible... and if I had to pick something, my biggest weakness has definitely gotta be fire." Hawks went on, his voice getting just a little quieter suddenly and Spirit stiffened slightly at the admission, her eyes snapping open again. Hawks' attention had dropped to his hands in between his knees though, the Winged Hero smiling still, but less so now and Spirit blinked several times at it. "Hmm... My wings can stand up to a lot of damage, but against fire I don't really stand a chance... My 'fierce wings' just burn up super easy." He murmured quietly with a small shake of his head. "Which is kinda a pain, but generally I'm quick enough to strike first against any Villains who's Quirks fit that bill~!" He hummed, and Spirit blinked again, her eyes narrowing.

"... So your favorite Pro Hero... Is someone with exactly the sort of Quirk... That you match up with the worst...?" Spirit asked slowly, earning the Winged Hero's golden eyes right off as he blinked at the question, "... I mean... Wouldn't you wanna avoid anyone with any sort of Fire Quirk...? Or at least be... I don't a little wary... Of Fire Quirks in general...? Why pick the most powerful fire-user as your favorite Hero...?" She asked, and he blinked again, because she said it like... She was uneasy...?

... Why would she be uneasy about that...?

Maybe that wasn't the right word... Confused? Surprised? Unsure...?

Spirit paused for a minute, her eyes darting away from him and her lips pulling into a tight line- okay yeah, maybe unsure? She kinda looked like she... Wasn't really sure if she should be asking at all?

Like maybe she was stepping over some kind of line asking the question? Or really debating with herself about saying it, or asking anything at all...?

... Why would she... Seem like she doesn't know if she should be asking... Any of that...?

She's asked things before and never been... Been hesitant about it, yeah? Man I don't know-

His thoughts broke off though, his eyes flashing when he found the right word- insecure

She did this, just the other day...

.:+:.

"... Feathers." She said at length, and near to him being on the last few bites. Her saying something made him jump, and he looked her way quickly,

"What's up?" He murmured and she paused, faltering for a second as her eyes danced away from him almost... Nervously...?

Hawks' head tilted a tad, question appearing across his face as he watched her intently, carefully so as she seemed to bit the insides of her cheeks, her shoulders hunching ever so subtly. He saw her expression twist a little, quiet as she seemed to debate with herself for a moment or two, and the way her hands on the railing tightened. For a bre if few seconds that fiery and enigmatic Animal Spirit got replaced with something he'd only seen the once... That little bit of insecurity that he'd seen back at his place, when she was trying to apologize for snapping at him. Insecurity mixed together with nervousness, and he felt something in his center twist just a bit at the sight of it.

What did she have to be nervous about so suddenly-?

Spirit shook her head a bit, a low sigh escaping her as she seemed to buck up a little and that small bit of nervousness and insecurity faded as fast as it came.

"... Never mind." She mumbled, and his head tilted further at it, his eyes narrowing to slits, though she didn't look his way again. She shook her head once more, her eyes dropping closed as her shoulders sagged.

.:+:.

... She... Seemed like she wanted to ask something, but she stopped herself...?

Is she... Doing it again...? But... Why...?

"... You... You said you'd been a fan of Endeavor since you were a kid, right...?" Spirit said at length, and Hawks just watched, because she didn't look at him again even as she kept on. "... I'm just... A little... Surprised I guess... It doesn't make a lot of sense for you to like someone with a Quirk that... Could do so much damage to you... I mean... Right...? Especially if you have been a fan since you were so young... Most kids wouldn't really latch on to people with... Quirks that were scary, or could hurt them... Like with your wings..." She mumbled quietly, her fingers curling almost uneasily around the band of the sling still holding her right arm in place. Hawks' eyes widened a tad at the words, a little surprised with her reasoning and the fact that this time she didn't seem to stop herself from asking what had been clearly making her hesitate so much.

Spirit bit the inside of her cheek, her grip around the sling's strap getting a little tighter as she seemed to debate with herself a few minutes more, before she forced a heavy sigh and her eyes dropped closed for a moment.

"... Why do you like Endeavor so much...?" She murmured softly, her eyes opening slowly again and glancing his way uncertainly. "... I saw you had a toy of him, in your room... The last time I was here... You must really like him, to have held on to something like that... For so long... Yeah...?" She added quietly and his eyes flashed at it, surprise washing over his express for half a second, before he smiled a bit wearily.

"... Ah, you saw that huh...?" He murmured and she nodded a little stiffly. Hawks hummed a bit at it, his eyes dropping to his hands again and smiling still, though it was softer now, almost... Wistful.

"Hmm, well you are kinda right, I am a big fan of him so I kept it partly because of that... And as for why I like him so much...?" Hawks murmured, pausing a moment like he was thinking about it. "Mmm... Well, he kinda proved to me that Heroes were real, if that makes sense? Growing up I knew Heroes existed, but they weren't for real, ya know...? I saw them on tv, but never in person, so they sort of just seemed like fictional characters to me for a really long time... But eventually I did get to experience what they did firsthand, and really see that their actions had effect, and weren't just stories on the news and whatever. The first time that happened, it was Endeavor who did all that, and it was him who really opened my eyes to Pros and what they do, and how they can change things... And help people." Hawks told her quietly, his eyes never leaving his hands the whole way through and Spirit stared, her red eyes glittering.

He was being so... Sincere

Like more sincere, and honest, and utterly... Open, and even unguarded- than she'd ever seen from him. Ever

... What the...?

Heroes as... Something that weren't real... Until...?

She swallowed hard, her eyes flashing as her stomach curled at a thought that was way too familiar... Why... Why would that of all things... Be familiar...?

... With this Bird-Brain...? This and...

"... Since he made Heroes a real thing for me, and he kinda inspired me to be a Hero too, because of that... He's just always been a big part of my life, since he changed it so much." Hawks kept on, smiling still and softly so at the memory, or many, the topic seemed to have pulled to the forefront for him.

But it wasn't a smile smile it... It was sad too, a little, and Spirit's stomach curled again despite herself.

... Why would he... Look sad...?

But it was gone as soon as it came and he seemed to shake it off with such ease, leaving Spirit reeling slightly as he seemed to perk up again in no time at all.

"... And his Quirk being fire-based has never been an issue for me. I don't get squeamish or anything around fire just in general, even with how my wings are- so it's never bothered me. I guess it might make sense to think it would freak me out when I was a kid, or might have even seemed 'scary' in normal circumstances... But the way I see it, Endeavor uses his flames to save people and help make the world a better place. Even if his Quirk might be seen as destructive, or scary, he doesn't use it like that. He's made something great of a power that some people might deem pretty dangerous normally, and he's proven he can be trusted not to use it in a bad way- so it doesn't bother me." Hawks hummed, "Honestly I've never even thought about my liking him as being a little odd because of the fire thing, before you bringing it up just now~" He added lightly, his smile getting a little brighter and finally glancing her way again, only to falter.

Spirit was frowning, her red eyes narrowed to slits and expression almost pained- so much so his heart skipped a beat at the face, and then skipped a few more when she diverted her gaze from him and her left hand moved up to cover her mouth. She let out a low breath that sounded a little more like a groan than she probably meant for it to, her eyes dropping closed as she seemed to hold her breath after it, and he stared, very confused (and concerned too).

"... Uhm... Spirit are you okay...?" He asked quickly, and she did not reply right off- she couldn't.

Fuck... How the hell... Can so much of that... Feel and sound... So familiar...?

So achingly familiar... So much so her stomach had now twisted itself into a million knots, and she wanted to retch for it.

She didn't get why it hit so hard- it might have just been because of the drugs, and how tired she was, or something else- she didn't know why, but it hit hard... Way too fucking hard.

She grit her teeth against the nauseous sensation, cursing herself, and her body, and her head and her emotions and Hawks too for the sudden turmoil.

... F... Fucking hell...

... How in the hell... C.. Can he...?

It didn't make any sense, it shouldn't have done it but... But right then? Everything he said? Every clear, calm, utterly genuine word and honest thing he said...? About all of it...?

It brought up way too much in her head. Stuff that had been long since buried, things she didn't want to touch, and had vowed never to. Dark things, places she'd boarded up and locked away, memories and notions and things that haunted her, but she never let herself think of them lurking there. Things that should never have been prompted to the forefront of her mind by anyone- not herself, not Dante, not anybody who actually knew anything about her- and certainly not him.

Not Hawks

Because him being able to bring any of it even sort of to the surface, intentionally or no? That was a glaringly clear sign of something she did not want to think about, or even muse over- for so many reasons, and so many warning flags that went off out of sheer ingrained reaction... All that ingrained reaction, and thought processes, and ways of living she had been brooding about for a week now, and had lead to this god-awful headache.

We cannot be that similar damn it...

Tch... He and I can't have anything like that in common... Shit...

... He can't... There's no way he can... He's too... Bright and cheery...

... And... Sunshine and rainbows... To have anything like that in common with me... Or even just... Slightly...

... So why then... Can he say things like that...? Things that I...?

... Maybe he's... Not what I... Assumed either...

... Shit... There's that again... 'Not what I assumed'...

She shouldn't have asked, she regretted asking at all- she'd been so close to not asking it, but she'd let herself do it anyway. And she wished she didn't.

... But even then, she was kind of... glad she had, in some, small way.

It lessened that one nagging thought a little- the one where she didn't know anything about him... But hell if lessening the one, didn't bring with it all that other stuff that made her so sick to her stomach now.

Damn it Spirit... You're letting it work you up... Too much...

... You can't do that, you know better... You can't think too hard... Feeling like this...

... You're not in the right state of mind right now... With the... Medication... You idiot...

... Just... Stop... Please...

... Don't think about it...

"... Spirit...?" Hawks murmured, earning her attention at last and enough to pull her focus back. She forced a big breath of air, her hand moving slowly away from covering her mouth and falling on her chest instead, the Ebony Hero shaking her head faintly at him, though she didn't open her eyes again.

"... Sorry... I just felt a little... Nauseous... All of a sudden... It passed..." Spirit explained, her voice quiet as can be and Hawks stiffened at the explanation faintly. "... I heard what you said... And... I get it... And... Thank you... For answering my question..." She added lowly (and a bit forcefully, though he did not notice it).

"... yeah of course...!" He murmured, "Ah... And just so you know- I'm totally happy to answer anything you ask, Spirit... We're friends, I don't mind talking about things with you, and answering stuff... I get you don't like me asking you so much, but... You don't need to worry about that with me, okay...? I know you don't really like talking about personal stuff too much, Spirit... And you don't like me asking so many questions... I totally get it, and I'm cool with it...! But just in terms of asking me things, you don't need to worry about whether you should, or shouldn't, alright...? You can ask whatever you want, whenever you want, and it won't ever be a problem with me, okay?" He added quickly, and she seemed to grimace faintly at it, and definitely because it was a clear comment on her seemingly debating (and struggling) about asking anything in the first place- because of fucking course he noticed that, damn it.

And of fucking course he said it was fine, and with no hesitation either... Stupid Bird-Brain.

How can he be so okay with that...? When she was so stingy about answering anything...?

... Why does he... always just... Let everything slide...?

... Especially... When it's... not fair...?

"... You shouldn't... Be so... Okay with that... Ya know..." Spirit sighed, her voice barely above a whisper. "... So open... When I'm not... The same... Way with... You..." She grumbled, and he shook his head a little.

"It really doesn't bother me, Spirit." He murmured, "I don't mind you like your privacy, and that doesn't change my mind about being alright with you asking more stuff. It's totally up to you to share with me as much, or as little as you want- the same goes on my end. It's my choice, and my choice is to let you ask whatever you want, and its my choice that I want to try and be as open as I can be." He hummed, and Spirit let out a heavy, low sigh at it... But nodded stiffly anyway, relenting- though grudgingly so, he could tell. But he did not press it, he just let it be, and besides- he was more interested in rounding back to what she'd said first anyway.

He pushed himself forward into the sitting on the very edge of the table, his hand fidgeting slightly on his knees as he gave her a small little look-over, and one she didn't notice whatsoever- she'd gone very quiet now and he bit the inside of his cheek at it. Her breathing wasn't slow enough he thought she'd nodded off, in fact it was almost a tiny bit fast, and he frowned a bit at it.

"... Spirit, you said you felt nauseous...?" He mumbled quietly, to which like several times before then- she didn't really seem to hear him. He bit the insides of cheeks, leaning in a little further and setting his hand down lightly on her shoulder- the contact made her jump ever so slightly as if he'd snapped her from the edge of a doze, and he winced internally for it. "... Sorry, sorry... I just... Ah..." He started quickly, before breaking off slightly, his eyes narrowing and his attention darting to his hand on her shoulder. He bristled slightly, feathers fluffing a bit too as his eyes flashed and his hand moved up off her shoulder and in toward her face, his palm resting against her forehead and grimacing for the warmth of her skin against his.

He hadn't noticed it just a bit earlier when she'd gotten up, but now it was hard to miss- shit.

"You're running a fever, Spirit." He murmured quickly, and she grumbled, shaking her head slightly and her left hand lifting wearily off her chest to bat his away and off her head. He retracted his hand, albeit slowly, and hers fell back down soon after.

"... Hmph... I already... know that..." She sighed, "... Leave it be... It's just from all the... stress and everything..."

"... It's not really a good thing to start running a fever after getting hurt like you did, stress or no." He pointed out, and she huffed again. "You might be getting an infection from your wounds, and that's really not a good thing." He murmured lowly, and she shook her head slightly, eyes still closed.

"... Its not that..." She murmured quietly, "... The doctor said this might happen... I was already fighting off a virus... Or something before... What happened tonight... It's just... Gotten a bit of... A boost... From all the stuff that... Went on... And besides... Running a little fever... is a standard reaction... For me... With... My Quirk..." She sighed, Hawks eyes gleaming at the reply and swallowing a bit for it.

Was she saying she was already feeling off before the stuff with the Villains went on...?

She came out on Patrol, even already being sick...?

"... I'm not even that warm, Feathers... Quit worrying about... Everything... So much..." She kept on, oblivious to his thoughts or the way he was looking a little weary and worried all at once now. "... It's not gonna... get any worse than this... So just... Chill..." She sighed and his lips pulled into a tight line, his golden eyes glittering.

She totally had gone on Patrol even with already being sick, whether she would admit it or not- she put her job first, and everyone else. And it was just like how she'd been hurting pretty bad after that thing with Dark Shadow, and still kept her mouth shut and kept on for so long after it, just soldiering through the pain. She'd done the same thing after they'd hit that roof, when she'd rushed to catch him- the impact hurt her a lot more than she'd admitted at the time, he knew it... And she'd also given up her time and energy to keep an eye on him back then, even when she'd been running on no sleep.

And tonight too- she got back up after having had her shoulder wrenched out of place and been cut to ribbons, and still moved to deal with that woman with the String-Quirk and help him out. She pushed through her own injuries and helped him, just like she'd done against Stain, trying to help Ingenium.

She pushed herself through pain and exhaustion and discomfort and she did it so thoughtlessly... Hell, it was bordering her having near to no regard for herself above those of other people. Prioritizing other people above yourself was a big theme for Pro Heroes, and a great quality to have and be able to adhere to- in moderation. In the middle of a big fight, being a little fast and loose with your own well-being if it meant saving the lives of innocent people was expected, and normal. But to put so much stock in someone else's well-being at times where you weren't racing against the clock, or backed into a corner? Like how she did, denying herself sleep for so long, choosing to go on Patrol while sick?

She just... She was gonna end up hurting herself, or pushing it too far, with how little she seemed to care about her own well-being against everyone else's, or her (seemingly overweighted) sense of duty.

And to be fair, Hawks had little room to talk about pushing things too far, too hard, or too fast- he was so bad about doing just that, and he definitely prioritized everything and everybody else over himself, constantly... It was very hypocritical of him to say, but still.

At least he knew that... but Spirit?

"... You work way too hard, Spirit..." Hawks mumbled softly, so much so she hardly heard it, but she did, and she huffed.

"... And you don't...?" She grumbled back hotly and right away, earning a sort of weary smile from the Winged Hero- of course she knew it too, heh.

"... No, I know I probably work too hard too." He replied coolly, Spirit stiffening faintly for the agreement, "We both push things a little too hard, I think... And I think we're both really bad about that, because we put other people ahead of ourselves all the time, yeah? We work real hard to make sure everybody else is always fine and safe, even at risk to ourselves... That's what being Pros is about, right? And you're great at your job Spirit, and I think I'm pretty good at it too- especially because we're so focused on helping everyone else." He hummed, "And that habit of being focused on others generally isn't a bad quality, as long as you know when to pull up a bit, but... I think we both kinda suck at that... And maybe you and me kinda push it to the extreme... We both have a bad habit of ignoring ourselves over others even when we probably shouldn't- but we still do it, because we're used to it, and we've learned to keep going no matter what, or how hard things might get, yeah...?" He murmured softly, and Spirit stiffened a little more.

He was doing it again, making her think those things she'd shut down not so long beforehand. He rounded her right back to it all again and... And... Fuck...!

Why is he talking... Like... He knows me really well...?

Or saying... We're both like that...

... We can't be that similar damn it-

"... I know you probably don't wanna admit it, I get that... I mean, admitting to myself that I push things too far isn't exactly something I like doing, or thinking about. Because pushing myself that far, even when I might get hurt for it... Well, it doesn't really bother me. It never has." Hawks mumbled, and Spirit went rigid at it. "The only thing that's ever mattered to me is helping everyone else. I'll do anything and everything to protect other people, no matter what it takes." He murmured calmly, coolly- steadily, and Spirit's teeth grit a bit more.

Shit... We cannot be-

"... I'm pretty sure you're the same way, Spirit." Hawks told her quietly, his eyes glittering to see the way her shoulders had hunched at what he was saying, and more so for the assertion. He forced a little breath, shaking his head slightly though she didn't see it. "... We put all of our time and effort into helping other people, but that means we don't really leave anything for looking after, or caring really, about ourselves. It's just... Everybody else, over us."

... Tch...

"... I don't think I can change that about myself. It's how I've always been, it's who I am... And I think it's the same way for you. You care too much about everybody else, to ever put yourself ahead of them." Hawks went on quietly, "... But that's okay I think... It might even work out now, really, for both of us... since we're friends now." He hummed softly and she blinked her eyes open this time, narrowing them at him and her lips pulling into a tight line for that soft, gentle smile gracing his face, and the way his golden eyes gleamed as their gazes matched.

"I figure since we're both bad at taking care of ourselves, and we both do everything we can to look after other people... Maybe we can fill in for each other?" He murmured softly, "So we'd take care of each other, since we don't take care of ourselves too well? Maybe step in to remind one another to take things slower, or take a break when we really need it, but won't let ourselves?" He hummed, "I mean... You kind of already did it, back when I got hurt, and I tried to be all 'bright and cheery' even when I wasn't feeling it. You got me to stop pretending, and you took really good care of me... Probably a lot better than I would have taken care of myself, hehe." He pointed out, "And I really wanna help you out, Spirit, especially when you need it... You are super stubborn, and ridiculously selfless- but you don't really take very care of yourself at all, and when you're in a bad way you don't say so. You're really tough, and a badass- but I'm worried eventually you are gonna get really, really hurt and... I wanna be able to be there to help you, if you'll let me." He murmured, smiling a little, but it wasn't bright, it was subdued- but a little hopeful too, and she stared.

Wh... What...?

"Honestly, I think we could both use someone to look after us a little... So why not each other?" He hummed, "I think it'll work really well, we make up for each other the things we sort of lack, ya know? And it'll be a great way of easing us more into being friends, too. Friends look after each other, yeah?"

Spirit's teeth grit a little more, her red eyes glittering as her expression pulled again- just like before, just as tense, uneasy, pained, whatever. She looked away from him quickly, forcing her eyes shut and a taking in a breath of air that was meant to ward off that same churning of her stomach that had almost had her retching before... She just... Shit.

... Why... Why is he like this...?

Why does he have to be so... So insistent on that...?

The friends thing...?

The... The looking after each other thing...? Why does he make it sound so... So...

... Why does him saying it, sound so... So much more...

... Significant... Or... Important... Than it is...?

Like it... Means more... than it actually does...?

More than... Just being a... Thing friends do...?

Why does he have to be... So...

... So genuine... And... Sincere... And...?

She swallowed hard, her stomach churning and fluttering all at once.

... Like he... Really means it... And... Like he really...?

"... Why?" She asked lowly, and he faltered a bit at the question, his head tilting. She swallowed again, her eyes scrunching closed a bit harder and her grip around the sling getting rigid once more- so much so her knuckles turned white.

"... Why do you care, Hawks..?"

Hawks stiffened, stunned for a second or two at the question and what she even meant by...?

"... I have only known you for a little over a month... And in that month... We have gone from complete strangers... To 'friends'... But why?" Spirit mumbled lowly. "... Why are so insistent on all of this...? Why do you want to... be able to be there to help...? Why does it matter to you...? Why did you wanna be 'friends' so much anyway...? And why have you been so intent to hang around me, and get to know me...?" She asked lowly, and Hawks blinked several times over, a little lost still and quite frankly- stunned.

Did she... Really have to ask...?

"... Why do you even care?" She asked again, her eyes opening this time and shooting him a sideways glance. "Why are you doing this...? Being 'friends', always popping in... Being nice and always... Letting me get away with being terrible to you? Why do you keep... Trying... So hard...?"

He hesitated a few seconds, golden eyes gleaming, and for once, seemingly lost for words. His mind stalled and for a moment his heart skipped a beat too- at the questions, at the fact she had to ask, that she clearly didn't get it... And that her voice was trembling faintly, and tense.

Insecure

How could someone so stubborn, steadfast, and fiery in the face of danger and disaster... Be that uneasy at something as simple as... This...?

... Well, maybe it wasn't that simple after all. Hawks himself was treading on rather unfamiliar terrain with all of this too, though he seemed much better at handling the unknown than Spirit was... Or maybe he just didn't voice it, or show it as much.

This wasn't something he did really- he was a friendly person, and he worked hard to put people at ease and make them happy, and feel safe... But even Hawks didn't really consider himself someone who made friends.

Well, not friends in the sense it way anything more than casual... Or that he'd ever really wanted it to be, or could let it... Not like... This

... Why... Huh...?

Hawks blinked, his eyes gleaming slightly as they held Spirit's gaze for a few seconds, before they dropped from her and to his hands, and he linked his fingers together in his lap.

... He did want, and maybe even hope that... that maybe, for the first time in his life, he might actually have someone he was comfortable enough with sharing the bits about himself no one else ever got to see. He liked to be as open and straightforward as he could, and he did his best to be- but of course he couldn't ever do it all the way, or even halfway. There were things he couldn't say, and do, and share, and bits about his true feelings, personality, and even doubts and fears he could not, and would never let anyone else be aware of...

... But for some reason, with her...?

He wanted to do that with her, he wanted to get to know her as much as he could, and he wanted her to know him too. Some small, buried, neglected part of himself sort of yearned for it almost, which was incredibly new for him, and not something he was familiar with, or was 100% sure what to do with. But even still if he didn't know, it was still there- and he knew what it was he wanted... like really really wanted, maybe more than he'd ever wanted anything before.

He wanted... someone, he supposed. Someone who knew, who saw it all- and who he did not have to pretend, like he did with all the rest of the world. And the first person who had ever prompted that want at all, for some reason- was her... Though honestly even just then he wasn't 100% why it was her, or why he'd gotten to this point at all.

Maybe he'd latched on because of those things he saw and recognized in Spirit that he didn't like thinking about- the dark and twisty things he didn't want to be true... And probably were, though he hated the idea. And he felt a certain wrench and churning in his core for how alike all of it was in his own mind, and in all those dark, twisty, and buried places he had himself.

He wondered if she saw some of what he did...? That little, terrible sensation lurking at the back of your mind when you see something in someone else so, so similar to something lurking in your shadow that you've tried so hard to... Forget...?

He shook himself faintly to rid the unpleasant notion, his eyes moving back up to her again and his expression nothing but quiet, and calm, and gentle.

"Well, its because I like you, Spirit." He answered lightly and she reflexively stiffened at so simple, and so complicated a response all at once. And her heart did something, something like... skipping a beat, or fluttering- and her stomach followed suit... But it wasn't a sick feeling.

... L... Like...?

He seemed to notice something about her expression changing and he tilted his head at her with a small sigh, his smile getting a tad softer.

"Come on, I can't be the first person who's ever told you that, yeah?" He hummed, "I mean you probably hear it all the time from fans and everything- but you have other friends and people you know, right? Like that Death Arms guy, he's totally told you he likes you before- or at least you gotta know that, even if he hasn't said it outright?" He pointed out, and Spirit stiffened a little further, her red eyes glittering as her lips pulled into a tense, tight line.

... I don't... Really...

"And really- do you not get how cool you are? Of course people like you, and me too...! You're a seriously badass Pro, and you might be really stubborn and short-tempered sometimes- but I know you're a super nice person, Spirit. You care about other people, like a lot, and when they're hurt or feeling bad, you're really, really kind...! I mean, I know I annoy you a lot, and I slip up too- but when it counts, you've always done your best to be kind and gentle with me when I was hurt or whatever. I like how nice you are, and I even like how grumpy and stubborn you can be too...!" He hummed, his eyes gleaming as he nodded a bit at her. "And I like how you're so open-minded, and how not afraid to stand up for what you believe in... or just... say it outright, especially when something needs to be said. You don't shy away from saying what's on your mind, especially the important things, and when it counts the most...!" He told her, his smile and his voice growing a little softer at the end there and she had no clue why- but Hawks?

His voice almost broke off despite himself just then, because as soon as the words left his mouth he realized why they formed at all, and he smiled a little painfully for half a second as his heart ached too.

He shook his heart at himself, tossing the little falter and smiling at her again, all calm, and steady and...

... So unbearably sincere... S... Shit...

"There's a lot to like about you, Spirit." He told her easily, and she swallowed hard at it. "I've really enjoyed getting to know you the last month...! I've had a lot of fun, even with it having gone by so fast, hehe...! And of course I care- I care a lot about you, since I like you- and we are friends ya know~! So I care about you even more because of that, it's what friends do!" He chirped quietly, "And I'm really glad we are friends ya know, and that you gave us a chance to be... Even if though this is all so new to you, or something you're not used to, like you said." He murmured, "And I know you said you're not the sort of person who can let other people in, and I get it, really... And I know this is all really fast for you, and unfamiliar- but I know you're trying your best, and I appreciate it."

She stiffened again, her lips a thin line and holding her breath now as her eyes flashed.

... T... Trying my best...?

But I don't... Know if I am really...

... Am I... Trying... At all...?

... Do I... W... Want to...?

... I still... don't if...

... O... Or why I...

... Fuck... He's...

She swallowed hard again, averting her eyes from Hawks quickly and closing them. Her left hand moved up as she pressed her palm against the bridge of her nose and her forehead, and she fell utterly quiet... But hell, her hand was shaking.

My whole goddamn body is... B... Because...

... He... Why does he have to be... So...

... So sincere about... T... This...?

Everything... This stupid... Childish... Hellishly perceptive... Bird-Brain... W...who...

... W... Who I know is hiding shit... who sees more... Then he lets on... W...who could easily... Be a threat... O... Or screw me over down the... Line...

... Who... Who is so... Who might be... L...like... M... Me...

...fuck...

... Why does he... Have to be so... Honest...? Why does...

Why does he... Seem like... He really... Means it...?

A... All of that...?

She grit her teeth, her shoulders tensing and the right one sparking in pain for the tightening of the damaged muscle and tendon- but she couldn't care. She hardly felt it around the churning, twisting... Turmoil... Shit...!

... A... And why... Why does always... Bring up all the shit... I'm trying... Not to think... About...?

He... He likes me... Shit...

... That's... What Death Arms... Was asking me... About...

... What I don't know still...

... What... Keeps me wavering... W...when I know...

... When I'm... Afraid... This might...

... End badly...

... Damn it...

... I...

Her shoulder hunched a little further and the pain got a bit brighter for it, but it did not compare with the heavy, suffocating feeling that had gripped tight of her very core. It was an awful, soul-wrenching sensation of a like she hadn't felt in... Ever maybe, or maybe in so long she'd almost managed to forget it and keep it buried in one of those untouched corners of her mind.

And to go with it, came a tightening in her chest, stomach, heart, all of it- she felt herself suddenly teetering on the edge of breaking, and that was a cliff she did not want to be on right then. Not here, not right now... And she hated how quickly what he said, all her brooding the past week, all she'd started to see in him now, all of what happened tonight, and the drugs on top of it- all of it pushed her so quickly to that edge and she hated it.

Why did they always seem to... Do this...? Bring up this... When...?

She grimaced, her hand pressing a bit harder against her forehead as she forced herself to take in a quick breath of air, and held it as she'd been holding her breath for so long already.

Why did just then... She realize the one thing...?

Out of all the many, many things she could not wrap her head around at all...?

And one very, impossibly, insanely simple thought...?

The one thing... She felt in her soul she actually wanted...? With everything she had...?

... Fuck...

... Of all things... Why that...?

... I...

"... Damn it... Hawks..." Her voice was barely above a whisper, and he stiffened at it, and how almost hoarse she sounded just then. His golden eyes gleamed as he watched her stiff silence, his gaze locked to her and her face he couldn't see behind her hand... Her trembling hand. She seemed to grimace, her shoulders hunching a bit more and he frowned a little himself, not entirely sure what the turn was or why she seemed so very, very uneasy all of a sudden.

Had what he said... Been that upsetting...?

Spirit grit her teeth harder, forcing another breath and holding it again against the awful, deep ache trickling into her center.

One thought... One want

And one thing, she was so certain she was not likely to get... Not me

Not with my life

Not with... All of it...

... But even still... I don't know... Why...

... B...but...

...what I want...?

... I...

She shook her head a little, her grimace changing into something weary and pained all at once.

... I don't want this...

... Us...

... To end... Badly...

She grit her teeth a few more seconds, before forcing the breath she was holding out, and forcing her shoulders to sink out of their hunched posture again.

She had to quit. She couldn't do this anymore, not tonight. She'd more than had her fill of tumultuous and her mind, heart, body and soul just couldn't anymore... No more, not tonight.

... Just stop...

... This time... Just... Stop...

She pushed it away, pushed it down, stuffed it in corners, boxes, closets- locked them up and tossed the key into some far away corner of her mind. She could not touch it anymore tonight, so she didn't- and she forced herself to unwind as best she could... Which was hard, but easier for the heavy exhaustion still biting at her heels, more than ready to swallow her whole. And this time, she was more than happy to let it, unlike a bit before.

It didn't matter what sleep might hold, she just needed to not be awake, brooding, thinking... Feeling, anymore.

No more tonight... I can't, its too much...

"... Spirit...?" Hawks tried tentatively after having been watching her quite intensely for awhile. He watched all the tension and unease appear, and then the sudden melting away of it too- only for it to be replaced with what was clear exhaustion in the Ebony Hero, and her hand fell back on to her chest, trembling worse now along with the rest of her.

His voice was very far off on her mind, and she let out a weary breath at it, her eyes never opening again and her voice dropping quickly along with the rhythm of her breathing.

"... We need... To stop having... Conversations like this... When I'm... Feeling... Like crap... And... Not in... The right... Head...space... Feathers..." She replied quietly, her voice becoming wispier with every syllable, and he just listened. Spirit shook her head slightly, her voice dropping again and clearly having a hard time keeping the train of thought going, her mind was struggling to just... Form the words now.

"... I'm... Sorry... Please... Just... Be patient... And... Please don't... Let this... End... Badly..."

He stiffened at that, golden eyes glittering and instantly perking at the words he only barely heard- but he heard them, and he stalled.

What did she mean... End badly...?

Was she talking just now, like with her feeling bad...? Did she think it was gonna get worse...?

Or... Was she talking about...?

He swallowed a bit, chewing on the inside of his cheek.

He wasn't sure, and honestly he wasn't sure she knew entirely what she was saying just then either. She sounded like she could hardly talk just then, she must have been more asleep than awake- she had to have been feeling terrible, she said so herself, and his stomach churned again at it. It worried him a little how quickly she seemed to be fading off and into sleep, but at the same time he knew she probably needed that sleep more than anything else. She'd been avoiding it, clearly, but now her stubbornness failed her and he let it be.

So he didn't say anything back to those last breathy words, he kept his mouth shut as Spirit faded off into complete silence and the room went silent with her. He sat still for a few long minutes just listening, and waiting for her breathing to slow down into something low, and slow. He didn't move again until he was completely sure she was deeply asleep, instead of dozing or whatever else, and when he was sure he let out a heavy sigh to himself.

His eyes left Spirit and moved up to a little clump of red feathers ferrying over an icepack wrapped up in a towel at the Winged Hero's behest- he'd started on pulling it together and filling it with ice from the freezer the instant he'd realized she was warmer than she should be, only to end up stalling when she asked him about why he cared. Only now did he finish with it and bring it over, his hands moving up to grab the icepack with little a sound, before lowering it down lightly into resting on her forehead- but not before he gently pushed her bangs back a bit. And Spirit didn't stir in the slightest as he did it, which made him let out a weary sigh.

"... Just in case..." Hawks mumbled softly under his breath and all to himself, his hands pulling back slowly. Even if her fever wasn't bad now, might as well be careful, yeah...?

He hummed to himself as he turned a bit, watching quietly as the feathers that had ferried the icepack over darted off and scooped a blanket up from the far end of the couch- and then moved over toward Spirit, pinning the corners of the fabric between them, unfolding it, and then lowering it ever so gently over top the Ebony Hero. Hawks leaned forward a bit in the meantime, his elbows propping up on his knees and setting his face into his hands, another low breath escaping him and his shoulders and posture sagging slightly.

She never really gave him an answer to his question, but that was okay. He felt like they'd actually gone through a lot more than she was used to, and that was enough... even her asking him to be patient (barring what she said about 'ending badly') was something like an answer he felt... Kinda like her saying 'I'll try'.

She was trying, he could tell- even if it was hard... And honestly, he loved she was willing to give it a shot at all.

They were both trying, and that was more than enough.

He smiled faintly to himself at the idea, shaking himself out a little and straightening up, before pushing himself on to his feet. He picked up the cups and tea on the table and moved to set it back in the kitchen, tidying up a bit and quiet as can be the whole time, and he dimmed the overhead lights too. When he was done with that he stretched, pushing himself up on to his toes, arms up over his head, and wings stretching with the movement too, his eyes trailing only briefly toward the windows lining the far wall and the city outside- before another few feathers moved to pull the curtains closed and send the room into further dim.

He made his way slowly back to the living room and the couch, pausing slightly at the end of it and casting Spirit a glance, and then the hallway leading further into the apartment a small glance too. He mused to himself for a few seconds, before smiling faintly and turning into the living room again. He rounded the coffee table and sat down slowly on the couch a little down from that stack of pillows Spirit's head was resting in.

He wasn't super tired, so he might as well stick around, yeah? He could mess with his phone for a bit and keep an eye on Spirit all at the same time~

He smiled still, though a tad bit softer as he shot the sleeping Ebony Hero a small glance.

Spirit clearly didn't feel good, she was worked up, and part of that was on him (though he still wasn't super sure what it was he said that hit so hard...), but what she said about the drugs? And what they did to her?

If feeling off wasn't bad enough, she'd also said her dreams got 'unpleasant'... He hoped she was too far asleep to earn anything of the kind, but all the same- he could be around to try and ease her out of a nightmare, if one came.

... Not that he was sure she would appreciate him trying to help with anything like that- but he'd do it anyway... And who knows, maybe she'd actually appreciate it? Deep down?

Like how she'd appreciated him coming to check on her earlier?

.:+:.

"... Spirit, are you okay...?" He asked slowly. She swallowed again, diverting her gaze from him in the next second,

"... I'm fine." She replied lowly and he didn't look all that convinced, not that she saw it- she was looking away from him pointedly still, chewing on the insides of her cheeks in... Was that agitation he was seeing...? Or... Nervousness...?

He wasn't really sure, all he knew was she'd gotten very still and very quiet all of a sudden, and he didn't much like it- especially so when he'd noticed she sort of stopped breathing for about a minute there.

"... Sorry for... Being so short with you before, back in the parking garage..." Spirit said next and at length, and very quietly too, catching Hawks completely off guard and his eyes widening for it. "... And for being... Grumpy about you being here too... I suppose..." She mumbled softly, her eyes falling closed and forcing a small breath. "... Thank you... For... Coming to check on me..." Spirit added quietly, so much so her voice was scarcely above a whisper and Hawks stared, his eyes going wide and his wings fluffing up a little too as he watched the sudden tinge of red appear appear on her cheeks so suddenly.

S-she's... Blushing...?!

"... It might not seem that way... But... I do appreciate it... Even if I don't think it... Was necessary..." Spirit mumbled softly, "... I'm not... All that good with the notion of... The 'friendship' thing or... But... I understand why you're here... And that you're being kind... So thanks..."

.:+:.

He grinned again at the memory of it, his head tilting back over the top of the couch and golden eyes gleaming as he smiled at the roof. He propped his feet up on the coffee table and crossed his arms over his chest, letting out a little sigh as his eyes dropped closed and he hummed to himself.

Despite all the bad about tonight, and the worry and panic too- getting to see that little bit of flustered behavior on Spirit's part, and the honesty she'd showed, when telling him that...?

Kinda worth it... Heh... Though I could have gone without her getting all... cut up and everything...

... Hmm... But even after she did... She was in such a bad mood, and still so royally stubborn...

He let out a dry chuckle at the thought, a weary sigh escaping him.

"... man... You are the most stubborn person I have ever met... Spirit..."

.:+:.

A very long chapter for ya'll, and a sort of turning point in Spirit and Hawks' relationship- kinda like they've stepped over the edge, and things can either go really good, or real badly ;w;

We shall see which is which as the story progresses, for now though- I hope you enjoyed their little moments, and Hawks being a little bit mother-hen over poor Spirit XD

I appreciate all your support, and your continued reading!

Hopefully this chapter will hold ya'll over for a little, I got my other fanfics to work on in the meantime!

Please Vote and Comment if you can! Thanks <3