You had that dream again. But it felt like more of a memory than a dream. It had always been the same sequence, the same place, the same people, him in particular. But just like most people's dreams, you forget it once you wake up.
And for every night you had that dream, whenever you wake up, you would be crying. That's why you knew it was that dream again, because when you woke up that morning you felt the tears soaking your temple.
You ignored it, like you usually do, and went on to start your day.
"I'm telling you he's really good-looking," your colleague said while you two are having lunch break from work at a cafe nearby. "Hey Y/n, are you listening?"
You tore your gaze from the window to look at her. She isn't exactly your friend, but of all your co-workers she's the most tolerable. Although there were times when she pisses you off more than she would have intended to, like now for example.
"Are you trying to hook me up again?"
"Y/n, we're not getting any younger. And going out with someone isn't that bad you know."
You really have no interest in that aspect. Going out, doing what couples do, you can't imagine yourself doing that. Even when you are now just a regular rank and file employee, your notoriety as the vixen of the Underground ward eight years ago can't exactly be erased. Though you did alter the memories of those who knew you from your days in the Underground, just so you could get a fresh start here.
Still, you can't simply trust other people, and going out with someone means that you're willing to trust them to a certain extent.
"I appreciate your concern, but I have to pass," you said as you continued eating while your co-worker looked at you with her eyebrows raised in question.
"Don't tell me you're already going out with someone? Who is the lucky person, Y/n?"
"No, there's none," you said simply, almost sounding dismissively as you took a sip of your red iced tea. But she still looked at you suspiciously, her eyes squinted.
Nonetheless you ignored her, she can think whatever she wants to think and you have no qualms with it, and you have not the slightest intention of letting this conversation drag on. Besides, you aren't asking her to believe you so you just kept quiet. Frankly you want lunch to be over but you don't want to go back to your workplace just yet either.
"Oh! That's the interview that trended a few days ago," your co-worker suddenly gushed.
"What?" you asked, looking at her to see her looking past you where the television is located.
"Hawks!" she said.
Then there it goes again, a sudden electrifying jolt tugging in your head at the mere mention of that name.
"Who?" you muttered, eyebrows furrowing together.
"The No. 2 Hero. He's also a single daddy of twins that look exactly like him. Ah, Hawks!" she squealed while you stared at her with a deadpan expression. "Recently he went on an interview and they're showing the exact interview right now."
You didn't know why, you weren't really interested in the first place. But for some reason, when you heard that laughter, it sounded oddly familiar that it made you turn around and look at the television showing the No. 2 Hero, with his vermillion wings folded on his back, eyes the color of amber leaves during an autumn morning and hair the color of the sun.
The Hero who's too fast for his own good.
"To all the women out there who think they can replace my wife as the mother of my twins, you can't."
The electrifying jolt in your head that was only abrupt earlier was nothing compared to the sudden migraine that started tugging in your head as you closed your eyes tightly for a second. You turned around before taking out your wallet and putting cash on the table as you stood up.
"Y/n? You're done eating already?" your co-worker asked.
"Yes."
"But lunch break isn't over yet though, we still have lots of spare time."
"I'm going outside to get some fresh air," you said as you started to walk.
You didn't know why, why every time you see him, every time you hear him talk, for longer than a few minutes, you always get this annoying headache like your head is going to explode. That's why you never really liked the No. 2 Hero.
"Hawks?" you muttered, stopping near the park as you sat down on the bench and massaged your temple. "Tsk, this is frustrating."
The headache continued for the rest of the day, although it subsided for a bit, but you still felt under the weather even as you headed out from work. You decided to buy some ice cream to help alleviate the migraine, because eating something cold and sweet always helps you deal with it.
Recently, the headaches have been constantly bugging you more than before. And every time you get one, it's always after seeing him.
"What kind of jinx does that person have?" you muttered, walking down the sidewalk with a plastic bag of ice cream.
Once you get back to your place, you put the sweet treat in the freezer and decide to take a lukewarm bath first to help alleviate the heavy feeling on your body. The lukewarm water actually helped and once you've changed into more comfortable clothes you head to the living room and eat your ice cream there while watching television.
You switched between channels and settled on the one with a variety show as you enjoyed your treat after a long day of exhausting work. But you are barely really half interested in watching the show as your mind replayed what occurred earlier.
"What is that woman even thinking? Hooking me up with other people whenever she gets the chance."
You leaned your head back, spoon between your lips as you stared at the ceiling before your hand took the spoon out of your mouth and licked. "Me going out with someone? Hell freezing over is more likely to happen than that."
"And today we are joined by the No. 2 Hero, the Wing Hero: Hawks!"
You abruptly straighten up and look at the television, your gaze turning into a glare. "That damned interview again with that Pro Hero."
You put the bowl of ice cream on the coffee table and went to find the remote. You didn't know if you were being absent-minded but it took you a while to actually find the remote though when you were about to turn off the television, you didn't know why you suddenly stopped.
Perhaps because of the question of the interviewer, or perhaps because of the answer. Or maybe, it was because he was looking straight into the camera as though he's looking straight at you.
"I'm not looking for a woman to become my twins' mother. I'm looking for their real mother."
Your ears started to ring for a second and you flinched before you quickly pressed the power off and the television was turned off. You headed to the kitchen to clear the bowl and took a glass of water before you went to your room to finally call it a night.
Sleeping this headache out, hopefully you'd feel a tad bit better once you wake up tomorrow.
Or at least so you thought.
The very next day when you woke, the remnants of the dream still linger in your mind, for the very first time.
What was left of the fading dream was an image of the Wing Hero and something that he gave you.
"A feather?" you muttered before the dream slowly vanished and you sat up abruptly, climbing down the bed as you rummaged through your drawer until you found it.
The fierce red feather from that vermillion wings in your dream. One of Hawks' feathers.
"Why do I have this again?" you asked yourself before the feather started to stir until it was floating in the air and started to move around.
Approximately fifteen kilometers or so from where his feather was, Hawks stood at the top of the tower. He has his eyes closed, focusing as he tries to locate that one feather and command it to come to him. Because he believes that the feather is still with you, that you still kept it.
"Come on," he muttered. "Where are you? Come back to me, Y/n."
He can feel it, his feathers are telling him so, on instinct. He knew that one lone feather was near and that he hoped you still kept it with you all those years. A part of him.