He sighed, leaning back in his chair and propping his feet on his desk, his gaze drifting toward the window. The clear sky and the warmth of the summer sun filled his office. It was almost intoxicating, and he had half a mind to stretch his wings, basking in the rays to warm his feathers. Yet, he couldn't allow himself that luxury, unable to fully relax after his last conversation with Mamoru.
It had been almost two weeks since his handler had informed him about his new match, yet the Commission hadn't sent any information about her. The last time he had been matched, they were relentless about how fast they wanted him to move. He had received the girl's profile within the hour, forced to plan a date for that very same weekend. This time, however, there had been nothing but radio silence. It was starting to put him on edge as he tried to figure out what was going on. Perhaps she had quit the program before it even began, or, if he was really lucky, the President had finally come to her senses and given up on trying to match him.
Unfortunately, when it came to the Commission, he was never that lucky, and he nearly groaned as his desktop chimed with an email notification. Sitting up, he hoped it was just something mundane, perhaps a reminder about paperwork deadlines or ensuring he adhered to the agency's mandated break policy. He grabbed the mouse, shaking it to wake up the screen before opening the tab that held his email. With a clenched jaw, he read the subject line of the latest message, and with a resigned sigh, he clicked it open, filled with dread as he read through it.
Hawks,
Attached is the profile information for the new match we discussed. You are expected to study the profile information and plan a date for this weekend. This is your top priority this afternoon, and your sidekicks have already been instructed to cover your patrol this evening. Please send plans to me for approval, and for heaven's sake, don't fuck this up.
-Mamoru
He rolled his eyes at the last line in the email, nibbling his lip slightly. After his last confrontation with Mamoru, he should be cautious. He should just follow orders like the obedient little soldier he was trained to be. Of course, he didn't want to be sent for retraining, and he certainly didn't want to get Mamoru fired for his disobedience, but he also didn't want this woman to suffer. He really was trapped between a rock and a hard place.
He clicked open the document, and his breath caught at the picture. It was the girl he'd seen leaving the building a few weeks ago, the one who'd been jostled by the crowd on the street. He rubbed his face in astonishment as he looked at her headshot. He'd encountered many different women before, but where on earth did they manage to find someone who looked like her?
He had to admit she was stunning, with healthy looking h/c hair that he was sure was soft to the touch. Her face was soft with e/c eyes that seemed to bore into him, their intensity rivaling his own. The Commission had clearly gone all out with this one.
"Fucking hell," he muttered, finally tearing his eyes from her picture and scrolling down to read through her information. Y/N L/N. He tilted his head in curiosity as he read through her details. The quirk section was left blank, and he couldn't help but wonder what that might mean. Was she quirkless? He continued scrolling, scoffing in disbelief as he read her job description. How was it possible that she only worked in a coffee shop with her looks? He sighed as he perused her likes and dislikes, surprised to find they had a few things in common, unlike anyone else he'd been matched with.
Sighing, he pushed his chair back to prop his feet up again, gazing out the window. This woman was undoubtedly beautiful, seemingly nice, and somewhat relatable, unlike the others he'd been matched with. In another world, maybe he would have asked her out on his own, gotten to know her better, but not this time. He couldn't let this woman get caught in the Commission's game; she deserved a genuine match, someone who could give her the happy marriage and family she deserved.
With that thought in mind, he easily made his decision. He was going to drive her away, just like all the previous matches. That meant he had to plan a date that would be easy to manipulate into an unpleasant experience. He nibbled his lip, pondering possibilities until an idea struck him.
A book cafe seemed like a good choice. It would allow him to execute his plan without making it a completely dreadful experience for her. It wasn't the best place for a date; these book cafes were known for their quiet atmosphere, which meant he could avoid talking to her for the most part. Her likes and dislikes provided plenty of material to steer any conversation in the direction of convincing her that they wouldn't make a compatible couple. This tactic had worked well with most of the people he'd met during the past few months. After all, they say opposites attract, but few people wanted to be with someone who loved everything they hated.
He chuckled to himself, quickly checking his watch for the time. It had taken him less than an hour to plan this entire thing out. Smiling, he sat up and stretched his wings fully, unable to resist the temptation any longer. He groaned as the sun warmed his feathers, each one seeming to vibrate with happiness. With a contented sigh, he scooted forward in his desk chair, typing out his plans for Saturday in an email before hitting the send button. Once the sent mail swooshed, he let out a small sigh of relief. That was at least handled for now, and he could still make his afternoon patrol, saving his sidekicks from picking up his slack.
A small twinge of guilt gnawed at his stomach, though. He knew this poor woman was in for a miserable time on Saturday, and he realized his plan was going to get poor Mamoru in trouble too. Retraining was a future problem, although he would accept it without complaint. It would be tough and painful, but he could take solace in the fact that he had saved Y/N from the clutches of the Commission.
His plan was met with quick approval, though he was slightly offended by his handler's comment that he hadn't expected such a sweet idea to come from him of all people. He knew he was more than capable of planning decent dates; he just hadn't wanted to before now. Either way, it didn't matter. The stage was set, and all that remained was to wait.
Thankfully, Saturday arrived quickly, and work kept his mind and hands busy. He dressed casually, eventually deciding on a hoodie and a pair of jeans. He made his way over to the cafe to wait for her to arrive. It didn't take long. A Commission car pulled up, and he watched the driver step out to open her door for her. She stepped out, facing the driver and giving a respectful thank you before bowing. He observed with interest. She was already more polite than most of his other dates.
Taking one last deep breath, he approached her, preparing himself for what he was sure would be the usual fangirling reaction. Most of his matches did it, at least for the first few minutes. They'd stare at him, starstruck, stumble over their words, try to touch his wings, or excitedly run through a list of questions, despite all the answers being readily available on the internet.
"Y/N?" he asked, and she spun to face him. She blinked up at him, wide-eyed, before giving him a soft smile.
"It's nice to meet you, Hawks," she said, bowing at him before briskly heading toward the cafe. "Are you ready to go inside?" she asked, looking over her shoulder. He blinked at her in surprise, his head tilting. Where was the fan-like excitement? Where were the million and a half questions? She didn't even want to try to touch him?
"Oh, uh, yeah," he said, cursing himself as he stumbled over his words. Quickly, he spread his left wing, raising his arm to inspect his primary and secondary feathers before flexing and looking at the back of it. Were they not groomed well enough? He had preened just a few days ago; they looked shiny, everything seemed to be in order, nothing crooked or out of place that he could see. He had checked himself in the mirror before he left; he knew he looked good. So why did she seem so...indifferent? He bit the inside of his cheek in frustration, shaking his head to clear his thoughts and folding his wing back. Why did he even care? It didn't matter if she thought he looked good or not; he wasn't here to impress her.
He followed her into the cafe, mumbling a thank you as she held the door open for him. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust; the dim interior of the cafe was a stark contrast to the bright sunshine outside. The space itself was small, with walls lined with books, creating the atmosphere of a small library. The cafe part of the store was to the left, with a few people already sitting, sipping on their coffee as they turned gently through their books. All in all, it was very peaceful, the atmosphere enough to help him relax slightly.
She turned to face him, her eyes bright as she looked at him. "I'm gonna go, uh, look over at the romance books, and we can just meet in the cafe part when we're done?" she asked him softly.
"Sure, whatever," he replied coldly with a shrug, causing her to frown slightly before sighing. She gave him a small wave before heading over to the romance section, chewing her nail nervously as she went. He nibbled his lip, his mind racing as he made his way over to the manga section with a sigh of his own. It had been a while since the last time he had been able to get out to a store like this, and he hoped they had the newest volumes he needed to catch up on the series he was reading. He stopped as he got to it, grabbing the newest volume off the shelf, his mind starting to wander as he tried to make sense of his current situation.
She had caught him completely off guard today. He was expecting to deal with a girl who was a fan, someone who it would be easy to disappoint just by acting like a total jerk. However, she had been seemingly unimpressed with him from the start. He was struggling to understand her motivation. If she didn't like him and wasn't doing this because he was Hawks, then what on Earth would motivate her to join such a program? He groaned, feeling his head beginning to pound. It was like he was short-circuiting, and he already knew he would need an answer to fix it.
Looking around the other shelves quickly, he managed to find the other two volumes he was missing before making his way over to the cafe section of the store. To his surprise, she was already seated, a large chapter book in her hands as her eyes scanned the pages before gently turning it to read the next one. He cleared his throat as he approached her, watching her eyes shift to look at him over the book. She lowered it as their eyes met, giving him a shy smile before gesturing for him to join her.
He plopped into the seat across from her, quickly opening up his own book and starting to read. They sat like this for a while, in a comfortable silence as they both read. He had just gotten to the last page of his first manga when she let out a small cough. He glanced up, surprised to see her staring at him, and he lowered his book.
"I, uh, was going to get a coffee. Would you like anything?" She asked him, and he stared at her for a few seconds before shaking his head with a disgusted tut.
"Yeah, no thanks. There's no way the stuff they sell here is any good," he said, rolling his eyes, and he watched her clench her jaw, her eyebrow twitching slightly as he turned his attention back to his book.
"Alright, suit yourself," she retorted, standing up. He watched as she walked to the counter and ordered her drink. It only took a few minutes before she settled back in, grabbing her book. He hesitated, putting his own book down as he steeled himself. It was now or never to strike up a conversation; he had to get her to dislike him.
"So, I read in your profile thing that you don't like cats?" he asked her. She glanced back up at him, her brow furrowing in curiosity as she considered his question.
"I wouldn't say that I don't like them," she responded, folding a napkin and placing it in her book to save her place. "I am allergic."
"Ah, that's a shame. I love cats," he lied, hoping that he hadn't actually listed cats as his dislikes on his own survey. It wasn't that he really hated cats; they just seemed to be drawn to him. They messed with his wings every time he passed a stray on the street, and he absolutely hated it. He couldn't even count how many feathers had been painfully snatched from his wing by a wandering feline.
"Oh," she replied, "Well, I'm sorry. Do you own a cat? I can try to get on medication or something for it." It took everything he had to not gape at her answer, his mind reeling. Nothing was going the way he wanted, and it was actually starting to annoy him.
"No, but if I wanted one, I wouldn't want to be stuck with someone who can't have one," he retorted rudely, and he watched her flinch slightly. Guilt tore at his stomach as she nibbled her lip before letting out a resigned sigh.
"You can get a cat if you really want one. You don't have to tiptoe around me," she said, grabbing her book again, and he frowned.
"So, Fall is your favorite season?" he asked quickly, trying to stop her from burying herself back into the book. He needed to get the point across, needed her to get angry with him.
"Yeah, I like the leaves, I think it's beautiful," she said before chuckling. "Winter sucks though. It's far too cold."
He agreed wholeheartedly. Winter was the worst season for him too. There was nothing he hated more than snow and having to freeze as he worked outside and flew. "Oh, winter is my favorite," he responded nonchalantly, and she sighed in agitation. It was finally starting to work; he just had to push a little bit further now.
"So, who is your favorite hero?" he asked, leaning forward to rest his head on his hand.
"Endeavor," she responded after a moment, and he blinked at her in confusion. Had he heard her right? He asked this question to every single girl he had been matched with, and each one had responded with him as the answer. It was the obvious choice to go with, especially since they were all trying to win his favor. Now, he hadn't fully expected her to say him based on their interactions so far, but Endeavor wasn't most people's first choice in heroes either.
"Seriously?" he asked, the question coming out more snarky than he intended, and she let out an exasperated sigh, snapping her book shut and slamming it on the table.
"Yes, do you have a problem with that, or are your feelings hurt because I didn't say it was you?" She snapped, and he blinked at her in surprise. Well, at least he was succeeding in pissing her off, there was at least one silver lining. This was his chance to seal the deal.
"No, that's not—" he started, but was cut off as she grabbed her book from the table before standing to look down at him. Her eyes were narrowed at him dangerously, and he couldn't help his nervous swallow as they faced each other.
"Maybe I just like him because I've got daddy issues, isn't that the reason most women do?" She retorted, and he nearly choked on his own spit. What kind of fucking answer was that? "Now, if you're done wasting my time pretending to love everything I don't, I'm buying my book and leaving."
He could do nothing but watch, stumbling over his words as she made her way to the checkout counter, paid for her book, and left without even looking back at him once. It took him a moment to process it, confusion flowing through him as he tried to figure out why he felt so disappointed. He shouldn't feel this way; his plan worked, despite the fact that she had figured it out. She'd gotten up and walked away from him, just like everyone always did in the end.
He sighed, standing up and grabbing his own books to pay for before slipping out of the cafe. At least that was one problem down; now he just had to face the repercussions that came with it.