Winds of Destiny: Rising ~ {Hawks x OC}

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Atonement

Misaki stood just outside the walkthrough closet in her bedroom, watching Hawks fasten the buttons on the cuffs of his white dress shirt. She couldn't help thinking that he looked incredibly different without the impressive wings that usually adorned his back. He looked so much younger to her now, with his cut locks and hairless chin, not to mention the absence of the earrings he always wore beneath his headphones. But it was all in physical appearance only. Inside, he seemed to have gained some level of personal insight. Whether that was a good thing or not, she had yet to determine. They hadn't had an opportunity to speak any more after she'd given him an overview of the villain activity forecasting program she'd designed.

"What's wrong?" Hawks's voice suddenly asked, startling her a bit and she noticed that he had turned toward her at some point while she'd been lost in her musings.

"Nothing," she said as she smiled and shook her head, walking up to him and reaching out to begin tying the thin, black tie that was hanging around his neck. "The last time I saw you in a suit I was taking it off of you."

He smirked down at her and sarcastically quipped, "Nice try."

While she'd been showing him the software, he'd told her about the press conference he'd called to address the claims Dabi had made in his broadcast. She hadn't asked about the validity of the villain's claims about Endeavor, and she was already aware of the facts that comprised the claims about Hawks. She didn't have to ask, because she already knew what he was going to tell them: the truth. Now that he was no longer tied down by the Safety Commission's agenda, there was no reason for him to deny the truth about where he'd come from. That wasn't who he was anymore. Not the son of a murdering thief and a neglectful mother, not the Safety Commission's loyal servant, chasing after a righteous ideal but always with one wing dipped in blood. Not Keigo and not Hawks, but some combination of both. However, she doubted very many people would see that the way she did.

"I understand why you're holding this press conference," she told him with some reluctance before glancing up at him with a slight pout. "That doesn't mean I have to like it."

He stared evenly into her eyes and conceded, "No, you don't."

She finished tying his tie and helped him slip on his jacket. Jeanist had graciously brought the tailored suit over with him, but he'd elected to wait downstairs while they finished getting ready. The fit was a bit snug around his wings, but as they were still wrapped up and healing from taking the brunt of the burning, Jeanist hadn't felt the need to leave any holes in the fabric for them. She knew from redressing his wounds after he'd passed out on her in the living room last night that they were still in pretty rough shape. Normally it only took a few days for his feathers to fill back in when he lost them, but it had almost been three now since the battle at the villa and they were still barely more than stumps between his shoulder blades. He turned back around to face her, and she reached out to fix his collar before gently running her fingers over the scar on the left side of his neck as she pulled away.

"Does it bother you?" He asked, carefully watching her face to try and read her feelings; she recognized the look.

She smiled at him and softly shook her head, looking him in the eye as she told him, "Not at all. It actually gives your baby face a bit of an edge now that all of your facial hair is gone." Glancing up at his hair with a skeptical smirk, she said, "That haircut isn't doing you any favors either though."

He winced and reached up to run a hand through his shorter locks. "Jeanist-san tried to fix all the burned parts. It looks a little weird, huh?"