little bird // r.keene

xvii. bloody palms.

Hawk had been silent for what felt like minutes and Wren pushed herself off from the wall and took two steps towards him. He had been staring at the floor, completely zoned out and miles away but when he saw her move towards him, his eyes snapped back to hers and he straightened himself up.

"Talk to me." He heard her say and Hawk closed the gap between them, taking the final step towards her so they were inches away from being chest to chest. "I'm sorry. About everything." She said, looking up at him. He had grown since they had last been this close to each other and under these circumstances. Her eyes facing forward were in line with his chin so Hawk tilted his head down slightly to look at Wren.

"That guy you went to see at juvie..." He began, he swallowed, trying to be gentle. "What did he do?" Hawk asked her and Wren's eyes dropped to Hawk's chest, her throat felt like sandpaper.
"He hurt a man."

"Badly?"
"Yes."

Hawk could feel his chest tightening, this was the most Wren had told him about herself in weeks and he knew he had to tread carefully as to not overstep. He had done that before and he had seen the fallout.

"Did the man deserve it?" Wren looked back up at his eyes and Hawk saw they were glassy, like shiny, polished marbles which were glittering in the harsh, bright, cold, light of the bathroom.
"Yes." She answered instantly and Hawk took a deep breath as he watched her eyes fall back down again but instead of letting them, Hawk raised a hand and with two fingers, tipped her chin so he could look at her again.

"Don't do that. Don't shut me out." He whispered, "Slow steps, okay?" Wren nodded, feeling an overwhelming sense of relief tumble over her at his words. Hawk took a step away from her and Wren closed her eyes as he did, letting two tears fall, hoping he didn't see. Hawk moved back over to the door and was about to unlock it when Wren, wiping her tears away, walked over to him and without a word, wrapped her arms around him.

Hawk, having been caught off guard, took a moment before he hugged her back. Caging her to his chest as he nestled his face in her hair. She smelled just as he remembered, lavender and clean sheets, with a slight trace of tobacco.

"I thought you had quit smoking." He blurted and Wren pulled away, a loose laugh falling from her lips.
"You're bringing that up now, asshole?" She laughed, placing two hands on his shoulders and lighty shoving him into the bathroom door.

Hawk laughed too, his eyes fixed on hers and felt a swell of uncontainable butterflies melt in his chest so without a second thought, his arms snaked around Wren's waist and pulled her towards him. He rotated them both, so she was the one of them planted against the bathroom door and he pressed his forehead to hers before smashing their lips together.

Wren instantly kissed him back, placing both of her hands on each side of his neck, her cold rings touching his warm skin, giving Hawk goosebumps as his hands snaked around her waist further, pulling her closer to him. But that wasn't possible, they were side by side, chest to chest, entwined.

They left the bathroom reluctantly about 5 minutes later, both smiling like idiots as Hawk kept his arm around her lower back. The pair walked down the isle of their friends, who had all taken notice of their shift in attitudes towards each other and instantly: Miguel, Tory, Moon and Aisha knew what had happened in that bathroom.

When they reached Wren's table, Hawk turned her towards him and pecked her lips before returning to his own seat. Wren sat in her's and it was as Tory, Aisha and Moon forgot what the word 'subtle' or 'boundaries' meant at all.