ICARUS - Hawks x Reader

THIRTY EIGHT: White Knight

So, a half naked woman walks into a bar...

I was the punchline.

Who wouldn't stare at a scruffy looking woman, wearing nothing but thin summer pyjamas and fuzzy socks, skulking towards the bartender?
"Uh...excuse me, Miss...but we kind of have a dress code..." The elder man started, gesturing to my lack of attire.
"Look, I get that. I really do, but I need a drink, man." I sighed, raking a hand down my face. He was about to insist I leave, but then he was struck by a realisation.

"Wait a darn second! You're Songbird, aren't you?!" He exclaimed; a little too loudly for my liking, and I nodded once in confirmation. "Well, in that case, I suppose I can let it slide just this once. You look pretty rough, though. Tough night?"

The worst...

Sitting myself down on one of the bar stools, I shrugged my bare shoulders, my nails clicking against the surface of the counter.
"You could say that. If I'm allowed to stay, could I please get a drink? Anything strong will do. Surprise me." With an enthusiastic salute, my wish was granted, and in no time flat I had a glass of some sort of rum in front of me.

Left to my own devices, I thought over the last hour. I knew that, maybe, I had been a little too harsh on Hawks. Even so, I didn't exactly regret it. He had had the chance to tell me the truth, but he had decided to just hit me with cryptic bullshit instead of the straight up facts. What hurt the most, though, was his indirect admittance to her end.

Accident or not...he was involved...I can't just forget that...I'm not sure I even want to know anymore...I did what any normal person would do...

"Making a statement?" Glancing to my side, I immediately recognised the bundled up figure beside me, leaning upon the bar.
"Oh, Kohei..." I raised three fingers from the curve of my glass in a pathetic attempt at a wave. "No, just...felt like a drink." Even under all of those bulges of material covering his being, I could tell the man wasn't buying it.

"Trouble in the aviary?" It was more of a statement than a question, but I didn't answer him. "I won't pry. Just thought I'd keep you company for a bit." Humming, I felt kind of strange. Hawks had warned me about him, and he had seemed pretty serious. Despite him seeming like a normal, kindly fan, maybe there was something to be wary of.
"Appreciated, but I'm not exactly in the mood for company, Kohei..."

I was, kind of, but I just couldn't shake that feeling now. It could have been due to my emotional state, but I wasn't going to chance it when I felt so drained.
"That's fair...I should probably head off, anyway." I noticed Kohei's head tilt upward, as if he was watching something. "If you're ever in need of a chat, give me a call. I'm not too far away from your agency." The man slid me a scrap of paper, a number scrawled across it in red ink.

"Thanks...I'll see you around, I guess?" I shoved the paper into the pocket of my (F/C) pyjama shorts, nodding to him as he seemed to hurry off. Before I could even start to ponder why that could be, I heard somebody clear their throat from behind me. Pivoting on my stool, I came face to face with a young man. He had fluffy; almost spiky, white hair, and a rather buff build.

"Uh, sorry to intrude, but there's a group of guys sitting over there, and they've been staring at you since you came in. If it wouldn't bother you, would you mind if I sat here? I just don't like the way they're looking at you..." I was taken aback for a moment, but the second I followed the direction of his point, I knew he wasn't just trying to make an excuse to talk to me. A cluster of greasy looking men were, indeed, gawking at me, and they looked unsavory.

"Well shit...so they are. Um, sure, thank you." The boy took one last glance over his shoulder before sliding in next to me, keeping a respectable distance.
"Sorry, again." He laughed awkwardly, placing his bottle of drink on one of the printed coasters, which immediately began soaking up the condensation.
"Nah, it's fine. Thank you...uh..?" I prompted him to introduce himself, and he immediately straightened up.