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The metal cuffs around your ears feel natural, almost as if they had been meant for you, and you no longer felt awkward by their presence, even as you frantically scurried about your kitchen, attempting to make something for Hawk’s birthday.
He hadn’t even told the office, you just so happened to hear one of the side-kicks heckling the winged hero about it before you left the office for Christmas. You weren’t even sure if he had a family to celebrate with, or if he would be spending the days surrounding his birthday alone and working. You had never seen anyone come in to visit him who wasn’t an employee or fellow hero, and you had heard that he was taken in by the commission at a young age. You couldn’t let him have nothing for his birthday. Hawks deserved so much more than that.
So, here you were in your current predicament, with a small cupcake tower and half a dozen different flavor mixes, frantically baking a dozen cupcakes at a time. Two of each flavor were added to the tower, with the rest added to a growing pile to be put in the office kitchenette later. Regardless of what you made, Hawks was sure to appreciate it, but you wanted him to like it, and not just feel obligated to pretend that he enjoyed it for your sake. The desire to know his favorite flavor, to just know him more was all-consuming. You quieted the more rational train of thought telling you it was foolish to keep pursuing whatever this was with your boss, and instead focused on the butterflies and rush of exhilaration you felt when he smiled at you. You could spend forever basking in the warmth of his smile.
In the morning, as you gathered the baked goods and reluctantly called for a taxi, you were faced with a heavy decision. Hawks’s jacket was hung up in your entryway, and you wondered how long you could conceivably continue wearing it to the office before he asked for it back (even though yours was already back from the dry-cleaners.) It still smelled like him, which made your heart sing and was all too tempting to just bury your face in its plush lining and let it flood your senses. Deciding to take a gamble, you slipped the jacket on and reveled in its instant cozy warmth.
The office was as busy as ever when you arrive, earlier than normal. It took a minute to make a fresh pot of your specialty coffee, and to carefully heap sugar into Hawks’s cup. You quickly scribble a note for the leftover cupcakes that says “Help yourself!” You briefly debated on jotting something down about Hawks’s birthday, but ultimately decided against it. He hadn’t been very open about it being his birthday, and there was still a significant chance that you were stepping over the line by doing this.
With a deep breath, you grabbed the cupcake tower and coffee cups, and knocked. It shouldn’t have felt personal when Hawks didn’t answer, and you realized he was booked with patrol and meetings on his birthday. With reluctance, you sulked back at your desk, the cupcake display and rapidly-cooling cup of coffee tucked out of view. The usual slog of papers felt even more tedious as you impatiently keep an eye out for red feathers.
Every time Hawks returned to the office, he seemed to be pulled along again, before you could make your move. Even two full pots of coffee later, shared by the other office associates, you hadn’t been able to catch him for a moment alone. While staying late was an option, you fretted about what kind of implications that would send, even as the end of your shift drew near.
By some miracle, Hawks wandered back to his office, alone. You jumped up, abandoning the coffee and knocked again.
“Come in.” His voice sounded tired, and when you stepped through the doors he looked positively exhausted, like he barely slept and hadn’t had an opportunity to rest the entire day. At the sight of you, he did straighten in his seat, and you could have sworn you saw a little spark of energy flare to life in his eyes again. He gestured to the chair at the front of his desk. “Please sit down. To what do I owe the pleasure?”
Shyly, you set the cupcake display down on his desk. “Just a little something. I’ve been trying to give these to you all day. I’m glad I caught you before it was time to head home.”
"This is Incredible!” His grin grew impossibly wider, leaning in to look at the tower a more closely. “Did you make all of these? I always have time and a spot for you.”
“Sure did,” You looked down, trying and failing to conceal you own grin. “I wasn’t sure what flavor you liked though. There’s more in the kitchenette if you don’t like any of the ones there.”
“No, this is perfect.” He assured. “I love it. It’s the best thing I’ve gotten all day.” However, his pager beeped, and you both knew that your time was limited.
“I’m glad.” Being in such close proximity to Hawks and his euphoric expression was doing funny things to your pulse, and you could feel your heart racing with excitement in your chest. “Happy Birthday, Hawks, sir.”
He perked up again, and his face was dusted with red as he nervously scratched the back of his neck. “Don’t be so formal. Please, call me Keigo.”
“Well then, happy birthday, Keigo.”