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"Hey, birdie." Takami called from the couch, startling Nobu who was still half asleep, just wanting a glass of water from the kitchen.
"Fuck, Taka." She rubbed her eyes and yawned. "When did you get back?"
"Haven't left." He scrolled through his phone mindlessly, still in his pajamas, hair un-brushed and wild looking. "Weather's too bad to fly in so I stuck patrol onto the sidekicks today."
"So we get the day off?" Nobu rummaged through the cabinets, grabbing two coffee mugs and the little pour over device she'd bought from he coffee shop nearby. Takami was always perfectly fine buying coffee every day, but Nobu thought it was a waste of money and decided to invest in a little coffee maker instead. She made sure to stock up on sugar and a multitude of flavored creamers, knowing that he disliked the taste of coffee.
"Appears so." Hawks grinned back at her. "Looks like we've got a snow day!"
"Perfect." Nobu smiled back brightly. "I've been meaning to finish this book."
"Oh, no, we're going out." He chuckled. "Sledding, skating, you name it baby bird."
"I hate the cold." She pouted, pouring the fresh ground coffee into the reusable cone filter as she went to boil water on the stovetop. Nobu would much rather stay in; the cold made her joints hurt and it always made her feel groggy. Maybe it was part of her quirk; the weather didn't affect her mother, but since the quirk grew stronger each generation she tried to rationalize that avoiding the cold all together was best.
"Aw, come on dove. Come out for a walk with me, at least." Takami pressured gently, though he wasn't about to take no for an answer. "I'll show you what I like about winter, n'maybe you'll like it after."
"Highly doubt it." The dark haired woman sighed, pouring the boiling water over the coffee slowly, taking care to make sure every inch was well saturated.
"Would getting lunch at Yamanaka change your mind?" He cooed, not looking up from his book to see her expression change. Hawks was very attentive and found that Nobu's favorite food was sushi, specifically nigiri, paired with edamame. Sometimes she would get a cold tea, otherwise she liked to have it with a plum wine if she didn't have to patrol until a couple hours later. Nobu would hate to hear how predictable she was, and so Hawks kept it to himself.
"You have my attention." Nobu rolled her eyes, bringing the mugs of coffee over and offering the heavily sweetened version to Hawks, taking hers plain and sitting down. She felt comfortable enough to sit on the same side of the couch as him; there was a little bit of peace and domesticity in sharing the couch that made her feel all warm and fuzzy.
Maybe too warm, too comfortable after falling asleep in Hawks' arms the other night was the first slip that dripped slowly into a puddle of overstepping. It was just little things, like sharing a blanket on the couch, tangling their feet together underneath the warmth or their hands brushing against one another when reaching for popcorn. A harmless action in the moment that turns toxic when his touch is all she can think about at night.
"You're going to wear a better jacket, right?" Hawks called out, looking over at Nobu who was lost in her own train of thought. She was in the middle of getting ready, her plush winter coat already thrown over her shoulders.
"What's wrong with this one?" Nobu scoffed, admiring her coat. It was long and fluffy, made out of some sort of Sherpa material. She thought it was fine; it was warm and cozy, at least.
"It'll get wet and you'll freeze." He clicked his tongue, throwing his infamous tan bomber jacket at her while rummaging for another jacket. "Take mine."
"No way." She rolled her eyes, watching the jacket and throwing it back at him. "Earth to Taka, that's something a boyfriend would do."
"Just shut up and wear the damn jacket." Takami was giggling, a light and warm sound that made Nobu's face flush. He handed the jacket back to her, flinging his other jacket, a fleece lined denim jacket that complemented his style well. "This one's not as warm."
"I don't want you to be cold." Nobu made a face.
"Don't worry 'bout me, pretty bird." Hawks blinked once before staring Nobu down to make sure she actually put the jacket on. Like a moody teenager, the espresso haired woman rolled her eyes and shrugged her current coat off of her shoulders, rolling his bomber jacket into place. It was big on her, sure, but her wings slipped perfectly into place, a luxury that Nobu was unfamiliar with. Looking back over to Takami, she caught the glimpse of his smirk before he turned his head and changed his expression.
"What?"
"Looks nice on ya." He mumbled, adjusting his own jacket as he cleared his throat and gestured towards the front door. "Daylight's burnin', baby bird, let's get outta here."
Nobusama gave a nod back, leading the way out of the apartment and into the elevator. She was a little suspicious as to why Hawks was being so quiet, but she was sure he had his reasons. The dark haired hero had her own reasons for staying silent; it seemed like everything she said was just a little too flirtatious. Even when she teased him, every little word seemed to just pour gasoline onto their kindling situation.
"Still there, birdie?" Taka clicked his tongue as he stepped out of the elevator, Nobu following close behind as they walked through the lobby and out into the storm.
The snow was falling in heavy clumps of wet glitter, glistening against the overcast skies and piling into snowbanks that lined the streets. Some businesses made an effort to salt their sidewalks, making tiny patches of concrete visible, while others opted to savor the snow day and stay home. The crunch of fresh now underneath her boots was almost pleasant, for a brief moment making Nobu question why she hated winter.
Then the wind picked up, blowing the enlarged snowflakes to her eyelashes, a chill that tried to penetrate her hat and scarf but was unsuccessful.
"See, you could put your hands in your pockets," Takami clicked his tongue, holding out his own ungloved hand, "Or, maybe, you could hold mine?"
"You're an idiot." Nobu smiled and shook her head.
"You got that right dove." Takami chuckled, stepping closer towards her anyways to try to use his wings to shield her from the wind. As much as Nobu wanted to protest, she was grateful for the aid.
A few more feet of trudging through the snow brought them to the nearly-abandoned park, a few families with children tracking out towards the tall hill to go sledding. Nobu never understood the thrill of sledding, more times than not ending up with her face planted into a snow bank. The reminder made her shutter, shivering more as she felt Hawks recoil his wings.
"What are you-" Nobu started to protest, watching as Takami fell back first into the snow, stretching his wings and wobbling around in a fit of giggles. With his yellow aviators shielding his eyes, Nobu couldn't help but chuckle at the bird man's glee.
"Come down here baby bird!" Takami called out, throwing a wad of compacted snow in her general direction, missing terribly and laughing harder.
"You bitch!" Nobu countered with her own poorly formed snowball, watching him shield himself from the falling snow in a fit of giggles, unable to stop herself from joining in on the laughter. She tried to take a few steps back, but her feet got caught in the snow and she fell back onto her butt, laughter turning from soft glee into cackling.
Ever the opportunist, Takami sat up, a quick flick of his wings got rid of the clumping snow, launching himself like the raptor he was and pinning her down by her shoulders. With a knee on each side of her, he moved his hands slowly down her arms, pulling her wrists to the side of her face while leaning into her lips.
"Gottcha, little bat." Hawks growled with a grin, warm breath creating clouds of mist in her face as her wrists struggled against his hands.
""Let me go, you raptor!" Nobu giggled, fighting against his grip playfully. Her eyes were closed as she thrashed, caught up in the wholesome bliss of the moment. When she opened her eyes, Takami's bright golden eyes were peering back at her, past and through her skin and into her soul. She felt her heart step out of line, swallowing the palpitations.
I love you. Her brain was screaming it, her lips were trembling with the words caught behind her teeth. I love you. Nobu's heart slowed to a stop, caught in between beats were whispers. Stupid, stupid. She was being stupid if she thought that she could say those words to him out loud. Nobu had the power to ruin everything good that came of their friendship and would not let herself commit such treason.
I love you.
I love you at the tip of his tongue, their breathing synchronized and his head swam with oxytocin, the love chemical overflowing from his veins. It would be so easy to open his mouth, to let the phrase slip out. The way that she was looking at him, Hawks knew that she loved him too. It was a tiny fleck in her wood toned eyes, overwhelmed with fear.
"What if someone sees us?" Nobu exhaled, chest rising with each inhale.
I love you.
"Then good." Takami smiled back at her terrified expression, moving his hands from her wrists, slipping into her palms as he laced their fingers together.
"You're not worried?" She whispered back, breath still rolling like waves against the beach.
"About?"
"What people will think." Nobu looked at him with the same eyes that he was looking at her with, begging for him to reassure her. She was painfully aware that this was not okay, not this way. That she was hurting Yara. That she was hurting herself and setting herself up for failure, something that wasn't an option. She could not go down this road.
But the way that she felt, deep down in her soul, she knew that he was perfectly alright, that he was perfectly safe.
I think I love you.
"Maybe they'll get the hint, then." Hawks let go of her wrists, sliding one hand to the small of her back as he lifted Nobu into a sitting position. His eyes were sparkling as the snow gathered on his thick eyelashes. "You're mine."
I know it.
"We're just friends, Taka." Nobu argued, the lies leaving her lips ineffective as she reached out to brush a snowflake off of Takami's cheek. She couldn't help it.
I love you.
"You know we're more than that." Hawks stated the obvious, a pattern that he'd grown accustomed to as they tread the waters of their relationship. He didn't mind saying it all the time, and she didn't mind hearing it. Sure it made her feel guilty sometimes, but it was nice to hear what she was feeling out loud.
"I have-"
"I heard you guys fighting this morning." Takami admitted. "You said you didn't know how much longer things would last."
"You were eavesdropping?" Nobu retracted her hand as she furrowed her brow.
"We both have great hearing and you were practically shouting." He gave a meek grin, running his hands through his hair to dust the snow off.
"Sorry." Nobu mumbled.
"You don't have to be sorry, Dove." Hawks wanted so badly to reach out to No I and comfort her. To wrap her in his arms like they do at home, to hold her until she relaxed. "You can talk to me about it, you know."
"I don't like putting my problems onto other people." She sighed, looking in any other direction that his face.
"I would rather sit with you while you cry than be stuck on the other side of the door." Hawks looked away, mirroring her meekness, little snowflakes accumulating in his hair and at the tops of his wings.
"Yeah, well." Nobu looked in any other direction as the frozen water collected on the collar of Hawks' coat, keeping her warm and dry like he promised.
"Spill, little bat." Keigo prompted her with the wave of his hand.
"She's just been so distant lately." Her arms folded and cemented to her kneecaps, curling into a ball to protect herself. "She won't talk about our future anymore. Whenever I talk about coming home, she says 'if'. Like as if I'm coming back."
"You want to go home, right?"
Hawks was asking her the same question she was asking herself. She barely considered Rio her home now, not after spending time back in Japan, not after all the time she spent with Hawks. Hell, he's even got her looking at the snow different, something she always despised. Without even trying he was reshaping the way she looked at life, to look at things with rose colored lenses.
And Nobu hated it.
"I think I want to go home." Nobu swallowed the lump in her throat, a short nod pulling her from her spiraling. She wanted to be in bed and warm, even if the snow was pretty. Even if out here they could be anything they wanted to be.
"So you're leaving?" Takami asked in a tone that was almost accusatory. His face looked like someone had spit in his direction and he was ready to claw at their face.
"No, birdbrain." Nobu have a snort, holding out her hand and grabbing Taka's, which was so much larger than hers. "I want to go home with you."
"Oh." Takami blinked in surprise, obliging the hand as they helped pull each other up from the dense snow. He shook his wings once again, still holding onto Nobu's hand. He didn't want to let go and wouldn't until she asked.
"Can we hold hands on the way home?" Nobu asked with her eyes towards the snow covered ground, her face flushed from the cold of the air and the heat of her cheeks.
"You sure 'bout that?" Hawks squeezed her hand, comforting her the best that he could without making her rethink the decision.
"Your hands are warm." Nobu admitted quietly.
"See? Told ya."
The pair walked back towards the apartment, stopping by Yamanaka to grab late lunch at Nobu's favorite sushi restaurant. She loved sashimi, and it was one of those things that was best in Japan, using a majority of her meal times consuming the raw fish with a side of rice. Sometimes she would replace the rice with edamame or seaweed, always preferring to have them separate.
Takami enjoyed their ramen, usually getting a roll or so for an appetizer. He also enjoyed how Nobu's face lit up when she ate good sushi, a level of pleasure that he would never be able to bring to her. It was almost like a consolation prize for not being able to be romantic.
So they brought dinner back to their place. It was almost a given that they never ate at Yamanaka, too many of Hawks' fan base knowing that he now likes to frequent the restaurant. There wouldn't be peace with all the fans, including wait staff, and so it was just easier to bring it all back home. Slipping into the comfort of their routine, they put on the news for background noise as Nobu consumed their reward.
"Hey, Taka." Nobu asked, finishing the last of their side of rice.
"What's up baby bat?" Takami had been done eating, hanging out for Nobu's great company and the comfort of silence between them.
"I-look, it's kind of weird, I feel really weird giving it to you, but I've noticed that sometimes your hair falls in your face and so I just-"
"What's that?" Takami blinked as Nobu pulled out a very shiny silver hair clip with a little red feather on the top. The red feather was shiny, too, almost as though it were made out of glass.
"Hair clip." Nobu smiled brightly. "I haven't seen any at the apartment, which was weird to me, but I thought since it was small enough, you know, and the red matches your earrings..."
"I love it, dove." Keigo accepted the hair pin and gave a deep bow, something that he usually didn't do for other people without being sardonic. "Thank you."
"Maybe it'll keep your hair out of your face and you won't fly into anyone else up there." Nobu smiled brightly, nose and ears bright red from the cold.
Hawks chuckled as he filled the tea kettle with hot water, thinking to himself quietly. As if fate would let him run into anyone more perfect, he thought. As if anyone could compare.
"Can you help me put it in?" Hawks asked, blushing as he looked back at her. "I've never used a hair pin like this before."
"It would be an honor to pin back the number two hero's hair." Nobu crooned playfully, hopping onto the counter and gesturing hot him to come into her space. He agreed, standing about a foot away when she giggled and held out her hand.
Takami smiled as he took her hand, the smile dissipating into an open-mouthed expression as she pulled him in between her legs. Under any other circumstance he would have understood that Nobu was short and probably needed to position him like that to put the clip in, but Keigo's mind was flooded with dirty thoughts. About how he could so easily wrap her legs around him and pull her in for the best kiss of their lives.
How easy it would be to pick her up and lay her in his bed, watching her eyelashes flutter as Hawks pulled off her clothes to see her bare chest again. Or even the counter; the location didn't matter an ounce in his fantasies. Takami spent so much of his free time thinking about Nobu that the simple interaction nearly sent him into a tailspin.
"You just..." Nobu instructed, raking his bangs with her fingers, gathering them neatly into a pinched handful as she navigated the pin through his locks. Takami couldn't help but coo, closing his eyes and letting her play with his hair. "And then you're done!"
"Do it again." Taka murmured, his grin spread wide across his lightly blushed face.
"No, Taka, go look!" Nobu giggled, fighting the urge to kiss him on his perfectly visible forehead. "It's so cute!"
"Just want ya to keep playin' with my hair baby bird." His lips hummed together as he refused to open his eyes. A bright light flashed, making him open his eyes finally, realizing that Nobu took a picture of him.
"I can do your hair any day." She mused, turning her phone around so show him the absolutely adorable picture she took of Hawks blushing in between her legs. "S'nice, right?"
"Real cute, dove." Takami chuckled, paying little attention to the picture and directing his praise at Nobusama. "Love it."
"I think you look really distinguished with your hair up Taka, we should do this more often." Nobu wanted to kiss his forehead, to kiss him on the lips, to mess up his hair and give herself to him. Her phone vibrated in her pocket. "Probably Yara."
Hawks scoffed at the idea, picking up their take-out and reaching for Nobu's empty paper containers to dispose of. Balancing them all well, he moved onto the kitchen, waiting impatiently for Nobu to update him on what her girlfriend could possibly want.
"You going good, dove?" Takami called out as his foot hit the little pad at the bottom, popping open the silver trash can.
"It's..."
Hawks looked over and read Nobu's expression, dropping the garbage into the disposal and rushing back to her side. She was holding her phone, hands shaking as she stared back down at the black screen, mirroring her shocked expression.
"It's my sister."