Work Text:
You looked out through the pharmacy shop window you worked at onto the Ypenburg district of the Hague with eyes as bleary as the lackluster grey January sky above. It was that doldrum after the holidays with everyone completely spent from the excesses of merrymaking and, somehow, it affected everything. Even the temperature, it seemed. While it was definitely good to get back to a normal routine, you couldn’t help but feel dull like the muddied ice that had accumulated on the curbs of the city’s cobblestone streets. Hollow like the storefronts that were now being divested of their Christmas trappings to signal the return to the status quo. This, however, was only part of why you were feeling so melancholy…
It had been a good bit since you had seen a particular Pro Hero you had become quite fond of. Yes , you understood a man like Takami Keigo would be busy, constantly being summoned worldwide now, rather than just limited to his home country of Japan. You had met him early last year during your visit to see the famed cherry blossoms for yourself, even if the Netherlands already boasted of globally popular blooms. Be it fate or just the itch to travel, you found yourself wandering the enchanted, sensory-overload nation that was Japan but still missing certain elements of your home—like the bicycles. It's not that you didn't enjoy the efficient and clean buses and trains that punctuated the Japanese public transportation system, you supposed there was just something to be said about simple things that made a foreign land feel just a little more familiar.
…which was both a good and a bad thing. Traversing by bike down the Meguro river certainly was the best way to view the translucent pink flowers, however, you had forgotten that driving in Japan occurred on the opposite side of the road—had it not been for the debonair Winged Hero swooping in at the last minute to whisk you out of harm's way, you would've spent your one week vacation convalescing in the hospital, struggling with translators and pain medication. As it was, handsome Takami Keigo was just getting off patrol and had spotted your erratic choice of bike riding from the skies. You were so enthralled with taking perfectly angled shots of the trees against the setting of the sun with your phone that you had failed to see the Sotetsu bus heading in your direction. Long and short of it, Hawks had joked that your indiscretion had resulted in him unnecessarily working off the clock and in you finding a tour guide. Sure enough, the rest of your stay in the bustling, frenetic metropolis, you had the adorably happy-go-lucky blonde personally guiding you around the best spots in Tokyo. Did paparazzi chase you both down for it? Yes . Was it worth the hassle? In Hawks' opinion, absolutely .
Even after you had tearfully said goodbye to the Pro at Narita Airport (yes, he had rearranged his patrol schedule to ensure he saw you off) you both somehow found the time to stay in touch. No , you weren't dating (both of you had vehemently reiterated that time and again for the media) but yet still you found the energy to make him little care packages consisting of treats from your hometown. He found himself buying tiny little trinkets and dainty postcards from the various cities he visited and sending them to you. There would be FaceTime dates here and there. You were still saving up for another vacation to Japan (again, you denied it was to see him) and so in the meantime, Keigo had wheedled his way into missions that would have involved visiting Europe… and, while there, would say heroic work deserved a day off or two. These would definitely involve a couple of casual "unplanned" visits to the Hague to see you and, well… this continued on for the duration of the year with you pretending to expect nothing of or from the flashy Pro Hero and yet routinely received little gifts and unprecedented visits here and there.
…therefore, in your mind, it made no sense why the relatively extensive holiday season came and went with nary a postcard, let alone the visits you had haphazardly become accustomed to. It was a strange cocktail of heartbreak and bitterness that you drank over the course of multiple festive parties you felt obliged to attend; you had planned more than a month ago to attend at least one or two with Keigo as your date and yet —
It was aggravating, to say the least, to have to repeatedly tell curious partygoers that, no, Keigo and you weren't dating and it further reinforced in your mind that you had no right to feel abandoned. Betrayed. Lost. He had never promised you anything and nothing remotely intimate had transpired, consequently making your salty state unjustified. Regardless… here you were feeling utterly forlorn. After New Year's Eve had came and gone, you became resigned to just letting it go, to being thankful that you had shared a real friendship even if it was just for a while. New Year's day you decided perhaps it was in your best interest to take down the little collage of postcards that you had accumulated from the Winged Hero, just to stop reminding you of the nagging ache you were valiantly ignoring. You wouldn't throw them away, no, of course not , just keeping them out of sight and out of mind for your head and heart's sake.
Today had been a relatively steady day at the pharmacy, going between a sudden rash of anxious parents (first timers, from the looks of it) asking for cold remedies for the babies and people looking to get last minute flu shots and covid boosters before returning to work. The town clock had finally struck 4pm, signaling but an hour till your shift would mercifully end. You sat at the clinic counter, glad to have the opportunity to rest your feet after running about the pharmacy all day… it wouldn't hurt to scroll through your phone for the time being, even if you heard the door chime go off to signal the arrival of a customer. Rationalizing that any of your other coworkers could attend to the customer, it surprised you when a shadow was cast over your phone screen and a Starbucks paper tumbler was set on the counter next to you.
"Special delivery for the prettiest pharmacist in the world!," came the cheery voice that could only belong to one, very distinct human being.
Startled, you glanced up to see a heavily bandaged Pro Hero Hawks, his left arm in a sling and his nose red from the frosty weather outdoors. Tears prickled in your eyes as you choked on your own voice, nearly vaulting over the shop counter to launch yourself into a hug. An exhausted but contented smile broke onto Keigo's face as he held you close, happy that you didn't drive him out the pharmacy despite being missing in action for more than a month. "Happy Hanukkah, merry Christmas and a happy new year, I suppose?," he laughed, forcing you to laugh and smile right along with him through your tears.
Your supervisor knew you had been moping for weeks already and was kind enough to let you out thirty minutes early to spend what precious time you had left with the Hero. Turns out, the poor man had been hospitalized the entire time and had actually gone against doctor's orders to travel the distance to see you. Somehow, despite the biting chill and unfriendly skies of January, knowing that he was back (to an unpredictable schedule, of course ) and hadn't simply abandoned you truly was the best gift you could've asked for.
"Did you really think I'd just up and ignore my best girl?," came the ruffled inquiry and, as Keigo pressed a chaste kiss on your forehead, you knew deep down inside that, no, he never would.