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Crimson red is the shimmer that splits the air. Nothing but a whiff of elegance and grace, diving down in daring twists just to pull back up when scarily close to the ground. Over and over again.
Enji watches the recurring spectacle Hawks performs almost every day for about a month now. At first he thought the bird was solely mocking him. Testing how he would react. Whether he would be fast enough to catch him or not. To his disgrace, Enji has to admit he rushed after him in highest alert way too often, only to realise his team-up partner is unharmed.
“Aw, it’s so sweet you care so much about me, Endeavor-san”, Hawks had teased after the third time, and Enji – wounded in his pride for reasons he is still not sure about – had grumbled a somewhat annoyed curse at the bird. Not that he had been genuinely mad at Hawks, but he didn’t like being tricked. But this doesn’t matter now.
The single pressing issue is that Hawks’ manoeuvres grew more and more reckless with every passing day, exponentially increasing Enji’s worries at the same time. In a futile attempt to understand why the bird does what he does to begin with, Enji started studying Hawks’ behaviour in greater detail and reached a few conclusions.
First: Hawks consumes an unholy amount of energy drinks on the daily.
Second: No matter the rush he’s in, he always has a few moments to spare for fan service.
Third: Whenever Enji’s not looking Hawks likes to stare at him.
The last point is probably the most confusing one. Those stares aren’t your normal everyday glances. There is so much emotion within them. Almost as if they are oozing with excitement and admiration, but there’s also a tad of shyness in them, as well as something else that Enji can’t quite assign to anything. And his gut tells him this something is tied to the reason why Hawks pulls those breakneck stunts lately and also the explanation for why he looks over his shoulder, establishing eye contact with Enji for a split-second every time before he dives down anew, as if to make sure he is watching.
This time is no different. The short glance is easy to overlook, yet it’s still there, just like the glimmer in golden eyes. Then the bird hard turns to the side to spiral downward, wings more folded than spread to reach his top speed faster. Like a real hawk on the hunt. Or at least it is what it looks like to Enji. While he doesn’t follow Hawks into his dive, he still changes directions as well to make sure Hawks won’t hurt himself in the process or at least be there to help right away if luck runs out on the bird due to his reckless behaviour. Which of course is the only reason he follows Hawks! A fact he tries to convince himself about for weeks now – although he knows better than that if he is brutally honest about it.
Meanwhile Hawks almost touches the ground in between the countless cars flooding the streets during rush hour. But as every time he evades the impact at the last possible moment – this time with a sharp 720-degree spin, because of course he has to play the cool guy like that – in favour of soaring way up high again. Enji just rolls his eyes. But solely for a second. Then his gaze once more rests on red wings which carry Hawks back to the safety of the sky. It looks more effortless than it is; Enji is certain of it. After all he had countless opportunities to study the perfect interplay of feather-covered muscles at work. They hypnotise him to a degree he almost gave in to the temptation of touching them, lately, when they sat next to each other during lunchbreak.
Another glance over the shoulder coming from Hawks. Another one Enji pretends to ignore. But of course, the bird notices Enji’s attention lies on him, or so the smug grin suggests, when Hawks starts to dive again. Except he pulls back up a lot sooner this time and also doesn’t aim for speed. Instead, Hawks starts with what can only be described as some sort of ballet in the sky; a sequence of soft, wavelike ups and downs combined with precise yet sensual movements around his own axis as if to show off not just his wings but all of him. It’s a first Enji sees it, breaking every theory he had so far in half in his head, all while sending a hot tickling through his entire body as he watches; not mesmerised, but charmed.
Then golden eyes send him a look so seductive it’s bordering on lusting, and he has a hard time to not inhale sharply thanks to the shiver running down his spine, all while the very feelings he tried to deny and supress so desperately blast their way to the surface.
Before he has the chance to organise the thoughts running wild in his brain though, Hawks’ expression changes rapidly to shock.
“Endeavor-san!”
And Enji looks to the front just in time to dodge the crane atop a soon-to-be skyscraper and it’s owed to luck alone that the gigantic billboard behind it doesn’t catch fire either when he passes by a lot closer than he prefers. Mere moments later, Hawks flies at his side again.
“You alright?”
“Yeah.”
“I guess I should be sorry for distracting you”, oh if Hawks only knew how much he has been distracting Enji for weeks now. How often red feathers, majestic wings and eyes like molten gold prey his mind, even more so when he is off the field doing paperwork, let alone at home trying to relax. Naturally Enji has been aware of his mind uncontrollably wandering off more frequently lately, but he had hoped Hawks wouldn’t notice if he acted otherwise. Pretending he wouldn’t feel the urge to get closer, to touch, and the wish to be more than what they are. More than friends.
Considering Hawks’ gaze from before though, moreover paired with the crazy air shows- could it be?
“Are you mad?” Hawks’ question rips him out of his headspace and only now Enji realises he had been quiet for too long.
“Why do you do it?”
“Do what?”
“The dramatic diving and soaring and all the other tricks.”
Hawks opens and closes his mouth as if he wants to say something, but doesn’t know how. Which is unheard of. The bird usually always knows what to say.
“Counterquestion: Do you know what season we have right now?”
“It’s mid-March, so spring.”
“No, that’s not what I meant. Do you know what other season currently takes place?”
“I’m afraid I can’t follow.”
He sees a decent blush appear on Hawks’ face as the bird takes a deep breath, eyes closing, and then-
“It’s mating season. Among hawks I mean. And- uhm…”, a shy glance finds Enji’s eyes. “Let’s say my hero name isn’t a coincidence.”
Oh shit.
Oh holy shit!
Enji does everything in his power to avoid swallowing audibly. He can’t say the wrong thing now. Can’t react the wrong way, or he probably destroys the only chance he never thought existed.
“So you’re trying to court me.”
“K-kinda, I guess?”
“I see.”
“Look, if I crossed a line there, then-”
“You didn’t. And now: watch me.”
He doesn’t wait for an answer before he induces a dive himself, leaving a flabbergasted Hawks behind midair. While he certainly won’t be able to reach the bird’s level of adroit movements, he is still set on giving it his all with this little spontaneous show. So he starts spinning, not so unlike Hawks did earlier, the fire behind him stretching into a screwlike trail as he gains more and more speed while he closes the distance to the ground at an alarming pace. Only when he is close enough to touch a car roof, if he stretches out a hand, he pulls up again and catapults himself back high up into the air with one big explosive blast of fire. He passes Hawks, sending him an inviting look, before he lets out another burst of flames to increase his velocity further. Yet the bird understands and is at his heels merely a second later, so they can soar higher and higher together. Latest when they add some high-altitude circling to it, it must look as if they are dancing.
Once again Enji can’t help but adore the magnificent wings and not just those. With the sun switching angles non-stop, lighting up all of Hawks’ features – his eyes, his hair, the perfectly shaped jaw, simply everything – in a rapid succession as if they were flying straight through a firework, the bird appears even more like an angel gone human than he usually does. It makes him wonder if he could ever truly deserve someone as amazing as Hawks.
When Enji stretches out his hand though, Hawks doesn’t hesitate to take it and even pushes towards him, more than welcoming the embrace Enji wraps him in a moment later. Next thing he knows is how their lips meet, while at the same time reality is clashing with what he didn’t dare to dream about. It’s not a harmless, innocent kiss, as Enji figured it would be. No. It’s driven by desire; by passion. It is so filled to the brim with emotions, he forgets about using his quirk to continue flying. And Hawks obviously stops flapping his wings as well, for they are falling mere moments later. Arm in arm. Still trapped in the moment. Together.
Nothing ever felt so right before.
The air ruffles their hair and the faster they get, the more the air resistance feels like countless little needles on Enji’s back. Yet he couldn’t care less about it. Right now nothing is as important as Hawks’ soft lips, his sweet taste, and the overwhelming feeling of finally holding him tight.
Only when wings are spread again to slow their fall, they are forced to break their kiss and also give up some of the proximity. However, the second Enji steps onto solid ground in form of a rooftop, Hawks snuggles up to him again, arms barely long enough to entirely wrap around Enji’s middle. A fact both amusing and adorable in his opinion, although he would never voice the latter.
“And here I thought I was showing off for nothing.”
“Showing off how you almost kill yourself?”
“Yes, that~”, Hawks purrs before he lifts his gaze, once again wearing a pink hue on his cheeks. “Also, while I hoped it, I didn’t exactly expect this to be a mutual thing, so tha-”
“Stop talking”, he kisses the bird’s hair and eventually runs his fingers through surprisingly soft feathers. It lets Hawks shake in his arms – with anticipation, as he figures. “Or rather, save it for later. For now, it’s back to patrolling.”
“What?! You can’t be serious!”
“We’re still on duty, Hawks” Enji already lets go of the bird, who isn’t willing to do the same just yet. All of a sudden, it feels like Enji is fighting off a tantrum-throwing kid.
“Can’t we take a longer break or something? Let’s at least do another drop together!”
“We can do as many as you want after we’re done with today’s shift.”
His efforts to free himself almost end in a little scuffle, but ultimately Hawks gives up and takes a step back.
“Fine… but we’ll continue right where we left off, kay?”
“Of course. Now let’s go. We took a too-long break already as it is.”
“Want me to take the lead so you can stare at my ass some more?” Hawks is already back to teasing, and Enji simply shakes his head in disbelief.
“I prefer your wings, but sure. Whatever.”
He can’t look as fast as Hawks jumps down the building. Crimson red is the shimmer that splits the air. Nothing but a whiff of elegance and grace and Enji looks forward to later, when he can forget about the rest of the world as it shrinks down to nothing but Hawks and himself.