I was still giggling a bit from the adrenaline. We almost got caught. Not that Hawks wouldn't have taken him down, but it wouldn't look good if it came out that Hawks stole from a stand. "Payback?" I breathed.

"His cart is a front for drugs. I've seen him pass little bags of dope hidden in or under his dishes. He's also a fraud, and a prick. I bet this", he raised the case with a tea cup set", is only worth maybe one hundred... two hundred dollars, and that's assuming it wasn't factory made. That someone took the time to make this tea set. Not one hundred thousand dollars."

He was fine now but I was still catching my breath. We were between a broken fridge and a wall. There was a fridge sized box on the right, block in the view.

"No offence, but how was this supposed to fix the stand situation with the family?"

"Oh I never planned in getting that stand for them. I was going to buy their own stand. Nothing we can do in legal terms since there was no paperwork and buying stands from other people instead of the land owners is not illegal I guess but it is frowned upon. I got the money to spare."

"Oh", I said evenly.

"So... Any reason why your arms are around me?"

A sudden heat came down on my face. "I- You looked cold", I said lamely.

Oh my god shUT YOUR MOUTH. THAT'S ALL YOU COULD COME UP WITH?

I'm trying!

Yeah but " yOu lOoKeD cOlD"

I cringed inwardly, knowing my thoughts were right.

He started snickering. "Oh did I now?"

I took back my arms and crossed them in front of me, giving him a dirty look. "Look I-"

"Hold on, I never said I didn't like it, why'd you stop?" The sweet look on his face was laced with playful vexatious intent.

I stomped out of the crevasse, flustered. "Tch, whatever. "

He followed after me, grinning slyly. "Awww so you don't wanna hold me again?"

"Oh hush you", I said quickly, trying to hide my face, looking opposite his direction.

He walked to the other side of me. "Come on", he drawed out, "At least look at me, yeah? You're too cute!"

My face went redder and I turned my head once again.

"Sweetness, I said look at me."

Something was different about his voice this time. All playfulness was gone. I stopped walking about a yard or two from the end of the ally. He walked in front of me and leaned in a bit.

"You only listen when I get like this, huh? Fine. We can talk like this."

He was inches from my face and I backed up a bit, nervous and exited. He followed.

"You're getting redder. So you like being talked to like this?"

I just kept slowly walking backwards and he just kept following.

"That wasn't rhetorical."

I looked down and nodded. His rough hand met my face, his fingers on my right cheek and his thumb on my left. He wasn't squeezing but he still had control. "Well then, sweetness. What will it talk to get you to look at me."

"I-um..."

"Hm", his face was more inquisitive now that it was a moment ago, "Well I fluster you easily. You act like a tsundere."

I said nothing.

"Welp! Let's go." He sauntered off and left me standing there shook.

I gaped at his back wondering what the fuck just happened. It seems like he could just turn his whole aura around like flipping a switch!

I jogged to catch up with him and when I did, I shyly walked close. Close enough for us to touch shoulders. He looked down and smiled.

We continued walking to the booth rental stands and after a while, got it all sorted out. The little boy was happy to hear they got a place to set up (they were calling from their transport van but no one trusts vans to they didn't sell anything).

We looked around at a few more shops and leisurely talked about whatever came to mind. I could see something was bothering him though. He was a master at controlling his body language but he wasn't guarding his eyes, whether he realized it or not.

There was about an acre of land next to the festivals where you could lay down and hang out. They were going to light fireworks in a few minutes but I couldn't stand it anymore. I don't like liars and he was trying to lie with his tone, his body language, and his A

aura. I could see the anguish and the guilt ridden features.

"Hawks."

"Hm?" He responded, cheerily.

When he looked over he saw by my face that I wasn't playing. He tilted his

head.

"What's on your mind?"

He looked confused but his eyes knew he was caught and were once again on guard. "Just happy to see fireworks-"

"Keigo."

He looked a little startled. Then he let his body relax, his eyes half lidded.

"You have no business calling me that."

"It got you to relax a bit."

He looked at me and I held his gaze.

"What do you want to talk about. What's on my mind? Fine. You've known me for just a short while but you act like we've known each other for years. I don't know if you know this but I'm government owned. That means that I don't get rights. I don't get choices and one of two things are going to happen with us. You're either going to leave me for some reason or another, or you're going to get killed."

I said nothing, hoping that my silence would push him into talking more.

"You don't get it. I've been trained as a weapon. Nothing more nothing less. I walked into a government hero training program knowing nothing, and walked out as a person who doesn't get to feel. I'm not allowed to feel. But I take down people who I don't think should be taken down. And the moment I'm not useful, they'll hurt me or anyone I'm close to.

"So yeah, hanging out with you is cool but I don't get to have feelings. Pardon me but I don't want to get too close to someone because they'll get hurt in the end. That's all you're getting. You should take this piece of advice and walk away. You don't want to be around a weapon."

I stat there wondering what to say. He thinks he shouldn't have feelings and is guilty when he let's himself. The typical tortured hero.

"Okay."

"Okay what?"

"Okay I heard you", I said as I laid my hand on his and waited for fireworks.

He snorted and looked with me, watching the bright colors fill the air.

The air was gently blowing and the fireworks were beautiful. We laid on our back to get more comfortable.

"Why are you still here?" He asked.

"Because you need me."

He got up on one elbow and looked at me. "Need you? What do you mean? "

"Well one, for spy purposes. Two, because we're friends."

He dryly laughed. "We can't be friends. I'm owned."

"Okay well what do you want to be? Strangers usually don't go on dates. And you asked me here."

He knew I got him there. "I don't want to be friends."

I felt my heart crack a bit.

"No no not like that! I guess I just want someone close.

His posture was all relaxed, his eyes were half lidded and his body looked comfortable. But his voice was laced with curiosity. Like he didn't know how this would turn out. Hell, I didn't know how this would turn out.

We watched until the end. It was about ten at night and we were standing up to leave. I brushed the dead grass of his back and he did the same to me.

I was falling asleep walking though. Yesterday's lack of sleep was starting to wear me down.

"You okay, kid?"

"Yeah I'm okay I just-" I was cut off by a yawn, "I'm tired. I got like 3 hours of sleep last night."

"Well let's walk around the corner. I'll fix my wings and you can hop on my back. I'll carry you home."

"Are you sure?"

"What, don't think I can handle it?"

I smiled sleepily, "Okay, okay."

We walked out of the gates and into an ally way. I watched Hawks unzip the bag and saw hundreds of feathers attach back on. He flexed them a few times and gestured for me to come over. He took my purse and put it in the backpack, along with his hoodie and baseball hat.

"Alright, piggy back time."

"What about your wings?"

"They'll be okay. Since I move them with my mind, I don't really have to flap them. If I wanted to, I could fly around with my wings folded and just levitate. But there is enough space for you between my wings."

I walked behind him and he squated down a bit. I hopped on and he put his arms under me and took off without warning. We were flying through the air and my eyes started drifting shut without my permission. He rode smooth and on the faster side. Not fast enough to hold on for dear life but he did zoom off.

The smell of him drifted to my nose and he hummed. I could hear the song through his vibrating chest and rubbed my cheek on his back, snuggling into him.

I then fell immediately to sleep.

The ride must've been over because I woke up to Hawks trying to gently land on my patio. I lifted my head up, sleepy eyed.

"You awake up there?"

"Mhm", I mumbled.

I heard him hum again. "Well don't worry about me, babe. Just breaking and entering."

I chuckled softly while taking in his scent. I didn't want him to leave.

He kicked open my bedroom door and sat on the bed so I could lay down. I leaned back and fell into exhaustion. I snuggled into my sheets and without opening my eyes, mumbled "You can spend the night If you want."

"That's very sweet of you but I gotta get home."

"Mkay."

"Alright, do you need anything?"

"No", I mumbled again.

"Alright, well. Sweet dreams."

I heard a soft thud and footsteps out of my room. I was too tired to care what it was but I heard him walk out and close the door. Immediately after he left, I fell asleep.