Of Cat and Bird

Nine - Returning Friend

I reached the restaurant and sat at one of the tables outside. My sister arrived fifteen minutes later.

"Hey Nagi." I said.

"So what's going on?" She asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I know my sister better than that." She said.

"Yeah, I guess you do..."

"Well?"

I looked down at the table and wasn't sure what to say. I could feel the heat filling my face and if I kept eye contact with her she would know exactly what was going on.

"Naki, you're turning red." She said.

"No I'm not."

But I knew perfectly well, that I was. She noticed every detail and nothing got past her. She would also remember this encounter and eventually piece things together. It was what she did.

"Who is he?" She asked.

"Um..."

I glanced up as she held her hand out. She watched me intently and I wondered what she was trying to ask for.

"Give me the sketchbook. If I want my answer, it's going to be in the last drawn image in there. You told me you were drawing someone but stuttered over it. If you show me your sketchbook then you don't have to say a word."

I grimaced. She really did know me too well. And I had really hoped she didn't hear my hesitation on the phone, but it seemed she did after all.

I groaned as I held the sketchbook out, heat filling my face again. It was going to be so obvious to her because I had even talked about Hawks in the hospital.

She took the sketchbook and opened it, flipping through the pages, looking at each piece.

"It's been a while since you've showed me this. You're always so protective of it. And-"

Her face fell and she stopped mid sentence. She stared at one of my drawings, and if I was right in what page she stopped at, I would see pity in her eyes when she looked at me.

"I haven't seen this one before..." She said.

She set the book flat on the table and the familiar blue gaze looked up from the page. She looked up at me and I saw exactly what I expected. Pity.

"I've seen his face alot, and this was what I imagined he would look like today." I said quietly.

"I'm sorry, Naki. He would have been a good husband to you."

"Yeah..."

"Well, let's not keep ourselves down. Let me see who my sister has fallen for. Do I know him?"

I watched as she continued to flip through the pages and then stopped again. She made it through all the drawings and then looked up at me with a smirk.

"Well, I don't actually know him, but I know of him." She said.

She pointed to the unfinished drawing of Hawks and then turned back a page to the finished drawing of Hawks.

"You have never, never drawn someone twice in a row before." She said.

"I know..."

"So, you have a thing for Hawks." She said.

"I honestly don't know. I keep thinking about him, but... how could I really like somebody I don't know? I mean sure there are interviews and stuff, but that's Hawks. The hero. What about the man behind the costume? We know nothing about him. I refuse to be shallow and like him just because he's good looking." I said.