Feather Bound

Chapter 26

Standing before his front door, the weight of recent events settled heavily on your mind. The abrupt shift from the possibility of returning to Kuro to Hawks passionately kissing you against the alley wall had left you reeling. Now, he ushered you into the next phase of the program—moving in together. While it signified significant progress, anxiety still knotted your stomach. You genuinely liked him, your heart fluttering whenever he so much as glanced your way. Since dropping his asshole act, Hawks had been genuinely sweet, ensuring your comfort and safety. However, the memory of the last time you lived with someone lingered—a time when your entire life unraveled, leaving you desperately seeking to piece it back together. While Hawks had proven more agreeable than Kuro, that nagging doubt persisted. Sighing, you gripped the duffle bag Haruki had prepared, running your fingers over the strap in search of comfort.

"Welcome home," Hawks greeted softly as he opened the door for you. Peeking your head inside, you hesitated before fully stepping into the apartment. Contrary to the grandiose rumors surrounding Hawks' residence, this space appeared surprisingly normal. You blinked as you continued to make your way inside, your head on a swivel as you looked around. It really was the perfect size for a single person or perhaps even a small family. Your breath caught as you took in the simplicity. The walls were so bare, lacking any type of personal touches. It stirred an unexpected sadness within you. Did Hawks truly live like this? Haruki had mentioned the Commission keeping him busy, but was he so immersed in his hero duties that he neglected to add personal touches to his living space?

"I'm sorry it's not much," Hawks admitted, standing behind you with a sigh. "If I'm totally honest, I only recently started really living here. I used to just sleep in the office." Shocked, you turned to look at him, and he just shrugged in response. "Come on, I'll show you the bedroom. Get settled in, and then we can talk about some stuff." Despite your grimace, you knew he was right. You had a lot to talk about after everything that had happened today. He had more than likely overheard most of your conversation with Kuro, and it was only natural for him to have questions. Plus, moving into his house meant conversations about expectations and any boundaries he wanted to set.

He led you into the bedroom, groaning as he opened the door. "Hold on, I just need to clean it up for a second!" he said, blushing as feathers quickly swept past you, carrying what looked to be a small pile of laundry—some shirts and a couple of boxers. You almost laughed. Was he seriously that worried about you seeing his underwear? You'd basically seen everything already when it was straining against his pants in the—

"Okay, there we go," he said, finally moving so you could walk into the bedroom. You watched with interest as a few feathers finished making the bed before gathering the dirty sheets and flying out of the room. "I obviously wasn't expecting company," he mumbled to you, his face red. Unable to contain it any longer, you let out a small giggle.

"It's not a big deal, Hawks—"

"Keigo," he quickly interrupted, clearing his throat slightly as he looked at you. You blinked at him in confusion, and he sucked in a breath. "My name is Keigo. I figured if we are going to live together, you might want to know."

"They told me you didn't have a real name," you said, staring at him wide-eyed. Why did you ever believe that this poor man had just been named Hawks his entire life? Were you seriously that naive?

"Did they now?" he said with a frown before letting out a small sigh, nudging the carpet with his foot nervously. "I suppose they're right in a way. It's a huge secret, and we can talk about it in a bit. Just, uh, please only call me that here. Anywhere else it's Hawks, okay?" You nod, and he smiles at you. "Go ahead and take a couple of minutes; I'll go make us some tea."

With that, he slipped from the room, leaving you to your thoughts. You walked over to the bed, setting down the duffle bag with a sigh. Uncertain of where to put anything, especially since these clothes weren't even yours, you opted to throw the bag next to his nightstand, then threw yourself onto the bed with a sigh. Grabbing a pillow, you clutched it to your chest, its comforting scent—like him—offering solace as you allowed your thoughts to race about the impending conversation. You weren't sure how long you laid there, but you were snapped back to the present suddenly by something tickling your arm gently.