Feather Bound

Chapter 48

He clenched his jaw as he watched Y/N's mother walk out of the room before letting out a disgusted tut, leaning back into the sofa with a sigh. This had already been an absolute shitshow, and they hadn't even made it to dinner yet. He was honestly glad that Haruki had told him to drop his expectations for the evening because if she hadn't, he couldn't imagine how disappointed he would feel right now.

Y/N's mother certainly was something, though she did have a pretty nice smile; it reminded him of her. She behaved like most fans did, fawning over him like he was something incredible. She went as far as ignoring her daughter to try and make him comfortable. There may have been a time in his life when that had been nice; he would've felt special, appreciated, seen. However, that was before he had actually learned what it was like to be cared for, to be loved for real. No, now it just felt cheap and forced, and he absolutely hated it.

Y/N gave his hand a gentle squeeze before standing, and he watched with interest as she stealthily made her way to a small cabinet near the kitchen door. His brows furrowed as she opened it, swiftly grabbing a bottle from inside before downing a few gulps. He smirked, shaking his head at her antics before his feathers picked up on the sound of footsteps. He let out a low, quiet chirp, making a rare exception of never making bird noises in public. She glanced at him, tilting her head in confusion, and he jerked his head toward the kitchen. Thankfully, she seemed to get the message; her eyes widened in understanding, and she swiftly capped the bottle, returned it inside, and sat back on the sofa just before her mother returned, holding two glasses of water.

He took his glass before frowning as Y/N took hers. That wasn't what she had asked for, and a sudden idea came to him. He was starting to suspect this evening was already doomed, so he might as well see how much fun he could have. He quickly downed his water, grabbing her glass and exchanging it with the empty one. She blinked at him, taken aback, and he gave her an awkward smile.

"Sorry, just really thirsty all of a sudden," he said, watching out of the corner of his eye as his feathers swiftly opened the liquor cabinet. It only took a second before they were floating back towards them, holding a dark brown bottle. It was different from the one she had just been drinking from, but it would have to do. He grasped it from his feathers, fingers wrapping around the smooth glass as her mother started to protest.

"Hawks, she honestly doesn't need-"

He opened it, ignoring her altogether as Y/N stared straight at him, her eyes as wide as he grabbed her wrist, pulling the empty glass towards him. He poured in the whiskey before pushing the glass back towards her, his eyes never leaving hers.

"Ah, that's much better. I swear, sometimes water and whiskey must sound the same, don't you think?" he asked her with a smile, her breath catching in her throat as her eyes sparkled at him, her amusement obvious. Fuck, she looked so beautiful right now, it took everything he had not to lean over and kiss her until he could figure out what liquor she had been drinking. Instead, he turned back towards her mother, keeping a warm smile on his face.

"I get them messed up all the time myself, so easy to confuse the two," he added with a sarcastic shrug, recapping the liquor and allowing his feathers to take the bottle and put everything neatly away. She took a sip, and her mother gave him a tight smile in return.

"Ah, yes, that was silly of me," she said, her words strained, and Keigo almost laughed as Y/N let out a content-sounding sigh.

"Very, but I am sure a mistake like that won't happen again. I'll make sure Y/N gets whatever she asks for, though, don't worry," he said with a smile, blinking his eyes at her innocently as she just stared at him. He watched as she clutched her fists so tightly her knuckles were turning white. He was starting to bother her, good. Just how far could he push this? He was just about to open his mouth when another set of footsteps drew his attention back to the doorway that led to the kitchen, his heart pounding. Fucking around with her mother was one thing, but her father was an entirely different matter. Her hand found his as her father appeared in the doorway, making Keigo blink in surprise.