A Taste For Chicken

Elementia - Part 3 (NSFW)

Hawks was parked in front of the mirror, tugging at the hem of his black t-shirt, then adjusting his khaki pants. Casual but cool—that was the vibe. As he looked at the bottles of cologne scattered on the counter, he frowned, unsure which one to choose. Sure, Halcyon hadn’t exactly agreed to go out with him yet, but maybe if he just showed up and asked again, she'd say yes.

He grabbed his phone and dialed Kiwi’s number, running a comb through his hair as it rang. When Kiwi picked up, her voice was as bright and playful as ever.

"Oi! What’s up, hot bird?"

Hawks grinned, feeling that familiar nervous flutter in his stomach. "Hey, Kiwi. What kind of cologne does Halcyon like?" He asked then chuckled, "You know, if a guy was, uh, trying to impress her?"

There was a brief pause before Kiwi erupted into laughter. Hawks chuckled along again, even though his nerves were kicking in.

"Hang on," Kiwi said, and he could hear her muffling the phone, "Oi, Hally, what kinda cologne you like on a guy?"

In the background, he heard Halcyon scoff and laugh, her voice getting closer as she snatched the phone. "Don’t wear any," she teased. Then, with a playful edge, she added, "You don’t need it."

The line went dead. Hawks stood there for a moment, his head tipping back toward the ceiling with his hand over his eyes and a big goofy grin spreading across his face. His heart raced with excitement, and for a moment, he just basked in the feeling.

After finishing, he made his way to Halcyon’s door. His wings fluttered nervously behind him as he knocked with the back of his knuckles. When the door swung open, he couldn’t stop the smile that tugged at his lips. She stood there in a flowy top and tight shorts, looking stunning. The little star-shaped earrings dangling from her ears caught his eye, and he reached out to touch one lightly.

"You look absolutely adorable," he said with a grin.

She huffed, crossing her arms and said, "I wasn’t going for cute."

He leaned in closer, lowering his voice to a teasing rasp right in her ear, "If you’d rather hear my real thoughts, I’d be glad to share."

She shoved him playfully, her cheeks flushed as she sprinted for the stairs. "Shut up, birdbrain!"

Laughing, Hawks spread his wings and swooped down ahead of her, landing gracefully at the bottom of the stairs just in time for her to run straight into him. They both stumbled a little, still laughing as they hurried outside.

"So," Halcyon asked as they stepped into the cool evening air, "where are we going?"

Hawks shrugged, grinning, "Wherever you wanna go. As long as it’s with you, I’m good."

She smirked at him, rolling her eyes, but he caught the small genuine smile she tried to hide. They walked together, already throwing out ideas about where to go, the excitement buzzing between them. Tonight was going to be something special—Hawks could feel it.

As the two of them strolled through the city, the night unfolded like a dream. The streets were alive with lights and sounds, but all he could focus on was her—every laugh, every sideways glance, and every flicker of her eyelashes felt like it was meant for him alone. The air seemed lighter, colors more vivid, and even though the distant hum of the nightlife surrounded them, it felt like there was an invisible soundtrack playing just for the two of them. He swore he could hear music even in the quiet, a melody that seemed to float between them as they walked hand in hand.

They wandered from place to place, neither one settling right away, but neither in a rush. Hawks let himself get lost in the moment. His wings twitched with excitement every time she made a face, every time she said something sassy, and every time her fingers brushed against his. There was something electric in the air between them, a kind of unspoken bond that had never felt this strong before.