Summer Birdie

R

As soon as morning came, you quickly changed the bedsheets and took a long hot shower. No one needed to know what you did yesterday night, and cleaning the evidence was the first step in covering your tracks. Once refreshed, you go downstairs to the decrepit husk of your mother hunching over the coffee table, completely hung over from the night before. In the corner was Hawks, who was already up.

"The bathroom's free, if you need to use it." You say, rubbing the towel on your damp hair and about but blushes at the sight of you. "You alright, your face is red?"

"I'm fine!" Hawks blurts defensively, grabbing essentials from his bag before waddling to the stairway. You block his way and pull him down to your level, placing your forehead on his to feel his temperature. A little hot, but nothing serious. "W-what?"

"Just checking." You beam, pecking his nose with a small kiss before pulling away. You feel your heart skip a beat, was that too little bold? You think watching as he zooms up the stairs and disappears into the bathroom. You walk over to the kitchen counter and make her, Hawks and yourself cups of coffee. You place your mother's in front of her.

"Thanks, you're a star..." She gurgles, her eyes bloodshot red with bags under her eyes.

"Do you need to call sick for work today?" You ask, taking a sip of your coffee, it was still hot and you feel it running down your throat warming you up.

"No need, I've been in worse conditions." She smiles rubbing her temples. "Besides, don't want to get in the way of whatever you two have planned today." She winks at you and you blush.

"We don't have plans to do anything!" You say defensively, your mother smirks and shrugs her shoulders at you mouthing 'sure' under her breath. You hide behind your cup of coffee, trying to keep your eye contact away from your mother's. It was nice that she was supportive, but wasn't this a bit much? You peek up only to find your mother's smirk widening.

"I said we've not got plans today!" You blurt. However, your defensiveness only makes her grin widen even more.

"Ah, to be young again." She smiles.

Escaping to the living room, you open up the draws and take out the hair dryer. You couldn't keep eye contact anymore. You dry your hair with your back turned to her and every time you hear her voice you shout over the dryer, "I'm not listening...blah, blah, la~."

You feel fingers curl around yours as you're drying the back of your head.

"Mum, I'm old enough to handle drying my own hair." You look over your shoulder when their fingers don't let go and blush at the sight of Hawks standing over you. You realised that it was he who called you. Your eyes dart over to the table where your mother was now missing.

"I thought I could help you out seeing as you're having a hard time reaching the back." Hawks smiles, sitting behind, his legs either side of you as you relinquish the hair dryer to him. You feel his fingers running gently through your hair. Feeling relaxed you lean into his touch. He switches it off and runs his fingers through your hair one more time making sure it was all dry. You feel him nuzzling into the back of your neck, smelling you. You jump at the touch of his cold damp hair as some trickle down your back. You grab the towel and plop it back onto his head drying until it's damp.

"Hey!" He cried, as you rub the towel around his hair so he can't see your blushing face. "Not so rough!"

You both laugh and you grab the hair dryer back from him. "My turn to help you."

He doesn't object and sits at the edge of the sofa where you were and leans his head back. He was much taller than you and you have to kneel to reach. Feeling his hair between your fingers felt like feathers, it was light and soft and slowly addictive to play with. He too relaxes at your touch as you gently comb your fingers through his hair finding damp spots to dry. Leaning closer you can smell a hint of oak, was he using different shampoo? As you lean closer your leg brushes up against his wings which were also damp. You turn off the hair dryer and put it down beside him.

"What are you-" He shudders as your fingers run down his wings.

"If I blow dry your wings would it damage them?" Hawks turns to you his eyes wide. "I-I just read somewhere that birds have to air dry because the hair dryer will damage the skin and make it itchy and gross..."

Hawks looks away, putting a hand on his mouth and blushes slightly. "Thank you for being so considerate, but I never tried, can never really reach." He tries to demonstrate by stretching backwards. "See, can't reach."

"I can help with that." You offer and pick up the hair dryer again, "if you don't mind." He gives you the 'OK' and you turn the heat setting down to the lowest and gently begin to blow dry his wings. They were so soft. A few minutes go by and you realise that all his feathers were now dry but your fingers were still playing with the feathers closest to his back, the softest feathers.

The room falls silent as you turn the hair dryer off. You don't even hear the initial question as you face plant right between his shoulder blades, nuzzling into his soft feathers.

"Sum-sum, what are you doing?" You can hear him flustered and you nuzzle more into his wings. You were feeling a little more bold since he couldn't see you too were blushing and hold on so that he couldn't turn around to see you.

"They're so soft and warm..." You whisper, "I can stay like this forever..."

From his back you can hear his heartbeat picking up the pace, beating frantically against his chest and reverberating to his back. You notcie his shoulders were broad accomadating his wings with the width and the lean muscles that his shirt clung too were all the more visible when he moves his wings about. Suddenly, the wings wrap around you and tucks you closely to Hawks' back. As he stands he picks you up with him. You felt like a baby swan inside of mother swan's wings.

"I'm not too heavy am I?"

"Don't be daft, you're as light as a feather."

You giggle a little at the circumstance, trapped in between his wings. Reminds you of those cat carriers that doubles as a backpack. You snuggle up into him, wrapping your arms round him and take a deep breath in, remembering his scent.

Hearing footsteps coming down the stairs you're about to let go and come out of the feathery prison when you feel his wings press you closer into him, like a child with their favourite toy.

"Heading off to work?"

"Yes, I have the afternoon shift with the adults," You can hear your mother frantically running around the living room grabbing her car keys, and her bags. "Last minute, tell Chi-chan that I'll be back late."

"No problem, have a nice day!"

You hear the door close. You pop your head out from his wings and rest your chin on his shoulder. "Why didn't you tell her that I was here?"

"She never asked, Chi-chan."

"Lay off!" You pout. "I didn't make that nickname, my brother did and it just kinda stuck..."

"Why don't you just pick a different name?"

"You don't choose what name you're given...I just got stuck with this one."

"Well, if you ever change your name, I hope I can contribute to that."

You feel the blood rushing to your face instantaniously. "How can you say that so boldly?!"

You retreat back into this wings, your face burning with flustered embarassment. You feel him place you down on the sofa before facing you, a coy smile on his face. "You've also been rather bold today, it's time I returned a favour."

He hands you your coffee mug and clinks it with his own. You take a sip and cower behind it not making eye contact with him anymore. You pout and look away. He joins you on the sofa sitting beside you and pulls you in with one of his wings so that you couldn't refuse.

"Why, from all places, did you come to mine this weekend?" You blurt out flustered, trying to redirect the attention. "From all your friends, why me?"

"Simple." He says instantly, "Once I knew it was safe to come and see you, I knew that I'd never let you go again."