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Gwen had returned to New York yesterday morning.
Helen had prepared a lavish dinner and was waiting at home for both of them.
But Hawk hadn't shown up.
So, Gwen had lied.
"Wait, what?"
"I had diarrhea and missed my flight?"
On the drive to the Stacy apartment, loaded with gifts, Hawk glanced at Gwen in the passenger seat. She was looking down, biting her lip, clearly trying not to laugh. "This is what you call a harmless little white lie?"
Gwen looked up at Hawk.
"It's better than saying you broke a bone. Hey, guess what—this time you don't even need a cast."
"I'd rather have the cast."
"I didn't say I'd play nurse this time."
"I'd still rather you said I tripped at the airport and broke something."
Hawk shook his head helplessly. "A cast would just make me less mobile. But you saying I missed my flight because of diarrhea? That's social suicide."
Gwen blinked.
"No one's going to know, Hawk."
"Doesn't matter."
Hawk shook his head, firmly rejecting the excuse. "When we get there, if anyone asks, you say it was actually you but you were too embarrassed."
Gwen, sitting in the passenger seat, glanced at Hawk's face, which was written all over with resistance to this excuse.
"Not even if I agree to wear that nurse outfit you bought?"
"...Gulp."
Hawk fell silent, swallowing hard, and looked at Gwen, whose lips curved into an enticing smile.
Gwen winked at him.
"It's a rare opportunity."
"...You're blackmailing me."
"Yes, Mr. Phoenix. I am blackmailing you."
"Jesus."
Hawk parked the car, looked across the street at the apartment building, then at his fiancée smiling in the passenger seat. He closed his eyes. All he could see was Gwen in that pink nurse outfit. He took a deep breath, opened his eyes again, and looked at her. "I just figured out why you wouldn't tell me this at home. Why you refused to shower with me this afternoon."
Gwen looked at Hawk with a radiant smile.
Hawk sighed.
"Add another one."
"What?"
"The cop uniform."
Hawk stared at Gwen intently. "Add the police uniform, and I'll take the blame. Otherwise, I'm backing out."
Once again, He'd never hidden his identity or planned to.
Hawk wanted to play the overwhelming power route. Like in Forks, when he'd used his reputation to make the Original Vampire Klaus back down.
But Gwen liked him playing the undercover route instead.
So, If Gwen wanted him to keep a low profile, she needed to show some sincerity.
One costume to make him take the blame for missing a flight due to diarrhea?
How could that be allowed?
At least two.
Gwen's expression went from surprise to amusement. She extended her right hand.
"DEAL."
"DEAL."
After shaking hands with Gwen, Hawk opened the car door and headed toward the trunk, glancing back at Gwen as she climbed out of the passenger seat. "You know, if you'd held out a little, I would've accepted just one."
Gwen smiled at Hawk. "I know. But my bottom line was actually three. After all, you bought three sets of costumes, didn't you?"
Hawk, who had just opened the trunk, froze at those words and looked at Gwen.
Gwen's smile widened even more.
Top floor of the apartment building.
The door opened.
Helen, who answered the door, saw Hawk standing outside holding two bags of gifts. Her face lit up, and she opened her arms to hug him.
"Oh, Hawk! Happy New Year!"
"Happy New Year, Ma'am."
Hawk smiled back. After entering, he extended his right hand to George, who was already waiting in the living room. "Happy New Year, Sir."
George, habitually playing the stern patriarch, gave a stoic grunt.
"Happy New Year."
"Dad!"
Gwen stepped forward with a bright smile, replacing Hawk and hugging George.
George's serious poker face instantly blossomed like a flower.
Hawk watched this scene, walked to the side, and whispered to his future mother-in-law Helen, "I've always thought George not pulling his gun and shooting me when he found out I was dating Gwen showed incredible restraint."
Helen shook her head, smiling at Hawk.
"Wrong. That was a miracle."
"...I agree."
Hawk thought about it, nodding solemnly at his future mother-in-law's words, then looked around the somewhat empty living room. "Where are Howard and Simon?"
Helen's smile instantly vanished. She let out a cold laugh. "Their rooms. Doing homework. School starts tomorrow, and neither of them has finished their assignments yet."
Public schools with their happy education naturally had no homework—or very little.
But elite private schools? Homework wasn't just plentiful. It was cutthroat.
Hawk was genuinely surprised.
"No way."
"Yes way. They're in there frantically writing as we speak. I told them if they don't give me a miracle tonight, I'll give them a miracle tomorrow morning."
Helen laughed coldly.
She was baffled. Gwen was also her child, yet Gwen had never needed supervision. Straight-A student, scholarship winner every year.
But when it came to Gwen's two younger brothers, Howard and Simon?
Good grief.
Helen felt like she was losing her mind.
"Hawk."
"Yeah?"
"When you and Gwen have kids, have daughters."
Hawk shook his head, looking at Helen with a smile. "We're having both. Three of each. Gwen said we'd leave them all with you. She'll provide the money. After all, you've got experience."
Helen raised an eyebrow.
"Is that so? Gwen said that?"
"Yes. I swear, Mrs. Stacy."
"Very good."
Helen took a deep breath, then looked at her dear daughter, who was sitting on the couch showing vacation photos to George. Her smile was brilliant. "Gwen."
Gwen turned her head.
"Mom, what's up?"
"Come to the bedroom with me. We need to talk."
Helen smiled, walked to the couch, took the somewhat confused Gwen's right hand, and led her upstairs.
Gwen, being pulled along by her mother, looked back at Hawk.
Hawk gave Gwen a look that said "you're on your own."
That's what you get for cutting my costume count.
I can't deal with you, but someone can.
Hawk smiled at the thought.
And then, He realized something. With Gwen and Helen—the family's social lubricants—now in the bedroom, and Howard and Simon—the atmosphere generators—in their rooms attempting a miracle, the living room was down to just him and George.
It seemed the temperature in the room had suddenly dropped several degrees.
Hawk looked at George sitting on the couch.
George, projecting the authority of a patriarch and future father-in-law, was also looking at Hawk.
Their eyes met.
Hawk looked away first, sat down on the adjacent couch, coughed, and chose to break the silence.
"Gwen said you were working a case on Christmas. Is it wrapped up yet?"
"Not yet."
George was economical with words.
"Oh."
Hawk nodded in understanding, then had no idea what else to say.
After all, the times he and George had been alone were few and far between. Most—no, ninety-nine point nine percent—of the time, Gwen was present.
The reason it wasn't one hundred percent? Because right now, Gwen wasn't here.
Just then—
"Ahem."
George, sitting on the couch, also coughed and looked at Hawk. "Gwen said you had diarrhea at the airport yesterday and missed your flight. Are you feeling better? Did you go to the hospital?"
Hawk's mouth twitched imperceptibly.
"Just ate something bad. I'm fine now."
"You should get checked out at a hospital."
"Ah."
George looked at Hawk seriously. "Have you had your physical this year?"
Hawk instinctively shook his head. Was he kidding? With his level of physical fitness, he needed a checkup?
Unless Earth exploded, he wasn't dying.
Wait—
Even if Earth exploded, he'd be perfectly fine.
"No."
"You should get one."
George seemed to have prepared for this. He pulled out a business card and handed it to Hawk. "Dr. Mary at New Amsterdam Hospital is a friend of mine. When you have time, go get checked out."
Hawk took the card George handed him, and under George's serious gaze, he instinctively nodded.
He looked at the card in his hand, then at George, who had returned his attention to the TV program after saying his piece. For some reason, Hawk suddenly felt like George had been looking at him with the expression of a father who didn't want his daughter to become a young widow.
Oh no.
George didn't actually think he was one of those guys who looked strong on the outside but was weak on the inside—someone who might not be able to make his daughter happy—so he was sending him to his doctor friend for a checkup to verify, did he?
Hawk's thoughts churned, and his mouth couldn't help twitching again.
After dinner, on the drive back to Bleecker Street—
The air was dead silent.
Gwen sat in the passenger seat, arms crossed, face set.
Hawk, driving, glanced over.
"Tonight I want the cop uniform."
"..."
Gwen's composure instantly cracked. She actually laughed in exasperation, looking at Hawk. "I'm angry, Hawk. Mom lectured me. When did I ever say I wanted three boys and three girls and that Mom should help raise them?"
Hawk calmly glanced at Gwen, then pulled the business card for Dr. Mary from his pocket and handed it to her.
"This is Dr. Mary's card."
Gwen took it, glanced at the card, somewhat curious. "Why are you giving me this?"
Hawk's tone was flat.
"Your father gave it to me."
"Dad? Why would he give you Dr. Mary's card?"
"He wants me to go see Dr. Mary for a physical."
"Out of nowhere, why would he—"
Gwen instinctively frowned, then halfway through her sentence seemed to realize something. Her expression turned strange as she looked at Hawk.
Hawk met Gwen's gaze.
"So... Officer Stacy, is that acceptable?"
"Acceptable..."
Gwen nodded, biting her lip.
Then, Gwen looked at Hawk.
"So when are you going for that physical?"
"Shut up!"
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