So, my adorable friend Lizzy gave me the prompt "peacock" for a NYSM fic. This is what happened ten minutes later.
"On the count of three, you'll wake up, and for the rest of today, whenever you think of Henley in anything resembling a romantic way, you're going to imitate a male peacock during mating season, for a five-minute period."
Danny snapped awake, dimly aware of the sound of snapping fingers, to find Merritt grinning in his face.
"What the- get away from me, you look like you're trying that thing¸ don't even-"He stammered, scrunching up in his airplane seat as much as he could. Merritt just grinned even more creepily, before abruptly getting up and moving away.
He stopped to allow Henley past him in the aisleway; she looked very pretty today, hair curled into long ringlets, trademark gloves on under a casual blue hoodie, and a sunny smile gracing her features. She moved towards the rear cabin where Danny was sitting, and Merritt pulled his sleeve back to glance at his watch for a long moment. Not ten seconds later, Henley's tone of disbelief colored the phrase "What the hell?" and a strange mewing sound was heard, accompanying some shuffling noises.
Bracing himself for the tears that would come from the laughter, Merritt bit his lip as he headed back into the cabin. "What's up?" Before the words had left his lips, Henley was doubled over laughing, trying to point at Danny, who was strutting about the cabin while bobbing his head and making the strange noise. Jack was pulling his headphones off, a look of complete bewilderment on his face.
"Is he a turkey or something?" Jack asked.
"I believe he's a male peacock," Merritt explained, arms folded as he watched bemusedly.
"Merritt, did you do this?" Henley had a gloved hand partially covering her mouth, eyes squinted with laughter.
"I have no idea what you mean, beautiful," Merritt was smug, settling back into his seat with a playboy magazine, tipping his hat back on his forehead.
A moment later, Danny froze, rubbing his forehead in confusion. "What was I saying?"
The other three Horsemen said nothing, all stifling laughter and feigning ignorance.
"What was that?" Henley asked in a choked voice, her face hidden behind a back-issue of Elle.
"Uh…never mind," Danny was blinking as he returned to his seat, and Merritt caught him shaking his head a couple times as if to clear it.
They had just reached their latest hotel, and Merritt and Henley were checking in at the front desk when a mewing sound began to echo around the lobby. Turning slowly, they were not surprised to see Danny flapping his crooked-elbows, bobbing his head as he moved around the room. Eyebrows were raised all through the room, tourists and staff alike staring. Jack, who had been standing next to Danny, was slowly edging away, embarrassment etched on his face. Danny was oblivious, seemingly very focused on an accurate interpretation of male peacock behavior.
"That makes seventeen," Merritt remarked, pulling out a small notebook and scribbling in another tally mark next to sixteen others. "Who woulda thought he thought of you that often?"
Henley glanced at him sharply. "What?"
Merritt just nodded knowingly, wriggling his eyebrows. "I wonder if we should alleviate his suffering, and make a matching pair."
The redhead grabbed her bag and scurried to the elevator as quickly as she could, but the mewing was still audible when the doors closed. Midnight couldn't come soon enough.
Thanks for the laughs, Lizzy! *meows* ~Bon