Just as a warning, this doesn't have anything to do with the actually story line of princess tutu. Nor does it have a place in the time line. It kind of takes place after everything is said and done.
Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING!
Ahiru had a little stuffed duck that she always kept with her. She slept with it and carried it everywhere. It didn't matter if she was traveling, at home, or visiting family, the duck was always there. It was a birthday gift from Fakir and it meant the world to her. Sometimes when she was having a bad day, she would put the duck into her bag and carry the duck without anyone noticing. You see, the duck, in her eyes, protected her when Fakir couldn't. The Duck chased off the nightmares and placed happy dreams in her mind. That duck cold make her feel better in two seconds flat.
One day, Fakir planed to take Ahiru on a surprise camping trip. He had packed anything he thought she would need.
That did not include a small, stuffed duck.
"Fakir where are we going?" Ahiru asked a little nervous. They had been driving for a while, what they were doing out there Ahiru didn't have the foggiest idea.
"You'll see. Be patient," Fakir said with a small smile.
"But you have been saying that for the last 2 hours!" Ahiru whined.
"just enjoy the ride moron."
And that ended that. Or Fakir wished it had. It did stop her whining, but now she was yelling.
"I AM NOT A MORON! YOUR THE ONE WHO'S TAKING ME OUT HERE! COULDN'T THIS BE CONSIDERED A KIDNAPING?!"
Fakir rubbed his face with his left hand.
"TWO HANDS ON THE STEERING WHEEL!" Ahiru screeched still not completely comfortable in cars.
Fakir pulled over to the side of the road so that he could rub his face with both hands "Please stop yelling Ahiru."
"I won't yell if you tell me where we are going." She pouted with her hands on her hips. She actually felt like she would win this one. Few arguments were won by Ahiru, since Fakir had a bigger vocabulary and knew more. All he had to do was say where they were going.
Fakir felt different about the situation. He hadn't lost the last 5 arguments in a row, he wasn't about to break that streak just yet.
Fakir had an idea. He had a plan.
"So you want to know where we are going?' He asked slowly leaning towards Ahiru.
"Yeah, that's all," Ahiru noticed him getting closer and scooted away
Fakir, clearly the taller person, kept getting closer and closer, "that's all?"
Ahiru nodded having run out of room to scoot away. "Yes," her voice was a little more than a squeak.
There mouths were millimeters away. Fakir was so close, he could feel the fast heartbeat of the duck like girl in front of him.
"Unfortunately, that information is not yet available to you." Fakir said with a small smile.
That's where things went wrong. At that exact moment, Fakir's phone rang. Poor Ahiru, already a bit wound up, jumped in surprise. Closing the small gap between her and Fakir's mouth.
It only lasted for about 3 seconds, but Fakir jumped back like he had been burned. That had not been part of the plan.
But that doesn't mean he didn't secretly enjoy it
Fast forward to night. Ahiru has already found where the place Fakir was taking her is and had pushed Fakir accidentally into a near by creak in excitement. They are unpacking. Ahiru realizes that since she is not the one who packed her things, then a certain security item probably won't be there. There is two tents one, one for each person, and they are about to head off to bed.
"Well, I'm beat," Fakir said stretching out, " All of your yelling has made me tired."
"That was technically your fault. All you had to do was tell me where we were going," Ahiru mumbled.
Fakir hid a small smile and walked off to his tent. Ahiru, telling herself that there was no point in staying out by herself any longer, walked (closer to sprinted) to see if her stuffed duck had come along for their fantastic journey. She gave a deflated sigh when she found the answer to her question.
Ahiru started to rock back and forth. She hadn't slept with out that duck in about 2 years, and she didn't remember how to sleep by her self. That stuffed Duck had protected her! Now who would chase away the nightmares? Heaven knows that she had a lot.
Ahiru shook her head. She was just being silly. She would be fine. She rolled over and went to sleep.
And that's when the nightmares came.
Blurry people, surrounded in shadows, came a whispered about her.
"Look at her. She is crying, should we help?"
"She isn't worth it. What has she done in her life that deserves help?"
"Your right, let's leave her."
People came and people went. None stopped to help this poor girl. But Ahiru was a little used to it, as long as she had Fakir.
Suddenly, the person in question was standing before her.
He had a look on his face that she had only seen one other time in her life.
"Mytho got the easy part. Why did I get stuck with a dumb, useless, clumsy, bird? I wish I had just left you in the lake of despair."
Ahiru bolted awake a few seconds before the tears stared to flow. At first the were quiet, then she was all out sobbing. Was that what he truly thought? Did he think that getting her back from the lake of despair was too much trouble? Was he regretting the promise that he made to her, that he would stay by her side? At these thoughts, the sobs became louder and uncontrolled.
Ahiru heard the sound of footsteps approaching, and rolled onto her side to pretend like she was sleeping. She held her breath as the tent flap opened.
"Ahiru," Fakir whispered, "are you okay? I thought I heard crying."
Ahiru didn't respond, trying to control her breath like she was just asleep. She heard Fakir shrug and closed the tent flap. She heard his receding footsteps shortly after. Before she could stop herself, Ahiru exhaled. Sounding like a high pitch squeal of anguish.
3 seconds flat.
That's how long it took for Fakir to be by her side.
2 seconds.
Was how long took to have him prop her up and have his strong arms envelope her in a comforting hug.
1/2 second.
That all time it took Ahiru to stop struggling and surrender to being comforted by the very being that was the reason she needed to be comforted.
But this was the real version.
"Ahiru, what is it?" He muttered through her thick hair.
She was silent.
"Was it a bad dream?" he asked
Shoot. Why is he so good at guessing? Ahiru thought still not answering.
"Did a different version of me talk down to you? Or say that he regretted making the promise i made to stay by your side?"
Despite her current feelings and thoughts, Ahiru looked up at him in amazement. "Are you physic? Magical?" She asked over awed. "How did you know?"
Fakir turned a shade of red that surpassed Autumn leaves easily. He muttered something into her hair. Too soft for her to hear.
"What was that?" She asked politely. Half sensing the uncomfortableness of this topic for Fakir.
"I have similar dreams..."Fakir whispered only a fraction louder. But this time Ahiru heard him. Loud and clear.
She returned the comforting hug. It was kind of awkward since they were sitting, but neither cared at that point in time.
" I would never say something like that to you, you know."
Fakir smirked into her hair," Same, moron."
Normally that insult would not have passed. But it was soft this time, gentle, like he really didn't mean it.
The two broke off from there hug, and sat in companionable silence for a little while until, surprisingly, Fakir broke it.
"Do you have these dreams often?" He asked, quiet curious.
"I used to, but the stuffed duck you gave me chases them away now." Ahiru said before she thought about what she was saying. She closed her eyes and waited for the teasing.
Teasing that never came.
" You kept that? Wow." There was obvious pleasure in Fakir's voice. The realization, "ohhh... I didn't pack it... this is my fault."
"no, no. Its fine."
"Do you have something that keeps the nightmares away?" Ahiru asked more to change the subject then anything.
"Nah, I don't have a stuffed duck or anything..."he trailed off, suddenly getting a gleam in his eye that Ahiru wasn't sure she liked the look of.
"Your name means Duck. Did you know that?" He asked. She nodded not sure where he was going with this.
"And if the duck that I gave you chases the nightmares away, it stands to reason that I should have the same power. Right?"
"I guess so..."
Without another word, Fakir pulled her close to him, wrapped his arms around her and settled down. He pulled a cover over the two. Ahiru, to his delight, did not try to squirm away from him, but accepted it.
"Fakir?" She asked.
"Shhhhhh..." he replied, "I'm asleep."
"Okay."
When he thought she had finally fallen asleep, he muttered quietly into her hair, " I will always be there for you."
Surprising him, she turned around and quickly kissed him on the lips before turning back over.
That was her way of saying that she would return the favor. And it had been part of the plan this time.
Ahiru's plan at least.
Al-righty. I am done. This was just a quick fluff one shot. I personally think there should have been more between these two characters in the actual anime. So I made it myself. Kinda sloppy and a little quirky, but I tried my best. :3 please be kind enough to leave a review.
-525Clouds