Title: Gökotta

For: HS World Cup Bonus Round 2

Prompt: JohnDavesprite /Gökotta (Swedish) - to wake up early in the morning with the purpose of going outside to hear the first birds sing.

Character/Pairing: John Davesprite

A/N: I know crows don't do this, but I couldn't resist Bird!Davesprite

Summary: Sometimes, John swears his friends are more animal than human.

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John wakes up to screeching. Well, not exactly screeching. More like a mix of cawing and speaking, but at an excessive volume. He starts to fall asleep again when the sound repeats.

He almost expects Jade to barge into his room, confused, but then he remembers that she sleeps like the dead. Nothing short of a meteor would wake her up and even that's not a guarantee.

It's up to him, then, to investigate the strange noise.

Fortunately, or unfortunately for his ears, the source is close. In a room with fake sunlight and Jade's favourite plants, he finds Davesprite. More bird than human, he cries again.

It reminds John of those times Jade is more dog than girl. More predator than friend. A feral grin on her face and he can almost picture her baring her fangs at him.

The crow that makes Davesprite is nowhere near as scary, just annoying. John's not entirely certain what he's doing until he thinks of the time and realizes that's the crack of dawn.

No wonder he's so tired.

"What are you doing?" His voice cracks as he speaks, and sluggishly he rubs his throat.

Davesprite looks surprised—to see him or to be caught, John isn't sure. The birdman's been avoiding him for weeks now, so maybe it's a mix of the two.

Another thing to talk to him about—they are the only three people on this ship. There are only so many conversations he can have with Jade before he wants a little Dave. Davesprite. Whatever.

"I…Nothing," Dave says, an obvious evasion. Maybe the crow is more dominate in the morning, the way the dog is in the evenings.

"That is the loudest nothing I've ever heard."

Davesprite looks away awkwardly. He can't seem to look at John too long these days—John isn't sure if it's because his John is dead, Jade broke up with him, or something else.

"Do you do this every day? I need ear plugs."

"No, just sometimes. The bird wants out, so I give it a little walk and put it back in its cage." Davesprite sounds a little more normal now.

"You going to eat birdseed too now?"

"Like I could handle shit like that—it's not even food."

John sees something glint in Davesprite's hand. "Are those my keys?"

"Huh?" Davesprite looks down at his hand in surprise, then drops it. "How?"

"Kelptomanic," John answers, before teasing, "You sure you're giving the crow a little walk and not the other way around?"

"No—"

"You building yourself a nest somewhere?"

"I'm—"

"Then you'll want to lay eggs next."

"I'm not—SQAWK!" Davesprite covers his mouth, flustered. Despite his orange skin, he's turning red and John can't stop laughing.

He shouldn't. But he just can't help it.

He'll apologize later.

But after one last prank.

He wakes up the next morning to an angry yell. Davesprite must have found the worms then.