*Cookies and Vanilla*
Ani-Usagi
Rachel turned away from the history outline she was writing, and noticed the familiar red-tailed hawk resting on her sill. "What about Cookies And Vanilla?" she asked, turning back to finish writing her sentence down.
*You asked me what my favorite flavor of ice cream was. I couldn't remember. Now I do. Cookies and Vanilla.*
Laughing, Rachel marked her place in the book. "You came all the way here to tell me that?"
*Well.. I just felt like seeing you. If you're busy, I can go..*
"Shut up Tobias." she replied, already getting up. She walked to her door, checking the coast was clear. Shutting it behind her, she motioned for to Tobias it was okay for him to morph. A few moments later, he emerged, looking as uncomfortable as usual with his human body. Seeing him always did this strange thing to Rachel. As usual, she found herself wanting to hug him, and reassure herself he could be normal.. that she wasn't crazy. She wasn't hanging out with birds.
"So do you have any?" he asked, grinning.
"Have what?" Rachel asked, embarassed to be caught staring.
Shaking his head, Tobias laughed. "Cookies and Vanilla. Do you have any?"
"Oh.. uh.. I don't know. I'll go check. DON'T touch anything." she added, forgetting for a moment that she normally didn't let boys come hang out in her room. Not even ones that were hawks a few minutes prior.
"I promise! Oh hey, what's in this top drawer..." he teased her.
Giggling, Rachel made her way into the kitchen. Hoping Sara or Jordan didn't hear her, she began rummaging through their freezer. It was winter, so there really wasn't much of a selection in ice cream. A few minutes later, she entered her room again, clutching a huge carton and two spoons.
Tobias was over near her bookshelf, admiring all the books she kept. Physically, Rachel didn't look like the type who read a lot. Just goes to show you how different she is.. Tobias thought, smiling wryly.
"Hey.. oh, sorry, all we have is Strawberry." she apologized, handing him a spoon. He picked it up, deftly playing with it.
"I miss silverware." he said, absent-mindedly. "It's a great thing.."
Rachel couldn't help but laugh. "Now, see, I would miss something more like.. oh, I don't know.. shoes?"
Laughing, he took the carton from her eagerly. The first spoonful was enough to send his tastebuds reeling. Sweet, he realized. When was the last time he had something sweet? Mice weren't exactly sugar-coated. Blissfully, he closed his eyes as he ate the next spoonful. Rachel watched him, an amused and slightly sympathetic look across her facial features.
"Oh man.. this is the best. Thanks Rachel." he told her.
"No problem. I'm always ready to lend my frozen desserts to a friend in need." she told him, brushing the hair back from her face as she tenatively took a small bite.
They ate in silence, just enjoying each others company.
"Hey, you have some.. on your cheek.." Rachel told him.
He reached up with awkward fingers and tried to brush it off. "Did I get it?"
Laughing, she shook her head as he kept trying. "Let me help," she finally told him. Gently dabbing at his face with the edge of her T-shirt, she wiped the remaining ice cream off. Their eyes locked, and for a moment, they were both powerless, unable to move.
"Rachel.." Tobias said quietly, moving closer. Sometimes, simply looking at each other was enough to send him into an emotional current.
"Yeah?" she whispered back, as he reached over to brush her hair back.
He answered her by pressing his lips to hers, eagerly, urgently. She returned the kiss, and he felt his entire body surrender. Soft and full, he realized, as he gently brushed his lips with hers. Everything about Rachel was soft..physically. He could control himself during Animorphs meetings, and school dances.. because there were others around.
But now they were alone and the curbing presence was gone.
Tobias slid his tongue into Rachel's mouth, probing and exploring gently. She responded without hesitation, mirroring his actions. She reached up and ran feather-light fingertips along the arch of his ear, caressing his earlobe gently, before moving down his neck and tracing a light pattern around the collar of his t-shirt. Gasping, he broke free of her lips. She took advantage of the opportunity and kissed the pulse point under his jaw. Then, nuzzling and licking softly, she covered his throat and neck with kisses.
He caught her hands, tucked them against his chest and propped himself up on an elbow. He knew from experience that if he allowed her to continue he would become so wound up that he wouldn't be able to control his reactions. He leaned over and kissed her forehead, eyes, temples, cheeks, nose, and chin before returning again to her lips. Slowly and deliberately, he began to use his right hand to gently caress her body.
"Rach.." he mumured, as he continued to trail his fingers along the smooth skin of her stomach. She closed her eyes as his lips sought hers again. She returned the kiss hungrily, followed by a dozen more, reassuring herself that he was here, with her. He held her tightly, burying his face in her hair, and allowed the sense of her presence to penetrate his soul.
After a few moments, they broke apart, breathless. Neither spoke, they just lied together, entangled.
Gently shifting his position, Tobias reached for Rachel's hand and intertwined their fingers gently. She gazed up at him, then at their hands, joined together. Smiling, she sat up and kissed each of his fingers softly, letting her lips linger on the tip of his thumb.
"So..um.." she began."
"Um yourself." Tobias replied, grinning. Rachel couldn't help but enjoy seeing him happy. It seemed nothing ever did..
"Tobias?" she asked, tenatively. Get a grip, she told herself. You're normally fearless, and you've let one guy turn you into a total walking ball of nerves? But this isn't just any guy, she admonished. It's Tobias.
"Hmmm?" he said, as he let his fingers fall around her waist gently, pulling her even closer to him. He loved being this close to her. He loved that if he turned his head the slightest bit, he could bury his face in her long, golden hair and just breathe in the scent of her.
"What happens now?" she blurted out.
Tobias lifted his head and looked into her eyes. They looked back at him, urgent and hopeful all at once. Sighing, he pulled away and ran his fingers through his unruly hair.
"I.. don't know." he admitted, at last. He winced, seeing the way her face fell and shoulders heaved.
"No, wait, Rach, that's not what I meant." he continued.
Turning her head, Rachel bit down on her bottom lip, trying to ignore the pangs of hurt already making their way into her heart. Tobias reached over and placed a hand under her chin, forcing her to look back up at him. She lifted her gaze, and couldn't help admiring his human form. Funny, this is the only true way she pictured Tobias. The disheveled hair, the richness of color in his eyes, it all came together to form one of the most, incredible faces she had ever seen.
"I mean.. I can't.. I shouldn't.. " Tobias stuttered, searching for words that would convey everything his soul wanted to say, without doing anything stupid. "I love you, Rachel." he finished, solemnly.
"And not as a friend, okay? Because it's not even.. remotely close to a friendship love. It's, I can't get to sleep at night, because I'm so busy replaying every conversation we ever had in my head. When I see you smiling, all I can do is smile too, because seeing you happy does this, intense thing to me, you know? And when you're around other guys? It sucks being a bird, because, I want to run over there and make sure they know, hey, don't even think about it, she's too good for you. Which is why I love being with you, and I hate it.. because.."
He exhaled deeply, and looked down at the floor before he completed his sentence.. "I'm not good enough for you either."
Rachel looked at him, stunned. She hadn't known, had no idea he felt this way. Her entire being cried out with the urge to pull him into her arms and let him get rid of every ounce of pain inside of him. She covered her face with her hands, unable to cry, because that wasn't something Rachel did.
Tobias reached out with his arm and caught one of her hands, pulling it gently away from her face. "Don't cry, Rach," he begged. "It's okay. There's no reason for you to cry."
She dropped her other hand and stared at him out of huge, bewildered eyes. "Tobias," she whispered softly, as she reached out a hand to touch his cheek. He didn't even think about it . . . he simply caught her hand in his, turned his head, and kissed her palm tenderly. With a soft, incoherent sound, she flung herself down across his chest, buried her face in his shoulder, and laid there. He gently stroked her hair, neither saying anything.
How could she have not known? Rachel asked herself, feeling both amazingly content, and at the same time, confused.
"I have to tell you something." Rachel told him, distangling herself from his embrace. He nodded, grimacing. Please, please, just don't tell me you think we shouldn't hang out anymore, he mentally prayed. Please.
"I love you." she told him, matter-of-factly, looking directly into his shocked gaze. They had never said the words aloud, and now, it brought on an wonderful feeling of.. content. Gently pushing a stray hair out of his eyes, Rachel laid her head on his shoulder and pulled him closer. She tilted her head back and looked at him. Moving quickly, he caught her mouth with his, kissing her deeply, as if sealing the promise. Her hand reached up, caressing his face, and sliding up into his hair.
Finally, Tobias reluctantly pulled back. He didn't want to stop, but he didn't dare keep up like this. The way his body was responding to her touch was way too thrilling. He tightened his arm around her and laid his cheek against her hair, as she settled her head on his shoulder again.
"Lie down with me," he whispered to her softly. She pulled back slightly and stared at him, startled. "I want to hold you." he explained, simply. She gazed at him, undecided. "Please. . " he continued, his eyes pleading.
Nodding, she found herself lying down. She nestled up against Tobias, resting her head on his shoulder as he whispered, "Pull the blanket and sheet up over you . . . you feel so cold."
"It's only when I'm like this with you I'm warm" she explained, tugging the blankets up over her. Tobias' arm slid around her waist, and he pulled her snugly against his body. She sighed contentedly as she relaxed into his warmth. They laid there, together, for what seemed like hours, but couldn't have been. Glancing down at the beautiful girl snuggled next to him, Tobias was relieved to see she had fallen asleep, a tiny smile playing on her lips.
Tobias gently pulled himself out of Rachel's grasp, and made his way to her bathroom. Demorphing, he stood at the edge of her window for a moment, before lifting his wings and flying away silently.
When Rachel woke up, she was disheartened to find that Tobias was gone. She should have known he would be. Glancing around her room, she noticed a half-melted ice cream carton and two sticky spoons resting on the floor by her bed.
"Oh man.." she grinned wryly, flopping back on her bed.
Ani-Usagi
Rachel turned away from the history outline she was writing, and noticed the familiar red-tailed hawk resting on her sill. "What about Cookies And Vanilla?" she asked, turning back to finish writing her sentence down.
*You asked me what my favorite flavor of ice cream was. I couldn't remember. Now I do. Cookies and Vanilla.*
Laughing, Rachel marked her place in the book. "You came all the way here to tell me that?"
*Well.. I just felt like seeing you. If you're busy, I can go..*
"Shut up Tobias." she replied, already getting up. She walked to her door, checking the coast was clear. Shutting it behind her, she motioned for to Tobias it was okay for him to morph. A few moments later, he emerged, looking as uncomfortable as usual with his human body. Seeing him always did this strange thing to Rachel. As usual, she found herself wanting to hug him, and reassure herself he could be normal.. that she wasn't crazy. She wasn't hanging out with birds.
"So do you have any?" he asked, grinning.
"Have what?" Rachel asked, embarassed to be caught staring.
Shaking his head, Tobias laughed. "Cookies and Vanilla. Do you have any?"
"Oh.. uh.. I don't know. I'll go check. DON'T touch anything." she added, forgetting for a moment that she normally didn't let boys come hang out in her room. Not even ones that were hawks a few minutes prior.
"I promise! Oh hey, what's in this top drawer..." he teased her.
Giggling, Rachel made her way into the kitchen. Hoping Sara or Jordan didn't hear her, she began rummaging through their freezer. It was winter, so there really wasn't much of a selection in ice cream. A few minutes later, she entered her room again, clutching a huge carton and two spoons.
Tobias was over near her bookshelf, admiring all the books she kept. Physically, Rachel didn't look like the type who read a lot. Just goes to show you how different she is.. Tobias thought, smiling wryly.
"Hey.. oh, sorry, all we have is Strawberry." she apologized, handing him a spoon. He picked it up, deftly playing with it.
"I miss silverware." he said, absent-mindedly. "It's a great thing.."
Rachel couldn't help but laugh. "Now, see, I would miss something more like.. oh, I don't know.. shoes?"
Laughing, he took the carton from her eagerly. The first spoonful was enough to send his tastebuds reeling. Sweet, he realized. When was the last time he had something sweet? Mice weren't exactly sugar-coated. Blissfully, he closed his eyes as he ate the next spoonful. Rachel watched him, an amused and slightly sympathetic look across her facial features.
"Oh man.. this is the best. Thanks Rachel." he told her.
"No problem. I'm always ready to lend my frozen desserts to a friend in need." she told him, brushing the hair back from her face as she tenatively took a small bite.
They ate in silence, just enjoying each others company.
"Hey, you have some.. on your cheek.." Rachel told him.
He reached up with awkward fingers and tried to brush it off. "Did I get it?"
Laughing, she shook her head as he kept trying. "Let me help," she finally told him. Gently dabbing at his face with the edge of her T-shirt, she wiped the remaining ice cream off. Their eyes locked, and for a moment, they were both powerless, unable to move.
"Rachel.." Tobias said quietly, moving closer. Sometimes, simply looking at each other was enough to send him into an emotional current.
"Yeah?" she whispered back, as he reached over to brush her hair back.
He answered her by pressing his lips to hers, eagerly, urgently. She returned the kiss, and he felt his entire body surrender. Soft and full, he realized, as he gently brushed his lips with hers. Everything about Rachel was soft..physically. He could control himself during Animorphs meetings, and school dances.. because there were others around.
But now they were alone and the curbing presence was gone.
Tobias slid his tongue into Rachel's mouth, probing and exploring gently. She responded without hesitation, mirroring his actions. She reached up and ran feather-light fingertips along the arch of his ear, caressing his earlobe gently, before moving down his neck and tracing a light pattern around the collar of his t-shirt. Gasping, he broke free of her lips. She took advantage of the opportunity and kissed the pulse point under his jaw. Then, nuzzling and licking softly, she covered his throat and neck with kisses.
He caught her hands, tucked them against his chest and propped himself up on an elbow. He knew from experience that if he allowed her to continue he would become so wound up that he wouldn't be able to control his reactions. He leaned over and kissed her forehead, eyes, temples, cheeks, nose, and chin before returning again to her lips. Slowly and deliberately, he began to use his right hand to gently caress her body.
"Rach.." he mumured, as he continued to trail his fingers along the smooth skin of her stomach. She closed her eyes as his lips sought hers again. She returned the kiss hungrily, followed by a dozen more, reassuring herself that he was here, with her. He held her tightly, burying his face in her hair, and allowed the sense of her presence to penetrate his soul.
After a few moments, they broke apart, breathless. Neither spoke, they just lied together, entangled.
Gently shifting his position, Tobias reached for Rachel's hand and intertwined their fingers gently. She gazed up at him, then at their hands, joined together. Smiling, she sat up and kissed each of his fingers softly, letting her lips linger on the tip of his thumb.
"So..um.." she began."
"Um yourself." Tobias replied, grinning. Rachel couldn't help but enjoy seeing him happy. It seemed nothing ever did..
"Tobias?" she asked, tenatively. Get a grip, she told herself. You're normally fearless, and you've let one guy turn you into a total walking ball of nerves? But this isn't just any guy, she admonished. It's Tobias.
"Hmmm?" he said, as he let his fingers fall around her waist gently, pulling her even closer to him. He loved being this close to her. He loved that if he turned his head the slightest bit, he could bury his face in her long, golden hair and just breathe in the scent of her.
"What happens now?" she blurted out.
Tobias lifted his head and looked into her eyes. They looked back at him, urgent and hopeful all at once. Sighing, he pulled away and ran his fingers through his unruly hair.
"I.. don't know." he admitted, at last. He winced, seeing the way her face fell and shoulders heaved.
"No, wait, Rach, that's not what I meant." he continued.
Turning her head, Rachel bit down on her bottom lip, trying to ignore the pangs of hurt already making their way into her heart. Tobias reached over and placed a hand under her chin, forcing her to look back up at him. She lifted her gaze, and couldn't help admiring his human form. Funny, this is the only true way she pictured Tobias. The disheveled hair, the richness of color in his eyes, it all came together to form one of the most, incredible faces she had ever seen.
"I mean.. I can't.. I shouldn't.. " Tobias stuttered, searching for words that would convey everything his soul wanted to say, without doing anything stupid. "I love you, Rachel." he finished, solemnly.
"And not as a friend, okay? Because it's not even.. remotely close to a friendship love. It's, I can't get to sleep at night, because I'm so busy replaying every conversation we ever had in my head. When I see you smiling, all I can do is smile too, because seeing you happy does this, intense thing to me, you know? And when you're around other guys? It sucks being a bird, because, I want to run over there and make sure they know, hey, don't even think about it, she's too good for you. Which is why I love being with you, and I hate it.. because.."
He exhaled deeply, and looked down at the floor before he completed his sentence.. "I'm not good enough for you either."
Rachel looked at him, stunned. She hadn't known, had no idea he felt this way. Her entire being cried out with the urge to pull him into her arms and let him get rid of every ounce of pain inside of him. She covered her face with her hands, unable to cry, because that wasn't something Rachel did.
Tobias reached out with his arm and caught one of her hands, pulling it gently away from her face. "Don't cry, Rach," he begged. "It's okay. There's no reason for you to cry."
She dropped her other hand and stared at him out of huge, bewildered eyes. "Tobias," she whispered softly, as she reached out a hand to touch his cheek. He didn't even think about it . . . he simply caught her hand in his, turned his head, and kissed her palm tenderly. With a soft, incoherent sound, she flung herself down across his chest, buried her face in his shoulder, and laid there. He gently stroked her hair, neither saying anything.
How could she have not known? Rachel asked herself, feeling both amazingly content, and at the same time, confused.
"I have to tell you something." Rachel told him, distangling herself from his embrace. He nodded, grimacing. Please, please, just don't tell me you think we shouldn't hang out anymore, he mentally prayed. Please.
"I love you." she told him, matter-of-factly, looking directly into his shocked gaze. They had never said the words aloud, and now, it brought on an wonderful feeling of.. content. Gently pushing a stray hair out of his eyes, Rachel laid her head on his shoulder and pulled him closer. She tilted her head back and looked at him. Moving quickly, he caught her mouth with his, kissing her deeply, as if sealing the promise. Her hand reached up, caressing his face, and sliding up into his hair.
Finally, Tobias reluctantly pulled back. He didn't want to stop, but he didn't dare keep up like this. The way his body was responding to her touch was way too thrilling. He tightened his arm around her and laid his cheek against her hair, as she settled her head on his shoulder again.
"Lie down with me," he whispered to her softly. She pulled back slightly and stared at him, startled. "I want to hold you." he explained, simply. She gazed at him, undecided. "Please. . " he continued, his eyes pleading.
Nodding, she found herself lying down. She nestled up against Tobias, resting her head on his shoulder as he whispered, "Pull the blanket and sheet up over you . . . you feel so cold."
"It's only when I'm like this with you I'm warm" she explained, tugging the blankets up over her. Tobias' arm slid around her waist, and he pulled her snugly against his body. She sighed contentedly as she relaxed into his warmth. They laid there, together, for what seemed like hours, but couldn't have been. Glancing down at the beautiful girl snuggled next to him, Tobias was relieved to see she had fallen asleep, a tiny smile playing on her lips.
Tobias gently pulled himself out of Rachel's grasp, and made his way to her bathroom. Demorphing, he stood at the edge of her window for a moment, before lifting his wings and flying away silently.
When Rachel woke up, she was disheartened to find that Tobias was gone. She should have known he would be. Glancing around her room, she noticed a half-melted ice cream carton and two sticky spoons resting on the floor by her bed.
"Oh man.." she grinned wryly, flopping back on her bed.