Winter was finally gone and spring has come. Ahiru had wandered across Goldcrown and the sun was so nice that she decided to take a nap.
It felt so peaceful, a joyous kind of peace that was vastly different from the dazzling warmth of autumn. She was in awe when all of the leaves had turned brilliant red, orange, and gold and her bird-friends would chatter excitedly in preparation for the migration. When Fakir had suggested that she go south with the other birds, she pointed at her downy feathers and barely took off a few feet from the ground. How curious it was for her to see the transition to the next season as the dry leaves fell, her friends leaving one by one, and the scenery slowly turning gray.
As the days passed by and the frost crept across the pale windows, she didn't mind staying inside. She enjoyed huddling by the rusty stove or snuggling in the thick blankets to stay warm. At times, she would cuddled next to Fakir as her personal heater whether it was in his arms, on his lap, perched on his shoulder or in his dark hair as cover. He was flustered at first, but he had gotten use to it. Sometimes before Fakir wrote, he would bring Ahiru by the table side, maybe along with some hot chocolate or a blanket to keep them warm. She would mostly take a nap, but at times admired him while he worked.
It wasn't until her first snow when she found herself enjoying the winter's serene silence. After the story had ended, Autor suggested that Fakir should quit dancing to practice his writing, but Fakir refused. Ahiru was glad that he continued dancing. She really missed ballet and this way she can get to see the performances. On the night of her first Christmas Eve, she went to see the Nutcracker where Fakir played the Nutcracker Prince. The whole town had this bustling Christmas energy; bells were ringing, stores decorated with lights, and the towns people were much more merry. The theater division really out did themselves on the sets and costumes, and the orchestra was amazing. But nothing made her more excited than seeing everyone from the ballet division perform. She cheered for the people she knew and even for the ones she didn't know, knowing they all worked so hard for this day. Long after the show was over, Fakir walked out of the building with Ahiru nestled in between his scarf, into the night and the fresh falling snow.
It was like the scene after the Nutcracker defeated the Mouse King. The stage went dark, and the Nutcracker reappeared as the Prince. The backdrop changed into the forest covered in white, and the snowflake fairies came out to dance.
The two stepped underneath the lamplight as they gazed into the inky flurried sky, the cold catching their breaths as it turned white. Nobody was looking. The whole town was their stage. Fakir gently took Ahiru out from the scarf and held her in his hands before him. He smiled and gave a bow, causing a warmth coursing through her. He proceeded to do a short improvised version of Clara's dance to the Nutcracker doll. His thick boots clopped around against the slick cobblestone. He kept his hands leveled for the little duck, to be used as her own stage. Twirling and swirling around and around like a music box's dancing Coppelia. But that illusion was broken when they slipped on the wet snow or crashed into each other and burst into laughter. Fakir had to tuck Ahiru shivering body against his chest under his coat, sprinting back to the warmth of their home. She will never forget how beautiful the snow fluttered around them as they danced.
Ahiru smiled in her sleep as she drifted to the memory. If she had gone with the other birds, she would never have experienced snow and its winter traditions. Fakir had to find the right clothes for her from getting frostbitten, but it was fun making a snowduck or have snowball fights. The rest of the time were spent quietly at home, doing most of the same things as the last season, but with more layers on. As months passed by and becoming wary of the dreary season, Ahiru often found herself staring at Fakir's eyes, much to her embarrassment. But they brought much comfort to her and she couldn't figure out exactly why.
Ahiru roused from her slumber, her mind still on the thoughts of winter. But when she woke, the explosion of color overwhelmed her sleepy mind. Her eyes widen, doubting that she was even awake at all.
The grass was not dry straws, rather little sprouts trying to dry off the morning dew. The forest was not barren, rather alive and lush with a warm green hue that shined on the crown of the trees. The lake glistened as the sun danced off of the reflecting waters. The butterflies fluttered from flower to flower. The sky was clear. The songbirds were singing. Spring was here.
She sat in disbelief of where she was and how she got here. Somehow she felt calm, yet alive; but it was also making her confused. Ahiru's eyes wandered up and saw that she was underneath a large oak tree. Its strong branches arched over her like canopy. Specks of brilliant sunlight peeked past it's dark green leaves, dancing as the breeze gently brushed by.
Ahiru couldn't breath, eyes burning as tears welled up. Her head spun as the thought hit her. Yes, she was comforted whenever she looked at Fakir's eyes during those days, because she yearned for spring. But now, as she looked at everything around her; the forest, the grass, the lake, the oak tree.
All she could see is him.
AN: Practice drabble.I had this idea even before the Fakiru week's prompt Green, so yeah. I hope I was able to convey the impact of the color green after the dead of winter.