Title: home (part 2)
Category: Movies » Ice Age
Author: Cahaya Sidur
Language: English, Rating: Rated: T
Genre: Family
Published: 11-08-18
Words: 1,987

Disclaimer: I do not own Ice Age.

AN: This is a series of events that take place after the first one-shot, as they're trying to find their footing in the world. I might continue this, I might not.

Thanks to ShiaxDiego for reviewing!

The troublesome thing about being humans after being sabres for so long is the different expectations of hands and feet. Once out of the facility, Shira is confined to society's expectations, and that includes walking on two hindlegs and using her forearms to do everything else for her. Sometimes, she nearly falls and crouches down, but Diego catches her every time with a gentle arm around her waist and the other clasping her hand.

And it's okay, because he understands how difficult it is to get used to this new and strange environment, never mind as a different species.

There is a reason the doors rarely close shut in their house, or why they don't have a mattress, or why the air conditioning is usually on full blast at all times of the day no matter what the weather. It is also why they never turn off the air conditioning even when it gets too cold, and instead getgot one of those fireplaces where they can build fires the old fashioned way instead of using those lighters.

Sometimes, Shira just strips and stays in the shower, letting the water run over her, because she misses the feeling of water over skin. She cuts her hair short because it's an annoyance having to blow dry the long hair instead of just shaking it and getting most of the water out.

Diego sometimes gets raw meat from the butchers. As a treat sometimes, he also gets live chickens and they hunt like the old times, except with knives instead of teeth and claws.

They're still remarkably strong though, and their endurance longer lasting than most humans. Shira discovers this fact when she spends over two hours running on a treadmill at full speed - in part because she hadn't known how to stop until an assistant came and told her how to - and she ends up with a lot of gawking spectators.

Diego lifts weights and does strength building exercises like no one's business. Shira likes to join him, if not for the fact that she likes the security of being with him in this new world, then for the fact that there are even more gapes and stares when they see Shira easily keeping up her mate's routine. Of course, the couple have to tone it down or they'll draw too much attention to themselves, but they do push the limits.

The swimming is interesting.

One of the men who goes to their gym suggests they go swimming.

Shira scowls and Diego goes a slight shade paler.

There is a wrestling match that night at home that results in Diego being pinned down by his mate and scowling as she triumphantly declares victory. Which means he has to go and watch the swimming.

"That's a stupid name." Shira scowls when Diego reports back to her. "A butterfly doesn't swim."

"Well, tell them that." Diego tilts his head thoughtfully. "Have you even seen a butterfly swim?"

"Butterflies don't swim, Di, no matter how weird your imagination is."

"I'm just saying, you've never seen a butterfly swim, or fly for that matter."

"Yes I have."

"One from our time, maybe." Diego amends. "Not one now."

Shira crosses her arms. "I'll go and find one. And I'm telling you, a butterfly doesn't swim."

"I'm pretty sure they're referring to how the butterfly flies, not swim, Shir."

"Then they should've thought the name through better."

The customs are also a lot different from back then. Flirting is definitely new. One-night stands are also common here, as are prostitutes.

One tries to snag Diego, and when he firmly but kindly shuts down her advances, she tries to get her bouncer to attack him. After ten minutes, the bouncer is sent to hospital, and the prostitute ends up thoroughly traumatised. The barkeeper ends up paying Diego to never come back and to keep quiet about the situation. In the end, Diego walks out with seven times more money than he had when he walked in, alongside a generous crate of drinks.

Another man tries to flirt with Shira only a few nights later.

"Hey, gorgeous."

Shira continues drinking, not acknowledging the man who casually slides over to her.

"Hey." The man lays a hand on Shira's arm.

Shira glares at the hand and raises an eyebrow at the man. "Can I help you?"

"You looking for a good time?"

"I was having one, until you showed up."

The man laughs. "Vicious little thing, aren't you?"

Shira narrows her eyes. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me." The man leers forward. "Name's George."

"I don't give a damn what your name is. Get your fucking hand off me."

"Why don't you use that viciousness on me back at my place?"

"Go away." Shira says sharply, gripping her glass so tightly it shatters.

The man gapes, but quickly regains his composure. "I love a strong woman."

"Then go and find yourself one."

"I'm looking at her."

"And she's taken." A voice coolly cuts in. The man looks up to meet green eyes swirling in anger. "May I help you?"

"What, she your girl?" The man snorts. "She could do so much better."

Diego's eyes narrow, but he nods. "Yes, she could. So get your hands off her and let her find someone else."

"Hey, I'm just trying to be friendly." The man smirks. His hand slides down. Shira tries to jerk away, but he gets a grab in. Immediately, her knee flies upwards to his groin, where a sickening crack is heard.

The man lets out a breathless squeak as he tries curl in yet also pull away.

Shira snatches the man by the collar and flings him over the counter with considerable ease.

The sound of glass breaking somehow blends in with the music and screaming in the bar. There are a few gawks, but they're quickly ignored in favour of the fight breaking out on the dance floor. Diego laughs, loud and bright, and the familiar sound gets Shira to crack a smirk at him.

He generously tips the bartender, who is staring open-mouthed at them, then offers Shira his arm.

Shira hooks her arm with his, then lets him lead them out the shop.

When they get out of the crowded bar into the cooling late night with snow lightly falling around them, Diego kisses her right there and then, laughing against her mouth. Snow is landing and melting on their hair and faces, and their cheeks are alight with red from the cold.

Diego pulls back, and gazes at Shira with that inexplicable fondness. "You know how much I love you, you crazy woman?"

"Maybe." Shira teases back coyly.

Diego laughs and pulls her closer. "Let's go home."

When Diego comes home one day with a crate that is squawking indignantly and shedding feathers, Shira eyes him suspiciously with a hand to her knives in case he's somehow replaced with a clone or something. It's a paranoid and unlikely thought, but with what they've been through, it's still a fairly reasonable thought.

"What the hell is that?"

"Live chickens." Diego answers, setting the crate down in the middle of the living room. He unrolls a stack of bedsheets that Shira hadn't noticed were tucked under his arm. "Thought we'd start small."

"Again, what the hell does that mean?" Shira demands flatly.

Diego stops unfolding his stuff and glances at Shira a little uncertainly. "I've been thinking about what you said. About going back." Shira opens her mouth to object, but Diego continues on. "And I know you want to go back. Hell, I want to go back. But we're never going to be able to survive there, even if we do find Manny and the others, if we can't defend ourselves or hunt without our teeth."

Shira unconsciously clenches her fist around the hilt of her knife, made with the remains of her left tooth.

"So I thought, what better way than to try with chickens? Small and fast, but stupid." Diego says. He shrugs. "We keep this place so cold they'd probably die of pneumonia or something, and we'd find them before they start to decompose."

Shira relents slightly, helping to pick up the sheets. "I'm guessing these are to cover the windows with?"

"And any furniture." Diego says. "The chickens aren't strong, but you know how prey are like when they're desperate."

Shira nods, already preparing herself. She grabs draws her other knife - also formed from her extracted tooth - and tenses in anticipation.

"Start off easy." Diego repeats. "13 chickens. You just need one more to get the advantage."

"And what does the winner get?" Shira challenges playfully.

"Anything." Diego says, and there is promise in his eyes that makes something coil up in Shira's stomach, leaving her anticipating.

"I can work with that."

From the way Diego's eyes darken, Shira knows that he feels the same.

Gradually, their hunting repertoire expands into hunting dogs and wolves, and the occasional bird if they are in the mood to barricade all the windows and animal-proof everything they have in the house they make.

And as their hunting skills sharpen as humans, Shira feels a thrill of delight - a glimmer of hope - that if they ever return to the Ice Age, they wouldn't be completely helpless.

It is their neighbour who first points it out. They've been living in this rented space for nearly five years now, and they quite like the space they've made for themselves. They know almost everyone in the neigbourhood, and while most of them are slightly leery towards Shira, they have good rapport with Diego.

Of course, it's not like they're above making polite conversation with Shira, but it's generally quite short and superficial, and tends to revolve mainly around the weather, for whatever reason.

"Good afternoon, Shira."

Shira smiles at the woman, hoping it comes off as more genuine than she thinks. "Good afternoon, Mrs. Esposito."

"How are you doing today?" Mrs. Esposito probes, smile as large and friendly as ever. Shira forced herself to stay still and relax her muscles; humans were different here. Just because they wanted to stay and chat did not mean that they had cruel intentions in mind.

"Good, thank you. And yourself?"

"Oh, wonderful. The kids are growing up so fast; my Janet is going to be bringing home her children for a visit any day now."

Shira nods and tries to keep her stance. She doesn't know what else to say to that except to nod. "That sounds wonderful."

"Oh, it is. I've heard that Anthony and Jacob are doing quite well for themselves in their classes. Anthony's the class heartthrob while Jacob's excelling at science. We're quite proud of them."

"That's nice." Shira nods again, smile frozen on her face.

And then Diego walks into the scene and Shira genuinely feels herself relaxing. Diego shoots Mrs. Esposito an easy grin as he wraps an arm around Shira's waist and rests his chin on her right shoulder. "Good morning, Mrs. Esposito."

Mrs. Esposito's smile brightens. "Good morning, Diego."

"And how are you doing today?" Diego asks. It's the same questions Mrs. Esposito asked Shira, but somehow, Diego makes it look effortlessly charming.

"I'm doing wonderfully well. I was just telling Shira about Jacob and Anthony."

"Oh, your grandsons." Diego nods. "Sons of…Jane, was it?"

"Janet." Mrs. Esposito corrects, but there is a wide smile on her face that he nearly got it right. "Do you have any family?"

Shira forces herself not to freeze up, helped in part by Diego's arms around her. She relaxes into him as Diego chuckles; it is only because she knows him so well that Shira can hear the slight panic in it.

"Orphans, the both of us." He presses a quick kiss to Shira's cheek. "Guess that's why we connected so easily."

Mrs. Esposito laughs as she coos at them.