2. Running
Dory loved running.
And walking...
And talking.
Basically, anything and everything that helped keep her, or her jaw, moving.
And whenever she found the chance to run, she would.
The girl would go outside and run, just run, and she would run her little heart out.
Just keep running. Just keep running, her head seemed to mentally chant each, and every time she stepped out of Marlin's front door for a workout.
I mean, what else did she have to do with all of her days off, hmm?
Well, besides getting a job. But that was for another day.
"Woo, what a workout!" Dory breathily laughed.
Glancing down beside her, the girl smiled as her purple eyes landed on the small, orange-haired boy, who was just barley managing to keep his pace with her. He was straggling from behind, completely out of breath, and his chest continued to heave heavily with each step, but he was going strong and Dory was extremely proud of him for that. He was determined to stay with her, and that was what had made her so happy for him.
She sent a giant smile in his direction. "Good work, Harpo! You're doing well with keeping up, for a first timer."
"Ugh." Nemo fumbled for a moment, his legs growing tired from his short space behind her. Inside, the boy felt as if he were dying.
"T-Thanks," he gulped for air, "Dory."
The girl grinned in his direction, momentarily deciding to slow her long sprints into a short and light, medium jog.
As a thought suddenly struck her, the beam on her face intensified. "Yup, and just think Fabio. If you two do this every evening, one day your father might even be able to catch up with us!"
With this, both runners turned back to Marlin, who was slowly bringing up the rear, running a couple of meters behind them.
Though they could both easily tell how much the sudden exercise was affecting him, they also knew how much he really needed it.
I mean, Marlin certainly wasn't getting any younger.
"D-Dory!" He called out, his muscles seeming to flail awkwardly, as he tried to keep a steady pace. The man felt like a fish who had been caught, and left out of the sun for too long. He frowned deeply and swallowed, before greedily gasping out for the air he so desperately needed. "C-Can't we take a break?"
"What? But it's too early!" The girl cried, still turning to pause in her running to allow him time to catch up with them.
s he gradually approached them, Dory managed to keep her speed up by diligently jogging in place. Reaching the back of her hand to the top of her forehead, she brushed at the dark blue bangs, which were beginning to fall over her eyes. They had fallen from the tight ponytail she had begun her run with.
As she watched him come towards her, she suddenly noticed just how much he was starting to slow down.
Hmm, maybe he needed a bit of encouragement. "Aw, come on! You're slowing down, Grumpy Gills!"
"Y-Yeah," Nemo panted "C-Come on, dad!"
That was it! Marlin new that he couldn't go on any further.
Skidding to a wild halt next to them, Marlin let in a breath of air, throwing his head down in absolute exhaustion. Panting for a long moment, his back heaving up and down, he tried to regain all of the air that he had just lost during his first lame attempt at exercise.
Had Dory actually expected him to do this every day? Over his dead, freaking body!
"M-Maybe... Maybe I should sit out the next mile, guys."
Dory shook her head at him. "But why? It's only a bit further, and then we'll be at the pier. Only a bit and we'll be there. Come on, won't you go ahead and finish the rest of the way with us?"
"I-I... I don't know Dory, but I really don't feel like running anymore. I'm just... " Marlin sighed. "I'm just too old and tired to be doing things like this. I'm not the young man that I used to be, ya know."
"Oh, really? You? Young?" The smirk in Dory's voice caused him to send an annoyed look in her direction. She threw her palms up in submission. "What, what did I do? Don't look at me like that Marlin, it's a very weird concept."
In return, he simply grumbled beneath his breath.
"Besides..." Dory suddenly reached out for his hand.
Marlin quickly glanced up at her. It was then that their eyes met, and for a moment, all of time and space seemed to stop for him.
Well, that was odd.
Coral had been the only other person to ever make him feel that way.
For the longest time, Marlin could only blink stupidly as she finally finished her statement.
"Why would you think that we'd leave you behind?"
"... Well-"
With a hand clasped tightly around one of his, Dory put down her other free hand for Nemo to grasp on to, and when he took hold of it, Dory began to eagerly pull on Marlin's arm, happily leading both him and Nemo in the direction of the pier.
"Come on boys, we're getting ice cream!"
Nemo practically skipped along with joy. "Yeah!"
"And guess what?" She looked over her shoulder, sending a cheeky wink in Marlin's direction. "We are walking the entire way!... I only hope that you have your wallet with you, Mr. Clownfish."
Shooting a quick downward glance to the stripped orange and white shirt he usually wore, Marlin let out a humorless bark of a laugh. "Hardy-har, very funny Dory." He took a moment to stick out his tongue at her. "You should be a comedian."
"I know." Dory giggled at her own joke. "Too bad I'm unemployed."
"Yeah, it's too bad."
Though his comment had come out sounding sour, as his eyes lingered on the form of her slender back in front of him, the tiniest bit of a smile managed to slip through his usually rough facade. Against her knowledge, he actually liked having her in his apartment. It would be weird if she suddenly disappeared from their lives...
Man, Dory was such a sweet and caring girl. The perfect female figure for him and his son...
"Bad, but not too bad."
"What?"
Shaking his head at himself, Marlin let out a long, thin chuckle. "Nothing, nothing."