Goodness gracious me! Another update so soon? This is what happens when I
don't want to do my readings or type up my lectures ;) Thanks so much to
everyone who reviewed; it always makes me smile to see that review alert!
I hope you enjoy, I had fun writing this chapter. One more big stretch,
and here we go again!
Disclaimer: blah blah blah . . . we all know that I don't own the ducks, so let's move on, shall we?
All I Want For Christmas
Floating out of that last stage of sleep that comes right before waking, Wildwing rolled over onto his side and his eyes began to open. As soon as his vision cleared he found himself to be under the intense stare of a pair of clear blue eyes mere inches from his face. Unblinking, black eyes held blue as one perused the other until Wing broke the contact to yawn. His voice gruff from sleep, he rumbled out a "Good morning" as he pulled himself to a seated position. Looking down at his temporary guest on the pillow beside him he muttered,
"You know, I'd really rather be waking up next to a certain redhead, but at least you don't hog the covers."
An inquisitive blink was the only forthcoming reply. Wildwing sighed as he rose to pull on his jeans and left the room. His little roommate went back to cleaning her paws.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Arriving at the bottom of the stairs he turned to go into the kitchen and saw Mallory's slender form silhouetted against the window, lost in thought. He walked up quietly behind her, but it wasn't until he was at her back that he took his eyes from her and followed her gaze out the window. It was a truly stunning sight; snow had continued to fall overnight and was still forming a thick, pure white blanket over the landscape.
Mallory sipped her coffee. "Isn't it gorgeous?" she asked softly, sensing his presence behind her, somehow knowing it was him.
He looked down at her. "It's beautiful," he said simply, though in his head he referred to her.
Catching an odd note in his voice, she turned to look up at him but as her eyes met his bare chest in front of her she was momentarily fascinated. "Hmm," she thought to herself, "he should walk around like this more often. . ."
"Mal?"
Startled, she dragged her eyes up to his face to find him looking at her expectantly. She tried to cover up her momentary distraction.
"Ahem. I was just thinking about how much work it will take to clear off the Aerowing and the driveway."
He walked over to the coffee pot and poured himself a mug. Taking a sip he looked out the window once more. "I'm game," he said.
"Implying I'm not?" she asked rather huffily.
He laughed as he came to stand beside her once more. "Not at all, I was hoping you would join me."
"Oh. Well, sure, of course I'll help."
"Good," he said as he drained his coffee. "See you outside in five."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
He was already waiting for her when she walked outside, pulling on her toque. He tossed her a shovel.
"Which would you prefer, the driveway or the jet?" he asked.
She paused to consider. "I'll take the Aerowing."
"Done. Here we go."
They worked in companionable silence for a while. Once he had finished the drive he continued to shovel aside what she cleaned off of the jet. To break the monotony they soon began discussing any random thought that occurred to them. Mallory was working on the left wing when she paused and rested on the handle of her shovel.
"Hey Wing," she called down to him. He stopped and looked up. "Yeah?"
"I've been thinking," she said, "what would you think if I let my hair grow out? I'm ready for a change, I've kept it short for so long."
He appeared to give this some serious thought and her eyes narrowed at the wicked gleam that came into his eyes.
"I think that would be really nice," he answered honestly, then turned teasing, "just so long as we can still keep up the standard joke that your fuse is shorter than your hair." He continued on past her, whistling innocently, as she sputtered above him, speechless.
Two seconds went by. In his head he counted, "Three, two, one. . ." and *thwomp*, a snowball pelted his head. "That's my girl," he thought as he reached down to scoop up some snow to return fire. Still angry, she ducked just in time, using the opportunity to make another ball. She caught his arm this time, but had to use her shovel as a shield for his next shot. The big grin on his face was catching as they fired back and forth; she felt the irritation melt away and was soon smiling herself. Soon they were laughing as they did their best to hit the other while diving out of the way.
Suddenly, as Mallory tried to dodge a snowball her boot slipped on some melting snow. "Oh!" she cried, her face registering her complete shock as she skidded right off the edge into thin air. Wildwing's sharp reflexes were all that saved her, he barely made it, but he caught her before she hit the ground. Having not hit the hard pavement as she had expected, her eyes, which had been tightly closed, opened tentatively and found herself cradled safely in Wing's strong arms. Both were breathing heavily from the adrenaline rush. "Wow," she managed to get out between gulps of oxygen. "My hero," she quipped. His breath huffed out in what passed for a laugh. "Just call me Sir Flashblade, knight in snow-covered armour at your service fair lady," he joked back.
He looked thoughtfully up at the Aerowing. "That's clean enough, don't you think?" he asked. She followed his gaze and laughed, the whole right side was still blanketed in show. Not particularly keen on going back up there, however, she decided to agree. "Looks good to me Cap'n." He nodded and started walking towards the cabin, still supporting her weight easily. Out of surprise at his sudden movement, her arms shot around his neck to steady herself. The feeling of being carried was so foreign to her; the last time she had been held was by her father as a young girl.
"Um, Wing? You can put me down now," she said, somewhat confused.
"Pardon Mal? I didn't catch that," he said, not looking directly at her.
"I said you can put me down now."
"Sorry, I missed that again."
Frustrated, she raised her voice, "I SAID, you can put me. . .oh no. . . I don't think so buster!" She had finally looked to see where he was walking. With purpose he was heading directly for a large snow bank on the side of the drive. She squirmed as much as she could, but too late she was dumped unceremoniously on her bottom. He bent down and looked directly into her shocked face. "I lied," he said wickedly. Steaming mad once again, she felt the snow slowly soaking through her pants as he walked away. Her angry retort turned into a burst of laughter as Wildwing himself slipped on an icy patch and went straight down on his butt into the snow. He turned back to glare at her as she rolled with laughter, but he grinned with satisfaction as his snowball found its target once again. "Ha ha ha! . . . Ooof!" she cried as the snow hit her in the back. Instantly the fight was back on and her retaliation was swift.
Their carefree laughter reached the figure who watched them from above. Duke stood thoughtfully at the window, having seen most of their exchange. He laughed softly to himself. "That's very interesting," he said quietly, and continued downstairs to find some coffee.
Disclaimer: blah blah blah . . . we all know that I don't own the ducks, so let's move on, shall we?
All I Want For Christmas
Floating out of that last stage of sleep that comes right before waking, Wildwing rolled over onto his side and his eyes began to open. As soon as his vision cleared he found himself to be under the intense stare of a pair of clear blue eyes mere inches from his face. Unblinking, black eyes held blue as one perused the other until Wing broke the contact to yawn. His voice gruff from sleep, he rumbled out a "Good morning" as he pulled himself to a seated position. Looking down at his temporary guest on the pillow beside him he muttered,
"You know, I'd really rather be waking up next to a certain redhead, but at least you don't hog the covers."
An inquisitive blink was the only forthcoming reply. Wildwing sighed as he rose to pull on his jeans and left the room. His little roommate went back to cleaning her paws.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Arriving at the bottom of the stairs he turned to go into the kitchen and saw Mallory's slender form silhouetted against the window, lost in thought. He walked up quietly behind her, but it wasn't until he was at her back that he took his eyes from her and followed her gaze out the window. It was a truly stunning sight; snow had continued to fall overnight and was still forming a thick, pure white blanket over the landscape.
Mallory sipped her coffee. "Isn't it gorgeous?" she asked softly, sensing his presence behind her, somehow knowing it was him.
He looked down at her. "It's beautiful," he said simply, though in his head he referred to her.
Catching an odd note in his voice, she turned to look up at him but as her eyes met his bare chest in front of her she was momentarily fascinated. "Hmm," she thought to herself, "he should walk around like this more often. . ."
"Mal?"
Startled, she dragged her eyes up to his face to find him looking at her expectantly. She tried to cover up her momentary distraction.
"Ahem. I was just thinking about how much work it will take to clear off the Aerowing and the driveway."
He walked over to the coffee pot and poured himself a mug. Taking a sip he looked out the window once more. "I'm game," he said.
"Implying I'm not?" she asked rather huffily.
He laughed as he came to stand beside her once more. "Not at all, I was hoping you would join me."
"Oh. Well, sure, of course I'll help."
"Good," he said as he drained his coffee. "See you outside in five."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
He was already waiting for her when she walked outside, pulling on her toque. He tossed her a shovel.
"Which would you prefer, the driveway or the jet?" he asked.
She paused to consider. "I'll take the Aerowing."
"Done. Here we go."
They worked in companionable silence for a while. Once he had finished the drive he continued to shovel aside what she cleaned off of the jet. To break the monotony they soon began discussing any random thought that occurred to them. Mallory was working on the left wing when she paused and rested on the handle of her shovel.
"Hey Wing," she called down to him. He stopped and looked up. "Yeah?"
"I've been thinking," she said, "what would you think if I let my hair grow out? I'm ready for a change, I've kept it short for so long."
He appeared to give this some serious thought and her eyes narrowed at the wicked gleam that came into his eyes.
"I think that would be really nice," he answered honestly, then turned teasing, "just so long as we can still keep up the standard joke that your fuse is shorter than your hair." He continued on past her, whistling innocently, as she sputtered above him, speechless.
Two seconds went by. In his head he counted, "Three, two, one. . ." and *thwomp*, a snowball pelted his head. "That's my girl," he thought as he reached down to scoop up some snow to return fire. Still angry, she ducked just in time, using the opportunity to make another ball. She caught his arm this time, but had to use her shovel as a shield for his next shot. The big grin on his face was catching as they fired back and forth; she felt the irritation melt away and was soon smiling herself. Soon they were laughing as they did their best to hit the other while diving out of the way.
Suddenly, as Mallory tried to dodge a snowball her boot slipped on some melting snow. "Oh!" she cried, her face registering her complete shock as she skidded right off the edge into thin air. Wildwing's sharp reflexes were all that saved her, he barely made it, but he caught her before she hit the ground. Having not hit the hard pavement as she had expected, her eyes, which had been tightly closed, opened tentatively and found herself cradled safely in Wing's strong arms. Both were breathing heavily from the adrenaline rush. "Wow," she managed to get out between gulps of oxygen. "My hero," she quipped. His breath huffed out in what passed for a laugh. "Just call me Sir Flashblade, knight in snow-covered armour at your service fair lady," he joked back.
He looked thoughtfully up at the Aerowing. "That's clean enough, don't you think?" he asked. She followed his gaze and laughed, the whole right side was still blanketed in show. Not particularly keen on going back up there, however, she decided to agree. "Looks good to me Cap'n." He nodded and started walking towards the cabin, still supporting her weight easily. Out of surprise at his sudden movement, her arms shot around his neck to steady herself. The feeling of being carried was so foreign to her; the last time she had been held was by her father as a young girl.
"Um, Wing? You can put me down now," she said, somewhat confused.
"Pardon Mal? I didn't catch that," he said, not looking directly at her.
"I said you can put me down now."
"Sorry, I missed that again."
Frustrated, she raised her voice, "I SAID, you can put me. . .oh no. . . I don't think so buster!" She had finally looked to see where he was walking. With purpose he was heading directly for a large snow bank on the side of the drive. She squirmed as much as she could, but too late she was dumped unceremoniously on her bottom. He bent down and looked directly into her shocked face. "I lied," he said wickedly. Steaming mad once again, she felt the snow slowly soaking through her pants as he walked away. Her angry retort turned into a burst of laughter as Wildwing himself slipped on an icy patch and went straight down on his butt into the snow. He turned back to glare at her as she rolled with laughter, but he grinned with satisfaction as his snowball found its target once again. "Ha ha ha! . . . Ooof!" she cried as the snow hit her in the back. Instantly the fight was back on and her retaliation was swift.
Their carefree laughter reached the figure who watched them from above. Duke stood thoughtfully at the window, having seen most of their exchange. He laughed softly to himself. "That's very interesting," he said quietly, and continued downstairs to find some coffee.