Standard disclaimer. This is my first MD:TAS fic. It's actually the 3rd in a series, but a computer crash ate the first 2 and I haven't rewritten them yet. But I still ythink it makes enough sense, and it IS the very first ff I ever wrote, so, what the heck!
Untitled Romantic Fic
Tanya had never felt so excited. She'd never felt so nervous either. Her team leader, WildWing, had asked her out on a date! "Well, not in so many words, " she thought to herself, "but the gist was there." She busied herself trying to find a nice outfit to wear. They'd agreed upon Manchego's, a little Spanish restaurant that wasn't so low-scale they'd risk getting mobbed by crazed fans, but upscale enough that casual dress would just not an option. Only problem was, what did she have that was nice enough? As she tried to avoid formal functions, the bulk of her wardrobe consisted of loose-fitting, non-stylish pantsuits that were easy to work in. She sighed and turned at the knock on her door. "Darling? It's me." Tanya smiled in relief at the voice. "Uh, c'mon in, Aviary."
Aviary Quill, ex-catburglar and best friend, sauntered in with the grace of a panther. She stared at the surroundings and waved a hand at the mess. "What are you trying to do in here? Create another dimensional portal?" Tanya flushed and quickly grabbed up some of the outfits strewn about. "No, I was just, y'know, looking for something to wear." The raven-haired femme-fatale looked at her quizzically, the smiled knowingly. "I see. And would this sudden display of fashion-consciousness involve a certain drake we both know?" Tanya blushed even brighter, but fortunately her back was to Aviary, so the other duck couldn't see." "It's not what you think, Aviary. WildWing just wants to um, celebrate my, uh, recovery."
"Mm-hmm"
"IT"S NOT!" she squealed. Aviary raised an eyebrow sardonically. After several defiant moments, Tanya's shoulders sagged in defeat. "All right, maybe it is." she smiled meekly. Aviary chuckled and sauntered over to the now half-bare closet. "Well then, what are we doing on our date tonight so we can find you something to wear?" Tanya looked away as she meticulously folded a blouse and placed it in a drawer. "Oh, we've decided on Manchego's. She spoke quickly, "None of us have been there before so-" She saw the look on her best friend's face. "What?"
"MANCHEGO'S?! YOU HAVE NOTHING TO WEAR FOR MANCHEGO'S!!"
"Well, uh, thanks for the tip." Tanya miffed.
"Oh darling I'm sorry. I just meant-"
"That what I have's not good enough. I know, I know. But it's, y'know, too late to do anything about it." She replied sadly. Aviary walked quickly forward and grasped her hand. "Tanya, do you trust me?"
"What is this? Aladdin?" Aviary waved away the quip, "Do you trust me?"
"Well, I guess so, but-"
"Then let me help you. I know where we can find the perfect outfit."
Tanya opened her beak in protest, but the raven-haired duck quickly continued. "Taunnie we both know how you feel about him. Show him who you really are! A new outfit, some make-up, a new hairstyle?" she finished pointedly.
"Oh, I-I don't know, Ave..."
The black-haired girl pleaded on, "C'mon Tanya! With a little help from me, you'll have the boys in shock!" Tanya rolled her eyes, then looked at her best friend's optimistic eyes. Maybe....
Meanwhile, WildWing was having beauty troubles of his own. He'd already taken three showers in a valiant attempt to curb his hair's natural cowlicks. He sighed as he reached for his comb....
"Whatcha doin', big bro?" Startled, he jumped and spun around. "Jeeze Dive! Don't scare me like that!" Leaning on the door frame, NoseDive managed to look sincere. "Sorry, man. But what's with all the primping? Phil gotcha suckered into another photo shoot?" WildWing shuddered in mock horror. "No, nothing that terrible!" I'm-going out." The younger straightened up, his interest piqued. "Oh yeah? Where? With who? Anyone I know?" Wing chuckled nervously. "Yes, Manchego's, and yes, you know her. Is that everything?" Dive motioned for him to continue. "Not quite..."
The white feathered drake fidgeted slightly as he feigned interest in his hair. "Tanya." He said casually, hoping his younger brother wouldn't embarrass him about it. NoseDive's jaw dropped, but he caught himself before he said anything stupid. "Oh, that's...nice", he replied, trying desperately to keep a straight face. "Manchego's, huh? That's a nice place to take a date." WildWing spun around angrily, "It's not a date, Dive!" he protested, "It's just--my way of saying I'm glad Tanya's recovered from her injuries. I took you to that concert, remember."
"Ri-ight. Private party for two..." The prankster teased, and managed to duck and run before the towel hit him in the face.
************************************************************************
"Nice threads, kid." whistled Duke as Wing stepped into the Rec Room smartly dressed in a tux and his feathers mostly under control. "Thanks," he replied modestly, brushing invisible lint off his jacket front. NoseDive smirked wickedly. "All set for your big date tonight?" WildWing glared daggers at his younger brother. "I told you. It's not a date." The boy's blue eyes twinkled in amusement. "Su-ure!"
"IT'S NOT!"
Duke drew a conspiratorial arm around his younger friend and winked. "Well that all depends on the kiss, eh Divey-boy." The quarreling pair stopped to stare questioningly at him.
"Duke, what are you talking about, and don't call me Divey-boy!"
The ex-thief glanced at one brother, then another with mild amusement. "Ya know, the good-night kiss? If Wing gets one, it's a date, if he don't, then it wasn't." He spread out his arms in a gesture of one giving an obvious answer, which, of course, he was. Wing rolled his eyes at both of them in annoyance.
Before anything else could be said on the subject, Aviary burst into the room squealing with delight. Clapping her hands gleefully, she fawned over WildWing's new look and skillfully evaded his attempts to talk to her. Finally, he grew exasperated. "Aviary, " he began as calmly as he could, "Is Tanya ready yet? We do have reservations." The femme fatale twirled around and posed by the hallway like a Price Is Right showgirl. "Oh, she certainly is!" she gushed. "Gentlemen! Allow me to be the first to introduce the new(and definitely improved) Tanya Romanov!" She jumped aside quickly, her arm lashed out and pulled the woman in question into view.
Five eyes bulged from their sockets as three jaws hit the floor. Tanya was exquisitely dressed in a floor-length black velvet gown that was reminiscent of the one worn by Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's. It was modestly low-cut and close fitting enough to enhance her natural shape without making her look bimboish. Each arm was encased in black silk from the tips of her fingers to her elbows. But most surprising? Tanya's hair was down. It curled gently around her head in soft waves, nicely framing a face filled with eager apprehension. Upon Aviary's insistence, she had removed her glasses. While the novel effect was flattering, it rendered her incapable of judging her friend's reaction. So she continued to stand there, barely breathing.
Violet eyes? thought Wing to himself. He'd never seen that before, although he certainly knew it existed. Violet was an extreme rarity among duckkind, occurring in only 10 out of 10,000 hatchings. He realized he'd never thought about her eye color before. After all, as far as he knew, she slept with those glasses on. Eventually, the shock wore off enough that Wing realized the dead silence that surrounding them. Slightly shaking himself, he found the voice to speak. "Uh, you-you look nice, Tanya."
"Aw, nice just ain't the word for it WildWing!" Duke remarked approvingly. "Whoa!! Taunnie's a girlie-girl! A total babe!" squeaked Dive as Tanya blushed furiously. "Of course she is. They both get the Aviary Quill seal of approval. Now-" she latched onto both their arms and pulled them toward the exit, "you two had better get going if you don't want to miss your reservations." With a final gentle push, sent them on their way.
***********************************************************************
The car ride had been awkward, to say the least. Neither of them hadn't a clue as to how to break the ice. Now trapped in the restaurant's elegant pseudo-Spanish decor, it was only worse. At least in a car, one can find reasons for avoiding conversations, such as watching the scenery, or listening to the radio. Fidgeting with his silverware, he debated for the umpteenth time whether or not to call the evening off. He felt like he'd been set up on a blind date. And with one of his best friends, of all people too. Call it off, part of him cried, Call it off and keep some of your dignity intact! But they'd already been seated, and it was obvious that she'd spent a good deal of time getting ready, and he had given his word....He sighed and decided to keep going. But they just couldn't spend the whole night in silence. WildWing realized that he didn't know much about Tanya's life before the Invasion, and decided that maybe that would be a good place to start.
"So what did you do before the Invasion, Tanya?" he blurted out. The blonde duck started slightly, then visibly relaxed as the tension slightly dissipated. "Well, I used to work as a lab technician over at DuCainia Technology." WildWing was surprised by such a lowly position. "Just a lab tech? You? You're kidding. You're probably the smartest duck I know." She smiled appreciatively. "Yup. 'Fraid so. My father was very good friends and colleagues with several executives of the company, and everyone assumed I only got hired there because of his 'connections'. Of course I didn't, but no one wanted to, y'know, believe it, so I was forced to, uh, start at the bottom and work twice as hard."
"That's terrible."
She flippantly waved her hand as she sipped her wine. "Nah, I didn't mind. I liked showing them all up." She grinned wickedly, then quickly averted her eyes. Wing smiled back, then continued on. "Your dad, you say he's a scientist?" It was tricky ground he was treading on now, but his curiosity was piqued. To his relief, Tanya smiled and nodded. "Science runs through our family like white runs through Duke's hair." They both broke out in laughter loud enough to attract the attention of some of the other patrons. They managed to quickly stifle themselves before continuing their discovery of each others former lives.
"Nine kids!? Sheesh, didn't your parents ever take a break?" Tanya giggled. "Apparently not. I'm the second oldest."
"Your house must have been huge!" WildWing couldn't imagine the kind of chaos Tanya had endured. "Oh, actually it wasn't that big, but we had three bathrooms and I had my own room." she chuckled. "And it was very close to Teal-Peking Academy, where we all went to school-" She stopped when WildWing suddenly grabbed her hand. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Teal-Peking Academy? Where the heck did you live?" Befuddled by Wing's tone of voice, she stammered out, "Well, uh, I-I, our house was on 115th Place. But why-"
Wing couldn't believe his ears. "115th Place? Are you sure?" The blonde glared at him, then started as he began to laugh. "Taunnie, you're not going to believe this, but Dive and I grew up on 110th Place! We were practically neighbors and never knew it!" She smiled back at him and they laughed again. Wing suddenly realized that he was still holding her hand and awkwardly(and rather reluctantly) let go. Tanya blushed slightly but didn't say anything. But now they had a common link, and exploited it fully, chattering long into the night.
Or at least they would've if the head manager hadn't interrupted them. "Amigos, I'm so sorry," he said in genuine sorrow, "but I'm afraid I must ask you to leave." The two ducks looked at each other in surprise, then back at the man. "But-why? Have we done something wrong?" Wing inquired of the portly gentleman.
"Oh no, senor!" he replied quickly, "but is well past closing and my workers are anxious to get home!" Tanya glanced at her watch, and was surprised to learn it was past midnight. They quickly apologized and paid the bill, leaving a generous tip. As the man escorted the duo out the door, he pulled WildWing close and whispered something in his ear. Then he laughed and patted him on the back as the tall duck blushed and smiled embarrassingly. She looked questioningly at him, but he shrugged it off and held open the car door for her.
On the way home, he glanced over to his companion. The lady was staring out the passenger window, watching the highway lights pass by with a small smile of contentment on her lips. He hated to see the night come to an end, just when they were getting to know each other. He looked up at a passing sign, and his mind raced as he suddenly found a way to extend the evening. Without warning, he veered across the lanes and got off the exit. "WildWing!" she squealed, gripping the upper edge of the window frame instinctively. "What are you doing?"
"You'll see." was his enigmatic reply. Finally reaching their destination, he stopped the car, jumped out and proceeded to her door. She only blinked at the outstretched hand in front of her. "Where are we?" Amusement flickered his eyes as he gestured to a large sign lettered in reflective paint. "You tell me." Tanya squinted at the sign, as she still didn't have her glasses on. "Ana-Anaheim Beach?" She turned back to her team captain with a wary eye. "WildWing, it's past midnight. The beach is closed." Wing shook his head with a chuckle. "Correction.! The boardwalk is closed. The beach however, " he took her hand and began to pull her out of the car, " is always open." Tanya blinked a couple more times, then smiled. Leaving her shoes in the car(as it is hard enough to walk in high heels without them constantly sinking in soft sand), they strolled down along the shoreline.
"By the way, Wing, you never told me what your father does for a living." He faltered a step, nearly landing beak-first in the water. My father. He--used to be a mechanic." he replied sadly.
"Used to be?"
"He died. When I was seven." Tanya's hands flew to her beak in dismay. "Oh, WildWing! I'm so, so sorry! I, y'know, didn't, uh, mean to-" He smiled gently and re-latched her arm around his. "I know, I know." They continued in silence a few minutes longer. "Cancer." he suddenly blurted out.
"Uh, come again?"
"Cancer. In his brain. That's-that's how he died." She nodded sympathetically. "I'm sure he was a great father to you."
"Oh yeah, he was always there for us. "He said brightly. "I don't remember him ever yelling at us or fighting with my mother. I wish NoseDive had gotten to know him better though. He was only two when he passed away. He stopped and stared up at the setting moon. "At least he never saw the horrors those Saurian scum inflicted upon us all." he seethed. Then his shoulders sagged and he let out a sigh of sadness and frustration. "I wonder what he's doing now." Tanya hugged his arm and smiled up at him. "Probably bragging to Drake DuCaine about how his sons are hockey legends, interdimensional ambassadors, and the heroes of two worlds." He stared down at her, then broke into a dazzling grin. "I wouldn't put it past him."
Looking into her warm, caring eyes, Wing was once again struck by their beauty. Those damn eyes. To think she'd hidden them behind those tinted lenses all this time. Now unmasked to the world, they sparkled in the starlight, giving them a magical glow. To think this had been under his beak all this time! And it had taken her near-death experience to realize it.
Staring into his deep brown eyes almost gave Tanya a high. He was interested in her. Not just her brains or certain parts of her anatomy like most other drakes, but all of her. She realized it when he actually let her go on and on about her family, and in the way he opened up to tell her things he'd probably hadn't mentioned to anyone else on the team. He trusted her, and he respected her. She wanted to do backflips. A strong breeze wafted up from the ocean, blowing their hair around a bit. Tanya noticed that it had knocked some of Wing's bangs into his face, a pet peeve of hers. It was this same pet peeve that made her keep her hair up. Tentatively, she reached up with her free hand and carefully smoothed it back into place.
WildWing nearly jumped, so electrifying was her touch. She mumbled an apology as she stepped back, and she muttered some kind of reply. The breeze had loosened some of her hair too, so Wing decided to do the noble thing and return the favor. Tanya had the same idea, however, and both their fingers met at the same time. They paused for a second, then together pushed the wayward strand away. He held on to her hand and gently entwined his fingers with her own. Blushing brightly, she ducked her head shyly towards the sea.
With his index finger, Wing gently reached out with his other hand and lifted up her chin. The sparkle of anticipation and wonder in those violet pools of magic made him feel so weak in the knees he could hardly believe he was still standing. Good thing Dive ain't around, he thought as he bent down to kiss her.
Wing felt her body stiffen slightly, heard her make a muffled cry of surprise, and then she was kissing him back as feverently as he was her. She broke their handhold to encircle his neck, while he threw his arms around her waist and held her close to him. Time just stood still, the only audible sound the singing in their blood, drowning out even the ocean's powerful roar.
But sadly, all things must end, and reluctantly, they broke off the kiss and strolled back to the car, arms entwined around each other. Upon reaching the door to Tanya's room, she turned to face him. "I really had a nice time tonight WildWing. Thank you." He stroked her cheek and softly answered back. "You're most welcome. I had fun too. Maybe we should do this again sometime, hmm?" She smiled. "I think I'd really like that." She reached up to kiss him good-night, then smoothed his hair back and closed the door. He grinned madly after her, then half-danced down the corridor to his room.
That night, he dreamt that about his father. The older drake didn't say anything, just smiled at him. The smile was full of pride, love, and warmth. And for the first time in many years, Wing felt completely at peace. He awoke the next morning with a smile on his face and hope in his heart.
Untitled Romantic Fic
Tanya had never felt so excited. She'd never felt so nervous either. Her team leader, WildWing, had asked her out on a date! "Well, not in so many words, " she thought to herself, "but the gist was there." She busied herself trying to find a nice outfit to wear. They'd agreed upon Manchego's, a little Spanish restaurant that wasn't so low-scale they'd risk getting mobbed by crazed fans, but upscale enough that casual dress would just not an option. Only problem was, what did she have that was nice enough? As she tried to avoid formal functions, the bulk of her wardrobe consisted of loose-fitting, non-stylish pantsuits that were easy to work in. She sighed and turned at the knock on her door. "Darling? It's me." Tanya smiled in relief at the voice. "Uh, c'mon in, Aviary."
Aviary Quill, ex-catburglar and best friend, sauntered in with the grace of a panther. She stared at the surroundings and waved a hand at the mess. "What are you trying to do in here? Create another dimensional portal?" Tanya flushed and quickly grabbed up some of the outfits strewn about. "No, I was just, y'know, looking for something to wear." The raven-haired femme-fatale looked at her quizzically, the smiled knowingly. "I see. And would this sudden display of fashion-consciousness involve a certain drake we both know?" Tanya blushed even brighter, but fortunately her back was to Aviary, so the other duck couldn't see." "It's not what you think, Aviary. WildWing just wants to um, celebrate my, uh, recovery."
"Mm-hmm"
"IT"S NOT!" she squealed. Aviary raised an eyebrow sardonically. After several defiant moments, Tanya's shoulders sagged in defeat. "All right, maybe it is." she smiled meekly. Aviary chuckled and sauntered over to the now half-bare closet. "Well then, what are we doing on our date tonight so we can find you something to wear?" Tanya looked away as she meticulously folded a blouse and placed it in a drawer. "Oh, we've decided on Manchego's. She spoke quickly, "None of us have been there before so-" She saw the look on her best friend's face. "What?"
"MANCHEGO'S?! YOU HAVE NOTHING TO WEAR FOR MANCHEGO'S!!"
"Well, uh, thanks for the tip." Tanya miffed.
"Oh darling I'm sorry. I just meant-"
"That what I have's not good enough. I know, I know. But it's, y'know, too late to do anything about it." She replied sadly. Aviary walked quickly forward and grasped her hand. "Tanya, do you trust me?"
"What is this? Aladdin?" Aviary waved away the quip, "Do you trust me?"
"Well, I guess so, but-"
"Then let me help you. I know where we can find the perfect outfit."
Tanya opened her beak in protest, but the raven-haired duck quickly continued. "Taunnie we both know how you feel about him. Show him who you really are! A new outfit, some make-up, a new hairstyle?" she finished pointedly.
"Oh, I-I don't know, Ave..."
The black-haired girl pleaded on, "C'mon Tanya! With a little help from me, you'll have the boys in shock!" Tanya rolled her eyes, then looked at her best friend's optimistic eyes. Maybe....
Meanwhile, WildWing was having beauty troubles of his own. He'd already taken three showers in a valiant attempt to curb his hair's natural cowlicks. He sighed as he reached for his comb....
"Whatcha doin', big bro?" Startled, he jumped and spun around. "Jeeze Dive! Don't scare me like that!" Leaning on the door frame, NoseDive managed to look sincere. "Sorry, man. But what's with all the primping? Phil gotcha suckered into another photo shoot?" WildWing shuddered in mock horror. "No, nothing that terrible!" I'm-going out." The younger straightened up, his interest piqued. "Oh yeah? Where? With who? Anyone I know?" Wing chuckled nervously. "Yes, Manchego's, and yes, you know her. Is that everything?" Dive motioned for him to continue. "Not quite..."
The white feathered drake fidgeted slightly as he feigned interest in his hair. "Tanya." He said casually, hoping his younger brother wouldn't embarrass him about it. NoseDive's jaw dropped, but he caught himself before he said anything stupid. "Oh, that's...nice", he replied, trying desperately to keep a straight face. "Manchego's, huh? That's a nice place to take a date." WildWing spun around angrily, "It's not a date, Dive!" he protested, "It's just--my way of saying I'm glad Tanya's recovered from her injuries. I took you to that concert, remember."
"Ri-ight. Private party for two..." The prankster teased, and managed to duck and run before the towel hit him in the face.
************************************************************************
"Nice threads, kid." whistled Duke as Wing stepped into the Rec Room smartly dressed in a tux and his feathers mostly under control. "Thanks," he replied modestly, brushing invisible lint off his jacket front. NoseDive smirked wickedly. "All set for your big date tonight?" WildWing glared daggers at his younger brother. "I told you. It's not a date." The boy's blue eyes twinkled in amusement. "Su-ure!"
"IT'S NOT!"
Duke drew a conspiratorial arm around his younger friend and winked. "Well that all depends on the kiss, eh Divey-boy." The quarreling pair stopped to stare questioningly at him.
"Duke, what are you talking about, and don't call me Divey-boy!"
The ex-thief glanced at one brother, then another with mild amusement. "Ya know, the good-night kiss? If Wing gets one, it's a date, if he don't, then it wasn't." He spread out his arms in a gesture of one giving an obvious answer, which, of course, he was. Wing rolled his eyes at both of them in annoyance.
Before anything else could be said on the subject, Aviary burst into the room squealing with delight. Clapping her hands gleefully, she fawned over WildWing's new look and skillfully evaded his attempts to talk to her. Finally, he grew exasperated. "Aviary, " he began as calmly as he could, "Is Tanya ready yet? We do have reservations." The femme fatale twirled around and posed by the hallway like a Price Is Right showgirl. "Oh, she certainly is!" she gushed. "Gentlemen! Allow me to be the first to introduce the new(and definitely improved) Tanya Romanov!" She jumped aside quickly, her arm lashed out and pulled the woman in question into view.
Five eyes bulged from their sockets as three jaws hit the floor. Tanya was exquisitely dressed in a floor-length black velvet gown that was reminiscent of the one worn by Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's. It was modestly low-cut and close fitting enough to enhance her natural shape without making her look bimboish. Each arm was encased in black silk from the tips of her fingers to her elbows. But most surprising? Tanya's hair was down. It curled gently around her head in soft waves, nicely framing a face filled with eager apprehension. Upon Aviary's insistence, she had removed her glasses. While the novel effect was flattering, it rendered her incapable of judging her friend's reaction. So she continued to stand there, barely breathing.
Violet eyes? thought Wing to himself. He'd never seen that before, although he certainly knew it existed. Violet was an extreme rarity among duckkind, occurring in only 10 out of 10,000 hatchings. He realized he'd never thought about her eye color before. After all, as far as he knew, she slept with those glasses on. Eventually, the shock wore off enough that Wing realized the dead silence that surrounding them. Slightly shaking himself, he found the voice to speak. "Uh, you-you look nice, Tanya."
"Aw, nice just ain't the word for it WildWing!" Duke remarked approvingly. "Whoa!! Taunnie's a girlie-girl! A total babe!" squeaked Dive as Tanya blushed furiously. "Of course she is. They both get the Aviary Quill seal of approval. Now-" she latched onto both their arms and pulled them toward the exit, "you two had better get going if you don't want to miss your reservations." With a final gentle push, sent them on their way.
***********************************************************************
The car ride had been awkward, to say the least. Neither of them hadn't a clue as to how to break the ice. Now trapped in the restaurant's elegant pseudo-Spanish decor, it was only worse. At least in a car, one can find reasons for avoiding conversations, such as watching the scenery, or listening to the radio. Fidgeting with his silverware, he debated for the umpteenth time whether or not to call the evening off. He felt like he'd been set up on a blind date. And with one of his best friends, of all people too. Call it off, part of him cried, Call it off and keep some of your dignity intact! But they'd already been seated, and it was obvious that she'd spent a good deal of time getting ready, and he had given his word....He sighed and decided to keep going. But they just couldn't spend the whole night in silence. WildWing realized that he didn't know much about Tanya's life before the Invasion, and decided that maybe that would be a good place to start.
"So what did you do before the Invasion, Tanya?" he blurted out. The blonde duck started slightly, then visibly relaxed as the tension slightly dissipated. "Well, I used to work as a lab technician over at DuCainia Technology." WildWing was surprised by such a lowly position. "Just a lab tech? You? You're kidding. You're probably the smartest duck I know." She smiled appreciatively. "Yup. 'Fraid so. My father was very good friends and colleagues with several executives of the company, and everyone assumed I only got hired there because of his 'connections'. Of course I didn't, but no one wanted to, y'know, believe it, so I was forced to, uh, start at the bottom and work twice as hard."
"That's terrible."
She flippantly waved her hand as she sipped her wine. "Nah, I didn't mind. I liked showing them all up." She grinned wickedly, then quickly averted her eyes. Wing smiled back, then continued on. "Your dad, you say he's a scientist?" It was tricky ground he was treading on now, but his curiosity was piqued. To his relief, Tanya smiled and nodded. "Science runs through our family like white runs through Duke's hair." They both broke out in laughter loud enough to attract the attention of some of the other patrons. They managed to quickly stifle themselves before continuing their discovery of each others former lives.
"Nine kids!? Sheesh, didn't your parents ever take a break?" Tanya giggled. "Apparently not. I'm the second oldest."
"Your house must have been huge!" WildWing couldn't imagine the kind of chaos Tanya had endured. "Oh, actually it wasn't that big, but we had three bathrooms and I had my own room." she chuckled. "And it was very close to Teal-Peking Academy, where we all went to school-" She stopped when WildWing suddenly grabbed her hand. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Teal-Peking Academy? Where the heck did you live?" Befuddled by Wing's tone of voice, she stammered out, "Well, uh, I-I, our house was on 115th Place. But why-"
Wing couldn't believe his ears. "115th Place? Are you sure?" The blonde glared at him, then started as he began to laugh. "Taunnie, you're not going to believe this, but Dive and I grew up on 110th Place! We were practically neighbors and never knew it!" She smiled back at him and they laughed again. Wing suddenly realized that he was still holding her hand and awkwardly(and rather reluctantly) let go. Tanya blushed slightly but didn't say anything. But now they had a common link, and exploited it fully, chattering long into the night.
Or at least they would've if the head manager hadn't interrupted them. "Amigos, I'm so sorry," he said in genuine sorrow, "but I'm afraid I must ask you to leave." The two ducks looked at each other in surprise, then back at the man. "But-why? Have we done something wrong?" Wing inquired of the portly gentleman.
"Oh no, senor!" he replied quickly, "but is well past closing and my workers are anxious to get home!" Tanya glanced at her watch, and was surprised to learn it was past midnight. They quickly apologized and paid the bill, leaving a generous tip. As the man escorted the duo out the door, he pulled WildWing close and whispered something in his ear. Then he laughed and patted him on the back as the tall duck blushed and smiled embarrassingly. She looked questioningly at him, but he shrugged it off and held open the car door for her.
On the way home, he glanced over to his companion. The lady was staring out the passenger window, watching the highway lights pass by with a small smile of contentment on her lips. He hated to see the night come to an end, just when they were getting to know each other. He looked up at a passing sign, and his mind raced as he suddenly found a way to extend the evening. Without warning, he veered across the lanes and got off the exit. "WildWing!" she squealed, gripping the upper edge of the window frame instinctively. "What are you doing?"
"You'll see." was his enigmatic reply. Finally reaching their destination, he stopped the car, jumped out and proceeded to her door. She only blinked at the outstretched hand in front of her. "Where are we?" Amusement flickered his eyes as he gestured to a large sign lettered in reflective paint. "You tell me." Tanya squinted at the sign, as she still didn't have her glasses on. "Ana-Anaheim Beach?" She turned back to her team captain with a wary eye. "WildWing, it's past midnight. The beach is closed." Wing shook his head with a chuckle. "Correction.! The boardwalk is closed. The beach however, " he took her hand and began to pull her out of the car, " is always open." Tanya blinked a couple more times, then smiled. Leaving her shoes in the car(as it is hard enough to walk in high heels without them constantly sinking in soft sand), they strolled down along the shoreline.
"By the way, Wing, you never told me what your father does for a living." He faltered a step, nearly landing beak-first in the water. My father. He--used to be a mechanic." he replied sadly.
"Used to be?"
"He died. When I was seven." Tanya's hands flew to her beak in dismay. "Oh, WildWing! I'm so, so sorry! I, y'know, didn't, uh, mean to-" He smiled gently and re-latched her arm around his. "I know, I know." They continued in silence a few minutes longer. "Cancer." he suddenly blurted out.
"Uh, come again?"
"Cancer. In his brain. That's-that's how he died." She nodded sympathetically. "I'm sure he was a great father to you."
"Oh yeah, he was always there for us. "He said brightly. "I don't remember him ever yelling at us or fighting with my mother. I wish NoseDive had gotten to know him better though. He was only two when he passed away. He stopped and stared up at the setting moon. "At least he never saw the horrors those Saurian scum inflicted upon us all." he seethed. Then his shoulders sagged and he let out a sigh of sadness and frustration. "I wonder what he's doing now." Tanya hugged his arm and smiled up at him. "Probably bragging to Drake DuCaine about how his sons are hockey legends, interdimensional ambassadors, and the heroes of two worlds." He stared down at her, then broke into a dazzling grin. "I wouldn't put it past him."
Looking into her warm, caring eyes, Wing was once again struck by their beauty. Those damn eyes. To think she'd hidden them behind those tinted lenses all this time. Now unmasked to the world, they sparkled in the starlight, giving them a magical glow. To think this had been under his beak all this time! And it had taken her near-death experience to realize it.
Staring into his deep brown eyes almost gave Tanya a high. He was interested in her. Not just her brains or certain parts of her anatomy like most other drakes, but all of her. She realized it when he actually let her go on and on about her family, and in the way he opened up to tell her things he'd probably hadn't mentioned to anyone else on the team. He trusted her, and he respected her. She wanted to do backflips. A strong breeze wafted up from the ocean, blowing their hair around a bit. Tanya noticed that it had knocked some of Wing's bangs into his face, a pet peeve of hers. It was this same pet peeve that made her keep her hair up. Tentatively, she reached up with her free hand and carefully smoothed it back into place.
WildWing nearly jumped, so electrifying was her touch. She mumbled an apology as she stepped back, and she muttered some kind of reply. The breeze had loosened some of her hair too, so Wing decided to do the noble thing and return the favor. Tanya had the same idea, however, and both their fingers met at the same time. They paused for a second, then together pushed the wayward strand away. He held on to her hand and gently entwined his fingers with her own. Blushing brightly, she ducked her head shyly towards the sea.
With his index finger, Wing gently reached out with his other hand and lifted up her chin. The sparkle of anticipation and wonder in those violet pools of magic made him feel so weak in the knees he could hardly believe he was still standing. Good thing Dive ain't around, he thought as he bent down to kiss her.
Wing felt her body stiffen slightly, heard her make a muffled cry of surprise, and then she was kissing him back as feverently as he was her. She broke their handhold to encircle his neck, while he threw his arms around her waist and held her close to him. Time just stood still, the only audible sound the singing in their blood, drowning out even the ocean's powerful roar.
But sadly, all things must end, and reluctantly, they broke off the kiss and strolled back to the car, arms entwined around each other. Upon reaching the door to Tanya's room, she turned to face him. "I really had a nice time tonight WildWing. Thank you." He stroked her cheek and softly answered back. "You're most welcome. I had fun too. Maybe we should do this again sometime, hmm?" She smiled. "I think I'd really like that." She reached up to kiss him good-night, then smoothed his hair back and closed the door. He grinned madly after her, then half-danced down the corridor to his room.
That night, he dreamt that about his father. The older drake didn't say anything, just smiled at him. The smile was full of pride, love, and warmth. And for the first time in many years, Wing felt completely at peace. He awoke the next morning with a smile on his face and hope in his heart.