Birds of A Feather





Chapter Eleven:
The Morning Torture








By next morning, Darkwing Duck awoke to find himself curled up atop of Steelbeak's warm upper torso. The rooster's densely feathered chest proved to be an excellent pillow, far better than any that could be brought in a store. He was still embraced in his mate's muscular arms, and was as comfortable as he appeared.

That was one of the best nights I've ever had, certainly one of the most intimate ones.

"Hey, ya big lug . . . ?" Darkwing whispered, feeling a pang of hunger hit his stomach. "I need to get out and have some breakfast. I don't know about you but I'm starved! Think you could let go of me just for a little while?"

The only response he got back from him was a contented groan. The lazy bum's holding me too tight, this guy would sleep right through an earthquake! I've got to figure out another way to set myself free. Splash water in his face? Nope, too Liquidator. Awakening him by turning on the alarm clock? Too run of the mill. Air horn? Too loud!

Wait, I've got it! With a devious smile, Darkwing snaked a hand over to Steelbeak's belly and successfully awoke him with a good tickling.

"Eeep! No, not da belly!" Steelbeak pleaded, laughing helplessly and letting him go. "I t'ought crime fighters were good guys! Dis is evil!"

"Surprise, surprise! I gotcha now ya ferocious fiend!" Darkwing spoke in a playfully threatening tone, intensifying the torture. At first he had planned it only as a way to wake him up, but decided the crook needed to be punished for all the crimes he had committed over the years.

"Sometimes us do-gooders have to think like the villains!"

Steelbeak curled up in a ball to protect himself but it wasn't enough to stop the mallard from tickling him into submission. His tummy was protected from those sneaky hands, but the same could not be said about his ribs and back. Not to mention, his feet.

"Who's the ducky?" Darkwing asked with a maniacal edge to his voice, lightly scritching alongside his broad rib cage. He was determined to get the rooster to uncurl from his fetal position.

"Ehehehe . . . You da ducky!" Steelbeak cried out as one of his feet became the next target. If he tried to get Darkwing back, he would leave himself even more vulnerable. The only option he had left now was to give up resisting the plucky vigilante's tickle attack.

"Give up, Chickenboy? Or do I have to get dangerous?" Darkwing asked with a wry grin, speaking in the same tone he used while out trying to stop the agent's crime in process. He had found the rooster's begging for mercy to be irresistibly adorable, and tickled him all the more.

"S-S-Stop . . . " The poor villain stammered, practically in tears.

"Not until you uncurl yourself," Darkwing said matter of factly. "Until you do, I'll keep up with the tickle attack! This time, with your own feathers!"

"I surrender!" Steelbeak meekly pleaded, finally uncurling himself from the fetal position. Much to his astonishment, Darkwing finally stopped tickling him.

Yep, yep, yup . . . Just goes to show you good always triumphs over evil!" Darkwing proudly stated, posing with one foot on his chest. Unexpectedly, he was playfully shoved off the bed and landed head first on the floor.

"Owch . . . "

Sitting up to catch his breath, Steelbeak watched the duck's predicament with an amused smirk. "Youse got me good dere, but I'm gonna get back at youse!"

"You go right ahead!" Darkwing smiled, daring the idea of revenge. "I'll just win again, and tickle you so much I'll make you wet your pants!"

"Ooooh I'm petrified!" Steelbeak replied in a sultry tone, seductfully laying back down on the bed. He began to think of ways to get even.

Ticklin' 'em back would prolly jus' start a vicious soicle. I don't wanna off 'em. 'Ow about takin' advantage of 'em sexually when 'e least expects it? Poifect! Dat duck's really grown on me now, but life is too short not to 'ave fun.

"Well, I hate to say it but I've got to go," Darkwing told Steelbeak, leaning down and giving him a kiss on his feathery cheek. "I've got to get some food in me and see what the local lunatics are up to, then I have to check on Gosalyn to see how she's doing. Just behave yourself, I'll be back!"

"Okay . . . . " Steelbeak replied softly, giving him a nudge with his beak to acknowledge the kiss. It then occurred to him that he hadn't flat out told his companion that he really loved him.

"I know it sounds really kinda cliche, but . . . I really love yas. A villain ain't really supposed to say dis I suppose, but . . . Take care of yerself out dere."

"I love you too, ya cad!" He replied with a laugh, feeling touched by Steelbeak's sincerity. "Don't worry about me, I can take on anything!" With that, he disappeared in a cloud of blue smoke.