Tori: *hugs pictures Saori drew*

Awa: Oooh! The KamikazeDucks new QuickDraw stuff from GunPointArt! ((Oi! Much of a shameless plug there?))

Kegawa: Lemme see!

Tori: *proudly displays pictures of the guys and Duet as angels from random points in the story*

Awa: ^__^ Spiffy!

Kegawa: Nifty!

Tori: Saori sketched up some storyboards to show Rei! ^___^ Oh, I hope we run this story! So many nummy pictures!!!

Kegawa: Our little feather freak.

Tori: I read X/1999 just because there were so many feathers on the cover!

Awa: Everyone cares and we're all so proud. GET TO THE NEXT CHAPTER!

Tori: Meep!

~*~*~*~*~*~

            "Newark!" Duo snapped and flapped a few times to avoid a plane that had just taken off. He looked back at Duet just in time to see her get caught in the wake of one of the wings and tumble a few feet before regaining her composure and fluttering back over to him.

            "I hate airports…" she scowled and, pulling one of her wings in front of her, she began to preen, fixing the damage that last stunt had caused. She was completely hidden from his view behind the thick black curtain of feathers and he did not like that at all.

            "Duet," he called, but she didn't acknowledge him. "DUET!" The wing rose and the feathers near the bottom parted so he could see her face through the gaps. She looked up at him and frowned.

            "Yes?"

            "Don't hide from me."

            The wing lowered until she could rest her chin and arms on the edge. "Who says I'm hiding from you," she whispered.

            "I do." He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. As soon as he drew back, the wing went up again.

            "Not yet!" came the muffled command and her right wing folded behind her again. "You can't yet, Duo."

            The braided boy looked hurt. "I'm…sorry," he murmured.

            They drifted on in silence. Before they had enjoys hours of silence together, considering them to be some of the best conversations they'd ever had. Now it was a hurtful, angry, longing silence. A few feet away and still miles apart; a clichéd idea, but it rang true nonetheless.

            "Duo…?"

            "What?"

            "…nothing…"

            "Duet?"

            "What?"

            "Chicken butt."

            Duet gave him a look from above and beyond the confusion category and Duo matched it with his own look of smug suaveness.

            "Chicken butt…?"

            "Yes. I am, of course, referring to the ass of a tasty, flightless bird. The joke being that 1. I really had nothing important to say and 2. that 'chicken butt' rhymed with-"

            "I love you…"

            "-what?"

            "Don't pretend like you didn't hear me."

            "Oh, I heard you alright."

            "Then why'd you say what?"

            "Because it rhymed with 'chicken butt'."

            "No other reason?"

            "Nope."

            "Good."

            "I'm glad we had this talk."

            "…"

            "My point exactly."

            "Duo."

            "What? Chicken butt?"

            "No. Stop talking."

            "Oh. Okay. I'll just shut up then. I mean, you know I only-"

            Duet leaned in and placed a kiss on his lips. His hands immediately went for her hair, but she pulled away and wiped her mouth on the back of her hand.

            "I said SHUT UP!"

            This time he made no reply.

~*~*~*~

Tori: That has to be THE best conversation I've ever written. ^___^ Oh yeah! Next year's cosplay!

Awa: A little full of yourself there?

Tori: No, I just love choreographed conversations.

Kegawa: Sounds like something they really did say…