ENJOY!!!
Disclaimer: I don't own Storm Hawks…and I suddenly forgot what I was going to say.
Dedicated to Rebel of my Destiny
His body was turning from side to side, crumpling and tangling his bedsheets. Tired as he was, he could not sleep. Something was keeping him restless and awake.
But what?
A strangled yelp from Radarr woke the redhead, and leaf green eyes snapped open. Yawning, Aerrow looked at his alarm. The clock read 11:30.
"Great, just great", he grumbled. "Half an hour to midnight and I still can't sleep."
His co-pilot made a questioning sound.
"It's been like this for a while now. I know why I'm so restless, but I haven't even tried to take care of it until now."
He got up. "Go to sleep, Radarr. I've got some business to take care of."
The little animal shook his head and hopped off the bed, slowly climbing onto his shoulder.
"Alright, buddy. You can come with me, but don't make any noises." Tiptoeing out of his room, he crept over to Piper's room. He opened her door and found her peacefully sleeping.
He walked over to her bed and let Radarr down gently upon the foot of her bed. He sat on the floor so that he faced her. The furry co-pilot opened up Piper's sky view window, the largest of her windows. The moonlight touched her lovely vale silver, the light bathing her slumbering form in beauty.
"Hey Piper", he murmured to her, running his fingers down her cheek and over the bridge of her nose and skimming across her closed eyelids.
"Something, or rather someone, has been keeping me awake for a while. You.
There's something inside I just can't explain. I cannot put it into words.Every time you smile, I know I shouldn't, but I just want to hug you by the shoulders.
When someone hurts you or makes you feel stupid, that bloodlust in me just starts lashing about, and I feel like just punching that person in the face. You remember Dommiwick? I wanted us to fight together so I could get a piece of him too. Well, and because he was a Cyclonian slimeball and all that, but you get the idea.
And when you're sad…I just hate it when you're sad. It makes my insides churn. I always have that urge to hug you, but I…I don't know…"
He broke off in confusion, caressing her cheek.
"I think…no, I know I have feelings for you. I don't know, I've merely regarded them as just a friendly affection, you know. And then it just grew into this…feeling. I have no idea what it is, but I like this feeling. I'm surprisingly happier than ever.
I have the feeling you feel the same way. I just wanted to say…don't."
Radarr let out another questioning sound, as if to screech, "What?!"
"Piper, you…you're so amazing, you know? You're so intelligent, so brilliant, so beautiful. You know so many things about Atmos, you have created so many new and useful crystals.
You're just too lovely. Your dark skin, your midnight blue hair, your orange eyes that, if I wasn't so caught up with my life, I'd just stare into them all day…and night."
His fingers strayed over her delicately pointed chin.
"Any squadron could've had you. Anyone could've had you. You could've been good friends with modern-day philosophers, or Starling, Dove, Suzi Lu, Lynn, or, can't believe I'd say it, or Master Cyclonis. You could've taught specialist school in Greemus or lived in Biblios, where all those great libraries are. You could've been among the 'smart people of the world', where you would fit in the most. Where you belong.
Instead, you stayed by my side. With me. With the rest of the Storm Hawks.
Where, although you should've stuck out like a sore thumb, being the only girl and all, you blended in like watercolor paints.
Someone like you deserves better than this. Better than us."
He sucked in a deep breath and, with an exhale, murmured,
"Better than me."
Radarr's face appeared, and the little animal whimpered, as if to say, "You know that's not true."
"I know I sound so low self-esteem, but its true. I don't know; I just can't stop thinking about that time you left us…I missed you, you know that? We really are a bunch of idiots." He stole a glance at the blue diamond around her neck. "You're a diamond in the rough, in a handful of rock. It's not fair that you work so hard trying to make everything better when we seem worse than the Absolute Zeroes."
Then he bit down upon his lip.
"What am I doing? Why am I confessing to you? I wish I wasn't so caught up with taking Cyclonia down; then maybe it could be different between us."
His voice began to increase in volume, and he pulled at his fiery red hair. He flung his face into Piper's bedsheets, ignoring the frantic movements from Radarr that screamed, "Quiet, you're going to wake her up!"
"Arrggh! I am such a coward! I can't even tell you my feelings to your face! I confess to you while you're sleeping so that you may not hear me! What is wrong is me, dammit?!"
"Nothing's wrong with you, Aerrow."
Leaf green eyes shot open in alarm. He didn't dare lift his head to see who had spoken to him.
He knew it was her; he had woken her up.
Had she heard his confession?
He felt two hands place themselves at the side of his head, and turned it so that he was now staring into her carnelian orange eyes. He quickly looked away, trying to avoid her gaze, but she whispered,
"Aerrow, please look at me."
He obeyed.
"Nothing's wrong with you", she repeated. "You're perfect just the way you are."
He could only stare.
"Did…did you really mean every word you said?"
"Yeah, I meant every single word, Piper. You really don't deserve us. You're too good for me, and I'm not good enough for you.
"Why do you think that?"
He sighed. "Remember that time you left us and told us you quit?"
"Oh, please don't remind me-"
"Yeah. I know. It got me thinking. You know, you should have left us. We're terrible people." The redhead rubbed the back of his neck, leaf green eyes dimmed in shame. "But-but-I missed you. It was chaos, there were problems, and it was kinda lonely."
"I know just how you guys felt. It rained, and I felt so cold. I just wanted to be warm in my own bed", the crystal specialist pulled her blanket around her middle. "And I felt really bad for leaving you like that…"
He gave her a surprised look from the tops of his eyes.
"I mean, leaving you guys like that. It was wrong of me to do so."
"Why did you stay?"
"Think, Aerrow. You called me beautiful…". She blushed.
"You called me brilliant." Her blush began to spread all over her face.
"You called me amazing." Now she was certain her cheeks had burned off.
"Because it's true." A small smile tugged at the corners of his lips.
"The people that deserve my talents aren't the people who are like me. Sure, Starling's cool, and Biblios' universities could have me as an instructor in ancient Terra studies. But the people that deserve me the most are the people that need my talents."
Piper leaned closer to him. "A great man once said, 'The healthy do not need a doctor. It is the sick who need help the most.' People like Starling and Suzi and the 'smart people' of the world don't need me. I stayed because you guys need me. I stayed because I need you guys. I stayed because…because…"
Her commanding officer moved closer to her until she could feel his warm breath upon her cheek. "Because why? You can tell me."
"I…needed…you…". Now her orange orbs widened in alarm. She tried to see his reaction from the corner of her eye, and his look was one of shock, surprise, and something that looked like happiness.
"Me? You need me? Crazy, wild, can't-even-follow-one-of-your-plans me?"
"Yes, you. The others as well, but mostly you."
She turned her head, only to be met with a mouth that quickly melded to her rosy lips. Carnelian orbs widened in surprise as one of her leader's hands found the back of her neck, and pulled her closer to him.
Her spine straightened, shoulders lifted and she stiffened.
He sensed this and broke away, murmuring, "I'm sorry, really I am. I didn't mean to go that far. It's just that…I love you…and…"
But she only interpreted her impatience and love through another kiss, this one more certain and passionate. He smiled against her mouth, and buried his callused fingers in her midnight blue hair.
As he deepened the kiss, his breath warm upon her tongue, her hands, crushed against his chest, slid upwards and she wrapped her arms around his neck, dragging him down to her bed.
His lean, wiry frame overpowered her slender, slim form as he cupped her face in his hands, the taste of chocolate and her famous sandcakes moist upon her lips. Her chocolate-colored hands roamed down his neck, over his broad shoulders and supple back as her eyelashes fluttered with pleasure.
She felt a delicious warmth spreading through her body, and each of her senses melting into one another.
He felt the warmth seeping from her body, and the familiar beat of his heart reminded him of his love for his long-time companion, the one thing in his life that was perfect.
They tore the kiss in unison, but only far enough to let their noses brush each other. Aerrow stared at his beautiful Piper, her silvery face reflected in his green orbs. Not wanting to leave her, not tonight, the redhead's fingers brushed across her eyelids.
A yawn suddenly sounded from her, and she whispered with a happy smile, "Sorry, Storm Hawk. But I'm tired, and you're crushing me."
"Oh! Sorry!" He scrambled to move off of her, and into the empty space beside her. Here was a special spot for him in her cashmere bedsheets, so that she would never be lonely or cold.A giggle escaped her lips. "I know I love you. Deep in my heart."
"I love you too, but I think I already said that, like, a thousand times", he replied.
A screech came from the foot of the bed, and Radarr crawled towards them, dragging Piper's blanket behind him.
"Oh, hey there buddy. Wanna sleep here?", the redhead said, patting a cozy space between him and his new girlfriend. The little animal nodded and curled up on their pillows; his tail limp on his best friend's neck, and his ear resting on the girl's throat.
"Goodnight, Radarr", she whispered.
The dark-skinned girl gave one last glance to her Sky Knight.
"Sleep tight, Aerrow."
"Sweet dreams, Piper", he murmured, grasping for her hand underneath the bedsheets. "Although I'm certain I won't have to worry about that."
Ah, yes.
Sweet dreams to our two Storm Hawks.
I liked this kiss.
Hope you did too.
Oh, and as for the sucky ending….You can flame me about it anytime.
14th Kiss: Blackout
A blackout hits the Condor! Trapped in Piper's room, with only the light from outside and their growing feelings for each other, can Aerrow and Piper make it through the night?
See ya all soon!!
Love (or hate),
Lady Azar
