Disclaimer: Same as usual...I do not own Gargoyles.
Another Spell Broken
Chapter Seven
The Manhattan clan stared into the horizon, expressions wary. There was a storm coming. Clouds billowed in the distance, dark and churning. They moved slowly, spreading out across the sky like spilled ink. It was going to be a big one. Thunder rolled, the low sound carrying to where the clan, joined by Elisa Maza stood on their tower.
Brooklyn shrugged and turned to Audri with every intent of taking her somewhere private where they could talk about what was going on between them. If they didn't talk now he would surely go crazy. Every thought she had consumed until there was nothing left but her. She needed to know how he felt. He needed to know how she felt. He was just reaching for her hand when Goliath's voice stopped him.
"Brooklyn, Broadway, Lexington. I want you three to patrol the south and east sides of the city tonight, at least until the storm hits." the leader added upon seeing their disbelieving faces. "Hudson and I shall take the west and north sides."
Brooklyn sighed dejectedly and looked at Audri with an apology ready but she reached up and stopped him. Her soft hand covered his mouth and she gave him one of those heart melting smiles. "You do not have to apologize, silly gargoyle." she whispered in a teasing voice. He pulled her hand down and returned her smile. "Who said I was going to apologize. Maybe I was going to pull you into my arms and kiss you senseless."
He laughed softly when a delicate blush stained her fair cheeks. Lifting her hand to his lips, he placed a gentle kissed the inside of her wrist by her pulse. "Until later, my silver haired beauty." he murmured. Audri's eyes sparkled as she smiled up at him. "Aye, later." she whispered. Brooklyn leapt onto the parapets to join Lex and Broadway. "Do be careful." Audri called out softly. He turned and looked down at her, taken once again by her beauty. He managed a nod and followed his rookery brothers off into the night.
The trio went in one direction, Goliath with Elisa cradled in his arms and Hudson by his side went in the other, leaving Audri, Angela and Bronx behind to watch them until they were no more then dots in the stormy night sky.
Audri sighed and folded her arms on the parapet ledge, lowering her head to rest on her arms. Well, this was just completely unfair. The way things were going she would be surprised if her and Brooklyn were ever going to get a moment alone together with no interruptions. All she had been able to dream about were his hands upon her body, his lips whispering sweet words of love as they trailed over her neck. She sighed again and watched a bolt of lightning cut jaggedly across the sky, scolding herself for being so selfish. She knew Brooklyn had duties to fulfill and a city to protect. Their time together would have to wait.
She glanced over to her side as Angela joined her, folding her arms and resting her chin on them in much the same fashion as Audri. Thunder rumbled softly in the distance, followed by an eerie calm.
"Hmm...it appears to be quite bad." Angela murmured. Audri nodded and tilted her head to look at her female friend. "How bad is bad in New York?" she asked. "Oh, it's not all that bad. Rainy, windy...but there is no wind. See the trees?" Angela pointed down to a small grove of trees in the courtyard below them. "They barley move. Sometimes it's a sign of bad weather to come."
Audri stared at the trees a moment longer, letting her mind drift from thought to though. When Angela turned to go inside, she slowly followed with Bronx trailing beside her, occasionally bumping his big doggy head against her hand. "Angela?"
The other female stopped walking and turned around. "Yes, Audri?"
"I do not suppose...well...it is just that it has been a very long time since I last bathed. Would you, by chance, have a tub?" Audri asked with a hopefully smile. Angela laughed. "We have something so much better then a bathing tub. Come with me."
Intrigued, Audri followed Angela down a hallway and past several doors. Angela paused at one of them. "Xanatos had several rooms made up when we moved into the castle. They're for privacy sake. There are three extra's so with the help of Elisa, we have made this one yours." She pushed the door open and turned on the light, watching for Audri's reaction. "I talked to Elisa the night you arrived and she...um persuaded Xanatos to bring a few things in here from the list we made. I hope you like it."
Audri gaped in complete wonder around the room. It was not large by any means, nor was it small. Audri would have defined it as cozy. A large royal purple area rug covered the hard wood floors. Two light violate chairs sat in one corner, a dark green velvety throw pillow in each, tilted so that they were slightly facing each other. A small oval table sat in front of them and a bookshelf lined with books was placed along the wall next to the chairs. Audri stared at the bookshelf and felt tears start to well in her eyes. The books must have been Brooklyn's idea.
The rest of the room was simple, yet elegant in it's own way. A vanity had been placed against the wall and a large, plain bed with a simple deep purple bed spread sat against the wall to the right of them. Gauzy deep green fabric was draped over a curtain rod and hung in delicate folds to the floor, framing a glass door that opened out onto the terrace walkway.
The final touch were three paintings that had been hung on the walls. One, a painting of a maiden and a unicorn sitting next to a stream in the clearing of a dense forest. The second was of a lake bathed in moonlight, dozens of blooming lilies scattered across its surface with white fairies floating above them. The final was a painting of a regal castle surrounded by mist.
Audri gave a small cry of delight and turned to Angela, wrapping the other female in a hug. "Oh, thank you so much! It is beautiful. I love it!" Angela laughed at the other females enthusiastic response. "You're very welcome. It's the least we could do."
"It was more then you could do. This is wonderful, Angela." Audri said. She blinked several times to stop the tears that stung the back of her eyes. "This future of yours is not so bad to get used to."
Laughing, Angela took Audri's hand and pulled her back out into the hallway. "Oh, we're not finished yet."
After having Angela teach her how to use the shower, Audri stood under the the cascade of hot water and felt every muscle in her body start to relax. Angela had been right. This shower was much better then bathing in a tub. She took her time washing her hair as Angela had shown her to do, then stepped out of the shower, dried her long hair as best she could with the towel provided, dressed and wove her long silvery tresses into a loose braid that hung straight down her back.
She walked back to her room where Angela sat perched on the edge of the bed reading a book. "Is there any way to cover this door at all?" she asked out of curiosity, staring out the window at the approaching storm.
Angela looked up from her book and smiled. "We could find something. Why?" she asked innocently, watching as Audri's cheeks brightened to a deep pink. "Oh, no reason." the other female said nonchalantly. Angela set her book down and patted a spot on the bed next to her. "Come Audri, sit here." she said.
Audri crossed the room and sat, tossing her long braid back over her shoulder. She steeled herself, prepared to admit everything about her and Brooklyn if Angela knew about them as Audri suspected she did.
"Is something going on with you and Brooklyn?"
Audri laughed nervously. "You do not waste any time, do you?" Angela smiled and looked down at her hands. "Elisa once told me that sometimes the best way to get what you want is to come right out and ask for it." she explained. "And I'm very curious. Since the day you came to us, Brooklyn has been acting differently. He was very depressed not so long ago, but now he seams very happy. And I think it has something to do with you. You two did look a little more then friendly on the couch last night. Tell me Audri, is there something between you and Brooklyn?"
Audri chewed at her bottom lip, trying to stop her mouth from smiling. Her lips betrayed her though and a wide, dreamy smile spread across her face. "Aye, there is." she cried.
"Oh! I knew it! This is so wonderful Audri." Angela clapped her hands together and lifted them to her smiling mouth. "It is so good to see him not moping about the castle. Does he know how you feel? How do you feel??" she asked, leaning forward.
Audri shook her head. "He knows that I like him. That should be rather obvious. But the feelings go so much deeper then that." She raised her wide eyes to meet her friends. "Angela, I think...I think I am falling in love with him."
Angela's mouth dropped open. "Really??" Audri nodded. In truth, she didn't just think that she was falling in love with him, she knew. "He's so kind. He has gone out of his way to make me feel comfortable. When I first laid eyes on him, it was if time stopped and for one second there was just him...and myself. All I could think about was how powerful he looked. And when he kisses me-."
"You've kissed?!" Angela cried. Audri blushed and looked down at the bed. "Yesterday...twice." she admitted softly. "What was it like?" Her friend asked. Audri sighed and her eyes took on a far away look. "It was unlike anything I have ever felt. Like fire ran through my veins. He was so gentle, yet demanding at the same time. After he kissed me in the hallway he held me so close and asked if I had any idea what I did to him."
Silence filled the room and Audri looked up into Angela's wide eyes and laughed. "Surprised?"
"To say the least." Angela said with a laugh. "And his....didn't get in the way?" she pointed at her nose.
"Mmm...not at all. I hardly noticed it." Audri said. 'I was too busy noticing the way his strong body was pressed against mine.' Audri blushed at her wayward thoughts and quickly attempted to change the subject momentarily. Clearing her throat she said. "How did you know that you loved Broadway?"
"That, my friend, is a long story. Best shared over ice cream and a warm fire." Angela stood up and pulled Audri up beside her. "So to the kitchen we go." With one last endearing glance at the many books place in her bookshelf, Audri followed Angela to the kitchen.
"So you and Broadway have only been mates for almost a year?" Audri asked after they had made their trip to the kitchen and were settled on the living room couch in front of a roaring fire with a carton of chocolate mint swirl between them. "Why just a year? Did you two not realize your feelings for each others feelings until then?"
Angela laughed softly. "I'm sure we would have, had I been here. You see, I was raised on Avelon. My fathers clan was destroyed. When this happened the hatchlings, that's what I was at the time, were taken away so they would not suffer the same fate. Goliath and the others would have come for us but were unable to. They were put under a spell. The hatchlings were taken on a skiff by Princess Katherine, a peasant boy named Tom and his mother. We somehow came to live on Avelon and were raised there as a clan. I did not even know my father until the night he, Elisa and Bronx were brought to Avelon by Tom. When they left, I chose to go with them and that is how I ended up here." she finished her story and ate a spoonful of ice cream.
"And that is how you met Broadway?" Audri asked.
"More like, that is how I met the trio." Angela rolled her eyes and Audri giggled. "Were they that bad?"
"Worse. They were three males who had not seen a woman in a long time. They had also never been with one. If it hadn't been for Elisa, I wouldn't have had the slightest idea of what to do."
"Oh, you poor dear." Audri said, barley able to keep herself from laughing, which was almost impossible to do when picturing the trio fighting to win Angela's affections. "How ever did you decide?" she asked.
"It was difficult. They didn't exactly try to make things easy for me. But everyday I found myself noticing Broadway more and more. The things he did, the way that he treated me. One night I woke up and he was all I could think about. That's when I knew my heart had chosen him. All that was left was for me to tell him." Angela said.
Audri cringed. "The other two were not too badly hurt?"
Angela dug her spoon into the ice cream, trying not to remember how she had hurt them. "Lex wasn't. But Brooklyn...he's a hopeless romantic." she could still remember the way he had stared at her as if she had betrayed him. "He was very hurt."
Noticing the pain in her friend voice, Audri reached over and placed a comforting hand over hers. "I shall make him better." she said softly. Angela smiled. "You already have. He is so much happier now that you are here with us." she said.
Audri nodded. "I just wish I knew how he felt about me." She chewed the tip of her talon. Yes, they had shared a couple of kisses, and yes he had said that she did something to him, but was he falling in love with her as she was with him?
A big gar-dog head landed in her lap and Audri looked down into a large pair of concerned eyes. Bronx whined and bumped his head against her stomach. She laughed quietly and scratched behind his ears.
"I'm sure he does Audri." Angela said, reassuring the other female. She started to scratch behind Bronx's other ear and they slipped into a comfortable silence, listening to the crackling of the fire.
Outside, the storm drew closer. Angry clouds moved over Castle Wyvern, over Manhattan, casting the entire city into complete darkness and with a clap of thunder that shook the earth, the heavens opened and released a torrential down pour of rain.
Audri and Angela both jumped and raised their eyes to the ceiling. The sound of rain hitting the roof filled the living room. "I suppose the others will be back soon, now that the storm has begun." Audri said, running her hand absent mindedly over Bronx's head.
Voices drifted in through the archway from outside and Bronx lifted his head. "Sooner then expected." Angela said, watching Bronx as he trotted to the entrance. On impulse Angela reached over and pulled Audri down.
"Wh-what are you doing?" Audri asked with a confused laugh. Angela peeked up over the side of the couch and ducked back down. "There is no way that anyone entering the castle could see us." she whispered. "Wouldn't you like to hear if Brooklyn has anything to say about you?"
Audri thought for a moment. "Very good idea." The two females laughed together but quickly sobered once the trio entered the room and listened intently to what they had to say.
"I'm completely soaked." Lex grumbled when they entered the living room. Brooklyn looked at him and rolled his eyes. "Not as soaked as I am." he said, wringing the water from his thick mane of hair. "I'm just glad we were near the castle when that rain hit. It's coming down really hard out there."
Broadway walked up to him and elbowed him suggestively in the ribs. "I'll bet you just wanted that rain to come so you could get back here and be with Audri." he said.
"So what if I did?" Brooklyn asked with a grin. Broadway smiled at his rookery brother, knowing full well how he felt. "She's got you bad, huh?"
Brooklyn laughed. "Boy, I'll say. I can't stop thinking about her. The way she smiles, the way she laughs, the way she scrunches up her cute little nose whenever she's really confused about something." He sighed. "She's even in my dreams now." Brooklyn looked up at Broadway. "Is this what it felt like for you?"
Broadway nodded his head. "Yup. Before I had the guts to tell Angela how I felt, I would just think about her all day. Didn't take long for me to figure out that thinking about her wasn't going to be enough." He placed a big hand on Brooklyn's shoulder. "You'll have to tell her how you feel, buddy."
"I'm going to. I'm just...nervous." Brooklyn said with a laugh. "Can you believe that? Me...nervous. I was never nervous around Maggie or Angela. But Audri...she's something special. She's different."
Folding their wings around them, Brooklyn and Broadway followed Lex to the couch. "So, what are you going to do?" Broadway asked.
Brooklyn rubbed the back of his neck and tried to think of something perfect. What was he going to do? Give her flowers? Chocolates? What if she didn't like chocolate? Or what if she was allergic to flowers? Then he thought of it. "I'll take her out on a date."
Broadway looked at him in surprise. "A date?"
"Yeah," Brooklyn said. "I'll ask her out on a date."
"What makes you think she'll say yes?" Lex asked, turning to face them. The little gargoyle hopped up on the back of the couch and gave his rookery brothers a smug smile. "For all you know, it could be me Audri wants."
Just then, Bronx walked under Lex's dangling legs and nudged him over the side of the couch. Lex toppled backwards, limbs flailing. The situation would have been funny if it hadn't been accompanied by a startled female shriek and an oath that could only have belonged to the fair Audri.
Brooklyn felt his stomach sink. They had been there the whole time. Audri had heard every single thing he had just said about her. "Busted man." Broadway said to him. Brooklyn could only stare in stunned disbelief as Audri slowly peeked over the edge of the couch. He wanted the floor to open up right then and there. To swallow him whole so he could act like none of this had ever happened. No such luck.
He watched her as she stood up and made her way slowly around the couch, never took his eyes off her as she walked boldly up to him and when she was only an inch away, stopped. Then, being the bold female she was, she leaned up and kissed him lightly and said with a very obvious look in her eyes, "I am going to my room."
And with that she was gone. Brooklyn watched her go and then turned his attention back to his clan. Why he was still standing in the same spot and hadn't moved at all, he didn't know. Angela and Broadway both looked at him with happy smiles. Lex simply said in a disgruntled tone. "Well, are you going to follow her or not?"
Once in her room, Audri shut the door behind her and waited. Her heart was racing. She had heard it with her own ears. Brooklyn was falling for her. Such sweet words had come from him and there was no denying now that he wanted to be with her. She raised a hand to touch her nose, which was apparently a cute nose. She had never thought so personally, but Brooklyn thought it was.
A knock sounded and Audri's thudding heart skipped a beat. She turned slowly, grabbed a hold of the knob and opened the door. There he stood. His brown-gold eyes stared warmly down at her and she felt weak. "Hi." he said softly. "Hello." she replied.
Stepping out of the way to allow him entrance, she once again closed the door leaving them completely alone together. She turned back to face Brooklyn. "I was hoping we could be alone together for a while." she said.
Brooklyn smiled down at her. "So was I. I was...um...planning on telling you everything that I just said out there when we were alone. But I guess now you know." Audri nodded. Brooklyn took a deep breath. "Audri, since you've come here my life has been so much better. It's because of you. Everything you do, the way you treat me, how you make me feel like I'm somebody. I was so lonely and then you came along and all of a sudden I don't feel alone anymore."
Audri stared up at the gargoyle she loved with tears in her eyes. Never had anyone spoken so sweetly to her. "I have never known what it was like to be kissed by someone before. I have never wanted any male in my life save for my father....until I met you. I want you in my life, Brooklyn." she whispered.
He cradled her face in his hands and watched as two tears slid down her beautiful cheeks. "I thought I told you no more crying." he said. She laughed softly. "They are tears of joy." she murmured.
He stared into her vibrant blue eyes a moment longer and then claimed her lips in a sweet kiss that spoke volumes of what he felt for her. His wings wrapped around her and her hands twined in his hair. He kept the kiss unrushed, lingering over the task until each of them were breathless. Backing away, Brooklyn tucked a few stray whisps of Audri's hair back behind her ears and smiled. "Want to go on a date?" he asked.
She purposely scrunched up her nose and laughed. "I would love to. But...what is a date?"
Brooklyn led her over to one of the chairs and sat down, pulling her down onto his lap. "A date is when two people who care for each other, like we do," he said, giving her a quick kiss "get together and go out for dinner, sometimes a movie, maybe dancing. They just go out to have a fun time and enjoy each other's company. I've never been on one but I asked Elisa once what they were."
Audri gave an understanding nod and rested her head on Brooklyn's shoulder, wrapping her arms loosely around his neck. His hand came up, lightly caressing her bare arm and the two sat in silence, content just to be with each other. They shared tender kisses, oblivious to anything around them.
Finally, when dawn approached, they emerged from Audri's room wrapped in each others arms and walked slowly to where the other gargoyles awaited their stone sleep. Brooklyn helped Audri up to her perch. "So, how about that date?" he asked.
Audri laughed, her beautiful eyes sparkling. "Aye, we shall go on a date."
The two smiled at each other, still holding hands, their feelings mirrored in each others eyes. Brooklyn raised both of her hands to his mouth and kissed each in turn. "Sweet dreams, Audri."
Another Spell Broken
Chapter Seven
The Manhattan clan stared into the horizon, expressions wary. There was a storm coming. Clouds billowed in the distance, dark and churning. They moved slowly, spreading out across the sky like spilled ink. It was going to be a big one. Thunder rolled, the low sound carrying to where the clan, joined by Elisa Maza stood on their tower.
Brooklyn shrugged and turned to Audri with every intent of taking her somewhere private where they could talk about what was going on between them. If they didn't talk now he would surely go crazy. Every thought she had consumed until there was nothing left but her. She needed to know how he felt. He needed to know how she felt. He was just reaching for her hand when Goliath's voice stopped him.
"Brooklyn, Broadway, Lexington. I want you three to patrol the south and east sides of the city tonight, at least until the storm hits." the leader added upon seeing their disbelieving faces. "Hudson and I shall take the west and north sides."
Brooklyn sighed dejectedly and looked at Audri with an apology ready but she reached up and stopped him. Her soft hand covered his mouth and she gave him one of those heart melting smiles. "You do not have to apologize, silly gargoyle." she whispered in a teasing voice. He pulled her hand down and returned her smile. "Who said I was going to apologize. Maybe I was going to pull you into my arms and kiss you senseless."
He laughed softly when a delicate blush stained her fair cheeks. Lifting her hand to his lips, he placed a gentle kissed the inside of her wrist by her pulse. "Until later, my silver haired beauty." he murmured. Audri's eyes sparkled as she smiled up at him. "Aye, later." she whispered. Brooklyn leapt onto the parapets to join Lex and Broadway. "Do be careful." Audri called out softly. He turned and looked down at her, taken once again by her beauty. He managed a nod and followed his rookery brothers off into the night.
The trio went in one direction, Goliath with Elisa cradled in his arms and Hudson by his side went in the other, leaving Audri, Angela and Bronx behind to watch them until they were no more then dots in the stormy night sky.
Audri sighed and folded her arms on the parapet ledge, lowering her head to rest on her arms. Well, this was just completely unfair. The way things were going she would be surprised if her and Brooklyn were ever going to get a moment alone together with no interruptions. All she had been able to dream about were his hands upon her body, his lips whispering sweet words of love as they trailed over her neck. She sighed again and watched a bolt of lightning cut jaggedly across the sky, scolding herself for being so selfish. She knew Brooklyn had duties to fulfill and a city to protect. Their time together would have to wait.
She glanced over to her side as Angela joined her, folding her arms and resting her chin on them in much the same fashion as Audri. Thunder rumbled softly in the distance, followed by an eerie calm.
"Hmm...it appears to be quite bad." Angela murmured. Audri nodded and tilted her head to look at her female friend. "How bad is bad in New York?" she asked. "Oh, it's not all that bad. Rainy, windy...but there is no wind. See the trees?" Angela pointed down to a small grove of trees in the courtyard below them. "They barley move. Sometimes it's a sign of bad weather to come."
Audri stared at the trees a moment longer, letting her mind drift from thought to though. When Angela turned to go inside, she slowly followed with Bronx trailing beside her, occasionally bumping his big doggy head against her hand. "Angela?"
The other female stopped walking and turned around. "Yes, Audri?"
"I do not suppose...well...it is just that it has been a very long time since I last bathed. Would you, by chance, have a tub?" Audri asked with a hopefully smile. Angela laughed. "We have something so much better then a bathing tub. Come with me."
Intrigued, Audri followed Angela down a hallway and past several doors. Angela paused at one of them. "Xanatos had several rooms made up when we moved into the castle. They're for privacy sake. There are three extra's so with the help of Elisa, we have made this one yours." She pushed the door open and turned on the light, watching for Audri's reaction. "I talked to Elisa the night you arrived and she...um persuaded Xanatos to bring a few things in here from the list we made. I hope you like it."
Audri gaped in complete wonder around the room. It was not large by any means, nor was it small. Audri would have defined it as cozy. A large royal purple area rug covered the hard wood floors. Two light violate chairs sat in one corner, a dark green velvety throw pillow in each, tilted so that they were slightly facing each other. A small oval table sat in front of them and a bookshelf lined with books was placed along the wall next to the chairs. Audri stared at the bookshelf and felt tears start to well in her eyes. The books must have been Brooklyn's idea.
The rest of the room was simple, yet elegant in it's own way. A vanity had been placed against the wall and a large, plain bed with a simple deep purple bed spread sat against the wall to the right of them. Gauzy deep green fabric was draped over a curtain rod and hung in delicate folds to the floor, framing a glass door that opened out onto the terrace walkway.
The final touch were three paintings that had been hung on the walls. One, a painting of a maiden and a unicorn sitting next to a stream in the clearing of a dense forest. The second was of a lake bathed in moonlight, dozens of blooming lilies scattered across its surface with white fairies floating above them. The final was a painting of a regal castle surrounded by mist.
Audri gave a small cry of delight and turned to Angela, wrapping the other female in a hug. "Oh, thank you so much! It is beautiful. I love it!" Angela laughed at the other females enthusiastic response. "You're very welcome. It's the least we could do."
"It was more then you could do. This is wonderful, Angela." Audri said. She blinked several times to stop the tears that stung the back of her eyes. "This future of yours is not so bad to get used to."
Laughing, Angela took Audri's hand and pulled her back out into the hallway. "Oh, we're not finished yet."
After having Angela teach her how to use the shower, Audri stood under the the cascade of hot water and felt every muscle in her body start to relax. Angela had been right. This shower was much better then bathing in a tub. She took her time washing her hair as Angela had shown her to do, then stepped out of the shower, dried her long hair as best she could with the towel provided, dressed and wove her long silvery tresses into a loose braid that hung straight down her back.
She walked back to her room where Angela sat perched on the edge of the bed reading a book. "Is there any way to cover this door at all?" she asked out of curiosity, staring out the window at the approaching storm.
Angela looked up from her book and smiled. "We could find something. Why?" she asked innocently, watching as Audri's cheeks brightened to a deep pink. "Oh, no reason." the other female said nonchalantly. Angela set her book down and patted a spot on the bed next to her. "Come Audri, sit here." she said.
Audri crossed the room and sat, tossing her long braid back over her shoulder. She steeled herself, prepared to admit everything about her and Brooklyn if Angela knew about them as Audri suspected she did.
"Is something going on with you and Brooklyn?"
Audri laughed nervously. "You do not waste any time, do you?" Angela smiled and looked down at her hands. "Elisa once told me that sometimes the best way to get what you want is to come right out and ask for it." she explained. "And I'm very curious. Since the day you came to us, Brooklyn has been acting differently. He was very depressed not so long ago, but now he seams very happy. And I think it has something to do with you. You two did look a little more then friendly on the couch last night. Tell me Audri, is there something between you and Brooklyn?"
Audri chewed at her bottom lip, trying to stop her mouth from smiling. Her lips betrayed her though and a wide, dreamy smile spread across her face. "Aye, there is." she cried.
"Oh! I knew it! This is so wonderful Audri." Angela clapped her hands together and lifted them to her smiling mouth. "It is so good to see him not moping about the castle. Does he know how you feel? How do you feel??" she asked, leaning forward.
Audri shook her head. "He knows that I like him. That should be rather obvious. But the feelings go so much deeper then that." She raised her wide eyes to meet her friends. "Angela, I think...I think I am falling in love with him."
Angela's mouth dropped open. "Really??" Audri nodded. In truth, she didn't just think that she was falling in love with him, she knew. "He's so kind. He has gone out of his way to make me feel comfortable. When I first laid eyes on him, it was if time stopped and for one second there was just him...and myself. All I could think about was how powerful he looked. And when he kisses me-."
"You've kissed?!" Angela cried. Audri blushed and looked down at the bed. "Yesterday...twice." she admitted softly. "What was it like?" Her friend asked. Audri sighed and her eyes took on a far away look. "It was unlike anything I have ever felt. Like fire ran through my veins. He was so gentle, yet demanding at the same time. After he kissed me in the hallway he held me so close and asked if I had any idea what I did to him."
Silence filled the room and Audri looked up into Angela's wide eyes and laughed. "Surprised?"
"To say the least." Angela said with a laugh. "And his....didn't get in the way?" she pointed at her nose.
"Mmm...not at all. I hardly noticed it." Audri said. 'I was too busy noticing the way his strong body was pressed against mine.' Audri blushed at her wayward thoughts and quickly attempted to change the subject momentarily. Clearing her throat she said. "How did you know that you loved Broadway?"
"That, my friend, is a long story. Best shared over ice cream and a warm fire." Angela stood up and pulled Audri up beside her. "So to the kitchen we go." With one last endearing glance at the many books place in her bookshelf, Audri followed Angela to the kitchen.
"So you and Broadway have only been mates for almost a year?" Audri asked after they had made their trip to the kitchen and were settled on the living room couch in front of a roaring fire with a carton of chocolate mint swirl between them. "Why just a year? Did you two not realize your feelings for each others feelings until then?"
Angela laughed softly. "I'm sure we would have, had I been here. You see, I was raised on Avelon. My fathers clan was destroyed. When this happened the hatchlings, that's what I was at the time, were taken away so they would not suffer the same fate. Goliath and the others would have come for us but were unable to. They were put under a spell. The hatchlings were taken on a skiff by Princess Katherine, a peasant boy named Tom and his mother. We somehow came to live on Avelon and were raised there as a clan. I did not even know my father until the night he, Elisa and Bronx were brought to Avelon by Tom. When they left, I chose to go with them and that is how I ended up here." she finished her story and ate a spoonful of ice cream.
"And that is how you met Broadway?" Audri asked.
"More like, that is how I met the trio." Angela rolled her eyes and Audri giggled. "Were they that bad?"
"Worse. They were three males who had not seen a woman in a long time. They had also never been with one. If it hadn't been for Elisa, I wouldn't have had the slightest idea of what to do."
"Oh, you poor dear." Audri said, barley able to keep herself from laughing, which was almost impossible to do when picturing the trio fighting to win Angela's affections. "How ever did you decide?" she asked.
"It was difficult. They didn't exactly try to make things easy for me. But everyday I found myself noticing Broadway more and more. The things he did, the way that he treated me. One night I woke up and he was all I could think about. That's when I knew my heart had chosen him. All that was left was for me to tell him." Angela said.
Audri cringed. "The other two were not too badly hurt?"
Angela dug her spoon into the ice cream, trying not to remember how she had hurt them. "Lex wasn't. But Brooklyn...he's a hopeless romantic." she could still remember the way he had stared at her as if she had betrayed him. "He was very hurt."
Noticing the pain in her friend voice, Audri reached over and placed a comforting hand over hers. "I shall make him better." she said softly. Angela smiled. "You already have. He is so much happier now that you are here with us." she said.
Audri nodded. "I just wish I knew how he felt about me." She chewed the tip of her talon. Yes, they had shared a couple of kisses, and yes he had said that she did something to him, but was he falling in love with her as she was with him?
A big gar-dog head landed in her lap and Audri looked down into a large pair of concerned eyes. Bronx whined and bumped his head against her stomach. She laughed quietly and scratched behind his ears.
"I'm sure he does Audri." Angela said, reassuring the other female. She started to scratch behind Bronx's other ear and they slipped into a comfortable silence, listening to the crackling of the fire.
Outside, the storm drew closer. Angry clouds moved over Castle Wyvern, over Manhattan, casting the entire city into complete darkness and with a clap of thunder that shook the earth, the heavens opened and released a torrential down pour of rain.
Audri and Angela both jumped and raised their eyes to the ceiling. The sound of rain hitting the roof filled the living room. "I suppose the others will be back soon, now that the storm has begun." Audri said, running her hand absent mindedly over Bronx's head.
Voices drifted in through the archway from outside and Bronx lifted his head. "Sooner then expected." Angela said, watching Bronx as he trotted to the entrance. On impulse Angela reached over and pulled Audri down.
"Wh-what are you doing?" Audri asked with a confused laugh. Angela peeked up over the side of the couch and ducked back down. "There is no way that anyone entering the castle could see us." she whispered. "Wouldn't you like to hear if Brooklyn has anything to say about you?"
Audri thought for a moment. "Very good idea." The two females laughed together but quickly sobered once the trio entered the room and listened intently to what they had to say.
"I'm completely soaked." Lex grumbled when they entered the living room. Brooklyn looked at him and rolled his eyes. "Not as soaked as I am." he said, wringing the water from his thick mane of hair. "I'm just glad we were near the castle when that rain hit. It's coming down really hard out there."
Broadway walked up to him and elbowed him suggestively in the ribs. "I'll bet you just wanted that rain to come so you could get back here and be with Audri." he said.
"So what if I did?" Brooklyn asked with a grin. Broadway smiled at his rookery brother, knowing full well how he felt. "She's got you bad, huh?"
Brooklyn laughed. "Boy, I'll say. I can't stop thinking about her. The way she smiles, the way she laughs, the way she scrunches up her cute little nose whenever she's really confused about something." He sighed. "She's even in my dreams now." Brooklyn looked up at Broadway. "Is this what it felt like for you?"
Broadway nodded his head. "Yup. Before I had the guts to tell Angela how I felt, I would just think about her all day. Didn't take long for me to figure out that thinking about her wasn't going to be enough." He placed a big hand on Brooklyn's shoulder. "You'll have to tell her how you feel, buddy."
"I'm going to. I'm just...nervous." Brooklyn said with a laugh. "Can you believe that? Me...nervous. I was never nervous around Maggie or Angela. But Audri...she's something special. She's different."
Folding their wings around them, Brooklyn and Broadway followed Lex to the couch. "So, what are you going to do?" Broadway asked.
Brooklyn rubbed the back of his neck and tried to think of something perfect. What was he going to do? Give her flowers? Chocolates? What if she didn't like chocolate? Or what if she was allergic to flowers? Then he thought of it. "I'll take her out on a date."
Broadway looked at him in surprise. "A date?"
"Yeah," Brooklyn said. "I'll ask her out on a date."
"What makes you think she'll say yes?" Lex asked, turning to face them. The little gargoyle hopped up on the back of the couch and gave his rookery brothers a smug smile. "For all you know, it could be me Audri wants."
Just then, Bronx walked under Lex's dangling legs and nudged him over the side of the couch. Lex toppled backwards, limbs flailing. The situation would have been funny if it hadn't been accompanied by a startled female shriek and an oath that could only have belonged to the fair Audri.
Brooklyn felt his stomach sink. They had been there the whole time. Audri had heard every single thing he had just said about her. "Busted man." Broadway said to him. Brooklyn could only stare in stunned disbelief as Audri slowly peeked over the edge of the couch. He wanted the floor to open up right then and there. To swallow him whole so he could act like none of this had ever happened. No such luck.
He watched her as she stood up and made her way slowly around the couch, never took his eyes off her as she walked boldly up to him and when she was only an inch away, stopped. Then, being the bold female she was, she leaned up and kissed him lightly and said with a very obvious look in her eyes, "I am going to my room."
And with that she was gone. Brooklyn watched her go and then turned his attention back to his clan. Why he was still standing in the same spot and hadn't moved at all, he didn't know. Angela and Broadway both looked at him with happy smiles. Lex simply said in a disgruntled tone. "Well, are you going to follow her or not?"
Once in her room, Audri shut the door behind her and waited. Her heart was racing. She had heard it with her own ears. Brooklyn was falling for her. Such sweet words had come from him and there was no denying now that he wanted to be with her. She raised a hand to touch her nose, which was apparently a cute nose. She had never thought so personally, but Brooklyn thought it was.
A knock sounded and Audri's thudding heart skipped a beat. She turned slowly, grabbed a hold of the knob and opened the door. There he stood. His brown-gold eyes stared warmly down at her and she felt weak. "Hi." he said softly. "Hello." she replied.
Stepping out of the way to allow him entrance, she once again closed the door leaving them completely alone together. She turned back to face Brooklyn. "I was hoping we could be alone together for a while." she said.
Brooklyn smiled down at her. "So was I. I was...um...planning on telling you everything that I just said out there when we were alone. But I guess now you know." Audri nodded. Brooklyn took a deep breath. "Audri, since you've come here my life has been so much better. It's because of you. Everything you do, the way you treat me, how you make me feel like I'm somebody. I was so lonely and then you came along and all of a sudden I don't feel alone anymore."
Audri stared up at the gargoyle she loved with tears in her eyes. Never had anyone spoken so sweetly to her. "I have never known what it was like to be kissed by someone before. I have never wanted any male in my life save for my father....until I met you. I want you in my life, Brooklyn." she whispered.
He cradled her face in his hands and watched as two tears slid down her beautiful cheeks. "I thought I told you no more crying." he said. She laughed softly. "They are tears of joy." she murmured.
He stared into her vibrant blue eyes a moment longer and then claimed her lips in a sweet kiss that spoke volumes of what he felt for her. His wings wrapped around her and her hands twined in his hair. He kept the kiss unrushed, lingering over the task until each of them were breathless. Backing away, Brooklyn tucked a few stray whisps of Audri's hair back behind her ears and smiled. "Want to go on a date?" he asked.
She purposely scrunched up her nose and laughed. "I would love to. But...what is a date?"
Brooklyn led her over to one of the chairs and sat down, pulling her down onto his lap. "A date is when two people who care for each other, like we do," he said, giving her a quick kiss "get together and go out for dinner, sometimes a movie, maybe dancing. They just go out to have a fun time and enjoy each other's company. I've never been on one but I asked Elisa once what they were."
Audri gave an understanding nod and rested her head on Brooklyn's shoulder, wrapping her arms loosely around his neck. His hand came up, lightly caressing her bare arm and the two sat in silence, content just to be with each other. They shared tender kisses, oblivious to anything around them.
Finally, when dawn approached, they emerged from Audri's room wrapped in each others arms and walked slowly to where the other gargoyles awaited their stone sleep. Brooklyn helped Audri up to her perch. "So, how about that date?" he asked.
Audri laughed, her beautiful eyes sparkling. "Aye, we shall go on a date."
The two smiled at each other, still holding hands, their feelings mirrored in each others eyes. Brooklyn raised both of her hands to his mouth and kissed each in turn. "Sweet dreams, Audri."