Mallory holstered her blaster back into her sheath on her back under her jacket. "Are you okay?"
Airika stared dejectedly into her hands. "Airika."
The girl glanced at her. "I'm fine." She struggled to her feet, pushing her crutches under her arms. "Let's go." She hobbled by Mallory, leaving the female behind.
…..
Against her better judgment, Mallory kept her mouth shut about the Lucretia incident. She wanted so badly to tell Wildwing but he would put Airika in lockdown and that was the last thing she needed. The girl needed socialization, not solitary confinement. Surprisingly Airika pretended as if nothing had happened. Granted she was as quiet as she usually was, but she didn't give any indication her twin had almost sent her on a one-way ticket to the Raptor.
Later Buzz had managed to weasel his way into spending the afternoon with the ducks and meandered lazily between Nosedive and Grin, shooting pucks at Wildwing in the rink. Tanya glanced behind her on the bench to look at Airika who sat alone in the stands.
"I hope we aren't doing anything bad."
"What do you mean?" Mallory watched Buzz as the kid almost got a puck past her boyfriend.
"You know…with her. I would have thought she'd come around by now. But she's sitting alone, away from us."
"She just likes her space."
Tanya gave her an I-don't-think-so look. "Everyone needs a friend Mal."
She has a point, Mallory thought to herself as she continued to watch Nosedive comically chase Buzz around the rink. Just when Mallory thought she was destined to be a loner, Wildwing smacked her over the head, figuratively. A shadow caught her eye.
"Her friend is coming."
"What? Who?" Tanya twisted around to see Duke enter the rink and pause when he saw Airika alone. "Oh…"
….
"Come here often?"
Airika glanced to her right and saw Duke standing in black jeans and a hockey jersey. "No," she answered seriously.
He came towards her and sat down, propping his boots up on the row of chairs in front of them. "You gotta lighten up kid. I was only teasing you."
"Teasing?"
He glanced sideways at her. "Yeah, joking, yankin' your chain, what ever you prefer."
I don't like jokes." She stared forlornly down at the other ducks.
Duke fell silent, for once not entirely sure how to continue the conversation. Hell was it ever really a conversation with her? "Not everyone is out to make your life miserable Airika."
She didn't answer.
He continued to study her until she became self-conscious, giving him a look. "What?"
He shrugged. "Nothing." He looked away from her, a smile tugging at his beak. She suddenly snapped next to him.
Getting to her feet in a rush, agitated. She grabbed her crutches. "I don't appreciate being laughed at." She pushed by him, leaving him wondering what the hell happened.
"Airika."
She didn't turn around.
…
"What exactly happened?"
Duke shrugged tiredly. "I honestly don't know Wildwing."
Wildwing ran his hand through his hair, "well just give her space. We'll check on her later."
The ducks all went their separate ways. Wildwing and Mallory to drop Buzz off at the Unbridled Technologies, dodging the kid's implores to stay. Grin and Tanya to their room together, and Nosedive to go do what ever he did behind closed doors.
"Damnit." Duke hissed to himself and grabbed a spare key for one of the less conspicuous vehicles the ducks owned, a 1997 Nissan.
…
A knock interrupted Airika's dark thoughts as she lay on her side on her bed, facing away from the door. She didn't bother getting up. She heard the soft whoosh of the door as it opened. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Duke standing with a bag in his hand. He gave it a gentle shake.
"Peace offering?"
She laid her head back on the pillow, staring at the wall. "Why? I yelled at you."
He took her response as a good sign and came into the room, grabbing a chair and bringing it to her bed. "Call me a stupid male moron. We gotta be hit over the head before we get it."
She turned over slightly to survey him in the partially dark room.
…..
She spooned the Chinese food and ate slowly. In order to not tick her off again, Duke was careful about not staring at her for long periods of time
"I'm sorry for earlier."
"Don't be." He waved a hand at her. "I ain't worried about it. I wasn't laughing at you though, I hope you know that."
She didn't answer.
He sighed and spun Lo Mein noodles around his fork. "Okay I'm going to say this, screw keeping it to myself."
She glanced up in surprise and watched as the grey mallard set his Chinese box down.
"I like you and I'm not screwing you mentally. This isn't a test. There's no one hiding in the shadows waiting and watching for you to be humiliated. It ain't unfeasible that someone wouldn't like you. You're smart, selfless, a good person and beautiful to boot, there's nothing to not like."
She stared at him unblinking and silent.
"Right," he said. He stood. "I'm just going to go." He left his food and went to leave.
"Wait."
He paused, his hand hovering over the keypad that would open the door.
She glanced sheepishly at her bandaged foot. "I-I can't chase you." A red sheen brightened her peach feathers. "I like you too."
Duke unconsciously ran his hand through his hair, a habit he had when he became anxious. "You don't have to say it."
"No." She said forcefully. "I do. I have ever since you brought me food and we watched the hockey game on the TV."
He drifted away from the door and back towards her. "Well okay then."