Page 22 of Twi-Flight
“You’re starting morning chores.” I wrap my arms around myself to ward off the morning chill. “I’m coming to help you.”
“Don’t worry about that. You can go back to bed if you like,” he says.
“I—Are you—leaving then?” I stumble through the question, it feels ridiculous to say out loud, but I’ve been so wrong about these situations before.
“No, no! Of course not…” His warm wing circles my shoulder and he releases a long sighs. “You were going to find out eventually. Just—wait here.”
The heat of his embrace dissolves as he steps away. The slight rays of the rising sun are breaking over the horizon, basking him in a tender glow. It’s easy to watch his wings spread, his face tilt up, his long neck stretch toward the sky. Then he releases a deep echoing crow. The noise circling the yard before it lands on my shoulders, sinking through my bones until it reaches my feet, settling my souls into the earth.
He releases three long crows, each more bewitching than the last, before he seems finished welcoming the new day. He finally turns to look at me.
“That was beautiful.” I tell him honestly.
He shakes his head, but there’s amazement in his voice. “You don’t mean that.”
“I do!” I squeeze my arms around my middle. “It was lovely, watching you in your element.”
“Thank you,” he says sheepishly. He’s already moving to cover me with his wings again. “ I didn’t want to wake you. I was nervous about you seeing it.”
I shake my head right back at him. “You don’t need to hide your real self from me.”
He leans back to try and see my expression. “Do you mean it?”
“Is that why you left?” I ask. “The night that you bit me?”
“I didn’t want you to find out that way. I wanted to tell you in my own time.” He pulls me close, pressing his waddle to the top of my head.
I lean into his warm chest and stifle a laugh with his feathers.
“What?” He pesters me gently.
“The other night, I thought you left because you couldn’t be out when the sun rose, because you were a vampire.” I admit, my face feels warm at the admission. “I’m so stupid.”
His knuckle catches my chin and tilts it up. “You know I don’t like it when you talk about yourself that way.” He dips his face down close to mine. “Say something complimentary about yourself.”
“Like what?” I tease.
“That you are smart, loyal, capable, or fiercely independent.” There’s a grin in his words, his mouth moving closer to mine with every word.
“Is that all?” I ask breathily.
“And incredibly sexy,” he adds.
“Back at you,” I say with a little snicker, and press my lips against him.
He leans into me, with a deep and claiming kiss. His tongue probing, his hands traveling my body.
“Remember how I told you to stay in bed? Let’s get you back there.” He scoops me up into his arms. He carries me back into the house as I laugh into his neck.
We collapse back into a pile of limbs, kisses, and moans. Until I’m falling apart for him. His mouth and cloaca are putting me back together. Finally, in a comfortable downy cuddle, we fall into half sleep for the hour before we have to get to work at the chicken rescue. Luckily, work is just a couple feet from the front door.
Drowsily I watch the steadily warming sunlight move through my childhood home. The half finished paint jobs and the makeshift curtains slowly lit by the early morning. Everything is a disappointing ghost of my childhood, a reminder of everything I had and lost. Worst of all is him, the man withhis arm around me who’s hard work is bringing this place back together.
“It’s my fault.” I mutter into his chest.
“What do you mean?” His voice startles me, I hadn’t realized he was awake.
I clutch at him a little tighter before admitting. “It’s because of me that this house got so run down. That it needed all this work. That you have to fix it up this much.”
