acontritemess | Little birds have to jump out of the nest if they're going to fly

Little birds have to jump out of the nest if they're going to fly

[She didn't actually get nervous until they'd passed Ohio. The next step marked the furthest from home she'd ever been. She trusted Freya, at least somewhat, but home wasn't a place, a concept really was what it was. Home was her family, and she was leaving it on the other side of the country. It was terrifying, but she was equally excited, since she was seeing things she'd never had a chance to see before.

The country changed as they made their way across it, and as they neared the mountainous and wide-open country of Montana, she was in awe. It was just like every postcard she'd ever seen, and she was having a hard time thinking it was real.]

....it's so beautiful...

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[She flashes him a relieved smile.] Deal. [And adds after a brief pause.] Thanks, David. He...worries a lot more than he should. With reason, but...things aren't bad like they were before.

[But she saw the wounds Toby came home with over the years. He always stayed away long enough to heal, but the wounds she saw weren't on his body.]

So, tell me what park rangers do. [She smiles sheepishly.] I really only have cartoons for reference, and I sort of have this feeling they didn't do research.

No problem.

[He smiles at her and stares before realizing that she had asked him a question. He shakes his head trying to remember what it is he does every single day.]

Oh, I guess it depends on the cartoon if it's right or not... sometimes it's boring stuff like paper work but I also mark trails, tag bears, keep track of migration patterns, find anyone if they go missing or walk into protected parts of the forest.

[Cat smiles as he talks about what he does. Marking trails meant he got to explore the forest regularly to see which parts were safe and which parts weren't. He also helped keep track of wildlife populations and help people?

He sounded like a forest superhero. It also sounded like a lot of fun and her smiles grows as he continues.]

That...sounds awesome...

[David sometimes thinks of himself as a forest superhero. Except that sounds really lame so he isn't about to say that outloud.

His eyebrow rose curiously as Singer jumps up on the couch next to him and lays down with her head in his lap.]

You really think so?

[Cat nods, still smiling as she pulls her knees to her chest as she sits on the sofa.]

You take care of humans and animals, and you make sure that they can both enjoy the forest without bothering each other. You save people who get lost. You're...like a forest superhero.

[David laughs, he can't stop himself and Singer looks up at him slightly disgruntled.]

I guess so.

[He isn't the only one who thinks like that.]

Does that mean I've impressed you?

[She smiles broadly.]

Are you trying to impress me, David?

Apparently so.

[She smiles trying really hard not to be a total loser. He does want to impress her though he's not good at being anything other than himself.]

[She moves an arm against the sofa, shifting to face him more, and rests her head in the palm of her hand.]

Well, you should stop. I don't think you need to try.

[David exhales a slow breath.]

That's good because that's all I got.

[He wants to turn to face her more but there is a dog in the way and as petting has slowed down they are all trying to now fit on the couch.]

[Her eyes drifted to the dogs between them, realizing she wished they weren't, then back to David, that easy smile still playing on her lips.]

Well, I wouldn't worry too much about it being enough. I think you're [Amazing] fine.

[At her hand, Steve nuzzled his head under it to get attention and she began to stroke his fur, not looking down at him. She found herself just studying David's face, the soft yet hard angles, the way his eyes shined, even in the dim light, the curve of his brow. She didn't really realize she wasn't saying anything.]

[David can't stop smiling and he's pretty sure he's starting to look like an idiot. That and his cheeks hurt. Who knew smiling this much would be physically painful. Not that he minds, no, with Cat he'd never mind.]

I think you're... [He can't help but smirk.] ...fine too.

[He isn't bothered by her stare. He welcomes it because it gives him an excuse to just stare back at her. He notices the gentle curve to her cheek, and the dark chestnut color of her hair. Her lips look soft, warm and... he pulls his thoughts away from that and his eyes look up into her eyes. He feels as if he'd lose himself there. Her irises were ringed like a tree and each circle told another story about her.

Then there's her scent which has begun to linger in the air and stick to the couch where she's sitting. David knows that he probably isn't getting any sleep tonight because he'd simply lay awake thinking about her. For some reason, that doesn't bother him. It's like spring when the whole world is thawing from the cold of winter.]

[She finds the bright blue hue of his eyes enchanting and she's having trouble looking away, which is just fine.]

So, what do you like to do, David? I always wondered what superheroes did on their days off.

[This is a hard question because David almost never takes days off. He likes what he does, it's his life and it defines him.]

Fishing; both as a wolf and with my supervisor Joe. He makes me use a reel and it's actually very boring. [He's sure that Joe only makes him fish to get him to stop working.]

I hunt and run. When I was still in college I used to scuba dive. [He has that license somewhere though it's been years.] I'm building additions to this house.

[None of this sounds all that exciting.]

What about you?

They all sound like fun to me. [Even fishing with a reel.] Don't people usually fish that way to spend time together?

[She smiles.] Not a lot of places to scuba dive in Montana...

[She takes a breath.] ...I've wanted to do those things...well, most of them. I've never thought about wanting to build a house. [She laughs.] But I...read, and I watch TV a lot. Not stupid shows, but...I watch a lot of Animal Planet. I...didn't really stay in one place long enough to settle in anywhere, or...have the time to go hiking or anything like that, but... [She scratches behind Steve's ear.] I love animals.

And I like to sing.

[His smiles widens with each new piece of information about her. He isn't sure if it's possibly for her to get any cuter and yet she manages.]

I'd love to hear you sing. [He already knows he'd love it.]

Why don't you go to college now? I mean with your family settled. You can learn about animals. [He smiles imagining her in his forest and once again he has to push the thoughts away. This is getting frustrating.]

[She pushes a bit of hair that strayed from her bun behind her ear and giggles.]

I really only know a few songs...unless we're talking about Disney songs...

[And she nibbled on her lip for a moment at his question. She'd never even thought about going to college, or school in general, but...]

Well...you...have to exist to do that, right? I mean I exist, obviously, but...I...we went missing, David, for 20 years. Officially, I'm dead...

[David shakes his head.]

I actually know how to correct that. It's part of what I've been doing today for Freya though it's up to her if she wants to sign the papers.

[His smile widens and he settles back against the couch. He inhales and then exhales a slow breath. He wants to hear her sing and this might work... when his lips part he starts singing a song, one he knows painfully well.]

🎶I know you I've walked with you once upon a dream.🎶

[She smiles broadly and picks up the song, sitting up straighter.]

🎶I know you, the gleam in your eyes is so familiar, a gleam
And I know it's true
That visions are seldom all they seem
But if I know you, I know what you'll do
You'll love me at once
The way you did once upon a dream🎶

[She trails off as though realizing what the song she was singing was a bout and ducks her head bashfully, though she's defeated by her hair being pulled back. Normally she relies on it to hide her face.]

[David sings along, the deeper tone of his voice mixing with hers. After a few lines his voice softens and he just listens to her. It is beautiful and he can't help but wonder if she wa a Disney princess in a past life.

Sensing her nervousness he continues with an easy smile. Most Disney songs are about love or friendship which in David's eyes is just a different kind of love.]

I'm pretty sure I have every Disney song memorized at this point. Remember, I grew up with four sisters.

[She smiles right back, watching him sing. His voice was deep, resonate, and pretty much as amazing as the rest of him.]

You realize, at some point, I'm going to make you prove that, right?

[David grimaces but the smile remains on his lips.]

I should study then... just in case. Maybe I'll start by watching Robin Hood tonight or Beauty and the Beast.

[He laughs softly at the last time as if enjoying a private joke. As night ticks on David begins to feel tired. He had a full day at work plus some extra stuff which brought him into town and then dealing with his mom yelling at him. It's been a long day but he doesn't want to ask Cat to leave, not yet.

Singer is asleep next to him, her tail flicking softly while her head rests on his thigh. Hunter is curled between him and Cat, the large huskies tail wrapping around Cat's waist while he curls against David's other thigh. Steve is smarter than the others and took a position near David's feet, as if knowing that they'll eventually have to stand. Dancer is curled up on Cat, her front paws resting lightly on Cat's leg while her head rested on Hunters side. Drummer was behind Dancer it and it was hard to tell where one husky started and the other ended.]

[Her own eyes were burning with a desire for sleep, but she didn't want to leave, either. She was enjoying both the conversation and David's and his family's easy company. There was something about the presence of the dogs that just completed the picture, as though it wouldn't be complete here without them present.

She stifles a yawn with the back of her hand before looking at him.]

I could watch one with you, but you look sleepy.

[Not me. I definitely don't look sleepy. Nope.]

[David chuckles softly though he takes care not to wake any of the sleeping dogs. He looks from Cat down to his family remembering when they were just pups. It'd been difficult when he first found them and after a day he knew he could never give them up.]

It's late.

[He won't comment on her tiredness because its probably the most adorable thing he's ever seen.]

[As though to accentuate his point, she yawns, clapping a hand over her mouth at the last minute.]

Yeah...it really is. [She runs a hand back through her hair, pulling down the hairband that was holding her hair in check in the process, it falling in messy waves around her face and shoulders.]

So, if we're riding into town with you tomorrow, when should we be up?

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