Shallow End
“So. I was thinking.”
Duke L’Orange, former leader of the Brotherhood of the Blade, former jewel thief and current sports hero, just snorted. “That’s new.”
His teammate, the teenaged brother of the team captain, Nosedive Flashblade, kicked at his shins. And missed. “I mean it, Duke! I’m being serious, here, give me a break.”
Duke sighed, and lowered his newspaper to peer, one-eyed, at the teen. “All right, Dive. You’ve been thinking. What of it?”
“Well, we’ve been here three years now, right?” Nosedive frowned. “We whupped Dragaunus’ butt, and now we don’t have a Dimensional Gateway, or any way to get home. We have to admit it, now. We’re stuck here on earth.”
“Yep.” Duke snapped his paper up again. “Figured that out ages ago, Dive. Way to catch up.”
“No, listen to me, man!” Nosedive protested. “Wing and Mal, they’re sleeping together, right? And Tanny’s been all cozying up to Grin, right? That leaves just you and me, man. We’re not paired up with anyone, and I hate to say it, but I don’t think we’re getting home or that some fine lady ducks are gonna drop down on our happy little planet. So we have no prospects, no chance, and well, nothing, man!”
Duke’s paper had drooped again somewhere in this explanation, and at this, he folded it neatly, frowning. “What are you saying, Dive?”
Nosedive took a deep breath. “I don’t know ‘bout you, but I don’t think I could do anything with one of these humans. They’ve got something...” he gestured at his beak weakly. “Missing, you know?”
“Yeah,” Duke said slowly. “I can see that.”
“So, what I’m thinking is,” he took another deep breath. “Maybe we oughta consider, you know, our options.”
Duke lay his newspaper on the coffee table, considering the teen. “Are you trying to give me a logical reason for us to get into some kind of relationship?”
Even with his feathers, Nosedive was clearly turning pink. “Sort of.”
He folded his hands. “There’s almost twenty years age difference, Nosedive.”
The teen turned even pinker. “I know.”
“And you do realize that we’re both guys?” Duke quirked the brow over his eye patch.
Nosedive spluttered. “I’m not stupid!”
The older duck smirked. “Just thought I’d let you know.”
Nosedive crossed his arms, grumbling to himself.
Duke pushed himself out of his chair, and crossed the floor to hold his hand out to Nosedive. The teen blinked at it, and he smirked. “Coming?”
“Come...” Nosedive blinked.
“I’m headed to bed,” Duke clarified. “Coming with?”
Nosedive brightened in realization, and sprung up to grab Duke’s hand, practically dancing as he and Duke headed down the hall.
“Hey, suppose we can knock down the middle wall and get us one really big room?”
“My thoughts exactly.”
Go back to MD:TAS.