The Knight and the Duck

~5~

"Hey!" Duck called out and the boys turned to look at her.

She wore a pair of yellow overalls, with striped tights and a striped shirt and black shoes.

Duck smiled. "Didja miss me?" She posed again. "I put your clothes in your room Fakir, thank you for letting me borrow them ahHa even if they didn't quite fit."

"No problem," Fakir nodded.

"You're cute as a button" Karon grinned. "I'm glad the clothes fit I'll be sure to send a letter to Raetzel thanking her for the clothes."

"Yes! If you have a chance I'd love to sign it or something. " Ahiru snagged one of Fakir's muffins and quickly ended up snarfing like three of them.

"Ey slow down slow down you'll choke again" Fakir tried to take her third muffin but Duck turned her back to him and stuck her toungue out over her shoulder.

"No way these are so good when did you learn to bake?"

"He hasn't been going to school" Karon mentioned.

Duck frowned. "You haven't?"

"Well! That's all the time we have let's get going Duck bye Karon" Fakir grabbed Ahiru's arm and pushed her out the door, shutting it and sighing.

"Ouch, you didn't have to grab me so hard you know. Also can you get the rest of the muffins?"

Fakir frowned. "No more muffins, let's just take a walk maybe. I don't know if you'll be human again tomorrow so let's just live today."

They walked along the streets and Duck realized she hadn't ever really gone sight seeing. Things had always been life or death so she'd never actually gone into any shops. Even with Peke and Lilie.

"Have you really been not going to school?" She asked Fakir.

Fakir nodded. "I preferred staying on the dock to write. It's more important than school."

"That's sweet an all but don't you miss dancing?"

Fakir pondered this for a moment. Duck was right. He did miss dancing, but things really weren't as simple as she thought.

He sighed audibly and grabbed her hand. "You know, when we all went to school together, the attention was on Rue, and Mytho and people were sorta scared of me to an extent which you know valid I'm not the mm easiest? person to get along with."

"Especially when you put barriers over your heart out of fear." Ahiru quipped

"Will you shut up? I'm explaining something."

"sorry sorry" Duck laughed

"Okay good ANYWAYS Now the attention is on me and I'd rather it not be so staying at the dock is a good choice."

"But attention on you cant be so bad? You are a good dancer." Duck elbowed him jokingly and Fakir grimaced.

"See I don't want to date any of those girls though." Fakir stared hard at a passing tree. They were nearing the place Rue and Mytho always came to.

"Oh." Duck thought on this. It was sweet but wouldn't it be a bummer? To be all alone. She was really just a duck so there must have been a different reason?

But what if he really was waiting for her? Then that was nice. But what was she supposed to do? How should she act? Different than usual?

THUNK

"Owwwwww" Duck rubbed her head. She had run into a pole, from thinking so hard not watching where she was going.

"You should be more careful." Were Fakir's wise words.

"Yeah no shit" Duck said back rubbing her forehead. "But Fakir, back to school I mean it wouldn't be too bad to make new friends and stuff? You could meet someone so special!!"

Fakir noted the tinge of sadness in her voice. "Let's get this straight, I don't want to date any of those girls because none of them are special. But you know, You're special so give yourself some credit okay Idiot?"

"I'm just a duck though." Ahiru squeezed his hand.

He squeezed back. "Well you're my duck. You're in my story no matter what I might as well get along with you."

He glanced at Ahiru.
She was staring at him, tears in her eyes.

"Wait hold on!? Why are you crying???" Fakir startled.

Duck used her sleeve to wipe her eyes then grabbed Fakir in a tight squeeze.

"I'm just so glad to be alive. To be here, for this second opportunity."

She continued to hug him just a little too long so Fakir had to grab her shoulders and wrench her off of him.

(kindly but ofc in the Fakir way where he's like trying to hide the fact that Duck is precious to him)

He blushed but brushed it off by continuing to walk forward. "You know, if you keep telling yourself you're 'just a duck' you'll miss out on fun things." He pointed to a little shop.

"Those look like things you'd like."