Sun & Snow (A Qinter Fanfic)

~* Chapter 13 *~

We're definitely in trouble. The psycho RainWing caught us hiding in the bottom of the leaf-bags. Snow's dad looks furious.

"Why are you even here?" he demands. I'm about to snap back, but Snow replies first.

"Poppa," she says, rolling her eyes. "We're not dumb. If you go on a secret murder mission, I am coming."

Winter sighs. "I forgot how much like me you are. There's going to be blood, you know..."

"Oh noooo," Snow says, sarcasm dripping from every word. "How TERRIFYING. I've NEVER SEEN BLOOD BEFORE."

Winter and Snow bicker and I turn to look at Holly. An amused expression is on her face as she watches the father and daughter argue.

"Hi," I say cautiously.

"Hey, kid," she says, turning her attention to me. "That was a very brave and very stupid thing you and your friend did."

"I could say the same to you," I snap half-heartedly. I turn the word 'friend' over in my mind. Is that what Snow is to me? I've only known her for a few days. I don't know if I can trust her. But something about her makes me feel... warm. She sarcastic and brave and loyal and kind. And... interesting.

"Hellooo," Holly says, waving her talons in front of my face. "Earth to RainWing child. Anyone home?" I blink and shake off my daze.

"What?" I say.

"You blanked out there for a sec," Holly replies, looking amused again. "Was it because of Winter mini over there?" She jabs a talon at Snow.

"What?! No!" I say, my cheeks heating up. My RainWing scales flush pink and I force them into a calm blue. "No."

"Uh-huh, sure," Holly says, a knowing smile on her face. I flare my ruff and growl at her, red spreading over the blue. She looks over at Winter and Snow. "HEY! Winter and Winter mini! We making a plan or what?"

"Right," Winter says, making his way over with Snow. She plops down beside me despondently.

"You alright?" I ask her while Holly and Winter sketch things in the dirt and contradict each other.

"I'm grounded for life," she replies gloomily. "Parents are the worst sometimes."

I shrug. "My mom's okay. She lets me do a lot of things that she wasn't allowed to do growing up. And my dad's pretty cool. Anyone who captured him will die beneath my talons."

"Oh! Sorry," she says, fiddling with a leaf. "I didn't mean to bring that up."

"It's okay," I say. Hesitantly, I reach my wing out and brush her's. I don't like being touched, so I never really learned the whole secret touch language that all the other dragons seem to know.

But right now, it feels like Snow needs comfort too. She carefully wraps a warm wing around me, and I realize how tired I am. I yawn.

"Sleep?" she asks.

"Sleep," I agree. We fall asleep together, pressed against the warmth of each other's bodies.

And this time, I don't feel like moving away.