Birds Of A Feather - Migration Fanfic

Chapter 8

"You... you do?"

I couldn't believe the words that were coming out of my beak.

Was this for real...? Did Kim really love me back?

"Of course," She said back to me shyly and her wings spread apart as she flapped hard and slowly took off for the sky.

I watched her go, a big smile coming over me as I spread my own wings and followed behind her.

She was so graceful, so very smooth and elegant. Me in return? I probably looked like a clown beside her.

She kept flying higher and I reached her, the two of us swooping around each other till we touched chests, and she grinned, diving underneath me – me quickly looking below – before she swooped above my other side and I spun around, just laughing as she flew almost like it was a dance.

A dance of love.

She finally flew back beside me, her big eyes glistening from the stars that reflected off them and I smiled softly back at her, but I winced for a second as I felt my wound from earlier was hurting me still.

She stopped her playful nature just then, coming close to me and looking at my bloody scab around my stomach area.

I'll give her up... and you can be happy.

My wings began to slow down as those words I had said to Max today re-entered my mind. Kim watched me confused, as I started to descend and she copied quickly, watching as I glided over the sea back to land, the sand.

"Dax...?"

I didn't want to say the truth, the truth I think she hadn't yet realized. But I had realized it... sadly at last.

"In a few weeks..." I said to her slowly, looking at her with sad pain, and we both landed on the sand beside each other, "You and I will be going home..."

She smiled warmly at me and nodded her head, saying with love clearly in her voice, "I know..."

I cocked an eyebrow up then, not understanding her cool warm reply to my statement.

She swallowed nervously then, and came closer to me, her eyes looking deeply into mine and the complete beauty of the stars that shone in them.

"I was hoping..."

"Uh huh?" I said nervously and she nestled close to me as she said with shy confidence.

"That you... you would come with me,"

My heart was beating furiously fast when she said these words and even with the warmth from her body, I felt my whole core go ice cold.

My heart, it was hurting me so much because I knew the reality of this situation more than she would realize herself.

"I can't..." I whispered in pain, closing my eyes and only crying weak tears, "I can't..."

I sat there weeping, and Kim looked at me confused and saddened herself. But she knew I was speaking true words... words she didn't want to hear.

"But..." She whispered back, coming close to me and looking so close into my eyes, "I love you... and you love me?"

"I do," I said with shaky words but only turned away, shaking my head at her now, "But I can't leave my family... can't you understand?"

She only kept looking at me, trying to understand but I think honestly, she just didn't want to hear the truth.

My truth.

"Why...?"

"We're still only ducklings, Kim..." I told her truthfully and she pressed away from me for a second, shaking her trembling head weakly, "I still need my mum and dad."