The Bird and The Fish

TBTF, Part 17: Flirting 101

(Zahra pov. The morning after arriving to the Capitol. It's early sunrise. The title is a joke. Don't take my advice.)

The sound of birds and early morning bugs begin to fill the chilly air as I wake up. I sit up in my bedroll, stretching my arms over my head as I yawn. "Good morning," I greet, noticing Tangaroa's gaze on me as I stretch.

"Morning," he yawns, clearly still tired as he nestles back into his bedroll. "Still tired?" I ask, slightly amused by his reluctance to get out of bed. "No, I'm just cold," he replies, shivering for emphasis. "It is a bit chilly this morning, isn't it?" I comment, feeling the cold breeze brush against my skin.

"Can I move closer to you?" he asks, sounding more like a puppy seeking attention then a grown man. "Sure," I say, laying back down in my roll as he scoots himself closer. "I kinda wish we could make a fire. But we can't do that without alerting the guards."

My string of thoughts get pleasantly interrupted by Tangaroa pulling me closer to him to cuddle. "Let me go," I grumble, though I don't make any actual attempts to get away. "I am not your personal stuffed animal." "Hush, you're warm," he replies simply, tucking me snuggly in his arms.

"And you're freezing," I mutter, shifting away from his cold skin. "That's why you're going to help me not be cold," he says, pulling me flush against him once more, tucking my head under his chin. I feel him shift slightly, his lanky arms wrapping around me tightly, keeping me trapped against his chest.

I can't believe I'm letting him do this, I think, draping my wing over him like a blanket despite my internal complaints. I'm going to get relentlessly made fun of if the others find me like this. I sigh against the skin of his neck, deciding to deal with it later.

"I can practically feel how smug you are, you know," I comment after a few minutes of comfortable silence, earning me a mischievous giggle from him. "Maybe a bit," he replies, the smug smirk on his face clear through his voice. "I just expected you to put up more of a fight."

"Don't get used to it," I grumble again, internally grateful that my face is hidden under his chin. "I think I will," he replies, giggling with contentment as he gives me a good squeeze.

"Whatever."

"Are you getting flustered?" he questions playfully, earning himself an embarrassed groan. "Shut up." "Not until you answer the question," he sing-songs, poking my side teasingly. "Shut up," I huff, swatting his hand away from my side.

"Make me," he challenges, a cocky grin on his face as he looks down at me. "You did this to yourself," I reply, pulling myself away from him so I can look at him before continuing, "so you can't blame me for the consequences."

And before he can question what I have in mind, I shamelessly interrupt him by pressing my lips against his, catching him completely by surprise. I pull away after a few moments, a triumphant smile on my face as I study his flustered expression.

"What? Didn't expect me to fight back?" I question teasingly, mocking his earlier playfulness. "N-not like that," he whispers, his voice shaky.

"You wanted me to shut you up, so I did," I state, pushing myself off of him. "You can't blame me for the consequences." He doesn't respond, simply watching as I get up to stretch again.

"You're mean," he grumbles, still flustered from my bold move.

"I'll take that as a compliment."