#dukette

When their eyes met Duke couldn’t help but grin himself, “Alright, on three. One, T—“

Tikki shot down toward the island, no doubt by Marinette’s request. Duke gripped his saddle with a huff and urged Ghost to catch up.

With her head start Marinette weaved between all the streets, not that there were many. Tikki made sharp turns around the area before going to round the island.

Marinette turned back to see Duke far enough away to make her smug but close enough to almost make out his face. The Deadly Nadder’s pale scales reflecting the sunlight on his rider. If it weren’t for their race at hand she’d slow down to get a better view of her betrothed.

Marinette looked back at the route her friend was taking and glanced to her right, another island not too far. With her and Tikki dictating the race’s route she thought she’d have a bit more fun with it.

“Tikki eastward,” she called over the speed of her dragon.

Tikki let out an excited howl as she leaned into a spin toward the island. As they approached its outskirts Marinette called out again, “Through it.”

With her hands against the back of her neck she felt the vibrations from Tikki’s throat. Marinette giggled as her dragon zig zagged through the sparse woods. They did have to rise as it got thicker and it couldn’t allow for the dragon’s full being.

Marinette found herself with an idea, it was practice, might as well practice more than their flight maneuvers. She drummed her fingers in a pattern on Tikki’s neck.

She was quick to comply, pulling her wings in as she rolled in the sky forward. But when she went to change direction the wind caught her wings in a way she hadn’t anticipated.

The move caused the Stormcutter to lose her sense of balance and made her tumble through the air. Marinette’s harness came undone while her dragon struggled to get herself sorted, and launched the rider off.

Marinette barreled into a large patch of brush. The young woman cried out as she landed on her shoulder. She groaned as she brought herself up on her good arm, her breath labored in her ears. Her face and arms stung.

She looked around, the brush around her wasn’t not a pleasant sight aside from knowing that being so thick and tall had helped with her tumble. Marinette grunted as she brought herself up, the bushes scraping against her.

She glared at the thorns and pointy branches.

Marinette took a deep breath before bushing through the rather unpleasant brush.

She could hear Duke calling out for her, but she couldn’t quite make out what he was trying to say. Though she could take a gander.

“Over here, in the brush,” She called out. A few steps she was out, and scratched up. She looked around as large cedars surrounded her, old man’s beard hanging off the branches, and moss climbing over nearly every piece of wood.

”Marinette,” Duke called out, just as Tikki rushed up to her rider. Tikki circled the young woman, sniffing and eyeing her. She let out a low howling sound, a regretful sound.

“Oh my girl,” Marinette reached up with her right arm but winced and lowered it back down when she found she couldn’t bring it up to her dragon. She switched to her good arm and pet her, trying to reassure her, “I’m only a little banged up. It’s not your fault, I shouldn’t have had us do that one out of the training ring.”

Duke ran up behind her, “Marinette,” he took in her state and started assessing her injuries. “Can’t say you don’t know how to take a fall.”

Marinette raised her eyebrows at him, certainly not impressed. He only ignored her look as he continued, “I can get you cleaned up and we should be good to go.”

Duke guided her to sit down and motioned for Ghost to get closer, the dragon complied, laying down next to grant him access to the saddle’s pouches strapped to him. The rider did not waste a moment. Pulling out wrappings and vials and various medical items.

Marinette stopped watching, looking at her dragon who sat hunched behind Ghost. Her eyes were wide as her head hung low, and her wings were pulled in tightly. Marinette tried to smile at her,

“Tikki come here.”

Despite her sweet tone the dragon lowered herself to the ground watching as Duke cleaned up her good arm. Marinette forced herself to focus on breathing and her loyal friend. She’d really been just trying to ignore the thorns being pulled out.

“Oh Sweetie please,” Marinette tried again. “You didn’t mean to fling me off. Look, it's just some thorns, this is nothing.”

Tikki’s eyes looked up to her face, still not sure. Marinette nodded to come over, “Please. It’s not as bad as you think.”

The Stormcutter was slow to get us and round her fellow dragon. Her head tilted as she came closer, inspecting the state of Marinette’s arms. Red with irritation and streaked with pink lines. She couldn’t help the whine looking at the viking’s arms.

While Duke got started on the poor arm, Marinette brought her thornfree arm, giving a rubbed to the underside of her dragon’s head.

“See?” She cooed at her, “Not too bad. It’ll heal up girl.”

Marinette sucked in as Duke felt her upper arm.

“Sorry dear,” he winced with his words. He turned back the injury, “Looks like it’s starting to swell, we’ll have to get you back to the village as soon as I get the rest of your arm cleaned up.”

Marinette sighed, “Great.”

Duke shook his head, “Yes, it’s quite the tragedy.”

The young woman gave a mocking scoff and tightly held her lips together. She would not be laughing, thank you very much.

As she pet Tikki—who had relaxed, laying down and holding her head up to still be in reach for chin scratches—she looked back to Duke. The worry lines made her chest tighten and her stomach spin, the gentle pats with the cloth between pulling thorns and inspecting her arm were just everything .

She let her head tilt to the left as she watched him spend minutes with each section as he made his way up. Marinette’s face relaxed as his eyes seemed to trace every scratch. His fingers following the scars of closed wounds, he remembered everyone, including the ones that hadn’t left scars.

He found himself in a lull as he looked at the map of history that was her arm. How couldn’t he when it made his heart race and his throat tighten. It just never seemed to get easier.

Marinette leaned forward, gently using her free hand to guide Duke’s face up. She tilted her head down to catch his eye. Her smile was small but sweet in his eyes, a silent sigh came out between his lips as he looked at her.

Marinette leaned closer, closing the gap with a kiss. When she pulled away, Duke followed, making her laugh softly. She rested her forehead against his and pressed her lips together with giddy. Remembering a conversation from a few weeks ago.

“Why don’t we come here,” she asked, her voice clear in its low volume.

“What,” Duke laughed as he asked.

“I mean we wanted to have our own place,” she continued. She messed with the end of her skirt, “We like the area. I really don’t see any of the houses next to that old harbor to be anything we’d like, so why don’t build it.”

She pulled her face away, “Smaller than over there, close enough to get supplies by boat if we had to. Plenty of room for Tikki and Ghost, and even to build anything we want. This whole area could be ours.” She swallowed, her hand firmly shook his arm, “Don’t tell me you haven’t been having a hard time seeing us back in the village, so close to everyone? It’s been getting crowded. Why else would they send us all the way out here?

”It is a good area to reestablish, but right here,” her voice became soft, pleading. “I see us here.”

Duke sighed, he squeezed the hand he held before setting down the cleaning cloth to take the other. He brought her hand up, pressing a kiss.

”You’re right,” he laughed, shaking his head, “I don’t see us there. I’d love to build our life here,” he kissed her on the cheek, “wherever you want it to be.