#ruby.fic

"Wha- what are you doing?" He asked sleepily.

I felt the heat rise in my cheeks as I removed my hand from his hair.

"Uh-" I stuttered.

"Nooo.." He whined.

"Why'd you stop?" Alex asked, flipping over to face me.

"I- I uh.."

Before I could even try to form an explanation, he grabbed my hand and pulled it back up to his head.

"Do it again?" He asked, a subtle bit of doubt on his face.

My hand was hovering over the side of his head.

I gently pushed my fingers into his fluffy bed head and combed my fingers through it.

He lightly pushed into my touch, closing his eyes again.

I got around to the back of his head and lightly scratched his scalp.

He shuddered and made a small noise. I stopped.

"No, keep going." He said, pushing his head into my hand.

I started petting him again, occasionally scratching his scalp.

"Heh." I laughed lightly.

"What?" Alex opened his eyes and tilted his head to look at me.

"You really like this don't you?" I said with a smirk.

"Sh- shut up!" He pouted.

"You were the one doing it in the first place!" He retorted.

I blushed again, trying to think of a comeback.

Suddenly, a rumbling noise broke the semi silence of the morning.

"Sounds like it's time for breakfast." Alex giggled.

I rolled over onto my back and picked up my phone, pulling it off the charger.

11:23 am

"Wow, it's early." I remarked.

Alex scooched closer and wrapped his arm around me.

"Oh wow, it is." He said while yawning.

I wrapped my arm around him and absent mindedly started petting his hair again.

"Mmm.." He hummed, burying his face into the side of my chest.

"Maybe food can wait." He said, speech muffled by my tank top.

By the time we did get up it was nearly one o'clock.

"Ugh, I gotta take a shower." I told Alex, grabbing a towel and some clothes.

"Okay, I'm gonna make breakfast!" He said confidently.

"Are you sure that's a good idea? I mean, last time you kinda-" I started.

"Pshh, that was one time." Alex said as he brushed his fluffy hair back and put on his signature "LAFD" beanie.

"Alright.." I said, slightly scared for my boyfriend's life.

I was drying off and slipping on my boxers, listening intently in case Alex burns himself.

Last time he cooked he cut himself with a knife and bled all over the food he was making. Then he passed out from the sight of his own blood. Then he hit his shoulder on the counter when he fell.

An emergency room trip and three stitches later I told him he wasn't allowed to cook.

I was putting on my shorts when I heard a scream from the kitchen.

Oh god what did he do this time?

I ran out of the bathroom, dropping the towel somewhere in the hallway.

"What hap-" I skidded to a stop in the entrance of the kitchen.

Alex was sitting on top of the counter shaking and holding a spatula defensively.

"Wait, what's going on?" I asked confused.

"What the fuck, is that?" He asked in a shaky tone.

I looked to where he was pointing and saw...

A mouse. A small, brown mouse.

"Oh, it's a mouse." I stated.

"Like, a computer mouse?" Alex asked, sounding confused.

"No, like a mouse, the animal?" I looked at him weird.

"Is it poisonous?" He asked.

"Venomous, and no." I corrected.

"It's coming closer!" He said in a higher pitched voice.

At this point, my adrenaline had stopped pumping and I was standing there, in my boxers, watching my boyfriend freak out over a mouse.

I started laughing as he screeched at such a high pitch I couldn't even understand if he said something.

"Stop laughing and do something you asshole!" He yelled, scooting farther back on the island counter top.

"Okay, okay." I chuckled.

I walked to the small cleaning closet in the hallway and grabbed the broom.

I walked over to the door leading to the backyard and opened it.

"Aksel, hurry up!" I heard Alex call, sounding more upset than scared.

I shooed the mouse out the back door and closed it.

I turned around to see Alex still on the counter, curled up into a ball with his head on his knees.

"Is it gone?" He asked, his voice muffled by his pants.

"Yeah." I replied, walking over to the counter.

He lifted his head a bit to look at me and I saw his hair was sticking to his cheeks.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"It was just a mouse." I said.

He was peering at me through his hair.

"C'mere." I said, opening my arms.

He shuffled to the edge of the counter and slid into my arms.

I wrapped my arms around his lower back and he tucked his legs up around my waist.

His head laid on my shoulder, breath tickling my neck.

I rocked back and forth slightly as he held onto me.

I kissed his cheek and leaned my head forward to touch his shoulder.

"Well, at least I didn't burn the eggs." He muttered.

I set him down on the floor and turned around to see a frying pan with scrambled eggs with baloney mixed in on the stove.

I grabbed a bowl out of the cupboard.

"It looks good, let's eat." I said handing Alex a bowl.

It's not that Alex is a bad cook, in fact he's pretty good at it, surprisingly.  It's just that he's very accident prone.

We sat down to eat in the living room and watch some tv.

And by tv I mean memes.

"Comment awards?" I asked.

"I think there's a new tumblr awards." I said, turning on the Roku.

"Man, tumblr is crazy." Alex said.

"So that's a yes?"

Brandon's pov

I walked through the door, grocery bags in hand.

I set the bags down on the counter and started putting things away.

Maybe I should check on Tyler, since I had to leave right after he arrived. I thought.

I walked over to look into the living room, expecting Tyler to be on his phone or laptop.

Nothing, huh...

"Tyler?" I called out.

No response.

I went upstairs and saw the bedroom door open, with a, sheet sticking out?

"Tyler?" I asked, pushing the door open.

"What are you doing?"

I looked at the bed, which had blankets, sheets, and pillows strewn around and on it.

"Move your foot" A voice called, muffled.

I looked down to see I was stepping on a sheet on the floor, and picked up my foot, to which the sheet was quickly pulled away.

"What are you doing?" I repeated.

"Nesting, what does it look like?" Tyler replied, poking his head up from the other side of the bed.

I took a moment, wow, he is so pretty.

His shoulder length dark brown hair was in a messy bun but still sticking up in random places.

His dark green feathers were ruffled and his fins were fanned.

His cheeks were pale red, and his heterocromic eyes were glistening in the lamp light.

He moved and I suddenly realized I was staring, but I kept watching him.

He swiftly moved, tucking the sheet around a pillow and smoothing it gently.

He hopped up onto the top of the bed, sitting criss cross, and was neatly tucking blankets and pillows into a oval looking shape.

"What is nesting? Is that an avian thing?" I asked, still watching Tyler's "nesting".

He stopped and turned to me.

"Other people don't nest? How do you get comfortable?" He looked bewildered.

"Uh, it does look pretty comfy, and I don't think it'll bother me, but." I stumbled over my words.

He waved me over with his wing, continuing to tuck and untuck blankets.

I stepped closer, trying not to trod on his masterfully woven sheets and pillows.

Once I came close enough, he pointed to a small hole in the pillow ring.

"Come sit."

Not wanting to disturb the "nest" I carefully crawled into the center of the bed, being wary of my tail, next to Tyler.

He turned to me, the same magical look sparkling in his eyes.

Fuck that was gay.

He leaned against me, looking around at his work.

"It's not a very good nest, I'll have to get more supplies, but it's good for now."

"Typically a nest consists of a thick nesting memory foam base, as it curls up and around with plastic stilts to aid in the nesting process." He continued, readjusting himself to be more in my lap.

"Also having bright or neat colors or patterns is good, but I've always just made mine a cosy brown." He rambled, waving his hands about as he talked.

"But I suppose you should have some choice as well. Yes?" He asked, tilting his head to look at me.

"U-uh yeah, sure." I blushed.

"It's okay, I didn't realize other anamals didn't nest." He smiled softly.

He doesn't smile like that for anyone else, not even Anï.

It's a special smile, it's vulnerable and sweet, caring.

I wrapped my arms around his waist and pulled him fully into my lap, turning to catch his lips.

He hesitantly kissed back, gently placing his hand onto my side.

I smiled into the kiss, pulling back.

We were smushed together, in the middle of a nest, cozy and warm.

"I hate to ruin the peace but I think I left the milk on the counter." I said, remembering the groceries.

"Heh, alright. I'll help you put stuff away." Tyler responded, untangling himself from me and stretching his wings.

He hopped off the bed carefully while I crawled to the edge.

After we put away the groceries we decided to watch a movie.

"What movie do you wanna watch?" I asked Tyler, turning on the Roku.

"Hmmm, Thor ragnarok? That's the funny one."

"Kay" I said, starting up the movie and laying back, wrapping my arm around Tyler's shoulders.

Near the end of the movie I noticed that Tyler had fallen asleep on my shoulder.

I turned off the movie and shifted so I could look at him.

How did I get this lucky?

I stared at his face, admiring every feature.

His plump lips, his rounded face slightly touched with stubble.

His relaxed eyes, closed, eyelashes resting against pale red cheeks.

I reached up and brushed a hair out of his face, then smoothing his fin.

His fin twitched and his shifted. I stilled.

"Mmn Brandon..." He mumbled in his sleep.

Heh, adorable.

I moved him so he was resting on the couch instead of me, standing up and stretching.

I carefully picked Tyler up, holding him bridal style and carrying him upstairs.

I gently set him in the 'nest' and covered him with a blanket.

I changed into some more comfortable clothes and crawled into bed next to him.

I grabbed my laptop and checked discord.

1 message from Diesel.

Hey bro, how's the whole Tyler moving in thing going?

Pretty good, he seems pretty happy here.

That's good, tell him I said hi.

Will do buster.

I continued looking through Twitter, instagram, etc.

I was scrolling down Twitter when Tyler rolled over and grabbed on my arm.

His wing stretched, smacking my laptop.

"Sleep." The sleepy Tyler said.

I yawned.

"Fine." I said, closing my laptop and setting it on the nightstand.

I turned off the light and laid down, shifting and laying on my side, my heavy tail behind me.

He tucked his head into my chest, adjusting his wings.

We soon fell asleep, cuddled in each other's arms.

1000 words

I hope you enjoyed!

Tyler's pov

Today is not a good day.

My dad called to tell me how much of a failure I am, how I don't have a "real" job.

My mom texted me to ask if I have a wife yet.

I just want to escape.

So I do.

I opened my window, sticking my legs through and sitting on the windowsill.

I flexed my wings, stretching them out.

I live in a high rise apartment building, so I'm up pretty high.

I look down on the park across from my building.

I see kids playing, people walking dogs, it's a nice warm day.

Perfect for a fly.

I squeeze my wings through the window and push off.

I curl my wings around my shoulders and free fall for a couple seconds, testing the breeze.

I open my wings, my arms following to steady my balance.

I am one of the few that still fly up high like this.

It's even illegal in some states.

I glide over the park, wind whistling in my ears.

I fold my fins back over my ears, blocking the wind a bit more.

It's exhilarating, the rush of the wind around me, the quiet of the breeze.

I move upwards, flapping my wings to gain height.

After I am up a good amount, I turn so I am upright and tilt backwards.

I still have my wings spread, arms out. I begin falling, the air rushing around my face, causing my fins to flutter upwards.

It's comforting to me.

I continue falling for what seems like forever, but in actuality was probably less than a minute or two.

Adrenaline pumping through me, giving me a rush.

I shift and do a back flip, regaining control of my descent and slowing down.

I'm nearly fifteen block from my apartment.

I flap my wings, trying to steady my breathing as I hover.

I swoop over to a nearby building, landing gently on the roof.

I shift to open my fanny pack (I only use it for flying, it's aerodynamic) and pull out a water bottle.

I open it and take a big drink, sitting on the edge of the building, my legs dangling.

I look out across the horizon, the sun starting to set turning the sky pink.

I close my eyes and lean back, laying down on my wings with my arms behind my head.

I breath out, feeling relaxed.

I lay there for who knows how long, but when I open my eyes the stars are out and it's dark.

I sit up and stretch, getting ready for the fly home.

I land at the entrance of the building, sliding my keycard to get in.

I get into the elevator and yawn.

Once in my apartment, I close the window and get ready for bed, my wings dropping slightly.

I roll my shoulders, changing into a t-shirt and shorts and crawl into bed.

I lay on my stomach, relaxing my wings.