Chapter Text
They awake abruptly, their feathered ears and wings flaring as they sit up in a panic. Their breath increased as their chest heaved, their hands placed firmly against the blankets, the feeling unfamiliar.
Where-
"Ash? Ash, are you okay?" Marcel sits up, moving to place a hand on her wing, but pauses mid-air, unsure. She nods, and his fingers immediately comb through her brown feathers gently. "Breathe for me, Ash, okay? I'm right here." Marcel's voice is calm over the ringing in his ears. He moves to pull him into his lap, holding him against his chest as he tucks his wings close to himself, Marcel's encircling them. The pressure was welcomed, and the softness of their wings was comfortable.
"What happened? Nightmare?" He asks, and they nod against his chest, their talons almost making holes in his shirt as they cling to him. "Was it about... your brother?" A sob wracks over them, giving Marcel his answer without them saying anything. "Okay, okay, okay, you're safe, we're in my nest, my name is Marcel, and we're at my house." She slowly relaxed at his words of reassurance, carefully letting go of his shirt. "There you go, it's okay." He kisses her head, and for a second, she forgets everything, focusing on his lips pressed to the crown of her head before he pulls away, and she's forced back into the cold reality.
"Do you want to talk about it?" He asks hesitantly, and they shake their head vigorously, pushing their head into the crook of his neck. He kisses the top of their head again, rocking them both side to side and making a shushing noise. "Think about how much fun we'll have making a sanctuary, and then I can help you figure out how to make the pigeons more efficient. You can even help me build the gym if you want." Ash chuckled at that, blushing at the thought of their first date, that's what the things consider it anyway, they hope he considered it like that too.
Maybe staying around isn't so bad.