Birdseed

Yosuke

PG-13

General/Romance

AN: Second Princess Tutu fic EVAH! Feel my wrathful wrath… Anyway, this one is a cute little Fakir and Ahiru fic (Somehow, I can't bring myself to using the name "Duck" in a fic since I met Luci Christian. sob) I totally love the idea of Fakir and Ahiru being all… in love, I guess, or at least Fakir having a little crush, but honestly… I rather write gay/lesbian fics. Straight romance annoys me for some reason… Whatever. Fakir and Ahiru are cute together. Read on, my slave puppies, read on.

Tutu not mine.

Fakir had heard a rumor that Ahiru bought several pounds of birdseed a week.

He hadn't thought too hard on it. It was nothing important, though he was curious as to why one girl could need so much bird food.

And it's not like it bothered him…

Okay… it disturbed him a little.

It was springtime, so there were a lot of sales going on around town, including birdseed. Often, the elderly or the tree-huggers of that small town enjoyed the view of the park and would take great care in selecting proper birdseed and sitting out to feed the few birds that actually felt it safe enough to fly by. A few birds itself was enough of a miracle for some people, as the town hardly held any wildlife, though domesticated animals were plentiful with hardly any strays roaming the narrow streets.

Fakir didn't particularly care for the animals. They were just another piece of the scenery. Mytho, however, found them very entertaining, and would often stop to look at a couple of birds picking any seed they found from between the stone crevices on the street. One time, Fakir left Mytho unoccupied for a few moments while he could go buy something in a store and came back to find Mytho up in a tree, looking at a bird's nest. The rescue was rather hysterical, as Fakir had stood shouting on the roots at Mytho to climb down, and as Mytho scrambled to find the branch he had originally used to haul himself up with, Fakir thought he was just taking his time and pulled on a leg that was in reach.

Needless to say, Fakir thought he had broken his coccyx bone when Mytho tumbled down FROM THE TREE to land directly on him. And as if THAT wasn't enough of an embarrassing issue, the mother bird of the nest seemed to find the two boys as a threat and began attacking them relentlessly until Fakir had dragged the prince away from the tree, far enough for the bird to lose interest. Afterwards, an elderly woman who had seen the incident approached them, shaking her walking stick at them and cursing them for picking on a couple of innocent baby birds. When she had begun to yell at Mytho, Fakir started to pull Mytho along with him to go back to the dorm and the woman hit Fakir on the head with her cane.

Mytho could only watch as blankly as the curious bystanders that had gathered around as Fakir and the old woman proceeded into a heated argument.

Oh, what a day that had been… And that was why Fakir didn't let Mytho stop to see nature anymore: For fear of being attacked by old people. Fakir never looked at the park, anyway. It was boring there. Nothing exciting to look at, and only slowed while he passed it so Mytho could take a glance about it, then resume to the boys' dorm. Whenever the knight was by himself, he walked straight on past it.

So, why does this story revolve so much around one little park in one little town?

It's because Fakir saw Ahiru in the park… with her birdseed.

Upon passing the park one spring day, Mytho back at home and nothing on the agenda for that afternoon, Fakir glimpsed into park with its tall, strong trees, the sturdy roots weaving in and out of the ground with no visual order, bushes coordinately lining the edges of the area, a few flowers decorating the grass… to see Ahiru practically being eaten alive by a large flock of birds that had invaded the town. She was griping around for air, scrambling about, flailing her limbs now and then, making these odd, almost cute sounds that no normal human should make.

Fakir felt no immediate urge to help her. It's wasn't like she was being killed or anything… But he was just so curious as to how she could've possibly attracted all those creatures.

Curiosity soon took over, and the dark-haired boy found himself approaching the young squawking girl right as she had seemed to give up hope.

"What are you doing?" he asked just loud enough for her to hear over the twittering of the birds. A strangled sound came from under the huge mass of feathers and finally one arm pushed up out of the mess, a large dish of birdseed in her hand.

"Hold this," she choked out. Fakir deftly took it and almost immediately, half of the birds flung themselves at the dish, sitting on the rim and Fakir's arm, quickly pecking out seeds. The knight was surprised at the sudden sight, unused to having so many animals in his presence and adoring him, then looked down to find Ahiru laying half-dead on the grass with half the birds still sitting on her. She groaned and sat up, brushing some feathers off her face. "Wow, they were hungry today!" Standing, she finally managed to catch a glimpse of her savior and gasped in surprise. "Fakir!"

"How'd you get so many birds here?" Fakir questioned, almost thoroughly interested. Ahiru smiled brightly, a look on her face that the knight could only think of as idiotic.

"They're my friends! I love to feed the birds! And there's a lot of them today, too! They must've told their friends about me--" She stopped herself, slapping her hands over her mouth. "I mean… Birds know where a lot of seed is!" She laughed aloud, fighting to hide her faux pas. Fakir raised an eyebrow.

"Is that so?" He glanced down at the mass of birds sitting on his arm and winced. "Well, will you get them off? They'll mess up my coat."

"Sure!" She placed her hands under the dish and lifted it up, then set it on the ground. Every remaining bird flocked to it and began feeding. She giggled. "I should come out here more often?"

"You do this a lot?"

"Three times a week!" Ahiru strolled over to the tree nearest to them and pulled out a rather large bag of birdseed snuggled between two roots; the bag looked much too heavy for the girl as she strained to lift it. Fakir sighed and walked to her, picking up the bag with one hand and setting it down closer to the birds. Ahiru thanked him quickly and opened the bag, scooping both hands into the seed and holding them up. About ten small birds flew to it, sitting on her fingertips and wrists and noisily chirping, then started eating. She giggled again. "Trella, you're tickling me! You too, Redhead!" She continued to giggle, shaking a little with the laughter as the birds continued to eat from her palms.

Fakir merely stood and watched, somehow entranced by such a sight. For such a goofy, clumsy, idiotic girl… She was adorable. He never thought much of her, seeing her as only an object that separated him from his prince, albeit a small object, but now he couldn't seem to help thinking of her as just a normal passerby in his mind (and there weren't too many of those), waving to him and laughing out of sheer happiness of simply seeing the sun shine on the pond. Fakir suddenly feared the girl smiling at him again, for surely he would blush some. To avert his gaze, he looked down at the birds by his feet that were still feeding endlessly from the dish on the ground.

"So, this is what you do with all that birdseed…" he mumbled to himself. Ahiru glanced over at him.

"Huh? You know about that?"

Fakir blushed a little. "I j-just heard about it from someone else! One of your friends said you buy so much birdseed and no one sees you do anything with it."

"I guess no one just pays attention, but I feed the birds often! I love birds!" She took the moment to whisper under her breath, "For a very good reason…"

Fakir watched her, trying to decide her sane or not before Ahiru suddenly piped up, smiling big at him. "Wanna feed the birds, too?"

The knight stepped back, abashed by the question and the suddenly flurry as Ahiru dove for the bag of seed and scooped out a large amount, then stepped closer to Fakir and dumped it in his suddenly-outstretched palms. From the moment the first seed touched down, nearly twenty birds flocked to his fingers and began eating. He was shocked, needless to say, something tugging in him about how he could possibly attract so much wildlife to merely his hands. But that uneasiness rested some when he glanced back at Ahiru to see her smiling big, giggling.

'What a moron…' he thought dimly and fought to hide an oncoming smirk.

"Do you like birds, Fakir?" The duck asked, reaching into the bag once again and spilling some seed into the almost-empty dish on the ground. Fakir didn't answer right away, simply entertained by the feeding frenzy in the palms of his hands.

"I don't care for them much… They're just birds."

Ahiru stopped at that, then slowly turned to face her senpai. "Just… birds?"

Fakir didn't respond.

"I'll have you know that birds have feelings, too! Birds are a big part of nature and need as much love and devotion as the next human being! And some birds can be special, y'know! Some can make you feel better! Some can sing beautiful songs! Some can turn into magical ballet princesses that GUIDE YOUR HEART!" She stood back, huffing, fists clenched in determination. Fakir only stared at her. Suddenly Ahiru blinked her wide eyes. "QWUA--" She slapped her hands over her mouth, blushing brightly before turning on heel and running behind the tree.

Fakir remained in his spot for a moment before letting the birdseed in his hands fall to the ground, sending the birds flying after it, and stepped behind the tree to look around. All that was there were the clothes Ahiru had previously been wearing. The knight's face flushed then, the image of Ahiru running around naked somewhere playing with his mind, but he mentally shook himself and looked back to the dish of birdseed, wondering where the weird girl had run off to.

Fakir once again blinked in surprise.

Sitting next to the long line of birds perched on the rim of the large saucer was a little duck, eating just as merrily as the others.

The dark-haired boy stared in amazement, then blinked a few times to see if his vision was correct. Indeed, a little yellow duckling sat on the edge of the dish, eating birdseed with the rest of them. At one point, it lifted its head to quack happily at the knight, then shoved its face right back into the seed.

Now, Fakir was usually a perceptive person and could pick up on odd things like this very easily, but somehow, the idea of Ahiru, strange little Ahiru turning into a DUCK seemed… just a little too farfetched, though quite appropriate.

Fakir shook his head and looked about him. "Ahiru! You left your birdseed!" he called out, but no response was given, and he sighed, looking at the heavy bag. "Guess I'll just take it… This stuff IS pretty expensive…" Leaning down, he picked up the bag and the now-empty dish, then left for the boys' dorm. Meanwhile, the little duck down on the ground shivered her tail-feathers and stared off after the dark boy, thoughts caught on how handsome he actually was when he wasn't so serious… If a duck could blush, Ahiru would've.

Later…

Pike and Lillie stopped in their tracks at the sight of a duck with a mission crossing the road, clothes that strangely seemed similar to Ahiru's tied around its neck as it marched on.

"…………"

"…………"

Later, later…

There was Mytho… with Rue, taking a stroll down below the trees, out of Fakir's sight as he watched high up in the second-story room of the dormitory, anger swelling in his eyes at the image of his prince, his helpless, oblivious prince walking so blindly with a seductive, fair-faced witch. How dare she… How dare she even touch his prince… The rage built until finally Fakir let his head drop, the feeling of helplessness no longer residing in Mytho but instead in the knight. Stupid, stupid Mytho… He'd have to punish the boy when he got back. He'd told him several times not to be around that siren. As Fakir thought through to a suitable punishment, a quick rap came from the door, startling him. Shaking his thoughts, he walked calmly to the entrance and opened it halfway, finding one of the younger boys there, staring up at him, almost intimidated.

"Um, Senior Fakir… There's a girl at the dorm entrance here to see you…"

"A girl?" Fakir's first thought was that it was another one of those love-struck girls, obsessed with Fakir and determined to see him. He sighed and waved his hand in dismissal. "Tell her I'm not interested."

"But she said you have her birdseed."

Fakir shot up at that. 'Ahiru?' Brushing past the boy quickly, he started down the stairs and went to the entrance, opening the doors to see the perky, orange-haired girl there, hands behind her back, innocent look on her face.

"Fakir!"

"Ahiru?" Fakir was slightly surprised at seeing her, but soon found his face reflected the same thought and calmed himself, turning back into stern, serious, stick-up-the-ass Fakir. "Decided not to try to sneak in here this time?"

Ahiru huffed. "I didn't even go in last time! Besides, I'm just here for my birdseed!" When she finished, Fakir raised his eyebrows at her.

"How did you know I had it?"

The girl was silent, then had a look on her face like she had been caught in a trap. "U-Uh… J-Just a guess, I guess!" She laughed to herself, and Fakir sighed.

"Look, most of the guys are out right now, so you can come in." He opened the door wider, causing Ahiru to blush wildly.

"N-No, IshouldntgointotheboysdormthatstoorudeandweirdcuzImagirlandnotaboy! IllstayouthereandifyoucouldjustbringmethebirdseedIllgladlytakeitandbeonmywayokay?"

She flapped on, like a rabid duck, Fakir thought, and once she had quieted down, he started back into the hallway, expecting the girl to follow.

Ahiru remained at the door for a moment, embarrassed and unsure before holding her breath and stepping in, quickly following after her older classmate. They went up the stairs and to the room.

Ahiru stepped in timidly, looking around her in awe. "So this is where Senior Mytho sleeps…" she spoke under her breath and blushed. The thought of being in such a forbidden area with complete permission… It was like walking on holy land! Senior Mytho slept here, ate here, read here, dressed here… She blushed wildly at such a thought and tried to think of it a different way… This was where Fakir slept as well, where Fakir and Mytho talked, where Fakir exercised—

"ACK!" She held her hands over her eyes as if that would help shut out the images in her mind.

"Here's the bag and the dish," Fakir said suddenly, setting it down in front of her. The girl glanced down at the mass of seed.

"Okay… thank you." She smiled up at him, her face fading from red to its normal color, and attempted to lift the bag, but found it too heavy and put it down again. "Yikes…Okay, I can do this!" she said with determination and began the heave-ho of dragging it across the floor. The knight stood and watched the comical sight of Ahiru dragging such a big bag across the floor with the concentration of a passionate Buddhist monk and scoffed.

"Here, let me. You'll tear the bag like that." Fakir cut in and picked up the bag with one hand, giving the dish to Ahiru, who took it blankly.

"N-No, I should carry it--"

"Just come on," he demanded and started out the door. Ahiru followed quietly. How did Fakir have such an effect on people? Or had she begun to pick up Mytho's habits?

They made it back downstairs. Fakir set the bag down at the entrance and looked at Ahiru. "Shall I carry it to the girls' dorm?"

"No! I got it!" Ahiru said, again with determination, and started dragging it with one hand, holding the saucer in the other. "I'll get it!… I think…"

"Ahiru…" Fakir suddenly chimed in, the girl stopping her antics and looking up at the boy. "Where… did you run off to this afternoon?" He seemed genuinely curious.

Ahiru blushed faintly and chuckled. "W-Well, I was just…" she stuttered, trying to think of a reasonable explanation behind her weird disappearance earlier in the park.

"Look," Fakir started again. "I know there's something strange about you, so you might as well spill it. What are you up to?" He stepped closer, his height intimidating the girl. She shuddered and backed away.

"N-Nothing! I don't know what you mean!" Obvious lie.

"What are you hiding, you damned duck?" Fakir suddenly lashed out at her, grabbing a wrist and pulling her forward. "I hate it when people hide things from me. Tell me… does it have to do with Mytho?" The knight seemed angered by the idea of Ahiru tampering with Mytho's life, and Ahiru could see that clearly.

"N-No! I'm just a strange girl, is all! And you don't have to be so rude to me! I'm human, after all!"

"Birds have a strange attraction to you, you act like a bird too, and you seem obsessed with tangling yourself in people's lives!"

Ahiru was close to tears, hurt welling up in her eyes. Finally, she cried, out, "YOU'RE JUST A BIG, MEAN JERK! I'M NORMAL, I REALLY AM!" She twisted her arm out of his grip. "I LIKE BIRDS! SO WHAT? I TEND TO BE STUPID! SO WHAT? I'M CONCERNED WHEN PEOPLE ARE HURT! SO DARN WHAT?" She wiped at her nose with the back of her sleeve and darted around to pick up her bag before stopping and turning around once more to face Fakir. "Here, take your stupid gift!" From the pocket of her shorts she pulled out a small, colorful, saran bag tied with a ribbon. She shoved it at Fakir's chest, then reached out for her bag again, still finding it too heavy to carry, and simply dragged it along the ground while sobbing comically.

The boy stood, stupefied, with the tiny package in his hands. He blinked in obvious confusedness and gently pulled open the ribbon. Inside was a pile of birdseed and a tiny note that said, "Feed 'em some time!"

The package, so small and seemingly useless, spoke to Fakir. It said, "Open your mind, you dumass." Fakir sighed and shook his head.

"Stupid girl…" He headed back for his room. Once inside the safety of it, he closed the doors and went to the window, opening it and looking at the sky. It really was a beautiful spring day… It was nice to notice it for once. The knight breathed in a lungful of fresh air as a breeze drifted in lazily, and he suddenly remembered the bag in his hands. Once again shaking his head, he opened the bag and stared at the multi-colored seeds before dipping it over the window and spreading a generous amount along the sill.

'This is stupid,' he thought to himself and stood back, watching, waiting. Nothing happened for a good three minutes and he thought to brush the seed off and close the windows before… one, solitary little finch flew into the window and landed on the tiny hill of seed. Idly, it began pecking through it, tasting around for the good seeds.

Fakir watched, amazed. 'Did I do this?' he thought to himself and smiled a little as a few more birds joined the first one, including a little baby cardinal that had just learned how to fly. "Wow…" he whispered to himself, putting some seed in his hand and holding out his arm. The cardinal flew up and onto his palm. Fakir sighed contently and walked closer to the window, hoping not to disturb the birds. He looked around for any more birds and saw a whole line of them on the street.

He blinked. Wait… a line?

Sure enough, dozens of birds where in a cluttered line, eating seed that trailed along the ground, and at the head of this line was Ahiru, squabbling, trying to find a way to close up the bag that had apparently torn on the ground as she had dragged it along.

Fakir almost laughed at such a funny sight.

Ahiru finally noticed some of the birds taking off to the sky towards the building she was by and looked up to see… Fakir at the window, birds in his outstretched hand and all along his sill. She smiled and waved. Fakir merely watched her, his smile gone and instead replaced by the same empty gaze he held for all creatures he thought were under him. Ahiru was sure he was mad at her until Fakir rose his other hand and… waved a little… then walked inside, a few birds flying out of his window.

Fakir had heard a rumor that Ahiru bought several pounds of birdseed a week.

He hadn't thought too hard on it. It was nothing important, though he was curious as to why one girl could need so much bird food.

And now he knew.

It was to share with everyone. Even a bastard like him.

Ze end.

Reeeeeeeeeeeeevieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeew.