Chapter Text
"I love you."
Winter turned to look at him with an expression he just wasn't able to read no matter how hard he tried, his deep blue eyes scanning him from top to bottom as if checking if the Sandwing was real.
His body turned stiff, the air dense, the hallways empty, and the cafeteria quiet. The world had stopped for both of the males as it seemed to QIbli like he might just spend eternity there.
Please, please, please, He thought, fearing with how quiet the earth had turned the Icewing might just hear his rapid heartbeat.
Finally, the Icewing opened his mouth, releasing a small puff of Icebreath in the process, Qibli catching a glimpse at the deep dark blue tongue that dwelled in it.
What were mere milliseconds felt like millennia to QIbli, his fast mind currently operating at a higher speed than the universe itself.
The Icewing spoke, Qibli feeling his heart tense without a single word being uttered.
"What the hell did you do now?" The Icewing growled.
"Huh?!" Qibli was startled, his fast mind not having ever thought of this response.
"Did you break anything of mine? Because I swear to the moons Qibli, you better have not touched any of my stuff!" Winter stood up from his rest and accusatorily pointed at him.
"No I-I-I didn't!" Qibli raised his claws wanting to hopefully clear his name from the accusations. "I would never mess with your precious, although tempting, stuff,"
"You know what?" The Icewing gave him a serious stare. "I don't believe you." He walked past the Sandwing and toward their cave.
"Wait Winter wait!" Qibli tried to grab the Icewing's claw, failing in the process as the Icewing simply moved it out of his grasp.
"I..." The Icewing was gone, leaving Qibli to wantingly look at his vanished silhouette before releasing a solemn sigh.
"How did it go?" A calm voice emerged out of the shadows, her dark figure giving rise to a compassionate expression.
"The same as always, him thinking that I did something this time." The Sandwing softly spoke, managing to draw out a small smile despite his failed attempt.
"Maybe you just weren't direct enough." The Nightwing tried to consolidate.
"Moon, I literally told him 'I love you'. How more direct can you be?" Qibli collapsed onto the soft cushion his Icy crush sat on, covering his snout scar with one claw to try and hide his shame.
"I guess you can't," She took a seat next to him, twinning her tail with his to try and make him feel better. "He's always been the suspicious type,"
"Are you giving up?"
Qibli looked at the floor in deep consideration, Moon unable to read his thoughts or expression, before finally turning his head to look at her with a stuck-up expression and toothy grin.
"Ha, of course not!" He said confidently, standing up from the cushion. "I just gotta try harder, you know, get it through that thick skull of his.
Moon gave him a small laugh. "I think you got a thicker one,"
"Ha, we match then," Qibli smiled.
"Well, you got my support, so if you need anyone to read someone's thoughts, hit me up." She got up as well and walked towards the exit, her tail disappearing into the shadows cast by it.
You are really testing my patience now, Winter.
"Seriously what did he touch?" Winter said to himself as he moved around his stuff, wondering just what was missing or broken.
It didn't help that he wasn't keeping up with his commitment to be more organized, as all of his cavework, projects, and drawings were scattered together in a jumbled mess.
"What did he do-"
"You are not gonna find anything in that pile,"
Winter turned around to see his Sandwing clawmate slouching as handsomely as he could on their cave entrance, wearing one of his signature grins.
"Why? Because you hid it?" Winter once again accused him, to which now the Sandwing simply sighed at and walked slowly to his bed.
"Because I didn't do anything," He laid down on the bed, pulling out a scroll he merely pretended to read. "When are you gonna start trusting me?"
"When you stop being such a stuck-up rat," He spat, not getting any reaction from the Sandwing.
Ha, I am stuck up? Look at yourself handsome.
"Anyway, where did I put my pen?" The Icewing asked himself out loud, beginning to once again sculk through his pile.
"Behind you to the right below your bed," Qibli quickly answered.
"The question wasn't for you cactus licker," Winter said as he turned around and to his surprise found the pen exactly where the Sandwing said."I don't like you knowing where my stuff is, that's more evidence that you mess with it."
"Oh come on, you know you love it when I know where your 'stuff' is." The Sandwing teased, only causing the Icewing to look at him weirdly.
"Anyway," Qibli put the scroll down. "Have you thought about my previous statement?" He moved closer to the Icewing.
"Which one? You say a lot of absurdities." The Icewing sat back down with his pen in claw and scroll in front.
"You know, the one I literally told you 5 minutes ago," He got even closer, the Icewing practically feeling the heat emanating off his body.
"As I said, lots of dumb words come out of your mouth, hard to keep track of them." The Icewing flinched at the warm claw that landed on his shoulder, pushing it off immediately.
Qibli sighed." That I love you, snow-brains." He rested his chin on the Icewing's other shoulder, wondering how much he could get away with before retaliation, which quickly came in the form of a wingslap.
"Okay? I love you too." The Icewing coldly answered afterwards, beginning to nonchalantly write his cavework.
"WHAT?!" Qibli jumped off the Icewing's back, making him accidentally miswrite his name in ink. "D-d-do you mean that?!" He uncharacteristically stuttered, his face forming a bright smile.
"I mean I guess," The Icewing grumbled back, annoyed at having to get another blank scroll.
"Oh moons! I-I don't know what to say Winter I-"
"Isn't that what friends feel?" Winter apathetically asked, more concerned with writing his name carefully now.
"...huh?"
"I mean we are...friends." Winter felt weird saying that. "And friends love each other right? I don't know Qibli! I haven't had many friends. " The word friend didn't roll off his tongue well, feeling embarrassed at even saying it.
Qibli's face dropped as hard as an elephant on twice the gravity. "I mean they do but...like is the better word." He disappointedly said.
"Okay, then I like you I guess." The Icewing started writing his essay unconcerned. "It's that what you meant earlier?"
"...Yeah" NO!
"Good, now the heck out of here I am working." The Icewing covered himself with his wings, signaling that the conversation was over.
Patience Qibli, patience is key.
"Ha, seriously Turtle, you need to start acting more like me, maybe then you'll get some actual pussy on yourself." Winter proudly stated, causing the Seawing to spew his drink.
"Winter, do you know what that word means?" Turtle asked, concerned whether Icewing actually knew what the word meant.
"Uh yeah? Isn't it just a catcalling name for females?" Winter asked, oblivious about the second definition.
"I mean yeah but it also means-"
"Means that you really need to hang around more dragons Winter," The Sandwing cut in as he sat next to the Icewing, having overheard the entire conversation
"Tch, as if you do that yourself." The Icewing said under his breath, taking a bite out of the raw salmon he had picked out for lunch.
"He does, practically everybody talks about him during class." Umber also cut in, sitting next to the Sandwing.
"Make sure to swallow it after you are done Umber, you wouldn't want to spill a dr-" Winter was stopped by the soft punch the Seawing threw at him, noticing that the entire cafeteria had gone quiet precisely as the Icewing started speaking.
"How come you can speak so crudely but know so little?" Qibli teasingly asked, getting a quick middle claw from the Icewing as he took a sip of water.
"Anyway where are the girls? They are quite late even with Kinkajou's constant distractions." He looked around the cave, only catching the occasional glare of a Nightwing.
"They are in the library, Moon said that they have a project due in 3 days," Turtle responded, having talked to them before the Icewing could yell at him to come and sit.
"What's wrong Igloo-head? Missing your moonlight princess already?" Qibli teased after catching the Icewing's pout, knowing damn well he prayed that wasn't the case.
"Shut the heck up Qibli."
"Make me," The Sandwing made a kissy face which he knew would sadly deter the Icewing.
"Guys, guys, maybe we could take this chance to talk about boy's stuff you know? Like who our favorite wingball player is, or what our favorite food is, or who our crushes are-" Umber tried to speak before being cut off by the Icewing throwing a piece of his salmon at his head.
"Lame! Seriously Umber, does any good idea come out of your pebble-sized brain?" Winter mocked him by simply pulling a bored face with his tongue out, making the Mudwing promptly pout and grumble something under his breath. "I wanna talk about something more interesting, with more stakes."
"How come it's always what you want to talk about?" The Mudwing growled, still eating the thrown salmon piece.
An Idea began to form in the Sandwing's brain.
"Duh, because I am simply better-"
"How about we talk about our types?" Qibli interjected, catching the attention of the whole group.
"Types?" Both Umber and Tutle sheepishly asked, with Winter only looking in agreement.
"You know, our types. Like what we are searching for in a mate. Whether it be their personality or...physical features." Qibli continued, knowing that he had gotten the 3 males by their sudden attention to his words.
"Look, I'll go first. I am looking for a...crude dragon." Umber listened attentively. "Someone who bounces off me well, someone who isn't afraid to call me out on my bullcrap but still falls for it regardless."
"Someone with a tragic heroic side," Qibli began to dramatize. "Who acts under a mask to hide their true feelings," Qibli fiercely raised his arm. "Because they are too afraid for their frozen heart to be played with once again...you know?" Come on, you can't be more obvious than that.
"Yeah...I know." Umber lovingly said, hypnotized by the Sandwing's performance.
"That sounds...oddly specific." Turtle questioned.
Qibli analyzed the Icewing's expression, questioning whether he had gotten the message fully. Winter began to slowly open his mouth.
"Lame! Your turn Turtle." He quickly spat out, making QIbli crunch his fist behind his back.
"Ah, I...uhm. I am looking for a...uh....colorful dragon, someone who..." A subtle blush began to appear across his green snout." W-who always looks on the bright side, who no matter how gloomy and dark something may be, they still find a way to bring out the light from it, someone who is cheerful, optimistic, flowery-"
"Boring! We know you are talking about Kinkajou, you are not subtle at all Turtle." Winter crudely said as rested on his elbow, causing the blush on the Seawing's face to explode before covering it up with both claws.
"S-shut up." Turtle somehow said through the embarrassment.
"Your turn Mudbrain." He turned towards Umber, who gave him a petty look.
"Hfm, I am looking for someone who...understands me." Umber stood up. "You see, as you all know, I am a war veteran, and as such I have found myself in countless, countless battles, where my tragic heroics had to shine, you see this damn oh horrible war gave me P-STD and as such I wear a tragic mask to hi-"
"BLERGH! Oh my Moons! Seriously Umber If you keep talking you are gonna make me BLARGH, vo- BLERCH, vomit!" The Icewing mockingly opened his mouth as if to vomit, causing both of the other males to giggle a bit, all to Umber's tragic dismay.
"Seriously Winter, F*ck you." Umber hissed, taking a bit out of his food for comfort. "If you are sooooooo disinterested by our types, then I wonder what yours could possibly oh so greatly be." He pouted.
"Yeah, what's your type Ice-lord?" Qibli further prodded, with an agreement nod from Turtle, fully interested in what the Icewing was looking for.
"Ha, you wanna know my type?" Winter proudly pointed at himself. "Hfm, then I guess I'll show what true greatness searches for." He smirked, fully feeling himself.
"Here we go," Umber said.
"You see, I don't search for ANYTHING in particular, nothing at all. I couldn't care less if they come from poverty, abuse, war, or anything horrible that might have happened to them in the past," The three other males started getting closer.
"I don't care whether they are a Rainwing, Skywing, Mudwing, Seawing, Sandwing, man not even if they are a Nightwing." The three listened surprised.
"They could be smart, dumb, strong, weak, fast, slow, big, or small and I still wouldn't look the other way."
"All that I would ask would be 3 things. 1. There's a level of friendship between us 2. They are reliable. And 3. They have a funny personality. " Qibli's eyes began to widen.
"That's absolutely all." He proudly raised his chin.
"...Wow, I- Winter that's very good." Turtle tuned in.
"Yeah, I for once agree, your type is quite good." Umber also said.
"Winter I-" Qibli was interrupted by what was said next.
"But..." The Icewing kept going. "If I could fully pick out on how they look, then...my type is actually a tall Skywing with a BIG behind. " He confidently smirked, as if what he said was completely normal.
The 3 males then proceeded to choke on their own food, with QIbli going as far as quickly taking a sip from the nearby water pool and spitting it all at the table.
"Nevermind, I take back what I said,"
"Yeah, Winter you suck."
"..."
"Oh come on!" Winter stood up defensively. "You were the one who included physical features in the mix, it's not my fault you all aren't brave enough to pick what's yours-"
"A tall Skywing with a big behind huh? I'll keep it in mind." A feminine voice said from behind making the Icewing flinch forwards.
"Oh, it's you," Winter said embarrassed, as the Nightwing crept around him to sit at the table. "I imagine you are finished with your little project."
"Nope, not at all, Kinkajou kept grabbing books about flowers and pestering the other students until we got kicked out." She grabbed a piece of salmon out of the Icewing's plate, who simply let it happen out of shame. "Talking about her, you should look behind you."
Winter turned confused, only to regret what his eyes laid upon.
"Oh hoo my little Snowflake, it's this what you are looking for?" Kinkajou seductively said, as her scales turned bright red and the two watermelons she had tied around her waist wiggled about wildly, causing an eruption of laughter from everyone except the Icewing, who slowly turned back forward to eat his food in silence.
"What's wrong honey? It's this not what you wanted?" She alluringly leaned on his back, him not pushing her away to hopefully get Turtle jealous. (Which worked, getting another dragon jealous as well.)
"Nope, you are shorter than me by 2 heads and your personality is not funny whatsoever." He grumbled, not trying to look at her in the eye.
"But I am pretty reliable, aren't I? After all, remember last night how loudly you moa-" She tried to caress his lower scales.
"Kinkajou, when's the last time you have successfully delivered attendance before getting distracted by a bee?" He cut her off before the conversation could dwell that deep.
"Hehehe, you got me," She giggled as her scales turned back to pink and yellow and she de-tied the melons around her waist. "You want one?" She offered him.
"No thank you," He refused. "Offer it to Turtle," He said, reigniting the blush around the Seawing's face.
"Hmm, why him?" She took a bite out of it, still seductively leaning on his back to the Seawing's despair.
"No reason," He secretly smirked, getting the final laugh in a sense.
A loud bell could be heard being hit from the center of the cave, signaling that lunch was over and dragons should return to their caves or get to class. In this case, Winter and Turtle were free for the day as they had already finished their assignments early, while the rest unenthusiastically walked to their classcaves.
"How it got now?" She nudged the Sandwing on the side.
"Hmm." Was all he had to say to convey his meaning.
"That bad? Come on, you have to at least gotten closer." She hugged him with her wing.
"...You think that If I dyed my scales red and did squat exercises, he would let me get as close as Kinkajou did?" He jokingly asked, not so jokingly after remembering how close Kinkajou got to touching the Icewing's lower scales.
"Hmm...maybe?" She tried to comfort him. "I am sure there's a way for you to be his type too."
I hope.