The formerly creepy mansion where a raven would fit right in- Thursday

[gobrookeyourself]

Brooke was still a bird, and she was getting really annoyed about it. Flying was cool, but she decided she was over lirteally everything else about it immediately.

And on day three of it, she was hopping around on the sofa, trying to turn the TV on by hitting the remote buttons with her beak. Look. Her shows were on. She wasn't missing them just because she had feathers.


[For ze boy!]

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[gobrookeyourself]

"Do you know how much I've missed teeth?" she asked, following as she adjusted the drawstring on the pants.

[newroutines]

"I am guessing a whole lot." He'd had a jokier response on the tip of his tongue, but he held it back. If he was going to make fun of her, she should at least be fed first. "Not gonna lie, it was a pretty big surprise end to the broadcast."

[gobrookeyourself]

"Try being on this side. I guess it's good that I finished the notes first. I'm committed to my craft but I can only do so much without vocal cords," she sighed. "I like that you were listening, though."

[newroutines]

Mike shrugged as he yanked the fridge open and retrieved the takeaway carton. "I don't always catch the broadcasts, but I try to, you know?"

He peered into the box. Yeah, still good enough to actually serve. Though not before tossing it into the microwave for a minute.

"It's fun to listen to you."

[gobrookeyourself]

Brooke smiled over at him, discomfort about the whole bird thing forgotten for the moment. "I'm fun to listen to?"

[newroutines]

"Well, yeah," Mike said, like it was the only possible answer. "I mean, I like your voice no matter what it's doing. So it makes a pretty decent start to the day."

[gobrookeyourself]

"Huh. I'm going to remember that," Brooke said thoughtfully. "And not feel pressured to sound hot."

[newroutines]

"You sound hot without trying." Said a completely unbiased source. The microwave dinged, and he retrieved the carton, then held it out for her before going to fetch her a fork, too. "Okay, eat up. Human food."

[gobrookeyourself]

"Best boyfriend ever," she said gratefully as she took it. "I owe your once I feel less... post-birdlike."

[newroutines]

"Take your time," he said, as he went to get the makings of a sandwich for himself out of the fridge. "It's gotta be an adjustment, you were a bird for a while."

It hadn't been long enough to freak him out, but still. Not a short amount of time, either.

[gobrookeyourself]

"Way too long," she says, even if it'd only been a couple days. "And I should have been something prettier. Like a swan. I could rock being a swan."

[newroutines]

"Aren't swans like the fucking devil, though?" Mike wondered. "'Cause that's what I always heard, that they're pretty but also mean as hell."

[gobrookeyourself]

"I mean, I'm good with that," Brooke said.

[newroutines]

Mike snorted. "I'm not," he said, his sandwich finished but he paused before biting into it all the same because clearly this was an important thing to say. "I don't want an angry swan fucking up my house, even if it is you."

Look, he'd seen her get frustrated as a raven. He preferred it when she was a smaller bird like that.

[gobrookeyourself]

"It's not like I would take it out on you..."

Probably.

[newroutines]

Mike raised his eyebrows at that. Just, a lot. And without saying anything.

In part because he was biting into the sandwich right now, but also because he thought the eyebrows said enough.

[gobrookeyourself]

"Next time I'm gonna be a swan, just for those eyebrows," Brooke decided.

[newroutines]

"And then I'm gonna swan-proof you a room to hang out in with your impressive wingspan."

So, there.

[gobrookeyourself]

"That only makes Swan Brooke sound more awesome," she decided.

[newroutines]

Mike shrugged. "And it's not like I don't have room to do that," he added. "I mean... I've actually thought about, uh, maybe renting some of the upstairs out again."

It was a big damn house.

[gobrookeyourself]

"Oh? To who?" she asked, then came to a more important question. "Would we have to have quieter sex?"

[newroutines]

"I don't know, a suitable candidate." Given that his last housemate had been the surliest werewolf in the world and had been squatting in the house when he bought it, his idea of 'suitable' may have been broader than most.

Which was to say that he was going to end up sharing his house with a guy and his friendly alien symbiote. But he didn't know that yet.

"Also, hell no." He grinned. "It's my house, we can be as loud as we want. If they can't deal, they shouldn't live here."

[gobrookeyourself]

"Same goes for if we randomly want to do it on the coffee table or whatever?"

Look, this was important.

[newroutines]

"I l--"

He totally almost blurted something out just then. Because her priorities were beautiful, and so was she.

"Okay, that's a when, not an if. Also, like... Coffee table, kitchen counter, out on the back porch, whatever. It's all part of the package. They've gotta be courteous and deal."

[gobrookeyourself]

She was pretty sure she caught that.

And instead of pushing, she said, "Youte going to end up with a voyeur for a roommate. Also we should check off the back porch before it gets cold."

[newroutines]

"Babe, whenever you want."

Because he was so, so easy.

(Also more than a little smitten with her.)

[gobrookeyourself]

"Okay, Good," she said, setting the container down on the counter. "Because talking about it is kind of making me want to owe you."

[newroutines]

Now that sounded like a reason for him to finish his sandwich with one last bite.

"Oh yeah?" he asked, smirking a little. "Well I'm gonna stop you."

[gobrookeyourself]

"Good," she said, coming over to slide her arms around him. "Because I was a bird for a long time."

Like two days.

[newroutines]

"A really long time," Mike agreed easily, wrapping one of his arms around her to pull her close, while his other hand cupped her cheek. "Long enough for me to miss you."

[gobrookeyourself]

"I was right here," she said, smiling softly.

[newroutines]

"Yeah, but it's not the same." On several levels, really. He brushed his thumb lightly across her cheek. "I prefer you as a person."

[gobrookeyourself]

"Me too. It is kind of hard to do this without lips," she said, leaning in to kiss him.

[newroutines]

Any jokes Mike might have had about how he wouldn't have wanted to get pecked were gone and forgotten as soon as her lips were against his. Funny how that could make him focus.

It made him tuck her even closer againgst his body, too. One hand against the small of her back and the other sliding to the back of her neck.