Fated (Bloodhound x Eve (OC))

Feathers

"Where are your manners today, Artur? You are begging like a common house pet."

-------------------

Eve moved her hand to brush away the light tickle against her neck. She felt something move, a weight on her chest. A sharp tap to the forehead jarred her awake and her eyelids snapped open. She froze in place - on her chest stood a large black bird with slick, glossy feathers. Barely daring to blink, she gawked at it and the bird stared back at her with a disconcerting intelligence. It cocked its head to the side, dark beady eyes inspecting her critically. Too shocked to turn away, she glanced to her left but saw that Bloodhound was still asleep.

"Hound!" she whispered urgently. Her hand darted to their arm and frantically tapped their bicep. When they didn't immediately answer, she pinched them.

"Mm, why are you up?" They squinted against the early morning light filtering in through the window.

"Please, before I get my eyes pecked out. Is this Artur?" she asked in a quiet voice. She didn't know if birds typically did that, but its beak looked sharp, and it had full access to her face from its position.

"Ha?"

The bird made a small noise before Bloodhound could confirm or deny, almost as if in acknowledgment. They rubbed their eyes. Normally, they were an extremely light sleeper, each sound in the night bringing their awareness to the surface, but had grown to be a little less vigilant since sharing a bed with Eve. If they did not adjust, they would get no rest, with as much as she tossed and turned at night.

This morning, they had somehow managed to get pushed near to the edge. Her sleep-splayed limbs had only allowed them a slim section of mattress. How did a woman so small manage to overtake so much of the bed?

They brushed their auburn hair back from their face with their fingers, their green gaze resting on the raven. "Artur, be kind to our guest. You should not wake her up in this manner. Go." They reached out to move him off of Eve's chest, intending to pull her closer to them under the covers, but he jabbed at their hand with his beak. "Ah!" they exclaimed, yanking it back.

The raven let out a warning squawk, quickly followed by a few more chirping noises. Eve giggled at how indignant the bird appeared to be, clearly offended by Bloodhound's attempt to shoo him away.

"It's okay," Eve said. "I don't mind. Well, you're a handsome guy."

Artur fixed his attention back on Eve, leaning his head close so his beak was almost touching her nose. She blinked a few times, almost crossing her eyes looking at him. He took a small section of her hair in his beak, gently pulling as if testing the strands, then released it. His next nibble was on the thin strap of her shirt. The wood and leather necklace she always wore now did not escape his scrutiny either, receiving an inquisitive bite and tug, and if she wasn't imagining things, a tiny nod of appreciation.

She smiled and cautiously scratched under the feathers of his neck. "I'm Eve. Nice to meet you finally. Did I pass inspection?"

He puffed his feathers up until he resembled an orb, dark and round, to allow her fingers more space. Eve's fingertips found a little spot on top of his head, and his eyelids twitched and closed while she pet him. He settled onto her chest, talons stretched out against her.

Eve squeaked in delight, a sound that Artur immediately imitated, opening one eye to look at her. "You didn't tell me he was so fluffy!"

"When he chooses to be," Bloodhound said, sitting up fully now. "I see you two have become fast friends."

"I'm so happy he likes me! Are you hungry?" she murmured. Still smiling, she swung her legs over the side of the bed with Artur cradled in her arms. Eve didn't stop scritching him as she walked into the kitchen. "Do you want breakfast, baby? Yeah, you do. Me too."