“What do we do about this?” I held Feanor up so Jareth could see what had happened and figure out a way to fix it. This had to be some kind of magical weirdness, maybe a curse.
Jareth blinked slowly at his son and then smiled. “Nothing.”
“What do you mean nothing? Do you not see your son’s feet? Or rather, what used to be his feet?” I waved both toddler-sized talons in Jareth’s direction for emphasis.
“I can see them quite well. They’re rather adorable actually.”
“They are not adorable. They are scaly clawed raptor toes where your son’s feet used to be.”
“Mmhmm. Peregrine falcon, if I’m not mistaken. Very adaptive for grabbing things in the nursery.”
I closed my eyes briefly and took a steadying breath.“What do you know that I don’t?”
“Tsk, that could fill libraries.”
“About this in particular, you insufferable man.”
He waved several fingers in front of Feanor, deftly dodging the tiny raptor claws. “You may recall my preferred animal shape. And the sort of feet that shape has.”
“I do.”
“Well then, there you are. Metamorphosis is heritable. He’s experimenting.”
“Uh huh. Great. Can he change back?”
“Eventually I’m sure.”
I set Feanor down and massaged my forehead as the tension slowly drained out of me. “And what do we do in the meantime? And what if he gets stuck?”
“Have a little faith in your son. Besides, having those feet for awhile won’t harm him.”
I dragged my hand over my face. “He’s only just figured out how to walk with human feet.”
“He’ll adapt. Won’t you, my fine lad?”
Feanor shrieked with delight and made an avian hop towards his father.
Jareth arched an eyebrow. “See?”
I bumped my head several times against Jareth’s shoulder. “One day, your Faerie smugness is going to bite you right in the a-s-s.”
“And what a day that shall be, likely right after Feanor learns to spell.”
“Heaven help us all then.”
“We’ll adapt. Where is your faith, my love?”
“I may have left it near my good sense when I married you.”
He kissed the top of my head as we watched Feanor hop to a desk, jump up, and grip the edge beautifully. “Feel better yet?”
“Maybe.”
“Is there anything else I might do to help you...relieve tension?” Fingers ghosted over the side of my neck, drifting along my collarbone.
“I’m sure you’ll think of something. You’re so adaptive.”
“Flattery will get you everywhere.”
“It better. I have some serious tension that needs relieving.”
“When’s this little lad’s nap?”
“Imminently, I hope.”
He brushed a courtly kiss across my knuckles that ended in a sharp bite. “Then I propose some tension relief imminently thereafter.”
Little jolts of excitement zinged beneath my skin. “Your plan is a good plan. Clearly why I married you. You have good plans.”
no subject
Drabble:
“What do we do about this?” I held Feanor up so Jareth could see what had happened and figure out a way to fix it. This had to be some kind of magical weirdness, maybe a curse.
Jareth blinked slowly at his son and then smiled. “Nothing.”
“What do you mean nothing? Do you not see your son’s feet? Or rather, what used to be his feet?” I waved both toddler-sized talons in Jareth’s direction for emphasis.
“I can see them quite well. They’re rather adorable actually.”
“They are not adorable. They are scaly clawed raptor toes where your son’s feet used to be.”
“Mmhmm. Peregrine falcon, if I’m not mistaken. Very adaptive for grabbing things in the nursery.”
I closed my eyes briefly and took a steadying breath.“What do you know that I don’t?”
“Tsk, that could fill libraries.”
“About this in particular, you insufferable man.”
He waved several fingers in front of Feanor, deftly dodging the tiny raptor claws. “You may recall my preferred animal shape. And the sort of feet that shape has.”
“I do.”
“Well then, there you are. Metamorphosis is heritable. He’s experimenting.”
“Uh huh. Great. Can he change back?”
“Eventually I’m sure.”
I set Feanor down and massaged my forehead as the tension slowly drained out of me. “And what do we do in the meantime? And what if he gets stuck?”
“Have a little faith in your son. Besides, having those feet for awhile won’t harm him.”
I dragged my hand over my face. “He’s only just figured out how to walk with human feet.”
“He’ll adapt. Won’t you, my fine lad?”
Feanor shrieked with delight and made an avian hop towards his father.
Jareth arched an eyebrow. “See?”
I bumped my head several times against Jareth’s shoulder. “One day, your Faerie smugness is going to bite you right in the a-s-s.”
“And what a day that shall be, likely right after Feanor learns to spell.”
“Heaven help us all then.”
“We’ll adapt. Where is your faith, my love?”
“I may have left it near my good sense when I married you.”
He kissed the top of my head as we watched Feanor hop to a desk, jump up, and grip the edge beautifully. “Feel better yet?”
“Maybe.”
“Is there anything else I might do to help you...relieve tension?” Fingers ghosted over the side of my neck, drifting along my collarbone.
“I’m sure you’ll think of something. You’re so adaptive.”
“Flattery will get you everywhere.”
“It better. I have some serious tension that needs relieving.”
“When’s this little lad’s nap?”
“Imminently, I hope.”
He brushed a courtly kiss across my knuckles that ended in a sharp bite. “Then I propose some tension relief imminently thereafter.”
Little jolts of excitement zinged beneath my skin. “Your plan is a good plan. Clearly why I married you. You have good plans.”
“The best plans.”
“Definitely the best plans.”