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intheheartTitle: Go Fourth
Rating: G
Summary: A good day.
Warnings: Bugs. That's it.
Notes: Kiiiiids.
"I found a bug," Duncan said, and held it up for Ahava's inspection.
Ahava turned over and examined the bug, which was a very good bug—it had at least six legs and a hard, shiny shell that shimmered under the last few flickers of sunset. "That's a cool bug," she said, at last. "Hey, Tim! Duncan found a bug!"
Tim, secure in his dad's lap, didn't so much as blink. On their other side Elspeth shrieked "Ew!" and Jeannie, huddled over a book and a flashlight, rolled her eyes.
"Keep your bugs to yourselves, kids," Ahava's mom said, calmly. "Elspeth, come look at this."
What Elspeth was supposed to come look at, Duncan didn't know, nor did he bother to find out. Instead he brought his cupped hands back to his lap and let go. The bug sat in his palm for a moment before it whirred off into the night.
"Bye, bug," he said, rather sadly, and Ahava, beside him, bumped her head against his knee, comforting.
Honestly it had been a really good day. He'd been allowed to sleep over at Ahava's house, and first thing in the morning after Ahava's dad's pancakes they'd got to paint the dogs red, white, and blue (they'd had to walk them first but worth it). Archie, the golden, had been like way into it, but the Sheltie had wiggled a lot. Then they'd all gone swimming and in the afternoon Ahava's family and Duncan's family and a bunch of other families had a block cookout and he and Ahava had beaten everyone else in a three-legged race (they'd been practicing for a month and had set up the race special). And now they were all lying in the park waiting for the fireworks, because it was the Fourth of July and that was what they did.
But the fireworks were late and Duncan was bored, so he was looking for bugs.
"Oh!" Ahava said suddenly, and jumped to her feet. "The fireflies are out!"
Duncan looked up and there they were, little flickers of light against the gathering dark. "Mom—"
"Go," his mom interrupted. "Just stay in sight, okay?"
"Okay!" he chirped, and tore off after Ahava.
Behind him, Jeannie was saying something about them not really being flies, but whatever, Jeannie was being such a know-it-all lately anyway. Elspeth was complaining and Mom was trying to get them both to be quiet, but it didn't matter, because Ahava already had caught three whole fireflies and he only had one.
Seven fireflies later and they were even, playing catch and release, until the little sparks of fire were drowned out under a splash of green and red across the sky.
Gasps and oohs rippled across the crowd, and Ahava threw her arms around Duncan. There was a firefly stuck in her hair, he saw, and he put both arms around her, hugging his best friend for all he was worth, because she was there and it was summer and there were fireworks and bugs, and there was no way life could be better right now. No how.
Rating: G
Summary: A good day.
Warnings: Bugs. That's it.
Notes: Kiiiiids.
"I found a bug," Duncan said, and held it up for Ahava's inspection.
Ahava turned over and examined the bug, which was a very good bug—it had at least six legs and a hard, shiny shell that shimmered under the last few flickers of sunset. "That's a cool bug," she said, at last. "Hey, Tim! Duncan found a bug!"
Tim, secure in his dad's lap, didn't so much as blink. On their other side Elspeth shrieked "Ew!" and Jeannie, huddled over a book and a flashlight, rolled her eyes.
"Keep your bugs to yourselves, kids," Ahava's mom said, calmly. "Elspeth, come look at this."
What Elspeth was supposed to come look at, Duncan didn't know, nor did he bother to find out. Instead he brought his cupped hands back to his lap and let go. The bug sat in his palm for a moment before it whirred off into the night.
"Bye, bug," he said, rather sadly, and Ahava, beside him, bumped her head against his knee, comforting.
Honestly it had been a really good day. He'd been allowed to sleep over at Ahava's house, and first thing in the morning after Ahava's dad's pancakes they'd got to paint the dogs red, white, and blue (they'd had to walk them first but worth it). Archie, the golden, had been like way into it, but the Sheltie had wiggled a lot. Then they'd all gone swimming and in the afternoon Ahava's family and Duncan's family and a bunch of other families had a block cookout and he and Ahava had beaten everyone else in a three-legged race (they'd been practicing for a month and had set up the race special). And now they were all lying in the park waiting for the fireworks, because it was the Fourth of July and that was what they did.
But the fireworks were late and Duncan was bored, so he was looking for bugs.
"Oh!" Ahava said suddenly, and jumped to her feet. "The fireflies are out!"
Duncan looked up and there they were, little flickers of light against the gathering dark. "Mom—"
"Go," his mom interrupted. "Just stay in sight, okay?"
"Okay!" he chirped, and tore off after Ahava.
Behind him, Jeannie was saying something about them not really being flies, but whatever, Jeannie was being such a know-it-all lately anyway. Elspeth was complaining and Mom was trying to get them both to be quiet, but it didn't matter, because Ahava already had caught three whole fireflies and he only had one.
Seven fireflies later and they were even, playing catch and release, until the little sparks of fire were drowned out under a splash of green and red across the sky.
Gasps and oohs rippled across the crowd, and Ahava threw her arms around Duncan. There was a firefly stuck in her hair, he saw, and he put both arms around her, hugging his best friend for all he was worth, because she was there and it was summer and there were fireworks and bugs, and there was no way life could be better right now. No how.
