Work Text:
"You can't go." Winter continued on, his argument that Darkstalker was too dangerous never ending.
As Qibli stared at Winter, no pause in the IceWings rant, he found he couldn't stop. He assumed it was the intensity of the fight, that his need to pay attention to everything was the excuse, but this...
It felt a little more than that.
Was he tired? Absolutely, the flight to the lost NightWing kingdom had been more than exhausting. His wings were drooping, and his eyes burned with every blink. Qibli chocked not wanting to look away from Winter as the side effect of his post-long flight feelings.
Winter snapped his mouth shut, the shivering of his snout and the unsteady rise and fall of his body giving away his heavy breathing.
Moon was talking now, her soothingness used to coax Winter into agreeing to their plan. Qibli didn't know if it was working. Winter looked too aggravated to agree to any dangerous scouting. Moons voice was distant in his head, and his eyes still remained on the IceWing. That was weird, since Qibli always looked at whatever dragon was talking.
But while he observed Winter, his entire body felt numb, as if the frost breath that was being breathed out in small curls from Winters mouth was being sprayed directly at his chest. Qibli remembered the way frost breath had hurt him, he would never forget it. The undeniable pain had made him borderline paralyzed for hours.
The numbing didn't have any pain. No sparks of torment covered his body. Qibli instead felt like he was floating, unreal, with time paused. Winter sparkled in the moonlight coming from the window. IceWings had a reputation for keeping their scales clean and shining, but Winter was like a real diamond. Qibli had never seen a dragon—IceWing or not—that was as angelic as Winter.
Moon doesn't deserve Winter, Qibli thought suddenly, his minding surprising him before he even knew what he was thinking. She's not good enough for him.
His thoughts flashed, but one was louder than the others. Moon doesn't deserve Winter, not Winter doesn't deserve Moon.
Qiblis world was flipped upside down in that moment. Everything he thought he knew about himself when it came to his two friends Moon and Winter was throw off course.
He couldn't hear anything but ringing in his ears. Qibli blinked hard, and his gaze finally fell from Winter to Moon. She had her mouth open, clearly about to speak, but stopped at Qiblis stare.
"Qibli?" She started slowly.
"I just realized something," Qibli blurted, "about Darkstalker, I mean." Nice save. He swallowed, his body jittery and heavy. "We need to go, and we need to go now!"
His lungs felt like they might collapse. He needed to he out of this room. He needed to get away from Winter.
Think about the mission, Qibli told himself, blame the mission.
He glanced up, meeting Winters eyes.
But he was my mission, I see it now. Everything I've done, it wasn't just for Moon, was it?
"What?" The IceWing spat. "Say something, for Glaciers sake." Winter cursed. "What have you realized?"
Make an excuse, make an excuse, make an excuse, make an excuse—
"Winter, stay here." Qibli practically ordered at him. Winters eyes widened from his tone and Qibli could've sworn he heard a sharp intake of breath from the IceWing as well. "We—" he glanced at Moon, then back to Winter in an instant, "need to go find Darkstalker."
"And, for some odd reason, I can't help with that?" Winter retorted.
"Winter, please, stay here." Qibli repeated, adding a soft word to try and make the IceWing see his desperation. "Darkstalker would hurt you—or worse—if he knew you had found out about the other IceWings. I can't let him do that," especially to you, he wanted to add.
Qibli waited to see Winters reaction, but the prince had none. His long, blue, blank face stared right at Qibli, a challenge in his eyes saying You think you can protect me? Then do it. Qibli never backed down from a challenge.
He turned, stepping out of the room. The sound of talons pattering on the floor alerted him that Moon followed behind his pace.
"Try to keep your steps quiet, and don't walk too fast," Qibli spoke to Moon, "We don't want to make any other dragons suspicious."
Moon nodded. "What was the realization you had about Darkstalker? Is it something that we can use to save the other NightWings from his spell?"
Qiblis jaw clenched. He took a shuddering breath. "I lied, I had no realization about Darkstalker." He paused, checking Moons face for any sign of distrust. He only saw worry. "I... I did have a realization though."
"Oh," Moon said softly, "do you wanna talk about it?"
Qibli let a silence envelop them, focusing on the pattern of steps, the echo of them helping him ground himself.
"It's a little personal." He settled for.
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but I think you need to talk." Moon said, not pausing for a second before speaking again. "You look—and, no offense—awful. You look awkward and tired. It's unusual for you, and I'm worried."
Qibli had forgotten how good Moon had gotten at reading him. "I can't hide anything from you, can I?"
"Only your thoughts." Moon bumped her shoulder into his as they walked. "But, seriously, if you need to talk I'm here."
Qibli sighed. "Okay, prepare yourself, this might be a shock."
"Oh, three moons, I didn't think you would accept it instantly! Right now?"
"You offered." He shrugged.
"You're right, and I will stay by my word." Moon promised. "I'm ready, go ahead."
"I think I like Winter."
Moon looked at him with confusion. "Well, yes, you two have grown close over the many..." she looked at the floor, "adventures, haven't you?"
"Moon." Qibli couldn't believe there was a dragon more oblivious than himself.
"What? It's normal for friends to like each other. Isn't friendship literally made from liking a person?"
"Moon." He repeated. "I meant a different kind of like."
Moons face contorted into even more confusion. Then she stumbled in her pace. "Oh, sloths! Did I seriously just interpret that completely wrong?"
"Just a little bit," Qibli said with humor, though his joke did nothing to calm his nerves.
Moons eyes watched him for a moment, taking her time to think over her words before speaking carefully. "How do you feel? About this realization, I mean."
Qibli almost spoke, assuming the answer was on the top of his tongue. "I..." he did not say anymore, his mind both blank and racing at the same time.
He felt too much about this, about Winter. He needed time to think and process. He needed time he might not have if he couldn't focus on this mission. But then again, shouldn't Qibli not have unspoken confessions before he could possibly be liked by a conniving and manipulative NightWing? If Qibli didn't survive Darkstalker, then who would ever know how he felt about Winter, aside from Moon who didn't even know that much?
Qibli did not want to die with this on his chest.
"It's surprising," Qibli finally said, "I didn't—I haven't felt anything towards him like this before. Sure, I thought he was a good looking dragon with at least a little heart, but this? I don't recognize this feeling."
A glance to Moon, the watchful gaze she had set, told him enough. Moon wouldn't let him down, she never did. Right now he needed to talk, so she let him. And he was grateful for it.
"It's real, though, more real than a lot—maybe anything I've ever felt." He took a shaky breath, "it's weird that I didn't know until now. Usually I know every feeling I have. I know myself. At least, I thought I did."
Moon talked quietly as Qibli calmed himself. "It's very common for a realization like this to feel like that. You're not alone or weird."
"It might be common for other dragons, but it's not for me." Qibli shook his head as they turned down a different hallway. "Everything about myself is no secret to me. I know the ins and outs of how I feel about everyone from the moment I meet them, and that only changes when I find new things out about them. I know how I feel about everyone, Moon. Every single dragon I meet. Except, apparently, Winter and you." He added the last two words quickly.
"Me? What about me?" Moons curiosity had complete control over her words sometimes.
"I thought I liked you," Qibli explained bashfully, "but it turns out my feelings for you weren't... romantic. I am also starting to realize that all the times I thought you were making my heart race, Winter was right beside me. He was the reason my heart jumped, I just hadn't know it until now."
Moon watched him intently, as if she really was trying to read his mind, a thing she hadn't been able to do since Turtles gift of sky fire rock was given out.
"I know this is out of nowhere, but I like him Moon, so much." Qibli couldn't meet her eyes, "I hate how intense I feel about it, I really do, but it's there and I have to see it."
"Qibli," a talon on his shoulder made him stop in his tracks. He looked up, Moons eyes sympathetic towards him. "You're allowed to talk like this. It is intense. It's not familiar to you, I know how that can feel." She said simply. "I'm really happy you trust me enough to tell me this, by the way." Moon added.
Qibli took what felt like the thousandth shaky breath he had that night, and smiled at the NightWing before him. "Thank you," he stated, then set his face into a determined grin, "now let's go kick some NightWing butt!"