Say 'Uncle'

Date/Timing: 19 April 2009
Setting: Iffley Meadows; Iffley (near Oxford), United Kingdom
.
Hermann shifts his feet on the squishy path. "You're going to get positively /drenched."
/che-shah
"No choice." Edan worms through the wet grass closer to the checkered flowers, mobile in front of his face. "Fen-fen's orders."
"They're just /flowers."
"They're her /favourite flowers," corrects Edan.
"So of /course you're going to try to catch your death photographing them for her."
/che-shah
"What Fen-fen wants, Fen-fen gets." Squints. "'sides, I'm wearing wool."
"It's going to be wet, muddy wool in a moment, ye muppet."
"I'll change when we get back. 'm not gonna embarrass you in public." Twists around, grinning. "Too badly."
Hermann rolls his eyes.
"Just a couple more."
/che-shah
Hermann sighs, closes his eyes, lifts his chin, soaking up the sunlight filtering through the clouds.
A breeze, warm and wet with spring showers, sneaks through his jumper and shirts and tickles his feathers.
/che-shah
His wings tremble; he scratches the edge of his binder.
""That should do it.""
Rustling and a grunt as Edan scrambles to his feet.
Hermann once-overs him, picks blades of grass from his jumper. "You're a mess."
"It's not /so bad. Besides—" Raises a hand beside Hermann's head—
"What're you doing?"
Something thin and light settles behind his ear.
—flourishes, "Tadah!"
"What did you—"
/che-shah
"Did you just take my picture?"
"Maaaaaybe ...." Displays his mobile screen.
His own face, with a white, bell-shaped flower tucked behind its ear, gazes quizzically at him.
"Delete that!"
"Nope!" Beams. "It's a lovely likeness and I can /never have too many pictures of my sweetheart." Kisses the tip of Hermann's nose.
He scowls.
"Aww ... you love the attention."
Their mobiles sound off in chorus.
They exchange a look.
"The baby, ye think?"
Hermann shrugs, fishes his out, thumbs open the message, while Edan does the same.
/dee_gee: Emma Nur Gottlieb is here!
"Congratulations, Uncle Hermann!" cheers Edan, patting his shoulder without looking away from his own phone.
Hermann grunts.
/dee_gee: Born 12:26
/dee_gee: 3.4kg, 51cm
/dee_gee: Blue eyes, ? hair
"What does that mean?"
"The question mark?"
"Yes."
"Not a clue."
Hermann huffs.
/dee_gee: [Emma.jpg]
"She's /adorable," coos Edan.
Hermann blinks at the chubby, squinched face. "She really is." Blinks some more, murmurs, "I don't believe it."
Edan's eyebrow quirks. "You weren't expecting the newest addition to your /gorgeous gene pool to be /adorable?"
"I've always thought babies were ... weird-looking."
"Huh. I've always found 'em the cutest ickle things."
"Better modeling, probably."
"Probably." Fluffs his hair. "We should celebrate, yea?"
"What do you have in mind?"
"Umm, the rest of the meadow, a couple of pints, and a bad movie or two?"
Hermann moves off along the trail. "That sounds like what we were planning to do anyway."
"It is—" Edan grins, matching step. "—but now we'll be drinking to little Emma."
"I like this plan," laughs Hermann. "To Emma!"
"And her very, very bright future!"
Category:Ficlet
Category:Oxford (setting)
Category:Hermann
Category:Hermann's POV
Category:Hermann (ficlet)
Category:Hermann has wings
Category:Edan
Category:Edan (ficlet)
Category:Fenella (mention)
Category:Dietrich
Category:Dietrich (ficlet)
Category:Emma (mention)
Category:Conversations via SMS
Category:Ficlets with images