Queen's Highway

Chapter 14

Brooklyn laughed lightly, as the reindeer tugged on the willow branch in her hand. She let go of it, and the animal shook it, before bending it's head to ease it's eating.

"Okay. This is cute." She told Steve, as a fawn bounded around, before coming over to sniff them. He reached out his hand, and the fawn sniffed his finger, before mouthing them lightly. "Really cute."

He grinned at her, before focusing on the fawn, crouching down, and wiggling his fingers again. "I thought you might like it."
They were at the Leavenworth Reindeer Farm, which Steve had seen pamphlets for, while they were touring the horrifyingly nightmarish Nutcracker Museum. Why they had thought that was a good idea, she didn't comprehend, but they had gone. The soulless carved and painted eyes, the multiple grinning toothful smiles, and the almost maniacal look most of the nutcrackers had displayed had her back up, in a way she didn't think was possible.

The historical museum housed above the Nutcracker Museum had been alright. Educational, even. But compared to the house of horrors below, she barely remembered anything she had learned about the area.

Steve had paused at the door, looking over the pamphlet display, before pulling the one for the reindeer farm out, and looking it over as they left. He suggested, since the museums had been problematic, perhaps an actual living farm might be more their speed. After returning to the RV, he got on his phone, and managed to get them into the last tour of the day, before driving them out to the farm.

After the informative hour introduction and videos, about the life cycle of the reindeer, and how to act around them. Once that was done, they were given a tour of the farm, and then they were handed willow branches, and allowed to go meet the animals.

Brooklyn turned, holding out another branch to a reindeer, who came up sniffing at one of her remaining branches, watching as it wiggled it's ears, it's lips tugging at the branch. She turned her head to watch as the fawn nudged at Steve's hand, and allowed him to give it gentle scratches.
"There's a sweetheart." He cooed at it. "Such a little darling, aren't you?"

She grinned, watching him, as the reindeer pulled on the willow branches, before letting go, chewing. "It's adorable."

"It is." He gave her a quick smile, before returning to petting the fawn. "Such an adorable little darling."

Brooklyn watched as he was gentle with the fawn, and how it soaked up the attention from him. The tour guide had warned them that the fawns may or may not approach people. They had been handled since birth, with the encouragement to have them be docile for visitors, but they still were picky about the people they would pay attention to. The mothers tended to be protective, as well, and had been known to push a human away from their fawn, if they didn't care for them. Steve, apparently, passed whatever test the fawn had inside it's head. As well as that of the mother, who was standing nearby, eating the willow branches held out by a family.

"I was thinking, we could check out their gift shop. They basically claim it's Christmas, all year long." Steve suggested, as he gave the fawn a final scratch, before standing up. "You were talking about decorating for Christmas this year. What decorations we have in the storage, is for the apartment. Not for a house. More room, Babydoll."

"That makes sense." She nodded, letting the reindeer take the last willow branch from her, smiling as she watched it eat it. "Although, I have... an idea. For Christmas. Maybe."

He took her hand, leading her from the pen, wrapping an arm around her, when they had room. "Want to tell me about this idea, that you maybe have?"
"Our new special room?" She wrinkled her nose, not knowing what to call it really. "The one off the bedroom, that you designed?"
"Our playroom?" He lowered his voice, as if to keep it a secret. "You want to decorate it, for Christmas?"
"Kinda." She grinned, leaning into him. "I was thinking... maybe we should hang that poisonous plant that people kiss under."