The Maiden's Dragon

Second Date

The summer afternoon was slowly cooling into night as Red swung Tommy up and onto his broad shoulders.  "You see her?"

Tommy shaded his eyes, searching the crowds of people filtering in and out of the little carnival that had been set up.  He huffed in discontent.  "No.  Maybe we missed her?"

Red just hummed, leaving Tommy up on his shoulders.  Between his six and a half feet, and Tommy's extra height, they were easy to pick out of the crowd.  Much easier to find than Vivienne at an even five feet.  "Just keep looking.  I'm sure we'll find each other."  When Tommy started wiggling excitedly, Red figured they were about to make contact even before Tommy called and waved over the noise of the crowd.

"Ms. Vivienne!  Over here!"

Vivienne pushed through a knot of people and almost crashed into Red's chest.  She smiled as she put space between them again, pushing a strand of hair out of her face.  "Hi."

Red grinned.  "Hello."

"Can we go now?!  I want to ride the rides, and eat cotton candy, and you said we could go as soon as Ms. Vivienne got here!"

Red winced as Tommy yanked at his hair in impatience.  "Alright, alright little one.  We're going."  Vivienne giggled, looking up at Tommy as they made their way into the carnival.

"What do you want to do first Tommy?"

Tommy scanned what he could see, pointing at the carousel.  "That one!"  Red hefted Tommy over his head and set the boy on his feet.  Tommy grabbed Vivienne's hand and pulled her along excitedly.  Up on the carousel, Tommy carefully considered the horses.  "Here Ms. Vivienne.  You take this one."  He pushed her towards a prancing white horse, decorated with flowers in it's mane and tail, and a wreath around it's neck.  Tommy clambered up onto the armored black warhorse abreast hers with a grin.

Red climbed astride a leaping piebald in parade trappings behind them, smiling fondly as Tommy began to chatter.  Vivienne cast a grin back at him as the music started and the carousel began to turn.  She laughed when he winked at her.

Tommy led them towards a game booth next.  A ring toss geared towards children.  Red let him try four times before the boy managed to win a stuffed bear and Tommy gleefully shoved Red towards another game next.  Red gave the three soft balls and pyramid of milk bottles a dubious look, but Tommy insisted he had to win something for Vivienne.

With a sigh, Red stepped up, sure he was being suckered.  If not by his kid, then by the grinning man running the booth.  The balls didn't appear to be anything out of the ordinary when he collected them up and tossed one in the air a couple times.  He couldn't test the bottles of course.  But his first throw, with perfect aim and enough strength to make a professional pitcher jealous, hit dead center and sent all but the end two toppling.  Good aim took out the last two bottles and Red had to grin as he presented Vivienne with a plush black wolf.

Cotton candy was next, but Red drew the line at the tea cups.  Whirling around until he was sick was not his idea of fun.  Tommy eagerly asserted he could go by himself and was off before Red could get out more that a couple dubious words.  Vivienne laughed, drawing Red over to a space where they could lean against the railing around the ride and watch Tommy.

Red smiled at the way Vivienne cuddled the toy wolf to her chest and leaned into his elbow.  She abruptly looked at him, catching him staring, but it only seemed to amuse her as she asked, "did you used to play baseball?"

Red shook his head.  "I just have good hand eye coordination and an overabundance of muscle."

Vivienne sent an appreciative look across his chest and shoulders.  Down the arm she was leaning against where they leaned on the rail.  Red felt the urge to throw out his chest and arch his neck.  Flair his wings and preen with pride.  Instead he cleared his throat and did his best to keep the attention seeking rattle out of his sub-vocals.