"Brock followed me as I went into the kitchen, jabbering away and trailing the VALTReC blanket behind him. "Please, coffee first, talk later, okay? Can't you keep yourself occupied for a few minutes until I wake up?" He looked a little hurt, but muttered "Ok..." and went off into the living room while I went about the process of becoming sane again. I could hear him rummaging around in the BullsEye bags, and I guessed he was looking for his blocks. Silence for a few moments, some rustles and thumps, followed by what sounded suspiciously like a curse.

With a sigh, I grabbed my kitchen shears and went to help him open the packaging. He was sitting on the floor, cross legged, biting at the corner of the box of blocks, trying to get them open. The box looked a little soggy and more than a little squashed, but showed no signs of yielding to his efforts. He saw me watching him and shook his head plaintively. "The simpwest tasks..." "You know, all you need to do is ask." "Don’ wike askin' fo' hewp." He grumped. I shrugged. He needed to learn that help is not a bad thing, the sooner the better for him and me. I wasn’t going to put up with a surly attitude if I didn’t have to. "Ok. Have at it." I turned back to the kitchen while he stared at my departing back.

I waited just out of sight as I heard him sigh and resume his struggles with the box. He was growling at it now and I couldn't help smiling. I wished I had a video camera for this. As frustrated as he was getting, this was simply adorable. Finally with a yelp of annoyance, and a crashing sound as he apparently threw the box across the room, there was silence, then a quiet "Bella?" I peeked back around the corner. "Yes, Brock?" Sugar cubes dipped in honey and rolled in chocolate sprinkles couldn't come close to how sweet I made that little query.

He was sitting in a huff, arms crossed across his chest and a pout across his face as he glared at the mangled, but still sealed, box. "coulyooopentehboxfome?" he mumbled. "I'm sorry, I couldn't quite hear that, chére. What was that?" He threw up his hands. "Could. Yoo. Pwease. Open. The. Box. Fo'. Me?!" I bent down and picked up the offending package and quickly cut it open with the kitchen shears, pouring out the colorful contents onto the floor for him.

His sudden change in mood was fascinating to watch. Almost instantaneously he went from pouty and vinegar to smiles and sunshine as he chortled to himself and started grabbing blocks, examining each one in turn. My Mr. Coffee machine back in the kitchen beeped to let me know that my coffee was ready, and I left him to his own devices as I followed the siren call of fresh brewed java."

story excerpt from A Tale of Two Badgers Ch. 12

Yeah, I know I've had other pics drawn from this scene before (most notably http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11075014/) but frankly it's one of my favorite scenes in the story and I love to see what various artists can do with it. I've gotta say,  Brevity knocked this one out of the park! I'm so in love with this it's not even funny.

The badger plush in the corner was a surprise, and I love it. :) In fact, it's very close to my own badger plush, Earl Grey.

Art ©
Brock ©