Professional Wife Ragebaiting

                “You know what I do when I start to worry about something? I just stop. ‘Oop, there’s a worry! You know what. I’m not worried anymore.’ Just like that. Easy. So in this case. ‘Oh no! The fish I just had got away! Oh well, I’ll get another fish.’ Not worried anymore, just like that. Try it.”

                Cleric breathed in deeply as her mate spoke, her eyes closed. She didn’t need to have them open, or even to look at Moose, in order to know he had the widest shit-eating grin he could possibly have plastered across his face. The only source of calm to be had in that instant was the sound of the gently flowing river that the two utahraptors sat beside.

                “You’re not looking very calm, you know. In fact you’re looking kinda angry still. If it makes you feel any better, my fish tastes amazing.” Moose said with a single laugh followed by the sound of him ripping into the trout that he’d caught.

                “I am…so happy for you, my love.” Cleric finally replied, opening her eyes and looked to the green cursed raptor beside her. The creature that she had decided she enjoyed the most out of both islands. The single creature that knew how to get under her skin the best and then still manage to skip away with his life. Just as she thought, as she opened her eyes she found Moose to be happily chewing on the bite of fish with the biggest grin he could muster. His eyes simply full of pure glee as he continued to rage bait his wife.

                “I bet you wouldn’t be so angry if you just had something to eat. Have you tried getting a fish yet and not dropping it?” He asked, teeth bared in a smile as he took another bite of his own fish.

                Cleric was going to kill him. She was going to push him into the water and just hold him under.

                She kept eye contact with him as she scooted, remaining seated as she turned to face him and only then did she get up into a low crouch and start towards him.

                “The fish are the other way, silly. You can’t have any of my food.” Moose laughed, taking another chomp out of his fish though his smile slowly started to fade as Cleric inched closer. Her feathers raised as she got nearer. Even with most of them being wet from having splashed around in the river earlier, she thought they made her look larger and more threatening. Moose, on the other hand, didn’t think that at all.

                “You are so cute when you’re mad. I can’t take you seriously at a-“ The male started to say before she lunged at him. In an instant the half-eaten fish was in her mouth and she was shaking her head aggressively to get it out. Moose kept a hold of it, brows furrowed as the two Utahs played tug-o-war with the trout. Then he smirked and simply let go.

                Cleric was launched backwards from the force she had been pulling on the small carcass. She was never as strong as the male when it came to arm strength, but her leg strength was unmatched between the pair. The downfall was that, in this case, the force that she’d been pulling caused her to fall back into the river and let go of the fish as she went under water. She came back up a moment later, swimming the foot or two back to the shallows and climbed up onto the shore. The cursed Utah pair watched as the gnawed trout carcass lazily floated down the river. Just like the first trout that Cleric had caught that day.

                Moose’s green eyes sparkled in pure amusement as he smiled back at his cream colored mate. Her brows furrowed in the angriest possible way as her head slowly turned to look at him.

                “You’re kinda bad at fishing. You know. When you fish you have to keep them out of the water, right? And in order to eat something it has to go in your mouth, right?” He asked, tailtip flicking excitedly behind him. Though his smile faded as Cleric started to puff up again, holding out her arms and fanned her wings out before opening her mouth and gave the loudest and most aggressive hiss that he’d seen her make in a long while.

                Did she actually look like a threat to him? Of course not. But he knew full well that he had successfully rage-baited her to the point that she would 100% chomp the shit out of him. As she lurched forward, Moose turned and zipped away, laughing as he ran. Behind him, Cleric gave chase.

                To the Sty that had been grazing happily not too far away, the day had been a good one. Normal. But a rush of motion in the bushes nearby made him look up from the berry bush he had been snacking on. His chewing slowed as he watched in confusion as two raptors ran through the clearing. The first a green feathered male that was cackling as he ran by, and a second later he was followed by an absolutely enraged looking small female. Her arms extended with flared feathers as she chased after him. Neither raptor looking his way, the female having her sights locked on the male.

                The look the male raptor had was one the Sty knew himself. He had successfully angered his wife on purpose. A favorite pastime across all species. But just as quickly as he saw the pair, they had rushed past and out of sight back into the forest.

                Cleric had taken note of the Sty, as well as the few Paras that she had chased her husband past. But they were not her prey, the stupid green male in front of her was her mark in that moment. She lunged here and there, attempting to catch him by his tail but he would always speed up just enough to remain out of reach. It was a solid ten minutes of the mated pair running around before Cleric finally slowed, her rage subsiding enough that she could only glare ahead angrily at Moose while he slowed down as well.

                “You done? Got all that anger and rage worked out of your system?” He asked, holding his head up high as he strutted back towards her. She flicked her tail before shaking herself, her feathers laying back down and settling into their proper position.

                “I’m going to actually fight you.” She grumbled at him.

                “Naw, you won’t. Because!” Moose replied, hopping the last few feet to land in front of her and kissed her on her black-marked snout and smiled. In an instant the irritation that had been in her eyes was gone. Vanished. Replaced with a smile as she craned her neck up to offer her face to him. He peppered kisses all along her snout and forehead, gently holding her head. He could feel as she relaxed, letting her head go limp in his hands as he finally rested his chin atop her head as she sat down. Moose moved closer, sitting down beside her and kept her head cradled in his arms as he held her.

                “You know, to be fair. It was funny when you had your fish and you swam to the shore and immediately stubbed your toe. The anger from that and then watching it float downstream as you just looked at me to go and get it? Priceless. But! It’s okay. I’ll get us another two to eat.” Moose said and laughed. The memory of her coming back to shore and knocking her toe against a rock, followed by the sheer amount of curses that fell from her face made him laugh at the time.

                They had just been two raptors living life. One in pain, holding her foot and yelling obscenities while her mate laughed.

                And while it had proven to be a great opportunity for Moose to continue to jab at her, it had also proven just how much he loved the little rage-filled Utahraptor that was now nothing more than putty in his arms. This was his wife, his mate. The only thing in the world that he knew like the back of his own hand. Pushing her buttons was his favorite pastime.

                If only to see how quickly she could go from pure, blind, irritation and anger to what she was now. Unconditional love.

                “You’d get both fish? You don’t want help?” Cleric asked, peeking open an eye and looked up at him.

                “And have you drop both fish again when you stub your other toe?” He replied, smirking.

                She furrowed her brows but the anger was quickly dispelled as he planted a fresh set of kissed across the top of her snout.

                “No, I’ll get more fish for us both because you’re having a day. Come on, let’s get back to the river. And then after that! We’ll cuddle.” Moose said, giving one last peck to the tip of her snout and then let go of her head carefully as she gave a nod.

                As the pair got back up and headed off, they remained close to each other. Cleric staying near enough to feel Moose’s feathers against her side and to rest her head against his neck as they walked. The dragon-cursed Utah was the love of her life. The only person that could start a roller coaster of emotions and remain alive to tell the tale afterward. The only creature she allowed to purposefully piss her off daily.

                And she would not trade him or his antics for anything in the world.