What Are You Doing?- A Valentine and Mina drabble



After a full day of playing with Mina, Valentine was exhausted. Mina’s mother worked long hours, so on the weekends they basically had the whole day to themselves.

And what a day it had been! They had had a scavenger hunt in the morning. They had searched the whole house high and low for all the items on their list. Then, for breakfast, they had made waffles and covered them with fresh strawberries. After breakfast, they played Hide and Seek, Tag, Simon Says, Charades, Hangman and several other games whose names he had forgotten.

Now, as the sun was setting, Valentine lay sprawled across Mina’s bedroom floor watching the fiery orange of the sunlight slipping away across the wall. As the light washed across the collection of drawings tacked to the wall, temporarily staining them a brilliant tangerine hue, Valentine didn’t think he could ever remember being this tired for a “good” reason.

His eyes were tired, his arms and legs felt heavy; even his cheeks were sore from laughing. He stretched and yawned, his mouth gaping wide open. Valentine folded his muscular arms behind his head and let his eyes drift closed.

He could feel himself beginning to doze off when his ears picked up a very soft, familiar sound and his eyes snapped open. He had heard the distinct sound of little girl’s feet, padding softly across carpet. She was at the other end of the hallway, but he could already feel the vibrations from her steps.

Valentine closed his eyes again, feigning sleep. He fought the urge to smile as he heard the little girl push the door open and flick on the bedside lamp. There was a moment of total silence.

“Valentine, are you asleep?”

Valentine turned his shaggy head towards her and smiled, his warm golden eyes glittering, “No, little Mina. I’m not sleeping.”

“Then… what are you doing?” Mina asked as she sat down on the floor beside him and leaned against his side. She fidgeted for a moment, smoothing the wrinkles out of her flannel pajama bottoms.

“I was waiting for you to come back,” he yawned. “Did you have a good shower, little one?” Mina nodded as she absently traced her fingertips over the little blue and gold stars that adorned her pajamas. Valentine sniffed the air and smiled at the little girl beside him. “You smell absolutely wonderful,” He purred as he leaned over and sniffed her hair.
Mina giggled as Valentine snuffled the side of her neck playfully, “Did you roll in strawberries and kiwis, little Mina?” He teased as he tickled her sides. Mina squealed with laughter and tried to squirm away from him, but she found that he had locked his arms around her. She was now helpless to his vicious tickling attack!

“Valentiiiiiine!” Mina squealed, still giggling as she tried to bat his huge paws away. “Stoooooooop it, or I will never give you cookies again!” Valentine gave a gasp of mock horror and immediately ceased his attack.

As her laughter subsided, Mina realized that she was quite tired. Her active day was quickly catching up with her and she yawned a soft little yawn and laid her head on Valentine’s chest. Valentine smiled and gently stroked her hair as she cuddled against him. Mina yawned again and tangled her fingers in Valentine’s thick mane as she fell asleep. Valentine rubbed his eyes with his free paw and kissed the top of Mina’s head.

“Sleep well, little one.”