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Story
+ Angel Hunt ~ Streifen +
Future Effects
Ten years into the future, the idea sparks...
A story collaboration between Angel Hunt and Streifen
Interlude
[06]
Bare feet contact the soft grass as he stands up, the light breeze blowing the kimono top off his shoulder. Aki brushes some of the grass blades off his jeans and begins to walk towards Jenova, meeting him half way. The harsh look in the Demon’s red eyes softens slightly and glasslike claws touch at the Eclipse’s chin, tilting his head up. Pale lips meet full ones to pull Aki into a deep kiss that begins to leave him breathless before Jenova slowly pulls back with a smile, running claw tips over the Selestarri’s jaw line while Aki struggles to compose himself once more. The Eclipsed moves in close and rests his cheek against Jenova’s chest while strong arms wrap around him.
“Everything ok? You weren’t looking too happy a moment ago.”
A light smirk moves the Demon’s lips and he pulls back enough to meet Aki’s gaze, “Aside from being accused of forcing my own desires upon the ones I hold near, I am fine.” A look of question flashes over the Eclipse’s features as Jenova continues, “It seems Fuan’s opinion on what has been done is set…”
He pulls a hand away from Aki’s waist and slides it up, glass like nails carefully sweeping long ginger bangs from the Selestarri’s line of vision. Jenova tilts his head, crimson eyes moving slowly over Aki’s features, silent for a few moments before he pulls away completely, “perhaps you will be able to talk more sense into his head than I and assure him I have not become the monster he claims me to be…” He smirks before turning and moving up beneath the patio of their shared room far above. He bends low and jumps, wings appearing and spreading mid-leap to carry him up to the fourth floor with one strong beat, cerulean eyes watching as the Demon lands high above. Jenova peers down momentarily before hopping from the stone encasement to disappear completely from view.
Aki sighs, shaking his head. He had hoped Jenova would be able to enlighten Fuan a bit on the situation, not make it worse. Knowing how the Demon usually handles conversations though, he’s sure he’s only made it worse.
The Eclipsed begins to make his way into the grounds in the direction Jenova came from. Hopefully the former Angel wasn’t too… annoyed? Upset? He wasn’t sure what he would find. As he moves deeper into the trees, his mind fills with a quiet sobbing he can only assume is from Fuan. Worry crosses his features, he didn’t really expect him to be crying. Why was it so hard for Jenova to deal with these things?
The raven haired beauty finally fills his sight and Aki rushes over to him, embracing Fuan tightly. “Are you ok? Jenova kind of alluded to that you had an argument.” In so many words… “I wasn’t lying when I said that Jenova never forced this on me. I chose it completely to be with him. If my goal was for him to stop experimenting, I would have simply told him that and not put both him and myself through the trouble of implanting the shard. He didn’t make me do anything, he was actually very clear on the fact that it had to be my own decision and it had to be for the right reasons.”
[I know…] Fuan shakes his head, pulling back to meet Aki’s gaze with his own, [I know you are trying to convince yourself of this, trying to make it right, but you have already told me otherwise and knowing Jenova as I do, knowing how he is and what it’s like… how can I not believe those first words?] The former Angel pulls completely away, reaching long fingers up to wipe at his tears as he looks away. [I can’t say, in all truth that I even blame you, had I been given the opportunity, I might have done the same. But Jenova knows better, he knows what is right and he’s allowed that pride of his to blind him regardless. I can’t forgive that… he has a way of making you think you have a choice in things, but you don’t. If he wants something, he’ll make it happen, he always has.] Fuan’s head drops, [he will continue to hurt you if you allow it Aki...]
Aki turns away. “Fuan, he did everything is his power to make it very clear to me that he wouldn’t even allow me to go through with it unless I was doing it for the right reasons. If it was simply to stop him from experimenting further, he would have never allowed it. The reason he is not looking for further ways to keep me alive aside from this is because I asked him not to, but acclimating the crystal was never a condition of that. If that was all I wanted, a simple request for him to stop would have been enough.”
He walks to the tree beside Fuan and leans against it. “Jenova can be very convincing when he wants to be, but I have had numerous disagreements with him over the years. We don’t always agree and when we don’t, it doesn’t mean I have to adopt what he wants in lieu of what I believe. He would never force either of us to do anything against our wills, that’s not what love is. There are many occasions where he has let me make a stupid decision simply because he doesn’t want to force his will on me. He’s a stubborn ass at times, but so am I.”
Aki shakes his head. “Fuan, what I said simply meant that I didn’t like that he was experimenting in the first place and I’m not letting him do so further. The shard is all he has to work with right now and that’s good enough for me. I didn’t mean that I took the shard to stop him from experimenting and he used that to get what he wanted. He wouldn’t want me to have it if that was the reason, he even said so.”
[This is exactly my point…] Fuan sighs, [you believe you had a choice. He makes you think you are doing it for the right reasons. But you’d do anything to stay by him, even go against everything you believe in to make it happen…] The former Angel narrows his eyes, the pitch of his seeing eye staring into the ground below. [You’d give up everything not to lose him and he knows it, he knows what he does to people, the effect he has, the addiction he is…] Fuan looks back up, turning his gaze to Aki and meeting light blue eyes with the black of his own, [but look at the results, the pain you are going through… is it really worth all this Aki?]
Aki blinks, answering without hesitation. “Of course it’s worth it, that’s what love is, but I’m not going against everything I believe in. It was never a condition of our relationship. I don’t understand how him saying that he would prefer I not do it at all if my only reasons were for him to stop searching is me not having a choice? How is me doing it to be with him not the right reason? If I really had no choice, why would he even bother giving me the illusion? It would be a waste of his time. Why not just outright claim it if that’s what he wants? Ikkairius didn’t have a choice when it came to allowing Jenova to take a shard, those who were experimented on did not have a choice, but I did. I always had a choice and me choosing to not go through with it simply because they didn’t have a choice doesn’t give it back to them, nor does it make mine any less real. He would have stopped searching regardless, simply because I asked him and the shard would have been experimented on regardless, had I known before hand or not.”
He looks away for a moment in slight frustration. “What will it take to show you? If he wants something to the point where he will give you no choice, he will simply take it, not spend time trying to convince the other person not to do it if the reasons are wrong. Why would he bother giving me a choice when he didn’t give Ikkairius one?”
Fuan shakes his head [I truly don’t know Aki, I don’t… all I know is he has ways. He should have known better… there had to be another way to go about this. You don’t even know about all the dangers involved, what you’ve allowed him to do; it could have shortened your life span for all you know and for what? Had you given it more time, maybe Jenova would have found a better way.] The former Angel turns and leans heavily against the tree, his voice going low. [I love that man with all my heart, and am truly grateful for everything he’s done for me, but I’m worried about you… worried about the lack of thought this has been given, worried about the lengths you will go and he will be an accomplice to because I… I just don’t want you to end up like me, sacrificing everything until you no longer resemble yourself…]
Aki can’t help but laugh to himself. “Fuan, have you listened to anything I’ve said? I just told you that he isn’t looking for another method because I won’t let him. I won’t let him find another way because I will not have the lives of those he experiments on hanging over my conscience. The crystal works for its intended purpose and Ikkairius is living proof of that. All experiments they did when comparing my genetics with Ikkairius’ show that we react the exact same way to the crystal. The testing done shows that it’s effectively safe for Selestarri. Ikkairius has been around for over ten thousand years, granted much of that time was spent in the crystal it’s self, but I hardly think it’s shortened his lifespan at all. All the reports say it has a preservation quality.”
[You say that as if you have any real control over his actions Aki…] Fuan smirks, [he may agree for the sake of agreeing, but I’ve known him for hundreds longer than you and I know how he manipulates… But believe what you will, nothing I say will convince you until you see it with your own eyes. Just don’t let yourself become so blinded by your need to be besides him that you lose yourself, it’s all I ask…]
He places a hand on the former Angel’s shoulder. “Fuan, if you were truly any different of a person than you once were, Jenova would not be with you still. You are not a pity case, nor are you some burden. He loves you for you. If you were not the same stubborn, headstrong and wonderful person you were as an Angel, you would not be here right now.”
The pitch of his seeing eye remains fixed on the ground beneath them, tears welling at the Eclipse’s words and all he can manage is a slight shaking of his head [You have said this to me in the past… and yet I seem to have doubts. Over and over the same thoughts come to my mind, thoughts I can’t seem to escape no matter how much time passes me by. How can he see me the same when I am so changed?] Fuan pulls his hands up, staring into his palms, [it’s only a matter of time now, I grow older with each passing day, soon I will wither and die like any human would and I fear the only one who will remember my beauty is my beloved Tien Jen. How long before the very sight of me begins to disgust Jenova…] Tears begin falling down his cheeks and his voice drops to a whisper, […how long before he won’t be able to stand being reminded of what I no longer am…how long before he won’t need me anymore …?]
The Eclipsed wraps his arms around Fuan once more. “Now you are just being ridiculous. Jenova doesn’t care what flesh you wear, he has never cared. He only cares about what’s inside. If he only wanted you as an Angel, he would have left you the moment you were put in this form and you know that. When your scars reappeared, you were so worried that he would see you differently and he didn’t, he never cared about them. You don’t seem to get that he has never cared about what you are, only who you are and who you are has never changed. If you keep doubting yourself, only you will be responsible for loosing yourself in the end. Why are you spending so much time focused on something that isn’t even true? You could be spending it with Jenova, enjoying his company. Why make every memory you have of him be something like this?” Aki sighs. “You are both impossible, which is something that has never changed about either of you.”
Fuan sighs himself, shaking his head in the slightest [I cannot help it… these were things I never had to even think to before. We had nobility and grace from the time we opened our eyes, we never changed aside from the shade of our eyes or hair. I often wonder how my Tien Jen can stand it or how the previous owner of this form could stand it… having the body you reside in rot around you day by day, knowing that it will whither and when it dies, you die with it as well…]
The pitch of his seeing eye rises to meet cerulean, [as an Angel I lived and died by the sword, and while I have no desire to repeat this – in this body I find myself thinking on growing older at every moment, thinking about once again losing what grace I have managed to maintain… things you will never have to think on Aki, especially now… ] He pulls away and turns with a sigh. [thinking on things that do not effect Jenova who has always been as he is, and will continue to be once I am gone again… it worries me because I do not want him to forget me and I’m scared that he will…]
A smirk crosses the Eclipse’s lips. “I don’t think he could forget you even if he wanted to. For a few thousand years he worked everyday to bring you back, and now that you are, you think he’s just going to flit you off? Fuan, he does not care, Jenova does not care what shell you reside in because it’s you who are in it. That is all he cares about. You could have been placed in the body of a cat and he would still love you the same.” He begins to get visibly frustrated.
“You don’t get it. Jenova will love you until the end of time because you are you, Fuan. Not because of the flesh you wear, or the age you are. When the world has turned to dust and he is the only thing left alive, he will still love you.”
[I highly doubt he would still see me the same if I had become a cat…] Fuan mumbles, pulling a small scowl to the Selestarri’s features.
“That isn’t the point.” Aki says
The raven haired beauty sighs, [I know Dear, I know.] Fuan’s seeing eye travels up to the thick covering of leaves above them and he spends a moment staring at the trees as the wind blows the branches gently in the wind. [In my heart I know this, yet the fear is always there and the more time that passes by, the more it eats away at me… I feel so…] he narrows his eyes, [inadequate to put it bluntly. For dying, for being unable to keep to my word, for leaving him alone… for the knowledge that I will leave him again one day.]
Fuan’s trails, silent for a moment before letting his head drop. [I could not bear the thought of him being alone again for so long… I am truly happy he was able to open his heart up and allow another in as I did… there is no one in creation I would trust with him as I do you Aki and while I am overjoyed that you will be with him after I cease for a second time, I find myself… jealous as well. Jealous because you will continue where I will not, jealous because you will have what I am incapable of holding onto…] Tears well up in his eyes once again, his voice barely a whisper. [So instead of telling him I am sorry for my shortcomings like I should, I find myself saying such hateful words to him, words I don’t mean… words that refuse to come out any other way and I don’t know how to stop them.]
“Oh Fuan…” Aki shakes his head. “Then why spend so much time focused on your death that you lose what life you have left? Don’t be jealous, you know what the rest of my life is going to be like with him.” He chuckles. “Constant dodging of death, arguments over fundamental stupidity, dealing with his stubborn-ass… I would live and die for Jenova, but it’s not going to be easy, obviously. You at least get a decently peaceful life with Tien Jen. In a way, you will always be with Jenova, even after death. Don’t waste your days over trivial things, spend them loving those who love you in return and will love you no matter what.”
The Eclipsed smiles. “It’s your stubborn Angelic pride that won’t let this go and won’t allow you to talk to Jenova about it honestly. It’s also his stubbornness that won’t allow him to open up the way you want him to so you get in these petty squabbles over nothing. You don’t need to apologize for any shortcomings, he knows they are there and he loves you anyway. We all have them, even him. When you find yourself doing this with him, just stop and tell yourself to shut up because you love him and he loves you and that’s all that will ever matter.”
[I suppose you are right about it all Dear.] Fuan smirks, reaching up to wipe at his eyes. [but it is so much easier said than done. Our conversations start off normal enough, then he’ll say something that just infuriates me and it all continues from there…] The former Angel pulls in a deep breath and lets it out, allowing his head to fall back once more. [he’s always seemed to know exactly what buttons to push with me, since the first day after I’d found him and he’d opened his eyes he’s been able to say just the thing to make me so angry] Fuan glances at Aki. [how you manage to keep your temper when he says things in that condescending way he does is beyond me, honestly.]
“Because I don’t let him push my buttons.” Aki laughs. “He generally gives back what he receives. If you are saying hostile things, why would he want to be nice and take it? I also generally have no reason to get into an argument with him. I know why he says and does what he says and does and I accepted that as part of him long ago.”
The raven haired beauty lets a small laugh escape him before shaking his head, sliding his head back against the tree behind them [I am still worried about you Aki… this shard you’ve melded with your body… what if the pain never goes away?]
The Selestarri shrugs. “Then I guess it doesn’t… Ikkairius has had pain from day one, but it has lessened over time. I’m fine as long as nothing is touching it. Unless Jenova is the one doing the touching…” His face flushes slightly. “Hell, a strong breeze alone makes it hurt but when he touches it… I don’t know how he does it. I have no control over myself anymore.”
Fuan can’t help the smile that forms on full lips. [Ah yes... that doesn’t surprise me in the slightest] His seeing eye glances back to the Selestarri. [Jenova has always had a way of purging all thoughts from my head when he lends me his touch…] Fuan trails, a soft tint of red moving over his own cheeks and turns his head away, pulling long fingers up at touching at his chest. [Just being around him at times sends my heart racing and there were so many days that I had no desire to even leave his bed…] He pulls his had away with a sigh, [he has … talents…], he furrows his brows in slight annoyance, [and always seems to use them at just the right times, usually to avoid giving me a direct answer to something I have asked…]
The former Angel’s expression lightens and he laughs, his gaze returning to Aki’s. [I do not doubt he does it to you as well so you must know the frustration in this.]
“Sometimes.” Aki chuckles. “But I’m stubbornly persistent in my own right. There is little he won’t tell me if I ask him outright and I always know when he’s trying to dodge a question. And yes, he uses his… talents when he doesn’t want to answer, but I find out eventually. The crystal has seemed to give him slightly more leeway when avoiding my inquiries… heh. It’s directly attached to my nerves so I don’t have much of a choice.”
He shakes his head. “I also think you cave easier than I do when it comes to his methods of avoidance, simply because he can rile you up so easily emotionally. So he does. Jenova has never responded well to irrational emotion, so I do my best to avoid it when dealing with him. Things seem to go easier that way. Not to say he doesn’t make me angry or irrational on occasion, I just try to stop myself whenever I start getting that way around him.”
Aki pushes himself off the tree and offers an arm for Fuan to take. “Come on, there is no point staying out here when you could be spending time with the man you love inside.”
[You are far more knowledgeable than your age should allow Aki, you know this don’t you?] Fuan smiles, [This is something I would enjoy very much… though I’m not sure it is possible right now as I said some… harsh words to him. I would not blame him for being cross with me still...] He sighs, pushing himself from the tree as well and reaching out to slide his arm around Aki’s to begin walking down the enclosed pathway towards the mansion. [So tell me how about this process of acclimating that crystal… I am very interested to know how this was done.]
Aki simply smiles at Fuan’s words before speaking a moment later. “To be honest, it was pretty terrifying. Selestarri don’t generally have to deal with medical things so being around so much of it was strange. Jenova was there the whole time; of course, he never left me even during the process. They sedated me right before it all but it didn’t help. I had to keep my wings out in case the crystal would not let me unseal them again, which was a frightening thought. But unsealing them in front of so many humans wasn’t exactly something I was used to either. They didn’t seem phased by it; I suppose they must be used to seeing things beyond their norm. Humans can be touchy creatures when faced with things they don’t believe as real.” He laughs. “They were all pretty afraid of Jenova though, that was obvious. I’m sure they must have wondered why I wasn’t.”
The Eclipsed goes quiet for a moment. “When they were about to place the crystal it wasn’t all that bad. I think they made an incision in my back and then…” He shakes his head. “The pain was immediate and excruciating. I have never felt anything like it before. The magics are not compatible but at least they cancel each other out. That incompatibility means pain, however and I didn’t think I could do it. The last thing I remember was apologizing to Jenova about not being strong enough to handle it and then I passed out. I woke up a few days later in Jenova’s arms. I guess he stayed with me the whole time. Everything hurt, everything. I could feel the crystal’s magic invading every part of me. It was days before I could even move on my own or eat. Attempting to reseal my wings for the first time was also frightening. The normal amount of magic I use to do it did nothing, absolutely nothing. It took an incredible amount of effort and every time I upped what I was using, the crystal reacted in kind. It was not… encouraging.”
[Oh dear…] Fuan says as they walk, [that sounds like it was horrible…] He goes a little quiet, [I understand the dread of such a situation. When I awoke after my death I was enclosed by such cold surroundings and afterwards, after I was given my sight again… the tests those humans ran…] He shudders in the slightest. [I understand Jenova monitored the entire ordeal and that it was necessary to ensure I survived and was not damaged in some way, but if I never see such a place again, it will be too soon.] The former Angel shakes his head, his tone sympathetic, [it is so very good Jenova did not leave you alone… for as cold and hard as that man can be at times, he can be so incredibly caring when it suits him. But what a frightening thought… it would have been terrible if you’d lost the use of those pretty wings of yours, absolutely terrible. Believe me, having once had a glorious pair and now only having scars to show for them, I would be devastated… Has this crystal affected their use at all? I cannot imagine it being easy this soon considering how much pain you were in the other day…]
Aki opens the door to the ground floor sitting room for Fuan as they reach the mansion, the two entering to continue walking through the main hallway. “I haven’t really done much in the way of sealing or unsealing them in the past month. I can do it but the pain is immense. I also have not tried flying since the crystal was imbedded. They aren’t lost; it will just take some time to get used to it. This isn’t the first time I haven’t had use of my wings for a long period. They’ve been broken quite a few times before.” He smiles at Fuan, “but we heal pretty fast and despite any physical limitation I am stubborn enough to make it happen if I want to fly again.”
Fuan returns the smile as they round a corner [I am glad that you will heal, and I hope your wings aren’t lost…] A thoughtful look crosses his features, [yes, I remember you telling me years ago about some unfortunate and unpleasant instances where you had been…] He trails, a frown moving across full lips. The former Angel is silent for a moment before he blinks and shakes his head in the slightest; turning his attention back. [I had never broken my wings … until they broke them for me. I’m sure I have told you this in the past Dear, but to do something like that was a form of blasphemy… we took such pride in our wings, the color and shape… touching them was something you just didn’t do. Jenova was the only person before my trial to ever lay his hands on mine…] the pitch of his seeing eye meets cerulean blue. [He was the only one I would have ever allowed had I a choice on it then… though it would have been nice to be able to show my Tien Jen how pretty they were just once…] He sighs, [anyway, it sounds awful, how you could endure your wings being broken more than once I do not know… I only felt this once myself like I said, and it is something I could never dream of being put through again…]
“I guess you get used to it when you have no choice on the matter,” Aki muses. “They haven’t been broken in over a decade. Like I said, I’m too stubborn to let something like this keep me from flying.” They stop at the base of the main stairway and the Eclipsed sits down on the bottom step. “I imagine your wings were beautiful, I’ve seen Fanuel’s. Angelic wings are slightly different from ours so it’s always interesting to see them. Even Jenova’s are different…” Aki pauses mid sentence. There is no sound and the Selestarri never looks back. A smile crosses his lips. “Speaking of the devil…”
Jenova slowly makes his way down the large staircase, startling the former Angel at the last moment when he appears behind Aki. Glass like claws play lightly in ginger hair for a moment before clear crimson eyes meet the pitch of Fuan’s seeing eye.
Fuan quickly looks away, unable to meet the Demon’s gaze for long and still feeling guilty for his harsh words earlier. The Eclipse’s gaze moves in between the pair momentarily before he pulls himself free of the stairs and begins moving away.
[Dear…?] The raven haired beauty starts, stopping Aki who turns back with a smile.
“I’m kind of hungry, I’ll leave you two alone while I get something to eat.”
[But-] Fuan tries even as Aki walks away and disappears around a corner, leaving him alone with Jenova.
Fuan keeps his gaze diverted while the Demon steps down the remainder of stairs and moves to his front, a small pout forming on his features. [I won’t apologize for what I said], he says quietly.
“I did not ask for an apology.” A trace of amusement resides in the Demon’s tone, pulling Fuan’s gaze to meet his own.
[I still believe you were careless in this…]
“Perhaps you are right…” He says simply.
Fuan furrows his brows, [is that all?]
Jenova raises an eyebrow, a smile cracking across pale lips, “Do you wish me to say more?”
[No… yes… you know what I mean…] He was quickly getting frustrated once again, [why do you always make it so difficult for me?]
Jenova sighs, squatting low and reaching up to slide clawed fingertips gently underneath the former Angel’s chin. The pitch of Fuan’s seeing eye meets the Demon’s gaze as his face is turned, “This One has no desire to make anything difficult for you, Fuan… I only wish for your happiness…”
Long slender fingers slide around the Demon’s hand as tears well up in his eyes. [You have made me happier than I ever dreamed possible Beloved, and I will always be grateful,] he whispers before leaning forward and wrapping his arms around the larger man’s neck, burying his face against his neck and holding him tight. Strong arms wrap around him and he smiles into pale skin as he’s held close, simply enjoying the contact of the man he loves.
Aki smirks as he watches the two from around the corner, ducking away when Jenova meets his gaze to make it known that he is aware of the Eclipse’s presence. He shakes his head at the two and heads off to the kitchen to actually get himself some food.
Cool air blows in from the open French doors of the balcony into the large, empty room and across the skin fused with crystal on Aki’s back. A general contented sigh leaves the Selestarri’s lips as he lies prone on red silk sheets, facing the open night sky in front of him.
Stubborn, all of them… including himself.
He doesn’t understand what Jenova sees in all these stubborn creatures, they only make things difficult. Then again, if they were compliant, there would be no challenge and life would be boring. There is a method to the Demon’s madness. It has to be annoying at times, he figures, but Aki knows Jenova wouldn’t want either himself or Fuan any other way.
Fuan did get him thinking, though. Perhaps he should attempt to fly at some point soon. Not using his wings at all will make them weak and he doesn’t want to have to go through strengthening again in addition to attempting flight. Before that even, he will have to get over his aversion to the pain of releasing and sealing them. The more he does it, the better it should get, right?
Right?
The Eclipsed attempts to convince himself of this with little success in staving off his fear. He can’t always wait until numbness after sex to do it… that would make for some very awkward moments. It’s time to start getting used to the normal amount of pain it will bring. He hasn’t even been able to train for the past month, what good is he if he keeps avoiding things because of a little excruciating agony here and there?
Yeah… this sucks.
Aki strengthens his resolve. It had been a long while since he ate so the immediate threat of overwhelming nausea wouldn’t be too bad. He needed to just get this over with. Why was it so hard?
The Eclipsed pushes himself up on the bed. His heart was already racing in anticipation; he really needs to learn to control himself. Clenching tightly onto the sheets, Aki takes in a deep breath, shutting his eyes tightly and pushing the necessary magic to the surface. As if on cue, the crystal steps up its own, pushing back against him and igniting his nerves immediately. Aki whimpers through clenched teeth and keeps the flow of magic at a steady increase, trying to find the point where the shard stops canceling him out.
Energy slowly builds up behind him and his wings begin to shift into view. Halfway through the process, the crystal reacts against him stronger and tears begin to slide down his cheeks from the pain. With one final push, he forces everything he has into the spell. Silver-feathered wings solidify behind him and Aki drops to the mattress in exhaustion, staring through the static behind gold colored eyes. What was once instant took long agonizing moments of time now.
Why did this have to be so hard?
The Demon’s presence immediately fills his senses once the magic dies down. Aki looks behind him to see Jenova leaning against the doorway, apparently waiting for him to finish. He must have come in while it was all going on. Clear crimson regard the Eclipsed for a few moments longer in silence before he pushes off from the door’s frame, heavy leather boots taking quickly him to the oversized bed. He reaches out and Aki slides his palm against the Demon’s, pulled carefully towards the larger man soon after. The glass like nails of his free hand slide around the Selestarri’s slender waist and Jenova slides him free of the bed, turning to set him on his feet.
He slips his hand away from Aki’s, tracing up to wipe along the tears sliding down his cheeks with the back of his forefinger claw, speaking softly as a gentle breeze brushes over them from open patio doors at their sides, “You will adapt to the pain over time just as I did… and eventually it will lessen.”
Aki nods slightly as the gold begins to drain from his eyes. “I hope so. Talking with Fuan made me realize I haven’t even really attempted to unseal my wings much, let alone fly. That’s not something I ever want to lose the ability to do.” He looks down at the floor. “It’s almost happened so many other times, I won’t let my own fear cause it to happen this time either.” They stand in silence for a moment before Aki looks back up with a measure of curiosity on his features. “That’s right, you did mention before that being put into form was incredibly painful. In a way you have gone through this. How long did it take you to get used to it?”
Jenova tilts his head in the slightest without answering, his eyes moving from gold flecked blue and over to the silver folded partially behind the Eclipse’s back. He pulls away, sliding his hand from Aki’s waist in order to move himself around him, claw tipped fingers tracing up and over the other man’s wings as he moves behind him. The Demon traces slowly over each wing, causing Aki to take in a small sharp intake of air as he leans in, speaking softly directly behind his ear, “…Many long years…” Jenova slides his hands down to the base of the Selestarri’s wings, smiling when blue eyes shut and his head falls back before he continues the path of his nails past fused flesh and down, threading one in-between the Selestarri’s and pulling it up to nearly eye level, “Longer than you have seen life…”
In a slow snaking of light, his katana forms in his hand and he turns it in his palm just as Aki’s head rolls down, his eyes reopening to the sword before him, “and this even longer.” The Demon’s gaze shifts to his sword and he narrows his eyes, spending time in silence simply staring at the metal while he twists it slowly in his hand. Aki reaches up, his eyes fixated on Jenova’s blade, hesitating momentarily before moving to touch at the scrolled metal covering the black lacquer hilt. Just before his fingers would contact, the weapon snakes from view. Blue eyes shift back as the Demon pulls himself away, turning to move towards the French doors. He steps out into the night air and onto the stone patio beyond as soft liquid notes barely carry into their shared room to reach the one he’d left standing behind.
“Far longer than I cared for…”
The Eclipsed stands for a moment before walking across the hardwood to join Jenova out on the patio. Ginger locks blow behind him as a sudden gust of wind reaches them. Aki folds silver wings behind him and leans forward on the stone encasement, staring out into the black of the grounds. “And you were alone the whole time… How could you stand it? How did you not go insane and try to kill yourself? I assume with your sword you had the means…” Cerulean eyes shift back to meet clear crimson.
A smirk moves over pale lips, “I was indeed alone…” the smile fades and his eyes shift out to the grounds below, his voice even and low “My people had perished and I was unable to return to my natural state…“ He narrows his eyes and his tone goes a little hard, “this flesh had become a prison and the pain was enough to drive one insane… ” Jenova trails, silent for a few minutes before his expression softens along with his voice, “There has only ever been one time this One has chosen death, and that was not it… so while I was forced into solidity and the pain was immeasurable, there was only life before me and so this is what I did; live. I do not recall how many years I stood upon the portal in that temple, simply watching the images of the worlds beyond my City as they flashed before my eyes… but when I moved again my people had rotted away, I chose then to learn what it was to have form… and I began to perfect it.”
Aki scoffs slightly. “’Perfect’ is an understatement…” He shakes his head, his words coming quietly. “Fuan mentioned something to that effect once, that you had asked him for death and he refused. I can’t imagine that what you had then could have been worse than how it felt to be put into form. I know at the time you probably didn’t think so, but I’m obviously glad he didn’t do it.”
“As am I …” the Demon says quietly, crimson eyes shifting to his side.
A slight smile forms on Aki’s lips as he meets Jenova’s gaze once again. “I can’t imagine my life without you. Even though this pain is probably a joke compared to what you have dealt with, I would gladly live with it if it meant being with you.”
A partial smile reforms on the Demon’s mouth, and he turns to slide the tips of his claws along the Selestarri’s face, tracing over the contours of his cheek until he reaches his chin. Jenova slowly lifts Aki’s head, white plaits spilling over his shoulder as he leans down and brushes pale lips against his, speaking into his mouth “That is why this One will keep you…” Aki leans up, quickly losing himself in the kiss as it deepens and nearly breathless by the time Jenova pulls away.
He turns, hopping up onto the stone railing a moment later. Large pitch wings unseal while he straightens, the iridescent shine snaking over each appendage as he stretches them up behind him. “The pain you feel will not last forever as I have said, soon enough you will regain the normality you are accustomed to…” Glancing down, the Demon smiles, “and there is no time like the present to begin this.”
With that he steps from the patio encasement, his wings folding flat against his back as he twists his body around, crimson eyes holding cerulean only briefly before he disappears completely from view. Aki straightens, leaning over the railing just as Jenova streams past him. Arching back to avoid being hit, the Eclipsed watches while the leather clad figure begins climbing high above in a blur of black and white to clear the seal surrounding the mansion within seconds of flight.
Aki takes in a deep breath and climbs up on the stone encasement, balancing for a moment before looking up once more. It was too dark to see, but he knew Jenova was waiting for him. Tentatively, the Eclipsed flexes the muscles of his wings and flaps them slowly a few times. It was quite sore but nothing like when he was releasing them. Looking down, Aki swallows once. If he’s not strong enough to gain any lift, he’s going to land flat on his face. As Jenova said, no time like the present, but perhaps the Demon forgot he can’t see in the dark like he can?
Without a second thought, he jumps and lets himself fall. He’s made this jump enough times to know when the ground was coming without being able to see. The wind rushing over his feathers was something he sorely missed. Aki spreads his wings, fighting to keep them open. He really was out of shape after only a short time but the pain seemed bearable for the moment so it wasn’t as bad as it could have been.
Holding his breath, the Selestarri prepares himself for what will probably be the worst part, pushing himself back up. Silver appendages force themselves down in one strong beat and the pain rips through him as the muscles around the shard stretch. Aki stifles a cry and his wings beat again, slowly pushing him up through the night sky. The muscles were already so tired, he wasn’t sure how much more he could sustain.
Black feathers interrupt the light shining up from the mansion and Aki looks down to see Jenova flying at the same pace just under him. They glide along the light breeze, the Eclipsed unable to bring himself up any further.
The Demon fold his wings as Aki struggles to maintain his position above him, twisting his body again as he begins to drop immediately. After falling only momentarily, he spreads his wings out to their limits, pushing down and forcing his body back up. Jenova reaches out just as he streams past the Eclipsed, wrapping clawed fingers around his slender waist, his body jerking up as the Demon pulls him along. A loud gasp leaves full lips and he folds silver wings behind, wrapping his arms around Jenova’s neck and long legs around his waist as pitch wings take them further up into the sky.
Aki buries his face into Jenova’s neck as the wind rages around them and he turns his head while they continue to climb, meeting the Selestarri’s ear to barely speak loud enough for his words to carry above the surrounding sounds of the night around them, “The first step of many… and I will be with you through them all.”