The characters and situations in this story belong to the Wachowskis, Dune Entertainment, Village Roadshow Pictures, and other entities, and I do not have permission to borrow them. No infringement is intended in any way, and this story is not for profit. Any errors are mine, all mine, no you can't have any. The opinions expressed by characters in this story may or may not be those of the author.
This one is, of course, a gentle homage to Beauty and the Beast, one of the best and most romantic shows of the Eighties, and one particular episode that any fans may recognize. Without the Irish peace activists, alas, but then...they seem to have mostly succeeded.
Please forgive my stab at Russian. I don't have anyone but the Internet to ask just now. - ETA: Many thanks to Matarreyes for the correction!
This is for Cincoflex, who is not only putting up with my brand new fandom, but suggested the ending.
The locals called it "fall". Caine considered it mild weather, but he'd been on planets where oxygen was a liquid, so he thought perhaps his basis for comparison was a little wide.
Jupiter liked it, and talked about leaves falling and school starting and many other things that were purely alien to Caine. He didn't mind. Most conversations in his life had consisted of orders issued and accepted; acting as an ear for his Queen was just another way to serve her.
Besides, he liked to learn new things. He'd never had much time for it, outside of mission protocols, and this was Jupiter's beloved planet. It behooved him to learn all he could.
Just now, though, her Majesty desired to visit the grocery store. And it was against protocol for her to go alone.
Caine shrugged into his jacket and picked up his anonymizing transmitter, grimacing a little as he pressed it against the skin behind one ear. It buzzed to life, and he knew that if he looked in a mirror he would see an Earth-normal human - unSpliced, unaltered, unbranded, with normal ears and teeth.
It wouldn't hide the wings, though; hence the jacket.
"What's the matter?" Jupiter stood nearby, pulling on her own coat. Caine paced over to gently lift her hair from within its collar, and inhale her scent as he did so. Warm, spicy-sweet, and utterly her; reassuring.
"Your Majesty?" He let the strands sift through his fingers and stepped back, reaching for one of the smaller weapons he carried in Earth's public. It wasn't as powerful as his preferred gun, but it would fit in his pocket.
"Don't give me that, I saw you." Jupiter put her hands on her hips and gave him a harmless glare. Caine thought about dissembling - it was such a small thing - but she wanted to know.
"It makes my ears itch. The transmitter." He tucked away a second gun and slid a third into the top of what Jupiter called his "space-biker boot". "It's nothing."
Her glare melted away. "Yeah? I can help with that." She reached up to rub gently along the edge of his ear - the real one, hidden beneath the illusion - and he couldn't help but lean into the caress, sighing a little. She knew exactly how to do it right.
But - "It's not that kind of itch," Caine said regretfully, and straightened. "It's inside."
"Huh." Jupiter picked up her shoulder bag. "You know, it's just the grocery store. You can stay here."
The look Caine shot her had her throwing up her hands in defeat, laughing. "Okay, okay, fine! We'll make it a quick trip, all right?"
Even the grocery store was a learning experience for him, though he couldn't give her explanations his full attention; Earth might be a backward tertiary world that couldn't see beyond its own front door, but that didn't mean it was harmless.
But Jupiter fell silent when they came to the center aisle, the one that was twice as wide as the others, and when he looked down at her she was staring hard at the shelves, biting down on the corner of her lip in the way that always made him want to tease it free with his own mouth. "What is it?"
She blinked, glanced up at him, and shook her head. "Nothing. I just - remembered something, that's all." Smiling, she pushed the wire cart along. "Hey, have you ever had marshmallows?"
"The plant?" he asked, and they were off again.
"I don't understand." Caine fingered the clothes his Queen had procured for him, wary. "Why do you want me to dress like this? It's not ordinary Earth clothing."
"I told you, it's a costume." Her voice drifted out of the apartment's bathroom; she'd forbidden him to look inside, but the door was still half-open. "Everybody will be dressed up."
He picked up the shirt and shook it out dubiously. It wasn't at all like his own close-fitted clothing; it was white and loose, with full sleeves and fluted cuffs, and it laced up the front. In back, there were two slits for his wings to fit through, which was fortunate since they weren't going to fit underneath, even furled.
"You can wear your own pants, красавец," Jupiter called. "They're close enough."
"Close enough to what?" Caine growled to himself, then shrugged and pulled off his shirt. If his Queen wanted him to wear it, he would. At least it was loose enough to fight in, if necessary.
"Oh, she added cheerfully, "you can keep your gun, too. The big one."
He blinked at that, but didn't hesitate to strap it on.
The coat was heavy velvet in a subtle brocade pattern, alternating dark blue with a hint of green just a few shades lighter than black; it had a hem half again as long as his usual jacket, and some strange bands of prickly tape on the back, but other than that it was just cloth. No synaptic backfeeds, no strengthening fibers...just soft fabric.
There had never been much soft in his life.
Caine had just settled the jacket over his shoulders when the bathroom door swung all the way open, and Jupiter stepped out.
Her jaw dropped when she saw him, and then she let out a long whistle. "Damn. You look even better than I imagined."
He couldn't reply, because he was too busy looking at her in turn.
He'd seen Jupiter in the elegant, fantastic creations of the Entitled; he'd seen her in hastily borrowed Aegis fatigues, in her own plaid shirt and jeans, in a paper gown and in nothing at all. But not like this.
Her costume had more in common with Entitled dress than Earth's, though it covered more of her skin; but where she'd looked uncomfortable in Kalique's and Titus' offerings, she wore this shimmering, wide-skirted creation as if it were natural to her. The color shimmered between blue and green, as if to evoke the planet that was her charge, and the clips that held back her hair twinkled in the same shades; color glimmered on her eyelids and sparked back from the necklace at her throat. She smelled of excitement and anticipation and a hint of arousal.
She was stunning.
Slowly, he went to one knee. "Your Majesty."
This time, curiously, she seemed to take the words seriously; she smiled, lifting her chin, and walked - glided - near to extend a hand. "My knight in - Kevlar armor."
He took her fingers in his and pressed a formal kiss to the smooth skin. Jupiter's laughter bubbled near the surface, but she kept it back, only her eyes gleaming, and she urged him to his feet. Caine forbore to point out that it wasn't Kevlar, whatever that was, and reached for the anonymizing transmitter.
She touched his hand again. "You don't need it. Not tonight."
He frowned. "Your Majesty?"
Her smile was a secret. "Seriously - you don't. Come on, I'll explain on the way."
Caine followed her into the creaky elevator and down, holding his usual guard position and trying not to feel nervous. Any major violation would be handled by Keepers, of course, but part of the protocol with any tertiary world was keep a low profile, and this wasn't. He wasn't as far from human-norm as many Splices, but -
They passed another of the building's tenants on their way out the front door. He did a double-take, and Caine braced himself, but the man only grinned. "Dude, nice job!"
Caine blinked. Jupiter smiled. "Thank you," she called, and stepped outside.
There were more people than usual on the street, hurrying past in the artificial day of the streetlights, and with a slight shock Caine noticed that most of them were wearing unusual garb. Jupiter's arm slipped through his as they started walking, and she looked up at him, gaze bright. "What do you smell?" she asked.
He took an experimental breath. "Cold. Carbon monoxide emissions. Rats. Heated vegetable matter..." He hesitated. "Excitement?"
"Sounds right," his Queen said smugly. "Welcome to Halloween."
They'd gone two blocks before he asked. "What's Halloween?"
Jupiter looked up, and made a face. "Didn't they include Halloween in that cultural package you got?"
"Just that it's a children's holiday in several Earth cultures," Caine replied, and she rolled her eyes. "There was more emphasis on day-to-day life."
"You're missing out, then." Jupiter shook her head. "Basically all you need to know is tonight almost everyone gets dressed up. Kids go begging for candy, but adults get to party. And tonight - " Jupiter stopped, and reached up to stroke the edge of his ear, to trace his lip where his longer canines were mostly hidden. "Tonight you've got one of the best costumes in the city, and nobody will think twice."
She put her arm back through his and they started walking again. Caine took in the sights and sounds and scents around him; excitement, as he'd mentioned, more than usual, and the sweet dryness of sugar, and human after human dressed in a wide variety of outfits - or sometimes just with painted faces. Children traveled in packs, some with adults riding herd, and he watched as they swarmed up to front doors and chorused "Trick or treat!" at whoever opened each portal. It all seemed remarkably lighthearted.
"Where are we going?" he finally asked.
Jupiter smiled. "Party in the park!" she said cheerfully. "Lots of the parks have them. Do you know how to dance, красавец?"
He didn't. But as Caine escorted her past a group of teenaged males all dressed in plaid skirts, boots, and nothing else - carefully keeping himself between them and his Queen - he found himself looking forward to the evening.
The park wasn't far. Just outside of it, Jupiter drew him into the shadows cast by a cluster of trees that clung to their dead leaves, and leaned up to kiss him lightly. "There's one more thing - ooh, I forgot about your eyes."
Caine raised his brows, wishing she'd lingered. "What about them?"
"The way they glow when the light catches them - never mind, they'll think it's contacts." That made no sense to him, but Caine let it pass. "Here, turn around."
He rotated obediently, and felt Jupiter tugging on the back of his long jacket. There was a sudden ripping sound, and he flinched; Jupiter laid a hand on his shoulder. "Sorry, sorry! That was just the Velcro."
"The what?" But Caine was distracted by the feel of her fingers; somehow they were inside the coat, delicately lifting his wings free of the weight of fabric. Having her touch his wings - and she was always careful to be gentle - was one of the most sensuous things he'd ever experienced, and it always made him shudder a little in pure pleasure.
"There." She stroked the feathers lightly into place, and the nape of his neck as well, where his hair was short. "Is that okay?"
Caine turned back around and extended his wings cautiously, trying not to catch them on the branches nearby, then furled them again so they lay nestled along his spine; the velvet of the coat felt a little odd beneath them, but not uncomfortable. "It's fine."
"Good." Jupiter smiled. "Just keep them closed like you do at home, and you won't believe the compliments you'll get." She eased closer, resting one hand on his chest, and he felt the other sliding around to the small of his back, and below. "Or the propositions."
Caine took that as permission to pull her closer still, letting himself smile. "And will it please your Majesty for me to accept any of those propositions?"
She raised haughty brows, biting back a grin. "Only if they come from me."
He leaned in, pulling in her scent as if he hadn't memorized it before he'd even reached her planet. "I'm yours to command," he whispered in her ear, and delighted in her shiver.
Jupiter sighed regretfully, and shoved him lightly, stepping back. "Party first," she said. "Propositions later." She laced her fingers with his, and pulled him out of the shadows and into the brightly-lit park. "Come on!"
Caine had never been to a party before, unless the raucous post-victory drinking bouts of the Legion squads counted, and he'd never liked the taste of alcohol - most lycantants couldn't stand the stuff. The swirling group of humanity Jupiter drew him into put him on edge at first, but most of them were only interested in fun, and anyone who came too close to his Queen was easily put off by Caine's glower.
There was food and drink for sale, though Caine shook his head when Jupiter offered to get him some; the mix of colors under the lights strung through the park were dizzying, but the music - supplied by a group of humans dressed rather like fake Splices, all with animal features - was pleasant even if it was too loud. Jupiter danced in several groups, chatted with others in costumes, and smiled up at him frequently, eyes dancing with fun and excitement.
And, rather to his surprise, people talked to him.
He was used to being ignored, or feared, or scorned. Not to being pulled into a rambling conversation by a chance remark; nor to friendly questions about his gun, which he answered truthfully and were apparently taken as part of the game of Halloween. Nor was he accustomed to the compliments Jupiter had predicted, ranging from his clothing to his ears to his biceps - but mostly for his wings.
It felt very strange, to be the target of so much approval. The first time someone asked him how he'd gotten the wings so realistic, Jupiter cut in cheerfully. "Trade secret," she said, grinning. "He signed a nondisclosure agreement."
The questioner accepted that with an answering grin, and moved on, and after that Caine adopted the lie. But mostly people wanted to talk to Jupiter, and he understood that well. She shone so brightly - how could anyone not be drawn to her?
And then there were the propositions. Just a few, and Caine merely shook his head, feeling his cheeks heat a little and hoping his ears weren't doing the same. The offers felt even odder than the compliments...
"Come on, красавец, let me teach you to dance." Jupiter held out both hands to him, and part of him wanted to refuse, because the wild gyrations in the space cleared for dancing held no appeal for him, but then the music shifted to a slower beat, and he couldn't refuse his Queen.
Her smile was brilliant. "Like this," she told him, drawing his arms around her waist and putting her hands on his shoulders. He carefully kept his wings in check as Jupiter began swaying to the music, leading him into the rhythm; it would have worked better, he thought, if he could have surrounded her with them, but all the same it was more than pleasant. An intimacy in the midst of a crowd, a warm solitude built for two.
And when she sighed in pleasure and leaned her head on his chest, he had to close his eyes, if only for a moment.
There was a contest for carving vegetables, something silly involving closed boxes and childish squeals, a circle of people telling stories, another group singing songs. Caine and Jupiter wandered along, she supplying explanations whenever he requested them and sometimes when he didn't. It took him some time to realize that the lightness inside him was a good thing.
He was...having fun.
The group of laughing people surrounding a tub of water was intriguing. "What is that called?" he asked, and Jupiter stood on tiptoe to see.
"Oh, bobbing for apples," she said. "It's - "
"I see what it is." Caine let go of her hand and carefully stripped off his coat, easing it over his wings. "If your Majesty will permit?"
Jupiter blinked, and then a slow grin crossed her face. "Go for it, красавец." She took the coat from him.
He dipped her a shallow bow and headed for the tub and its attendant crowd.
The water wasn't exactly clean, but he'd done harder things in much worse circumstances, and the contest was similar to one of the lycantant agility exercises. He went to one knee next to the tub, surveyed the field, chose his target - and struck.
The fruit crunched crisply in his jaws, firmly caught, and he flung up his head in triumph to the cheers of those around him. But the one face that truly mattered was his Queen's, and her smile beamed as she applauded - for him.
He rose again and went to her, dizzy with pleasure, and it wasn't until she reached up laughing that he realized he still held the fruit. He had to finish the bite to free his jaw, but it was cleanly tart and he swallowed the mouthful easily.
Jupiter spun it slowly in her fingers, then gave him a puckish look and took a bite herself, just where his teeth had dug in. He pulled in a long breath, and bent his head. "Do I get a reward, your Majesty?"
Her hand slid up behind his neck to tug him closer, and the reward she gave him won them more cheers.
It was cold when they left the park; Caine could see chillbumps rising on Jupiter's skin, so he guided her to a darkened alley and wrapped his coat around her, letting his wings stretch out. The party was still going on, but it was getting wilder, and Caine was just as happy to be leaving.
"Did you have a good time?" Jupiter asked him softly.
He lifted her up, feeling her arm slip around his neck and her head rest on his shoulder, her closeness a treasured gift that he carried lightly as he sprang upward. "Yes."
Her chuckle was felt more than heard below the rush of his wingbeats, and she pressed a kiss to the hollow of his throat. "You looked amazing. I mean, really amazing."
"No more so than you, your Majesty," he replied, and slowed to a glide when they were high enough to catch a good wind.
"Mm." She snuggled closer, but he could see the hint of pink on her cheeks. But her smile faded as she looked up again. "Do you mind it?"
"Mind what?" Caine frowned, trying to puzzle out her meaning.
"Hiding. What you are, I mean. The whole transmitter-disguise thing. Never going out as yourself."
He spread his wings wider, stiffening them to work the cold air; the push felt good. "It's what I have to do. How I feel about it doesn't matter."
Jupiter sighed in exasperation. "But what if you didn't have to?"
"I don't," he pointed out logically. "Not when we're not here."
"Gah." She thumped him lightly with one fist. "You know what I mean."
The city spread out below them, silvery with light shed from this world's one small moon. Caine considered the question. "No," he said at last. "Except for the itch."
That made her laugh again, but her scent was a little sad. "I wish...I wish you didn't have to." She yawned.
Caine flew on; it was a lovely night, and he was in no hurry to get back to the apartment. When he looked down, Jupiter was sound asleep in his arms.
Maybe someday, when your world steps into the future you won for it, I will.
The little moon smiled down at him and his Queen. Lifting his head, Caine sang softly back to it, and let the wind carry them home.
End.