They were soft, feathery and unreal.
Delirious sat across from Vanoss on a roof, it was early morning. Sun was breaking in the horizon, streams of light cutting through the darkness of the night. What was more spectacular than how beautiful the sun was, but that Vanoss had wings. It wasn't something he wouldn't have noticed, nor wondered why his friend had wings at all.
"Quit gawking," Vanoss said, turning his head, a frown on his lips. His wings fluttered, they were golden brown on the outside with a shadow of dark brown within. They protruded from his sweater and didn't flare out, more that they were tucked in, but moved a bit whenever Vanoss shifted.
They also seem to have a mind of themselves since one kept extending outward and poking Delirious in the face. He touched it, soft and strangely warm, except when he placed a bit of pressure. He noticed Vanoss trying to move away as the wing sank back with the other.
"When did you get wings?" Delirious asked.
"What do you mean 'when'?" Vanoss arched a brow at him, "I've always had wings."
It was Delirious's turn to frown as he looked at the wings again. The one that kept poking him extended out. He reached forward and tugged, earning a yelp from Vanoss who almost toppled from his seat on the ledge.
"Stop," Vanoss said, letting his wing cover himself.
Delirious stared for too long, confused and amazed at the same time. "So… you're like a hybrid of an owl and a human?"
"Why am I an owl?" Vanoss asked, the wing settling back with the other.
"You're Bat Owl.. and you never told me you had wings," Delirious said, smiling as he moved closer.
Vanoss tensed, the wind caressed his hair, and his wings fluttered out. "My parents are human, they aren't any type of birds...It's not like I can go around telling people I have wings.
He had a point. This was the first time they ever met, and when they did last night. It made sense why Vanoss wasn't sure about their meet up. He had excused the wings as a prop, or even a cosplay type thing. Yet Vanoss seem to like tall buildings, and the wings were a hundred percent real by how they felt and the way they moved.
"What if you flew too high?"
"I'd fly on scorched wings," Vanoss replied, sarcastically. His wing moved toward Delirious again.
He raised his brows, watching as the wing touched the side of his face. Delirious reached up and closed his hands around it. He could feel the bones of the wing, and the smooth texture of Vanoss's feathers. It was so strange knowing that this was real, yet he was okay with it.
"Can you fly?" he asked, caressing the wing.
Vanoss sighed, he was no longer tensing and seem to have relaxed by the way he tilted his head to the side, eyes closed. "I… yeah.. I can fly.."
"I was just wondering," Delirious said, smiling. "Your wings seem to like me."
Vanoss nodded, leaning forward.
Delirious moved closer, he glided his hands along Vanoss's wings to his shoulder. "Do you like me?"
Vanoss's eyes snapped open, backing up. "What? No.. uh.. It's just that.." he stood on the ledge, taking a step back, a nervous laugh leaving his lips.
Delirious frowned, watching Vanoss having perfect control of where he placed his foot. Did he walk along the ledges of roofs on his spare time, maybe even at night where no one would see him.
"They haven't been touched.." Delirious muttered, beckoning Vanoss to sit down. "Come here…"
Vanoss laughed, shaking his head. "I.. uh.. No."
Delirious rolled his eyes and stood on the ledge with Vanoss. "Come here, Evan."
"No.. sit back down, Delirious, you're going to fall."
Delirious clenched his teeth as he took a hesitate step forward. They were on one of the tallest buildings in the city. No one would be able to see them unless from another building.
"Quit being difficult," Delirious said, ignoring the sinking feeling in his stomach at how high they were.
Vanoss's wings twitched before flaring out. Each wing was the exact span of Vanoss's body, and looked magnificent in the light of the sun.
"You're like Icarus."
Vanoss rolled his eyes. "What a terrible comparison."
Delirious shrugged, reaching out for one of the wings and managed to pull Vanoss toward him. The wings kept them steady, and even how much Delirious shuddered from being so high up on a ledge. He had Vanoss in front of him.
"How long have you been hiding this?" he asked, touching the wing with his fingertips, watching them twitch.
Vanoss shrugged, "A long time."
"Are you going to tell the others?"
Vanoss looked at Delirious, brow arched. "Tell them what? That I'm some type of mutation of a bird?"
"Not just a bird," Delirious said, smoothing his fingers along the feathers, chuckling as Vanoss inhaled, eyes closing, "you're an owl."
Vanoss nodded, leaning closer. The wings curling around them, "I'm.. an owl.."
Delirious wasn't sure why Vanoss was reacting the way he was, but he didn't mind in the least. The wings twitched at his touch, as if unsure of his fingertips, whether he'd hurt them or not. It bothered Delirious why that was, knowing in someway that Vanoss had a bad experience with someone who did hurt him when they found out about his wings.
"When was the last time someone touched them?"
"You make it sound sexual," Vanoss murmured, opening his eyes.
Delirious shrugged, pulling Vanoss closer and wrapping his arms around him. He was a bit more curious of where the wings were coming from. "It kinda looks like it." He touched the underside of his arms, feeling the tension of his shoulders down to where the sweater was open. A few places were sown open so the wings could fit through.
"Several months ago," Vanoss said, sighing against Delirious's shoulder. "She didn't accept the wings. Thought we'd have little baby birds."
Delirious went still, imagining Vanoss surrounding by little baby owls with tiny wings flaring out, trying to fly but most of them toppled over with poor attempts. It made him smile as he continued touching where the wings protruded out. It was along his shoulder blades, thick feathers and the bone structure occupied the rest of his skin. There were no scarring, no flaws to how Vanoss could have wings in the first place.
"Baby birds? Is that possible?" he asked, stroking the top of his wings, placing pressure here and there.
Vanoss shivered, clearing his throat. "Uh.. I'm human.. I just have wings.. Not like the woman will have small eggs hatching outside of her.. That would be weird."
"That would be weird," Delirious said, leaning his head against Vanoss's. "What made you want to.. Show me you had wings?"
Vanoss smiled, meeting his gaze. "You're my best friend, why wouldn't I?" His wing fluttered out and surrounded them again.
"You seem to really like me," Delirious said, nudged the side of his wing.
Vanoss sighed. "I wanted you to know, and I'm glad you didn't freak out. I anticipated it."
He was going to freak out, but there was something vulnerable in the way Vanoss held himself when he did show up. First meeting and he got to find out his best friend has wings. There was something else there as well, not just the wings but a certainty that Vanoss held inside of him, a way that he knew that Delirious wasn't going to yell in horror. Nor ask unbelievable questions.
Beyond the computer screen, Delirious savoured each moment he had with Vanoss. Hoping that they shared more in person, and this proved it. They did. He was okay with how he felt.
"Can you carry someone when you fly?"
Vanoss snorted. "Can you? If you carried someone for several blocks."
Delirious shrugged, "Depends on the person."
"My wings aren't strong," Vanoss said, letting his wings pull in against his back before hopping off the ledge with Delirious. "I'm not sure if I can carry someone. It's not something I would try on a skyscraper."
Delirious nodded. "Did you want to meet somewhere again?"
"Where?" Vanoss asked.
"Here.. or another building. I know you flew here… and I don't think you'd want to walk all the way downstairs when you're the one with wings."
Vanoss rolled his eyes. "Is that why you asked if I can carry someone?"
"Maybe." Delirious grinned.
"We can meet here again," Vanoss said. "Tomorrow morning?"
Delirious nodded slowly. "Yeah… tomorrow."
Vanoss smiled as his wings flapped, picking up speed before his feet no longer touched the ground. Rising higher and higher as he flew in the sky, away from him and into the light of the sun.
Delirious noticed something on the ground and picked up one of Vanoss's feathers. He leaned against the ledge, grinning as he twirled it between his fingertips. "Until tomorrow."
Notes: I had this idea while I was on Tumblr and I saw this fan art of Vanoss having wings. And I thought, What if? So I wanted to write a fic where he has wings. :) It's nothing special, just something quick, so don't mind any of the plot holes and stuff.
Also, I had some Icarus and The Sun inspiration for some unknown reason. :/
Reviews are appreciated. No flames or bashing please