Title: Flight
Pairing: Maleficent/Diaval.
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Sometimes she would wake screaming.
The first few times it happened, Diaval was in his raven form, and could do nothing more and get close to her and let her stroke his feathers until she calmed down. Then, gradually she left him in his human form longer and longer, until finally he was able to hold her as she sobbed against his shoulder.
The sobs broke something inside of Diaval, the anguish he felt at her suffering, and his inability to do anything to truly ease it, was the worst feeling he'd ever felt. He wanted to kiss the broken pieces of her soul, to promise her things were going to get better – even if he didn't know that they would.
But he knew that there were no words he could say to help her – there were things inside of her that were broken beyond repair, and all he could do was by her friend. Be by her side as she fought each and every demon that challenged her the moment her eyes closed.
Watching her twist and turn in their nest, Diaval reached his hand out and pressed the palm against her cheek. Her skin was cool to the touch, but a layer of sweat had already begun to form. She was gasping, her lips parted. Words slipped from her lips, but in a tongue that Diaval had never heard, nor heard her speak. Sometimes the words sounded like the pleas of a child, other times the anguished cries of a woman.
He leaned forward and touched his lips to her forehead, humming quietly. The song was one that could never be translated into the human tongue. A song all ravens knew, and sang to each new group of hatchlings that graced their flock. He had sang this song to Aurora while in his normal form. Now, he did his best to sing it to the woman he loved – hoping that it might in some ways calm the storm inside her mind.
Maleficent turned towards him, her hands reaching out blindly. He caught on with his own, and laced their fingers together – his voice never faltered,
Slowly she calmed, the gods of sleep pulling her back into a quiet embrace.
Diaval leaned his back against the nest, his fingers still intertwined with hers. He wasn't going to let go – and he could sleep when he was dead. He would watch the sunrise, knowing that, for tonight at least, he had brought her some small measure of comfort.