Candycanes wrapped in Liquorish

by milk-kun

Zero/Tsubaki ((I use their Japanese names sos)) An AU where everyone has wings. Tsubaki is noble-born, but only has one wing. It's pristine and white, but only having one is not perfect. Zero has two. Two mangled, filthy, jet-black wings. They both think they're the only misfits, but once they meet each other, their worlds both change.

1. Chapter 1

We laughed so hard we cried,

And at times I wished you died.

We had good times and bad,

Even though the good ones always ended sad.

Sometimes I wish you'd just fly away,

But I know I wouldn't last another day.

I can't let someone go again,

I can't stand the pain.

The scene kept replaying over and over in his head. He was the odd one out; he always had been. And they always knew it. Half of him wished that they would just leave him alone, not try to make it better. They rubbed it in his face that he couldn't do it. They tortured him every day because of the stupid fact that he couldn't fly. He had perfected every other sporting activity he was physically capable of doing, but that was the problem. He wasn't physically capable of flying.

They soared through the azure sky, mocking him with every move they made. The golden beams shone amazingly through the slight gaps in their feathers.

Tsubaki sat in a shaded spot in his gardens. This was one of the only places in his land that had not been altered and "updated" as the years went by. It was also the only place they would not be able to see him while they flew. The dew of the morning was gradually drying on the greenery around it and glistened in the golden sun. An ancient Oak tree sheltered the boy with its thick, emerald leaves. They protected him both from the rain in the winter and the blazing sun. The trunk of the tree had grown an "odd" branch; it twisted around and made a surprisingly comfortable seat. From that seat, he'd often see a figure (of supposedly a man) with a navy cloak and hood, covering even his wings, running back and forth at different points in the day. He'd seen this man each day for about a year now and still knew nothing about him. Hating to judge and invade in other people's privacy, Tsubaki just him alone.

He had been sketching an extremely detailed drawing of everything he could see from just looking forward, when his mind wandered back to the thought of the man again. Something about him made him want to learn more, though he could not for life of him put his finger on it. Maybe it was mystery around him. He was almost certain that if he got to know him, he would wish he had not. He must just be a normal man; someone just like everyone else. Someone who could do what other people do.

He had thought, just a little over three weeks before the 29th, that he was the only one who couldn't fly. The only misfit. The only freak. But one event proved him wrong.