It isn't supposed to be like this, he thinks later, after the pain of his wings being torn from his body fades and he has a chance to reflect. Really, he never considered he'd lose his wings, never considered he'd disobey an order to begin with.
He loves love—the idea of it, of giving the humans the final push to find their soulmate,of seeing the happiness it brought. He's content to spread love, but there's always a small part of him that wishes it for himself. Cupids help bring people destined to fall in love together but never have love for themselves.
He thought he was content with that until he sees a man who takes his breath away the moment he touches him. He's given the nudge to countless people, and never has he ever come across someone quite like this man. Draco Malfoy, his brain supplies, soulmate: Astoria Greengrass, one son: Scor— He quickly diverts the integrated knowledge of the this man's life.
For the first time, he doesn't want to know how Draco's life will play out like every other person he helps. Surely that's not the only course Draco's life could take. There has to be times when Cupids don't get it right; where the love destroys instead of completes humans.
This blond man has changed him. He questions everything he's never considered before. He wants to know why, if love is such a beautiful and life changing emotion, the Cupids are never allowed to experience it. He wants to be selfish; he wants to know what love feels like, specifically how it feels to love and be loved by Draco.
He purposefully leaves Draco and Astoria alone that day, the day that was meant to be the start of their love story. And the day after that. And the day after that one. He puts it off as long as he can while he spends his free time learning everything about Draco as he can.
He didn't exactly think about what would happen to him once an Angel of Destiny realized he was changing destiny itself. All he could think of is grey eyes and a smirk. He never considered the consequences.
When the Angel of Destiny tears his wings from his body, he thinks he's never felt anything as agonising as losing his wings. He gasps as the pain rushes through his body. The scene changes from the clouds of heaven that he's called his home since he was created to a street on Earth. Without his wings, he feels so off balance that he stumbles to keep standing.
The Angel of Destiny leaves him on the unfamiliar street, without his wings. He finds that, as a stranger keeps him from collapsing to the ground, his Cupid abilities are still in tact. Nymphadora Tonks, soulmate: Remus Lupin, one son: Edward Lupin, yet to meet Remus, his mind supplies.
Nymphadora gasps as she steadies him. "Easy there." He meets her dark eyes. "Are you okay?"
He doesn't know how to answer. Obviously, he can't tell her the truth, even if he thought she wouldn't believe him. "I—can't. I need—"
"Easy there, mate," she says, pulling both of her hands away from their place on his shoulders slowly and carefully. "I'm going to call 999. You look hurt."
He panics. He knows enough about humans to know that getting help would be a really, really bad idea. There is no way that he could explain not having any identification. "No! I'm fine. No need. Fine. Just need to get...somewhere. I'm fine. Really."
Nymphadora doesn't look like she believes it. "Okay. I won't call them. But I just can't leave you here. Why don't you join me back at my flat? I've got stuff that can help you."
He hesitates. He knows nothing about her beyond her soulmate and destiny. Without his wings and without his immortality, she could easily kill him. But he's convinced that he'll never make it as a mortal without a little help, so he nods.
"Good, good. I'm Tonks," she introduces as she leads him to stand next to her.
"Uh—" he says. Humans are big on introduction, he remembers. But he's never had a name; he has only ever been a Cupid. He thinks through names of males he'd helped in the past. "I'm Charlie," he says, hoping she didn't notice his hesitation.
"Well, Charlie, my flat is just a little further up the road," she tells him.
He doesn't keep track of the days he spends at Tonks' flat. Somehow, he's not sure, one night turned into two, which turned into more. He's not sure how to be human, but he's trying to figure out how while Tonks is at work.
He watches the telly Tonks showed him how to work, until he is sure that he can pass as a human. He pretends that he isn't unraveling her destiny each time they accidentally touch each other.
Until she comes home, ranting one day. "Ugh, I hate guard duty!" she moans. "While the Weird Sisters are really good, I hate—"
"Wait," he says, cutting her off. "Weird Sisters?"
"You know the Weird Sisters?" she asks sceptically.
He shakes his head, sudden hope uncontrollably rising in his chest. "I know someone who is planning to go to that concert," he explains.
Tonks faces softens in a way he's never seen before. He's not sure what she sees on his face, but she says, "I'll get my hands on a ticket for you, since I doubt you magically have one."
He dresses in clean clothes that appeared. He heads out of the room that Tonks has been allowing him to stay in just as she calls for him.
She hands him a ticket. He doesn't ask how she got it; he's just glad that she did. "I just wanted to say thank you. You've been the biggest help."
"Keep that sappiness away from me," she teases.
He feels a grin grow on his face. It was honestly so lucky that the Angel of Destiny left him where they did; he supposes that they knew Tonks would help.
Together they walk towards where the concert would be held, him in his magically appearing clothes and her in an outfit that differs significantly that most people around them. She leaves him in line with a grin and a promise to meet him after just outside the venue after.
He shifts from foot to foot, nervous. There is no telling if the concert Draco was planning on going to is this concert or a different one. He just yearns to see the blond man one more time. If his path can cross with Draco's, there's a chance that he can change destiny for real this time.
He's almost to the tent set up when he hears Draco's voice. It's unmistakable. He quickly shoves the ticket towards the guard. When he's cleared, he steps into the tent. It's much bigger on the inside. He resists the urge to double check the size outside in favor of trying to spot Draco.
A feeling of utter peace washes over him, something that hasn't happened since he sat on a cloud in heaven. He makes his way towards the blond. The man looks somehow more beautiful when he sees Draco through mortal eyes.
He brushes his hand against the blond as he pretends to walk around him. Met Astoria, his brain tells him. Marriage in two years.
Everything in him breaks. He thought losing his wings was agonising; it has nothing on how it feels to know that another Cupid did what he couldn't do—what he wouldn't do.
He doesn't know how long he stand there, trying to piece himself back together. He's startled out of his thoughts by a hand on his shoulder. Met Remus, he knows. Pregnancy in a year.
He turns to look at Tonks. The frustration slides off her face almost instantly. "Come on, let's go home."
He doesn't protest as she leads him away. He's so out of it that he doesn't remember the trip back to Tonks' flat. She just guides him to the couch, wraps a blanket around his shoulder, and makes him a cuppa.
"So I'm a witch," she says, sitting next to him.
He turns to her confused.
Expecting this, she summons a second cuppa into her hand. "The venue for the concert? Did you notice it looked smaller than it was?" When he nods, she continues. "Since witches were persecuted, we don't generally tell normal people."
"Why are you telling me?"
She chuckles. "You know something very private about me. I would like it if you would talk to me about whatever happened tonight."
He's quiet for a long while. "What is love?"
"It's not something that can be easily described," she says. "Why?"
It's like a dam breaking. He talks about his creation, about how he was a Cupid, about how he brought people together. It all comes tumbling out. Tonks doesn't react to it. She listens to him quietly. He's not sure why she believes him; maybe it's because she has magic. It doesn't matter because he can't stop talking about everything.
He tells her about Draco. He talks about how he didn't know why, but he couldn't bring himself to set destiny into motion. He explains the meeting with the Angel of Destiny, and how his wings were ripped away, but not his ability to know a person's life by touch. He tells her about choosing the name Charlie and how he doesn't know what he would've done without her.
Then comes the worst part: he tells her about his fingers brushing against Draco's skin and what he learned.
"Someone else did what I wouldn't," he whispers hoarsely. "I just knew. I had kept going because I may have lost my wings, but I thought that maybe, just maybe I could change destiny. But they wanted me to know, beyond a shadow of doubt, that I was foolish to think I could."
She gives him the saddest look he's ever seen grace her face. "They should have never done that to you. That's a cruel and uncalled for thing to do," she growls, growing angrier with each word. "To dangle love in front of you and then snatch it away like that."
He swallows thickly. "I wanted him. I don't know why, but it felt like he was everything I was ever curious about. I should've known better."
"Then we change destiny," she declares.
He huffs a laugh. "If anything, this has only showed me that destiny will never be changed."
"You said two years, right? That the wedding would in two years," she says. When he nods, a smile grows on her face. "Then we have two years figure out how to change destiny."
"I can't ask for more than what you've already done," he whispers. "But thank you for offering."
She shakes her head. "That wasn't a suggestion. That was me telling you that we are going to figure out how to change destiny. Because you don't deserve to taste love and have it cruelly snatched away."
He meets her determined eyes as he realizes there's no changing her mind. Maybe the Angel of Destiny saw this coming. He wonders why the Angel would do that if they knew. He has two years to figure it. He gives a silence thanks to anyone listening. This experience has done nothing but humbled him and made him thankful for the woman in front of him.
Maybe they could change destiny after all.
Meet cute: Characters meet while waiting in line for the concert
Character Appreciation: (Setting) A magical tent
Disney: Prince Ali - Write about someone pretending to be something they're not
Showtime: For Good - (genre) Friendship
Buttons: (au) Cupid
Restriction: extra prompt - Beautiful by Christina Aguilera [It's hard to breathe/ Now and then I get insecure/ From all the pain/ I'm so ashamed]
Liza's Loves: Royal Duchess - Write an arranged marriage!AU
Library: Fallen - Write about a fallen angel, soulmate!AU, (word) Shadow
Serpents: King cobra - (word) humble
Lent: Write about someone being exiled or exiling themselves
Insane: 209. AU - Soulmate
365: 133. First Line - "It wasn't supposed to be like this."
Writing month wc: 1938