Chapter: Fear

A/N: This one takes place just after the wedding in Ulstead when everything began to calm down and people began to reflect on what was lost. So, yes, there are spoilers for the sequel on this one. The prompt for this one was a combination of different dialogue options. I went with what I thought would provoke some feels. It gets fluffy, you have been warned.

Relief.

That's all he felt when he saw her with Aurora, both standing tall and so alive. His little fledgling and his mistress were happily hugging just feet from him. Aurora was safe in her mother's wings and her mother was alive and very much herself. He stopped to their side and couldn't think of what to say to either one of them.

Maleficent was the first to say anything, "I missed you."

Relief fell from him as confusion took its place, "Did you bump your head, then?"

Her eyes lifted up slightly as if in thought and she nodded tightly, "I did."

For once in a very long time, he had no come back for her and only breathed out a whisper of what could have been a laugh. His face softened and he shook his head at his luck. They were going to be just fine.

That was hours upon hours ago.

Diaval now sat on the railing outside of Maleficent's chamber in one of the Ulstead castle towers just reviewing the day through his mind. Since the end of the wedding he hadn't been more than ten feet from her at all times. He didn't want to lose sight of her as he had an overwhelming and irrational fear that if he couldn't see her, she would disappear once again. And that this time she wouldn't come back. He didn't have to worry as she never left him behind. She stayed close by Aurora and Phillip for the most part.

When he did take a few steps away to gather drink or food for them he would turn back to find her eyes searching for him in the small crowd around her. He would retake his place at her side and offer her some of the food he had just gathered which she would take easily. If he was in his raven form he would have rubbed his head against her cheek to remind her that he was never going far from her again. As it stood, he was in his human form and could only offer her the snacks from his plate or a warm look to ease her worries.

A few of the Dark Fey would come and talk with her, meet the almighty phoenix who defeated death and were introduced to her very human-like raven. She would grin politely, but he felt her tense at their many questions. She hated the extra attention. On top of that, it was her daughter's wedding day, not any special day of Maleficent's. Something akin to her protectiveness toward Aurora would bubble near the surface as some of the Fey, still not aware of human customs would go so far as to completely ignore the bride. Maleficent's temper could be seen through her eyes as a light sheen of green would overcome her irises. Diaval would be quick to put a supporting hand at her back and she would relax instantly, her feathers brushing against the back of his hand as they resettled. Always her savior from herself.

Now, here he sat on the balcony as his mistress made ready for bed inside. Down below, he saw the many campfires of the Dark Fey as they camped for the night. Many would begin their journey to settle in the Moors come the morning. Then there was also the grieving to be had. Both sides lost entirely too much in Ingrith's war. He, himself almost lost his whole world. For a few heart shattering moments he actually did.

"Just what are you thinking on so intently?" Maleficent asked from the doorway into the room, "I have barely heard anything from you all evening."

"Day's events mostly," Diaval answered and turned to her. She had unwrapped her hair and it laid over her shoulders on either side of her slender neck. Her black dress was changed out for a heavy night shift that was probably borrowed from Aurora or one of the many ladies in waiting. He noticed that it was one that had tied in the back, thankfully perfect for her wings. He also noticed that it was much too plain for her to wear. She deserved something more, but she still made anything look beautiful. Her bare feet lightly tapped on the stone work underfoot as she took a few steps toward him.

"You're staring," she frowned slightly and pulled at some of her hair over one shoulder.

"Apologies, Mistress," he bowed his head to her and then jumped down from the railing to stand at her side.

"Just what about the day were you thinking on?" she asked for conversation sake. She needed distraction that Diaval often provided, "The yummy cakes and food that you pilfered during that hasty reception?"

"Pilfered?! You say that as if those tasty morsels weren't meant for me," he smirked after he noticed the light tilt of the corner of her lips and shook his head, "No, I was actually thinking on you."

"On me?" her brow lifted in curiosity, "How so?"

"In the fact that you disappeared days ago, and that you reappeared just as suddenly and weren't really you," Diaval took a deep breath and turned to look out over the hamlet of Ulstead and toward the hills of the Moors, "Then you died."

Maleficent looked down at her hands that were folded on the railing that he had been seated on, "I came back."

"That you did," he nodded and turned to lean back on the railing to face her. He looked her over and saw the same Fey that had saved his life more than two decades prior. Her eyes downcast, a little lost and a bit sorrowful. He shook his head just a bit, "... but you didn't know that you would."

"You would have rather that I let her kill Aurora?" she asked with a growl and turned her head from him.

"Of course not," he bit out and rubbed at his eyes in frustration and exhaustion, "I would have undoubtedly done the same."

"Then why does it upset you?" she turned back to him, looking a little more worn than she had ever before.

"Why?" he asked with a little laugh in his voice and looked away toward the sky, "I don't know. Could it be that when you fell from the sky and disappeared, I fell too? Shifting in the air between man and raven, unable to know where you were or if you were injured. Wondering where you were for days and hoping that maybe you had just left and weren't-"

He stopped himself and then began to pace the small balcony. He licked at his lips before he continued, "Then you came back and all I wanted to do... was something I couldn't do as a bear. And then the moment that you were gone- that you died... I turned back into a raven. I turned back into my beautiful self and tried -desperately tried to fly to that tower. Because I knew that something happened to you. Something was gone from inside me and I didn't feel like me anymore. Something was missing and my whole world stopped."

His legs ceased pacing as he paused in his tirade and looked at his hands as if they were still his wings. Wings that were only able to fly him measly feet from where he had fallen down as a bear. Wings that weren't as impressive as he once thought. Wings that were no longer hers because she was gone.

Maleficent didn't move from her spot at the railing as she knew that this was something he needed. He kept this inside all night to make sure that Aurora would remember the good of her wedding day. She knew this because she had done the same.

"Diaval-"

"I am not done," he put up a finger toward her and finally turned to her, "For those agonizing moments that you were gone. I was afraid. I realized that you were dead because it didn't feel like it was when you were missing. It didn't feel like it did when you disappeared. It felt like everything changed for the worse. It felt like nothing... numb and empty. Where you had given me so much more soul and being was just gone."

His breathing was ragged as he stood in front of her, his eyes glossy, but no tears fell. He rolled his shoulders and shook his head as he took his turn to look at his hands, "And then you were back. This exquisite, majestic phoenix that silhouetted the sky. Everything that I lost in those moments before rushed back- then I promptly fell to the ground back in a man's form. My face flush against the lawn."

She couldn't help the small snicker that came unbidden.

He looked back at her with a sad smirk on his face, "It took me a moment or two to realize I needed to get back up to run."

"Away from me?" she finally spoke, a slight crack to her voice.

"Towards you," he corrected with a confounded look.

"Didn't you say that you were afraid?"

"When you weren't there, yes. As a phoenix, you took my breath away. You were the most amazing bird I had ever seen. Your voice shook the very foundation of all of Ulstead. Your wings caught and saved Aurora. And your feathers, though they were black as night, radiated in beauty. I was in awe of you."

"Awe can go both ways," she turned away again and faced the open air of the night.

He heaved a breath and stood directly beside her, his shoulder touched hers, "There is only one thing in the world that I'm afraid of."

"Me?" she asked half joking and half seriously.

"Losing you," he said confidently and risked to grab her hand in his. His fingers curled around hers and he brought her hand to his chest. Her breath hitched slightly and she spun her head to look at him. He looked back into her eyes with hope, "I felt what it was like to lose you completely. I now know for a fact that I can surmount anything that this world throws at me, as long as you are still in it. Please don't leave it again without taking me with you."

His hand squeezed hers and she felt what had to be tears gathering. She took a shallow breath, "Do you know what my biggest fear is?"

"Losing Aurora?"

"Besides the Beastie?" she nodded as she acquiesced to the exception as it was probably one of his as well. He shook his head as he didn't have another guess. She put her free hand on her heart and looked him directly in his eyes, "This. This, that's happening right now."

His brows furrowed.

Her hand left her chest and cupped the side of his face, "I am so afraid of everything that has to do with love, that I refused to see it in your eyes. Until now."

"So, you're afraid of me?" he asked, his eyes narrowed in the attempt to understand.

"I could never be afraid of you," she shook her head, "I am afraid of what I may do to your heart and to my own. I am so afraid that love will always lead to disaster. My love will always lead to a horrible end. That's why I am afraid. Because I will hurt anyone that dares to love me and I am not worth it."

Diaval dropped the hand he had held against him. Both his hands came up and held her face gently so that her eyes didn't leave his. She looked so defeated that she didn't even try to fight against him. He leaned forward and pressed his forehead to hers and took a deep breath in through his nose to take in her scent. He felt her hands grip at his wrists. She didn't try to pull away, she didn't try to escape him. She pulled herself closer to him and his warmth.

"You are worth it all," he said slowly and didn't release her gaze, "You are worth the million and one shifts from bird to human – to horse – to bear – even to dog. You are worth every moment that I am without my feathers. You are worth everything. You are worthy of love."

"Even of yours?" she asked quietly.

"You're the only one worthy of mine," he answered with a smile, "I love you and I refuse to let this end horribly. It won't, because it won't end."

She searched his eyes quickly and then leaned forward to catch his lips with hers. Her hands tightened at his wrists so he wouldn't run from her, but she didn't need to as his hands tenderly ran in through her hair and pulled her closer. The kiss broke a moment later and he nudged the side of her face with his nose much like he would do with his head as a raven.

"What do you fear now?" he whispered.

"Losing you."

"Then you have nothing to fear."