Tales

The angel leaned forward, his reflection shining clearly on the silvery stream, his smile wavering slightly as a golden tear escaped from the corner of his eye, rolling the length of his ivory skin to the edge of his chin, then it dropped on the clear liquid with a small 'plop' disrupting the calm surface, making small ripples, distorting the image of the young angel before going back to it's original state.

"Why… why can I not choose who I love, what I want? Is it not bad enough that the fate of our land is upon my shoulders, why must I wed someone I do not love?" His usual bright soft voice cracked a little as more tears threatened to spill. With a small 'oh' Fionn dropped on his knees and the flood of tears spilled through, his body shook with each passing sob, the warmth that he naturally radiated was slowly diminishing as his heart continued to cry in hopelessness and confusion. He wrapped his arms around himself, the world disappearing from his mind too quickly to comprehend. Darkness soon descended as Fionn continued to weep, his cries silent, his tears dried out, but still he wept, the emptiness that clutched at his heart only growing stronger as the angel grew all the more afraid.

"Such beauty should not be so sad," The voice was cold yet soft, low yet loud enough to obtain the attention that it required. Clear blue eyes snapped up, their brilliant colour seemed deem, but somehow Malamis didn't think it was because of the surrounding darkness as he took in the puffy redness that outlined the perfect eyes. "Tell me angel, what bothers such a beauty as you? Surely the world seems a lot colder since you have cried so much and hurt so deeply." A smile, well it was more of a smirk, but he was a demon, so give him some credit, he is not supposed to show affection.

Fionn looked into the deep blue eyes that so carefully captivated him, he opened his lips to answer the enquiry but found his voice didn't quiet work, he bit down on his lip as his eyes turned to look at the darker man in confusion, he tilted his head as though expecting the other to read his mind but then realised… he had actually forgotten why he was so sad only moments ago. He giggled.

Malamis blinked as he looked at the angel, he had giggled, only moments earlier he had been crying so heartedly, looking so devastated and with a giggle, just a giggle, he seemed to spring to life. The bright young man tilted his head in somewhat confusion and Malamis couldn't help but laugh as the fair youth searched his eyes. "Are you going to answer my question, angel, or should I guess?"

"I… er, what was your question?" A rosy colour rose to his pale cheeks as he lowered his lashes in embarrassment. "I forgot."

"Oh, well that just makes two of us, but I do have to wonder why you lost mind like that, if I'm not mistaken, angels are perfect in every way." It was a husky whisper against his ear but Fionn melted into it and he found himself involuntarily drawing towards it as Malamis moved back taking his whisper soft breath, warmth and scent with him.

Fionn let out a breathless gasp as he blinked a couple of times, trying to orientate himself, he flicked his tongue over his lips slightly to moist them as he tried to think of something to say, but as he opened his mouth to speak, he once again came up empty.

"Don't tell me you lost your sense of speech as well. Ok, how about I tell you why I forgot myself, and then you tell me." Malamis offered his hand, Fionn looked at it with interest before realising that he was being offered help to stand up. Smiling he nodded as he took the hand in his own and pulled slightly at it as it lifted him to his feet. Once the two were standing up straight, Malamis found it pleasantly interesting that the angel was some three inches shorter than he was and his body was somewhat slender although he would not doubt that the angel was strong. He moved close, tilting his head down and turning his face so that his lips almost caressed the pointed ear. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see that the angel was slightly shocked from the action, his eyes had widened a little and a sharp gasp had left his pink lips but apart from that, he made no other objections.

"The simple reason that I forgot myself was your eyes, I fell in love with your eyes… and then the whole of you so don't fret, your eyes don't get all the attention." Another sharp gasp but this time Fionn took a step back, albeit a small step.

"But, but you're a boy, I… couldn't do that… I-" He took his tender lip between his teeth and gnawed into it slowly, his eyes began to water as he remembered why he had been upset, "it's not fair… why can't I have what I want." It was a breathless whisper but Malamis caught it but he chose to comment on it later.

"Didn't you know that demons are genderless? Therefore, it does not matter. Come on don't be sad." He lifted the trembling chin with his fore and middle fingers as his left hand, traced its thumb across the ivory skin and wiped away the crystallised tear.

"You… you're a demon?" Fionn looked up, a frown coming across his face.

Malamis had a mind to pull back but instead he mentally shook his head and stood his ground, his feelings were not important at this moment, instead a smile rose to his lips, his eyes giving no emotions away. "Yes, I am and you're an angel so you're genderless too." He laughed slightly, scowling himself for making stupid jokes at a time like this, especially when he knew that the angel was upset.

"But you don't look like a demon." Fionn stated gently.

"Eh?" Malamis tilted his head, 'well that wasn't what I expected. I was so ready for him to pull back' "What do you mean?"

"Demons look dark and cold; you for one have blonde locks like a human, not even like an angel's platinum blonde or snowy blonde. You have magic in you?" Fionn took the long strands of dirty blonde into his nimble fingers and played with it as he spoke.

Malamis laughed as he watched the smaller man, "oh, yes, I have magic and yes I am a demon, I guess you can say I'm the black sheep of the family. According to history one of my ancestors was married to a human, and I am the first demon to have obtained his gene… oh and some of his charm." Malamis laughed as he watched Fionn's curious looks. "Of course I inherit all the great powers from my entire demon family."

"And perhaps his great looks too, or did you inherit some of the looks from your great, great grandmother?" Fionn giggles as Malamis laughed out.

"Actually, no I obtain the good looks from neither and it wasn't my great, great grandmother that married the human… it was my great, great, great, great grandfather." Malamis smiled as Fionn laughed.

"Oh, so same gender sex is something that you definitely inherited." Fionn bit back his eyes lowering. Regret flooding every movement he made as he pulled away from Malamis.

"What's the matter, do you remember why you where sad?" Malamis moved closer but Fionn turned and began to walk away, his eyes avoiding Malamis all together.

They were quiet for sometime before Fionn finally looked away from the river, he stopped walking and focused his eyes on Malamis. "I am to be wedded in a month's time," His voice was somewhat broken. "I don't know what to do, I don't… I do not want to enter a loveless marriage." He lifted his eyes to the sky as he took a shaky breath, trying to keep his voice steady and his tears from surfacing. "I know that you don't know me, and I know that this is too much to ask, but please be with me for this month, if I must enter a loveless marriage with a complete stranger, can I at least be happy long enough to be able to be content until my fiancée has her first child and then I can be happy, even if I don't have a espouse to love I will have a child. I'm not asking you to be my lover, just be there please." A lone tear slipped out but Fionn was oblivious to this as he looked at Malamis, waiting for an answer.

"My angel, I will be there for you even after your wedding, do not worry my love, you will not be alone. I promise." Malamis took the smaller man into his arms kissing his forehead as he promised his companionship.

"Master Fionn! Your father calls for you." A young girl shouted from the hill that blocked the castle from view, her hands waved as she tried to gain the attention she needed.

"I must go… will you meet me here tomorrow, please." Fionn pulled away, lifting his robes up so that he could run better, his eyes were still on Malamis as he waited for the answer that he wanted.

"Of course… I will wait all day, my angel." Malamis bowed his head as his hand made a flourishing gesture in the air before dropping by his side, his eyes never leaving Fionn's.

Fionn smiled before turning and running a little faster only to stop abruptly and turning back to face Malamis. "What is your name? I do not doubt you know mine now." He waved to indicate the girl that continued to call on him.

"Malamis, your highness, my name is Malamis." He hadn't opened his mouth but his voice burst clear into Fionn's head as he winked and waved him away, Fionn smiled before laughing and turning once again and complying with both Malamis and the servant girl's requests to go to his father.

0000

Throughout the entire month the two became inseparable, Fionn and Malamis spend most of their time together by the riverside, doing nothing, playing, or just talking, but as the month drew to a close, Fionn drew closer to himself, he still spend as much time as he could with Malamis but he fell faster and faster into a quiet depression with each passing day.

On the second to last day prior to Fionn's wedding, the two arranged to meet earlier than they originally did. Fionn had irritated his father to let him have the last two days of his freedom all to himself, he wanted nothing to do but what he pleased, and what he pleased to do the most was spend his time with Malamis.

Malamis sat on the river edge, over a luscious patch of green grass, a strand of green grass sticking lazily out the corner of his lip as he stared blankly out to the watery horizon. His right leg was bend at the knee, foot planted firmly on the ground, his left leg positioned under the risen knee, his right arm lay safely between his midriff and his right leg whilst his left hand sat idly over his left knee. He turned his head to look at the new intruder that approached him and smiled when he realised it was Fionn.

The angel stood shyly a few feet away from the demon as he offered a watery smile, his eyes trying but failing to hide the pain that he held inside. Malamis patted the ground before him and the angel soon complied as he all but ran and fell to his knees, letting the darker man take him into his arms. "Malamis, I can't, I can't be wedded to princess Uzumaki, I just can't do, I need you by my side, I want you by my side. Please don't let them take me away from you, please Malamis, I cannot do it."

"Hush my angel, no one is taking you away from me, I wouldn't let them, you're too precious for me to let go, please my love do not cry, you know I hate to see you so down. Love, please, if this is to be our last days alone, please do not be so sad." The coaxing voice was gentle but firm as the angel cried. A small kiss on the forehead and Malamis fell quiet, knowing full well that this was the only time that Fionn would ever let himself cry, never again would the angel ever shed a tear, a silent promise that the angel had vowed and another that the demon too had promised when he saw the pain in the clear blue eyes that he fell in love with.

After a few hours of small talk and keeping each other company, the children came to play in the river and with the nice couple. After a few games of hide and seek, splashing each other with water, playing with a ball and general messing about, Fionn fell on the grass and watched as the children and Malamis played tag. Currently Malamis was chasing the kids as they evaded his mock attempts at catching them, he fell on his knees a couple of times tripling over his feet and flailing his hands as he tried to stay standing but the image only proved to amuse the viewers as the blonde fell un-ceremonially in a heap of limbs and robes onto the dusty shore. Childish giggles and shrieks burst through the air as Malamis send an arm out and grabbed the closest child before throwing him over his shoulder, standing up and running around, the small bundle shouted for help from his friends as he attempted not to laugh and at the same time pull away from Malamis, the others only laughed harder as they run away from Malamis before stopping at a safe distance to watch and laugh at the disgrace of their friend.

Fionn watched from his spot on the sidelines, laugher escaping his lips as he watched the scene before him, amusement mixed with delight as he realised that if they ever had a child, Malamis would make a great father. A small sharp pain shot through his heart at the awareness of the thought. Quickly he turned away as he recognized that Malamis would indeed be a great father but that the children would not be his to share, as he would have his own children with princess Uzumaki. He stood up, sudden jealousy for Malamis future unknown bride flooded through his veins and the sight of Malamis holding a child did not elevate his feelings of distaste.

Malamis stopped spinning as he felt a sudden chill in the air. He placed child back on the ground and ruffled his hair before turning to go back to Fionn but he stopped as he came up with an empty sight, he looked around but there was no sign of the angel anywhere. "Hey, guys, where is the angel?" The small ones looked around themselves, looks of confusion were shared before they shrugged and concluded that they didn't know either. A small hand shot into the air as a little girl jumped on the spot, her light gingery hair held lightly in buns at each side of her head, her fringe stuck out gently as it framed her small baby round face.

Malamis crouched down so that he could level the height with the smallest member of the group as he smiled, encouraging her to speak. "I was with prince Fionn, yep, yep, he was laughin' wit' me when you was makin' the circles with Mito, yep. He was happy, but then he fell quiet and I was confused coz no one else was quiet and he got angry, yep I saw him, he looked away from you and then walked away, yep walked away. He sure was angry, yep, yep." She nodded her head a couple of times as though to clarify the words she spoke, Malamis bit into his lip before smiling and tapping her on her nose, she giggles before she run off with the others, it was getting dark, they had to return home.

Malamis stood, he could feel the wind picking up strength as the weather grew colder, he looked towards the castle, in the direction that would hold the gardens, he knew that Fionn would have found his refuge there. He ached to go and meet the angel but he stood his ground as he looked up at the slowly turning grey sky as thought it held an answer to the question he wasn't quiet sure about.

0000

It was the last day of Fionn's 'freedom', Malamis stood by the riverside, his eyes fell blindly on the rushing waters as they made their way downstream. The children had long gone home for their supper and the sun had disappeared behind the horizon, Fionn had not come to meet him, he knew he wouldn't, it would be too painful to say goodbye, even with the naïve white lies, promises of always being together, he knew that the angel didn't believe in them, no matter how much they wanted to, they couldn't stay together.

"But just to hold you one last time, I would have been able to be content, not happy, but sane enough to live." A whisper, just a whisper that fell to the wind, kept to the wind and never for ears to hear. He wanted to cry, he wanted to shout, to hate, to destroy something, but he knew better, he knew it was not his place, he was not the one suffering the most, he deserved the pain, it was his fault.

Warm arms snaked around his middle and slowly a body pressed against his back, he stiffened momentarily but relaxed into the hug as he let himself go for now. "My love, I…" a hand moved up and pressed onto his lips, sealing the words that were to come out.

"Just us, nothing else," Fionn's voice was calm, he buried his face into the robes of his love before inhaling deeply but soundlessly, and then he let his arms drop to his side. Malamis turned around and took him into his arms, burying his face into the crock of his pale neck as Fionn wound his arms around his neck bringing their bodies closer together, his chin resting gently over Malamis's head as though he was holding a child.

Slowly he pulled away and backed down onto the ground, bringing Malamis with him capturing his lips on a small first kiss. He pulled back in and took another taste of the lips, more confidence as the kiss lasted longer, little by little the kisses intensified as the two put more and more of themselves into each other. Fionn pulled back in body but continued to kiss Malamis as his hands worked quickly and pulled robes from the bigger body, unaware of Fionn's intentions, Malamis pulled away and frowned as he looked at his angel as said angel looked rather frustrated at the interruption.

"What are you doing, my Love?" his voice was cautious.

"If I cannot have you for life, I will have you all tonight… and with hope I will bare your child." Fionn offered quickly as he placed a hand on his abdomen. A small smile crossed his lips as he saw the longing look that crossed Malamis's eyes as they fell on the hand that covered his middle.

A smile pulled at his lips as Malamis thought of the idea of having a child with Fionn but the smile didn't quiet reach his eyes, as the statement made fell connection with his consciousness. "My love, we cannot. I could not." His eyes raced back to meet the clear colour of his angel, the change in the orbs was immediate as they glowed from happiness to anger in a few seconds.

"And why may I ask, can we not? Do I repulse you so much? Where those words of love a lie just like your promises?" His fists clenched, his voice was a deadly whisper.

Malamis shook his head in both sadness and anger towards himself, "No my Love, my love for you is true, but it's because of that love that I cannot bed you, as much as I would like to have you by my side in spirit, mind and body as well as title, I cannot let you taint your body for my sake. You must enter matrimony pure, your title requires it." He turned away, blocking from view the hurt that was evident on Fionn's face.

"To hell with my title, if I cannot have you, I shall have something of you, do not refuse me this. I cannot bear to think that you will impregnate another when I can have your child. Oh Malamis, can you not see, we would make such a beautiful child, and you will be such a wonderful father. I can have you by my side even if it's not in my bed, I will have you in my sight, and I will be able to see you raise our child. Malamis, please,"

Malamis melted, he fell into his lover's arms as he grasped for perception. "My Love, you paint such a pretty picture, but you know it will not be so. As soon as you have our child they will take him from you, the child will not be legitimate, and it will break your heart, I cannot bear to see you so sad, you will certainly die if you are refused our child like that. Please do not ask me to kill our son, please my Love. If it is another you cannot bear for me to wed, do not fear my devotion only lies with you. But I cannot comply with your request, I cannot make you suffer all the more than I already have."

Fionn stood up pushing away from the darker man, he looked down, his eyes cold, "So what do you want me to do?"

"I want you to be happy, my angel."

"Without you?"

"Yes."

"I see." With that, the angel turned and walked away...