"Before you can see the light, you have to deal with the darkness" - Quote from fortune cookie, online.
Fafnyr's crumbled body stirred in the aftermath of his transformation. His back ached madly with little help of his staggering breaths. The very feeling of them stacked onto his back was like having limbs numb and heavy. With his wings slathered against his skin, he plundered into a world of anguish. He has never felt less human of all his life that involved parts of a beast. It tore him apart knowing that he would never be normal again.
"You mustn't push yourself." Newt advised strongly. He pulled Fafnyr into his arms and smoothed his hair. Fafnyr clutched close to Newt with a hiccup. The ginger male brushed aside his silver locks, fearing just slightly of what the child had to say.
"Am I a demon?" Fafnyr whispered feebly. "A monster?" Those last words were barely audible, yet Newt caught them loud and clear. He shook his head and caught Fafnyr's lingering hand.
"Of course, not," he argued. "You're nothing like one."
"... I-I have horns, a-a tail, and wings. I must be the devil; an omen for destruction!" A tear shed from his bleary eyes. He dropped his head, pictures of scorching fire and burning flesh clouded his vision. Queenie and Tina sunk to Newt's sides. One of them, muttered tergeo, pointing the tip of their wand at the two. The blood scoured off their clothes and swabbed their hair clean.
Newt tucked Fafnyr's head closer whilst shushing his woe. "No, don't say another word. You have wings? So what? You have a tail and horns? Brilliant. The very definition of beauty doesn't rely on appearances but what's inside the heart that counts. I say that you are perfect because you simply are. Do you want to know a secret?" He paused. Fafnyr lifted his gaze up to Newt's eye-level and nodded. "I love you." He reeled back with a genuine smile curving his lips.
"We all do, sweetie." Queenie beamed. She sniffled while she thumbed Fafnyr's cheek.
"After all, we are family." Tina commented.
Fafnyr's mind jumbled at the moment of truth. A shaky smile squirmed on his lips. It dawned on him that even if the end of his world was cruel and unforgiving, his eyes peeled open at this beginning and how his perspective has changed over time. With the help of these witches and wizard, note the magical creatures, they have cracked open his door leading him into wide, welcoming arms. He mouthed the words 'thank you', as for his tears came cascading down.
The corner of Newt's lips lifted and pulled him into another tight hug. "There, there. It's alright. Let it all out." Newt nodded to Tina and Queenie, when they whisked away to give them space and cleansed the sully walls.
Newt carried Fafnyr back into his case and settled him onto his cot. He busied himself on conducting a soothing cream for Fafnyr's back. "Feeling better?" He asked softly over his shoulder. Fafnyr nodded slowly whilst wiping his face. With a wince, he tested his wings-folding inwards and outwards.
Newt dawdled back with some salve. He daubed his hands before he motioned Fafnyr to turn around. The boy obey just as he smeared it onto the irritated skin. The instant contact of the cream lulled Fafnyr into a sleepy faze. He rubbed his blearily eyes, he just needed to... not surrender. Yet, his slumber pressed on.
"You can rest." Newt whispered. Fafnyr nodded and burrowed deep into the cot. His eyelids shut fast, leaving Newt alone to his thoughts.
A few hours after painting the city's walls with blasted flyers, the albino man apparated safely back to his flat to have it all to himself. He checked all rooms before arriving to a sticky note and a binder. "Great, looks like Jason has more homework for me. Lucky me." He grumbled and scanned the paper before flipping the binder open.
'Here is a list of names prior to our next assignment. As always, don't get caught.' Sean read. He rolled his eyes at his brother's behalf for worrying on his well-being. Inside the binder were taped photographs of young adolescents playing about in the park or in their homes. Unknowingly to them was a stalker and a peeper with powerful pair of binoculars leering at them. Each of their profiles read where they're most likely to be seen and do on certain days of the week. To Sean's disgust, there were a few irrelevant descriptions about them that were jotted down; such as, what they enjoy eating, candied apples, popcorn, gummy bears and so on.
Nonetheless, Sean packed up the binder, grabbed a few snacks from the fridge and apparated to his first victim.
Back inside, Fafnyr woke to an empty shed. He threw aside the blankets and hung his legs at the side of the cot. In the golden glare that bled through the crack in the doorway, his wings cast their long shadows to the floor. In a fragment of a second, a foreboding figure sat alongside him with its pitch-black mass adjoining hands. If only it had eyes. Cool, red pools of endless dementia that could grip Fafnyr by the ankles-luring him closer to the edge.
"Hey," Newt uttered gently. Fafnyr turned to a ginger male slanted on the doorframe. His hands were in his pockets as for his clothes were coated with dirt and fur. Newt ambled over with a tilt in his head. "How have you been doing?"
Fafnyr mumbled, 'fine' and fixated his eyes to the floor that was once was occupied by a fiend before taking extreme interest in his wings. He tested his translucent, leathery skin with a pinch, which earned him a snip of pain. What he didn't expect to realize was that his body has already adapted to the essence of these unnaturally beautiful wings. The very thought of his rebirth left an imprint in his head, a truly horrific yet spectacular concept.
The cot creaked slightly, as a hand sought for his small pale one. "You sure?"
The child mustered to look at his friend without showing any traces of stress. "Yes," he needed to change the subject. The weight of this trepidation didn't equal out the same with his wings. His wings, though, would need work for his muscles were still lithe and weak. "What am I to you?"
In a heartbeat, he answered. "A friend."
Yet, Fafnyr shook his head slightly. He already knew of what Newt's opinion was for him. He wanted to confirm something. "I know that, but am I now part of your collection?"
"That depends." Newt dipped his head before rotating back. "That would mean that you'll be traveling with me. But of course I don't see you as a subject. You're more than that."
"I see," Fafnyr darted his eyes.
"Hey," Newt beamed. "I don't mind you coming along with me."
"I-I don't mind, um, coming along with you either ."
Newt flashed him a smile. He stretched his hand out and Fafnyr met it. The touch of Newt's fingers tasseling his hair always seemed to always soothe his nerves. It was until they heard a couple knocks upstairs that drew their bonding moment to a halt. They scaled the ladder to a couple of distressed Goldstein sisters.
"We have a problem." Tina confronted. Newt and Fafnyr gathered around the kitchen table when Tina nodded to her sister. She slipped a flyer out for all to see, and Fafnyr froze. It was a wanted poster for a missing person. Not just anybody but a child with descriptions matching him so well that he held his chest to calm his raging heart.
"How long has this been released?" Newt examined the flyer carefully, and pulled Fafnyr into his arms.
"They weren't here when we were at work yesterday morning."
"That means..."
"It happened only last night." Queenie nodded. She regarded Fafnyr's trembling body and slid the paper from view. That didn't stop the fear overshadowing Fafnyr. He has gone so far, and yet those people already knew his trace. "Newt, New York City isn't safe anymore."
"Who can say that it was safe at all?" Tina commented. "Whoever is after Fafnyr might already had their eyes on him for who knows how long."
"I'll check up on my creatures before heading out." Newt turned to Fafnyr who has been biting his lip. His sharp teeth impaled the skin just slightly, leaving a dribble of blood. He thumbed his cheek, "looks like we'll be going on a trip sooner than we expected, no?"
A/N: I'm sorry for a late update. This story drags too much, sorry.