Hi guys, I hope you'll enjoy this one, because that may be the last chapter in a while. I'm trying hard to write, but I don't feel like writing these days.

The sun was sinking into the horizon when Maleficent headed back to the rowan tree. The day had been exhausting. Before her wings were stolen, it was a delight to patrol around the Moors. She flew wildly and took pride in all the chatters her presence triggered. Now she was forced to walk slowly and couldn't stand the whisperings behind her back. She knew it was either about pity or revulsion, if not mockery. She chose to trust Stefan, ignoring the advice of the fair folks, and now that she had been proved wrong, she couldn't face them anymore. Stefan didn't only take her wings and her heart that day, he also created a huge gap between her and the very people that raised her. Her friends. Her family.

She hastened her pace, hoping that would help her escape from her dark thoughts, and spotted Diaval on one of the lower branches of her – well, their tree, she mentally corrected. He was preening his plumage meticulously. He surely spent the whole day lazing off, she thought with bitterness. She wished she could do the same once in a while, but with her responsibilities toward the Moors, and the slowness in which she had to accomplish her duties, it didn't seem quite possible.

The raven cawed at her as she approached, and waited for his mistress to sit on one of the huge roots to join her on the ground. They ate together the food they had gathered in a comfortable silence, watching the colourful sky as the sun was setting. Every now and then, Maleficent would stroke absent-mindedly her raven's feathers, causing him to either purr in contentment or rub his feathery head against her palm. It was so easy to be around him. He's never been afraid of her, or even distant. He acted nonchalantly, even though the effort she was making every day to appear fearful and dangerous. From any other, it would have annoyed her to the point she would have tormented the poor creature, but from Diaval, it was kind of an enjoyment.

The fairy stayed a few minutes deep in thoughts, watching the stars reveal themselves in the darkening sky.

She yawned and slowly turned to face her pet, "Let's go to sleep, Diaval."

The raven cawed and hopped on the ground to her lower back, rubbing it with his head, then came back in front of her and cawed again.

The shadow of a smile crossed her features. Even in this muted form, he knew how to make himself understandable. The fairy stood up and watched as his servant took flight only to land on her staff. He was looking at her intently. She looked at him back and raised an eyebrow.

"I haven't forgot," she pointed out, answering his silent question.

He lowered his head deeply, either to nod or to bow before her.

Satisfied with his humble attitude, she added in a hush voice, "Get in the nest. I'll come in a minute."

He obeyed at once, and preened again while waiting for her patiently. He started to have doubts about what he did today. Now that he thought about it, there was a risk she wouldn't like it, or worse: it could be seen as a way to bribe her into sleeping with him again. He mentally scolded himself for not thinking about this before, but what was done was done. He did what he did because he cared about her. It couldn't bring him into too much trouble, could it?

After a moment, he heard his mistress climb to join him, but he saw her freeze at the sight of the nest.

"Wh-What happened here?" she gasped, not recognizing her precious nest.

Her gaze met her servant and she narrowed her eyes at him. It had to be him, who else? One night in her nest, and he thought he owned the place, authorizing him to change everything in her home? Who did he think he was? She trusted him enough to invite him in her nest, even to share her beloved tree with him, and that was how he thanked her?

"You did this, didn't you?" she growled furiously.

Alarmed by the fearful glint in her eyes, the raven cawed frantically as she got into the nest. He had to explain, he had to convince her to change him so he could explain.

She broke eye contact with him and her expression softened when she inspected his work. Without a warning, she granted him his human form, closed the branches-made curtains around them and turned back to him with a stern expression.

He transformed in the middle of a loud caw and let out a human yelp, before folding his legs in a kneeling position and bowing his head.

"Mistress, please don't be mad. I can change it back to the way it was in no time if you don't like it," he said hastily.

Even if he had behaved far too bold in her opinion, she had to admit his work was rather fine, and it looked like her nest never felt this comfortable before. Considering this, she chose to give him the opportunity to justify his actions before suspending his human self over the void or performing any other form of punishment on him.

"Explain yourself this instant," she grated between her teeth.

Too happy to be given a chance to talk, he took a shaky breath and did as she wished, "I got really sore from sleeping in your nest the night before, and there was no way I would let you go through such an unpleasant experience tonight. I'm pretty sure it was uncomfortable just because you grew it so we could both fit in it, so in the end, it was all my fault. Therefore, I spent the day trying to fix it for you."

A part of her liked dearly his sweet and caring words, but she eyed him suspiciously in an attempt to find out if he was lying.

After a while, she realised his face showed nothing but pure honesty, and her expression relaxed. His story seemed accurate. She remembered now how he had grunted in pain when he got up this morning, and obviously, she couldn't have felt it because she nearly used him as a mattress all night long.

However, something was bugging her about his gesture. Since Stefan's betrayal, her instincts automatically associated kind attentions toward her with some sort of price she would have to pay, eventually. She had to be sure, even if it would hurt.

"And considering you worked so hard, I guess you would like very much to sleep in here tonight?" she spat, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Well I do not see why, Mistress. You don't seem to be needing much comfort right now, are you?" he asked innocently.

Her lips curved up slightly. There was at least one rule he had remembered. Besides, his reaction proved he didn't have any hidden purpose behind this gift. That was nice to know.

"Why didn't you just tell me about it?" she complained in a sigh.

"With your patrols, I figured you would have never find the time to take care of it."

She didn't even try to hide the smile that slowly appeared on her face, but it was certainly because her servant hadn't raised his head since he had started speaking so he couldn't see it, anyway.

He knew her well. Protecting the Moors would always be more important than her own well-being. Hopefully, she had found someone to care for her, she thought ironically. She didn't need him, of course, but she couldn't deny that keeping him around seemed to make things less difficult.

At this moment, Diaval's remorseful voice brought her back to reality.

"I know I'm not very useful to you because I'm just a bird and all, but I thought I could at least help you with your nest. I'm very sorry, Mistress, I shouldn't have..."

"No," she cut him off at once, far more harshly than what she intended to.

He shut his eyes and bowed deeper, expecting punishment. The raven turned man tensed as soon as he felt his mistress' cold hand touching his cheek, but a warm feeling soon filled his chest. She stroked his skin with her thumb and gently pulled on his chin to force him to look at her.

"Pet, you had very honourable intentions and I'm not mad at you. Besides, it's a splendid nest you made me. I must say I'm impressed."

He positively beamed at her words, and couldn't help but smile shyly. He was about to mumble some thanks, when she withdrew her hand from his face and added, in a more serious voice, "However, you have to understand that doing this, you broke one of the rules we agreed on yesterday."

His brows furrowed in confusion, and he ended up asking, "The 'what happens in the nest stays in the nest' rule?"

"See, you remember it quite well, then why would you break our agreement? If I can't trust you on this, there will be no more cuddling nights, do you understand?"

That was a threat she truly didn't want to put to execution, but if there was the slightest risk the situation would go beyond her control, she had to end it.

"Y-Yes, but… I figured… Well, what I did was in the nest, so basically, it stayed in the nest… Don't you think?"

She looked at him for a moment, thinking this through, then her lips gradually curved up into a slight grin. His reasoning made sense, and she realised the implications behind this. She restricted their moments of closeness to the nest, and not only to their sleeping time. That meant whenever they were on the nest, she could ask him for comfort, and he would have special attentions toward her. That thought gave her a brand new perspective of the whole thing. One she immediately liked very much.

"You know what? I think you're right," she finally said.

He smiled widely at her light tone. She seemed to be happy about it, and the anger that twisted her features a little bit earlier had completely disappeared. He watched her examine the soft and downy wool that covered the nest.

"So… Would you care to tell me how you did it?" She inquired, raising an eyebrow at him.

Diaval's heart skipped a beat when he recognized an impish sparkle in her eyes. He liked it when she was being playful. It meant she was comfortable with the situation and the people around her. It meant she was comfortable right now with him, in her newly made nest.

"I brought stuff and I arranged it all. It wasn't that complicated, really. There are two layers. The first one is made of moss and a lot of leaves and the second one is made of wool and feathers. I was thinking about making you one of these pillows made with feathers, but instead I just made the layers bigger at the top, to raise the height a little bit for your head."

She raised her head with pride and tried her best to hide her astonishment. She was very impressed with his expertise in the area and how he managed to adapt a nest for a near human being. He really was clever when he wanted to.

Without thinking, the fairy slowly lay down on her side in the warm fluffiness of the wool covering her nest, facing him. She closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh of pleasure. It was like sleeping on a cloud.

"That is certainly the most comfortable nest I've been in," she complimented, looking at him. "It stinks of sheep, though."

The raven turned man cringed. He knew she would notice it, but he wasn't sure if that would bother her – she was very close to nature after all.

As there was nothing else he could do about it, he started apologizing, "I'm sorry Mistress, I washed the wool and then I tried to put some of my feathers in it to hide the smell, but-"

"It's alright, Diaval. I can get used to it," she interrupted him softly. "Besides, I'm pretty sure the smell will fade with time."

She wondered where he could have found the time to wash the wool above all. He succeeded in making the entire nest in less than a day, and in the form of a bird. That was pretty impressive.

Suddenly, she remembered today was supposed to be his day off. A wave of guilt came over her. She expected him to laze off, and instead, he worked twice as hard as he usually did to make sure she would sleep well. How sweet of him.

The fairy held back an annoyed sigh. Great, and now she was considering sleeping with him again tonight. She knew that idea was highly unwise. Neither of them needed comfort right now, and if she was to cross the line, who knew where that would lead them? Besides, a part of her wasn't totally convinced about her decision to seek comfort in his arms, so she couldn't take reckless decisions with this.

However, maybe she could find a way to express him her gratitude…

"Have you tried it out already?" she asked after a moment.

"Of course not, Mistress. I wouldn't dare lie in your nest without permission."

She nodded in appreciation. She was glad to see he still had a lot of respect for her home, even though he spent so much time in it, lately.

"I give you my permission now. Come," she queried, patting the empty space beside her.

He joined her cautiously, lying down on his back. Due to the narrowness of the nest, they were very close, almost touching, but both of them seemed perfectly at ease.

"So?" she inquired with raised eyebrows.

"So I'm pretty sure I'll be able to sleep properly with you resting on top of me, now."

He usually slept properly with her no matter what, but he wasn't sure how she would react if he was to tell her that the pleasure of feeling her close was outrunning by far any other discomfort he could experience. Before he could think further about all the wonderful sensation her closeness triggered in him, he saw her raise her upper body and leaned on one arm next to him.

"We'd better give it a try, just to be sure," she announced, locking eyes with him.

The raven turned man found himself captivated by the intensity of her gaze, but he wasn't sure what to do next. Should he hold her? Did she just give him permission?

"Shall I-"

"Shhh," she replied at once, leaning more closely on him. "No talking."

That wasn't helping. What was he supposed to do, now? Fortunately, he felt her hand on his waist before he could worry much more. He wasn't sure to understand quite well what she wanted, but something in her eyes was pushing him to act. Slowly, hesitantly, he reached for her, and finally snaked his arms around her when she lay down on his chest. He couldn't help but sigh in contentment as he sensed her warmth against him. He felt her nuzzling her way into his neck, followed by the familiar sensation of her breathing against his skin.

He became sleepy within a few minutes, and noticed she had already closed her eyes. She couldn't doze off like that. What about her treatment? Not to mention they weren't supposed to sleep together tonight. He yawned and shook her shoulder a little bit.

"Mistress?"

To his surprise, her reaction was immediate and her fully awake emerald eyes met his already sleepy dark ones.

"Hmm?" she mumbled on a curious tone.

"I'm pretty tired. Can I just apply the balm on your back and go to my nest?" he asked, before yawning again.

Rolling her eyes, she put her own hand in front of his mouth, with an exasperated glare. Honestly, will he ever be able to cover his yawning mouth himself? She didn't scold him, though. She knew he must be exhausted from flying and working all day in the only intention to please her. It was touching what he was ready to do for her well being, she thought while looking at him tenderly. That was the kind of little things that made her trust him a tiny bit more. However, the more she trusted him, the more she was scared. That was an issue she couldn't prevent for now, and that was why she had to keep being in control.

The fairy untangled herself from her servant and they sat up. She reached for the balm that was in a hollow inside of the trunk, where she was keeping her things, and handed it to him.

The dim light of the moon was just enough for him to see what he was doing. When the laces were unbound, he smiled at the sight of her back.

"Congratulations, you're fully healed, Mistress. There are still little reddish spots, but I guess they will be gone by tomorrow," he reassured her.

"Good work, pet," she praised, looking at the wool while he started to massage her lower back.

He was becoming very good at this, she thought, feeling her heart racing. It was a shame she wouldn't have the occasion to enjoy his touch anytime soon. Her muscles were melting at his firm caresses. God, it felt far too good…

"Are they all your feathers?" she asked, hoping that speaking would help her cooling off.

He followed her gaze to the numerous dark feathers that were covering the nest.

"Of course. You think I would contaminate your nest with other feathers than mine?" he said, as if the only thought of it was totally absurd. "I just went to my old nest and gathered every one I could find," he explained. "I also thought about putting some of yours, that were lying in your hammock, but-"

"No." she cut off at once. "Don't."

Maybe one day feeling them close would help, but for now, that was the last thing she needed.

"I won't, then," he mumbled wistfully.

It broke his heart to think he had awoken her pain. He wished he could take her into his arms right now to protect her from it, to make her forget about everything. Instead, he put even more dedication in rubbing her skin, wishing that would distract her from her tormenting thoughts.

The silence soon became unbearable, and Diaval hurriedly broke it, "You know, as a nest-making expert, I thought about some other improvements for your nest."

Now she was intrigued. He had done so much already, how did he plan to improve her nest further? And why? Perhaps it was because he was a bird, that his instincts were driving him to do these kind of tasks. Or maybe the whole thing was only to thank her for allowing him into her nest. In any case, she was wondering what he was up to.

"Really? Such as?" she inquired with mild curiosity.

"Well, first I thought about bringing some fabric that would feel soft to cover the wool, maybe another blanket. That way it won't itch or slid away if we were to move too much."

She raised an eyebrow, pondering over what kind of situation could possibly lead them to move that much in the nest.

"Also, instead of twitching the branches of your tree into curtains, you could make an ivy grow at the base and make curtains with it. That would look like a cocoon-like nest. Besides, I'm pretty sure we can find some species which leaves doesn't fall in winter. Or even glowing ones! Don't you have something like that in the Moors? That would be fun."

She smiled at his enthusiasm and took the time to enjoy his touch – he had just reached her favourite spot – before answering.

She had to admit it: he had very good ideas. She was far too preoccupied to have envisioned the long-term issues, like when the leaves of her tree would fall. With her faithful pet taking care of it, she would soon have the nest of a real queen. At the end, that would be the first time that something in her life had improved since Stefan took her wings.

"Glowing ivy plants? There are some in the Moors, yes, but they're not leafy enough to make good curtains. Besides, I'm not sure I want glowing things in my nest. It would feel too bright."

"Oh," he let out in a whisper.

She knew he liked glowing things a lot and could feel his disappointment, but it was her home, so the decision was hers. However, considering he would also spend some time in it, she assumed she could try to reach compromises with him in the future. That was something she intended to discuss later with him.

"But your ideas are quite good, actually," she said, leaning into his touch when he reached her shoulders. "As a matter of fact, you will come with me tomorrow morning to look for a proper ivy plant."

He smiled widely at her words. She was planning to do this with him. She wanted him to be involved in the construction of her nest!

He exhaled shakily, hoping she wouldn't hear him. He felt overjoyed, and couldn't help himself from thinking the situation was very similar to raven mates nestling for the first time together. He never found a mate of his own, but what he shared with his mistress was the closest he ever had from having a family, and he cherished dearly every minutes he spent with her.

"Sure, Mistress," he murmured warmly.

He started massaging her nape, enjoying the soft sensation of her silky skin under his fingers.

"Will we have enough time so you could also show me around the Moors a little bit? Like you told me at the ruins," he inquired hopefully.

She stayed silent for a while, thinking about it carefully. That may be bothersome but she had to show him around, so he could get to know his new home. She wasn't sure on how he would react, though. Everything here was so different from the life he came from. There were different creatures, different plants, even different rules. Would he be able to accept the change? He looked like a man sometimes, but originally, he was a bird and was a part of nature, so things should be alright.

"No. You will come back a little earlier from the castle and we'll do this as an evening stroll," she announced, gathering her hair to give him better access to her nape.

"Sounds great," he replied at once.

He tenderly rubbed her nape and shoulders for a few more minutes, before lacing back her gown.

"That's it, Mistress."

She turned around and they exchanged a smile, before she changed him into his original form. He flew to his nest immediately and curled into it, facing her.

She lay down with her eyes fixed on him, through the thick curtains she had modelled. With a wisp of magic, she levitated Diaval's nest to move it closer to her head. Then, the branches of the tree were soon bending around them both, allowing them to see each other.

"Good night, my pet. And thank you for this," she said with the most gentle voice.

He crooned softly at her, making her smile slightly. Their gaze didn't unlock until they both dozed off to sleep, comforted by the only presence of the other.

Lots of thanks to DancingKitKat for beta-reading