FictionPress.com - let the words flow| FictionPress.com - let the words flow |
| Home Just In Communities Forums Beta Readers Dictionary Search | Login Register Extras |
This is actually a re-post, because I was looking it over, and I realized that there were a few minor mistakes that, once known, couldn't be overlooked.
A/N: Many thanks to Jinni-chan, who was my beta for this story (hell, for every story I write). Huh… I had a nice little note I was going to insert here, but I can’t seem to remember it, so you shall hafta deal with my inane ramblings that to you prolly make no sense, ‘specially as I slip further and further into the deep abyss we call slang.
Since I've always wanted to include a seemingly useless quote in the beginning of my story, I have decided to feature two entirely useless quotes for your pleasure!
“There are few who deny that at what I do I am the best, for my talents are renowned far and wide.”
“And since I am dead, I can take off my head to recite Shakespearean quotations.”
Both are courtesy of Jack Skellington from The Nightmare Before Christmas. (Which I don’t own, thanks )
Now, our Feature Presentation!
:::: As Long As We Both Shall Live ::::
Ridley Jack
“Freedom.” The wind carried the whispered word past my ears; a single whistle among many.
Far below, I spotted a black dot amidst the sea of green. Banking left, I slowly wheeled down and watched the dot grow.
The figure of Sgefah became more definable. The noon sun outlined his ebony wings down to the most minute detail and glinted off his long silver hair. He was bare from waist up, revealing a broad and well-muscled back from which his giant wings protruded. Hanging from his lean hips was a pair of loose jeans. His feet were bare and his skin was tanned.
My own ebony wings settled about me like a massive feathered cloak as I landed. I myself was also wearing loose jeans, but included a backless tube-top with my ensemble.
“Too much noise, Souva-chan,” he critiqued.
My fury erupted as a quiet snarl and flutter of wings. Like the tails on most animals, so our wings reflected our moods.
“Much too much noise,” he commented and I flung myself at his still-turned back.
I was hardly surprised when he whipped around before I reached him. I tackled him to the ground, ignoring the smug look in his emerald eyes.
“Such temper,” he grunted when I knocked the wind out of him. “Could that, perhaps, be why the Elders Paired us? So I could calm your fury?”
He tucked his wings around me, capturing my own, and flipped us so that I was underneath him.
“Or maybe it’s just because you’re so beautiful they had to Pair you off to the first suitable male?”
I growled and jerked my head back when he reached up a stroking hand through my long navy locks.
“Touch me once more and I’ll make sure that you never touch anything again,” I threatened.
“Such fury spews from your glorious mouth. It almost matches the fury spitting at me from your silver eyes. Such beautiful eyes,” my betrothed murmurs and to my horror I feel heat rush to my face.
He laughed softly. I could have sworn that my eyes spoke my fury for him. I just wanted his wings to release me so I could seek the solace of the skies.
“Beautiful,” he murmurs again, “My beautiful.”
Before I could even guess as to what he thought he was doing, I felt his soft, dry lips descend upon mine. Shock forced me to gasp, providing an opening for his prodding tongue. Which, after a brief moment of hesitation, he took advantage of by poking his tongue through. I gasped again, this time from pleasure. His tongue skittered past my lips and traced the inside. The tip of his tongue briefly alighted on mine, then drew back, only to come again, this time staying longer. His tongue caressed my mouth before we both drew back for air.
I stared at him in shocked amazement. Shocked, because how could he dare to do something like that to me? Amazed, because it felt, it tasted, so good.
“Sgefah…-kun,” I managed.
So what if he was her betrothed. It was only by decree of the Elders, not the love that so many couples acted upon.
He had never expected her to kiss back. Or taste so sweetly tangy, though. And when she’d whispered his name, adding the honorific only as an afterthought, he’d felt something so completely foreign, he still didn’t know how to describe it.
“Souva-chan,” he started, his wings fluttering almost imperceptibly, tightening around their bodies, then relaxing like nothing had occurred. “I didn’t mean for that to happen.”
He watched her bright silvery eyes for clues as to her reaction of his first apology to her.
The said eyes widened and her mouth formed a small ‘o.’ He was startled to realize that he wanted to kiss her again, and maybe not even end there.
“You’re… you’re apologizing?” his fiery angel stuttered.
He bowed his head in acknowledgement and waited for the mocking to commence. When it didn’t, he looked up warily. She still wore the same expression as before, only now there was something else in her eyes, something he couldn’t place. Something that reminded him of that feeling…
“No one’s ever done that before,” she whispered, raising a hand from where it was resting to touch her lips.
With a start, he realized that her hands were braced on his chest and her own wings were lightly encasing him under his own cradling wings.
“What? Kiss you or apologize to you?” he asked arrogantly before he could stop himself.
His eyes closed for a split second in defence of her sure fury, but flew open at her response.
“Both.”
“What? But surely…” Surely the most beautiful nymph he had ever seen had been kissed before?
“So shocked?” she asked sarcastically. “Is it such a surprise that no one has kissed me? And as for the second item, people have either assumed that I’ll forgive them, or ask someone else, like the Elders, for my forgiveness,” she spat.
Sgefah promised himself for that as long as they both shall live, he would make sure to kiss her at least once a day, and always ask her for her forgiveness directly. Hopefully he wouldn’t have to do the second thing too many times.
Like all our kind, his hair was long and an unusual colour. In his case, silver. I couldn’t help but think that his hair matched my eyes. Crystal moonlight, someone had told me once. His eyes were the clearest green I had ever seen. Those were eyes that you could easily drown in, and happily. His silver brows were slightly arched and hovered over an aquiline nose and firm lips.
I’d known many girls who thought him handsome and sighed wistfully over our betrothal, wishing it were them.
“What are you thinking about?” he wondered softly.
And I, fool that I am, answered him truthfully. For some reason I felt totally comfortable with him, even though for the most part, I couldn’t stand the man.
“You.”
I saw his face register surprise and felt his wings tighten about me.
“What about me?” my infuriatingly mellow, annoying fiancé hazarded, as if I was more likely to say that I was pondering ways of disposing of him than how attractive he was.
“Do you realize that we get married tomorrow?” I asked instead.
“Yes. And I loathe the day, but anticipate the night,” he leered.
Disgusted, I tried to push him off me, but was chagrined to find I couldn’t.
“Are you nervous?” he asked me suddenly and I stopped trying to push him away.
“What?” Did he sound… worried?
I felt a strange quiver in my stomach but put it down to, in fact, nerves.
“What’s it to you? All you care about is the night, which we will be spending alone,” I reminded him.
“You’re right,” he unexpectedly agreed. “And if you don’t hurry, you’ll miss your meeting with the Elders.”
He abruptly stood up and stalked away, leaving me sprawled and feeling strangely chilled.
“Sgefah…” my mouth whispered.
“I'm going to kill it, I'm going to kill them, I'm going to kill him, and then I’m going to maim you,” I growled.
A laugh tinkled over me, coming from beside the open window. “What and who are you going to kill, using names this time?” my friend and Maid of Honor asked.
“The sun, the Elders, Sgefah, and you,” I grumbled, burying deeper into my bed.
“Sgefah? First name basis?” she giggled. “I thought you couldn’t bare even the thought of that handsome man!”
I growled and launched out of my bed at her, tackling her to the ground and commenced the torture.
“Please! Souva-chan! Stop tickling me!”
Sgefah grunted and wondered why his friend was in his room this early in the morning. And then he remembered.
“The Pairing!” he exclaimed, sitting upright in his bed.
“It lives!” his friend proclaimed.
Sgefah grunted. “Whatever. Just help me get ready for this thing,” he ordered, ignoring the flurry in his stomach. “Actually, give me a moment.”
Sgefah, ignoring his friend’s attempts at questioning, he pulled on the same pants as yesterday and flung himself out of his now open window.
My spine stiffened and I slowly turned around, knowing without needing to look who it was.
“Sgefah-kun, what are you doing here?” I demanded.
“I just had to tell you something,” he said quietly, coming towards me.
“What?” I whispered nervously. There was something about him… something that —excited— me.
“I'm nervous, too. But not because of the ceremony. I'm nervous because as of this day on, I will be spending the rest of eternity with the love of my life,” he told me softly, touching my lips with his as I stared at him in shock. “And I don’t know if she feels the same way,” he whispered, his eyes never leaving mine.
“You… love me?” I asked, not believing. Not daring to hope.
“With all of my being!” he exclaimed, his wings flaring.
I didn’t realize what was happening until I was in his arms and his lips were on mine once more. Our wings combined to create a mini cyclone, sweeping my room into chaos and confusion, quite like what I was feeling.
He stepped back and peered into my silver eyes anxiously, as if waiting for something. With a start, I realized what he was waiting for. I also realized that while I was feeling confused, predominating all other emotions was a feeling like never before.
“I love you!” I laughed, amazed.
“Is that such a surprise?” he echoed, and lowered his head once more, his lips alighting upon mine, but hopefully not for the last time. With any luck, there would be many more of these, many times a day, for many more years…
