~ Third person POV ~
After Nev's encounter with Darius several weeks had passed without very many interactions between the two. That one incident had scared them both with the discovery of newfound feelings. However, as the days progressed, Nev continued to pick up bits and pieces of his memories. Even though he began to remember more and more of where he came from and who he is, Nev hesitated to tell Charlie and Darius. His fear of being kicked out of their house was strong enough for him to hinder their trust and keep his identity from them. One thing was for sure, he absolutely couldn't tell Darius just yet. Nev was positive that if he let an ounce of his knowledge about himself to the other, younger male, Darius would surely be just as scared of him as when they first met.
The two's relationship had grown into a close friendship and Darius was always one to invite Nev to hang out with him. Darius had become so comfortable around the winged male that they would watch movies almost every night on the couch, often falling asleep against one another. Every morning they would cycle cooking duties to give Charlie some free time, they would even go out and tend to the farm together.
Darius had picked back up on his artistry hobby and even went back to school to earn his degree to be a doctor. This may have taken up a majority of his time, but since his mom had someone around the house he decided that being able to earn more money was the best decision. Then he could actually go out and enjoy himself for some time. Hell, maybe he'd even start to go on dates again. Darius used to be so caught up in taking care of his mom that he'd forgotten all about himself and his passions. Now, since he has the time, he could actually take breathers and focus on his mental health more. Nev, however, was beginning to become a hindrance for him. Wherever Darius was Nev always seemed to be on his mind. Yet of course the young man blew it off as a friendship thing, since he never really had any of those in the first place.
Tonight was different though. When Darius came back from school he had stopped at a small antique store and accidentally laid eyes on a necklace. The necklace had a charm on it, how convenient it was for the charm to be a set of wings. The wings had black ink leaking from the top into the beautifully perl white set. It was probably the most gorgeous thing he had ever seen. So he bought it. With his purchase, Darius walked into to the house, box in hand, and one person set into his mind.
~ Nev POV ~
As soon as Darius walked through the door I made my way from the kitchen out into the living room to meet him. A small smile stayed plastered on my face as I greeted him with a wave.
"Hey, have a good day at school?" I asked. The question was no longer awkward to say as I had been asking him ever since he made the decision to go back. He nodded his head in response and tucked his hand behind his back while looking down sheepishly. My wings fluttered slightly as my curiosity peeked, yet I stayed silent and waited for him to speak. Watching him chew on his bottom lip was like torture. I had to force my eyes away because just standing there and staring was doing unspoken things to my mind. The image made me want to bite his lip too.
My thoughts were cut short however when Darius spoke up.
"Can I talk to you upstairs?" His feet shuffled under him and his gaze averted from me onto the wall.
Of course I nodded. Who could say no to someone as cute as that?? As he turned and made his way upstairs, he kept whatever he had in his hands out of my sight. It didn't matter anyways, I wasn't that curious. Besides, my eyes were occupied watching his ass as I followed him up the stairs.
I could tell that he was a nervous wreck, for some reason. Darius may have been an overall awkward person in general, but I have never seen him act this way. He somehow seemed, flustered.
As we got upstairs and entered the room Darius calls his "studio", whatever that means, he turned to me, still keeping the mysterious box hidden. It took him a moment to gather the courage to speak, but I let him take his time. Something this important must be worth the wait.
Slowly he pulled the box from behind his back and showed it to me, insinuating that I take it from him. As I took it I kept my eyes on him. He stood wordless with a small blush on his face and an almost embarrassed expression that he tried to keep hidden. In all honesty it was adorable.
Moments like these are why I continuously think of Darius. It's moments like these that make his attitude all worth it.
After a few seconds, I lift the top of the box off and pull out the object inside. Immediately I was shocked to see the small set of wings on a necklace. Had he figured out my secret?? But how? I was so careful to not let any information out.
His next words cut my thoughts short.
"I saw them at the store and they reminded me of you so I got them.. if you don't like them I'll keep them though." His voice was steady, like usual. He never let his voice waiver for anything, it was his most powerful aspect.
I let a soft, yet affectionate chuckle loose. "Darius, how couldn't I like them? I'm just flattered that you bought something for me really. I'd be happy to keep them." I smile after setting the box aside and putting the necklace on.
His face seemed to turn a darker pink. "Oh, um, okay. Well that's really all I wanted to do so I'll just," as he spoke he slowly moved towards the exit and around me to leave. However, I wasn't letting him off that easy. Now was my chance to be closer than ever, and we're awake so that's a bonus!
"Not so fast, I need to thank you." Without giving him much of a choice I stepped close and hugged him to my chest, enjoying the warmth that he seemed to radiate. Like the sun.
~ Darius POV ~
I felt my face heat up as he hugged me. Not only was he shirtless, but he was so attractive and my mind couldn't focus. Instead, I found myself moving my hands back around him to reciprocate. I took the opportunity to very subtly feel his back muscles. God, even though he was this weird man bird thing, damn was he attractive. His skin was smooth even with his scars, and he was so warm and inviting. Not to mention he smelled amazing. I don't know how, maybe mom bought him some cologne? I tried not to show how much I enjoyed it, but I think I speak for both of us due to the fact that we stayed together for way to long.
Once he finally pulled away, I simply smiled up at him slightly and said. "You're welcome." With that, I quickly exited and went outside to calm myself with the steady breeze that made the grass sway.
If I have to live with this guy for any longer with interactions like these, let's just say that it'll be hell for a number of reasons. One being that I'm to scared to know what he is to be with him.
Maybe I can put that aside, I mean, he is still part human...right?