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The crows that swarmed the rooftops of the buildings around Luca’s apartment annoyed him. They caw’d incessantly and always picked fights with each other. He had nearly grown so accustomed to hearing their loud chatter that when one morning he woke up to a peaceful quiet, it almost unnerved him.
Golden sunlight broke through the cloudy skies and Luca had a feeling the weather would be beautiful that day. He made himself a cup of warm tea and took it out to his balcony to enjoy. The air was crisp and light. It was easy to delight in it, he thought, leaning forward on the railing. Had there ever been a morning as tranquil and soothing as this one?
His view was beautiful, however he rarely got to enjoy it without the flock of black birds marring the scene.
He glanced to the rooftops a small distance below him. The flock of crows normally occupied the entirety of it, yet Luca was surprised to see only a single bird cleaning its feathers. It was larger than the crows he usually saw and when the rays of the sun touched its body, a beautiful purple sheen dazzled. The bird paused and looked at Luca with a tilted head, as though to ascertain his intent. On the top of its head, a single golden streak disrupted the black feathers around it.
“Hello,” Luca called to it. He probably seemed crazy, but there was a strange air around the animal that was almost friendly in a way. “If you’re responsible for the notable lack of crows this morning then you have my thanks.” Luca raised his mug to the animal in a small toast before taking a sip.
The bird stared at him before letting out a low caw and Luca was surprised to find that it didn’t sound anything like a crow. Its call was deeper, and less nasally. He was startled when the animal flew up and landed on his balcony rail. Its long wings spread out beneath the sun for a second as it balanced itself, and Luca saw up close the warm undertones of purple that coloured its feathers.
He whistled a long, low tune. “You’re quite the pretty bird, aren’t you?” He cooed sweetly. It preened at his compliment, making Luca smile. “You’re not a crow…” he thought aloud. “Are you a raven then?” The bird turned to the side and held its head up high in a gesture that seemed to be confirming his words.
Luca supposed that if he was going crazy talking to birds then he may as well fully commit and imagine them communicating back to him.
“Well, Mr. Raven, or perhaps Ms. Raven,” he grinned. “It was lovely to meet you, thank you for the peaceful morning.” Luca turned and retreated into his apartment to get ready for work.
The next morning, Luca again woke to a serene quiet but another more surprising thing awaited him.
On his balcony perched the same purple hued raven, and from its beak dangled a glinting golden necklace.
Luca slid the door open and stepped out. “This is a surprise,” he confessed. Tentatively, he stretched out a hand and tried not to make any jerky, sudden movements as the animal leaned its beak over his upturned palm and dropped the chain. Upon closer inspection, the chain was quite well made - no signs of rust or deterioration of the metal even though there were specks of dirt here and there. It was also strikingly similar to the golden chain Luca wore around his neck everyday.
“Is this a gift for me, then?” His eyes met the intelligent gaze of the raven as it watched him and gave a small nod of its head. “That’s very kind of you Mr. Raven.” The urge to pet the animal came over Luca then as the clouds broke and sunlight once again allowed the purple undertones of the bird’s feathers to glow. He reached out an empty hand slowly, and when the raven didn’t move or make to attack him, Luca gently caressed the body of the animal.
He hadn’t expected it to feel so soft, though there were some areas that were more ruffled and coarse as well.
“I won’t get some kind of bird flu or disease from this, will I?”
The raven looked offended and Luca laughed.
And so the pair fell into a unique routine. In the morning, he could murmur sweet words to the bird, stroking its glossy coat of feathers. Since the raven would bring shiny trinkets it found, Luca left out an assortment of nuts and berries for it to snack on. Before long, he had a small collection of treasures that ranged from pieces of jewellery to coins, and watches.
“You know, if you were human I think we would be best friends by now,” Luca joked one day. “No one listens to my ramblings as well as you do.”
The raven had tilted its head at him.
Their morning visits happened like clockwork, until one day in the late autumn, the raven didn’t show up.
Luca waited on his balcony, anxiously hovering to the absolute last second before he would need to leave for work, but it never came.
The weather had progressively gotten colder and colder, and still he would go out to see if his friend had returned, but there were no signs of it. He worried for the raven - had something happened to it that prevented the bird from flying? Or worse, had it died?
Though it might seem silly to most, Luca felt a bond with the animal. Afterall, he thought it was only natural to feel connected to other living creatures after spending so much time together.
Before long, a week had gone by without him seeing the raven, and so Luca accepted that it was gone from his life. He held onto the small hope that maybe when spring came around, he would see it again.
He was leaving his apartment when he noticed that someone was finally moving into the vacant one next door. Curious about the new occupant, but not having the proper time to introduce himself, he made up his mind to perhaps try and bring something over to them the next day. On his way home, he picked up a coffee cake from his favourite bakery and hoped it would help to make a good impression.
The following morning when he stepped out onto his balcony, there were no signs of the raven, but Luca was surprised to instead meet someone else.
His neighbour leaned against the railing of their own balcony, his long back hair tousled in the breeze. The man’s pale, smooth skin contrasted against his dark hair, and his small build should have made him seem scrawny next to someone as big and muscular as Luca, but instead he was elegant. Lithe muscles and clear lines, not unlike the form of a ballet dancer. Striking violet eyes slid over to where Luca stood frozen on his balcony and he flushed at being caught gaping so openly.
The heat of his face and ears felt nearly unbearable against the cool morning air and he cleared his throat awkwardly. “H-hello,” he called over. “You must be my new neighbour! I’m Luca.”
He hoped his voice didn’t betray the nervousness that tightened his throat, and thankfully his new neighbour didn’t give any indication he had heard anything strange. Their balconies were only about a metre apart, and it made Luca feel even more awkward. For some reason, his hands felt heavy and he suddenly was very aware of how he stood and held himself. He probably seemed a complete oaf to the refined man next to him.
“Hi.” The man brushed a small part of his golden fringe away from his forehead. It was strangely familiar to Luca - the streak of gold amidst the otherwise dark hair. “My name is Shu Yamino, I’m new to… well new to the city I guess,” Shu trailed off awkwardly.
“If you’re new to the city I know so many amazing places to visit and see if you’re ever interested!” Luca couldn’t help himself. He was excited to have a person seemingly so close to his age living near him. He’d been starved for companionship ever since Mysta had moved and Vox and Ike had gotten busy with work - they all rarely had time to see each other anymore.
The bright violet eyes of his neighbour darted away as a cute blush dusted his cheeks and nose.
Cute? Luca wasn’t sure where the thought had come from but as he looked closer at Shu, he realised that his neighbour was very cute. Pretty even. Could guys be pretty?
“If you’d be up to showing me around I-I would really enjoy that, Luca.”
Shu’s voice was soft, Luca thought. It made his chest and stomach feel weird to hear his name spoken in such a way.
Luca grinned and shook the intrusive thoughts from his mind. He couldn’t let strange, unknown feelings get in the way of making new friends.
“Of course I would!”
The pair exchanged contact information and right as Luca was leaving the balcony to get ready for work, the sun peeked out from behind the heavy, grey clouds. Shu leaned over his balcony rail, staring down at the traffic below and his black hair glowed with dark purple hues in the weak sunlight. Luca felt as though he’d been punched in the chest. The colour was so similar to the raven.
There was no way there was any correlation though, and during his commute to work that morning Luca rationalised that he missed his bird friend so much he was seeing similarities in the most mundane things around him.
Soon enough, Luca was using his free time in the evenings and on the weekends to drag Shu around to all of his favourite places in the city. From restaurants, to parks, and arcades. He had thought Shu would have grown tired of him already, but Shu always seemed so happy to be around Luca - even when he was embarrassed.
Luca loved getting reactions out of people, and he had grown to especially love the sheepish laughter and pleas to stop that Shu would whine as Luca teased and joked with him in public.
One time, Shu had playfully slapped Luca's shoulder, and something inside Luca had wanted to grab his hand - for Shu’s touch to linger just a second longer. The warmth and playfulness in the simple gesture ignited a hunger within him, and he began to crave more from the reactions Shu gave.
He wanted more laughter, more smiles, more touches.
As the pair walked around the amusement park together, Luca wondered if it was obvious to Shu. These feelings that he had developed yearned for more than friendship from the other man, and yet somehow Shu had never changed his demeanour. He was as warm as ever.
A part of Luca was overjoyed that there was no shift, and yet another part of him wanted Shu to notice. He was constantly at odds with himself and it was driving him mad.
A warm, light hand wrapped gently around Luca’s forearm - the touch pulling him from his roiling thoughts.
“Luca?” Shu stared up at him with wide, glistening amethyst eyes and Luca’s heart tripped. “It’s getting late, should we go soon?”
The street lights that lined the paved walkways of the park had begun to glow as the sun inched lower and lower on the horizon. Luca shook his head quickly.
“No. The best part’s just starting!” He tried to inject as much enthusiasm into his voice as he could muster “C’mon,” Luca wrapped his hand around Shu’s dainty wrist and pulled him. “We should get in line for the ferris wheel before it gets too long.”
“The ferris wheel?” Shu huffed the question as his lungs worked to try and keep up with Luca’s running pace. “But won’t it be dark?”
“Yes,” Luca laughed. “That’s the point! Otherwise how would we get to see the view!”
He wasn’t sure if Shu would be afraid of heights, but he really, really wanted to see his face when they got to the top of the ride.
The pair clambered into the confines of the small capsule, sitting opposite one another. There wasn’t a whole lot of space, and so their knees brushed. The touch was innocent and light, but it made butterflies erupt in Luca’s stomach. He wondered if Shu noticed or cared, but the other man’s face betrayed none of his emotions if the touches did affect him.
Their slow ascent began, the carriage a bit creaky as it swung with the movement of the ferris wheel.
“I didn’t realise humans enjoyed heights like this,” Shu murmured quietly under his breath.
Luca’s eyes darted over Shu’s face searchingly. “Are you afraid?” His hand came down to land gently on where his and Shu’s knees touched. “You didn’t have to come if you are.”
Shu shook his head, his gaze concentrated on where Luca’s hand lay. “I’m not afraid,” he whispered. Deep violet eyes rose up and the two men stared at one another wordlessly, the only noise the creaking of the carriage and their breathing as it grew heavier. The faint sounds of the amusement park faded below them, and soon Luca became aware just how alone the two were.
His body felt too hot. His palms sweaty and his mind consumed by thoughts while at the same time unable to concentrate on any one of them. Swaying forward slightly when their carriage paused at the top, Luca blushed as Shu finally pulled his gaze away to look out the glass side.
He had wanted to ride the ferris wheel to see Shu’s reaction to the lights, and yet when they finally got to the top, all he wanted was for Shu to look at him.
“You’re right,” Shu said softly as he stared down at the glittering city and amusement park below them. “I do love this sight.” His voice held a wistful tone to it, as if he recalled something lost to him. Turning back to Luca, Shu’s eyes widened. “Luca?”
Luca hadn't realised how much closer he had started to lean forward. Their faces only a breath away.
“O-oh,” he gasped awkwardly. “I’m sorry, I was just looking,” Luca excused, the lie blatant and unconvincing even to his own ears. He started to sit up straighter and pull back, but one of Shu’s hands landed delicately on his shoulder, causing Luca to freeze.
“It’s okay,” Shu whispered. “If you want to look out over here… I mean, you can come closer, if you want.” Luca wasn’t convinced Shu believed his lie, and yet for some reason the other man played along with it. Shu’s eyes were cast down and to the side, his pale face warmed pink in the darkness of their capsule.
“Alright,” Luca agreed quietly, unable to stop himself from taking advantage of his companion's politeness. He leaned forward again until their chests were almost touching, and he looked out the glass window that displayed the exact same view as the one on his side did. If he titled his head just slightly, it would have rested on Shu’s shoulder, but Luca fought off the intruding thought. Soft puffs of breath fanned against the back of his neck from above, causing a shiver to run down his spine.
“It’s quite cold this high up, isn’t it?” Shu commented.
“Yeah… it is.”
Luca didn’t feel cold at all.
Shu had invited Luca over to his apartment that evening for another movie night. They had watched many movies just the two of them, however, ever since the amusement park outing - that Luca refused to call a date - he had found it more and more difficult to brush aside his growing feelings for his friend. The idea of having to sit on the couch not even a metre away from the man that had become the centre of his swirling thoughts and desires made him feel a bit mad.
Knocking on the door to Shu’s apartment, Luca hoped his friend had picked a short film.
The sound of the latch unlocking made him feel faint, but as the door pulled open to reveal the warm glow of Shu's apartment and his smiling face, Luca felt his worries dissipate. He focused on the pale pink lips that were spread wide in the smile that Luca had grown to love and felt comforted.
Love? Was he? In love?
“Hello, Luca,” Shu welcomed, his voice soft and warm. Luca’s heart melted.
Yeah, he really was in love.
“Hey, Shu.” He held up the snacks he had brought to share during the film. “I brought snacks,” he supplied lamely. The giggles that bubbled from Shu’s mouth made Luca grin as Shu took the bag and the pair moved into the kitchen.
“Oh, some of these are my favourites,” Shu gasped excitedly. “Thank you, you didn’t have to bring anything, you know.”
Luca leaned against the granite island at the centre of the room. “I couldn’t show up empty handed to a movie night.”
The crinkling of one of the snack bags being opened seemed loud in the otherwise quiet apartment as Shu took a chip out. He hummed and smiled at the taste and that in itself made the journey of going across town to find the special snacks worth it.
“Actually,” Shu grinned cheekily. “I have a gift for you too, Luca.”
He felt his eyebrows rise up. “For me? What did I do to deserve a gift from you?” His voice was teasing, but deep down there was sincerity to his words. Luca didn’t grow up receiving many gifts at all. It wasn’t something he was accustomed to and though he would never say it, he cherished so much every time he did get something. Every gift was special to him. Perhaps it was why he had enjoyed the company of his raven friend so much. The bird did have a knack for bringing small things to him.
“One second,” Shu said as he slipped away down the hall. When he returned, he held within his hands a small, wrapped box. “Here,” he held it out to Luca excitedly.
Gingerly, Luca took the present from him. His eyes traced over the uneven corners of wrapping paper, and he couldn’t stop his lips from tipping up slightly at the corners. “Not much practice with wrapping boxes?” He joked.
Shu’s face reddened and he cleared his throat. “I’ll have you know it was my first time attempting it,” he defended himself. “And I think I did alright, all things considered.”
“I’m teasing,” Luca reassured. “It looks wonderful, but you didn’t need to go to so much trouble. What’s the occasion?” He began to gently unwrap the box, though a part of him didn’t even care to see what was inside. He wanted to keep the gift preserved as it was. The first gift Shu had ever taken the time to buy and wrap, and it was for Luca.
“No special occasion,” Shu said with a shake of his head. “I just… I saw it and wanted to give it to you. That’s all.” He rested an elbow on the island and leaned his chin into the palm of his hand as he gazed up at Luca, eyes bright and animated.
“Do you think about me so often?” Luca blurted out the question before he could stop himself and immediately regretted it. His eyes dropped and he became suddenly very enraptured by how his fingers were unwrapping the gift.
“Yes,” Shu said. His voice was clear and sure, and Luca froze at the single word.
“Wha-what?” He sputtered, gaze shooting back up to look at Shu. There was no hint of joking in his deep purple eyes, and Luca’s heart squeezed in his chest.
“Is that so strange?” Shu’s brows furrowed cutely. “We spend a lot of time together, we’re… friends. Don’t friends think of each other often?”
“I-I mean, yeah I guess,” Luca admitted sheepishly. His face felt hot. Of course Shu only thought of him as a friend. When finally he had pulled all of the wrapping paper from the box, he lifted the lid and peered inside.
Cushioned amongst pillowy black velvet was a golden bracelet. It was dainty, yet the metal was strong and firm - unbreaking. He pulled it out of the box and held it up under the lights of the kitchen. It glinted and shimmered softly, even under such harsh lighting. It reminded him somewhat of the golden gifts the raven used to bring to him.
Luca whistled lowly. “This… this must not have been cheap, Shu. You shouldn’t have, really.”
“I wanted to. I think it fits you perfectly, Luca. When I saw it I couldn’t shake the thought that it was made to rest on your wrist.” Shu straightened up and walked around the counter to stand next to him, and Luca prayed he couldn’t hear the wild pounding of his heart. “Let me help you put it on, the clasp is small, it might be hard for you to do with one hand.”
“Uh, okay,” Luca conceded easily, handing the bracelet over. He was thankful the words didn’t come out in a stuttered mess considering that was how unorganised his thoughts were at the moment.
He watched as Shu’s long, pale fingers slid the gold chain around his upturned wrist. The metal was cool against his skin, but the soft brushes of Shu’s hands were warm and it made him shiver.
“There,” Shu breathed.
Pulling his wrist up and away from Shu, he shook the chain gently until it rested comfortably against his skin.
“It’s nice,” he complimented, his eyes trailing over the piece of jewellery. “It’s lighter than I thought it would be.” His gaze flicked to Shu’s, finding the shorter man staring up at him with an emotion that swirled in his eyes. Luca couldn’t place it. “Thank you again, Shu,” he whispered, ignoring the unspoken feelings that hung between them. “You’re very kind.”
“Of course. You’ve been so welcoming to me since we first met. It’s a lame way of showing appreciation, a bracelet,” Shu flushed. “But I’m glad you like it, Luca.” He cleared his throat and drew his eyes away. “Should we start the movie now?”
Luca didn’t really want the moment to end, but nodded still. “Yeah, probably,” he murmured.
The animated movie Shu put on was a comedy, but there was a romantic subplot as well. They hadn’t watched a movie with romance, just the two of them alone together before. Vox and Ike had been around to meet Shu on a few occasions, with Vox bringing in strange films and never shutting up at any point during them.
The entire left side of Luca’s body tingled. He could feel Shu sitting a few inches away on the couch, and the proximity was driving him insane. His focus remained fixed on that impossible distance for the entirety of the film, and he hoped Shu didn’t ask him any questions as the credits began to roll over the black screen.
“That was a good movie,” Shu said quietly. “It’s quite an unusual phenomenon, how falling in love can change a person.”
Luca glanced over to see that Shu’s eyes were downcast into his lap, his hands folded with fingers fiddling together.
“I suppose so, yeah.” He wondered if he had changed since falling in love with Shu. He didn’t think so, but perhaps it was a change, unable to be recognised by himself. “I wouldn’t know much about it,” he mumbled, lying to them both. He shifted the conversation quickly. “My favourite part of the movie was the talking donkey,” he rambled. “I used to have a raven that would sit on my balcony in the morning, you know. It would have been cool if it could have talked.” Luca did realise he sounded crazy for saying that, but he and Shu had held strange discussions in the past.
From the corner of his eye, he noticed that Shu’s body seemed to tense up at his words. “A raven?” Luca had never heard Shu’s voice sound so strained and unsure. “Aren’t those birds unlucky? Harbingers of death and all that?”
“I don’t think so,” Luca chuckled. “Maybe crows, but not ravens. And this raven was cool. It listened to me ramble and it had pretty purple hued feathers.” He turned to face Shu more. “Actually you remind me of the raven a bit.” He blushed at the weird admission. “Like, in a good way!” He tried to salvage, hoping his friend wasn’t offended. “You listen to me ramble, you’re patient with me, and your hair is pretty like the raven’s feathers.”
Shu raised a single eyebrow at Luca’s statement and Luca wanted to smack himself for fumbling his words so horribly.
“You think my hair is pretty?”
The question was barely more than a whisper, Luca struggling to hear it over his screaming thoughts and drumming heart.
“Well… yes, I mean. It is really pretty. I’m surprised that’s the statement you chose to focus on out of all of those.”
Shu laughed, the sound making a happy feeling sink through Luca and putting him at ease.
“I guess I just don’t get called pretty very often.” His violet eyes seemed to glow in the dimly lit apartment as he looked up at Luca. “This raven… do you miss it?”
Luca struggled to organise his thoughts as their gazes remained connected. He felt tongue-tied.
“I do, well.. I did,” he murmured. “It just happened to show up in my life at a time when I was feeling really lonely,” Luca explained. “It was a presence that sat with me and let me spill my every thought to it, you know? Kind of like a pet, I guess. I missed it a lot for a while, but then you moved in next door…” His voice trailed off. “I’m really thankful you moved in next door to me, Shu. I don’t think I’ve ever told you, but you’ve really brightened up my life and made me feel so much less lonely.” Luca blushed, but he wanted Shu to know the impact he had on him, even if Luca couldn’t tell him he was in love with him.
“Luca…”
He closed his eyes as if it would help him commit to memory the sound of Shu’s voice when he spoke his name with such fondness that it made his heart ache. When he opened them once more, Shu’s hand was placed on the couch between them and he was leaning over, bringing their faces just a few centimetres away. Luca normally would have been startled at the sudden closeness, but his heart had already melted away.
“‘You know, if you were human I think we would be best friends by now,’” Shu quoted.
“What?”
A small smile crept across Shu’s face and Luca’s eyes dropped to his mouth unbidden. “Do you remember the last thing you said to the raven before it disappeared?”
He wracked his brain, but it had seemed to have turned to mush in his skull. “Uh, no?”
Shu giggled, and Luca wanted to kiss him. To catch that sound with his mouth and claim it and Shu’s lips as his. “I know it might be strange and hard to believe, but Luca, that raven you used to speak with on your balcony was me.”
Luca stared at Shu, dumbfounded. “What?” He found it was the only thing he could say as his mind struggled to work through what had been revealed to him.
“I was once a raven, but then I met you, and well,” pink dusted his cheeks and the bridge of his nose. “I fell in love with you, Luca. Your kindness to me, even as a bird, your silliness and your smile.” Luca felt breathless and then suddenly faint as Shu reached a hand up to run his fingers gently through Luca’s hair. “Ravens love golden things,” Shu whispered. “I would fly above you and follow your golden hair around the city,” he admitted. “I wanted to be close to you always, but I could only do so much as a bird, I… I was kind of heartbroken when you told me that if I had been human we would have been best friends because I wanted that more than anything.” Unshed tears shimmered in his amethyst eyes, making them look even more like glittering gemstones than they already did. “I flew away that day with the sole desire to become human so I could be with you. Other birds told me of a witch who was kind and might take pity on me if I shared with her my story. So I endeavoured to find her and beg her to turn me into a human, and she did. She granted my wish easily, actually.”
“If you’re a bird originally, can you turn into a raven right now?” Luca asked the question slowly. There was no deceit or insincerity that he could detect from Shu’s words, but the story was that of something out of a fantasy book - he couldn’t help but be skeptical. His mind also seemed to refuse to believe that Shu - his Shu , the one he was in love with, loved him back.
Shu shook his head sadly. “No, I can’t turn into a raven anymore, Luca. I gave that up to have my human form you see now. The witch is kind, but witches never do anything for free. I’ll never be a raven again.”
The sadness in his voice was palpable, and it made Luca’s heart pinch. “Why? Why would you do that, Shu? It obviously made you sad.” He reached a hand out to gently grab Shu’s upper arm.
“Haven’t you been listening?” Shu teased. The hand that had been brushing through Luca’s hair stopped and trailed down to cup his face. “I fell in love with you.”
“I would never ask you to do anything that made you sad,” Luca whispered. “I don’t want you to be unhappy.”
“I’m not,” Shu promised. “These last few months have been the happiest in my life, Luca. Because of you. Because I can be with you now, like this.” He moved closer, their bodies pressing together. “If I had to go back in time I would choose this, always.”
Luca’s arms came up to wrap around Shu and hold him more securely against his body. “You would choose me?” For Luca, who had always been an afterthought to most, hearing the words meant as much as being told ‘I love you’.
Shu nodded. “I would. Without a doubt in my mind I would.”
“Shu,” Luca breathed out his name and pulled him in tightly, burying his face in the soft, black hair atop his head. “I’m in love with you, too.” He chuckled. “I never thought I’d have the balls to say that aloud to you.”
“Why not?” Shu’s voice was muffled against Luca’s chest. “I thought it was obvious how much I love you.”
“What?” Luca pulled back to stare down at him. “Obvious? I thought you only looked at me like a friend!”
His face pinched with concern. “No. I thought I was giving all the right signs for human affection,” he explained. “Was I doing it wrong?”
A laugh of disbelief bubbled out of Luca, and then once he started laughing, he found he was unable to stop.
“Luca?” Shu’s hands curled into Luca’s back in worry. “Why are you laughing?”
“I’m just laughing at myself,” he explained. “For being so dense, I guess.” He smiled, a full grin filled with pure elation bubbling over as their eyes met again.
“Luca?” Shu breathed.
“Yes?”
“Humans press their lips together when they’re in love. I never understood why when I was a raven, but ever since I became human, I’ve wanted to press my mouth to yours.” Shu murmured the admission, a flush crawling up his neck and face.
“You want to kiss?”
Shu nodded shyly. “I’m sorry if I’m bad at it.”
Luca shook his head slightly, one of his hands coming to tilt Shu’s chin up. “Don’t worry,” he whispered. “You don’t know how much I’ve wanted to do this.”
He saw Shu’s amethyst eyes widen for a split second before Luca shut his eyes and dipped his mouth down to place a delicate kiss to Shu’s lips.
It started very gently, both of them slow and unsure, but soon they were pressing closer, more firmly as they sunk together on the couch. They were both panting a bit when they finally pulled away.
“Now I fully understand why humans do that so much,” Shu muttered. “Kiss me again, Luca.” His tone was soft, even as his words were demanding and Luca chuckled into the kiss as their lips met again.
“You don’t need to ask,” he whispered, pressing soft kiss after soft kiss to Shu’s swollen lips. He pulled the smaller man more into him until Shu was nestled into his lap. “But be careful, I’m not going to let you go now that I’ve gotten you,” he warned.
“I think I can live with that.” Shu smiled and cuddled into Luca’s neck more. “Your arms are more comfortable than any nest I could ever build.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment I think.”
The pair laughed together as they held each other close, unable to keep their lips apart, their happiness overflowing to sweeten each kiss and every soft, tender touch.
The spring breeze that whispered through the strands of Shu’s hair was like an old friend. It had once ruffled his feathers with that same tender caress. Had once accompanied him across the sky as he flew.
Much time had passed since he had given up his raven form, yet there were still days where a creeping sadness threatened to sink into him. However it never got far, not when he had Luca at his side.
Looking across the crowded park paths, Shu thought how it truly was spring now. The lush greenery and blooming flowers spread throughout the public gardens as his eyes darted around searchingly. Finally they came upon a familiar golden head. A smile spread over his lips as the afternoon sun tenderly spilled over Luca’s hair, the rays drawing out all the golden hues held within.
Making his way over to where he sat on their worn picnic blanket, Shu couldn’t help but feel hypnotised. He was so utterly drawn to everything about his boyfriend, if he didn’t know what it actually felt like to have magic cast over him, he would have thought Luca had used some spell to entrance him.
Luca’s long legs sprawled out in front of him, his weight resting back on his hands as he sat with his head tilted, the sun warming the small smile on his face. Sensing Shu’s approach, his eyelids fluttered open to reveal the gentle lilac depths of his gaze. His were eyes that Shu often found himself lost in at an embarrassingly frequent interval.
A spark lit up within them as Luca spotted him, lit up even further when he noted the ice cream cup held in his hands.
“Cookies and cream?”
“Of course,” Shu chuckled, handing over the slowly melting treat. He made himself comfortable on the blanket as his boyfriend dug in with puppy-like enthusiasm.
“Thank you, love.” Luca pressed a quick, sticky kiss to his cheek, moving back before Shu could push him away.
“Don’t thank me,” Shu grumbled, wiping at the residue on his skin. “Just keep your sugar filled mouth to yourself for now.”
Luca just laughed as he enjoyed himself.
It didn’t take him long at all to finish the cup of ice cream, Shu unsurprised when he began to complain of a brain freeze.
“Come here,” he huffed half-heartedly, his hands coming up to cradle Luca’s head. Shu brought it to his chest, letting it rest against him as he gently massaged Luca’s temples. “You do this every time you have ice cream. When will you learn your lesson?” He pressed a kiss to the crown of his head. Shu didn’t need to be looking at Luca’s face to know that he was pouting.
“You have to eat ice cream quickly!” He argued. “Otherwise it will melt and become ice cream soup, which is gross and no one likes that.” Luca’s heavy body relaxed into Shu, becoming more pliant in his secure arms. “Besides, you hold my head and rub it better every time,” he sighed happily.
Shu snorted a bit of laughter. “Oh so it’s partially my own fault for spoiling you, is it?”
Luca grinned, his eyes popping open as he sat up to bring their faces close. “Yes, it’s entirely your fault for being such a loving boyfriend.” He dipped his head and kissed Shu gently, the simple press of lips for no more than two beats of his heart.
When he pulled back, the pair watched one another through half-lidded eyes, their gazes private and holding a sensual edge.
Shu’s tongue darted out to wet his lips, pulling in the lingering taste of ice cream Luca had left behind. “Too sweet,” he murmured. “I don’t know how you can eat that stuff so often.”
Luca tapped his nose. “Because it’s yummy, and besides that it’s not half as sweet as you,” he cooed teasingly, laughing as Shu scrunched up his face in reflex at the playful touch.
Relaxing back on their blankets to lay flat, Luca sighed, the noise one of complete contentedness.
Shu watched him, his chest warmed by more than the sun in the sky. His feelings for Luca turned his heart molten. It leaked out and warmed him from the tips of his toes to the crown of his head. Filled entirely with love, he wondered if it spilled out of his gaze as well.
“Don’t get too comfortable,” he whispered, nudging Luca gently. “We’re supposed to go meet up with the others soon.”
Luca ignored him. “Lie down,” he urged, patting the spot under Shu’s torso where he leaned on his arm beside him. “Just lay with me for a while longer.”
Unable to tell him no, Shu obliged, resting on his side. His eyes traced delicately over Luca’s profile. The sun seemed to love him almost as much as Shu did, its rays dancing over the planes of his face and hair to cast him in golden brilliance.
Luca breathed in deeply, his broad chest rising and falling with the action. “I could stay here with you forever,” he confessed, his voice holding a reverent tone as though in prayer. He turned his head, their gazes connecting as he languidly allowed his eyes to open.
Shu raised an eyebrow. “In the middle of a public park?” His voice was breathless and filled with just a bit of mirth.
“Anywhere with you,” Luca whispered, the soft lavender of his eyes swirling with love. It set Shu’s heart tripping over itself.
“Hmm, I guess I did say your arms are better than any nest I could build,” he admitted, unable to stop from returning Luca’s smile as his boyfriend’s lips tipped up.
Luca’s hand came to cup the side of Shu’s face lovingly. “I’m your home,” he promised, gently bringing their foreheads to touch. “And you’re mine.”
Shu grabbed onto the hand that held his face with his own, his thumb stroking gently.
“I love you,” he breathed, his voice quivering slightly, brimming with all the emotions he couldn’t contain within himself. He didn’t want or need to anyway, not now, not considering they were all for Luca.
“I love you,” Luca murmured, the words a gentle hum against Shu’s mouth.
Their lips met once more, fervent yet chaste. The soft pressing of love unto one another. The pair lay beneath the sky, beneath the shade of the trees, beneath the sun and clouds as they trekked above the earth. Fingers tangled, legs brushed… lips moving together. Each movement hued in the tenderness of the love between them.