When Wings Break

Swans Glide, Not Swim

Swans Glide, Not Swim

"How did you two meet?" Denise asked as Saleh tried, for Allah knows how long, to try and get his footing beneath him. His feet wobbled beneath him and he had to clutch at her arm to stop the constant slipping from plopping him down, again. His butt was sore from the seven other times it had happened.

Saleh gave Denise a cutting look. She grinned, golden eyes liquidated with mirth. "Hi. Mind if I sit first? Like where I'm not likely to fall?"

Christophe appeared around the curve then, big body gliding on the ice fluidly, wings splayed out directing his curve. He knew exactly how to use all his body on the ice, unlike Saleh who was more likely to faint right about now.

"Enough chattering, Saleh. Time to dance like Swan Lake," he grinned, showing off his wonderful prowess even here. He beat Saleh, and Saleh had a hard time swallowing down both the defeat and the desire to curl up inside his huge jacket and fall asleep.

"Go find someone else to torment, Viking," Saleh tried to slide away. Bad idea. The ice and his upper body found no sense and Saleh would have gone down if not for the laughing duo Christophe and Denise catching him. A hand brushed against the sensitive centre between his wings. Saleh tensed, wings flapping in quick succession to get away.

The motion didn't help them. "Stop flapping, goofball." Denise squealed as she was tossed off, landing on the ice. If Saleh knew embarrassment, it had to be that one.

"Sorry. Sorry." The arms around him tightened as the Viking laughed again beside him. Saleh felt his body tense once again; this time his muscles didn't move as awareness sparked along every inch he was pressed against Christophe's body.

White wings and laughter drew his attention to the two girls gliding through the ice towards them. Amina had never skated before and yet she looked as graceful as Jaiyana on the ice. As always, eyes turned when Jaiyana flapped her wings. Compared to her big, squawking brother, she looked fitting in these frozen waters.

"Seriously, when will you finally figure out how to skate?" Jaiyana laughed. She reached over to help Denise as Saleh tried to distance himself from Christophe. It was an emotionally laborious task.

"Show off," he said. In the end, his knees knocked too much for him to fully let go. "How come you can skate so well?"

If he showed a little bitterness over it, Christophe only grinned. "Sweden. Viking. Ice and beer. Come, Saleh, let us conquer the world."

Saleh felt his eyes widen as Christophe's hand slid down his arm. Before he could stop him, Christophe was moving his feet forward, wings extended backward. "Christophe!"

"Now I'm not Viking?" he laughed brazenly, but he did not stop. "Shame."

Saleh was terrified. Each uncontrolled movement forward, each step Christophe took, dragging him along, he found himself entirely at the mercy of forces he did not understand. He partially did. He didn't know how to control them.

"Christophe! Stop!"

"No," Christophe grinned back at him as they made a curve that was too sharp for him. He was losing control. Saleh knew he was two seconds away from crashing into the sides, or going face-first into the ice. God's mercy was when Christophe realized this. With far more control than Saleh dreamed to have, he skated right towards the edges where Saleh could clutch at the railing instead of the warm hand he'd gripped with all his fury. "Saleh."

"Don't." He inhaled and exhaled, heartbeat too fast in his chest. When had he started being such a scared person? Wasn't he the one challenging his tracker from a young age? How had he stopped being out there? "Just. Don't."

Christophe watched him. When he dared meet those russet eyes, he found them watching him speculatively. "When I watch you fly, I swear, the angels Norms believe in do exist." The words were spoken in a low octave meant for a private talk. Saleh felt his cheeks heat at the intimacy it beckoned. "Saleh. You are that angel."

"Christophe." He began to shake his head.

Christophe grinned, dimple peeking. "I don't believe it. I refuse to believe it." He lifted his chin upward, turning away playfully as he crossed his arms.

"Refuse to believe what?"

"You're a scaredy chicken. Hmph, chicken have brawnier guts than-- Oomph!" He doubled over at Saleh's quick punch to the abdomen. Laughter barked out of him and he shot Saleh another body trembling grin. "I want to teach you, Saleh. To teach you as you taught me."

Saleh swallowed, turning away from the beseeching look. "It's just skating. Not as big as you flying again."

Saleh watched as a young girl holding the hands of her parents smiled as she got hold of the movements. All three scaled tails were intertwined as he got a look at their back. Saleh felt his heart constrict, a longing in his chest. He caught sight of Christophe. What he saw in his eyes surprised and ruffled him.

"Um, maybe, um-- What?" he lowered his chin, but he looked up at him through his lashes, wanting to see the desire mirrored in his eyes.

Christophe grinned, shook his head, and turned away. "It's cute how flustered you get," he said. After a pause, he added, "It makes me wish for kissing privileges."

Saleh nearly swallowed his tongue. He looked around, sure someone had heard. Amina and Jaiyana were still testing out their abilities, Roan and his girlfriend had decided to snuggle up on the benches. It was also clear Millie and Bunny were in a heated argument. Saleh suspected it was about food or jewelry.

No one important had heard. In a sudden impulse, he said, "So, only when I'm flustered?" He glanced up at Christophe before glancing down again, tongue jutting out to lick his lip.

Christophe made a sound. It was soft and guttural; it surprised Saleh how quickly his body responded. He swallowed again. "Uh, how about that lesson? How do we start?"